Cassel becoming a star for the Patriots

Moss has 3 TDs and Cassel throws for 415 yds in Pats win

Over the course of the season, fans weren't sure what to expect from Cassel, an untested and inexperienced rookie quarterback who never started an NFL game. Ever since the Patriots bye week, he seems to have found his place in the offense, leading the Patriots to 5 wins. The team is now at 7-4 and still in position for a playoff berth. Once the coaching staff decided it was necessary to let Cassel just manage the game and try to pick up first downs, instead of quick touchdowns, completions and scoring drives occured more often. Cassel has some arm strength but has not mastered the ability to throw an accurate deep pass. Although Moss and Welker are excellent targets to throw to, without any consistent accuracy, the deep pass becomes ineffective and too risky. Cassel is very accurate on short and intermediate routes, frequently relying on routes towards the sidelines to stretch the field. He also can deliver the ball quickly, which expands the Patriots play book to include a variety of routes down the middle. What New England has is a quarterback that can provide a level of consistency when it comes to keeping a team in the game, and a team player who is always willing to put ine extra practice time. Whether in the film room or on the practice field, Cassel has received his share of compliments and praise from the coaching staff.

What does all of this mean for New England's playoff hopes? It means that the offense is in position to score and move the ball, just not as quickly as with Brady. Cassel is showing some of the intangibles that every team wants, such as the ability to play under pressure and to understand the more complex signals and game strategies presented by both his offensive teammates and defensive players. In the matchup against the Jets, Cassel was directing players on what to do on improtant plays, such as third down conversions. He is calm as quarterback of the team and feels he is improving on his command of the offense. Although Cassel has just 10 touchdown passes, winning is the only thing that matters for him, and a 7-4 record isn't bad at this point. Despite the defensive struggles and the close loss to the Jets, the performance by Cassel was a huge step forward in setting expectations for the remainder of the season. Throwing for 3 touchdowns and 400 yards is a sign of confidence in his own abilities and his teammates. The reliance of the Patriots on their runningbacks will be a nice complement to the increased accuracy of Cassel and it sets up the offense with a good foundation to build on for the final six games and hopefully the playoffs.

By Chad Fukuoka
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent