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.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

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.

We can argue all day here about the progress he's made, but I'm glad we've got a guy willing to do whatever it takes to put in the effort to become an elite passer. He may not get there, but the effort he's put in is refreshing in today's game where alot of more "talented" guys have absolutely failed at the position.

Oh, and we can put to rest the silly notion that pocket presence cannot be improved at his age.

[SenselessChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by BigRock

Everyone's quick to credit Weis, and for good reason, but this is the 4th or 5th article that has specifically talked about Haley and the work he's done with Cassel.

Of course, without Weis, Haley probably doesn't have the time to focus on these type of things. He would still be caught up in getting the gameplan together as a whole.

[TheGuardian]

Originally Posted by PGM

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.

We can argue all day here about the progress he's made, but I'm glad we've got a guy willing to do whatever it takes to put in the effort to become an elite passer. He may not get there, but the effort he's put in is refreshing in today's game where alot of more "talented" guys have absolutely failed at the position.

Oh, and we can put to rest the silly notion that pocket presence cannot be improved at his age.

This was said by idiots like OTWP58 and Mecca, etc. Nothing they write should ever be taken seriously. They don't know shit.

[Extra Point]

Gannon and the other announcer were talking about (slobbering over) the Brees-Cassel footwork similarity during the Chiefs' last game.

[Dave Lane]

Originally Posted by kcrockaholic4life

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



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

Yes he does. I read it right here. OTWP and scads of others here told me so.

[TheGuardian]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Yes he does. I read it right here. OTWP and scads of others here told me so.

OTWP58 and GoChiefs have already sacrificed their first born sons (well OTWP58 sacrificed his cats first litter since he's not old enough for his balls to have dropped yet) to the devil to make sure that Matt Cassel sucks and that the Chiefs are forced to draft a QB that sucks as well. So they can keep bitching.

[tonyetony]

Good lord do I want our O-line to get heathy and our pass rush to elevate for the stretch run. This year could be more fun than it already has been.

[Chief Henry]

Originally Posted by PGM

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.

We can argue all day here about the progress he's made, but I'm glad we've got a guy willing to do whatever it takes to put in the effort to become an elite passer. He may not get there, but the effort he's put in is refreshing in today's game where alot of more "talented" guys have absolutely failed at the position.

Oh, and we can put to rest the silly notion that pocket presence cannot be improved at his age.

If the writer of the story is correct with his information, then yes, I too am very happy, more appreciative than anything that Cassel is willing to do whats required to become an elite NFL QB. I'm guessing that Bowe is also
doing much more than whats required.

Preperation and hard word always comes before success. These next two
games are HUGE.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by Chief Henry

If the writer of the story is correct with his information, then yes, I too am very happy, more appreciative than anything that Cassel is willing to do whats required to become an elite NFL QB. I'm guessing that Bowe is also
doing much more than whats required.

Preperation and hard word always comes before success. These next two
games are HUGE.

Yes, Bowe deserves props for putting in the time needed to emerge as a dangerous reciever as well. I didn't think he had this level of play in him. He's having one of the greatest stretches in history by a wide reciever

[Lex Luthor]

Todd Haley should be coach of the year just for the way he has turned around the careers of Bowe and Cassel.

If he could work that magic on Tyson Jackson, he'd be a genius.

[salame]

I really really hope he keeps playing at this level. I was excited when we got him but I'm more excited after the past few weeks than I was even in the beginning

[movinbones]

Originally Posted by philfree

You missed my post about that......most people did so it's no thing.

Getting so far behind in a game where we had to sling the ball was a great thing. It gave the Cassel and the coaching staff confidence and the playbook is now opened.

PhilFree

I agree... it forced Haley, Weis, and most importantly Cassel out of the comfort zone!!!

[JD10367]

One of Cassel's big faults was hanging onto the ball too long and then getting into trouble. So they told him to get rid of it quicker. No shit. Is that brain surgery? What QB isn't more effective if they can get rid of the ball quicker? Your O-line doesn't have to hold their blocks as long (which is good, especially when your O-line has taken two years of ass-reaming from the fans).

But football is the whole package. You need receivers to be getting open and catching that quicker-thrown ball, and Bowe is now hanging onto the ball and kicking ass. Charles and Jones are also kicking ass, putting the fear of KC's running game into every defense. Combine those with Cassel getting rid of the ball quicker and making better decisions, and things look a whole lot better.

The nice thing for Chiefs fans--hell, for every teams' fans this season--is that there's no juggernaut. Every team looks beatable. Even the best teams have exploitable flaws. New England? Defense. Jets? Sanchez. Colts? Everyone but Manning. Steelers? Ravens? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? So with Cassel playing smarter and quicker, and Bowe and Charles and Jones killing teams, the Chiefs' D (much like the Patriots' D) only needs to keep them in the game. There's absolutely no reason any team that makes the playoffs this season can't feel like they can win the whole thing.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by JD10367

One of Cassel's big faults was hanging onto the ball too long and then getting into trouble. So they told him to get rid of it quicker. No shit. Is that brain surgery? What QB isn't more effective if they can get rid of the ball quicker? Your O-line doesn't have to hold their blocks as long (which is good, especially when your O-line has taken two years of ass-reaming from the fans).

But football is the whole package. You need receivers to be getting open and catching that quicker-thrown ball, and Bowe is now hanging onto the ball and kicking ass. Charles and Jones are also kicking ass, putting the fear of KC's running game into every defense. Combine those with Cassel getting rid of the ball quicker and making better decisions, and things look a whole lot better.

The nice thing for Chiefs fans--hell, for every teams' fans this season--is that there's no juggernaut. Every team looks beatable. Even the best teams have exploitable flaws. New England? Defense. Jets? Sanchez. Colts? Everyone but Manning. Steelers? Ravens? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? So with Cassel playing smarter and quicker, and Bowe and Charles and Jones killing teams, the Chiefs' D (much like the Patriots' D) only needs to keep them in the game. There's absolutely no reason any team that makes the playoffs this season can't feel like they can win the whole thing.

There were people here saying he couldn't improve on that and he'd always take a bunch of sacks because that wasn't something you could "fix". So, yeah I guess they did perform brain surgery on him

[beach tribe]

Originally Posted by PGM

There were people here saying he couldn't improve on that and he'd always take a bunch of sacks because that wasn't something you could "fix". So, yeah I guess they did perform brain surgery on him

All these stupid, you CAN'T do this you DO NOT draft that. When a player has done X he can't do Z bull shit that they spit is just laughable when you take into consideration that teams, and players hit their strides, surprise people, and do the improbable every year, and you still have the same idiots year after year, spouting off like anyone who disagrees with their stupid ass rules of building a team must be adhered to or the guy making millions of dollars to do it, is an idiot.