The Pats NEED to start O'Connell next week...Cassel just cant cut it

[nashvillepatsfan]

Of course...its an opinion...what else could it be???

A dumb thing to say, for starters. You don't know the guy, so why start the name calling b.s. ? We've got enough of that going on lately, don't add to it.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

It is just what this place has become.

You have the two extreme crowds - the doomsayers blaming Cassel for everything even when he plays well and the homers who blindly defend him and will tell you things are never his fault. There are very few people who will post that he has played well at times and at other times has been horrendous.

The truth is Cassel has done what he was here to do, what really every backup QB is asked to do, play a few games if Brady got hurt and keep the team in contention. He's done that. It is just that Brady's injury is season ending and Cassel is being asked to do more, asked to be the starter for the year. When judged against the expectations that go with that, so far he has been a mixed bag and last night he (and he was not alone) was terrible.

O'Connell is probably not going to play unless Cassel is injured or the team falls out of contention for the playoffs. He's a rookie and it shouldn't surprise anyone.

It also shouldn't surprise anyone that this team and in particular the offense is going to struggle with Brady out - he is only the best player in the NFL today.

Now what Brady's injury has to do with a secondary that Norv Turner and co. told Madden and Michaels pregame was terrible in coverage and could be exploited and then was shown to be terrible and repeatedly exploited - I'm not sure. Then again, the homers spent all offseason telling us that losing the top CB (and I wouldn't have paid him) and not replacing him wouldn't matter because anyone can play CB in this system.

I don't think anyone said anybody can play CB in this system. But you don't need a all pro CB to play in this system when it's working. It isn't. No pressure from the front 3-4. Few blitzes because we're trying to contain the run - a run Norv has had little success with this season and apparently decided to skip tonight despite Bill's planning for it...

I've seen O'Neal make some plays in man - saved the JETS game as I recall. And he's learning the system. Tonight he was flying solo against a pretty darn good playmaking WR who had 6 inches on him. It wasn't like he blew a coverage. He was playing off because we were in zone but the safeties were covering the run and keeping an eagle eye on a TE who has been struggling to play hurt. It wasn't like they get a say on the gameplan. In hindsight it wasn't a terribly good one because SD opted to pass on first and second down and absent pressure had a field day even without Chambers. Bill kept saying all week Norm runs his offense...only this week he didn't. He changed it up because it wasn't working and he had to win.

And FYI Fauria was on WEEI's postgame and he said while they miss a playmaker (ballhawk) in that secondary they never liked Asante's game. Wasn't good in run support. That being the case I wish they had tagged and traded him because that $7M in 2007 really netted us nothing. We didn't need him to get to the superbowl and he blew all his chances at helping us win it.

And I think most of us Cassel homers have tried to say that he is just that - a backup - and he can only go as far as his teamates stepping up and this defense playing well will take him. But one reason he is in there is because his familiarity with the system trumps inexperience. They can run the offense around him if his teamates execute. And Bill clearly favors that approach to bringing in a veteran or the rookie and running a seat of the pants offense after investing years in evolving this one - which Brady will want back in good shape next September.

And horrendous is relative, and apparently highly subjective - watch much NFL football?

 

[dakevdude]

A dumb thing to say, for starters. You don't know the guy, so why start the name calling b.s. ? We've got enough of that going on lately, don't add to it.

By what he posted...I was joking on the Butterfly Effect statement that he said...but he assumed that it needed to be explained..then he went on to describe what a professional football player should do in certain situations...

So yeah...to me he seems to be a tool...how is that name calling??? It's not like I called him a "dumb arse" or anything...

 

[Batman]

I always thought of a tool as something useful myself. I thought you we complimenting me.

 

[dakevdude]

I always thought of a tool as something useful myself. I thought you we complimenting me.

LOL...Nice!

 

[strongside]

The biggest red flags on this offense with Cassel is:

1. The TE has been eliminated from the offense

2. Jab Gaffney is not envolved in the O

What this tells me is obvious. Cassel has two check downs Moss/welker and thats it. The TE in this offense should be such a huge weapon but Watson/Thomas are not getting a look.

