Kevin O'Connell would bring much more excitement to the season

[emoney_33]

Ya Really !

What makes Joe Flacco any "less" of a project than Kevin O'Connell ?

He was drafted in the 1st round with intentions of starting to a team that needed a QB with little to no other choices?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

"I'll be here next Monday after watching Cassel make his 1st ever NFL start. Unlike most people, I'll keep it in that perpsective. I can guarantee that the people who are yelling for O'Connell right now won't do that."

I am fully expecting Cassell to literally piss his pants in NY this Sunday, I am banking on it. I hope he proves me wrong, I really do and I'm no bandwagon fan. I sat on those cold bleacher benches (seasons tickets) through the late 80's and ugly early 90's, so I'll be watching this Sunday, pulling for Matt. I just don't have the same confidence in him as you do.

I am excited about Kevin O'Connell, aren't you? Didn't you like what he showed in the preseason? Let's turn the tables are you just down on O'Connell because he's a rookie? So isn't Flacco and the Ravens have made a team decision to start his development (yes because of injuries, just like our situation) and I think before this is all said and done, we may be seeing K.Okie in there alot earlier than you think.

Your problem is you have no rational perspective other than you didn't like Cassel in a preseason where the enitre tem played poorly, you're easily impressed by preseason 4th quarter fringe roster performances and you don't grasp the last time the Ravens made a sound decision at the QB position it was to start a journeyman game manager 8 years ago. When they had a guy with 4 years of however unimpressive experience available they were prepared to start him over Flacco. They lost that choice, not a HOF'er. We lost a HOF'er but still have the 4th year system vet to start. So even Ozzy wouldn't be behaving as irrationally as you persist in expecting Bill to...


Once the pre season and camps are over raw developmental players like O'Connell don't get many if any snaps because it's all about weekly game planning and the quality snaps go to starters. Brady took all the first team snaps last week. Cassel will take those this week. O'Connell isn't even ready to run the scout team efficiently. That, and to act as a buffer between him and the field, is what they will sign some other and possibly veteran QB to do this week.

O'Connell is a project. He never ran a pro style offense or took snaps from under center until he got to camp here in March. He's never taken a snap from anywhere against NFL level talent at game speed. How many first round draft choice QB's have been ground up by desperate FO's if not out of work clinging to their jobs by a hair over the last several seasons versus the few who are still functional??? Bill doesn't have to foolishly/desperately roll the dice to try and save his job this season. Nor is his focus on entertaining the foolish segment of his fan base. He's trying to win some games and keep his team in playoff contention, not distract us from fixating on his track record of screw ups...

As for long term goals, Baltimore doesn't have a HOF'er returning in 2009. The long term goal for O'Connell here is to back one up people, not become one... Desperation drives decisions in this league, and Bill has no reason to be desperate long term and therefore no reason to take the unnecessary risks his peers are all to often forced to.

 

[patchick]

He was drafted in the 1st round with intentions of starting to a team that needed a QB with little to no other choices?

Those are circumstances of the teams, not qualities of the players. Again, before the draft Flacco and O'Connoll looked like very similar prospects to me.

 

[neuronet]

Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco are already starting, why not Kevin O'Connell? Neither of these guys have NFL experience, but that's what this game is about is getting opportunities and learning.

Matt Cassell is what he is, we know what we'll more than likely get out of him now that he's in his 4th year. I mean he comes in to the Miami game last year and throws one into Jason Taylor's numbers for a pick-6. Yesterday, he should have had atleast one of not two picked off against a really weak defense. Matt Cassell is what he is, let's face it.

Personally, I would rather see Kevin O'Connell, it would be great to watch Kevin grow and learn and yes make mistakes, but really speed up his development, I think he showed alot of promise in the preseason. He's big and mobile and has a big arm, I would love to see him get his chance instead of Cassell.

Cassell on the road is a scary thought. I think things might get ugly for him this Sunday.

Give him a freaking chance. He has yet to start a game, so perhaps watch him start and finish one game before being a Debbie Downer?

This weekend will be revealing. I hope you have to eat crow (as I'm sure you also hope if you are a Pats fan).

 

[neuronet]

PS Preseason is bul|****. Anyone that puts great stock in what happened then doesn't know football. The sky hasen't fallen until we kill our playoff chances. This team is not Tom Brady. It is the New England freaking Patriots.

 

[emoney_33]

Those are circumstances of the teams, not qualities of the players. Again, before the draft Flacco and O'Connoll looked like very similar prospects to me.

The teams being under different circumstances is what makes the fact that Flacco is starting different from why OConnell isn't even a backup. Two different teams, different situations, different hopes for their "project".

Mo explained it a lot better than I could even hope to.