Why Cassel Could Prove the Haters Wrong

[Hammock Parties]

WOOOOOO! (http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/10/15/1753081/maybe-matt-cassel-is-a-bright-spot-on-piolis-resume-part-iii-why)


You won't sell me on the idea that Cassel has played well in the first few games; however, you can easily sell me on the idea that he has not reached his ceiling yet. I think what a lot of other people might find frustrating is that it's not like we've seen Cassel perform at his best before. True, the Patriots' offense was a "throw it to your star receiver and let him make plays" offense and sure I'd rather see a Quarterback who takes charge of his offense regardless of the talent around him, but you can't deny that he was very successful in New England. I've also seen flashes of brilliance in Kansas City and it always seems to happen when his back is against the wall. In Jacksonville last season, we saw him lead an almost heroic comeback. We've seen several games where he's led a clutch drive or two (most of those scores, however, were squandered by a defense that gave up points in the closing minutes). I don't know if his performance in New England was his ceiling, but it's certainly proof that he's capable of being better.

He also has the character to be a great Quarterback in this league. Time and time again, we have seen Quarterbacks in this league fail because they didn't have the right attitude (Ryan Leaf) or didn't have the right work ethic (Jamarcus Russell) to be successful. When I look at Tom Brady, I look at a guy who started out in the league with pretty average arm strength and a lot of inexperience. But the word on the street is that the guy is a work fiend. He is a relentless student of game film and goes above and beyond the work expected from an NFL Quarterback. Cassel belongs to that same school. His work ethic is something that's been lightly dusted over. When he talks about looking back at game film to see where he could improve, I have confidence that he's doing that. I know he's trying and I know he's coachable. I sure hope that this translates into results sooner rather than later.

I also have confidence in the coaching staff to get the best out of their Quarterback. It does frustrate me that they essentially wasted a whole year lining Matt Cassel up at Quarterback last season without a coach to pay close attention to fixing him. There are plenty of things that are completely fixable. Charlie Weis has got to develop Cassel into a confident leader. Right now, he's playing a little scared.

Here's a classic example of his coachability: I do appreciate that he has made obvious strides to get rid of the ball fast. To me, he's almost overadjusting. He's rifling through his progressions and at times, he looks like he's almost willing his primary read to get open so he can get rid of the ball fast. The good news is, that's helping him to eliminate negative plays. Let's chalk that up to progress. His next step is to find that happy medium.

As I mentioned in my first post, it just seems that Cassel is so much more comfortable when he is firing the ball with some mustard, and there are times in the beginning of games where he seems afraid to do that. He seems too afraid to make a big mistake. That's a good thing, but he needs to level that off just a little bit better. So thinking about the two above points, maybe the problem hasn't been his ability to adjust; maybe the problem has been in his overadjustment.

I hope and expect that Charlie Weis and staff will continue to work with him on pocket presence. He just doesn't look comfortable in the pocket. Brady, on the other hand, is one of the best I've ever seen at sliding in the pocket to buy time and knowing just the right moment to take a hit before he gets whacked. I'd like to see Cassel show that same comfort level. Instead of jumping and shuffling in a panic when one guy gets loose, find a spot in the pocket to move to. I don't see how this can't be fixed with a little work and experience.

And when he throws the ball, I would like to see him throw it like he means it. Who cares if he's throwing the ball into a tight spot. While I don't want him to become Jay Cutler, I also don't care if he throws a pick or two. Now, in Charlie Weis' offense, I like that he's protecting from the big mistake, but find that right balance. I don't think anyone would call Brady a conservative Quarterback. He's not a guy who's going to have a lot of 3 INT games, but he's had his fair share of INTs in his career.

Finally, ignore the critics like me. His job is safe for the season or, at least, I hope that it is. He's probably going to hear a lot of boos and with every passing game, you're going to be scrutinized to death unless he's consistently perfect. Easier said than done, but of course, the best solution is to continue to improve. The more you improve, the less the critics will come down on him. Start on the basics. Be confident. And if I were to start somewhere, at the very least be more efficient on third downs. I don't care if we whiff on a few big plays or if we throw an incomplete pass or two. But I can't stand when we go 3 and out or squander a 3rd and short opportunity.

