Getting Back On Track … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs
The sun came up Monday morning.
It always does, whether the Chiefs have won or lost the day before. But after games like the Broncos 44-13 battering of the Chiefs, more than a few people want to pull the covers over their heads and forget about the pain.
Others crawl out of bed and face the day. That’s what Matt Cassel did on Monday morning. He was up and out the door of his south Kansas City home and into the Chiefs facilities before many of his teammates.
Sunday against Denver may have been the worst performance of his NFL career, but there’s only one way to wash that nasty taste out of your mouth if you are quarterback. That requires getting to the office and getting to work on putting away the past and starting preparation for the future.
But that doesn’t stop the media and fans from continuing their dissection of Cassel’s ugly performance against the Broncos.
“In the first half he had us in a position to win,” head coach Todd Haley said of Cassel. “In the second half, we didn’t make some plays that would have put us in a better position to win.
“Matt is his own worst critic. He’s disappointed with a couple of plays he made in that stretch, as are a majority of the guys on offense. I thought Matt did some really good things that should have had us in a better position than we were in. He avoided a couple sacks, made positive plays out of it and made some throws that should have been completions.”
After evaluating the tapes, Haley made it very obvious Monday afternoon that he wasn’t putting the loss on Cassel’s shoulders, saying several times it was a “collective effort” that saw the offense score just one touchdown, while turning the ball over three times.
That’s why the head coach spent no consideration on Monday of removing Cassel from the starting lineup.
“I’m going to play the guys that give us the best chance to win and Matt is one of those guys right now,” Haley said. “I feel pretty confident in Matt and his ability to bounce back, have another great week of preparation and give us a chance to beat Buffalo.
“As the head coach and (offensive) coordinator, I think the kid is a tough, tough guy. Generally when you are tough, you can handle adversity. That’s a quarterback’s job, to stare adversity in the face and overcome. Matt was back at it today already. We reviewed the tape and the corrections and he’s already on to Buffalo.
“I expect him to learn from yesterday’s experience, just like the first 10 games he played.”
The essence of any person comes from the experiences of life. Successful NFL quarterbacks receive that designation by learning from the good and bad and ugly, along the way. Because of the position’s visibility, it can become an emotional meat grinder for a quarterback when the bad times stack up. That’s what we are all watching right now with Cassel; his team is 3-9 and now playing out the string of the ‘09 season with four remaining games. Among NFL quarterbacks ranked according to their passer rating, Cassel is No. 26 with a 72.3 passer rating.
And this week, Cassel is coming off his worst performance, in a game where his coach gave him the hook in the fourth quarter. Watching how the quarterback reacts is his head coach.
“Each and every one of these experiences he’s had as a quarterback is important,” Haley said. “Now, he’s been taken out of a game and had to watch his backup play. To me the big thing with the quarterback is being able to stand in the face of adversity. Sunday was adversity and how they respond will tell a lot about guys playing that position. That’s not a position for the faint of heart.
“In my opinion the experience he had to go through coming out of the game and watching his backup play is more important than actually being out there for the last quarter.”
Cassel has now started 26 NFL games, not even two full seasons. On the evolutionary trail of a professional quarterback, Cassel in the early stages of the process.
“Making it through a game like that, learning from your mistakes, getting back to work and have another good week of practice,” is what Haley expects from his franchise quarterback.
“We have to be a detail team,” Haley continued. “With our margin for error, which isn’t much, we have to be pretty exact. We have to be very detailed oriented and exact in what we do. We are not good enough to get away with some things that maybe some teams are, maybe route running, depth of routes, precision.
“We just need to execute. We lead the league in drops; that’s something we have to improve. You can’t drop a bunch of balls and win in general and us with our margin of error, we need to take advantage of opportunities t hat we have when we do have somebody open and we get the ball to where it needs to be. We can’t afford to miss those opportunities, especially when they are potentially big plays.”
