Archer: Cowboys hope to feed off Matt Cassel's presence

Cowboys hope to feed off Matt Cassel's presence

Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- The first day Matt Cassel walked into the Dallas Cowboys locker room, he looked the part.

Big and tall, he displayed a confident gait of a quarterback who had led a team to the playoffs and a played in a Pro Bowl. As he was about to talk, a reporter noticed he had some food in his teeth.

Cassel offered up a thanks and a high five. Appearance matters.

So does presence.

Cassel takes over as the Cowboys' starting quarterback Sunday against the New York Giants, replacing Brandon Weeden, who replaced an injured Tony Romo for three games.

He has started 72 games in his career, including this year's season opener for the Buffalo Bills with Tyrod Taylor lined up at wide receiver. He did not throw a pass or even play a snap in the win against the Indianapolis Colts.

He has 96 touchdown passes and 70 interceptions. He has thrown for more than 15,000 yards.

"There's no question that he has a presence and a confidence about him that's a positive thing," coach Jason Garrett said. "Quarterbacks need to have that. The energy that they have pervades the whole offense and pervades the whole football team. You're an experienced guy who's played and you've been through some different experiences both good and bad and you come out the other end and you're still going, I think that allows you to have some confidence in yourself. He's seen a lot of different things in this league. I think he's going to add a lot to our football team."

When the Cowboys traded for Cassel, he was told the starting job was Weeden's. But he carried himself like a starter.

"I think you have to," said Cassel, who is in his 11th year. "I think that's why I had longevity in this league is that if you perceive yourself as somebody who's just in a backup role and happy to be there, then I don't think you ever strive to get better, you know? You always have to push yourself. I think your mentality, even if you are in that backup role, has to be that you've got to prepare like a starter and be ready to go at any moment. Because your opportunity could come up."

Last week Cassel was introduced as their new starting quarterback and he practiced twice with the first group, but Wednesday marked the first time he had taken team snaps with a game plan in hand. He has spent the last month learning the Cowboys offense.

"He's definitely out there taking command of the huddle and just being in charge, so to speak," wide receiver Cole Beasley said. "He definitely has a confidence about him and he brings it to the huddle. That's a good thing to see. Anytime the quarterback has that, it rubs off on the rest of the guys."

In 2008, Cassel walked into a huddle having to replace Tom Brady, who was lost in the season opener with a knee injury. He threw just 33 passes at USC as he backed up Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. The New England Patriots drafted him in the seventh round in 2005. He learned from Brady, but he also learned from veterans Doug Flutie and Vinny Testaverde, too.

He went 10-5 in 2008 but the Patriots' 11-5 mark wasn't good enough to make the playoffs. In 2010, he led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 10-6 record and the playoffs with a career-high 27 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions.

It hasn't been as good since. The Chiefs released him in 2013 and he signed with the Minnesota Vikings the next day. He was the starter for all five of the Vikings wins that season, but a foot injury ended his season after three games last season and Teddy Bridgewater moved from the quarterback of the future to the quarterback of the present.

The Vikings traded Cassel to Buffalo, but Taylor won the training camp competition.

"You try to carry yourself as a professional and me being a veteran hopefully the younger guys look up to that and see that's how you're supposed to work and go about your business," Cassel said. "And again, I had great veteran leadership around me when I was a rookie and I give them a lot of credit for how I prepare and how I go about my business now."

Sunday will be Cassel's 73rd career start. He did not know he would get a chance to start again. He is glad it's here but he's not in awe of what's ahead.

"You practice and play the game to play on Sunday," Cassel said. "It's more exciting than anything else to me; the competitiveness and also being able to go out there and being able to compete on Sundays. So I don't take it as (being) nervous or anything like that. I take it as, ‘All right, let's get going. It's time to go.'"

