Chiefs Q&A with MATT CASSEL - 12/17 - Page 2

**Tribal Warfare** · 12-17-2009, 07:43 PM

Q&A with MATT CASSEL - 12/17
Dec 17, 2009, 3:31:41 PM

Q: How much easier is it on the offense to have a guy like RB Jamaal (Charles) around?

MATT CASSEL: “Jamaal’s done a fantastic job for us. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him. He continues to make big plays and he’s a guy that has such an explosive nature about him that it’s great to have him on the field because defenses have to start accounting for him so he’s done a great job and hopefully he’ll keep that production up.”

Q: He seems like a pretty quiet guy. What’s he like in the huddle?

CASSEL: “He is a pretty quiet kid. As he’s started to play a little bit more, you can see he’s grown with confidence and he continues to build that confidence each and every week that he has success. It’s fun to watch him develop in that area.”

Q: So he’s starting to speak up a little bit, be more vocal?

CASSEL: “A little bit. I think he’s quiet by nature and just goes out and does his job. At the same time, you can see through that confidence that he’s playing with right now, it’s fun to watch that development.”

Q: How big is it to have WR Dwayne Bowe back?

CASSEL: “It’s huge. We’ve missed Dwayne over the last few weeks. He’s a playmaker and he’s a guy that we’ve relied on in the past and started to really build a relationship with before he was gone for the last four weeks. To have him back out on the field will be great.”

Q: How quickly will he be able to come back, will he be starting?

CASSEL: “You know, I don’t know, that’s probably coach’s decision right now. I think he’s still trying to get caught up to speed, we’re doing a lot of different things now from when he left, so it’ll just kind of be up to the coaches to see how far he progresses throughout the week.”

Q: You guys have been trying to convert some fourth downs. Does it seem to you that there have been a lot of fourth-and-ones, fourth-and-twos where you guys are coming up just a little short?

CASSEL: “There have been. Throughout the course of the year, it’s crazy, we’ve had a ton of fourth-and-short situations and on third down, we’re getting right to the sticks, but for whatever reason, we’re coming up a yard short or a few inches short. That’s resulted in a lot of fourth-down tries and fourth-down conversions.”

Q: Is it surprising to you to know that you’re leading the league in going for it on fourth down?

CASSEL: “I’ve never heard that stat, so that’s pretty interesting that you said that. I know that we’ve been in that situation quite often this year.”

Q: After you get the game plan each week, do you generally feel good about short-yardage stuff that you guys have in, that if you need that yard or two, that you guys have some different things that could work?

CASSEL: “There’s no doubt. We go out there each and every week and the coaches do a great job of putting together that package and we practice it, we rep it and we feel like at any point, we should be able to get a yard as an offense.”

Q: How frustrating or upsetting was it for you last week to hear the home crowd voicing their displeasure?

CASSEL: “You know, that’s part of football. That’s part of being in this profession. You never want to have the home crowd booing, but we didn’t give them much to cheer about either. We’ve got to do a better job of being more productive on the field, giving them something to cheer about. At the same time, they pay their ticket, and I’ve said this before, they can come here, they can cheer, they can yell, they can scream, they can do whatever they want, and that’s their right.”

Q: How much does this team need a win, and how important is it to get a win in the final home game of the year, in front of the home crowd?

CASSEL: “It would be huge, especially to end the year at Arrowhead with a win and on a high note, because we won’t play here again until next year. We really would like this one for ourselves and for our fans and give them something to cheer about. We’re working hard this week and we’re trying to do whatever we can to get it headed in the right direction.”

Q: You mention that as a team you’re doing different things since WR Dwayne Bowe left. It’s only been a month. Are there really that many things that he would need to catch up on?

CASSEL: “There’s no doubt. We’ve changed the offense in so many different ways over the last month or so and we continue to build on different aspects of what we’re doing offensively and he’s definitely going to have a learning curve this week.”

Q: From your time in the NFL, is that unusual to change something that much in December?