These are the trials and tribulations of a young quarterback finding his way in the NFL. Sometimes things look dark and gloomy, but the sun comes up.
SIGNINGS, INJURIES & MOVEMENT AROUND THE LEAGUE
- BILLS – released DE Corey Mace; signed TE Joe Klopfenstein.
- BROWNS – placed DT C.J. Mosley on the injured-reserve list (ankle); signed DL Derreck Robinson.
- PACKERS – placed LB Aaron Kampman on the injured-reserve list; promoted LB Cyril Obiozor from the practice squad.
- VIKINGS – LB E.J. Henderson underwent surgery on Tuesday for a fractured femur he suffered Monday night against the Cardinals. He’s out for the rest of the season.
FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY
On December 8, 1963, the Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 52-21 in front of a crowd of 17,443 fans at Municipal Stadium in cold, windy conditions. If you want to know why some of his opponents did not like coach Hank Stram, this game would provide evidence of their dislike. The Chiefs held a 38-21 lead with less than 10 minutes to play in this game, but Stram still had his starters in the game. QB Len Dawson (right) scored on a one-yard run, and then later with a 24-yard lead, Dawson threw a 15-yard scoring pass to WR Chris Burford. The Chiefs blocked two Denver punts and deflected two others. Along with two interceptions, the Chiefs never allowed the Broncos to get into the game. Dawson threw three TD passes, including two to WR Frank Jackson for 19 and 13 yards. Jackson also scored on a 22-yard run and Jack Spikes had a one-yard TD run and a 37-yard FG. Chiefs CB Duane Wood returned a blocked punt 18 yards for a score.
On December 8, 1968, the Chiefs beat the Chargers 40-3 at San Diego Stadium with 51,174 watching on a cloudy 65 degree day. The Chiefs scored five touchdowns, and got a field goal and safety, while they limited the Chargers to only a field goal. QB Len Dawson threw three touchdown passes, connecting for five yards to WR Gloster Richardson, seven yards to RB Mike Garrett and 68 yards to WR Frank Pitts. Garrett scored on a one-yard run and MLB Willie Lanier picked off a San Diego pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown. The KC defense intercepted seven passes, had eight sacks and allowed 211 yards in total offense. LB Bobby Bell and CB Goldie Sellers (left) each had two interceptions, and were joined by Lanier, FS Johnny Robinson and SS Jim Kearney. DT Buck Buchanan had three sacks.
On December 8, 1973, the Chiefs lost to the Raiders 37-7 in a Saturday afternoon game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Raiders defense held the Chiefs to just 106 total offensive yards, forced four turnovers and allowed just a single touchdown, on a 17-yard run by QB Mike Livingston. Oakland racked up 259 rushing yards, led by Marv Hubbard who had 115 yards on 25 carries. Hubbard also scored on a 31-yard run. QB Ken Stabler threw a pair of touchdown passes, one to Fred Biletnikoff and the other to Cliff Branch. The Chiefs had just 24 yards rushing, 17 yards on a single play. The defeat eliminated the Chiefs from the race to the AFC playoffs.
On December 8, 1974, the Chiefs lost to the Oakland Raiders 7-6 at Arrowhead Stadium. The Oakland defense controlled this game, allowing the Chiefs just a pair of Jan Stenerud FGs. The Chiefs defense didn’t play poorly, as they allowed only one touchdown. That came in the fourth quarter when QB Daryle Lamonica threw a 10-yard scoring pass to WR Cliff Branch (right) with 10 minutes, 16 seconds to play in the game. The score was set up by an interception from Raiders CB Jimmy Warren, who grabbed a pass from QB Len Dawson and then returned it to the KC 10-yard line. The Chiefs were able to run the ball, as Jeff Kinney carried 21 times for 124 yards. Stenerud’s field goals were from 27 and 50 yards.
