Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn said on Wednesday night that he didn't think the Chiefs would risk a lot with QB Matt Cassel playing on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers so we probably shouldn't expect Cassel to be playing more than a few series'.
Cassel, for his part, says he's ready to play all four quarters if need be. "I hope I do get to play, and I'm planning on playing," Cassel said. He will play, indeed, as Zorn confirmed that all three quarterbacks will see some action on Friday night.
As some media members noted before he spoke, Cassel looks sharp this training camp, at least relative to last season. He seems more comfortable and things like his footwork seems more refined.
"I think it's something that we always work on in the offseason and something coach Zorn preaches a lot about -- footwork and foundation. Having that foundation when you're getting ready to throw and most of the time if you do that you're able to be accurate."
The idea of having that foundation is why you saw Zorn with a drill that included playing some dodgeball.
"What he tries to do is emulate what happens in the game because a lot of times you're throwing off balance, avoiding a rusher and doing these things in the pocket and it's not a lot of times you drill these things. He really tries to work on the footwork, the mechanics of those drills and hopefully it shows on Sunday when real bullets start flying.
Cassel says it's "pretty much" the same playbook as last year with a few new wrinkles so mentally he should be there. The new guys, however, don't have the luxury of understanding the mental part quite yet so this will be a "cut down" game plan for the Chiefs.
The preseason isn't as much about Cassel as it is QB Tyler Palko and QB Ricky Stanzi so that's really what I'm looking forward to.