John from Riverside Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Since I have the NFL Game rewind package one of the things I thought would be fun would be to take a look at all of our incoming free agents and how they REALLY played last year and try to cover my eyes looking at the the stat scores. My first game this year is Matt Cassel....who won the starting QB spot for the Vikings...... - Playing against a very good Rams defense - Did a LOT of handing the ball off - Was under pressure when he dropped back nearly every snap - Can actually throw a well placed ball on a screen - There were 2 miscues with the snap of the ball that ended up going by Matt.....I cant tell if it was his fault or the centers....he recovered both - Despite that pressure......stood tall in the pocket and delivered what was frankly some pretty accurate passes - Was good with his passing in the red zone - Def not a scrambling quarterback....but i thought moved well within the pocket I am not making any definitive statements on who the starter is this next year.....i just thought it was interesting that Cassell did show veteran presence........and I couldnt help but think to myself "I bet this is what Rex Ryan is looking for out of his QB"
YoloinOhio Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Great idea to watch these kind of games in the offseason.
Matt in KC Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Great idea to watch these kind of games in the offseason. I agree. Keep the observations coming, John!
1billsfan Posted April 2, 2015 Posted April 2, 2015 (edited) Since I have the NFL Game rewind package one of the things I thought would be fun would be to take a look at all of our incoming free agents and how they REALLY played last year and try to cover my eyes looking at the the stat scores. My first game this year is Matt Cassel....who won the starting QB spot for the Vikings...... - Playing against a very good Rams defense - Did a LOT of handing the ball off - Was under pressure when he dropped back nearly every snap - Can actually throw a well placed ball on a screen - There were 2 miscues with the snap of the ball that ended up going by Matt.....I cant tell if it was his fault or the centers....he recovered both - Despite that pressure......stood tall in the pocket and delivered what was frankly some pretty accurate passes - Was good with his passing in the red zone - Def not a scrambling quarterback....but i thought moved well within the pocket I am not making any definitive statements on who the starter is this next year.....i just thought it was interesting that Cassell did show veteran presence........and I couldnt help but think to myself "I bet this is what Rex Ryan is looking for out of his QB" I'd like to read your observations on the following game vs the Patriots. They are the team to beat in their division for over a decade now. On second thought, if you like Matt Cassel you had better stop with that Rams game and on move on to another player. Edited April 2, 2015 by 1billsfan
John from Riverside Posted April 2, 2015 Author Posted April 2, 2015 I'd like to read your observations on the following game vs the Patriots. They are the team to beat in their division for over a decade now. On second thought, if you like Matt Cassel you had better stop with that Rams game and on move on to another player. I did watch the next game.....but have to run off to work. I will post on it when i get off.
Superb Owl Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 (edited) I'd like to read your observations on the following game vs the Patriots. They are the team to beat in their division for over a decade now. On second thought, if you like Matt Cassel you had better stop with that Rams game and on move on to another player. Oh how true.. If only someone would have been kind enough to warn me :/ Edited April 3, 2015 by Superb Owl
John from Riverside Posted April 3, 2015 Author Posted April 3, 2015 The pats game was ugly ugly ugly for Cassel A couple of things tough...... - Really sucked that the fans were calling for the rook after one bad game........I mean come on Viking fans....two games in when you won your first game? - Receivers were dropping very catchable balls - The Vikings defense was horrible as well......taking the team out of the ability to continue to run the ball because they were giving up points so fast (yes....many of them were off turnovers......but Good D's get teams off the field) It looks to me like Cassel is at his best when the team is committed to running the ball - One of those ints pops right off the hands of a receiver Anyway......you have to look at a whole body of work so moving onto the next game. One decent game where Matt served as a pretty good game manager. One disaster.
John from Riverside Posted April 3, 2015 Author Posted April 3, 2015 Moving on to the Saints game - One of the things that I have noticed about Matt Cassel so far through all of the games......a. His OL is worse then ours b. He moves well within the pocket and c. He does not panic when he feels the rush........his protection breaks down on one of the early plays..... - His TE drops a LOT of passes that frankly hit him right in the hands....Kyle Roudolph makes Scott Chandler look like a viable NFL starter. Kyle might be a better blocker but he is NOT a better receiver. Clay is gonna be a welcome addition to Cassell if he ends up starting. - Cassel knows how to set up a pass for a screen......we could not set up a screen to save our lives this past season. - Who is number 75 for the Vikings....that guy gets beat like a drum ALL the time......Cassell gets flushed and takes off with the ball......gets up gimpy. - Cassell is done.....carted off....Bridgewater in (he doesnt get the starting job back this past season does he?) So.....the filmwork on Cassell.....I saw a lot of good things.....I saw that he will turn the ball over if the offense gets one dimensional. I saw a QB that WILL make definative decisions with the ball.....he is not tentative...he feels the pressure but doesnt not succomb to it.......his o line STINKS at pass protection. -
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 Good stuff. Was most of Cassel's stuff short? Or was he attempting intermediate and long throws?
