2008 Patriots Game Thread

[ARod2212]

So what are you saying, because the defense sucks we should downgrade Cassel?

 

if the defense could hold on a friggin' third and very long we would have won both the Jets game and the Colts game. A lot of players get the blame for not pulling out the win but in both cases Cassel isn't one of those players.

What I'm saying is that because the defenses sucked you shouldn't even be asking the question as to whether he's better than someone who is perhaps the best quarterback ever.

 

Cassel racked up his yards on the Jets when they were playing a prevent defense. He racked up his yards against a terrible Miami secondary. Oh, and he was throwing to Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

 

Brady was a great QB before they got those guys. He had a legendary season with them. Cassel is having an up and down year with his great receivers, and has no significant wins on the schedule. This is comparing apples to a bucket of s***.

 

You think Brady looked bad in the Super Bowl? I'd love to see what the Giants would have done to Cassel. He legitimately would have s*** his pants.

 

Why is this even a discussion?

[TheKilo]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/post/Cassel-making-us-forget-Brady-No-way;_ylt=AlmaEJL12IniIn1f4zSB1bpDubYF?urn=top,124512

 

Pretty balanced, if moderately satirical, take on the question I'm trying to ask.

 

Of course, whichever of Brady or Cassel we let go we need to find a way to make dang sure he doesn't become a Jet.

 

Because that's legal.

 

Also, if Cassel's agent is worth a damn, he doesn't let the Pats sign-and-trade him.

 

Cassel's going to get a multi-year deal somewhere...if the Pats don't franchise him it will be this offseason.

[The Dustball]

Seriously the guy has back to back 400 yd games and now he is better than Tom f***ing Brady? I can't even believe this is being talked about.

 

On WEEI right now the topic of the day is what the Pats could get in a trade for Brady. WOW.

[TheKilo]

Stupid topic of conversation.

 

The only way you trade TB is if you get equal value for him.

 

The only way you're getting equal value for TB is if he's healthy.

 

If he's healthy, you might as well just keep TB.

[YanksHater213]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3728213

 

Neither Light nor Crowder suspended, 15k fines each.

[Cocos Disciples]

Light probably should have been suspended.

[Dojji]

Stupid topic of conversation.

 

The only way you trade TB is if you get equal value for him.

 

The only way you're getting equal value for TB is if he's healthy.

 

If he's healthy, you might as well just keep TB.

 

Unless you have reason to believe he's not gonna stay that way, which happens a lot to older players who spend their time being hit.

 

Regardless. Agreed that talking about this beyond the very speculative is pretty pointless.

[TheKilo]

Well then I guess the follow up to that is what do you think you can get for Brady in a trade?

[Dojji]

I don't have the foggiest idea. I was simply broaching it as an item of conversation in order to have something to talk about during a slow news week, and since Cassel had accomplished something of a legendary milestone recently.

 

It's kind of like the argument with Ortiz, except more so than Ortiz since Papi didn't miss a full season and still put up half decent numbers while playing. I definitely am concerned about Brady's health long-term. I was before he went down with the knee injury, especially what with sitting out all preseason with that same high ankle sprain that stymied him in the Superbowl. Now with the complications from the knee injury on top of everything else, it is no longer a sure thing that we ever get "TFB" back.

 

The difference between a younger player and an older player isn't really how often they get hurt, it's at least as much how long it takes to recover when they do get hurt and can they do so before the next injury makes things even worse. Brady's reached the stage of his playing career where his body's ability to recover is starting to slow down, and even if it wasn't for the low hit by that Chiefs d-man I'm really much less than confident than I should be that we'd have seen the old "TFB" this year no matter what.

 

A lot of the guys from Brady's generation are slowing down. I'm thinking specifically of Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb who while they're still above average QB's aren't really what they once were. Dante Culpepper and Matt Hasselbeck are pretty much finished as well. It wouldn't be a shock to anyone if as he heads into his mid 30's Brady followed the same trend. Sooner or later the guy who you still think of as a superstar just isn't a superstar anymore. And with a catastrophic knee injury to hurry things along in so physical a sport as football, especially with a player who relies on quick decision making and infinitesimal margins of error... well...

 

Don't get me wrong -- we've still probably got a few years left of TFB or near TFB performances, but it definitely is time to start thinking about Life After Brady. I also suspect that by drafting QB Kevin O'Connell in the high rounds despite other holes they needed to fill on defense the Patriots more or less announced their own concerns in that regard as well.

[mtbykr]

I think one thing to note is that insiders said that if O'Connel was a year along and not a rookie, he would have been the backup over Cassel. The argument that brady is in trouble because he isn't a mobile qb and had a knee injury is foolishness. You are arguing against yourself....TB is one of the best qb's ever in his ability to feel pressure and slide around in the pocket creating that extra time for the receivers to make a play. People are getting too enamored with Cassel and his ability to use his legs. Cassel has used his legs to help himself out becuase he doesn't have the ability of TB to read defenses and buy time until the play is there.

