Babb: Chiefs’ Cassel can’t count on starting if he doesn’t produce

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs’ Cassel can’t count on starting if he doesn’t produce
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

Chiefs coach Todd Haley liked some of what Matt Cassel did on Sunday, but there wasn’t enough of it for Haley to say that Cassel will be Kansas City’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season and beyond.

Haley said that, like all other positions, the quarterback job will remain available to the most proficient player — regardless of salary, name or background.

“You’ve got to ultimately do what gives your team the best chance to win,” Haley said Tuesday. “If that means another quarterback being in there other than Matt Cassel, then sign me up.”

Cassel played every snap for the Chiefs in Sunday’s 13-10 loss to Oakland. It was his first game back in the lineup after spraining his left knee in Kansas City’s third preseason game, and Haley said last week that he expected Cassel to show some rust. Cassel completed 24 of 39 passes for 241 yards. He also threw two interceptions and was sacked twice.

Haley said he was encouraged by Cassel’s performance, including the fearless way the quarterback scrambled out of trouble and rushed for 34 yards despite that bad knee.

“I like a lot about this guy,” Haley said.

But there are things that Haley said he likes about backup quarterback Brodie Croyle, too. Haley said that he wants to see both players improve each week and keep the competition between them at more than a simmer. Haley again praised Croyle’s poise in a loss in the regular-season opener at Baltimore, saying that the fourth-year quarterback gave the Chiefs a chance to upset the Ravens by playing a mostly mistake-free contest.

Haley said Tuesday that he doesn’t want any player getting too comfortable. That has been a common theme since the team gathered in July for training camp in River Falls, Wis., and Haley has said often that just because a player starts one day, he won’t necessarily start the next.

Haley has shaken up every other position group, sometimes to deliver messages to perceived starters and other times to get a look at an underused player. He said that was the reason running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Brad Cottam were inactive last Sunday: so the Chiefs could observe running back Dantrell Savage and rookie tight end Jake O’Connell without weakening other positions.

But as Haley tinkered with other positions, the one he left alone was quarterback. Haley didn’t announce Cassel as the starter until late in the preseason, but it was Cassel who took the first-team snaps in training camp and preseason games — and it was Cassel who shouldered the starting quarterback’s other responsibilities, such as a weekly meeting with reporters. It didn’t seem to hurt Cassel’s chances that he signed a long-term contract extension with the Chiefs and that he’ll make a guaranteed $28 million over the deal’s duration.

If Cassel was the one player with bulletproof job security, Haley delivered a message Tuesday that he’ll have to do like everyone else — work hard, be good and play smart — to keep his job.

“It’s a process of trying to get it right,” Haley said. “I just know this from the teams that I’ve been around and the ones I’ve paid attention to.”

He has watched other coaches make the unpopular decision of benching other communities’ preferred quarterbacks. While Haley was with the New York Jets, he watched coach Bill Parcells bench quarterback Glenn Foley, a local favorite, in favor of veteran Vinny Testaverde. The Jets won 12 games that year. Nearly a decade later, when Parcells brought Haley to Dallas, the young assistant again watched Parcells bench a popular quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, for an upstart named Tony Romo after Bledsoe started the 2006 season with three losses in six games. Romo led the Cowboys to the playoffs.

Then last year, while Haley was Arizona’s offensive coordinator, coaches chose veteran Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback despite the fact that Matt Leinart was a former first-round pick with a fat contract. Warner led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.

“If we don’t go with what our gut tells us at that position,” Haley said, “we wouldn’t have been where we were.”

Haley said Tuesday that, in each of those cases, the head coach had to make a decision based only on instinct and in observing each quarterback’s sharpness — and ignore factors such as contract details and outside criticism.

“When we made that change,” Haley said, “there was a lot of negative feedback and, ‘What are you doing?’ and, ‘What about the future?’ There weren’t too many people saying much when we were in the Super Bowl.”

