Is Matt Cassel a franchise QB?

**okikcfan** · 01-18-2012, 07:22 PM

AUTHOR: Patrick Allen of the Arrowhead Addict. Please read it is rather interesting and as many know I am not a big Cassel Fan but who knows...

Is Matt Cassel a franchise QB?
Ask ten Chiefs fans what they think about Matt Cassel and you will probably get ten different answers. There are sure to be some who think he will still continue to improve and, if given the time, will become good enough to lead a well rounded Chiefs team to a championship. Others will say that we’ve seen enough to know that Cassel is average at best and will never lead the Chiefs to a playoff victory, let alone the Super Bowl.
Those in the group that believe Cassel isn’t good enough often point to the likes of Brady, Manning, Brees and Rodgers as evidence that to win it all, a team needs a stud QB. A difference maker.
Those in the group that believe that Cassel is good enough, might find a dog in that franchise QB fight in San Francisco QB Alex Smith.
To be fair, Alex Smith was drafted to be a franchise QB. He was taken first in the 2005 draft. His career, until this season, has been a major disappointment. Still, he was drafted and developed by the 49ers, where Matt Cassel was a 7th round pick drafted by the Patriots.
Other than where they were taken, however, Cassel and Smith are somewhat similar in their age and performance. To date, Smith has played in 70 NFL games. Cassel has played in 69. Cassel’s career completion percentage is 59%; Smith’s is 58. Cassel’s average completion is 6.62 and Smith’s is 6.40. Cassel’s tossed 76 TD’s and 45 picks and Smith’s tossed 68 TD’s and 58 picks. Cassel enjoys a career QB rating of 82.5 while Smith’s is 76.4. Cassel is 29 years old, Smith is 27.
Until this season, Smith was thought to be a bust. But the arrival of a new coach in San Francisco seemed to turn things around for him. He’s having a career year. His numbers aren’t jaw dropping but they are certainly efficient. In the regular season, Smith completed 61.3% of his passes for 3,144 for an average of over seven yards per completion. He threw 17 TD’s vs. five interceptions and had a QB rating of 90.7.
In last week’s divisional playoff game vs. the New Orleans Saints, Smith completed 57% of his passes for 299 yards, three TD’s and no interceptions. He finished with a QB rating of 103.2 and anyone who watched that game can tell you that, in the 4th quarter, Smith outdueled Drew Brees to help his team win the game.
In fact, Smith’s 2011 regular season is very similar to Matt Cassel’s 2010 season. Cassel completed 58% of his passes in 2010 for 3,116 yards and a 6.92 yards per completion average. He tossed 27 TD’s vs. 7 picks and finished with a QB rating of 93.0.
Both Smith and Cassel benefited from strong running games and weak divisions. Both got some help from strong defense, Smith more so than Cassel.
This weekend, Alex Smith and the 49ers will play for a chance to go to the Super Bowl.
Should this give us hope for Matt Cassel? After all, I think most Chiefs fans would agree that next year’s KC defense should be stronger than ever, and perhaps even dominate. The return of Jamaal Charles and Tony Moeaki should help get the offense back on track. There will be a new draft class as well as (hopefully) a new crop of free agents. I would go so far as to say that Matt Cassel’s 2012 receiving options will be better than what Alex Smith is working with in 2011.
Is Alex Smith proof that the doubter might need to reevaluate Matt Cassel? If Alex Smith keeps winning, does that mean that Matt Cassel can follow in his footsteps?
Cassel and Smith are different QB’s. There are also things that a QB does that might not necessarily show up on the stat sheet. Still, Smith’s success has to give Chiefs fans at least a little bit of hope.
And since it looks like Matt Cassel will be the starter in KC in 2012, a little bit of hope might not be a bad thing.

**wolfpack** · 01-22-2012, 09:37 AM

We should have questioned the trade back then.If cassel was so good,even with brady would bellycheat given away 2 players for just a second?

**Canada** · 01-22-2012, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Ryfo18

If your mother had balls, you wouldn't be my son...Son.

Hey now...get of my mama....i just got off yours!!

**chief31** · 01-22-2012, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by wolfpack

We should have questioned the trade back then.If cassel was so good,even with brady would bellycheat given away 2 players for just a second?

Alot of folks did.

However, The Patriots had little leeway. Cassel was a UFA, and they put their franchise tag on him to try and get something for him.

The bidding did not get too out of hand because, along with whatever trade compensation a team would offer, there was the fact that the winning bidder was on the hook for paying Franchise tag money, or signing the player to a contract. Not to mention, that all bidders knew that The Patriots were motivated sellers, as nobody wants to pay that much for their backup QB.

If you are already going to have to sign the player, then any added cost is going to be beyond what the player is able to negotiate his worth at.

But, again, many people were quite skeptical of the trade from the start.

**N TX Dave** · 01-22-2012, 01:31 PM

He may have not been a great trade but he was a whole lot better than anything we had at the time and has been the best we have had since then with the possible exception of Orton who the juty is still out on.

**bricooper78** · 01-22-2012, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by nigeriannightmare

From the people that attended what practices we had in st joe, my entire wifes family is from there and shes a graduate of mo west all said stanzi looked good, what i saw in the preseason was good, im not sure where all this stanzi isnt gonna cut is coming from. I went to a practice there were maybr a 100 ppl there and theres no way stanzi shoulda been third string.

The point is now moot with orton, but you are right in the respect that Stanzi should have gotten in. Haley being his

self didn't put him in with Palko stinking up the joint.

But from watching him in college, (just down the road from IA City, was born into hawkeye fandom by default lol) Ricky isn't, stable. He is always off beat mechanically, and fundamentally unsound. Cause and effect being what they are, he ended up overthrowing longer routes, and they had weird projectory, Marvin McNutt and Tony Moeaki made Stanzi, as did the trio of running backs.
BUT, all that said, they had a system that used what the QB could do (most of the time) and they won...just like I'm saying they should do with Cassel.

**figcrostic** · 01-22-2012, 11:38 PM

I the 49ers are going to draft a qb they can't be happy with Alex Cassel.

**Three7s** · 01-23-2012, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by figcrostic

I the 49ers are going to draft a qb they can't be happy with Alex Cassel.

Are the Ravens happy with Matt Flacco?

**Bike** · 01-23-2012, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Three7s

Are the Ravens happy with Matt Flacco?

He played well yesterday, threading double-covered receivers most of the day.

**figcrostic** · 01-23-2012, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Bike

He played well yesterday, threading double-covered receivers most of the day.

Not at all he had a few nice throws but most of them were terrible and he completed 46.2% of his passes. He didn't lose the game though Kyle Williams did.