George: In strange way, Tom Brady's 2008 injury could help Cowboys survive Romo-less stretch


Staff Writer
Published: 21 October 2015 09:32 PM
Updated: 21 October 2015 11:45 PM

IRVING -- For the last month, quarterback Matt Cassel has pored over the playbook to learn the offensive terminology used by the Cowboys. He's tried to not get any of the verbiage confused with what his previous four teams or nine coordinators employed.

But Cassel has more than playcalls swirling in his head as he prepares for his first start with the Cowboys on Sunday against the New York Giants.

Cassel's wife, Lauren, gave birth Saturday to the couple's fourth child and second son, Clayton.

"My wife's been amazing, and I kind of slept in the other room the other night to get some rest," Cassel said. "I wonder how long that's going to last before she rings in and makes me do the bottle feeding."

With a lot on his mind these days, Cassel is taking a simple approach in preparing for his first start with the Cowboys and throwing to new receivers at game speed.

"I tell them, 'You get open.' And then they tell me, 'Just throw me the ball.' So usually it works about like that," Cassel said. "Hopefully, we simplify it rather than make it more complicated."

After Brandon Weeden went 0-3 as the starter in place of the injured Tony Romo, the Cowboys have turned to Cassel because he's more experienced and could give them a better shot to open up their offense with throws down the field.

Weeden mostly threw short passes in his three starts, following the game plan to be more conservative.

"You'll see more attempted plays from him than we got from Weeden," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said earlier in the week on KRLD-FM. "And, so, you could have more bad plays. But you've got the chance to have some plays 20 yards or longer, which we call big plays generated by the offense."

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday it's not correct to say that Weeden alone prevented Dallas from making big plays on offense during his three starts.

"All of those things have everything to do with the entire offensive unit. To say it's about one player is inaccurate," Garrett said. "We did some good things when Brandon was playing quarterback for us. We were able to move the ball. We were effective in some of the games he played. The idea of creating explosive plays and making that all about Matt Cassel, that's an inaccurate approach. We all have to do a better job of that."

Weeden is 5-19 as a starter in the NFL and has lost 11 consecutive starts dating to his rookie season in 2012 with Cleveland.

Cassel is 34-38 as a starter. Cassel, 33, went 10-5 in 2008 for New England filling in for an injured Tom Brady.

"That was his first big opportunity to play, a big stage for him, and he handled it really well. And that allowed him to play well as a starter in opportunities after that," Garrett said. "Any of those experiences are good. That's all part of who you are as a player as you come for this new opportunity. You bring those experiences to the table and hopefully that reflects in your play, and we're confident it will with Matt."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday his club is preparing for Cassel's first start by reviewing Cassel's preseason games for Buffalo this year and even his starts in place of Brady in 2008.

"He turned in an outstanding year [in 2008]," Coughlin said. "Tall man, pocket passer, rhythm, does a nice job in there in terms of the rhythmic passing game, and distributes the ball well."

Cassel said he's always approached the game as if he's starting no matter where he is on the depth chart.

"I think that's why I had longevity in this league is that if you perceive yourself as somebody who's just in a backup role and happy to be there, then I don't think you ever strive to get better," Cassel said. "You always have to push yourself. I think your mentality, even if you are in that backup role, has to be that you've got to prepare like a starter and be ready to go at any moment because your opportunity could come up."

And it has for Cassel. He said he's ready.

"I feel good about it. I feel comfortable," Cassel said. "My comfort level with the guys has been great. Last week I think with the bye week and having two extra days of practice was very helpful, actually getting in there and getting some rhythm with those guys. Now it's just about building each and every day leading up to the game.

"All my different situations and all my ups and down throughout my career have helped prepare me for this situation. I'll be ready to go come Sunday and I'll be excited. It'll be great to be in that Cowboys uniform and starting for them against the Giants."

