Interesting piece from AP

**#58ChiefsFan** · 07-31-2012, 02:19 PM

Chiefs' Matt Cassel Glad To Hear From 'One Voice'
by Joel Thorman on Jul 31, 2012 9:00 AM CDT in Chiefs Training Camp

610 Sports' Bob Fescoe talked with Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel after training camp the other day and there was an interesting quote to come out of it. I'm not sure if Cassel meant it this way but it comes off as a little bit of a knock on former Chiefs coach Todd Haley.

Here's the audio. The Q&A is below:

Fescoe: There's no question for you guys as an offense it seems to be more stability than in years past with this thing. Clearly, having the offseason and Daboll in there, working with Baldwin after practice like that, what did that mean for you in particular?

Cassel: "I think it's great. It's the first time I've been here in the last four years, this is going on my fourth, that we've had one voice in the offensive room, which is coach Daboll. It's helpful because when you hear one voice and you understand what he's thinking, how he wants something read, how he wants to conceptualize something against a certain defense, we're ont he same page. There's no second guessing. There's no, 'Oh I thought this' and I think that's very good for me because moving forward we can create some consistency."

This is sort of a shot at Haley, I suppose. I'm not sure if Cassel meant it like that but the knock on Haley was that he micromanaged the offense. It was one of those underlying story lines that never really went away.

Considering what Haley's dad, Dick, has said about Cassel -- publicly and privately -- what Cassel said isn't much of a shot.

Earlier this month, Dick Haley was quoted in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

"The quarterback (Matt Cassel) was real average. ... It didn't surprise me what happened in Kansas City. I didn't have any real confidence in the whole thing."

And back in January, weeks after Todd Haley was fired, ESPN's Jeff Chadiha reported this on 810 WHB:

"I can say this now because he's gone but I remember having a conversation with Todd Haley about last year and he said that when his dad came in -- and his dad's been a longtime personnel guy with the Steelers and obviously saw a lot of talented players come in -- he said when his dad watched Cassel closely the first time they had him here, he told Todd, 'I don't think you can win with this guy.'"

Cassel needs to find someone to do some talking for him.

(H/T Clay Wendler)

1 recs *|* 200 comments

**chiefnut** · 08-01-2012, 09:07 AM

i did read this yesterday, i like the postive attitude/atmosphere that Daboll has created here. it may not even be as much Daboll as no haley but who cares. the ends result is the offense seems to me more on the same page and i am looking forward to see how that translates to scoring and winning games.

**pojote** · 08-01-2012, 10:26 AM

There are two separate things: the way an offensive system is delivered to players and the capacity that those players have to implement the system.

You can have a really good system, but if you aren't accurate to deliver the whole thing to your players, that won't work.

Also, you can have a good system and a good way to deliver it to players, but if they fail to execute the system, that won't work either.

I think that's the key in 2010 success, an OC that was able to step up and take care of his duties, create a system and fight for a good way to deliver. That didn't happened in 2009 or 2011.

Cassel isn't the best or near that, but he is available, the true leader of his team and has shown that he can drive a Ferrari, even if he isn't Michael Schumacher.

**#58ChiefsFan** · 08-01-2012, 10:53 AM

I can't remember who reported this but I have read that the tempo and organization of the practices are ten fold better than they have been recently.

When Daboll came here and did his first interview on the mothership I though that he can sure talk the talk, sounding like he can walk the walk as well.

I'm pretty excited to see what he can do in nine days at that first game.

**GarH** · 08-01-2012, 12:38 PM

I'm really excited about this year. If the injuries don't kill us again, this could be a really good team.

**drstandley31** · 08-05-2012, 04:30 PM

Maybe Haley should have had the guts to tell his dad to butt the ##&$% out, and try to manage his team like a real coach. What a dissapointment he was. With coaches like Herm and Haley, it's amazing we have any team at all.

**Eydugstr** · 08-06-2012, 04:27 AM

"The quarterback (Matt Cassel) was real average. ... It didn't surprise me what happened in Kansas City. I didn't have any real confidence in the whole thing."

Can you post a link to this article? Was Cassel's name mentioned specifically, or was Dick Haley referring to Palko?