On December 8, 1985, the Chiefs beat the Atlanta Falcons 38-10 in front of 18,199 fans at Arrowhead Stadium. QB Todd Blackledge (left) enjoyed one of his best games in his brief career with the Chiefs, throwing three touchdown passes. Kansas City jumped to a 14-0 lead in the fourth quarter and then dominated the rest of the game with their defense. Those first Chiefs touchdowns came from the running game, as Ethan Horton and Herman Heard had short scoring runs. Then Blackledge hooked up twice with WR Stephone Paige and once to Heard for touchdowns. The big play was a 70-yard TD to Paige in the second quarter; he later caught an eight-yard score. Blackledge was 11 of 19 for 219 yards. Defensively, the Chiefs had seven sacks and three interceptions against the Falcons. CB Albert Lewis had all three picks and he also contributed a sack. A total of nine KC defenders shared in the sacks of Atlanta QB David Archer.
On December 8, 1991, the Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers 20-17 in overtime in front of 73,330 fans at Arrowhead Stadium. Down 14-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Chiefs got a 16-yard touchdown pass from QB Mark Vlasic to RB Harvey Williams that gave KC a 17-14 lead. Chargers K John Carney kicked a 27-yard FG to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, Chiefs K Nick Lowery kicked an 18-yard FG to win the game. Vlasic replaced starting QB Steve DeBerg, who threw two interceptions and the Iowa product hit 12 of 18 passes for 150 yards. The Chiefs leading receiver was WR Emile Harry with five catches for 73 yards. CB Jayice Pearson had an interception of San Diego QB John Friesz.
On December 8, 2002, the Chiefs beat the St. Louis Rams 49-10 in front of 78,601 at Arrowhead Stadium. It was complete domination of the Rams in this game, but it was keyed by the special teams play of WR Dante Hall. He had the chiefs first score on an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and then later returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown. The Chiefs got offensive scores from Priest Holmes with a pair of short runs, a one-yard TD run from RB Mike Cloud and a six-yard TD pass from QB Trent Green to WR Marc Boerigter (right). The defense contributed its own touchdown as DE Duane Clemons returned a fumble 42 yards for a score. Holmes ran for 132 yards on 24 carries, as the Chiefs ran for 180 yards as a team. The KC defense sacked Rams QB Jamie Martin six times and forced three turnovers. DE John Browning had two of those sacks, with SS Greg Wesley and LB Marvcus Patton contributing interceptions. The defense held St. Louis RB Marshall Faulk to just 48 offensive yards.
SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …
Born on December 8, 1965 in Atlanta was TE Troy Sadowski. He joined the Chiefs in 1991 after spending the previous season with the Falcons. Sadowski played in 14 games, with one starting assignment for the Chiefs in the ‘91 season. He did not catch a pass. After leaving the Chiefs, h e spent two seasons with the Jets, three seasons with the Bengals and then one season each with the Steelers and Jaguars. Over his nine-year career, Sadowski caught 23 passes for 154 yards.
Born on December 8, 1966 in Elyria, Ohio was OL Joe Staysniak. He joined the Chiefs in 1992, after spending the previous season with the Bills. Staysniak appeared in six games with the Chiefs during that ‘92 season. He went on to play three seasons with the Colts and then one with the Cardinals.
Born on December 8, 1973 in Port Washington, Wisconsin was TE Mitch Jacoby. He joined the Chiefs in 1999 after a trade from the St. Louis Rams, where he spent two seasons after coming out of Northern Illinois University. Jacoby played in six games in that one season ‘99 season, catching one pass for six yards.
Interesting comment – Cassel was critical of his preformance as was “a majority of the guys on offense”. Sorry but does that seem that the official Chiefs Gestafo needs to crawl around searching for more cancer on this team? Himmler would of been proud of whoever in the chiefs is responsible for the “there is some one inside ruining us, so we must find them and destroy the enemy within” mantra. This is just 6 words but you have to wonder just what is actually happening inside Arrowhead Drive. Probably not much thinking.