10 things you might not know about new Cowboys starting quarterback Matt Cassel


Staff
Published: 22 September 2015 07:53 PM
Updated: 21 October 2015 10:22 PM

Here are 10 things you might not know about new Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassell, whom, according to sources, the team acquired Tuesday from the Buffalo Bills for a 2017 fifth-round draft pick pick. Dallas also received Buffalo's 2017 seventh-round draft pick.

1. Journeyman: Matthew Brennan Cassel was born May 17, 1982 in Northridge, which is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, Calif. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He also has played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. In his career, Cassell has a record of 34-38. He has passed for 15,727 yards, completing 59 percent of his passes with 96 touchdowns and 70 interceptions.

2. He felt the earth move, under his feet: When Cassel was 11-years-old, his family home was at the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Here's an account from a Sept. 14, 2008 story in the Boston Globe by Bob Hohler: At 4:31 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994, Matt Cassel jolted awake at the epicenter of a monstrous earthquake that ripped apart his home and sent the water from his family's inground pool crashing through the glass doors of the room where the 11-year-old Cassel and his 13-year-old brother, Jack, were sleeping. Drenched amid the jagged debris, the boys picked themselves up from the cold, soggy carpet and began searching for their parents and two siblings in the near-total darkness, the only light generated by fires from the neighborhood's ruptured gas lines. The Cassel brothers found their father, Greg, pinned under a fallen marble column, moaning. The boys methodically wrenched the column from their father's legs and pressed on to ensure the rest of the family's safety.

3. Long time comin': Cassel, who went to USC and backed up Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, became the Patriots' starting quarterback after Week 1 of the 2008 season when Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury. He is believed to be the only quarterback in NFL history to start an NFL game without ever starting as quarterback in college. The Patriots finished 11-5 under Cassell but did not make the playoffs. The Pats went 10-6 the following season with Brady. Cassell went almost a full nine seasons between quarterback starts.

4. USC days: Cassel, who committed to USC before his senior year in high school, backed up Carson Palmer during his Heisman-winning 2002 season. In the fall, Cassel lost the battle for the starting position to Leinart, the previous third-string quarterback. Cassel spent time at tight end and wide receiver in 2003, and some special teams that year. During his four seasons at USC, Cassel completed 20 of 33 passes for 192 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. Cassel played one season of baseball for USC (2004), going 0-1 with 10 strikeouts and four walks. He struck out in his only at bat in college. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 36th round of the 2004 MLB draft. Cassel, a communication major at USC, roomed with retired Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

5. Big times in Little League: Cassel played in the Little League World Series at age 12. Here's how he described the experience in a story on USCFootball.com: I think as a 12 year old, everything is bigger than life. It's 1994, we were called the Earthquake Kids and our team was incredible! At the time there was a strike in baseball so we were the biggest thing going. People were chanting "U-S-A!" We had a parade. Limos picked us up with pizza inside, and as a fat kid, I just ate that up with a spoon! We were in the Rose Parade...They had so many things for us to do as 12 year olds it was unbelievable. So at that point in my life, I think that experience was immeasurable.

6. More heroism: On the night of Jan. 26, 2012, a fire broke out in a family's house in the village of Loch Lloyd, Missouri. Cassel, seeing smoke from the fire, ran to their house to alert them. The family was able to make it out of the fire alive.

7. Grit in his DNA: More on Cassel from Bob Hohler's Sept. 2008 story in the Boston Globe ... There is, it seems, grit in his DNA. His great-grandfather, R.G. Cassel, was a Texas Ranger, and his grandfather, Joe B. Cassel, won the Distinguished Flying Cross as a B-17 bomber pilot in World War II before he bred horses at his Casa Cassel Arabians Ranch and was inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Cassel's father, Greg, is a longtime Hollywood script writer who never hit it big but kept trying, even after he launched a second career as a horse trainer. Cassel's mother, Barbara, is herself a profile in tenacity. After she and Greg divorced in 1996, she raised their four children and worked full time as a Hollywood set decorator. She won an Emmy for helping to stage the television special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic." She also has worked on the television hit "Without A Trace."

