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.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Vanilla Thunder

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.

That's what I am pulling for, either one really. I just don't see it. I think in the end he will be what he likely is. Average.

[Goldmember]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I sure hope the Cassel thing is like when Trent Green first showed up, before he had all of his weapons in place.

Trent Green had one of the best supporting casts that a QB could have, except for a stud WR, but Gonzo and Priest made up for it. IMO, he was an avg to slightly above avg QB whose team made him better.

Cassel walked into a nightmare that any QB other than a Brees, Manning, etc. would not overcome and been successful. Having said that, I do not think Cassel has the "it" factor that makes for a great QB; Quick decision making ability, accuracy, strong arm, pocket presence, quick release, etc.

[BossChief]

If we drafted a qb in the first round (or early second) you would find that a lot of the Planet would be turned upside down.

This is how I see it...

The resident "homers" would have a shorter leash for our kid than the "draftabulators"

I fully agree with Deez' take on how some of us have taken Dorseys slow development and see it as a very good example of how a first round quarterback would be handled by some of us.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Goldmember

Having said that, I do not think Cassel has the "it" factor that makes for a great QB; Quick decision making ability, accuracy, strong arm, pocket presence, quick release, etc.

It's a hell of a lot ****ing easier to win a Super Bowl with that kind of QB under center than with a Cassel/Brad Johnson/Trent Dilfer.

So doesn't it make sense that we should go grab a player like that? Or at least roll the dice and take a goddamn risk?

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Goldmember

Trent Green had one of the best supporting casts that a QB could have, except for a stud WR, but Gonzo and Priest made up for it. IMO, he was an avg to slightly above avg QB whose team made him better.

Cassel walked into a nightmare that any QB other than a Brees, Manning, etc. would not overcome and been successful. Having said that, I do not think Cassel has the "it" factor that makes for a great QB; Quick decision making ability, accuracy, strong arm, pocket presence, quick release, etc.

Dude, greens first year he had no line. nobody outside of gonzalez to throw to, priest couldn't run the ball until the games were so out of reach that nobody cared what the offense did. They had waters playing center shields and I don't know who else.

The next year we picked up roaf, weigmann, moved waters to lg and things started clicking as well as us picking up kennison late into either the first or second season.

If you don't think green had "it", imo you're full of "it"

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by BossChief

If we drafted a qb in the first round (or early second) you would find that a lot of the Planet would be turned upside down.

This is how I see it...

The resident "homers" would have a shorter leash for our kid than the "draftabulators"

I fully agree with Deez' take on how some of us have taken Dorseys slow development and see it as a very good example of how a first round quarterback would be handled by some of us.

To address your last point, the reason Dorsey has gotten such a leash is because he was the guy many of the "draftubators" wanted. Much like the way guys like Dejuan Morgan are given so much time. Same with Albert, who has been less than spectacular for a first-round tackle. It isn't because of ability or anything like that IMO, but is because they liked them predraft.

You are right though about a rookie QB. Those people who want a first round QB, no matter who it is, would definitely be patient with him. In fact, we'd probably see a lot of the same excuses that they blast people for making for Cassel (lack of talent around him, drops, bad OL, bad play calling, etc.) Yes, I realize that Cassel isn't a rookie and should have the same learning curve, so save that rhetoric TTC, etc.

[T-post Tom]

[Kerberos]

Originally Posted by Brock

I sure hope I'm wrong.

That makes two of us that hope you are wrong!

[Goldmember]

Originally Posted by SNR

It's a hell of a lot ****ing easier to win a Super Bowl with that kind of QB under center than with a Cassel/Brad Johnson/Trent Dilfer.

So doesn't it make sense that we should go grab a player like that? Or at least roll the dice and take a goddamn risk?

Yes. Sometimes I wonder WTF was Pioli thinking in his first year with choosing Cassel and his draft. I know it was his first year and all, but hell, a blind monkey throwing darts at a draft board could have done a better job.

[Goldmember]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

Dude, greens first year he had no line. nobody outside of gonzalez to throw to, priest couldn't run the ball until the games were so out of reach that nobody cared what the offense did. They had waters playing center shields and I don't know who else.

The next year we picked up roaf, weigmann, moved waters to lg and things started clicking as well as us picking up kennison late into either the first or second season.