CASSEL: “No, I think that we’re a game plan team by design and so each and every week, based on what the defense is doing, we’ll try to exploit that and so when you get the game plan, there’s not a ton of carryover from week to week unless you’re playing a team that’s similar.”

Q: Looking back and assessing your games over the past couple of weeks here, would you use the word pressing at all? Are you pressing a little bit?

CASSEL: “No, you know, I’ve tried to go out and execute the game plan. San Diego, you look at that game and it got out of hand, obviously you don’t want to have the turnovers but at the same time, I felt like I was throwing the ball really well during that game. The Broncos, I just never got in a rhythm and I don’t think we really got into a rhythm as an offensive unit. And then last week, we went back, we watched the tape, and you look at the stat sheet and you see four interceptions, you go ‘Jeez, what’s going on?’ But as you assess the play and I get my grading sheet week, there weren’t any mental errors, I was making and going to the right place with the ball throughout most of the day and three of the interceptions, obviously, you wish you had back, but at the same time, there’s really one of those interceptions that I would have thrown it to the same place, and that’s the one I was scrambling out and tried to make a play.”

Q: But there’s no doubt in your mind that you’re still trusting your abilities out there?

CASSEL: “Oh there’s no doubt that I’m trusting my abilities and I’ll continue to trust my abilities as we go forward.”

Q: You guys have had problems with dropped passes recently. What’s the trust level like then between you and the receivers out there?

CASSEL: “Again, it just goes back to everybody doing their job. As a quarterback, I can only control what I can control. I’ve got to be able to go out there and throw the ball and trust that they’re going to do their job and at the same time, they’re going to trust that I’m going to give them an opportunity to make those catches and put the ball in the right spot. I think it starts with yourself, what can you do better or what do you have to do to execute the game plan and then everybody else, if we do that collectively, we’ll have success.”

Q: You want to trust everybody, but the tendency is to trust one person more, then you go there first. Does that kind of stuff creep into your head?

CASSEL: “Ideally, if it’s a certain situation that dictates, you know that your first read would take you here, but you have a good matchup over here, you might say, ‘Alright, I’m going to the receiver over here because of the situation.’ It’s all kind of dictated on the play and what the conditions are in the game.”

Q: When you say ‘no mental errors,’ for those of us who don’t get a grade sheet on it, can you explain more about a mental error?

CASSEL: “A mental error, in terms of the operation, you break the huddle, you come to the line, you’re running the play successfully or you’re making the right read, you’re doing those types of things. You’re not making mental errors out there on the field which would be costly in many cases.”

Q: So the interception you described?

CASSEL: “I think that’s a poor decision.”

Q: With three games left, does it seem like the season has gone by quickly, or is it the opposite?

CASSEL: “You know, it’s gone by pretty quickly to be completely honest. We only have three games left. It’s crazy when you get involved and you start going, it just feels like one week to the next. At the same time, it’s been a learning experience throughout this whole year for me and as we go on forward. Hopefully we get some wins as we finish the year.”

BigChiefFan · 12-17-2009, 08:33 PM

This will only be the third game with Chambers and Bowe on the field at the same time. It's hard to get any continuity when it's already the 14th game of the season and only their THIRD game together.

**DeezNutz** · 12-17-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

This will only be the third game with Chambers and Bowe on the field at the same time. It's hard to get any continuity when it's already the 14th game of the season and only their THIRD game together.

Bowe wasn't getting many targets when he was playing. People would joke in game threads that he was basically invisible b/c of the balls being thrown to Wade and Long.

Red Dawg · 12-17-2009, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

That was the most embarrassing line of questioning that I've ever seen.

Seriously.

After two of the most shameful performances by a QB in Chiefs history, that's the best we can get? And while we're at it, it's time to cancel the QB presser. ****ing embarrassing listening to ****ing douches like Cassel and Thigpen.

! Call it what you will but this team is shit. All you do is put the blame at our QB's feet. Are you so dense that you can't see the man has no team. He went 11-5 with a good team but now he's just a douche? Do you know how stupid that sounds.

**DeezNutz** · 12-17-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuckdaddy

! Call it what you will but this team is shit. All you do is put the blame at our QB's feet. Are you so dense that you can't see the man has no team. He went 11-5 with a good team but now he's just a douche? Do you know how stupid that sounds.

He was a sub-par QB last year, if that makes you feel better.

Some people saw this coming, and others did not.

**doomy3** · 12-17-2009, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

He was a sub-par QB last year, if that makes you feel better.

Some people saw this coming, and others did not.

We get it.

You don't like Cassel.

We told you so, blah blah blah blah.

**DeezNutz** · 12-17-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomy3

We get it.

You don't like Cassel.

We told you so, blah blah blah blah.

.

Wow. Because that was the content of my first post in this thread before someone constructed a fictional narrative for Cassel.

I respond to personal attacks and you post this? Embarrassing.

**doomy3** · 12-17-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

.

Wow. Because that was the content of my first post in this thread before someone constructed a fictional narrative for Cassel.

I respond to personal attacks and you post this? Embarrassing.

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Your first post in the thread was that Cassel is the douche. I think I've read that in about 75% of your posts recently.

It is just amazing to see how this board gets. It is impossible to open any thread without every post being "Cassel sucks" "Pioli sucks and has made nothing but bad moves." And the thing is, we all know you feel this way. I just don't understand why people feel the need to beat everyone else over the head with the same thought processes over and over and over. It's what pissed everyone off about Sanchez this offseason.

Maybe this isn't really directed at you as much as some other posters, and you know that I think you are one of the best posters on this board, it just gets tiresome reading the same thing in every thread. That's all.

**DaneMcCloud** · 12-17-2009, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomy3

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Your first post in the thread was that Cassel is the douche. I think I've read that in about 75% of your posts recently.

It is just amazing to see how this board gets. It is impossible to open any thread without every post being "Cassel sucks" "Pioli sucks and has made nothing but bad moves." And the thing is, we all know you feel this way. I just don't understand why people feel the need to beat everyone else over the head with the same thought processes over and over and over. It's what pissed everyone off about Sanchez this offseason.

Maybe this isn't really directed at you as much as some other posters, and you know that I think you are one of the best posters on this board, it just gets tiresome reading the same thing in every thread. That's all.

Well, just in case you weren't referring to me, I'll help you out:

Cassel's a ****ing douchetard.

If he were a Chiefsplanet member, he'd win Douchetard of the Year.

He's ****ing Elvis Grbac without the arm or accuracy.

**doomy3** · 12-17-2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Well, just in case you weren't referring to me, I'll help you out:

Cassel's a ****ing douchetard.

If he were a Chiefsplanet member, he'd win Douchetard of the Year.

He's ****ing Elvis Grbac without the arm or accuracy.

OK, cool.

**DeezNutz** · 12-17-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doomy3

I'm not sure what you are talking about. Your first post in the thread was that Cassel is the douche. I think I've read that in about 75% of your posts recently.

It is just amazing to see how this board gets. It is impossible to open any thread without every post being "Cassel sucks" "Pioli sucks and has made nothing but bad moves." And the thing is, we all know you feel this way. I just don't understand why people feel the need to beat everyone else over the head with the same thought processes over and over and over. It's what pissed everyone off about Sanchez this offseason.

Maybe this isn't really directed at you as much as some other posters, and you know that I think you are one of the best posters on this board, it just gets tiresome reading the same thing in every thread. That's all.

You're absolutely right that I took a Cassel shot toward the end of my first post, but it was an ancillary comment at best, which linked him to a long line of other douches in Chiefs QB history.

My main point, however, was that the line of questioning was weak, especially given his performance last week.

That said, I understand your annoyance with the repetitive nature of some of the discussions, and I'm no doubt guilty of participating in them. But, dude, we're talking about, arguably, what was the single most important off-season in history of the franchise. The one that should have set the direction for years to come. Exciting shit.

