Matt Cassel is trying to be Drew Brees, not Tom Brady

[KCrockaholic]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/footb...t-cassel_N.htm

By Jim Corbett, USA TODAY
Matt Cassel has numbers like Tom Brady, but his coach says his real comparison should be to Drew Brees.

Cassel, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, has thrown 22 touchdowns and four interceptions this season — just one fewer touchdown and the same number of picks as Brady, his former New England Patriots teammate.

He fired four touchdowns in Kansas City's 42-24 blowout of Seattle on Sunday, posting a season-best 129.3 passer rating. Over the past nine games, Brady and Cassel have the league's highest passer ratings, according to STATS, LLC.

Brady has a 108.2 rating with 18 touchdowns and two interceptions the last nine games, while Cassel has a 107.7 rating with 21 touchdowns and two interceptions.

POWER RANKINGS: Chiefs climbing as they cling to AFC West

Yet the quarterback Cassel is emulating most isn't Brady. It's Brees, the New Orleans Saints signal-caller.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley had a Week 2 epiphany, creating a color-coded, key-read grading system during practices that fast-tracked Cassel's improvement. He now emulates Brees as a quick-drop, blitz-beating passer.

All the grinding Cassel has done honing his footwork and field vision on days off, before and after practice is paying off for the 7-4 Chiefs, who lead the AFC West by a game over San Diego.

He's thriving off play-action provided by a top-ranked rushing attack featuring Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones.

But Cassel's made his biggest strides by taking quicker ones away from center, shedding his habit of staring down the middle the duration of his drop backs.

"He's growing up before our eyes," Haley said of his quarterback. "The easy thing is to look at Matt and say, 'Well, let's try and make him like Tom Brady.'

"But his foot speed and athleticism is so much better. Drawing the parallel to Drew has been a huge key because of Matt's foot speed.

"I've charted Drew. He gets back faster and deeper than anybody in the league."

Brees shredded Seattle's blitz in a 34-19 win the week before Cassel followed suit.

"Drew pushes himself so far away from the line of scrimmage so quick that the pressure just can't get to him," Haley said.

"Matt did some real similar things. The Seahawks brought some pressure. He kept his cool and made real good decisions."

A combined 241 yards rushing by Charles and Jones against Seattle — 173 and a touchdown by Charles — opened the passing lanes that triggered Dwayne Bowe's 13-catch, 170-yard, three-touchdown explosion.

"The sky's the limit for Matt Cassel," says former Patriots receiver and current New England Comcast SportsNet analyst Troy Brown. "He always had the skills. They just had to be sharpened."

If it's a repost, Cassel doesn't suck.