The sun did come up, Bob. After attending Sunday’s game after an eight-year absence from Arrowhead (moved to Rolla), I was as discouraged as anyone, and I bitterly chewed on your post-game reflections about the Broncos vs. the Chiefs, and how each franchised has rebuilt.
No question the Broncos are a better team. But they were the better team last year, too, save for a porous defense. A few pieces, and the Broncos are contenders. The Chiefs had, and have, much, much longer to go. The old regimes’ mistakes were numerous the few years, and the players drafted from 2006-2008 were for a totally different defensive scheme.
After a second consecutive blow-up of the franchise to rebuild, it’s hard to be patient. But be patient I must. 2010–not 2009–will tell a tale of progress. Of that I have Red & Gold faith.
el cid,
If you really think Cassel is the cancer on this team, than you might as well pull the plug bud because we will not survive another day, and we wont without Cassel and I guarantee ya our players feel the same!!
el cid says:
“Interesting comment – Cassel was critical of his preformance as was “a majority of the guys on offense”. Sorry but does that seem that the official Chiefs Gestafo needs to crawl around searching for more cancer on this team?”
The WHOLE quote was:
““Matt is his own worst critic. He’s disappointed with a couple of plays he made in that stretch, as are a majority of the guys on offense.”
I think what he’s saying is…that Cassel was disappointed with some plays he made, and that the “majority of the guys on offense” were disappointed with their OWN play, too. That’s how I read it. Not that the “majority of the guys on offense” were critical of Cassel. Poor passes, dropped balls, a fumble. They ALL played like crap, not just Cassel. And they’re smart enough to know that.
You are correct Mad Chief
I guess, like myself, you can read what you think, whatever. I did not say Cassel was a cancer or that the team thought only Cassel played poorly.
What I said is as long as the atmosphere at Arrowhead is secrecy and not talking our of fear. They can live on there are more cancers in the organizationn and that is why the team, as a whole, is unseccessful. The unknown enemy is destroying what Pioli/Haley are building and is not there fault the team cannot compete on sundays. After all, the team has good practices, good coaches, some (unstated) positives, so it is the cancers (the minority not the stated “most”) who are stopping things.
Listen.
The ultimate responsibility of how this team is playing is on Haley. Period. That’s just the life of an NFL Head Coach.
Will he ever be a good coach? The jury is still out, for me.
Hey, I don’t like his play calling a lot of the time. And absolutely HATE sometimes. But…whatever the play is, it’s up to the players to EXECUTE that play. And they’re simply not getting that done.
I feel sorry for Haley, really. He’s having a rough first year. But, he took on a HUGE task by coming here to try and turn this team around. I give him that much credit. He could have stayed right where he was as OC in Arizona…and been guaranteed an amount of success there. Instead, he took the risk by coming to the Chiefs. He came to one of the worst teams in the league…so I’ll continue to give him some time to learn the job and get it right. A luxury that not everyone is willing to give, obviously.
So, I’m watching this TV program on the Nuclear Disaster Clock with the varying minutes to the top of the hour and holocaust, how the clock varies depending on world activity and so on.
Then, I thought about where the Chiefs playoff clock is at present? After the Steel victory, for example, the clock might have read 20 minutes before the top of the hour with the top being again a playoff team.
After the SD and Denver mail-in debacles? I’ll put the playoff clock at about 55 minutes away from the promised playoff land. Sadly, we’re getting further away with little or no progress noted. Something needs to change and fast.
I agree and believe he will get plenty of rope to hang himself or end up in the HOF. I just think it is a pity that he had to cut his teeth on the Chiefs. Even if he fails miserably, he could later be great with another team. In the meantime the Chiefs are reaching a new, unexpected level of bottomfeeder. That is what I want corrected, in fact, I just want a glimmer of hope after 12 games. I see nothing to inspire that anyone at Arrowhead is doing their job with any degree of competence.
ThunderChief,
I believe you’ll see a much different team next year. A team that WILL be competing for a playoff spot.