Haley wasn’t saying Tuesday that the Chiefs might finish this season in the Super Bowl — or even the playoffs. And he wasn’t saying that Cassel won’t finish this season as the Chiefs’ starter, either. He was saying that Cassel had better be on point — or, like so many other positions, Kansas City will turn toward someone who is.

“Our whole goal is to get competition at as many positions as we can, quarterback being one of those,” Haley said. “When there’s somebody pushing you, you have a better chance of being at your best. When you can’t handle that pressure, you’ll probably go by the wayside, and that becomes clear to everybody.”

[L.A. Chieffan]

Where do they come up with this shit?

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Haley said in his press conference last week that he was happy that Croyle didn't turn the ball over. Haley knows what Brodie is, make no mistake about it.

I don't see how that's even possible.

For much of Brodie Croyle's three plus years in the NFL, he's been unable to play in more than 8 games, let alone participate on the practice field. He's been stuck that entire team behind the worst offensive line in the league.

Giving up on Brodie Croyle would be absolutely ridiculous at this point in time, especially if he can finally beat the injury bug and stay healthy.

The guy has all the talent in the world to become a successful NFL QB.

If his body will allow it.

[BigChiefFan]

Wow, why is this news? If you've been paying attention, Haley's been saying this all along.

Basically, Haley is trying to light a fire under Cassel, without throwing him under the bus AND keep Brodie fired up about staying competitive and always having a shot. Coach speak 101.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

Wow, why is this news? If you've been paying attention, Haley's been saying this all along.

Basically, Haley is trying to light a fire under Cassel, without throwing him under the bus AND keep Brodie fired up about staying competitive and always having a shot. Coach speak 101.

Yup. I don't get how this is a story.

They keep asking questions about the QB situatino over and over trying to get answers to make into a story.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I don't see how that's even possible.

For much of Brodie Croyle's three plus years in the NFL, he's been unable to play in more than 8 games, let alone participate on the practice field. He's been stuck that entire team behind the worst offensive line in the league.

Giving up on Brodie Croyle would be absolutely ridiculous at this point in time, especially if he can finally beat the injury bug and stay healthy.

The guy has all the talent in the world to become a successful NFL QB.

If his body will allow it.

How in the hell is his body going to allow it? He's been hurt multiple times, SERIOUSLY, at every level he's played.

I'm not suggesting we give up on him, but making him a starter because you don't have any patience is ridiculous.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Brock

You've been under Carl Peterson's thumb for too long.

Pioli's tenure is going to be linked to Cassel unless a Brady type thing happens. You can bet the farm knowing the ego that Belicheat's clones have he wont allow Cassel not to be it.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Pioli's tenure is going to be linked to Cassel unless a Brady type thing happens. You can bet the farm knowing the ego that Belicheat's clones have he wont allow Cassel not to be it.

I believe Pioli is about winning, not making himself look right.

[dallaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Pioli's tenure is going to be linked to Cassel unless a Brady type thing happens. You can bet the farm knowing the ego that Belicheat's clones have he wont allow Cassel not to be it.

This is simply an over-reach. This has been said of countless GM's that still lead their franchises after drafting or signing failed QB's that supposedly will be linked to them forever. Winning makes everyone forget.

And by the way, you might want to stop drinking the Whitlock Koolaid that Pioli is an egomaniac. Outside of Whitlock, who is saying this about the guy's character?

[DaWolf]

It's a win/win for Haley.

First, he gets to see how Cassel responds to this. You know Haley wants a mentally tough and resilient guy as his QB. So if Cassel responds poorly, strike one. If he responds well, then he's got something.

Second, he can probably sense that Cassel probably won't make it through the whole season healthy, so it's best to pump up Croyle a bit to keep his confidence up and also make sure he pushes himself as hard as he can.

Third and most importantly, it's all about competition. You want guys who want to be the best and you want those guys playing on sundays, so yeah I believe Haley, if he sees that there is something from Croyle that is going to help us win games that he's not getting from Cassel, he'll put in Croyle.

