Defending the Cassel - The Chiefs' QB is actually pretty good — and here's why

[Hammock Parties]

*sigh*

The battle rages on.

http://www.inkkc.com/content/cover-s...#ixzz15aKtWenW

Matt Cassel rips his chinstrap off, yells and walks disgustedly toward the sideline.

It's right before halftime in Oakland, and Cassel has just thrown an interception inside the Raiders' 15-yard line that ruined a chance to extend a 10-0 lead. Chiefs coach Todd Haley would later say this moment brought something out of Cassel in the locker room at halftime that maybe he hadn't seen before. A good thing, he adds.

But it's hard to tell that anything positive could come of it because right now, Cassel is getting killed by the television commentators, not to mention Haley. There are clearly worse things you can do in this world than throw a red-zone pick, but not if you're the starting quarterback for the Chiefs, a team that believes in letting its power running game and well-coached defense do the heavy lifting.

Cut to a shot of Cassel and Haley having a heated discussion on the sideline.

"I thought Cassel could have been more conservative and not taken the shot down the middle of the field," says CBS color commentator Solomon Wilcots. "I'm sure that's what Haley was saying."

Probably right. But the fact that Cassel was taking criticism after one mistake — even though it was his first red zone interception in 107 attempts and first interception since September — is just a microcosm of his Chiefs career. Despite his numbers, he remains a polarizing figure in Kansas City.

This season, he's completed 59 percent of his passes for 1,881 yards, 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions. And most importantly, at 5-4, the Chiefs are already headed toward a better season than most people predicted.

Despite all that, fans and analysts have spent the last three months — and really the last season and a half — breaking down Cassel's deficiencies. They look at his $63 million contract and wonder why he rarely takes chances and struggles to complete those passes.

However, true game managers like Cassel — who execute the offense, make high-percentage decisions and don't make mistakes — are hard to find.

When coupled with a terrific defense, you can win a championship with a game manager. Guys like Trent Dilfer (2000), Tom Brady (in 2001, before he became the Tom Brady), Brad Johnson (2002), Ben Roethlisberger (2005) and Eli Manning (2008) have proven it.

And believe it or not, Cassel's projected stats this season — 3,344 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions — would be similar to or better than all those players in those championship seasons. So are his stats from 2008, when he filled in for an injured Brady and led the New England Patriots to a 10-6 record.

Now is about the time where you bring up his aforementioned flaws and say something like, "Come on, man, this dude is ridiculous" and promptly bring up that 49-29 beatdown the Broncos handed the Chiefs this Sunday.

But to that, I say this: you could do much worse than Matt Cassel.

I'll even go so far as to say you can win with him, because I know exactly what a quarterback you can't win with looks like.

My name is Terez, I grew up in Detroit, and … (gulp), I'm a Lions fan.

• • •

If you think the Chiefs are tortured, well, at least your franchise isn't cursed.

Unlike the Chiefs, the Detroit Lions have never won a Super Bowl. Hell, they've never even been to a Super Bowl. They went 0-16 in 2008, and Barry Sanders, the greatest player in franchise history, retired after 10 seasons because he was tired of the losing — even though his tenure was the winningest era in Lions history.

A big reason for the Lions' struggles has been poor quarterback play. Detroit hasn't had a Pro Bowl quarterback since 1971, and fans have even attributed the team's misfortune to the trade of its last franchise quarterback, Bobby Layne, in 1958.

Since I've been alive, I've been treated to the likes of first-round busts such as Joey Harrington, Chuck Long and Andre Ware, not to mention big-money free-agent busts such as Scott Mitchell, Jon Kitna and Daunte Culpepper, a trio once described by one of my friends as "The Abomination." Seriously.

And throughout it all, I've noticed the five traits that define a bad quarterback. Only an unlucky few possess all five, but I eventually came to realize that if your quarterback had three or more of these, well, your team's hopes were sunk.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Does he struggle with his accuracy?

2. Does he stare down his receivers?

3. Is he too eager to check down and get rid of the ball, just so he can avoid being hit (also known as wimp-itis)?

4. Does he have a penchant for throwing interceptions at the worst possible times? Bonus points if you just know you'll see pigs fly before you see him lead a team down the field for a game-winning drive.

5. And finally … does he generally stink so bad that fans boo him at home? Bonus points again if teammates — weary of his erratic play — publicly lash out against him (just Google "Dre Bly, Joey Harrington" sometime).

That's a pretty airtight list, right? Don't all the horrendous quarterbacks we've seen in recent years — you know, the Alex Smiths and David Carrs of the world — have at least three of those traits?

So let's examine how Cassel stacks up, using those traits as a guide.