Gaffney is in single coverage every play the timing with him is just not there.

We see it every week. Roll coverage to Moss, sit on welker and prevent the YAC. WHERE ARE THE OTHER OPTIONS IN THIS OFFENSE?? Faulk and thats it.

At this point I don't think O'connell is the ansewer but neither is Cassell. However, if the QB is going to tuck it and run 10 times a game I just assume the more athletic QB take the snaps

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'm not sure why we bother debating things like this... if its the right move Belichick will make it - if he feels the team is better served by Cassell he'll keep him in

I didn't see the whole game last night but what I did see showed that, somewhat like the Miami game, it was a team loss, and injuries didn't help.

Do I feel that O'Connell is better able to improvise when the OL doesn't do its job and therefore might give the Pats a chance to make something out of nothing? Yes. But I'd prefer if all on the offense and defense do their job.

And since O'Connell probably isn't going to score 30 points a game either, given the play of the Defense, all of this is academic

 

[strongside]

The problem is, even if BB wants or should I say knows that a change should be made there are no options. They have left themselves thin at QB and their paying for it.

 

[JSn]

Maybe we should activate Kevin as a running back, lol.

YouTube - 2007 San Diego State Offense Highlights

 

[dhamz]

And horrendous is relative, and apparently highly subjective - watch much NFL football?

Enter the homer. If they think you say anything they percieve to be negative about Cassel, you don't watch NFL football.

The answer to your yes, virtually every game on Sunday Ticket every week the Pats are on the road. There is a lot of horrendous QB play every week, it normally far exceeds the good play. What does that he might be better than Don Orlovsky have to do with anything? I'm not sure. I'm more concerned with whether he is playing well or not - and so far it has been as I said, a mixed bag.

 

[DaBruinz]

Its pathetic that the Pats havent allready realized that Cassel is horrible and not the answer.

Its pathetic that you still blame Cassel for everything wrong with the Patriots and can't be bothered to look beyond the end of your nose.

1) The O-line play has been horrible. How Koppen got blown up the way he did against Jammal Williams is beyond me.

2) The D-line has been inconsistent.

3) We all heard about how Dom Capers was supposed to help the CBs be better in one on one coverage. Yet, they've actually looked worse, IMHO. Deltha O'Neal had ONE good play this year and has been junk since then.

4) Is Cassel perfect? Nope. He's the back-up QB. But he's also directly affected by the play of the O-line. If they can't keep do their job, then it wouldn't matter if it was Cassel or Brady there. Well, I take that back. If it was Brady, people like yourself would actually realize that the O-line is the issue.

 

[DaBruinz]

Cassel is GARBAGE...anyone who disagrees is an idiot and has not watched any game...put o'connell in for christ sakes

I disagree with you and I can guarantee I've watched the games and that I am not an idiot. Unlike you, I understand more about the game and where the root cause of issues come from. Unlike you, I don't make dumbass, knee jerk comments.

Putting O'Connell in does nothing for this team except possibly kill O'Connell's confidence or expose him to unecessary injury because of how the O-line is playing.

 

[DaBruinz]

Re: The Pats NEED to start O'Connell next week..Cassel just cant cut it

That doesnt really matter, Cassel is incapable of throwing the long ball.

Let me know when you've watched a game. Cassel has thrown the long ball a few times. The problem is that you need more than 2-3 seconds to be able to do so. If you aren't getting that, then it doesn't matter.

 

[DaBruinz]

The trading deadline is on Tuesday. BB and Pioli need to get a QB in here like how they traded for Ted Washington or Corey Dillon. We can get somebody else's decent backup.

Neither Dillon nor Washington were traded for during the season.

Why would anyone want to trade the Patriots their decent back-up? This is what people like you don't understand. The only way the Patriots are going to be able to trade for a JEFF GARCIA or other back-up is by over-paying. And then what? The Pats have someone who doesn't know the offense and is going to be expected to lead the team. Then people like yourself are going to be complaining that BB got a stiff when the guy goes out and does nothing.