Like most of you, I'm rooting for him and I think he has opportunity to improve. Unlike some of you, I'd like to give him the whole season to do that. He's got a very pass-friendly schedule coming up, but at the same time, he has a lot of issues to work through. Let's start to see some results!

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Jon Yoon may be a bigger dipfuck than John Yoo.

When we almost had a heroic comeback against Jacksonville last season?

lol. wut.

[Hammock Parties]

I'll never forget that heroic near-comeback.

[MTG#10]

I know its not gonna happen but could you imagine this place if he did improve and ended up being one of the best QB's in the league. ROFL

[Hammock Parties]

I know its not gonna happen but could you imagine this place if he did improve and ended up being one of the best QB's in the league. ROFL

OH MAN WHAT IF HE DID PROVE THOSE HATA'S WRONG?

THOSE HATAS WOULD HAVE EGG ALL UP ON DEY FACES!!!

[OnTheWarpath15]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2560/4092372048_69b11a1fa9_z.jpg?zz=1

[Warrior5]

I know its not gonna happen but could you imagine this place if he did improve and ended up being one of the best QB's in the league. ROFL

Could you imagine how much more convincing Jon Yoon could be if he could actually write decently?

Reading that hurt almost as much as watching another 3-and-out. Ouch.

[keg in kc]

Saying a guy sucks because on the field he actually sucks does not make one a "hater".

To be an actual Cassel "hater", it would require Cassel to actually look like an NFL QB for a snap or two.

Unfortunately he's not cooperating.

So, therefore, there can be no "haters". At this point there are only two camps: Cassel "apologists" and then the rest of us, who get to watch the games through our fingers, cringing.

[baitism]

Matt Cassel is like the Gil Meche of baseball. Stealing paychecks.

[Three7s]

Matt Cassel is like the Gil Meche of baseball. Stealing paychecks.
At least Meche had a decent couple of seasons. Cassel hasn't even done that yet! And don't say 08 for Cassel.....

[Red Brooklyn]

Nothing would make me happier than for Cassel to turn around and become one of the best QB's in the NFL. I'd welcome it.

[btlook1]

Nothing would make me happier than for Cassel to turn around and become one of the best QB's in the NFL. I'd welcome it.

I would love to see him turn it around also. Not sure it's going to happen though. Give him another game to get his crap together and if not then at least give Brokie a try and see if that will work.
We have a window that is opening but it won't stay open but for a few years and I would hate to see it all turn in to the 90's again where the opportunity is there but we didn't seize it because we lacked in one position or two but had the other 9 players on the field that could have made it happen.

[kysirsoze]

I would love to see him turn it around also. Not sure it's going to happen though. Give him another game to get his crap together and if not then at least give Brokie a try and see if that will work.
We have a window that is opening but it won't stay open but for a few years and I would hate to see it all turn in to the 90's again where the opportunity is there but we didn't seize it because we lacked in one position or two but had the other 9 players on the field that could have made it happen.

I don't know about "give him another game," but I will say that if I were inclinded to do that, he better produce against the Texans. Their secondary is bad enough that if he can't get it done against them he has no excuse whatsoever.

Oh, and this article is fucking stupid.

[BillSelfsTrophycase]

Matt Cassel is like the Gil Meche of baseball. Stealing paychecks.

Meche was pretty good until his arm fell victim to Trey Hillman

Cassel has been the same steaming pile his entire time here

[Dartgod]

At this point there are only two camps: Cassel "apologists" and then the rest of us, who get to watch the games through our fingers, cringing.
We called them Grbackers when Elvis was here. We need a new name. :hmmm:

[BillSelfsTrophycase]

We called them Grbackers when Elvis was here. We need a new name. :hmmm:


Cassholes sounds good

[BigRock]

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/687/casselhaters.jpg

[Epic Fail 007]

guys,get off matts ass hes working at it,i believe he wants to be good and he will be good,plus it dose not help when guys every game are dropping balls and not just bowe,chambers also.you see when he throws to tony he always catches it,just chill out this is an all new offense hes in than from last yr.also remember trent green he sucked his first yr or 2 here and he turned out ok.hell i want green gone after yr 1.

[FAX]

God. He's Howdy Doodie.

FAX

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

God. He's Howdy Doodie.

FAX

ROFLROFLROFLROFL

So true!