Of course the major downside is that if he inserts Croyle and then Croyle stinks it up and we keep losing, a good possibility given Croyle's history and lack of wins, he's basically screwed at QB.

I should add that I certainly think and hope that Cassel will respond well to this...

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by dallaschiefsfan

And by the way, you might want to stop drinking the Whitlock Koolaid that Pioli is an egomaniac. Outside of Whitlock, who is saying this about the guy's character?

I said it along time ago before jwhit started, its a trait that all of the Belicheck guys have, Weis, Mangina, McDaniels, etc.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

I said it along time ago before jwhit started, its a trait that all of the Belicheck guys have, Weis, Mangina, McDaniels, etc.

What about Crennel? Or Dimitroff? They don't seem like egomaniacs to me.

[dallaschiefsfan]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

I said it along time ago before jwhit started, its a trait that all of the Belicheck guys have, Weis, Mangina, McDaniels, etc.

Can't speak to each of those guys, but Pioli strikes me as a guy that's all-business. That's not egotistical...that's called being responsible because you know you'll be held accountable for your actions (or lack thereof).

[DaWolf]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

I said it along time ago before jwhit started, its a trait that all of the Belicheck guys have, Weis, Mangina, McDaniels, etc.

Why does Pioli always get tossed in with the coaches? No one likes to point out the success that Pioli's protegee, Thomas Dimitrioff, is having in Atlanta.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27956928/ns/sports-nfl/

A protégé of Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli, Dimitroff’s got the same limelight-shunning, credit-sharing traits Pioli’s shown in his time building the Patriots dynasty. He doesn’t want the Falcons success to be about him.

He knows that from his six seasons in New England that, if selflessness starts at the top, it filters down quickly.

“Mike and I used the model that Bill and Scott have in New England,” Dimitroff explains. “The closeness, the regular communication. That was a big part of my focus here. It had to be comfortable interaction. And Mike and I, the first time we spoke what was supposed to be a 90-minute meeting ended up being a three hour meeting. We respect each other's craft. I respect coaches immensely. My father was a coach. And Mike respects the institution of scouting.”

“Scott is a strong personality — very passionate about football, a very detailed administrator, a very adept evaluator. The way he orchestrated the personnel side and got the proper information and proper direction of the team and system from Bill Belichick and was able to disseminate that information to me and the scouting staff, we all felt we were on the proverbial same page. And that was very important going out to scout. We weren’t just writing people up for the league; we were writing people up for the New England Patriots. That’s something that sunk deep. I’ve been involved in other regimes and nowhere did I learn more than being around Scott and Bill and from Scott’s approach to scouting.”

So Scott Pioli has been an integral part of building a three time superbowl winner and tutored one of the hottest new GM's in the league, yet he's arrogant and doesn't know what he's doing 2 games into his first season. Go figure...

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

The press is really fanning the flames on this one.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by DaWolf

Why does Pioli always get tossed in with the coaches? No one likes to point out the success that Pioli's protegee, Thomas Dimitrioff, is having in Atlanta.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27956928/ns/sports-nfl/

So Scott Pioli has been an integral part of building a three time superbowl winner and tutored one of the hottest new GM's in the league, yet he's arrogant and doesn't know what he's doing 2 games into his first season. Go figure...

As they were saying on Sirius NFL Radio yesterday, Dimitroff is the only success to have come out of NE.

And the reason they gave for it is that he's his own man. Notice what he did when he got to Atlanta:

No talk about the Patriot Way.

Went against almost every core belief of the Patriots organization:

-Spent high draft pick on franchise QB

-Spent big money in FA at the RB position, among others.

-Traded a high draft pick for a guy that plays a complementary position, who only wants to play another year or two.


Just a few examples.

They said he's gone against the grain ever since he was an area scout for the Pats. It's not surprising to see the guy succeed, where everyone else that has left NE has failed.