And...the letdown has been enormous.

When Pioli was hired, I would have never predicted that he would fail in his first off-season as badly as he has. And the posters on this site represent probably the most invested part of the fan base, emotionally and, sometimes, financially.

Just as you might feel like we're beating a dead horse, I feel like I'm getting whacked over the head every Sunday with some of the asinine decisions that have been made.

There's balance, IMO.

ChiefsCountry · 12-17-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

If he were a Chiefsplanet member, he'd win Douchetard of the Year.

So Matt Cassel is Hootie? Makes sense now.

DBOSHO · 12-17-2009, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

So Matt Cassel is Hootie? Makes sense now.

Hootie is actually peyton

12-17-2009, 07:43 PM
Tribal Warfare Man of Culture Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $-2997187	Q&A with MATT CASSEL - 12/17 Q&A with MATT CASSEL - 12/17 Dec 17, 2009, 3:31:41 PM Q: How much easier is it on the offense to have a guy like RB Jamaal (Charles) around? MATT CASSEL: “Jamaal’s done a fantastic job for us. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him. He continues to make big plays and he’s a guy that has such an explosive nature about him that it’s great to have him on the field because defenses have to start accounting for him so he’s done a great job and hopefully he’ll keep that production up.” Q: He seems like a pretty quiet guy. What’s he like in the huddle? CASSEL: “He is a pretty quiet kid. As he’s started to play a little bit more, you can see he’s grown with confidence and he continues to build that confidence each and every week that he has success. It’s fun to watch him develop in that area.” Q: So he’s starting to speak up a little bit, be more vocal? CASSEL: “A little bit. I think he’s quiet by nature and just goes out and does his job. At the same time, you can see through that confidence that he’s playing with right now, it’s fun to watch that development.” Q: How big is it to have WR Dwayne Bowe back? CASSEL: “It’s huge. We’ve missed Dwayne over the last few weeks. He’s a playmaker and he’s a guy that we’ve relied on in the past and started to really build a relationship with before he was gone for the last four weeks. To have him back out on the field will be great.” Q: How quickly will he be able to come back, will he be starting? CASSEL: “You know, I don’t know, that’s probably coach’s decision right now. I think he’s still trying to get caught up to speed, we’re doing a lot of different things now from when he left, so it’ll just kind of be up to the coaches to see how far he progresses throughout the week.” Q: You guys have been trying to convert some fourth downs. Does it seem to you that there have been a lot of fourth-and-ones, fourth-and-twos where you guys are coming up just a little short? CASSEL: “There have been. Throughout the course of the year, it’s crazy, we’ve had a ton of fourth-and-short situations and on third down, we’re getting right to the sticks, but for whatever reason, we’re coming up a yard short or a few inches short. That’s resulted in a lot of fourth-down tries and fourth-down conversions.” Q: Is it surprising to you to know that you’re leading the league in going for it on fourth down? CASSEL: “I’ve never heard that stat, so that’s pretty interesting that you said that. I know that we’ve been in that situation quite often this year.” Q: After you get the game plan each week, do you generally feel good about short-yardage stuff that you guys have in, that if you need that yard or two, that you guys have some different things that could work? CASSEL: “There’s no doubt. We go out there each and every week and the coaches do a great job of putting together that package and we practice it, we rep it and we feel like at any point, we should be able to get a yard as an offense.” Q: How frustrating or upsetting was it for you last week to hear the home crowd voicing their displeasure? CASSEL: “You know, that’s part of football. That’s part of being in this profession. You never want to have the home crowd booing, but we didn’t give them much to cheer about either. We’ve got to do a better job of being more productive on the field, giving them something to cheer about. At the same time, they pay their ticket, and I’ve said this before, they can come here, they can cheer, they can yell, they can scream, they can do whatever they want, and that’s their right.” Q: How much does this team need a win, and how important is it to get a win in the final home game of the year, in front of the home crowd? CASSEL: “It would be huge, especially to end the year at Arrowhead with a win and on a high note, because we won’t play here again until next year. We really would like this one for ourselves