[chiefzilla1501]

Hmm... if you click on the link, it looks like gochiefs cut out some stuff. This was a 3-part series. Doesn't look like Part 1 was nearly as complimentary.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/10/12/1742761/matt-cassel-could-damage-scott-piolis-otherwise-impressive-chiefs
Matt Cassel Could Damage Scott Pioli's Otherwise Impressive Chiefs Legacy: Part 1 - It's Time to Shine Story-edit

Tiny by Jon Yoon on Oct 12, 2010 7:07 AM PDT in 2010 Kansas City Chiefs Season

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I'm an optimistic guy, so I'm rooting for Matt Cassel to prove me wrong. He seems like a good kid--tries hard, works his tail off, and is coachable. I'm not ruling out the idea that he can still improve. Still, with every disappointing performance, it becomes a lot harder to be optimistic.

That's a shame because as of now, the Cassel trade stands as a blemish to an otherwise remarkable franchise turnaround. That is a decision Scott Pioli should be accountable for and one that may set this franchise backward several years (more to come later in the week). Without a franchise Quarterback, making a legit Super Bowl push becomes markedly more difficult.

I know there will be a fair share of Matt Cassel apologists, so I first want to make it clear why even they can't continue to make excuses for Matt Cassel. Later in the week, I will explain how Pioli's decision to trade for Matt Cassel can potentially set this franchise backward.

Star-divide

Anybody who watched the Chiefs vs. Colts game will tell you that the Chiefs rightfully earned their place as one of the better teams in the NFL. Their defense is absolutely for real. Peyton Manning was absolutely flustered. This team is absolutely a good team.

What will hold the Chiefs back in the Power Rankings and ultimately in the playoffs is that they simply cannot rely on the most important player on the field, Matt Cassel, to lead them to wins. They are being forced to win despite him. Our underperformance in the passing game is too often forcing the defense to defend after a 3-and-out and is forcing the running game to jam the ball through a crowded line. So I don't look at the 3-1 record and suggest that "it ain't broke, so don't fix it"; rather, I ask the obvious question: what if the Chiefs played like this AND got their Quarterback to play well at the same time?

The game against the Colts should have been a statement game for Cassel. His defense put him in a position to make plays, his offensive line pretty effectively neutralized Indianapolis' outstanding pass rushers, and he was squaring off against a bruised and battered secondary. During the game, we saw that the Chiefs weren't moving the ball particularly well on the ground. That's when you expect a game manager Quarterback to step up. Big Ben has done it multiple times, Tom Brady did it early in his career, and even Mark Sanchez is doing that now in New York. Cassel didn't step up against San Diego and he didn't step up against Indianapolis. You can't throw for 156 yards and expect to beat the Colts. You can't complete only 55% of your passes against a limping secondary. You absolutely can't, can't, can't lead a team that is a measley 10% on third down efficiency. Also, spin it any way you want, but to me the Chiefs' reluctance to throw downfield makes me question the coaching staff's trust in their Quarterback.

Sure, we can blame Haley for some interesting coaching decisions. We can blame Bowe for an inexcusable end zone drop. We can blame Jamaal Charles for coughing the ball up in a scoring situation. But to me, these are isolated mistakes. Cassel's mistakes occurred frequently throughout the game. So while you could argue that Bowe should have caught a pass, I would argue that Cassel should have performed well enough to overcome Bowe's mistake. And yes, average play in the passing game would have achieved just that.

I'd also like to counter the responses I expect to get:

