Place blame on BB NOT Cassell

[marcus]

I hope fans do not boo MC next week. One thing is for sure...he istrying as hard as he can to succeed. I just don't think he has the tools.

Much of the frustration is being directed at him..more of it needs to be directed at BB.

When the Patriots have been succesful he has gotten much of the credit.

He deserves criticism for not having an adequate backup plan in place.
He has known for years that if TB went down, the team would go down.


I know the Patriots are 3-2 BUT in the past they have always been competetive in their losses...now they are being embarassed.

I was shocked to hear BB say that the loss to the chargers was not as bad as it looked..he's probably trying to prop up the players but as Parcells used to say "you are what the record and score says you are"

 

[dhamz]

The backup QBs job is to keep the team in contention until the starter can return from injury. Through 5 weeks, Cassel has done that. Going 3-2 is exactly what his job is. The problem is the starter is not coming back.

There are no teams in the NFL that have a star QB who are built to survive that player going down. That is how it works, especially in the salary cap era. No one has Steve Young sitting behind Joe Montana.

The Patriots are no different. The team is built around Brady, the entire offensive system, the O line which is built to TB with his pocket presence and quick release, and the defense which is built to play with a lead.

Unless you think building the roster around the best player in the sport is a big mistake, I'm not sure what you are blaming BB for.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

A back up Qb is what he is , will win you 3 games and lose 3 games.. We just need him to win a couple more games than expected.. Like say a win in Indy.. But tough task ahead and we knew this, just I think its more dissapointing to see the defense dissapear in the 2 losses..

 

[SVN]

the booing argument in gillette really starts because of the fanbase here in this forum.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

agreed. it was BB who told him not to look at watson.

but in all seriousness. we can not run the ball and weren't able to do so last year.

our defensive pressure has disappeared and all i hope is for some blitzing to create pressure

 

[Iron Helmet]

Backup QBs are like any other position in a lot of ways. There are some better than others. However, they differ in that they are the most pivotal players on a team.

Tom B. is the franchise. You would think that they would take his value to the club a little more seriously than relying on Cassel, a QB with no real game experience since high school, to be the fall back position.

There should have been more concerted efforts to get one of the "better" backups out there. I think they realized this by spending a 3rd rounder this year on a QB...unfortunately, it is too late.

Expect to see OConnell starting within 3 games.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

Backup QBs are like any other position in a lot of ways. There are some better than others. However, they differ in that they are the most pivotal players on a team.

Tom B. is the franchise. You would think that they would take his value to the club a little more seriously than relying on Cassel, a QB with no real game experience since high school, to be the fall back position.

There should have been more concerted efforts to get one of the "better" backups out there. I think they realized this by spending a 3rd rounder this year on a QB...unfortunately, it is too late.

Expect to see OConnell starting within 3 games.

What would OConnell bring to the table that Cassel cant? When was the last time OConnell worked with the team as the starting QB in a game?

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

Backup QBs are like any other position in a lot of ways. There are some better than others. However, they differ in that they are the most pivotal players on a team.

Tom B. is the franchise. You would think that they would take his value to the club a little more seriously than relying on Cassel, a QB with no real game experience since high school, to be the fall back position.

There should have been more concerted efforts to get one of the "better" backups out there. I think they realized this by spending a 3rd rounder this year on a QB...unfortunately, it is too late.

Expect to see OConnell starting within 3 games.

we'd be trucking along if we had chad pennington

 

[mgteich]

Really? Who is starting is Tampa Bay and Tennessee?

There are no teams in the NFL that have a star QB who are built to survive that player going down. That is how it works, especially in the salary cap era. No one has Steve Young sitting behind Joe Montana.

 

[dhamz]

Really? Who is starting is Tampa Bay and Tennessee?

You think either of those teams is built around a star QB that they had to replace?

I guess you think higher of Greise and Young than, well everyone else does.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

i think BB knows we are done this season. that's why he doesn't look that upset on the sidelines and in the press conferences. can you imagine if parcells was still our coach and the team was playing like this?

BB said that as long as he has these three players, the team will be competitive: Brady, Bruschi and harrison. Brady is gone. Bruschi is a backup at this point. and harrison is losing it a bit (why couldn't have just planted his helmet in tyree's ribcage last year?). Honestly, this wouldn't be so bad if had won last year.

 

[bevster]

I hope fans do not boo MC next week. One thing is for sure...he istrying as hard as he can to succeed. I just don't think he has the tools.

Much of the frustration is being directed at him..more of it needs to be directed at BB.

When the Patriots have been succesful he has gotten much of the credit.

He deserves criticism for not having an adequate backup plan in place.
He has known for years that if TB went down, the team would go down.


I know the Patriots are 3-2 BUT in the past they have always been competetive in their losses...now they are being embarassed.