and for our fans and give them something to cheer about. We’re working hard this week and we’re trying to do whatever we can to get it headed in the right direction.” Q: You mention that as a team you’re doing different things since WR Dwayne Bowe left. It’s only been a month. Are there really that many things that he would need to catch up on? CASSEL: “There’s no doubt. We’ve changed the offense in so many different ways over the last month or so and we continue to build on different aspects of what we’re doing offensively and he’s definitely going to have a learning curve this week.” Q: From your time in the NFL, is that unusual to change something that much in December? CASSEL: “No, I think that we’re a game plan team by design and so each and every week, based on what the defense is doing, we’ll try to exploit that and so when you get the game plan, there’s not a ton of carryover from week to week unless you’re playing a team that’s similar.” Q: Looking back and assessing your games over the past couple of weeks here, would you use the word pressing at all? Are you pressing a little bit? CASSEL: “No, you know, I’ve tried to go out and execute the game plan. San Diego, you look at that game and it got out of hand, obviously you don’t want to have the turnovers but at the same time, I felt like I was throwing the ball really well during that game. The Broncos, I just never got in a rhythm and I don’t think we really got into a rhythm as an offensive unit. And then last week, we went back, we watched the tape, and you look at the stat sheet and you see four interceptions, you go ‘Jeez, what’s going on?’ But as you assess the play and I get my grading sheet week, there weren’t any mental errors, I was making and going to the right place with the ball throughout most of the day and three of the interceptions, obviously, you wish you had back, but at the same time, there’s really one of those interceptions that I would have thrown it to the same place, and that’s the one I was scrambling out and tried to make a play.” Q: But there’s no doubt in your mind that you’re still trusting your abilities out there? CASSEL: “Oh there’s no doubt that I’m trusting my abilities and I’ll continue to trust my abilities as we go forward.” Q: You guys have had problems with dropped passes recently. What’s the trust level like then between you and the receivers out there? CASSEL: “Again, it just goes back to everybody doing their job. As a quarterback, I can only control what I can control. I’ve got to be able to go out there and throw the ball and trust that they’re going to do their job and at the same time, they’re going to trust that I’m going to give them an opportunity to make those catches and put the ball in the right spot. I think it starts with yourself, what can you do better or what do you have to do to execute the game plan and then everybody else, if we do that collectively, we’ll have success.” Q: You want to trust everybody, but the tendency is to trust one person more, then you go there first. Does that kind of stuff creep into your head? CASSEL: “Ideally, if it’s a certain situation that dictates, you know that your first read would take you here, but you have a good matchup over here, you might say, ‘Alright, I’m going to the receiver over here because of the situation.’ It’s all kind of dictated on the play and what the conditions are in the game.” Q: When you say ‘no mental errors,’ for those of us who don’t get a grade sheet on it, can you explain more about a mental error? CASSEL: “A mental error, in terms of the operation, you break the huddle, you come to the line, you’re running the play successfully or you’re making the right read, you’re doing those types of things. You’re not making mental errors out there on the field which would be costly in many cases.” Q: So the interception you described? CASSEL: “I think that’s a poor decision.” Q: With three games left, does it seem like the season has gone by quickly, or is it the opposite? CASSEL: “You know, it’s gone by pretty quickly to be completely honest. We only have three games left. It’s crazy when you get involved and you start going, it just feels like one week to the next. At the same time, it’s been a learning experience throughout this whole year for me and as we go on forward. Hopefully we get some wins as we finish the year.”
Posts: 43,454

12-17-2009, 08:33 PM	#16
BigChiefFan MVP Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: In the Top 10 Casino cash: $9924205	This will only be the third game with Chambers and Bowe on the field at the same time. It's hard to get any continuity when it's already the 14th game of the season and only their THIRD game together. __________________ A 35 year drought can make you thirsty.
Posts: 15,777

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