08-01-2007, 10:38 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Both of them
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,302
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Cassel won’t pass on chance
Cassel won’t pass on chance - N.E. Patriots - BostonHerald.com
Quote:
o Matt Cassel, training camp is no prelude and preseason games are no warm-up act.
This is the time for a backup quarterback to prove himself. Once the season starts, his practice reps will take a serious hit and his game snaps - barring a blowout or an injury - will become nonexistent.
So while some players work to survive this time of year, Cassel has to thrive, especially on days like yesterday, when starter Tom Brady [stats] was given a day to rest his arm and his backup was given all the first-team reps.
“It’s an opportunity for me to go out and showcase to the coaches that I’ve learned and tried to improve in different aspects and different areas,” said the third-year player, who served as current Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart’s backup at Southern California. “You definitely want to see yourself improve from last year’s preseason and the mistakes that you made, build on that and keep getting better.”
In March, backup Matt Schaub parlayed a string of strong preseasons into a trade from Atlanta to Houston and a six-year, $48 million contract.
Cassel knows how situations like that have worked, but realizes he’s at a disadvantage with such little experience since high school.
“The mental game is always a huge challenge for a backup quarterback because you don’t get as many reps,” he said. “This is such a pivotal part of the year for me because I get so many reps and seeing it physically and not just having to go through it and rehearse it mentally.
“For me, this is a big steppingstone every year, and the preseason (games) really are, too. This is the time that I have to prepare to be a starter and get my mind right, because at any point in the year, that could be a reality.”
Another reality is Cassel, like any player in his situation, has a real desire to develop into a starting quarterback. However, as long as Brady’s upright, it won’t happen here.
But there seems to be a quiet confidence from the Patriots [team stats] that he’s capable if called upon, even if it’s impossible to know just how good he’d be as a starter.
“Until (he starts), I don’t know what the answer to that is,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We can all speculate. But Matt’s a talented kid, he’s smart, he works hard, he’s gained a lot of experience since he’s been here, and he’s a lot better quarterback than he was two years ago when he got here. We have a lot of confidence in Matt. He’s done a good job for us.”
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Cassel won’t pass on chance
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