Don Banks agrees with the haters

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/don_banks/08/26/backups/1.html

30. New England: Matt Gutierrez -- Our sense is that Matt Cassel has played his way off the roster with his dreadful preseason, and that Gutierrez would be the Patriots backup if the season opened today. But don't discount the possibility that a late-August trade or signing could bring a Damon Huard (or someone of his type) into the fold, giving New England a little more of a comfort zone should Brady's sore foot continue to be an issue.

 

[BelichickFan]

I don't think even the kool aid drinkers think we have a good backup QB.

 

[blackglass3]

Don Banks isn't agreeing with the haters, Don Banks has watched Casell's p!ss poor play.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Don Banks isn't agreeing with the haters, Don Banks has watched Casell's p!ss poor play.

He is not exactly oozing with complements regarding Matt Gutierrez either.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Don is just falling into the mediot trap. They all feel they have to comment on situations they may know nothing of and therefore follow the lemmings (hense the comment he gets the sense...).

I guess it's no big deal that the Colts are 1-3 in the preseason without Manning and their million dollar backup Sorgi has yet to lead Peyton's awesome weapons into an endzone...

 

[dhamz]

I guess it's no big deal that the Colts are 1-3 in the preseason without Manning and their million dollar backup Sorgi has yet to lead Peyton's awesome weapons into an endzone...

He has Sorgi rated as one of the worst back-ups in the league as well.

 

[BadMoFo]

Don is just falling into the mediot trap. They all feel they have to comment on situations they may know nothing of and therefore follow the lemmings (hense the comment he gets the sense...).

I guess it's no big deal that the Colts are 1-3 in the preseason without Manning and their million dollar backup Sorgi has yet to lead Peyton's awesome weapons into an endzone...

So should he just have left that space for the comments blank? Would that have made you happy?

 

[Rob0729]

Is anyone shocked about this? Matt Cassel has stunk this entire preseason. Even throwing to Moss and Welker, he has made bad throws and poor decisions. Gutierrez did well against the 2nd and 3rd strings of the Eagles last week, but has he proven he is a legitimate #2 QB yet.

Personally, I agree with Banks. Cassel is done. He hasn't done anything but make poor decisions and throw INTs without any TDs for two years. Gutierrez has the potential to be a very good #2 QB, but I don't think he is there yet.

I know I was mocked earlier in the preseason for this, but I do think there is a realistic chance that the Pats cut Cassel, add a veteran QB, and carry 4 QBs. The only way in this scenario they don't carry 4 QBs is if they IR O'Connell. IRing Gutierrez would be counter productive because he would have to either step up as the #2 QB by next preseason or his experiment would have to end.

 

[Chevy]

Gutierrez is a third stringer that rates #2 only by comparison. While he may blossom into a bonafide #2 (or even a starter if we're very lucky), as of right now he's way out of his league if he has to start.

As to the write-up by Banks .... if it offends you, then you must want to be offended.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

He has Sorgi rated as one of the worst back-ups in the league as well.

But he hasn't pre-emptively replaced him with Eli's former tub of goo backup or the rookie, so I guess he doesn't think it's as big an issue in Indy...

I just think the microscope this team operates under magnifies everything here beyond all reason. It's not just a bone bruise keeping Tommy off the field this pre season - it's fear of something worse transpiring if he trys to make plays behind a dysfunctional patchwork OL facing 4 tough defenses including 3 who gave us fits last season at full strength.

But the easy out attitude seems to be let's not even go there...let's just eviscerate the backup so many here love to hate because Bill drafted him even though he never started in college...

 

[Jimke]

Many forum members agree that the Pats backup quarterbacks are

suspect. Matt Cassell looked promising at one time but has

leveled off. Matt Gutierrez is an unknown quantity. Kevin O'Connell

is a rookie.

 

[Rob0729]

He is not exactly oozing with complements regarding Matt Gutierrez either.

Gutierrez has a lot of potential, but what has he done to inspire confidence that he is a good #2 QB at this point? Lighting it up against a lot of guys who won't be in the NFL in a week won't cut it.

I have high hopes that Gutierrez could become a solid #2 QB, but I am think it won't happen until next season.

