I don't blame Cassel for the end performance or loss.

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

He was just the last guy with the ball in an Elway-esque/need situation. We lost today as a team, got a bad break as a team, and will regroup and go back to war as a team.

Cassel showed some flashes today at opportune times, so I'm not hanging this day on him. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.

That's all.

[Shogun]

I agree

[Silock]

He showed flashes of being competent, but even competent doesn't win you Super Bowls.

[Shogun]

He showed flashes of being competent, but even competent doesn't win you Super Bowls.

Im a fumble short here of being able to say Rex Grossman

[kysirsoze]

He showed flashes of being competent, but even competent doesn't win you Super Bowls.

Im a fumble short here of being able to say Rex Grossman

OK. Almost never wins you Superbowls. How's that? And really, bringing up Grossman is just an excellent example of a guy that played well enough to win in the regular season but couldn't get it done in the end. That's the most I feel we can hope for from Cassel.

[beach tribe]

I knew we would see the "Look Cassel is getting better" threads after we played the NFLs worst pass D, but not from ROR.
That said, I'm really not that pissed about this loss. It hurts, but it still shows me how far we've come. The D has 1 bad half in 5 games? It's gonna happen. We put up 220+ on the 5th ranked Run D in their house? We're just going to get better. Houston is about 5 points worth of a better team right now, and that translated out in this game.

[SenselessChiefsFan]

I figured the Chiefs would put more on Cassel's shoulders this game. I was glad to see them do that. He played well.

The Chiefs pass protection sucked, and I don't think Cassel gets enough credit for making the offensive line look better than it is in pass protection. Houston is not a great pass rushing team... and the line didn't hold up.

Cassel played well yesterday.

Yeah, it was against a poor secondary, but it was behind a mediocre line with mediocre WR's further limited by the loss of Chambers.

To me, the true difference was our group of slow plodding WR's was finally able to get some separation against a slow plodding secondary.

I was upset last week by the coaching staffs' handcuffs on Matt Cassel. Afters seeing this offensive line in yesterday's game, the staff knows how undermanned the line is in pass coverage. I now see why Haley was terrified against Freeney and Mathis on the road.

The only sack that Cassel allowed was on the final play of the game. Otherwise, he would throw the ball away, like he has so many times this year, and come back for another down.

I expected Houston to be a good game for Cassel. I wish the defense would have held so he could get some well deserved credit. As it is, he is getting criticized for a three TD, no INT performance.

And, of course, he only get's credit for 'one' TD, because Vrabel had to adjust for the one....mainly because Cassel was throwing away from coverage.... and Bowe made a great run on the other one... of course, Cassel hit him in stride which gave him that opportunity...

Cassel continues to improve this season. He has improved on a week by week basis since the first half of the Cleveland game.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out the rest of the season.

It is funny though, to see him even mentioned in the reasons we lost this game. Yeah, he only threw for 3 td's, I mean, that is pathetic. And, his passer rating was only in the 120's... talk about piss poor. Even still, the defense gave up 5 TD's. I will go with the defense as the reason. I will go with certain play calls. I will even point to the refs on a blown call (though, that call rarely ever gets made)....before I put this on Cassel.

[CupidStunt]

Exactly, and this is obvious. There is NO other explanation, and if someone can't see that, they're fucking stupid.

[Rasputin]

We would have won that game hands down at Arrowhead. I don't blame the QB for the loss but he doesn't get credit for the win WE LOST. Cassel nor the rest of the team won it. It was a winnable game, we blew it. It was a heartpumping game to the end and what a game it was.


I tell ya, watching Jamaal & Jones run the ball with that kind of heart was very inspirational. Espeacialy Charles, my favorite play was when Charles was carrying all those Texans on his back for a 7yd gane. Yea that play was pure heart on him and showed toughness and will. Charles was outstanding and Jones played good too. Our running game is a power house to recon with and it's only getting better.

