It's OK to admit you're wrong sometimes. I'm not ready to fully admit it but I'm standing on the edge of this one -- I'm pretty sure I was wrong about Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel. I try not to be too reactionary but, as a fan, the quarterback is an easy target. When the Chiefs were down, it was the in-style thing to do to bash Cassel and say he was the one part that was holding KC back. I still think that was true -- but it's not the case anymore.
Cassel is now part of the solution and the perception of him is starting to change. Peter King of SI.com included this in his Monday Morning Quarterback column:
Consistency. When the Chiefs were losing, Cassel had this message: We're working hard to get better every day. When you're 4-12, that line drives you up the wall. But now that the Chiefs are winning, Cassel's message hasn't swayed. I still don't like the cookie-cutter press conference answers but maybe Todd Haley was right and all we can ask for is being the same guy everyday.
The contract. This is one area where we've stayed fairly consistent. When Cassel was playing poorly, we said the $63 million contract wasn't a big deal because he's in the middle of the pack relative to other quarterback contracts. Now that he's playing well -- and doing it for an extended period of time -- the contract still isn't a big deal. Cassel's contract is simply what it costs if you want to commit to a quarterback.
The block. So the Chiefs are looking to endear Matt Cassel to the fans, huh? On Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Cassel was seen going down field blocking, ahead of nearly the rest of his teammates. You want fans to like your quarterback? Get him to do the dirty work.