 

[fgssand]

I don't think even the kool aid drinkers think we have a good backup QB.

I just do not feel 3 games in 11 days was conducive to a "normal" pre-season performance.

What exactly changed from last year when we all thought we did have a capapble back up??

The usual "all important" third game cam 5 days after the second game.

I did not see the usual starting offensive line, did anyone??

I saw other teams game planning against our vanilla "O" and having success, they blitzed and stunted and we were not exactly running the plays that would succeed against these packages and defenses at all.

Do the Cassell haters think he had a full game plan and was surrounded by the best OL, RB's & WR's at all times so as to take advantage of what the offense is capable of doing.

Many player evaluations were going on - Ventrone & SLater experiments, "O" lineman tryouts, blitz pick ups by new additions and rookies (Jordan & Ben Jarvis Ellis Green the 3rd).

I maintain Cassell is no where near as bad as he has appeared and remember, he finally got experience against the other teams 1's playing with not quite his own 1's.

Put him in there when it counts and at worst he will be serviceable and will keep the ship upright until the Captain returns.

Trust what you see from BB & SP - if they jump off of his train, I will be right there. I dont see it happening.

 

[Jimke]

I just do not feel 3 games in 11 days was conducive to a "normal" pre-season performance.

What exactly changed from last year when we all thought we did have a capapble back up??

The usual "all important" third game cam 5 days after the second game.

I did not see the usual starting offensive line, did anyone??

I saw other teams game planning against our vanilla "O" and having success, they blitzed and stunted and we were not exactly running the plays that would succeed against these packages and defenses at all.

Do the Cassell haters think he had a full game plan and was surrounded by the best OL, RB's & WR's at all times so as to take advantage of what the offense is capable of doing.

Many player evaluations were going on - Ventrone & SLater experiments, "O" lineman tryouts, blitz pick ups by new additions and rookies (Jordan & Ben Jarvis Ellis Green the 3rd).

I maintain Cassell is no where near as bad as he has appeared and remember, he finally got experience against the other teams 1's playing with not quite his own 1's.

Put him in there when it counts and at worst he will be serviceable and will keep the ship upright until the Captain returns.

Trust what you see from BB & SP - if they jump off of his train, I will be right there. I dont see it happening.

We saw Matt Cassell perform last year against a mediocre Miami team.

Was his performance satisfactory?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I just do not feel 3 games in 11 days was conducive to a "normal" pre-season performance.

What exactly changed from last year when we all thought we did have a capapble back up??

The usual "all important" third game cam 5 days after the second game.

I did not see the usual starting offensive line, did anyone??

I saw other teams game planning against our vanilla "O" and having success, they blitzed and stunted and we were not exactly running the plays that would succeed against these packages and defenses at all.

Do the Cassell haters think he had a full game plan and was surrounded by the best OL, RB's & WR's at all times so as to take advantage of what the offense is capable of doing.

Many player evaluations were going on - Ventrone & SLater experiments, "O" lineman tryouts, blitz pick ups by new additions and rookies (Jordan & Ben Jarvis Ellis Green the 3rd).

I maintain Cassell is no where near as bad as he has appeared and remember, he finally got experience against the other teams 1's playing with not quite his own 1's.

Put him in there when it and at worst he will be serviceable and will keep the ship upright until the Captain returns.

Trust what you see from BB & SP - if they jump off of his train, I will be right there. I dont see it happening.

That about sums it up for me, too. I noticed in a piece by Karen Guregian today that Cassel's primary test target in the first two tilts finally owned up to not being ready to contribute until the tail end of week 3 against second teamers. I gather the honesty is a product of all the love he received for his Randy impersonation against the burger flippers...

"Jackson admitted to being nervous in the preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens, in which he and Matt Cassel had some problems communicating. Jackson, who played with the starting unit, looked completely out of sorts in that game. Whether it was running bad routes, dropping balls or slipping on the field, it wasn’t a good game.

It didn’t get much better against Tampa Bay..."


http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...receiver_shows_spark/srvc=patriots&position=2

 

[Rob0729]

I just do not feel 3 games in 11 days was conducive to a "normal" pre-season performance.

What exactly changed from last year when we all thought we did have a capapble back up??

