Why? because it wasn't his fault the Chiefs went down again, this time to the Chargers ... the Charger strip of the ball in the end zone? meh, he was running for his life and didn't hear the footsteps ... the INT? that was on Dex all the way ... the missed pass to Bowe in the end zone? Matt put the ball on a rope to the very corner, right where it was supposed to go, but Bowe took that one step to the inside (missed communications? maybe, but Cassel threw a rope and put it where the only person who had a chance to get it was our guy)

the bottom line? Cassel played a darned good game, and the 3 times he absolutely had to take off running he protected the ball AND got a first down, every single time ... meanwhile Jamaal Charles had all of 8 yards on 7 carries in the first half, yeah ... do NOT put that on Matt, and don't put Bowe's untimely fumble on Matt Cassel, either

seriously, the game was a microcosm of this entire season: everything that COULD have gone wrong DID go wrong ... Murphy's (Stadium) Law ... I mean really, Succop drills like 14 straight from everywhere and misses a chip shot, are you kidding me? does the team have some VooDoo Witch Doctor following them around waving chicken bones? this wasn't "bad football" by a team that wasn't trying, this was a surreal parallel universe game from a circus sideshow house of mirrors and illusions

Dorsey finally gets back on the field and what happens? goes down yet again ... Stephenson comes in as an extra blocker and he goes down, just as the team is looking geared up in the second half and Charles rips off a couple of runs we get bogged down with penalties, Bowe zigs while Cassel zags ... I mean, really? you couldn't write a script for this if you tried

honestly, until the strop and INT this game was amazingly, tantalizingly close ... a victory, while not certain, was well within reach until ... and Bowe, aside from the fumble? all he did was come up with pretty much everything thrown his way (the coffin corner pass notwithstanding) and how did he manage that? clean, crisp, timely and accurate passes from ... oh yeah, Matt Cassel

the fickle finger of fate can be pointed at a lot of people, a lot of plays, a lot of things and circumstances ... but for one night, at least, it can't be fairly pointed at Matt Cassel