Tom Brady had 41 sacks the year he won his first superbowl he did not have a good line and really he carried that team. The fact that you even compare Cassel to Brady is an insult, Tom Brady is a Hall of Famer.
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How anyone can berrate Cassel for poor accuracy and then want Thiggy is beyond me..
You can't really compare the two though, as the offenses are completely different, and no godlike hands from TG..
Truth
Truth.
I was giving him the benefit of the doubt with the New England line. After they "let" Brady get hurt, I just figured their time as a good O-line was over and all of Cassels sacks last year would've been sacks even if Brady had been healthy. The New England line made one change from last year and rank first in the league in fewest sacks allowed this season. Even more evidence that the sack issue has just as much to do with Cassel as it does the O-line. But, by evidence of how horrible the O-line is at run-blocking, it's not ENTIRELY Cassel's fault either.
This has frustrated me ALL SEASON. Why doesn't the QB coach tell him something like "get rid of the ball?" My guess is he's probably too busy feuding with too many of his other players to even think about coaching up his QB.
This is a coaching issue... not a talent issue. MIGHT have something to do with switching the entire offense the week before the season started...
The deal for Cassel/Vrabel was a great deal for the Chiefs. I have my doubts about Cassel as a franchise QB, but quite honestly, you can't really name more than 10 entrenched "franchise QB's" in the NFL right now that you'd feel comfortable building your team around.
Brady-Patriots
Manning-Colts
McNabb-Eagles
Brees-Saints
Rivers-Chargers
Manning-Giants
Ryan-Falcons
Roethlisberger-Steelers
Palmer?-Bengals
Flacco?-Ravens
Cutler?-Bears
Stafford?-Lions
Sanchez?-Jets
Shaub?-Texans
If you look at the list, the first 9 or 10 teams are on the elite level of the NFL which would go against the "you don't NEED an elite QB to win" theory... (which i agree with lol)
At the end of the day, you gotta go with someone. I thought Brodie and/or Thigpen could've handled the duties until we got our O-line in order, but that didn't happen. Hopefully, this season for Cassel will be one like Aikmen had to endure in Dallas.
I just don't see how Pioli could think Haley has done even an average job of coaching these players. He's got his head so far up his own :sign0053: with appointing himself pretty much the ONLY offensive coach on the team. In order for your players to perform at the level you think they should be performing, they need coaching. One man can't do it all and the players can't coach themselves.
The head coach shouldn't be:
teaching WRs where to lineup,
while teaching his QB where his reads and progressions should go on any given coverage per play,
while developing a game plan for the next opponent,
while developing an offensive game plan for the next opponent
while developing a defensive game plan for the next opponent
while watching game film,
while PROPERLY evaluating the talent on the team, while feuding with disgruntled players
while trying to find more "players off the street"
while holding press conferences
while blowing smoke up his own ***
THIS COACHING SITUATION MAKES ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE.
He has done decent, nothing too spectacular but nothing too horrible either.
I don't think Cassel is the weak link on the Chiefs roster right now.
I think he's exactly what we should have been looking for in Spring '09. As the season ended last year, my first thought about the Chiefs was that we absolutely had to get a QB who wouldn't lose it for us. Not necessarily make amazing plays and somehow save the day (sure, it'd be nice), but someone who could stay healthy and just not screw it up too badly.
I think Cassel has done that admirably. Bringing him in wasn't particularly risky or expensive (in draft picks.. it was in $$). I bet you could find at least a dozen teams this year who'd kill to have him on the same terms. We definitely met one last Sunday.
Right now, I think the number one focus to fix the Chiefs should be finding the weakest links and replacing them. O-Line and secondary (safety) probably are the most obvious needs I can see.
But Cassel's a long, long ways from being the weak link in this chain. Yeah, he's had his share of issues, but I have a hard time believing that next year's Sanchez or Stafford would be such an amazing upgrade that it'd be worth *not* fixing our other glaring issues.
I actually like our QB depth right now. Watching Denver bring in Chris Simms (and Oaklind bring in Gradkowski) made me really appreciate Brodie Croyle.