Teicher: Cassel trying to build off rough first season with Chiefs

[Tribal Warfare]

Cassel trying to build off rough first season with Chiefs
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

ST. JOSEPH | To publicly acknowledge the importance of this season over last would be to minimize the many disappointments of his first year with the Chiefs.

Matt Cassel isn’t wading into that mine field. He’ll tell you that NFL quarterbacks can’t afford to take one season any more seriously than another.

His actions suggest he’s aware this is the season his career will either soar or stagnate. The Chiefs threw Cassel onto the field last year almost without cover, giving him ample reason for his meager 69.9 passer efficiency rating and his 16 interceptions.

But they worked in the offseason to surround him with better talent. Cassel has no such excuse for another mediocre season, something he seems to be aware of. Coach Todd Haley told the story of having to kick Cassel out of the practice facility in Kansas City on many nights in the offseason, Cassel often staying late at the office to study video.

“I worked and pushed myself hard physically and mentally this offseason,” Cassel said, “and I know I came into this camp as prepared as I’ve ever been to play well.”

After trading with New England for Cassel in the spring of 2009, the Chiefs ignored almost every one of a quarterback’s needs. They started by creating instability in the preseason by firing offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.

Once the season started, they had trouble with pass protection and running the ball, particularly early in the year. They led the league in dropped passes. Because of their floundering defense, they were often behind in games, forcing them to throw.

The Chiefs moved to fix those problems almost from the moment their 4-12 season concluded. They hired Charlie Weis, a noted quarterback tutor, to coordinate the offense. Additions to the offense of running back Thomas Jones, guard Ryan Lilja, receivers Jerheme Urban and Dexter McCluster and tight end Tony Moeaki followed.

The additions provide a fair test for Cassel and his abilities.

“This is his next opportunity to grow,” Haley said. “(Several) practices in, I’m encouraged with the direction he’s going also. It’s not going to be without bumps in the road because he really is not a real experienced player in the league. But he gained a great deal of experience last year. It didn’t always go well, but it was great experience. He’s taking that experience and building on it.

“Anybody that survived a difficult year like last year will be better for it. There’s difficult beginnings, but that sometimes is what forges or wills you into becoming something special. That’s what we’re counting on.”

Cassel’s 2009 season had many lows, perhaps none bigger than a two-game stretch in December when he threw six interceptions with no touchdowns.

He survived that to have his best game of the season the following week, throwing for 331 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a loss to Cleveland.

That kind of resiliency has Haley thinking Cassel will eventually benefit from last season’s many disappointments.

“It’s clear to me that Matt, having gone through an adjustment like he had to in so many ways … he was in a totally different role with totally different players around him, coaches around him,” Haley said. “He continued to improve in my eyes. He’s a tough-minded guy. He’s tough to rattle and he’s physically tough.

“He shows a lot of signs of a lot of the other good or real good quarterbacks I’ve been around. One of those signs is that he likes football. He wants to be good. He probably wants to be great. I like that about players.”

The Chiefs often weren’t competitive last season. They lost four games by 20 points or more, and that kind of season has ruined many young quarterbacks.

It could eventually ruin Cassel. For now, he appears to have survived, no insignificant feat given all the negative circumstances.

“You learn a lot from a season like that,” he said. “At the same time, we’ve turned the page as a team. We got back in April and started working for this year. This is a new season. This is a new team. We’ve got a lot of new coaches and we’re ready to move on.

“I’m more at ease with my surroundings, my teammates. I think they’re more comfortable with me. That’s a nice feeling to have that.”

Nice enough, apparently, that Cassel, after a short break in January, went charging into the offseason. That doesn’t guarantee success, but it’s certainly how Haley wanted to see him respond.

“He came into the offseason raring to go,” Haley said. “We had to physically drag him out of there a couple of times. He likes to work. He likes football. He likes talking about football. He likes practicing football. He likes doing all the things that the good quarterbacks I’ve been around like to do.”

Room for growth

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel hopes to show improvement in several key areas this season.

16
touchdowns

thrown

16
interceptions

thrown

5.9
yards per

attempt

14
fumbles

(3 lost)

42
times

sacked

69.9
passer efficiency

rating

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Again, the question must be asked:

If Cassel isn't to blame for the poor play of the line and the lack of a running game in the first half of the year, then who is to blame when the line play improved markedly and the running game went from one of the least productive in the NFL, to arguably the the best in the last 8 weeks??

You can't have it both ways.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Again, the question must be asked:

If Cassel isn't to blame for the poor play of the line and the lack of a running game in the first half of the year, then who is to blame when the line play improved markedly and the running game went from one of the least productive in the NFL, to arguably the the best in the last 8 weeks??

You can't have it both ways.

That's the really disappointing thing to me. His play actually got worse after the running game took off. Oh well, at least he worked his ass off in the offseason and according to the "disciples" that's all you need to become a great QB like Savior Tebow

Seriously though I love that he's putting in the effort and I'll be cheering my ass off for him on Sundays, but we'll see how it translates onto the field.