Matt Cassel plays like a young Damon Huard

by AK_47 on Oct 12, 2009 10:29 AM CDT Comment 23 comments

Doesn't he? He doesn't make the big mistake INT but he never throws it down field much until the end of the game when he has to. They also both like to hang on to the ball in the pocket for waaay too long. Still he puts you in position to win, but you would never count on him to win you games on his own. Thats not a bad thing, but seriously I wouldn't pay Huard $60 mil for 6 years and I'm still upset we did the same for Cassel. Like Huard, Cassel is an elite backup qb. Maybe a slightly above average starting qb. I say unless you have a top tier qb, you don't lock yourselves down to him for the long haul.

Other observations.

Legget and Albert have seriously regressed this year. Which got me thinking. Has ANY player actually made any significant improvement from last year??? Seems like all our players have regressed for the most part. Flowers might be the only improved young player on our team.

Also I found it hysterical that we chose to run our first wildcat play of the year the week AFTER we traded Tyler Thigpen. Haley isn't utilizing our talent to their ability. Good coaches make average players look great by putting them in position to play. (Schottenheimer, Vermeil, ...Gailey (Thigpen)............

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.

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They also both like to hang on to the ball in the pocket for waaay too long.

They’re the same quarterback other than the fact that Cassel can get out of trouble with his legs, he can make the long throws, he’s had one successful season in the NFL already, his teammates have confidence in him, he shows leadership and not just “I’m in here not to screw up” like Huard…………..This is a ridiculous comparison.

by JComp11 on Oct 12, 2009 10:37 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Meant to delete that quote, my bad.

by JComp11 on Oct 12, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A bunch of people are saying this...

But I just dont see it at all. Damon Huard was an average back up. Matt Cassell is having an impressive year considering his o line has so many wholes. I think there is a better comparision out there if you look harder.

by darwithabar on Oct 12, 2009 10:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You don't know wtf your talking about

Damon Huard was great backup and decent starter, he took us to the playoffs in 2006 when Green got hurt.

by saveushaley on Oct 12, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also we ran Thigpen in the Wildcat @ Baltimore I beleive

by darwithabar on Oct 12, 2009 10:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not sold on Cassell....

I spent most of the game yesterday bitching to H2E about Cassell. Dude is way too indecisive. He looks like he is constantly second-guessing himself. I know, i know, our O-line sucks, but Cassell has to know that too, and help them out by getting rid of the ball, quit giving up so many sacks.

I'd rather die on my feet than be living on my knees

by ArrowDread on Oct 12, 2009 10:48 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Amen

by NJ Chiefs Fan on Oct 12, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

His indecision was helped by that big run. He seemed a lot more confident towards the end of the game after he made that.

by JComp11 on Oct 12, 2009 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you think that was indicisive...

Pay attention to the Dallas defense in the 1st half…. They looked like they had no clue as to what was going on…

by Chiefs Fanatic on Oct 12, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

In two games

Cassel led his team to down the field and threw beautiful td passes to either tie the game or take the lead. I would say that you can count on him to win a game on his own.

Don't blame me, I voted for content of character.

by paratrooper on Oct 12, 2009 11:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed that throw to DBO was beautiful

by tomahawk44 on Oct 12, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

unimpressive stats

take out the last drive (5 of 9 plus 1 sack, 78 yds, 1 TD) and the rest of the game for Cassel looks like this …

18 of 32, 175 Yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5.4 Yd/Att, 56% Comp, 3 Sacks, 82% QB Rating

not exactly overwhelming stats …

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 12, 2009 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So if you take away something good he did

then he didn’t do so well? I don’t get this. You are takng away an entire drive. His stats are his stats. It doesn’t matter when he got them in the game. His final line is his final line.

If it was a running back being terrible all day then getting lucky and breaking off a big run then I could see it making sense.

But a drive is sustained sucess. It wasn’t one big throw, it was a drive. He deserves the line he got…and I mean the stat line, not the terrible offensive line.