• • •

The biggest concern most have about Cassel is his accuracy, specifically on deeper routes. According to ESPN advanced stats guru KC Joyner, Cassel averaged 8.2 yards per attempt on throws longer than 10 yards through his first six games of the season. That number — for a stat that he says measures the explosiveness of an offense — is abysmal.

"You've got to be in double-digits in vertical yards per attempt to be considered adequate," Joyner says, "and he's always been below those numbers. You can talk about his receivers all you want, but even when he had Randy Moss — the best vertical threat in NFL history — he couldn't get it deep to him."

During his year in New England, Cassel's YPA on deep throws was 8.1. Last season, his first with the Chiefs, it was 9.8. All bad, Joyner says.

Dilfer, an analyst for ESPN, was in town for the Chiefs' season opener against San Diego. He says Cassel has the arm to make deeper throws, but his mechanics need work.

"There's inconsistency because of some mechanical things," Dilfer says.

Cassel worked hard this offseason to improve his footwork, and thus his mechanics. And Haley has noticed a difference in his quarterback in that regard.

"I've seen great growth mechanically, starting from his footwork, his depth of drops, keeping himself from doing some of the things that can get you in trouble as a quarterback," Haley says.

As for the other traits, it's hard to say Cassel struggles with any of them. According to Joyner, Cassel's bad decision percentage — a metric that measures how often a quarterback makes common mistakes like staring down receivers, forcing the ball into coverage and not reading a defense properly — is 1.6 percent this year, a figure he calls outstanding.

"He's a very safe passer," says Joyner, who likes the Chiefs and thinks they can win the AFC West this season. "That means he makes a mistake one out of every 150-160 passes. That's really good."

That's not to say Joyner doesn't have significant concerns about Cassel. He does, particularly when it comes to his ability to throw downfield and make plays — which is something Joyner says every Super Bowl-winning quarterback has been able to do since he started keeping advanced stats in 2004.

"Every successful QB has to be able to go vertical," Joyner says. "If you can't do that, then long-term, it places a ceiling on an offense. What are you going to do in the playoffs when teams force you to go downfield? Are you really going to beat the Steelers with a dink-and-dunk attack?

"No matter how you slice it, he's a solid NFL quarterback," Joyner says, finally. "But he's never going to be great."

Maybe not, but that's OK — because he doesn't have to be great. The Chiefs' coaching staff would never rip Cassel publicly, but the eagerness with which they defend him also says that they believe in his progress.

"Anyone who is a three-to-one ratio in touchdowns to interceptions, he's doing something right," says offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. "How many times has he been sacked? He's one of the fewest-sacked quarterbacks in the league … and one other thing that you'll notice is he's hurt a lot of teams when they put pressure on us. He's the No. 1 rated quarterback under blitz situations.

"(He's) taking care of the football, not getting sacked a whole bunch, and when people bring the heat, he's making them pay for it," Weis continues. "They're critical areas where you sit there and say, 'This kid is moving in the right direction.' "

All of which brings us back to Oakland, where Haley saw something in Cassel that helped confirm that feeling.

• • •

Throw out the stats, the advanced metrics and all the other stuff we use to evaluate quarterbacks. The most basic thing a quarterback must do is lead men and win games. And while the Chiefs came up short against the Raiders, Haley says Cassel's reaction in the aftermath of his brutal interception shows he's taken some positive steps in that regard.

"Without getting into specifics, he was able to put that play behind him and step up in the locker room," Haley says. "I heard him talking to the guys and it was, maybe, a little different reaction than I'd seen (from him) in the past."

Haley says Cassel has learned how to put poor plays and good plays out of his mind. It's just one area the 28-year-old admits he's working on. That became apparent in the game against Denver on Sunday. Cassel, who struggled while the Broncos jumped to a 35-0 second-quarter lead, responded by finishing the game 33 of 53 for 469 yards and four touchdowns.

"I think as a quarterback, taking care of the ball is important," Cassel says. "You have to make plays and you also have to be accountable when it comes down to crunch time. When you get the ball and you have two minutes to go and you are down and have to score, I think that is a lot of times what good quarterbacks are judged on."

That's part of the reason that, when asked to name his favorite moment of the season, he admitted the 13-10 win against Buffalo on Halloween was particularly sweet. In that game, he got the ball with no timeouts and 1:13 to go in overtime and guided his team down the field for a game-winning field goal.

Cassel shook off some critics with the performance, but he knows he'll face criticism until he posts gaudier numbers, or the Chiefs win a playoff game — whichever comes first. But he's OK with it. He knows fans here only want to win.

"I hope that they realize I'm a passionate guy and I'm going to give them every single piece of me, my heart and my soul," Cassel says. "They never have to worry about me slacking off. I want to win as much as they do. In that regard, I'm just like they are.