I thought for a period of the game Cassel was someone else playing. In the end of the game he was still Cassel missing out on clutch 3rd down 2 yards even if it was a bad play call, he has got to make that play to move to the next level and so does the team. It was a good learning game for the team to know what fix & get better at and a wake up call for our defense. Moving forward is exiting, getting better this year is what we will do, and the Ws will come in bunches. Cassel is still the achilles heel for this team untill proven otherwise. One game against a piss poor pass defense does not make a 28yo career back up QB a franchise QB.

[MOhillbilly]

with a better QB the club woulda blown em out.

[Chiefnj2]

with a better QB the club woulda blown em out.

Not if Texas had the ball last.

[MOhillbilly]

Not if Texas had the ball last.


woundnt of mattered.

[Tom_A_Hawk]

I figured the Chiefs would put more on Cassel's shoulders this game. I was glad to see them do that. He played well.

The Chiefs pass protection sucked, and I don't think Cassel gets enough credit for making the offensive line look better than it is in pass protection. Houston is not a great pass rushing team... and the line didn't hold up.

Cassel played well yesterday.

Yeah, it was against a poor secondary, but it was behind a mediocre line with mediocre WR's further limited by the loss of Chambers.

To me, the true difference was our group of slow plodding WR's was finally able to get some separation against a slow plodding secondary.

I was upset last week by the coaching staffs' handcuffs on Matt Cassel. Afters seeing this offensive line in yesterday's game, the staff knows how undermanned the line is in pass coverage. I now see why Haley was terrified against Freeney and Mathis on the road.

The only sack that Cassel allowed was on the final play of the game. Otherwise, he would throw the ball away, like he has so many times this year, and come back for another down.

I expected Houston to be a good game for Cassel. I wish the defense would have held so he could get some well deserved credit. As it is, he is getting criticized for a three TD, no INT performance.

And, of course, he only get's credit for 'one' TD, because Vrabel had to adjust for the one....mainly because Cassel was throwing away from coverage.... and Bowe made a great run on the other one... of course, Cassel hit him in stride which gave him that opportunity...

Cassel continues to improve this season. He has improved on a week by week basis since the first half of the Cleveland game.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out the rest of the season.

It is funny though, to see him even mentioned in the reasons we lost this game. Yeah, he only threw for 3 td's, I mean, that is pathetic. And, his passer rating was only in the 120's... talk about piss poor. Even still, the defense gave up 5 TD's. I will go with the defense as the reason. I will go with certain play calls. I will even point to the refs on a blown call (though, that call rarely ever gets made)....before I put this on Cassel.

I think Cassel is getting roasted for the easy throws he missed...panicked and threw over receivers's heads, especially the drive killer in the 4th qtr. It is one thing to perfrom with a lead and no pressure (as he got to do most of the game) and quite another when a big play is needed and the game appears to be on the line (like the 3rd and 2 he didn't execute). He isn't any more to blame than anyone else but he isn't blameless. One game doesn't make him a QB. We don't really know if his performacne yesterday was an anomoly based on what we have seen prior to this game. Quite a ways to go before you mention him as a consistent and confident QB.

[keg in kc]

I don't blame him for what amounts to a whole team loss, but the fact is that he had the ball in his hands with several opportunities to make big plays and failed to do so. And I agree with the sentiment that a better QB in that game means more points. Schaub found ways to score TDs in the red zone late, and Cassel did not. That series was the difference between playing for a field goal to win at the end, and playing in desperation for the end zone. And then there's the series with 3:30 to go. He's got an open receiver and an open throwing lane. I don't care if he's pressured; good QBs complete that throw with linemen hanging all over them and breathing fire down their necks. Cassel wasn't touched.

Yesterday's game was the clearest picture we could have ever had painted about Cassel. Weis was able to martyball him to a whopping 200 yards of passing on the strength of a 225+ yard rushing attack. And it was *not* *good* *enough*.

And that's what Cassel is. I hate it. I'd hoped for more. But that's what we've got.

