Gretz On Cassel: Surviving The Process

[AirForceChief]

Well written, even handed article from Bob Gretz:

There’s one thing that Matt Cassel knows, and if he doesn’t then somebody should give him the information.

Len Dawson was booed by Chiefs fans. Terry Bradshaw was booed by Steelers fans. John Elway was booed by Broncos fans. Insert name of Hall of Fame quarterback and he was booed by fans of the insert name team he played for during his career.

There were some Chiefs fans back in the day that believed Dawson didn’t take enough chances with his passes, that he threw short dinks and dunks and that he did not go down the field as much as he could have, especially since he was calling the plays. His career completion percentage of 57.1 percent, his career average of 7.7 yards per attempt and his 237 TD passes to 178 interceptions look like pretty good numbers now.

But in the day, some Chiefs followers were unhappy and they let Dawson know it, firing verbal assaults from the stands at both Municipal and Arrowhead Stadiums.

That’s a simple fact of life for an NFL starting quarterback. The scene gets played out over and over around the league. Guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have escaped it so far, but their careers are not over yet. They still have plenty of opportunities to throw interceptions or badly timed incompletions that will raise the vocal hackles of their fan base.

Cassel reiterated the other day that he does not read papers, watch TV sports or listen to sports talk radio. I’m sure he doesn’t spend any time on Internet sites or web forums.

“I just try to block it out,” Cassel said this week. “That is something that goes along with this job. You are always going to be tested and there is always going to be scrutiny and there is always going to be somebody saying, ‘hey, he is not good enough. He can’t do this, he can’t do that.’

“I have a job to do and right now my job is to be the quarterback of this team. I am going to go out and work hard and do everything I need to do to be productive on the field.”

If one were to take the denunciations of Cassel that have poured forth through all those media portals that he does not pay attention to, then one could make the assumption Cassel and his position as the team’s starting quarterback engenders no confidence in the Chiefs and the team’s future.

But caution should prevail in making that leap. Some unimpressed media types and a few callers to sports talk radio or posters to Internet sites do not constitute a majority of Chiefs fans. Not everyone has written him off after 15 starts for the team. While it might be more accurate to say he has not been embraced by the Chiefs Nation as a whole, it’s a stretch to paint him as the latest failure among franchise quarterbacks.

Chiefs fans for decades now have screamed and complained about the team not drafting and developing their own quarterback. Based on some of the reaction to Cassel, it’s obvious those who bled red and gold would have no more patience with a young guy than an inexperienced quarterback who came from another team. They would chew him up and spit him out in a matter of years.

And that’s the pisser in this whole thing. No position on the field requires more patience in developing a contributing player than quarterback. In fact all the other positions combined may not require the patience needed to find that franchise quarterback. Yet, it’s the position where the media, fans and even the teams struggle to deal with growth and development. It takes time to become a good quarterback, but impatience generally stops the clock dead in its tracks.

The other day Todd Haley said that as far as he’s concerned no spot on the roster is ranks ahead of another. “The inside backer in the base defense is no more important than a gunner on the punt team,” Haley said. “The more our guys think that way, the better for us.”

It’s all well and good if that kind of thinking can be created within a locker room. But everybody in that room knows, as does the head coach and his staff, the GM and his staff and the ownership family, that there is one player that IS more important, and that’s the starting quarterback.

Whether he’s a so-called franchise QB, a care-taker, a game-manager, a rookie thrown to the wolves or a grizzled veteran playing out his final NFL days, the starting quarterback is the most important player on any pro football team. No other player has a greater effect on winning or losing than the guy taking the snaps.

Consider this for a moment – Todd Haley was willing to jettison his offensive coordinator last year just 10 days before the start of the regular season because he knew the situation wasn’t going to work with Chan Gailey. Do you think if Haley thought for a minute that Cassel wasn’t up to the task, that the only quarterback the Chiefs added in the off-season would have been Tyler Palko?

Asked for areas where he’s seen improvement from his starting quarterback and Haley gets pretty vague. But Friday he identified an area that while simple, is one of the most important elements for the success of a starting quarterback.

“When he comes off the field, what he says he saw generally ends up being what it was,” Haley said. “I think that’s a real good quality to have. Even subtle things within a game, you’ll say to him why did you do this, and he’ll say this linebacker did this, the receiver stumbled, or that receiver was short, the safety did this.

“Generally it’s pretty spot on what he sees. He sees the whole field. That was something that Kurt (Warner) was phenomenal at. A quarterback has to have great vision. Matt sees what’s happening.”

Today’s game is built around the quarterbacks, and the teams that have great ones do everything they can to keep them and provide them with weapons. Those that don’t have the top-line quarterbacks are constantly searching for a player who can play the position well enough that he’s not an impediment to winning.

These are all facts of football life. Head coaches and the quarterbacks themselves know it better than anybody, but they seldom will address or recognize that point in public. The pressure is tough enough without adding more fuel to the fire with your own hose.