"I understand there's frustration when we lose because I feel the same way most of the time," he says. "But as we move forward, I just hope that I continue to make progress and I can put a lot more W's on the board for them."

And if he doesn't? Well, at least you're not a Lions fan.
How Cassel stacks up

The following players led their teams to Super Bowl victories over the past 10 years. Here are their stats during those seasons, and how they compare to Matt Cassel.

Cassel's current 2010 stats: 158-267 (59.2 percent), 1,881 yards, 16 touchdowns, 4 interceptions

On pace for: 281-475 (59.2 percent), 3,344 yards, 28 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

2001 stats: 264-413 (63.9 percent), 2,843 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions

Yeah, yeah, this is future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. But in Brady’s first year as a starter, he wasn’t chucking it around — he was throwing short passes in Charlie Weis’ offense and leaning heavily on a veteran, well-coached defense.

Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens

2000 stats: 134-226 (59.3 percent), 1,502 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions

Dilfer is generally regarded as one of the worst quarterbacks to ever win a Super Bowl, but he was supported by one of the greatest defenses of all-time. Notice a theme?

Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2002 stats: 281-451 (62.3 percent), 3,049 yards, 22 touchdowns and 6 interceptions

This was a career year for Johnson, who gave Tampa’s offense the juice it needed to finally win a Super Bowl. Still, a terrific defense was the catalyst for the title.

Eli Manning, New York Giants

2008 stats: 289-479 (60.3 percent), 3,238 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions

Manning was often criticized until he beat the previously undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl by making a few plays (i.e. The Helmet Catch). The Giants’ defense deserves credit for slowing down one of the greatest offenses of all-time.

[Rausch]

How the **** is it that we can have an absolutely outstanding OC, DC, and GM and STILL ****ING REPEAT the same mistakes?....

[Brock]

Look at the QBs they compare Cassel to. Outside of year 1 Brady, who later was shown to be able to run any offense under the sun, it's the same 3 shitty QBs people always throw out there whenever discussing what it takes for a team to win a super bowl. "Well, (shitty QB X) won a SB, why can't Cassel"

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Brock

Look at the QBs they compare Cassel to. Outside of year 1 Brady, who later was shown to be able to run any offense under the sun, it's the same 3 shitty QBs people always throw out there whenever discussing what it takes for a team to win a super bowl. "Well, (shitty QB X) won a SB, why can't Cassel"

You don't think we can build a Ravens-esque defense in 7 weeks?...

[Nightfyre]

1. Does he struggle with his accuracy?

2. Does he stare down his receivers?

3. Is he too eager to check down and get rid of the ball, just so he can avoid being hit (also known as wimp-itis)?

4. Does he have a penchant for throwing interceptions at the worst possible times? Bonus points if you just know you'll see pigs fly before you see him lead a team down the field for a game-winning drive.

5. And finally … does he generally stink so bad that fans boo him at home? Bonus points again if teammates — weary of his erratic play — publicly lash out against him (just Google "Dre Bly, Joey Harrington" sometime).

1. He struggles with his accuracy.
2. He stares down his primary receivers (see last week beginning of game.)
3. He checks down almost all the time. I don't know if that is by design or not, however.
4. At least give him the bonus points. He has killed multiple opportunities to clinch games.
5. Fans are ready to boo him.

Well, 4.5/5 isn't good.

[Hammock Parties]

The one thing I like about this is that someone is jealous of our quarterback.

Finally...

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

The one thing I like about this is that someone is jealous of our quarterback.

Finally...

The Lions have Matt Stafford. I don't see why they would be jealous. I'm jealous of them.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

The Lions have Matt Stafford. I don't see why they would be jealous. I'm jealous of them.

Well, at least Cassel can stay healthy.

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

Well, at least Cassel can stay healthy.

At least Stafford has upside.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

At least Stafford has upside.

You cant win this argument. IMO, Stafford is a better QB than Cassel is now. It doesnt matter though if he cant stay healthy. Hell, Croyle is likely better than Cassel but we'll never know because Brodie cant stay on the field.

[notorious]

This article sucks.


Stat geeks can go **** themselves. I trust my eyes, and when it counts Cassel shits the bed more often then not.

[Hammock Parties]

By the way, the only thing that annoys me more than stat-based defenses of Cassel are Castle puns.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

By the way, the only thing that annoys me more than stat-based defenses of Cassel are Castle puns.

Well, ****, now that we've got that out of the way the BB will know how to operate and function much more smoothly for your benefit.

[Dayze]

"However, true game managers like Cassel — who execute the offense, make high-percentage decisions and don't make mistakes — are hard to find."

lmao

[DBOSHO]

Well, if this guy is so in love with matt cassel ill take matt stafford for him.