The Matt Cassel Experiment

[Clonamery]

Apparently not where it counts.

So who is this backup of the future? My crystal ball is a bit foggy.

As for throwing away experience, for whom? I presume you mean O'Connell, but what experience do you want him to take away? He came into the league needing a great deal of refinement per NFLDraftScout.com:And per his own description from rookie camp:I frankly don't understand how so many people can fail to see how much better at running the offense Cassel was in preseason. Yes, he's struggling with reading defenses and seeing the field, but the two current NFL Head Coaches with two or more Super Bowl victories - and incidentally part of the even rarer back to back Lombardis club - have both said it takes time for a young QB playing in this league to learn how to read defenses. Any number of pundits have said the Patriots aren't simplifying the offense to any great degree for Cassel. Throwing O'Connell to the wolves seems like a poor way to develop him, some limited mop up duty like the Miami game gives him some film to learn from, without leaving him out there to be beaten on mentally and physically while he's trying to absorb all the new material and meld it with what he has recently learned. Patience please.

I had expectations for the team before the season started:
Reserve QB - meeting expectations at 3-2 after five games. He's limited turnovers and progressed in his decision making from each of the previous games. (Those who don't think so should send their resumes to Bob Kraft, if you're right he obviously needs to build a candidate pool for HC of the NEP.)
O-line - is failing to meet my expectations. Lots of room to step up here.
TE - is failing to meet my expectations.
WR - within the limits of working with a reserve QB, okay, but Randy getting owned by Jammer was a major disappointment, Cassel or no Cassel.
RB - about where I expected. Maroney's injury will heal, as will Jordens, and they will be a nice one-two punch down the stretch. Morris, Evans, and Faulk are their usual reliable selves.
D-line - is failing to meet my expectations. Lots of room to step up here.
Linebacker - is failing to meet my expectations. Lots of room to step up here.
Secondary - Seems uncoordinated, something is needed here to bring them onto the same page.
PK - Awsome.
P - is failing to meet my expectations. The directional kicking isn't what I'm looking for.
STs - more inconsistent then I expected, there is a bunch of room to make up here.

"When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all." -- Theodore Roosevelt

Good work, Box.