The “progress” that’s needed is that this team must learn to BE a team. And play as a team. We haven’t played as a team for several years. For whatever reason, that didn’t change this year. But, I believe it will.
For all of you that are not seeing progress…here you go:
1st qtr of season: 0-4
2nd qtr of season: 1-3
3rd qtr of season: 2-2
4th qtr of season: ??? (I’m predicting 2-2 again)
Oh, and one other show of improvement:
2008 W/L 2-14
2009 W/L 3-9 (through 12 games)
What’s that? Oh yeah, we have already won more games than we did last year. Who ever thought we were going to be contending for a playoff and leading the AFC West should get off of whatever hallucinating drugs they are on and come back to reality. It’s just the way NORMAL things of progression happen.
Another area of improvement: Sacks! We have already gotten more than we did all of last year. Please stop with all the CRAP that this team has not improved. Pull off your daggum blinders.
Are they were we would like them to be? Heck NO. Are they started on a path that can get them to where we want them to be? Heck YEAH!
This off season is going to be an interesting time and very telling time of where exactly the head office wants this organization to go and what is going to be the identity of the organization, be it a high scoring offense or a smashmouth defense.
Here’s to looking forward for the last part of this season and a very plausible win against the Buffalo Bills.
Hey RollaChief…..I lived in Rolla a good number of years. My parents still live there.
Yeah….what choice do we have but to be patient. And when patience runs thin….we have to be patient some more. It would be nice to see our patience pay off a little….every once in a while.
I’m not sure that Matt Cassel can practice or review tape & put in overtime to improve his craft. Stay with me here. He makes mistakes, sure. He makes great throws & decisions, sure. He has the physical ability to be a solid QB, sure. If he had better protection, receivers executing routes properly, let alone catching the ball, would he have better results?, sure.
I’m afraid it is the the lack of innert tangibles that will keep him in the middle of the pack of NFL QB’s. He is a thinker, an analyst, has intelligence for the game. He just can’t process information quickly enough for a live NFL game. He hesitates, He’s indecisive, he looks scared, is not comfortable in the pocket, he seldom sets his feet prior to passing & I believe he lacks confidence in his abilities. Great passing QB’s have tangibles & are fearless.
Matt Cassel is a good QB & I’m sure he will get better & be a solid addition to the Chiefs immediate future.
However, in my humble opinion. Matt Cassel does not have the “Gunslinger” mentality & Houdini antics that all the NFL QB greats of the past, present & future have. These things cannot be coached or practiced. In other words. Matt Cassel will never be a Great QB in this league.
We need to draft a young QB with tangible traits. groom him, mold him & teach him the fundamentals. Matt Cassel would be a perfect mentor for this young QB.
The road to the Superbowl is long & winding. As Chief fans we want every game showing us we are getting closer. All I can say is, Matt Cassel will not be our QB when we get there.
Go Chiefs.
I have to respectfully disagree, Jimbo. I think if we get Cassel an O-line that can protect him, he’ll lose the “deer in the headlights” look. I mean, of course he “looks scared”. Who wouldn’t be?
I don’t think he’ll ever be one of the “greats”. I agree with you there. I still think he possesses the Trent Green quality of leadership…and can be a good QB for us, with some talent around him. Remember, Trent looked less-than-stellar his first year as a Chief. And he had a pretty taleneted team. I believe the popular thing was “TrINT Green” in those days? Then, for the next couple of years he was putting up Manning-like numbers in passing.
All that said, though…I would definitely not be opposed to drafting a QB. Cassel will not TAKE the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. But, I still think there is a chance that the Chiefs can get there WITH him.
>>Matt Cassel does not have the “Gunslinger” mentality Hard to be a gunslinger when the point-blank barrel of a defensive tackle is in your face! Provided he isn't ruined by a year of 2-second pockets and stone-fingered receivers, I think he's shown ability. Last year's 3963 yds (7.2 ave) with NE is not a timid QB.
