Quote:
Originally Posted by Direckshun
Slow your roll.
I'm really bullish on Cassel. I think the biggest steps he's taken in the past offseason wasn't psychical, it wasn't anything he did in drills, it wasn't any weight lifting or any time he spent with Baldwin or what.
Those things all helped. I think the biggest step forward he's taken has been psychological.
Vrabel's gone, Waters is gone. He's the cock of the walk, so to speak. He took initiative all offseason. He rode the tide of goodwill from a playoff berth and a Pro Bowl appearance. He got ~40 of his teammates to show up for absolutely zero money and he alone conducted the practice.
This is no longer nominally his team. It is now his team on every level a QB can have a team this early in the game. And it's the first time he's ever experienced this.
I've played sports all my life and I cannot overstate how importance this gigantic this gain is psychologically. Add Zorn in to work specifically with him, give him three huge targets and a savvy vet in the slot, and an All Pro running back, and you've got really special potential for this guy.
I don't know if that will show up in the win column, but I don't think we're going to see any more sub-100 yard games from Cassel. No more disasters, just rough games, good games, and very good games. And that's a very important step forward for him, and this franchise by extension.
I'm saying 9-7 is what this team should shoot for with all the youth and the stalled development thanks to the lockout.
I've started countless threads on this, but there may be no team better built for the next ten years based on the past two years than the Chiefs. But the immediate success? Be patient, is all I'm saying.
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Ok. But regardless of what they should shoot for, I really see this team progressing quickly. If you look at the schedule, consider the lockout, consider the coaching and how prepared each team will be in light of it, this is our schedule. And it looks so rough on paper, that if we pull 11 or 12 wins, Pioli just walked on water.
Well, get ready to crown him then. When Cassel shows he's thew guy Scott wants him to be, we're every bit as good as the top AFC teams. And I think that time could be now.