Curran: Pats should've been prepared for this

[SVN]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26608029/

Matt Cassel isn’t one of those backup quarterbacks who could be starting for other franchises. He’s jumpy in the pocket, rushes throws and — after developing quickly in his first and second years in the league — has regressed

honestly i have to agree with this assesment. a volek,feely would make us more confident in my opinion.

 

[dhamz]

That is an easy article from Curran (and prisco and everyone else who wrote it today) but I think we have yet to find out the answer to this question. I would tend to agree but all we have to go on right now is a solid performance yesterday. We will start to find out on Sunday if the Pats were prepared for it or not.

 

[Bella*chick]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26608029/


honestly i have to agree with this assesment. a volek,feely would make us more confident in my opinion.

As if there are so many capable backups floating around the league to be had a good price. Most teams' starting QBs are below average.

 

[The Dynasty]

Matt Cassel is basically 1-0 as a NFL QB. You cant jump to any conclutions just yet. It isnt fair to Matt Cassel.

 

[SVN]

That is an easy article from Curran (and prisco and everyone else who wrote it today) but I think we have yet to find out the answer to this question. I would tend to agree but all we have to go on right now is a solid performance yesterday. We will start to find out on Sunday if the Pats were prepared for it or not.

well..just my opinion which may be in the minority but cassel's jumpy feet makes me so nervous that i expect him to throw a pick all the time. if he can hold his own and maybe with more reps at practice get better it would be better.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

people need to be much more upbeat.

the Pats did prepare for this. they have groomed cassel who they obviously have confidence in and they drafted oconnell this year.

people wouldn't be happy unless they got a retread who they could plug in after a day and expect to run the offense

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

well..just my opinion which may be in the minority but cassel's jumpy feet makes me so nervous that i expect him to throw a pick all the time. if he can hold his own and maybe with more reps at practice get better it would be better.

he showed remarkable poise sunday

 

[Patriot Missile]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26608029/


honestly i have to agree with this assesment. a volek,feely would make us more confident in my opinion.

I like Volek. I think he could really resurrect his career in New England with this teams talent. I remember how well he played in McNair's absence for Tennesse before getting the job taken by a often injured McNair.

 

[emoney_33]

well..just my opinion which may be in the minority but cassel's jumpy feet makes me so nervous that i expect him to throw a pick all the time. if he can hold his own and maybe with more reps at practice get better it would be better.

We've been spoiled with Brady's uncanny, uncommon, extreme poise and calmness in the pocket.

They prepared Cassel for 4 years for this moment. They have faith in him and they don't have to change their system or adjust their playbook at all. What changes is Cassel now has input in the playcalls/gameplan whereas before Brady did, so the calls will be adjusted based upon this.

The patriots are ready for a situation like this and Matt Cassel will earn himself a starting position somewhere next year (not here though).

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

We've been spoiled with Brady's uncanny, uncommon, extreme poise and calmness in the pocket.

They prepared Cassel for 4 years for this moment. They have faith in him and they don't have to change their system or adjust their playbook at all. What changes is Cassel now has input in the playcalls/gameplan whereas before Brady did, so the calls will be adjusted based upon this.

The patriots are ready for a situation like this and Matt Cassel will earn himself a starting position somewhere next year (not here though).

bingo. i'm assuming cassel is a very smart guy

 

[dhamz]

well..just my opinion which may be in the minority but cassel's jumpy feet makes me so nervous that i expect him to throw a pick all the time. if he can hold his own and maybe with more reps at practice get better it would be better.

Let's be honest - if you have a Tom Brady, a Manning, Brees, etc. what are you looking for in a back-up? You are looking for what Cassel did yesterday. You want a back-up to come in and not kill you. You want him to go 4-2 in the 6 weeks your star is out. The problem here is Brady is gone for the year. And there is no contingency for that anywhere.

Will Cassel lead them to 12-4 and the Super Bowl? I highly doubt it. But neither would Todd Collins or Sage Rosenthals or Kerry Collins and that is what passes for a top level back-up in the NFL.

 

[Bella*chick]

Let's be honest - if you have a Tom Brady, a Manning, Brees, etc. what are you looking for in a back-up? You are looking for what Cassel did yesterday. You want a back-up to come in and not kill you. You want him to go 4-2 in the 6 weeks your star is out. The problem here is Brady is gone for the year. And there is no contingency for that anywhere.

Will Cassel lead them to 12-4 and the Super Bowl? I highly doubt it. But neither would Todd Collins or Sage Rosenthals or Kerry Collins and that is what passes for a top level back-up in the NFL.

Agreed. And if Peyton Manning were to go down in these circumstances, I doubt Sorgi would be leading the Colts anywhere but home.

Like previous posters have said, these articles are easy to write today.

 

[patsox23]

The Patriots are not winning the Super Bowl with Volek or Feely so what's the point?

 

[dhamz]

The Patriots are not winning the Super Bowl with Volek or Feely so what's the point?

The point (in the opinion of curran and others) is they give the Pats a better chance to win the division or get the wild card than Cassel.

Cassel may be able to do that. If he does, these articles will look stupid. If he doesn't Curran has a point. The next 4 months will tell us.

 

[emoney_33]

Will Cassel lead them to 12-4 and the Super Bowl?

Yes, book it.

 

[blackglass3]

The Pats ARE prepared for this. We're alot better off than, say, Green Bay; who have 2 rookies behind Rodgers. Or the Giants, who have David "Sack" Carr.

If BB has so much faith in Cassel that they don't even bother working out other QB's, I think we're ok.

 

[emoney_33]

The point (in the opinion of curran and others) is they give the Pats a better chance to win the division or get the wild card than Cassel.

Cassel may be able to do that. If he does, these articles will look stupid. If he doesn't Curran has a point. The next 4 months will tell us.

100% false though. BB already explained how it would take too long for them to learn the playbook and they'd have to cut it down 70-80%.

 

[dhamz]

100% false though. BB already explained how it would take too long for them to learn the playbook and they'd have to cut it down 70-80%.

I think the argument is they should have brought a veteran in during the offseason - not today.

 

[RayClay]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26608029/


honestly i have to agree with this assesment. a volek,feely would make us more confident in my opinion.

I would have agreed, but he played well Sunday and we won. I'd say the odds are on gaining confidence and growing into the job.

Based on one game, that is.

Jumpy, yes. Rushing throws? Not Sunday. He was an NFL quarterback for one game anyway.

 

[Bella*chick]

I think the argument is they should have brought a veteran in during the offseason - not today.

Well, I guess their argument rides on Matt's poor showing in the preseason and some of his lackluster efforts in games past (like Miami last year).

But that's the outsiders argument. Cassel looked like a disaster in the preseason but he looked pretty solid to me yesterday during an actual game with the starters running the actual offense. You could almost feel the WTF! in the stadium when Cassel threw that first bomb to Moss to get us off the goal line on 3rd down. BB just might know a bit more than the rest of us, you know?