I was shocked to hear BB say that the loss to the chargers was not as bad as it looked..he's probably trying to prop up the players but as Parcells used to say "you are what the record and score says you are"

This is crazy. The MC apologists have lost their minds. Are you kidding? Blame the coach, but do not blame MC? Blame arguably one of the best coaches in league history and do not blame a backup QB who has not started more than 10 games since high school? Take five minutes and give your head a shake.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

This is crazy. The MC apologists have lost their minds. Are you kidding? Blame the coach, but do not blame MC? Blame arguably one of the best coaches in league history and do not blame a backup QB who has not started more than 10 games since high school? Take five minutes and give your head a shake.

well, you can blame BB for having cassell on the team in the first place, right? i think cassell sucks but when other teams are out there getting decent backups like brad johnson and david carr, who was playing terrific during the preseason, why can't we do the same? is money that tight in the pats organization?

 

[stcjones]

I hope fans do not boo MC next week. One thing is for sure...he istrying as hard as he can to succeed. I just don't think he has the tools.

Much of the frustration is being directed at him..more of it needs to be directed at BB.

When the Patriots have been succesful he has gotten much of the credit.

He deserves criticism for not having an adequate backup plan in place.
He has known for years that if TB went down, the team would go down.


I know the Patriots are 3-2 BUT in the past they have always been competetive in their losses...now they are being embarassed.

I was shocked to hear BB say that the loss to the chargers was not as bad as it looked..he's probably trying to prop up the players but as Parcells used to say "you are what the record and score says you are"

you make some very valid points here....part of being a head coach is expecting the unexpected....or having a plan B should the worst case scenario arrive.....Matt Cassel is not the answer for the offense......he (BB) also has big problems on defense....we have a DC and a secondary coach that thus far have shown NOTHING .....and the entire defensive unit has played like sh^t all year.....since Brady went down.....which in my opinion is part of the problem psyche wise....this team does not believe it can win......there is no confidence in the offense and most importantly....the QB (again this is my opinion)

Wilfork, Seymour, Warren, Thomas, Vrabs, Bruschi, Mayo....and on and on.....these guys should be kicking a##......and instead they are giving the QB all day to throw.....no pressure....the secondary is all discombobulated....(in disarray).....which is amazing because after all we have a former head coach as our secondary coach,.....and they suck!.....does not say much for Capers........

 

[stcjones]

well, you can blame BB for having cassell on the team in the first place, right? i think cassell sucks but when other teams are out there getting decent backups like brad johnson and david carr, who was playing terrific during the preseason, why can't we do the same? is money that tight in the pats organization?

I agree with you....IF in fact BB still wants to try to WIN the SB this year....which I realize seems a bit far fetched right now......He surely must realize that it will never be accomplished with Cassel leading the troops.....I for one, am all for bringing in, or trading for a good vet......why not Culpepper? He can't be any worse than Cassel....and he can still run when the OL sh!ts the bed like they so often do.......I am sure there are some other decent vets/trades out there that could get this O on track.......

 

[BionicPatriot]

Yeah, blame BB for selecting a backup QB in the 7th round whos gone 3-2, ****ty Belichick.

I honestly think BB saw more value in going after key additions rather than backups, a backup is an oh **** situation anyway. Tell me something, if Brady was down for 5 weeks and Cassel went 3-2 with Brady coming off the bench, would you say Cassel did a terrible job? I wouldn't, honestly. Sure he's not the answer, sure he pretty much sucks compared to what we're used to. He's a backup QB, what the hell did you realisticly expect?

However, besides my defending of BB I have one thing you can blame him for. The lack of speed on the edge. Over the year Bruschi rotting exposed the ILB spot, well slow ass Adalius Thomas and the older Vrabel are screaming at us. How many sacks have we had the last 3 games? 1? 2 maybe? There is no speed on the edge of this defense. It always seems that RBs get their best yardage bounching outside, well I wonder why. Expect the Broncos to go outside all day.

Bill needs to make sure his LBs are back up to speed. I honestly believe moving Adalius Thomas with Mayo would make a great duo for a long time. I think he really needs to focus on landing a stud OLB who can hassle the QB, suddenly this terrible D looks better. I realize the secondary sucks, but people are you not watching the game? There's NO pressure on the QB. The biggest challenge we gave Rivers all night was Vrabel ALMOST getting to him. The speed on this D is depressing, that I do blame Bill for. The D gets slower and slower since 04.

 

[Dojo Chargerfan]

can't blame neither of them. The Pat offense was built around Brady and only Brady. If you were going to blame BB for anything then blame him for ignoring the backup QB position for a few years and relying on a player who never started a game in college. That is a legit reason though. MC looked REALLY bad last night. He couldn't make his throws even when he had time. Not only that he had BAD happy feet.

 

[lobster]

BB seems unlikely to start O'Connell before he's fully prepared and can do all the reads and adjustments, and until then he has to encourage Cassel. Right now BB has to focus on correcting the other problems on the team.

 

[mgteich]

Whose fault is it that the team decided to have a QB who hasn't started since 1999 as their backup QB? Cassel is performing as good as anyone had any right to expect.

 

[Wendel]

I hope fans do not boo MC next week.

Keep dreaming.