John from Riverside Posted April 3, 2015 Author Posted April 3, 2015 Good stuff. Was most of Cassel's stuff short? Or was he attempting intermediate and long throws? JR it looked like a lot of short stuff.....but when he did throw deep the ball looked accurate to me. There were not a lot of deep passes.
YoloinOhio Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 Moving on to the Saints game - One of the things that I have noticed about Matt Cassel so far through all of the games......a. His OL is worse then ours b. He moves well within the pocket and c. He does not panic when he feels the rush........his protection breaks down on one of the early plays..... - His TE drops a LOT of passes that frankly hit him right in the hands....Kyle Roudolph makes Scott Chandler look like a viable NFL starter. Kyle might be a better blocker but he is NOT a better receiver. Clay is gonna be a welcome addition to Cassell if he ends up starting. - Cassel knows how to set up a pass for a screen......we could not set up a screen to save our lives this past season. - Who is number 75 for the Vikings....that guy gets beat like a drum ALL the time......Cassell gets flushed and takes off with the ball......gets up gimpy. - Cassell is done.....carted off....Bridgewater in (he doesnt get the starting job back this past season does he?) So.....the filmwork on Cassell.....I saw a lot of good things.....I saw that he will turn the ball over if the offense gets one dimensional. I saw a QB that WILL make definative decisions with the ball.....he is not tentative...he feels the pressure but doesnt not succomb to it.......his o line STINKS at pass protection. - is Matt kalil #75?
Rockinon Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 Did you get a look at our new fullback in that game?
3rdand12 Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 Thanks John! Glad to read this stuff , for better or worse
John from Riverside Posted April 3, 2015 Author Posted April 3, 2015 Did you get a look at our new fullback in that game? Rock, DIdnt see much of him....but FB's are mostly invisible anyway. If the running game is working....they are doing their job.
Buftex Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 FWIW, CBS analyst Chris Simms (yes, that Chris Simms!) on the John Murphy show the other night said that "Matt Cassel is a much better QB than Kyle Orton. You will be pleasantly surprised." Not the first "talker" I have heard make that assessment. What I noticed (doing similar film work as JFH), is he has some odd mechanics...
1billsfan Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 FWIW, CBS analyst Chris Simms (yes, that Chris Simms!) on the John Murphy show the other night said that "Matt Cassel is a much better QB than Kyle Orton. You will be pleasantly surprised." Not the first "talker" I have heard make that assessment. What I noticed (doing similar film work as JFH), is he has some odd mechanics... That's bs IMO. They have both had long careers and are essentially the same low level production NFL "back up"/"bottom 10 starting QB". That's not a knock, it is just an indisputable fact. Chris is probably a nice guy, but he should know that Buffalo fans actually have intent access to player stats and video. They don't need a NJ/NYC guy blowing smoke you know where. EJ and Cassel will have a nice training camp tussle and my money's on EJ to win it by a nose. If Cassel wins it then so be it, let's roll.
John from Riverside Posted April 3, 2015 Author Posted April 3, 2015 That's bs IMO. They have both had long careers and are essentially the same low level production NFL "back up"/"bottom 10 starting QB". That's not a knock, it is just an indisputable fact. Chris is probably a nice guy, but he should know that Buffalo fans actually have intent access to player stats and video. They don't need a NJ/NYC guy blowing smoke you know where. EJ and Cassel will have a nice training camp tussle and my money's on EJ to win it by a nose. If Cassel wins it then so be it, let's roll. I honestly did not follow Orton much before he came to the bills His first two games made me think that he might actually be a good fit for us Then......I dont know it was like he decided on the field that life was too short and he wasnt going to give us everything he had. If Matt Cassel gives us the effort Kyle gave in those first 2 games......then we have found at the very least a caretaker QB while we figure out what draft pick is gonna end up being the guy If EJ Manuel rolls out and plays better.....then so much the better for us.
1billsfan Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 I honestly did not follow Orton much before he came to the bills His first two games made me think that he might actually be a good fit for us Then......I dont know it was like he decided on the field that life was too short and he wasnt going to give us everything he had. If Matt Cassel gives us the effort Kyle gave in those first 2 games......then we have found at the very least a caretaker QB while we figure out what draft pick is gonna end up being the guy If EJ Manuel rolls out and plays better.....then so much the better for us. It'd be great if Manuel wins the job because we know that Cassel is nothing but a caretaker QB. With Manuel there's at least the hope that he takes off under Roman. I've got to believe that the Bills will try very hard to trade for or sign an older veteran with a good resume next year if Manuel doesn't get it done.
GunnerBill Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 Cassel is better than Orton to my mind. I think he played pretty well his spell in Minnesota on some struggling teams. I wanted him last off season actually before we signed Orton and I do think he probably wins the job because as much as I will root for EJ the chances of him stepping up at this stage appear to me to be slim.
JOE IN HAMPTON ROADS Posted April 3, 2015 Posted April 3, 2015 John, this info is very informative and helpful, thanks!
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