1. The winning record: Even though Cassel is 3-1, how can anyone not agree that the Chiefs won most of those games despite their Quarterback, not because of their Quarterback?
2. This is a running team: All the more reason for Cassel to see success throwing the ball. Defenses are daring Cassel to throw the ball against them. Contrast that to how the Chiefs gameplanned Peyton Manning today. The Chiefs dropped everyone in coverage and dared Indianapolis to run on them. They were absolutely and completely in pass-stopping mode and it frustrated Manning. Cassel doesn't see that kind of adversity. When the defense is gameplanning completely to stop the run, your Quarterback has to, has to, has to take advantage of that.And when your completion percentage is well below 60% in a dink-and-dunk offense, you know there are problems.
3. The experience issue: Matt Cassel has seen a lot more NFL practice reps as Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, or Mark Sanchez. Mark Sanchez didn't have a ton of college starts under his belt and Joe Flacco started mostly against lower competition in college. I get that he's not necessarily going to fire on all cylinders right away, but you expect to see improvement every week. Instead, he's still staring down his targets, missing his receivers, forcing them to make circus catches, and his footwork and pocket presence still seem shaky. It's year 3 for Cassel as a starter--how long will it take for the "lack of college experience" argument to no longer apply?
4. The protection issue: It's not an issue. Not anymore. The Chiefs' pass protection against Indy and against all the other teams they have faced has by no means been flawless, but they have repeatedly given Cassel more than enough time to get rid of the ball.
5. The lack of receivers: Donovan McNabb has had success throwing to James Thrash / Todd Pinkston. Tom Brady led a Patriots' squad featuring Jabar Gaffney / Reche Caldwell to the AFC Conference Championship games. Great Quarterbacks make the talent around them better.

So if I revert to being an optimist, these are things I want to see from Cassel in the coming weeks:

* Take Charge: This week, I don't want to hear Matt Cassel spout out the same robotic sound bites about how the Chiefs are trying to be better and how everyone is trying their hardest and how he and the Chiefs played to the best of their ability. We're not buying it. I want to hear you tell us that you can be and should be better. I want to hear you confidently tell us that the offense won't let a good defensive performance go to waste ever again. I want to hear that you're frustrated about losing and that it's eating you up inside. We heard some frustration earlier in the week, but we don't want to hear that you feel good about what turned out to be a losing performance.
* Fire Away: Here's something that we've learned over the last few weeks. This defense is going to bail him out if he makes a mistake. It's amazing how much better he is as a Quarterback when he's playing with a sense of urgency. In the closing minutes of the game, he connected on some big league passes and was firing the ball into the coverage. I want to see more of that earlier. I don't care if it leads to a pick or two, as long as it means that he's starting to get the ball into the end zone and extending drives.
* Trust His Teammates: Right now, it looks like he's playing scared. He looks like he's always hearing footsteps and he always seems to look for the safe throw. When he doesn't find his primary read, he starts to panic. Either that means staring his receiver down until there's a makeable play or starting to move his feet when he doesn't need to. The offensive line is starting to protect him--trust them and get comfortable playing in the pocket.

I'm not giving up on Cassel because he's still the Chiefs' best option, but he has to be better than this and there are no longer good enough excuses for why he isn't. It doesn't matter if the Chiefs go 4-1 by beating Houston next week. If he doesn't turn his play around, he's going to get booed at Arrowhead. You hate to see bad things happen to good people, but the unfortunate truth is that there are a lot of things that need to happen between now and then to avoid that outcome. I am certainly pulling for the kid so that that does not happen.

[Extra Point]

He's HOWDY DOOTY, but he's OUR HOWDY DOOTY!

(Then again, how many have us have thought that we're damned glad that Cutler plays for the Bears, even factoring in his concussion?)

[patteeu]

Jon Yoon may be a bigger dip**** than John Yoo.

When we almost had a heroic comeback against Jacksonville last season?

lol. wut.

Both Yoon and Yoo make a lot of sense to me. Maybe they're just talking over your head. :Poke:

[30 yard hail mary]

Matt Cassel is like the Gil Meche of baseball. Stealing paychecks.

what is Matts record this year?

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

what is Matts record this year?

His record? You put it on the turntable, and it plays, "I SUCK I SUCK I SUCK I SUCK I SUCK I SUCK" for 16 weeks.

[Bugeater]

what is Matts record this year?
Ah yes, the Casshole Mantra.

[chiefzilla1501]

I follow arrowheadpride quite a bit. Gochiefs didn't mention that there were three parts to the article and the first two ripped Cassel apart. Instead, he took Part 3, changed the title, deleted the first part of the article, and bolded the parts he thought would create a reaction.