Granted, quoting last year's Cassel stats gets old. I'll be thrilled when only KC stats matter.
Cassel CAN take this team to a Super Bowl if he has the surrounding cast….using a HIGH draft pick for a talented qb that has proved nothing in the nfl would be a COMPLETE waist!!
Besides, Cassel hasnt even played in 2 full years yet, saying he cant or wont get the job done is ridiculous at this point!!
Jimbo makes some valid points on Cassel, as does MadChief…sort of a mixed smorgasbord of opinion. That said, did anyone notice the Oline giving Cassel more time this past Sunday?
Actually, they weren’t all that bad. On a couple of occasions, replaying plays on the DVR, I counted 4 and 5 second protections on two occasions and still Cassel couldn’t find the right guy to deliver the ball. Not good.
It may also speak to the fact that the WRs are inept at getting separation but MOST QBs in the NFL can pick your pocket and give you change with 4 or 5 seconds to look over the field. Not so with Cassel, at least this past Sunday.
If the Chiefs draft around 5-9 as is likely in the 1st round, I was really impressed this past weekend with Clemson’s RB, CJ Spiller. Fast as lightning, that guy was and a strong runner. Will Spiller be the BPA at that slot? Too early for draft talk but this RB position is a growing area of need.
gorillafan says:
“using a HIGH draft pick for a talented qb that has proved nothing in the nfl would be a COMPLETE waist!!”
I wouldn’t spend a 1st round pick on a QB, no. I was talking a mid to late round pick, personally. Or maybe even a 2nd…if the right guy was there.
To Me…..Cassel was/is/proably a backup QB .Tangibles should have made him a starter sometime in his college days …..it didnt.Cassel price tag says probowl …..its not going to happen.Cassel took a 16 game winner to not making the playoffs……with all that talent he wasnt as good as Trent Dilfer.That took the Ravens to the SB with a lot less talent.All yearlong us fans have blame the Line/RB/Coach ……But….Cassel had time sunday to make the plays …….He Didn’t!!!! You Can’t Overlook That…….1yr wonder/7rd pick.What the rest of the league just didn’t see all of his talent ……Please PnS
As Dennis Green screamed on TV after one of his losses ……They are what we thought they were ……Cassel may be too…….7rd pick
“Here’s to looking forward for the last part of this season and a very plausible win against the Buffalo Bills.”
I’ll settle for an implausible one at this point (as would the Coach and most of the fan base most likely).
Anonymous says:
“But….Cassel had time sunday to make the plays …….He Didn’t!!!!”
Did Cassel also drop 8 to 10 passes that hit him in the hands?
The guy made some bad throws Sunday, no doubt. But, his receivers weren’t helping him much. It’s not like the Chiefs were kicking some ass…and Cassel was holding them back.
And for the 100th time, people…Cassel’s contract is not “elite”. It’s pretty average, middle of the road money for a QB. Player contracts are pretty well set by a “market value”. They paid him that market value. He may or may not end up being worth what he was paid. Who knows? And if he doesn’t? Then he wouldn’t be the first player to make a lot more money than they end up being worth.
Finally, yes the Patriots were 11-5 last year…and still missed the playoffs last year. Just how often does THAT happen? And who’s to say that Brady would have had a better record last year?
Right on Anon…….Cassel is just a serviceable QB thats it guys, there is nothing special about him…I cant wait or better yet hope that we draft some stud o-lineman and WR’s so Cassel can show u how pathetic and jittery he’ll still be in the pocket. Did any1 notice that he had plenty of time last Sun. and still held the ball or made bad throws? Could be a sign that the 63 million dolla kid cant read coverages…….(unless guys r WIDE OPEN)
Rodeo John, I have to agree with you, good post. I see improvement in some areas and not others with each game. Are the improvements there at the same spot each and every game, no. I think this team needs to get more consistent across the board with each game. The next two weeks the Chiefs will play two teams on their level. This should be a better test of how they are progressing. I believe that Pioli and Haley will be trying to get more then five wins, so they can trade down a few spots and pick up extra draft picks. Getting out of the top five pick positions should allow them to be able to find another team to trade with. GO CHIEFS!