[ChiTown]

I don't blame him for what amounts to a whole team loss, but the fact is that he had the ball in his hands with several opportunities to make big plays and failed to do so. And I agree with the sentiment that a better QB in that game means more points. Schaub found ways to score TDs in the red zone late, and Cassel did not. That series was the difference between playing for a field goal to win at the end, and playing in desperation for the end zone. And then there's the series with 3:30 to go. He's got an open receiver and an open throwing lane. I don't care if he's pressured; good QBs complete that throw with linemen hanging all over them and breathing fire down their necks. Cassel wasn't touched.

Yesterday's game was the clearest picture we could have ever had painted about Cassel. Weis was able to martyball him to a whopping 200 yards of passing on the strength of a 225+ yard rushing attack. And it was *not* *good* *enough*.

And that's what Cassel is. I hate it. I'd hoped for more. But that's what we've got.

It was the play call, as much as the player. Don't ask a QB of Cassel's caliber to make a 20 yard pass across his body on a 3rd and 2 play, when you are running it up the other teams ass with relative ease. That play call was just dumber than a bucket of ball hairs. Period.

[keg in kc]

Don't ask a QB of Cassel's caliber to make a 20 yard pass across his body on a 3rd and 2 playI get that argument, but it's also effectively proving my point for me. If you can't count on him to make a play in that situation, then he's not good enough...

[siberian khatru]

It was the play call, as much as the player. Don't ask a QB of Cassel's caliber to make a 20 yard pass across his body on a 3rd and 2 play, when you are running it up the other teams ass with relative ease. That play call was just dumber than a bucket of ball hairs. Period.

I haven't seen that play since the game, but was it supposed to be like a fade? I wonder, because I absolutely hate fades -- they are so hard to complete, even moreso with an inaccurate QB.

The more I've thought about it, the more I could live with a pass (I DO like aggressive play calls in those situations), but only if it were something much more simple for Cassel to complete -- crossing route, slant, roll out with the TE dragging with him, etc.

[ChiTown]

I get that argument, but it's also effectively proving my point for me. If you can't count on him to make a play in that situation, then he's not good enough...

I get that. My point is we didn't need Superman in that last series to win and go 4-1. We needed a hand off to Charles or Jones, or a quick flair to McCluster, or a quick cross pattern to Moeaki. Any of those transpire, and we most likely are as giddy as a school girl this morning, instead of clan of Bears with a case of red-ass.

[keg in kc]

I get that. My point is we didn't need Superman in that last series to win and go 4-1. We needed a hand off to Charles or Jones, or a quick flair to McCluster, or a quick cross pattern to Moeaki. Any of those transpire, and we most likely are as giddy as a school girl this morning, instead of clan of Bears with a case of red-ass.I don't have any issues with the playcall. There was more than one open receiver. I don't think running the ball there would have been the right call. We aren't a good short yardage team, and we weren't good in short yardage runs yesterday. We're a finesse run team, which is great on 1st or 2nd down or long yardage situations, but we just don't have the kind of line that's going to drive block anybody off line of scrimmage with the game on the line.

My beef with play calling is actually a completely bizarre one: I wish they'd have gone for it on fourth down. If they fail, then sure, Houston gets the ball with a short field. But the way that team was moving, they were going to score whether they got it on the 40 or in the tunnel behind the opposite end zone. So they score a bit earlier, and we might get the ball back with another minute on the clock. And on the other hand, convert on 4th down and we win. I don't think punting and asking the defense was very smart. But it's what teams do. I just wish we'd have seen some of that riverboat gambler that we saw during the first series of the game. The offense was the hot hand, just take one more chance to keep the _efense off the field.

But then again, maybe that sends the wrong message.

[Micjones]

Cassel's done a lot of shit worthy of criticism.
Yesterday's performance doesn't qualify. Sorry.

[Chiefnj2]

The 3rd and 2 play call was too cute. Hoping to sneak the TE across the whole field, and have Cassel throw back across is hoping for too much.

Run it, or throw a quick slant.