 

The drafting of O'Connell has nothing to do with thinking about TB being on the down swing. It is simply the pats addressing a need: Cassel is the backup and will probaly be gone after this year even if TB doesn't get hurt so they are putting a high quality kid in the chain to be a backup in case anything ever happens. BB has always said that the pats will draft the best player that is available in their minds despite needs. They must think highly of OC to draft him that high, but I simply see it as they felt he was the best player available at the time.

 

Again Cassel has done a great job thus far, and should continue to do so....but I don't see any scenerio, other than TB retiring, that has Cassel the pats qb next year.

 

 

 

EDIT: As far as next year goes, things seem to be lining up for the Eagles to take a run at Cassel. Given Reid's love of throwing the ball, and former pats players, it would be a good fit. I would love to see this, and hope Cassel does great.....just as long as it's out of the division.

[Dojji]

Yeah, that would be a nice place for Cassel to wind up.

 

Just bear in mind, the Jets will probably be looking for a QB as well, and they might not bring Favre back if we have another Brett Favre Retirefest. I could live with Cassel the Eagle, I would HATE Cassel the Jet.

[mtbykr]

Yeah, that would be a nice place for Cassel to wind up.

 

Just bear in mind, the Jets will probably be looking for a QB as well, and they might not bring Favre back if we have another Brett Favre Retirefest. I could live with Cassel the Eagle, I would HATE Cassel the Jet.

 

I agree.....I don't want Cassel with the Jets, but it's likely they will make a run with manjudas at the helm. I think they would prefer to look longterm with Cassel instead of one more year and then uncertainty. Of course the problem will be if Favre wants to come back right away and they have to decide before they know if they can get Cassel.

[schillingouttheks]

EXCELLENT start to the game by the Pats. Up early, 7-0.

[The Dustball]

Well Slater can go f*** himself.

[The Dustball]

That's just embarassing. We need to hold them to 3 here.

[TheKilo]

Funny to see what happens when Cassel plays a good defense.

[The Dustball]

Funny to see what happens when Cassel plays a good defense.

 

Cassel has thrown 2 balls to Randy Moss that should have been huge completions and one was for a touchdown. Cassel got his team down the field with less than two minutes and the kicker missed. He has not played a bad game.

[Cocos Disciples]

Lol.

[YanksHater213]

need to score here

[TheKilo]

Cassel has thrown 2 balls to Randy Moss that should have been huge completions and one was for a touchdown. Cassel got his team down the field with less than two minutes and the kicker missed. He has not played a bad game.

 

So when things go well, praise Cassel, and when they don't, blame everyone else.

 

Gotcha.

[See Red]

So when things go well, praise Cassel, and when they don't, blame everyone else.

 

Gotcha.

 

That's pretty much how it goes.

 

Yes, blame Randy Moss, guys -- that makes a ton of sense.

[Cocos Disciples]

Cassel was pretty f***ing terrible today. But so was the rest of the team, at least in the 2nd half. 23-0 in the 2nd half.

[The Dustball]

That's pretty much how it goes.

 

Yes, blame Randy Moss, guys -- that makes a ton of sense.

 

 

Randy Moss dropped two catchable passes. So yes, he should get blamed for those two drops. No one is blaming the loss on Randy Moss. He dropped the balls, those plays are his fault.

[schillingouttheks]

Randy Moss dropped two catchable passes. So yes' date=' he should get blamed for those two drops. No one is blaming the loss on Randy Moss. He dropped the balls, those plays are his fault.[/quote']

 

And the plays that Cassel f***ed up are his fault. There were lots of them.

 

Let's trade Tom Brady and keep Cassel. After all, Cassel is battle tested and his performance to this point is pretty indicative of what he can do to all teams.

[The Dustball]

And the plays that Cassel f***ed up are his fault. There were lots of them.

 

Let's trade Tom Brady and keep Cassel. After all, Cassel is battle tested and his performance to this point is pretty indicative of what he can do to all teams.

 

Wow man. I've never said that Cassel is the second coming of Brady, in fact if you go back a couple of pages you'll see that I also f***ing think it's ridiculous that people even suggested anything like that.

[schillingouttheks]

Wow man. I've never said that Cassel is the second coming of Brady' date=' in fact if you go back a couple of pages you'll see that I also f***ing think it's ridiculous that people even suggested anything like that.[/quote']

 

I wasn't referring to you in that part of my post. I should have made that clearer. My bad.

[Dojji]

This was a whole-team fail. No one deserves to shoulder all of the blame. No one's hands are clean.

 

We got outplayed on all fronts by a good football team. That's all.

[schillingouttheks]

This was a whole-team fail. No one deserves to shoulder all of the blame. No one's hands are clean.

 

We got outplayed on all fronts by a good football team. That's all.

 

Agreed.

 

What was Slater doing returning a kick? I barely remember seeing him return kicks at all this season. IT'S f***ING RAINING FOR CHRIST SAKES, AND HE HAD GOTTEN INJURED EARLIER.

[See Red]

The AFC East sucks.

[TheKilo]

This was a whole-team fail. No one deserves to shoulder all of the blame. No one's hands are clean.

 

We got outplayed on all fronts by a good football team. That's all.

 

What did we see out of Cassel today that warrants any further discussion about keeping him over Brady?