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QB Matt Cassel, New England Patriots
HT: 6-5, WT: 230, Born: 5-17-1982, College: USC, Drafted: Round 7
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2008 Projections
| CMP | ATT | PYD | Y/A | PTD | INT | RSH | YD | Y/R | TD | FPT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Dodds | 9 | 15 | 104 | 6.9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 6 |
| Chris Smith | 5 | 8 | 48 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Bob Henry | 9 | 17 | 122 | 7.2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 0 | 7 |
| Maurile Tremblay | 22 | 36 | 257 | 7.1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | 0 | 22 |
Best Case
Tom Brady has spent forever and a day on the weekly injury list and looked to be a bit nicked up last post season. The offensive line looked a bit porous against the Giants in the Super Bowl, so it's not a stretch to begin to wonder what would happen if Cassel had to get more than garbage time snaps. Given that the Patriots offense is stacked, even not knowing at all how well he could do, Cassel's weekly baseline could be higher than at least half of the league's quarterbacks. He's actually more mobile than Brady and could even tack on a few yards running the football, something Brady rarely attempts at this stage.
Worst Case
The obvious worst case is if Brady extends his consecutive game streak by another full season and Cassel holds a clipboard on the sideline. In this case, he would continue to lead the second unit on final drives and rarely get a chance to throw the ball. There is also the possibility that Kevin O'Connell surpasses him on the depth chart, and Cassel falls to emergency quarterback status or gets his outright release.
Outlook
Barring an injury to Tom Brady, Matt Cassel will rarely if ever be on the football field. He would probably fare OK should he have to replace Brady for any period of time but would obviously not be able to match Brady's historic offensive output (although Cassel could still put up numbers better than many other QBs in the league). In Survivor-style leagues Cassel makes a sensible handcuff to Brady in extremely deep leagues. In more traditional leagues, Cassel would be a platinum waiver claim the week Brady got hurt and would vault up the weekly quarterback rankings accordingly.
Relevant Articles
Email Update #35 - May 28th2008 Schedule
| Week | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2 | at New York Jets |
| 3 | Miami Dolphins |
| Bye week | |
| 5 | at San Francisco 49ers |
| 6 | at San Diego Chargers |
| 7 | Denver Broncos |
| 8 | St. Louis Rams |
| 9 | at Indianapolis Colts |
| 10 | Buffalo Bills |
| 11 | New York Jets |
| 12 | at Miami Dolphins |
| 13 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 14 | at Seattle Seahawks |
| 15 | at Oakland Raiders |
| 16 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 17 | at Buffalo Bills |
2007 Game Summaries
Week 3 - Cassel relieved QB Tom Brady in the fourth quarter but did not attempt any passes.
Week 7 - Cassel relieved QB Tom Brady on the first possession of the final quarter. He made only two pass attempts, including an interception to DL Jason Taylor which was returned for a touchdown. Cassel stared down his receiver for too long and Taylor easily jumped the route and ran it back for a score. Cassel did not return to the game following the pick.
Week 8 - Cassel entered the game in the fourth quarter, once the Patriots were up by 45 points. He looked much more comfortable than his previous appearance and led the Patriots on their final scoring drive, which he capped off himself with a 15 yard touchdown scramble.
Week 11 - Cassel entered the game in the fourth quarter as most of the New England regulars were sent to the bench with the big lead.