[Hammock Parties]

I follow arrowheadpride quite a bit. Gochiefs didn't mention that there were three parts to the article and the first two ripped Cassel apart. Instead, he took Part 3, changed the title, deleted the first part of the article, and bolded the parts he thought would create a reaction.

http://i53.tinypic.com/xp24xs.jpg

[ChiefsCountry]

Cassel is keeping this team from its true potential. If Sanchez was our qb every media outlet would be sucking our cocks saying how many championships we would win with all of our young talent.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Ugly Duck]

Cassel will throw against two of the worst pass defenses in the upcoming games. Houston is dead last, Jacksonville is like #30. He'll look serviceable against them & then all of a sudden the Planet will roar that HE'S TURNED THE CORNER!! SUPERBOWL!! SUPERBOWL!!

[Three7s]

Cassel will throw against two of the worst pass defenses in the upcoming games. Houston is dead last, Jacksonville is like #30. He'll look serviceable against them & then all of a sudden the Planet will roar that HE'S TURNED THE CORNER!! SUPERBOWL!! SUPERBOWL!!
If they do then they're idiots. It's funny because if he does suck against a secondary like the Texans, it'll show just how awful he REALLY is. Speaking of which, I think a better nickname for Cassel would be Cassey. He's got no balls in the first place.

[Earthling]

I have to agree mostly on the boards overall assessment of Cassle. If he can't do better than 3 out of 4 then 'kick da bum out'a here.'

[Baby Lee]

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/687/casselhaters.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6dYj3qNs5Iw/SZMOEvFsBnI/AAAAAAAADsM/gomKBCYSQBU/s400/Joker+nicholson+(3).jpg

[chiefzilla1501]

http://i53.tinypic.com/xp24xs.jpg

Maybe Matt Cassel is a Bright Spot on Pioli’s Resume: Part III – Why Cassel Could Prove the Haters Wrong Story-edit


As I mentioned in Part I, I like Matt Cassel. I love the guy's work ethic and I love the way he approaches the game. I always want good things to happen to good people. I then went into two long posts about what's wrong with Matt Cassel, so maybe my comment seemed disingenuous. To wrap up my series on Matt Cassel (because clearly, I'm the only person talking about him), I wanted to point out some of his redeeming qualities.

In fairness to Cassel, the scrutiny about what he needs to improve shouldn't override some of the things that we should like about the guy. More after the jump.

In Part II, I talked about how Pioli took a gamble by putting all his eggs into one basket at the Quarterback position. Like "Tin Cup," he only sees one way to the green at the Quarterback position and it's clear that he's not going to lay up on the Matt Cassel front. So on the flip side, if Matt Cassel turns things around, then he suddenly looks like a genius and not an accidental genius. He looks like a genius that got the decision right and stuck to his guns, even while other people were screaming for Cassel's head.

I just find it odd that you would copy an article from a source and then completely take out quotes to make a point you're trying to prove. I'm surprised I'm the only one calling you out for that.

[Mile High Mania]

Strong video proof of what he can do... dude is smooth.

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[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Cassel is keeping this team from its true potential. If Sanchez was our qb every media outlet would be sucking our cocks saying how many championships we would win with all of our young talent.
Posted via Mobile Device


"No no no; Sanchez would have been horrible in KC behind our line because we all know one year of getting your ass kicked destroys any true franchise QB, especially a rookie"./CP Dumbasses.

[Pioli Zombie]

I'm 6 days Cassel-free and loving life. Cassaholics Anonymous has given me tools to walk away from the dead end of Cassel. Cassel sucks. Cass Mattel is to Chiefs football what the Zapruder film would be if shown at Kennedy thanksivings.

[-King-]

"No no no; Sanchez would have been horrible in KC behind our line because we all know one year of getting your ass kicked destroys any true franchise QB, especially a rookie"./CP Dumbasses.

:facepalm:

[Rasputin]

Another article about our "Special Needs, Passing Challenged" QB how nice.

[MadMax]

Another article about our "Special Needs, Passing Challenged" QB how nice.





ROFLROFLROFL We loves us some sub-par QBs for sure...

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

I'm 6 days Cassel-free and loving life. Cassaholics Anonymous has given me tools to walk away from the dead end of Cassel. Cassel sucks. Cass Mattel is to Chiefs football what the Zapruder film would be if shown at Kennedy thanksivings.

Stay strong and free my friend. :clap:

:facepalm:

Yes, it WAS a horrible opinion to have and fret over, and especially lame to use as an excuse to defend Cassel.

Another article about our "Special Needs, Passing Challenged" QB how nice.

ROFL