 

[Pats726]

Neither Dillon nor Washington were traded for during the season.

Why would anyone want to trade the Patriots their decent back-up? This is what people like you don't understand. The only way the Patriots are going to be able to trade for a JEFF GARCIA or other back-up is by over-paying. And then what? The Pats have someone who doesn't know the offense and is going to be expected to lead the team. Then people like yourself are going to be complaining that BB got a stiff when the guy goes out and does nothing.

Dillon was in the offseason..Washington during the preseason... No way will any team offer anything that will help...and then you are right OVERPAY...for a player that is unfamiliar with the team and offense..and will take a month or so to even be close to ready..not going to happen at all..and should not..sounds good and easy..but far from it..I agree...

 

[DaBruinz]

I'm sorry to tell you, but you are 100% wrong, I havent been hating on cassel nearly as much as people around here but this guy sucks! His number one go to guy is the ground, they really should just play all 2nd 3rd and 4th string players just so no one else gets injured. He cannont play football, stop glinging to straws with this guy. He isnt Tom Brady, he isnt even Dave Brown, (anyone remember?) He sucks, and Dave Brown was one of the worst qbs ever. Cassel has NO SKILL. The loss is 100% on him. That being said, I expected it this season, and the losses aint as hard to take as they would be with THE REAL LEADER OF THIS TEAM playing.

Thank you for providing us with this sad commentary about your understanding of the game of football. I have news for you. This loss is on the O-line and D-line again. Games are won and lost in the trenches and the O-line and D-line failed miserably again. To say that Cassel is the only reason the Pats lost is to say that you know absolutely NOTHING about the game of football.

 

[DaBruinz]

Buddy your the minority. Only one who feels this way give it up! your wrong. go back to your i hate randy club with MO and let us intelligent posters talk about the real problems

People like yourself should STFU with your stupid comments. Nothing Deus said makes him a Randy Moss Hater. Nor does it make MO unintelligent. BOTH of them have more football intelligence in their pinkies than you've shown so far.

 

[DaBruinz]

Please show me once where i said that. Please. Im saying its not his fault its not expected of a reciever to make that everytime if he does,,, bonus. but when a defender physically touches the ball and deflects it after the ball was underthrown and the reciever loses position on the play that he had if the ball was correctly thrown cannot possibly be put on the recievers sholders.

You must have missed the Houston/Miami game. Because I saw Andre Johnson take one out of the hands of the Miami DB even though the DB had position on him. Ball was badly thrown, yet Johnson made the catch. Why shouldn't we expect Randy to do the same?

 

[strongside]

If people want to say the Cassel is garbage/can't play ect, go ahead. If thats your assesment fine. I will even have a tough time defending him. But to follow that up with "they should put O'connell in" is just utter freggin nonsense, What the F makes people thing that a rookie is just going to step in and fix all of these problems. Its tough for guus like Flacco (who is struggling) and Henne (who can't get on the field) and these guys are further along developmentely than O'connell

 

[DaBruinz]

No. he's the type of guy who refuses to admit that he is wrong. He has spent hours telling me I'm an idiot for calling Jackson a bust, the d overrated, Maroney injury prone and Seymour over the hill. Deus was wrong on all counts, so he put me on ignore because he could not stand my scathing posts ( that proved him wrong 95 percent of the time).

Homers are a funny bunch.

First off, nice lying there. You never claimed the D was over-rated. You've just been ragging on Seymour. Of course, you make assinine claims that Seymour is over-the-hill when he's just 29.

Your posts didn't prove him wrong 95% of the time. You're posts are that of a person talking from hindsight, if anything.

You can call Deus and myself a homer, but you are just a pathetic idiot who hasn't been right nearly as much as you claim. You've also lied numerous times about what people are saying and you've totally ignored other things people have said. Just so you can sit there and calim you are right. You've never once said you've been wrong, though its been proven on more than one occasion.