That’s why if you’ve listened to any of Cassel’s press conferences over the last two seasons you know that they were filled with clichés, pat and rehearsed answers, and few moments of real insight of him, the position or the team. That’s all done on purpose. Cassel can’t do anything about his name being in the headlines, but he can make sure it’s not there because of something that came out of his mouth.

Still, every so often a bit of the real Cassel leaks out. The competitor in him sneaks out of the cage and makes an appearance before he’s coaxed back into the shadows. It happened this week when Cassel was asked if he likes to prove critics wrong.

“It is always nice to have that happen but at the same time, I don’t play this game for the people that are against me and think that I can’t do it,” said Cassel. “I play the game for the people that have always believed in me. I play that game for my family, for my wife, for my mother so it really comes down to that. There are going to be people, no matter where you go or what you do, there are going to be people who look at you and say, ‘you can’t do it’.”

The tone of his voice, the jut of his jaw and the fire in his eyes as he answered the question gave away the fact that while it’s not the No. 1 motivating factor for him, the chance to show everyone he can be a successful NFL quarterback – including the naysayers – is part of what drives him.

At this point in time, we don’t know where Matt Cassel’s future will take him or the Chiefs. There have been flashes of talent and skill that indicate he has some of the necessary qualities. There have also been moments when his failures have indicated he’s not nearly consistent enough right now to lead a team to a winning season.

That’s what makes the Monday night game against San Diego so important. It’s a benchmark for the team, but especially for Cassel. Last year, the Chargers rolled into Arrowhead Stadium in October and embarrassed the Chiefs and made Cassel look very bad. San Diego won by 30 points and Cassel completed just 10 of 25 passes (40 percent) for 97 yards (3.88 yards per attempt), one TD and three interceptions. It produced a passer rating of 25.3, one of his lowest ratings of the season and his 30 games as an NFL starting quarterback.

Cassel did not get much in the way of help in that first meeting with the Chargers. He was sacked five times, the offense generated just 203 total yards and Bobby Wade was the leading receiver, catching four passes for 66 yards.

The second time the teams met last season was not much better, as the Chargers won by 29 points in San Diego. Cassel was marginally better, hitting 19 of 31 passes (61.3 percent) for 178 yards (5.74 yards per attempt), one TD and one interception.

“Once you start winning ball games and you start playing well and the team starts playing well that takes care of itself,” Cassel said.

Monday night is but one leg of a 16-segment marathon for the Chiefs and Cassel. As he was quick to say the other day, “It is week one of 16 games. I don’t think this is our Super Bowl,” Cassel said.

But it’s a huge night for Matt Cassel, because it’s a huge season for him. He must establish that he has the consistency and the ability to lead the Chiefs to winning performances. The time is now.

[CrazyHorse]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

crazy right?


all those great players we've drafted year after year that people are wrong about....

wait, wut?

people here defend dorsey like crazy, so you are either lying or just clueless

jackson...well, i'll let you defend that pick...i defended it last year and all it got me was fabulists like you making shit up...no true fan patted me on the back...

They werent defending him after year 1. They are only starting to. He's giving them no choice.

There would be no reason to defend him if someone wasnt cracking on him in the 1st place.....right?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by CrazyHorse

They werent defending him after year 1. They are only starting to. He's giving them no choice.

There would be no reason to defend him if someone wasnt cracking on him in the 1st place.....right?

Your point is that there wasn't 100% acceptance of Glenn Dorsey and thus the fake talent evaluators you're speaking of must've been the ones that were shitting on him?

That's just ridiculous.

You're painting with a wide brush and you appear to be doing so with cheap paint. Your point is as flimsy as it is overly broad.

[Rain Man]

to contradict my previous post, it's easy to say that we need to wait until cassel has talent around him, but it'd sure be nice to someday have a qb who elevates the talent around him instead of saying 'he'd be fine if he had a good rt and second wr'.
Posted via Mobile Device

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

to contradict my previous post, it's easy to say that we need to wait until cassel has talent around him, but it'd sure be nice to someday have a qb who elevates the talent around him instead of saying 'he'd be fine if he had a good rt and second wr'.
Posted via Mobile Device

Cassel has the necessary talent right now. The line is adequate and the position players are competent.

The only thing we need to wait on is one of Cassel's wobble punts to come down.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Cassel has the necessary talent right now. The line is adequate and the position players are competent.

The only thing we need to wait on is one of Cassel's wobble punts to come down.

See this is where you Cassel haters are wrong. Cassel is going to play just well enough to ensure we get stuck with him for several more years.

He will have a 63% completion rate, Throw more TD's than Int's and have a 85 QB rating. The offense will be a short pass, heavy run, play action based offense.

We will go 8-8 or maybe 9-7 and the team will say we are just a few pieces away from being a contender and go spend another 1st round pick on a DL or LB.

