Is Cassel progressing in intangible ways

[Deus Irae]

whaaaa????

His pocket presence is improving? How so? His alluding the sack and actually throwing a ball away?

His ceiling is higher than Bledsoe? He's taking less sacks and he can make progressive reads in the pocket? His long ball abilities? Which he may actually have - and we've seen it - occasionally - but those sorts of plays take too long to develop for a qb with BAD pocket presence.

Dear Lord, the glasses are awfully foggy 'round here.

Felger, who's not a homer, have put out his 'grade' for Cassel against Denver:

WEEI 850AM Sports Radio - Patriots Report Card: Welcome to Happyland

QUARTERBACK – B

The vast majority of the damage done by Matt Cassel fell in the dump-off, check-down category. But beggars can’t be choosers. Anytime Cassel wants to throw three touchdowns with no interceptions and a 136.3 rating, he should go right ahead. Of course, there were times Cassel failed to see the field and deliver the ball to open receivers, such as on a rollout at the end of the second quarter when he ignored Ben Watson over the middle. That had Ron Jaworski croaking up in the booth. Cassel was also sacked six times (with 26 on the season, the Pats are now the second most-sacked team in the NFL based on pass attempts), although after watching the game a second time on the DVR, I think five were the result of bad blocking as much as Cassel’s indecision in the pocket. And there were definitely times he kept his head up, such as on a scramble with eight minutes left in the second quarter when he tried to hit Randy Moss for the score only to have Champ Bailey knock it away. Cassel did the same thing in the third quarter, and this time it resulted in a touchdown, as Moss had a more favorable matchup with Dré Bly. Cassel also showed good awareness in the third quarter, as he quickly recognized that Wes Welker wasn’t covered out of the slot and hit him streaking into the open for a 27-yard gain. Cassel should have been intercepted near the goal line later in the third by safety Calvin Lowry (who had just a brutal, awful night), but the play was overturned on replay. Given the second chance, Cassel did the right thing, hitting Kevin Faulk in the right flat for eight yards and then Welker in the left flat for six yards and a touchdown.

Perhaps your glasses need a prescription check.

 

[Garbanza]

Some of us get our eyes checked at the Belichick Football Viewing Opthomology Clinic. You should check it out as those recycled coke bottle lenses you're sporting have continutally clouded what little football vision you ever had.

Yah, reality isn't encouraged here, I know.

Let's hope Lamont puts on a Sammy type performance this Sunday, folks. This team has become a power running - dink dunk offense - which is fine by me. Play to your strengths. I'm all for that. Our strength sure as heck 'aint the QB.

 

[Garbanza]

Felger, who's not a homer, have put out his 'grade' for Cassel against Denver:

WEEI 850AM Sports Radio - Patriots Report Card: Welcome to Happyland



Perhaps your glasses need a prescription check.

reading that performance analysis - does that seem deserving of that grade? It was mediocre. Mediocre usually means C......but heck, it's a spositive spin by a negative guy - so it's 'gotta be spot on! Koolaide, baby!

 

[Deus Irae]

reading that performance analysis - does that seem deserving of that grade? It was mediocre. Mediocre usually means C......but heck, it's a spositive spin by a negative guy - so it's 'gotta be spot on! Koolaide, baby!

You're making yourself look like a clown on this issue, and you're usually better than that. Did Cassel beat you up or something?

 

[JoeShmoe]

Blimey

Matt Cassel has 6 NFL starts. Count em. SIX. And were 4-2

Yet he's meant to be better than 1/3 of the starting QB's already playing, he's meant to have no faults and he should be 300 yards with 5 TD's every game

Sheesh .. all I see is a guy doing a good job, learning his trade, getting better, managing the ball (Rosenfels anyone?) and getting in sync with his offense. More he plays, , more he learns the schemes, sees the D, gets some confidence and improves. He'll have some shockers along the way, but thats his learning curve

And all behind what I think is a very average OL and poor pass blocking team ...