Right and he stunk, just like Cassel stunk last year. That's how the got the TrINT nickname. Even when the line improved, they gave Green 4-5 seconds sometimes and he still hung onto the ball too long. I'm saying the team improved his performance, not the other way around. Hey, I thought Green was a good player and a great guy. Nobody deserved to win a super bowl more than him.

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by doomy3

To address your last point, the reason Dorsey has gotten such a leash is because he was the guy many of the "draftubators" wanted. Much like the way guys like Dejuan Morgan are given so much time. Same with Albert, who has been less than spectacular for a first-round tackle. It isn't because of ability or anything like that IMO, but is because they liked them predraft.

You are right though about a rookie QB. Those people who want a first round QB, no matter who it is, would definitely be patient with him. In fact, we'd probably see a lot of the same excuses that they blast people for making for Cassel (lack of talent around him, drops, bad OL, bad play calling, etc.) Yes, I realize that Cassel isn't a rookie and should have the same learning curve, so save that rhetoric TTC, etc.

I'm curious as to what talent you see Cassel having? Oh well we are stuck with the lil pig ****er so we'll see AGAIN this year he is not a quality NFL QB.

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

The people whom you are almost certainly referring to here have been the ones most vocal in defending Dorsey.

It's not about "development" as much as it's about talent and potential. If the player has the latter two, most reasonable people will be far, far more willing to be as patient as needed.

Yep and with Cassel you just can't develop what isn't there.

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by MadMax

I'm curious as to what talent you see Cassel having? Oh well we are stuck with the lil pig ****er so we'll see AGAIN this year he is not a quality NFL QB.

What talent do I think Cassel has at this point?

I think he's better than Mark Sanchez. I think he's better than Jimmy Clausen.

That's about it.

If we have a shot at a guy with legitimate top-line franchise QB upside, you grab him and don't look back. However, I don't think either of the guys we have passed on since Pioli has been here are that guy. Really, that's about all Cassel should be judged on, IMO.

I still contend that a couple years of Cassel and then drafting a guy like Luck, Mallet, Locker, Gabbert (assuming they grade out high and don't pull a Jevan Snead), is better than tying yourself to a guy like Mark Sanchez and trying to force him into being a franchise QB because we took him at #3 overall.

Sanchez and Cassel are both game managers, IMO, and neither offer top 8 QB upside. I think both of their upsides are about the same, middle of the NFL somewhere. You can win with either of them, but you need a ton of talent around them and a top defense. The Jets have that and the Chiefs don't, so clearly Sanchez is in the much better situation.

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by Goldmember

Yes. Sometimes I wonder WTF was Pioli thinking in his first year with choosing Cassel and his draft. I know it was his first year and all, but hell, a blind monkey throwing darts at a draft board could have done a better job.

That was most definitely a head scratching "huh?" draft.

[the Talking Can]

Originally Posted by doomy3

To address your last point, the reason Dorsey has gotten such a leash is because he was the guy many of the "draftubators" wanted. Much like the way guys like Dejuan Morgan are given so much time. Same with Albert, who has been less than spectacular for a first-round tackle. It isn't because of ability or anything like that IMO, but is because they liked them predraft.

You are right though about a rookie QB. Those people who want a first round QB, no matter who it is, would definitely be patient with him. In fact, we'd probably see a lot of the same excuses that they blast people for making for Cassel (lack of talent around him, drops, bad OL, bad play calling, etc.) Yes, I realize that Cassel isn't a rookie and should have the same learning curve, so save that rhetoric TTC, etc.

it would be easier if you just stated the obvious reasons, as opposed to making things up

1. people 'defend' Dorsey for the obvious ****ing reason that he was drafted to be a 4-3 DT and is now a 3-4 DE. You don't need Deep Throat to figure it out.

And he doesn't suck out loud like cassel and jackson. Again, I know, this is complex...

2. Same thing with Albert. People 'defend' him because he doesn't suck. It doesn't require a secret agenda to not bag on a player who doesn't suck.

3. Morgan...I don't know, that's meccas guy. Maybe send him an email with your complaints. I could and most everyone else could give a shit about him.

See how easy it is, when you stick to the obvious?

Shitty players get bagged on. Non-shitty players don't. (and for **** sake i defended jackson's pick and pioli's trade (the theory of it) more vociferously than most anyone here...ask hamas). And all I got for it is lying nonsense from true fan after true fan.

28 yr old 63 million dollar vet backup QBs are going to get the business when they suck ass. Rookies straight out of college are going to be treated differently.

etc

so cram your butt hurt up cassel's franchise hole