[CrazyHorse]

Originally Posted by SNR

So you're saying that if the Chiefs drafted Sanchez and started him last year and he played about as well as he played in NY, you would doubt his abilities as a starting QB in the NFL. And you might even call him a bust.

No. I didn't say that.

Lets just say I dont have the keen evaluation talents as some. I dont make crack evaluations after one season. Or in some cases here, 1 play.

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

If Pioli hadn't seen Cassel in action I'd be more pessimistic. As it is, I'm worried, but still have some hope. Pioli had to know that trading for Cassel and passing on a top draftee would be a key decision, so you'd think he wouldn't do it without a whole lot of confidence in Cassel.

Really, all we know so far is that Pioli likes Cassel better than Mark Sanchez and Jimmy Clausen. That's all we really know. It is completely possible that Cassel was brought in because he was a better option than Thigpen and Croyle in Pioli's eyes, and Pioli didn't like Sanchez. I still don't think Sanchez will ever be anywhere near a top-line NFL QB, so if passing on him and going with Cassel for a few years until we can get a top-line QB is what it takes, I'm in.

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

I've said over and over again that it would ideal for our mythic first round pick to shit on the bench for a year....even stafford


that's why stashing Claussen on the bench behind Cassel....for a 2nd rounder was such a god damn no brainer, even if he sat 2-3 three years


this lie true fans tell about people being impatient is a projection...True Fans would be impatient because they want revenge for being called true fans while supporting one shitty QB after another....

people with an ounce of god damn sense know a guy coming straight from college takes time....

That is even dumber than anything in the article.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

See this is where you Cassel haters are wrong. Cassel is going to play just well enough to ensure we get stuck with him for several more years.

I'm not wrong because I've been suggesting the same thing since Weis was hired.

[CrazyHorse]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Your point is that there wasn't 100% acceptance of Glenn Dorsey and thus the fake talent evaluators you're speaking of must've been the ones that were shitting on him?

That's just ridiculous.

You're painting with a wide brush and you appear to be doing so with cheap paint. Your point is as flimsy as it is overly broad.

The brush is only as broad as you make it.

Your defensive posture is telling.

Im not trying to get in a pissing contest. Simply making a statement of fact. Its not ridiculous. Not in the least. You may certainly disagree. I have no problem with that.

Maybe Im wrong.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

See this is where you Cassel haters are wrong. Cassel is going to play just well enough to ensure we get stuck with him for several more years.

He will have a 63% completion rate, Throw more TD's than Int's and have a 85 QB rating. The offense will be a short pass, heavy run, play action based offense.

We will go 8-8 or maybe 9-7 and the team will say we are just a few pieces away from being a contender and go spend another 1st round pick on a DL or LB.

i'd said the same thing several times

we're stuck with him for 4 years....and pioli zombie too

edit

i think he'll have an 80 rating

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

I'm not wrong because I've been suggesting the same thing since Weis was hired.

Your wobble punt comment makes it sound like you expect him to just stink out loud. My bad.

Thing is many people are talking like we are going 6-10 or 4-12 again because of Cassel.

He won't play that bad, he won't be Aaron Rodgers or Drew Breese, ever, but he will play well enough we could win at least 8 games in my opinion and maybe 9.

Mainly due to Charles, Jones, Bowe, McCluster, Arenas, and a slightly improved defense and a better o-line.

How many games we win will likely depend on how healthy the team stays. We have zero depth.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

See this is where you Cassel haters are wrong. Cassel is going to play just well enough to ensure we get stuck with him for several more years.

He will have a 63% completion rate, Throw more TD's than Int's and have a 85 QB rating. The offense will be a short pass, heavy run, play action based offense.

We will go 8-8 or maybe 9-7 and the team will say we are just a few pieces away from being a contender and go spend another 1st round pick on a DL or LB.

I don't think so. I think he's either gonna do it big this year or be crap. He's not gonna be in between, but we'll see.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Your wobble punt comment makes it sound like you expect him to just stink out loud. My bad.

Thing is many people are talking like we are going 6-10 or 4-12 again because of Cassel.

He won't play that bad, he won't be Arron Rodgers or Drew Breese, ever, but he will play well enough we could win at least 8 games in my opinion and maybe 9.

I don't think it's going to be a case of Cassel playing well so much as it's going to be the case of Weis simply not putting him in a position to fail.

He'll dink and dunk to a high percentage and decent TD-INT ratio, and stupid fans we'll claim he's improving, when Weis has actually bagged the ugly ****.

If he can consistently stretch the field and make wobble-punt posts look horribly misinformed, I'll concede improvement.

[Fritz88]

Originally Posted by AirForceChief

“Generally it’s pretty spot on what he sees. He sees the whole field. That was something that Kurt (Warner) was phenomenal at. A quarterback has to have great vision. Matt sees what’s happening.”

o' really?