 

[Garbanza]

You're making yourself look like a clown on this issue, and you're usually better than that. Did Cassel beat you up or something?

Maybe I'm just spoiled because he's replacing someone who when all is said and done, will be in the top five all-time....but honest to Gawd, I watch him play and am very underwhelmed and unimpressed and really do not see much improvement. Sorry.

 

[Nunchucks]

Maybe I'm just spoiled because he's replacing someone who when all is said and done, will be in the top five all-time....but honest to Gawd, I watch him play and am very underwhelmed and unimpressed and really do not see much improvement. Sorry.

if you don't think he is playing fantastic football that 2/3rd of the leagues QBs should be envious of, then you are a troll who hates Cassel.

 

[Deus Irae]

Maybe I'm just spoiled because he's replacing someone who when all is said and done, will be in the top five all-time....but honest to Gawd, I watch him play and am very underwhelmed and unimpressed and really do not see much improvement. Sorry.

This is why you never want to be the man following the legend. You always want to be the man who follows the man who follows the legend. People just lose all perspective. He's not Brady. Everyone understands that, including Cassel himself. All I ask, and all most of the Cassel defenders ask, is that people evaluate him within his own circumstances rather than demanding he become Brady 2.0.

Cassel is a backup quarterback and is doing fine in that role. Now, as a starting quarterback, he's either a stiff or a player that still has to grow into his game. Which of those he is finally considered will be determined over time, but the reality is that he's playing well enough, IN THE PATRIOTS' SYSTEM, that he's gotten his team to 4-2 and isn't killing the team with turnovers like a Sage Rosenfels or a J.T. O'Sullivan. In fact, while he's a lower echelon starter, he is by no means the worst starter in the league right now, at least within the confines of each starter's respective team.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

What Deus said. Great perspective.

We ALL suffer from Brady Depravation Shock (BDS) and need to keep our equilibrium while watching Our Team's guy develop. The Cassel 'defenders' are not saying anything like he's a top half NFL QB. He's done enough in his role to help with some Ws. Hopefully he can grow further with game experience. Maybe he can't. Let's watch and see.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

if you don't think he is playing fantastic football that 2/3rd of the leagues QBs should be envious of, then you are a troll who hates Cassel.

It's a tough life and then you whine.

From Reiss: Chatter from Cassel - Reiss' Pieces - Boston.com

On the most helpful thing Brady has told him. “He said ‘just be yourself, don’t try to do too much, don’t take the weight of the world on your shoulders and just go out and try to execute the offense, and move forward and you’ll get better week by week.’”

On winning the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. “I was pretty shocked, to be completely honest. I really think it comes down to the team playing really well. It says a lot about us getting the running game going, and the offensive line, because this game comes down to 11 people coming together.”

On the team’s high sack total. “I think from a quarterback standpoint, I need to do a better job in throwing the ball away when I need to. There are times I’m trying to let the play develop downfield and if I’m staying in there too long, I need to learn when that time clock goes off, and just throw it away. That’s an area I can help the offensive line out with. Obviously, a lot of those sacks aren’t on them, they’re on me. That’s just something I’m getting a little more used to as I go forward.”

Mattyice is improving - to my eyes you blind haters.
- He's following the BB game plan as outlined by the last kid to walk that path.
- He's crediting the team.
- He's not throwing anyone under the bus and takes the blame on himself or talks about the need for the team to get better together.

This team with this QB will be in the playoffs, despite 9 players on IR after game 6.

 

[Nunchucks]

It's a tough life and then you whine.

From Reiss: Chatter from Cassel - Reiss' Pieces - Boston.comMattyice is improving - to my eyes you blind haters.
- He's following the BB game plan as outlined by the last kid to walk that path.
- He's crediting the team.
- He's not throwing anyone under the bus and takes the blame on himself or talks about the need for the team to get better together.

This team with this QB will be in the playoffs, despite 9 players on IR after game 6.

I recognize his improvement and hope the trend continues.