The usual "all important" third game cam 5 days after the second game.

I did not see the usual starting offensive line, did anyone??

I saw other teams game planning against our vanilla "O" and having success, they blitzed and stunted and we were not exactly running the plays that would succeed against these packages and defenses at all.

Do the Cassell haters think he had a full game plan and was surrounded by the best OL, RB's & WR's at all times so as to take advantage of what the offense is capable of doing.

Many player evaluations were going on - Ventrone & SLater experiments, "O" lineman tryouts, blitz pick ups by new additions and rookies (Jordan & Ben Jarvis Ellis Green the 3rd).

I maintain Cassell is no where near as bad as he has appeared and remember, he finally got experience against the other teams 1's playing with not quite his own 1's.

Put him in there when it counts and at worst he will be serviceable and will keep the ship upright until the Captain returns.

Trust what you see from BB & SP - if they jump off of his train, I will be right there. I dont see it happening.

I have given up on Cassel, but it isn't based purely on this preseason. Since the preseason of 2006, the guy has thrown 5 INTs (should have been 6 on Friday) and 0 TDs except the TD pass to Jason Taylor. You can make excused for him all you want, but every #2 QB is in a similiar position as Cassel and few have performed as poorly in a two year stretch.

He isn't as bad as he played in the first game this preseason, but I think the last two game may be exactly what he is - a marginal #2 QB in my eyes. His time is up.

 

[primetime]

Don is just falling into the mediot trap. They all feel they have to comment on situations they may know nothing of and therefore follow the lemmings (hense the comment he gets the sense...).

I guess it's no big deal that the Colts are 1-3 in the preseason without Manning and their million dollar backup Sorgi has yet to lead Peyton's awesome weapons into an endzone...

Stop acting like you're being martyred when someone writes something bad about the Patriots. Cassel sucks. I know it, Banks knows it, and deep down you know it too. He's never looked particularly good and this year he looks plain awful. This isn't some kind of slap in the face to the Patriots organization. Banks is one of the few national sportswriters on good terms with the Patriots, and he's writing about football, not Spygate or Belichick's personality or anything else.

Of course, backup QBs have never mattered for the Patriots or Colts because Brady and Manning have never been hurt. But neither team has an exactly ideal situation behind their superstar. At least Jim Sorgi played in college.

 

[Hawg 73]

Why is anyone surprised that a guy who didn't even play in college sucks as an NFL QB? They took a chance and in hindsight it didn't work out. Bad decision. Move on.

 

[spacecrime]

I know I was mocked earlier in the preseason for this, but I do think there is a realistic chance that the Pats cut Cassel, add a veteran QB, and carry 4 QBs.

There is no way these three things happen, so I must mock you yet again, sir. There is a chance for one of those three to occur. It is extremely unlikely that ANY two of them will happen. As for all three as you state, Mock Mock.

The only way in this scenario they don't carry 4 QBs is if they IR O'Connell.

Mock mock.

IRing Gutierrez would be counter productive because he would have to either step up as the #2 QB by next preseason or his experiment would have to end.

Mock mock. IRing Gute is not only NOT counterproductive, it is irrelevant to his status next year. Whether IRed or not, he would still have to beat out O'Connell for #2 next year, and it would NOT have to occur by preseason. It could happen DURING preseason, even as late as Game 3 of the preseason. (Not that I am saying it will happen - it won't. O'Connell will win #2 next year is my guess).

And anyway, even if he didn't beat out O'Connell there is no reason to say his "experiment" is over. He could beat out whoever the Pats draft next year for #3 spot.

NOTE: These are gentle mocks, and should the Pats cut Cassel, add a vet QB and carry four QBs, I will self-mock.

 

[fgssand]

We saw Matt Cassell perform last year against a mediocre Miami team.

Was his performance satisfactory?

He looked pretty good to me VS Miami when he played a full game against them a few years ago.

Of course that was a full game and he obviously forgot everything he did not know back then.

I would simply like to withold evaluation until he plays in a real game, with a real game plan and real players....not dumb pre-season football.

Is there a problem with trusting whetever judgement and decison the HC makes?? If BB & SP feel MC is a capable back up - that is good enough for me. I think they KNOW.