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by Patrick Allen on Oct 12, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you take the shark out of Jaws,

it’s no longer a good movie.

by NotAHippie on Oct 12, 2009 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

not saying he was horrible, but please, Patrick ... one drive all game?

sure, it’s a small measure of success, but that’s not much … you blame the O-Line for a lot, and rightly so, so now let’s think about HOW and WHY that last drive was able to come about, shall we? hmmmmm, the O-Line suddenly remembered how to block? maybe, but I doubt it … Cassel and the WRs suddenly feeling their 4-Hr Energy Drink? nah, that’s not it … maybe Dallas in a late game “Prevent Defense” and a very soft underneath zone where they take away sidelines but leave the middle of the field fairly open? yeah, I bet THAT’S it!

again, not taking away what Cassel did, and it was great timing in that it tied the game, sent us to OT, awesome stuff and wow, what a great fairytale in the making … all I’m saying is: what about the REST of the day? IMNSHO he was fair, average, pedestrian, nondescript … I stand by the numbers and my previous posts and beliefs (and don’t think this is a “bench Cassel” thing, it’s not)

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisiton!

by upamtn on Oct 12, 2009 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think Cassel is like a young Damon Huard, but I also don’t think he’s like…well, fill in the name of any QB for whom one would normally trade a second-round pick and give $60M.

by burntorangehorn on Oct 12, 2009 1:09 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

disagree totally.

Huard was mediocre at best.

Cassel has shown signs of greatness… and will continue to develop as the rest of the team develops.

Sure, he’s missed some throws… probably mostly due to pressure or miscommunication with receivers.

He will get better as the team gets better… hopefully both of those things happen this season.

Huard never got better. He was reliably mediocre.

* "I doubt anyone will miss Connor Barth except UCrawford"
* the LB corps may become the biggest strength of the Chiefs in 2009
* The OL is NOT as bad as you think it is... give it time, and you'll see improvement this season

by stagdsp on Oct 12, 2009 2:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

People get way too literal on this site and miss the bigger picture

No Cassel certainly is NOT a direct clone of Huard. I wasn’t saying that. He’s younger and a bit better. Watching him play just reminds of him. He’s very tentative with the ball until it counts (4th quarter) and doesn’t make quick decisions. Sure hes better, but my point is he’s no elite qb and didn’t deserve that 60 mil contract.

Now we’re tied to him despite the fact that we had tons of cap room to cover trying him out for a year under the franchise tag. What makes it even more narrow sighted in my opinion is the amount of quality qbs set to come out this year in the draft. It would have been far FAR smarter to test Cassel out and then if he didn’t prove an elite qb, go after another one in the draft. Too important a position to financially tie yourself down in.

I don't want no Yo-Yos

by AK_47 on Oct 12, 2009 2:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Good thing a big portion of that sixty million isn’t guaranteed. It’s one fact that people bashing Pioli/Haley/Cassel conveniently forget.

by JComp11 on Oct 12, 2009 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see no similarities

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by woodman212 on Oct 12, 2009 2:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Me neither,

If anything I am more reminded of a young Trent Green who has not yet mastered the knack for “pocket awareness” nor of trusting his playmakers to make the play – like Romo did yesterday throwing the ball up for grabs when Carr had great position on Austin who made the play & turned it into a nice reception!

by ttownmikey on Oct 12, 2009 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well atleast Huard targeted our best target Gonzalez (if not too frequently)

Bowe has been too quiet for me lately. not sure how much of this is his fault, Cassel’s, or Haley’s

I don't want no Yo-Yos

by AK_47 on Oct 12, 2009 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

As I’ve said many times, I’m a fan of neither Matt Cassel nor the Matt Cassel trade, but (1) I want both to work out for the Chiefs’ benefit, and (2) the vast majority of the reason he’s not performing at even an average level is that the surrounding cast, most notably the line’s terrible blocking, has been no help at all.

by burntorangehorn on Oct 14, 2009 10:15 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs