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Catching up with Cassel

Email|Link|Comments (8) Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff August 19, 2008 03:16 PM

FOXBOROUGH -- Some comments from quarterback Matt Cassel in his group interview with reporters today in the locker room at Gillette Stadium (for more comments, click on "full entry" link below):

Bill mentioned on the radio that your performance was better Sunday night than it was in the preseason opener. Did you feel that way?
“You know, we didn’t put many points on the board and as an offense that’s what you always want to do. You always want to try to accomplish that and we didn’t do that. But I felt like I threw the ball well. There are always things to improve on and that’s what we’re out here doing right now.”

How important are the statistics that you put up in the first two games when there are so many other things going on?
“There are a lot of things going on. As a leader of the offense, you want to go out and perform. Statistics aren’t always the tale of the tape. You go in and watch the tape and see what you did right, you see what you did wrong. They don’t always tell the story.”

The offense has just two touchdowns this preseason. Is that something that you, as the quarterback, take personally?
“Everybody does. I think that’s what the offense is out here to do – I think from the receivers, to the o-line, to the running backs, everybody wants to go in and we want to put points on the board and we want to score. Of course, we take it personally. We didn’t have two great outings thus far. We want to go out and play well against the Eagles.”

Do you feel like you need to lead a touchdown drive before the preseason is over; both those TD drives were led by Kevin [O’Connell]?
“I think everybody does. That’s what we’re out there to do. There is pressure. There is the need, and there is urgency by us every time we go out and take the field.”

This being Boston, there always has to be a debate, and right now it’s the backup quarterback. Do you know or do you care?
“I don’t know, I don’t read the papers, I don’t really listen to any of that stuff because it doesn’t matter to me what people say on the outside. All that matters is what’s going on internally, and how I’m doing, how I’m preparing, and how I’m doing this week.”

Did you happen to see the NFL Network re-broadcast? The guys on there were particularly harsh; a lot of people felt that way. Did you hear about it?
“No, I don’t watch that stuff. I don’t know why they are particularly harsh. A lot of those guys are ex-players and they understand how difficult this game is and how hard you prepare week in and week out, and so when they’re so critical, it’s interesting to me because those guys were in the same shoes at one point in their career, and they should understand how hard it is to go out there and perform each and every week. We go out there and we work to put 100 percent effort out there, our goal is to put a great performance out there every week. That’s just how it goes and some people are going to be like that.”

Does it fire you up?
“It always fires you up. You go out there and you want to prove people wrong, get better, and that’s part of it.”

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8 comments so far...

Problem with Cassel is that no one on the team responds to him. He's not confident, doesn't have an ounce of cockiness and looks frightened every time he steps out on the field. The offense has no electricity when he's at the helm. You know he cares but only because he says he does.

Remember a couple of years ago when everyone was talking about Brady's body language and how frustrated he looked? Cassel's body language appears to say he's a vegetable and that he's got a bumper sticker that says "Leadership is overrated."

Posted by Nooner August 19, 08 04:00 PM

If Tom Brady is content with Matt Cassel as his back-up, that's enough for me.

Posted by Peppermintz August 19, 08 06:36 PM

How come he's not cocky?
Maybe his 4 year NFL career stats will help us figure that out:
56% completion rate
2 TDs
2 INTs
4 sacks
72% rating
I wouldn't have an ounce of cockiness in me if I was a professional QB with those numbers.

Posted by Cocky vs confident - assertive vs agressive - these words seem similar, but mean different things August 19, 08 07:19 PM

I am not sure if Matt Cassel is going to make the cut. I am pulling for him, because as a guy that never really had the chance to develop in college or in the Pro's I can't imagine the pressure he must feel to try and establish himself. People in the Boston area are brutally unmerciful at poor performance, I must put myself in that catagory too. Although I think some of the things I have said about him, or that Patriot fans have said about him have been harsh. That said, I believe as Patriot fans this is our right because we live and die for this team. What I think was truely uncalled for, and out of line, was the nasty, sarcastic, remarks that Sterling Sharpe and Marshall Faulk made during their commentary of the game. Their attitude was arrogant, unprofessional, and way over the top. I hope the NFL network will evaluate their performance and choose more mature and sophisticated announcers in the future.

Posted by Ray Gerrity August 19, 08 08:33 PM

Mike ,
In his college career Matt was a back-up to two quarterbacks !! He has been a back-up for the Patriots for four years !!! If he wasn't good enough to start in College how can he be good enough to quarterback at this level ...Sure the quarterbacks were Carson Palmer and Matt Linehardt on an excellent U.S.C .team but the point is how much has he been on the field during game time conditions at either level in the past eight years !!!! Matt Casell should not play again for the Patriots ....After all these years he still can't move the team downfield !!!

Posted by sonny olivar August 19, 08 09:51 PM

The only thing worse than the game were the NFL Network announcers......Very ignorant comments about the makeup of several players.

Did I see where the NFL Network is televising the Pats-Jets game?

Gosh, I hope not.

Posted by Jillian August 20, 08 08:54 AM

Could Randy Moss have looked any more bored on Sunday? You KNEW there weren't any plays coming his way most of the time

Posted by Joe August 20, 08 01:39 PM

Posted by Ray Gerrity August 20, 08 06:28 PM

DO NOT HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON MORE THAN ONCE!

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Mike Reiss, Christopher L. Gasper and the rest of the Globe team provide regular updates –and a behind-the-scenes look– on the daily happenings of the Patriots.

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