 

[mmasterkillah]

His improvement has been obvious, but let's keep in mind how bad the Denver defense was. We were able to stick to very predictable pass routes that still succeeded. When capable teams come up and play press coverage, can we still pull off all these routes of under 10 yards?

I will never expect Matt to be more than a capable backup, which I think he is in the process of proving he is. While he played good football on Monday, he does have the best supporting cast in all of football playing around him (besides the O-Line, which isn't too bad either).

To say he has a ceiling higher than Bledsoe's was is ridiculous and disrespectful to a guy who gave us his all for years. Keep in mind, Bledsoe didn't play with Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and the rest of the gang that went 16-0 last regular season. Another person wrote that "2/3s" of the NFL starting QB's would love to play like Matt does regularly. My response is "What?". He is not a starting caliber QB in most situations.

While I hope for the best, which is continued improvement and stat lines like MNF, Cassel is never going to be as good or as bad as he looks on respective gamedays. I will expect a lot of "growing pains" that I'm not sure Matt will ever grow out of.

GO PATRIOTS, GO MATT!

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I thought his best game hands-down was SF. In that game he threw (and completed) a lot of passes we haven't seen in many of the other games: Short and deep outs, passes across the middle, hitting WRs in skinny posts/slants between the CB and safety. A handful of these were 3rd-and-long conversions. In most of the games he's executed set plays like WR screens or has kept his throws short and safe.

I want to see more of his SF-type performances going forward.

Regards,
Chris

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I thought his best game hands-down was SF. In that game he threw (and completed) a lot of passes we haven't seen in many of the other games: Short and deep outs, passes across the middle, hitting WRs in skinny posts/slants between the CB and safety. A handful of these were 3rd-and-long conversions. In most of the games he's executed set plays like WR screens or has kept his throws short and safe.

I want to see more of his SF-type performances going forward.

Regards,
Chris

Right now, my wish list would have two things on it:

(1) Being able to throw it away more when called for (obviously, I'd rather he eat the ball and five yards than get called for intentional grounding ).
(2) One or two deep passes (30+ yards) a game.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Cassel does not make many costly mistakes, look at how many attempts and interceptions he has.

I think that this is indeed key for the Patriots. Not making mistakes is the most significant part of his job. An occasional TD pass will keep him as the starting QB. I still question if O'Connell can't do a better job, but I admit that it's tough for inexperienced QBs to avoid mistakes and Cassel has done better than expected in that regard.

 

[TruthSeeker]

He is getting better and I hope the trend continues. I want him to be a starting QB for another team next year for a couple of reasons:

1. Brady is back and healthy
2. He has proven himself worthy enough of a starters job by showing he can run an offense while continuing to progress during the season. Maybe even help lead the pats to a few playoff wins???

I agree with you that there is a dearth of quality starting QBs in the NFL. Despite that, I'm not convinced that Matt Cassel helps to fill that gap. I think he's getting the advantage of what I'll call the "Belichick" effect; he looks better than he really is when plugged into the NE offense. This can very clearly be seen when FAs head to other teams.

Cassel's claim to fame on the Patriots so far this year has centered around avoiding turnovers. He hasn't proven that he can lead a team down the field in crunch time. He hasn't proven that he can throw the intermediate or long passes consistently (despite a couple of great bombs to Randy Moss, he's had more misses than hits). He certainly hasn't proven that he can avoid the sack or read the field.

Many claim to see Cassel making progress. What I've seen is Matt Cassel trying to be even more limited in what he is doing in order to avoid mistakes - and winning an "Offensive Player of the Week" award when he succeeds. Great. Hopefully, with an improving defense, this will be enough for the Patriots to make a Super Bowl run. I can dream, can't I?

 

[emoney_33]

I agree with you that there is a dearth of quality starting QBs in the NFL. Despite that, I'm not convinced that Matt Cassel helps to fill that gap. I think he's getting the advantage of what I'll call the "Belichick" effect; he looks better than he really is when plugged into the NE offense. This can very clearly be seen when FAs head to other teams.

Does the "Belichick effect" hold true for Brady in 2001 as well?

Cassel's claim to fame on the Patriots so far this year has centered around avoiding turnovers. He hasn't proven that he can lead a team down the field in crunch time. He hasn't proven that he can throw the intermediate or long passes consistently (despite a couple of great bombs to Randy Moss, he's had more misses than hits). He certainly hasn't proven that he can avoid the sack or read the field.

He's only played in 6 NFL games and 6 games as a QB since HS. I definitely don't expect him to be doing everything right already. He IS progressing though, even if it isn't immediately seen in the results.

Many claim to see Cassel making progress. What I've seen is Matt Cassel trying to be even more limited in what he is doing in order to avoid mistakes - and winning an "Offensive Player of the Week" award when he succeeds. Great. Hopefully, with an improving defense, this will be enough for the Patriots to make a Super Bowl run. I can dream, can't I?

He has 100% improved and made progress from week 1 to now. Though he still has a long way to go (as did Brady in 2001). It seems you don't believe in progress that doesn't instantly change results. You cannot walk a mile without taking the first step.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Does the "Belichick effect" hold true for Brady in 2001 as well?

I don't know; we'll have to wait for him to go to another team.

Actually, the better response is, "I know Tom Brady and Matt Cassel is no Tom Brady."

He's only played in 6 NFL games and 6 games as a QB since HS. I definitely don't expect him to be doing everything right already. He IS progressing though, even if it isn't immediately seen in the results.

He has 100% improved and made progress from week 1 to now. Though he still has a long way to go (as did Brady in 2001). It seems you don't believe in progress that doesn't instantly change results. You cannot walk a mile without taking the first step.

So I've heard; I just haven't seen. I'll give him credit for this - he's not turning the ball over. I agree that this is improvement. Beyond that, exactly what part of his game is "progressing"? Is he:

- make better line adjustments?
- reading the defense pre-snap better?
- making better and more decisive decisions after the snap?
- reading the defense better post-snap?
- better at avoiding the sack?
- making better intermediate throws?
- making better long throws?
- throwing the ball away better?
- running the ball better when the play has broken down?

Matt Cassel has always hit the short throws pretty well; not too much room for improvement there.

Seriously, I hear people say that he's improving. What I see is that the play calling is changing to do what he can already do (throw the short passes), not that Cassel is getting better at being a more well-rounded QB.

Don't get me wrong; improvement at not turning the ball over is very important in this offense and on this team. But that's about the only area I can honestly credit him with noticable improvement at this point.

 

[matt1073]

Personally I think Cass is gonna get better each week. Belicheck and Poili assumed that the pats would play some bad games early on and that bringing in a vet like simms would put more preasure on cass to succeed early on. now that Cass has gotten game experience we should be able to be a much more competitive team

 

[Deus Irae]

I don't know; we'll have to wait for him to go to another team.

Actually, the better response is, "I know Tom Brady and Matt Cassel is no Tom Brady."



So I've heard; I just haven't seen. I'll give him credit for this - he's not turning the ball over. I agree that this is improvement. Beyond that, exactly what part of his game is "progressing"? Is he:

- make better line adjustments?
- reading the defense pre-snap better?
- making better and more decisive decisions after the snap?
- reading the defense better post-snap?
- better at avoiding the sack?
- making better intermediate throws?
- making better long throws?
- throwing the ball away better?
- running the ball better when the play has broken down?

Matt Cassel has always hit the short throws pretty well; not too much room for improvement there.

Seriously, I hear people say that he's improving. What I see is that the play calling is changing to do what he can already do (throw the short passes), not that Cassel is getting better at being a more well-rounded QB.

Don't get me wrong; improvement at not turning the ball over is very important in this offense and on this team. But that's about the only area I can honestly credit him with noticable improvement at this point.

Funny..... Jaws could see the improvement. Maybe you need to borrow his glasses?