[ChiTown]

My beef with play calling is actually a completely bizarre one: I wish they'd have gone for it on fourth down. If they fail, then sure, Houston gets the ball with a short field. But the way that team was moving, they were going to score whether they got it on the 40 or in the tunnel behind the opposite end zone. So they score a bit earlier, and we might get the ball back with another minute on the clock. And on the other hand, convert on 4th down and we win. I don't think punting and asking the defense was very smart. But it's what teams do. I just wish we'd have seen some of that riverboat gambler that we saw during the first series of the game. The offense was the hot hand, just take one more chance to keep the _efense off the field.

But then again, maybe that sends the wrong message.

Completely agree. I've mentioned the same thing on more than 1 thread. I think you go for it on 4th, but I would have run it twice. JMO.

[ArrowheadMagic]

I don't have any issues with the playcall. There was more than one open receiver. I don't think running the ball there would have been the right call. We aren't a good short yardage team, and we weren't good in short yardage runs yesterday. We're a finesse run team, which is great on 1st or 2nd down or long yardage situations, but we just don't have the kind of line that's going to drive block anybody off line of scrimmage with the game on the line.

My beef with play calling is actually a completely bizarre one: I wish they'd have gone for it on fourth down. If they fail, then sure, Houston gets the ball with a short field. But the way that team was moving, they were going to score whether they got it on the 40 or in the tunnel behind the opposite end zone. So they score a bit earlier, and we might get the ball back with another minute on the clock. And on the other hand, convert on 4th down and we win. I don't think punting and asking the defense was very smart. But it's what teams do. I just wish we'd have seen some of that riverboat gambler that we saw during the first series of the game. The offense was the hot hand, just take one more chance to keep the _efense off the field.

But then again, maybe that sends the wrong message.

Thats the beauty of hindsight. I agree, knowing how it played out, that going for it was the better option. That way, the coaching staff takes the brunt of the loss, instead of a young team wilting. Was a complete team loss yesterday, everyone deserves blame, regardless how well they played. Someone on offense or defense needed to make a play to win the game and no one did.

The ultimate test of how good this team is or isnt. How do they come back from losing a game they clearly should have won? Cant wait to see how they respond. Going to be a long week.

[MOhillbilly]

cassel needs the handcuffs, weis is giving him pass plays in situations where he knows he has the match up. Take that away and put the game on his shoulders and cassels true colors shine.

[gblowfish]

Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.

That's all.

Not true.

Sometimes it rains.
Think about that!

[Mecca]

He looked competent at times sure, but lets be fair Houston's defense is very much like ours was in the Vermiel years.

[chiefzilla1501]

The 3rd and 2 play call was too cute. Hoping to sneak the TE across the whole field, and have Cassel throw back across is hoping for too much.

Run it, or throw a quick slant.

I dunno. A quick slant is just ar risky to me, given the defenses need to make a stop. The playcall was fine. And while I've seen people say cassel threw across his body, that's not true. His entire body was squared up to his receiver. That's a standard throw. Pretty clear that his throw was off because he smelled pressure and panicked a bit.

[Hydrae]

The most impressive thing I have seen Cassell do in his time with the Chiefs was the play where Bowe and McCluster didn't know where to line up and finally Cassell just grabbed McCluster, told him to stand next to him, got the ball hiked and threw a strike to Moeaki for the first down. If he would show that kind of fire and leadership all the time I think people around here would get to like him as our QB. As it is, he seems like a milquetoast who just goes with the flow.

[ChiTown]

The most impressive thing I have seen Cassell do in his time with the Chiefs was the play where Bowe and McCluster didn't know where to line up and finally Cassell just grabbed McCluster, told him to stand next to him, got the ball hiked and threw a strike to Moeaki for the first down. If he would show that kind of fire and leadership all the time I think people around here would get to like him as our QB. As it is, he seems like a milquetoast who just goes with the flow.

+1. That was an awesome play.:clap:

[ct]

bump the football thread :)