A quote on this site was The worst thing that can happen is for a QB to lose his confidence – Terry Bradshaw. Cassel may be getting close to this situation. He can still take a hit but his accurately is getting worse. Unfortunately, the last two games have beat on his rep, if he had one. Never seem pin point accurate any way. Decent line and he may be decent. Hope no one considers him the next Manning or Brady, certainly no Dawson. Just adequate with enough help.
IMO, Cassel will be more than adequate……because he already is
Man, just give these guys more time, hell we gave herm 3 freaking years and croyle still couldnt cut it then either.
Just give it time…..
TO All That Say 63mil ….is nothing HMHMHMHMmmmmm We let Allen go for what kind of money ……..dam close to what Cassel is making . I don’t know about you but…….I pick Allen ……now that is Intangibles. I’am just saying PnS
All the above comments have valid points…but I wish to comment anyway.
1st: A 1st-3rd draft pick on a QB would be foolish with the many other needs we have.
2nd: With Cassell (and KC as a team) with a new team, new HC, new OC*, new O-Line*, new receivers* it is almost equivalent to a rookie season of a QB.
(*denotes radical change since OTA’s)
3rd: Trent Green had a much worse 1st season (see Josh’s article)and he had a familiar coach, established O-Line, Receivers and Backs.
4th: Cassell’s pay in the first year is the same as almost every 1st round pick (especially #1-16) of any team every year. When was the last time a first round pick of any team earned first round pay their first year? Cassell will earn his pay (already has in my book with abuse from sacks/knockdowns)
5th: (Finally) Have you noticed we aren’t “dicussing” the O-Line or RB’s yards-per-carry like we were earlier. The final 3 games (when Bowe returns) will show us a glimpse of 2010.
Hank, I agree with points 1 and 3. Do not care about 4 either way. disagree with 2, Cassel was sold as a knowledgeable QB, one who could handle what Haley had in mind. I think he has done a well as possible until the last two games. As for the last sentence I HOPE NOT. Because adding Bowe and this team is incomplete to say the least. I do not imagine you think the Chiefs belonged on the same field as SD and Denver if Bowe had been played, they have better team right now. Get me a RB and new OL and New DL and WRs and three LBs for 2010 then we will have a glimpse of the future.
Our defense sucks. Lets go Romeo dial up some blitzes and give this team some power
You guys are funny at least the ones who are sitting here doubting Cassell. This is the same guy that majority of so called experts were saying the Patriots should trade Brady for a 1st round pick and keep Cassell as the long term QB. Now he comes to KC and suppose not be at least middle of the pack good quarterback. Are you serious?
Now for one I thought it was foolish for the Pats to ever trade Brady regardless of how well Cassell played last yr. But the rumors were swirling like crazy that they should. That is how well the guy played when he had talent around him. The problem isn’t Cassell its a mixture of the play calling and the lackof talent around him. Two things that will make alot of you look like idiots come next yr for doubting this guy and saying he’s not even a good quarterback. When we hire a sharp offensive coordinator next yr and second when Pioli upgrades the o-line and receiving core. Watch and see we’ll revisit this topic about Week 5 of next season.
I think Cassell is mediocre but we have way more pressing needs to address in the draft. O-line, Outside LB and receivers would be my focus. Take whose best when your turn comes. I watched Marshawn Gilyard, receiver/kick returner for U. of Cincinatti, last weekend and man can that guy play football. Perfect fit for the Chief’s and way more logical way for the Team to improve.
AH ED ……We are Chiefs fans 1st so if Cassel playes great next year Great…… we are idiots. If he doesn’t what then …..let’s see then we well be into the 4th yr of this rebuild . Then it well be wait tell next year. Cassel has all the markings of the Bono-Elvis years I hope your old enough to recall them