8. An ex-Patriot: In February 2009, the Patriots used their franchise tag on Cassel, giving a one-year contract worth more than $14 million, the largest one-year contract for an offensive player in NFL history at the time. In the offseason, the Patriots traded Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs signed him to a 6-year, $62.7 million contract in July 2009. In 2010, Cassel led the Chiefs to their first divisional championship in seven years, and earned a Pro Bowl berth in the process.

9. Football career almost didn't happen: Cassel's pro football hopes almost faded away completely while he was at USC. Here's more from Hohler's Boston Globe story: He pitched just long enough at USC for (Trojans head football coach Pete) Carroll to nickname him "Wild Thing." Yet the Oakland A's saw enough to select Cassell in the 36th round of the 2004 draft. His football dreams, meanwhile, were slipping away. NFL scouts had no interest in an unproven clipboard holder, even one who had backed up two Heisman Trophy winners - not until Cassel commanded their attention. In USC's annual "pro day" showcase in 2005, he wowed the scouts with a sensational performance. As they converged on him afterward, his mother wept in joy. The Patriots selected him soon after in the seventh round of the 2005 draft. "He never would have gotten drafted if it wasn't for that workout," Carroll said.

10. Personal: Cassel married his longtime girlfriend Lauren Killian, a former USC volleyball player, in 2007. Carson Palmer was his best man. Cassell's older brother, Jack, pitched for the Houston Houston Astros in 2008 and signed in January 2009 with the Cleveland Indians. Justin is a pitcher for the Charlotte Knights, a AAA baseball affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Matt Cassel improves the Cowboys chances of winning the Super Bowl; Las Vegas says so


Staff
Published: 22 October 2015 12:06 AM
Updated: 22 October 2015 12:10 AM

Following injuries to franchise players Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, the Dallas Cowboys have been looking for anything and everything to spark their offensive production.

But who would have thought moving on to your third quarterback while still in the first half of the season could be the answer?

According to the Las Vegas sportsbook Bovada, the Cowboys chances of winning the Super Bowl this year have actually increased since naming Matt Cassel starting quarterback.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The betting public endorses a Weeden free Cowboys, loud and clear.

Where did we get that guy any damned way?

p1_ said:

The betting public endorses a Weeden free Cowboys, loud and clear.

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True, though that doesn't necessarily mean an endorsement for Cassel.

The odds of not-losing have increased from guaranteed loss (Weeden) to totally unknown (Cassel).

Every game won before Romo's return keeps us in the discussion. If we're 2-8 or 3-7 when Romo returns, it's probably curtains.

ravidubey said:

True, though that doesn't necessarily mean an endorsement for Cassel.

The odds of not-losing have increased from guaranteed loss (Weeden) to totally unknown (Cassel).

Every game won before Romo's return keeps us in the discussion. If we're 2-8 or 3-7 when Romo returns, it's probably curtains.

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So you're assuming that Romo misses more then the 8 weeks on injured reserve?

Cowboysrock55 said:

So you're assuming that Romo misses more then the 8 weeks on injured reserve?

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I'd like a little leeway to ease him back, yeah. I still have no idea how Troy returned so soon after breaking his collarbone in 1998. Tony seems more brittle if anything, and I worry about him breaking it again.

ravidubey said:

True, though that doesn't necessarily mean an endorsement for Cassel.

The odds of not-losing have increased from guaranteed loss (Weeden) to totally unknown (Cassel).

Every game won before Romo's return keeps us in the discussion. If we're 2-8 or 3-7 when Romo returns, it's probably curtains.

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Not probably.

ravidubey said:

I'd like a little leeway to ease him back, yeah. I still have no idea how Troy returned so soon after breaking his collarbone in 1998. Tony seems more brittle if anything, and I worry about him breaking it again.

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Romo came back fine from a collar bone break before didn't he?

L.T. Fan said:

Romo came back fine from a collar bone break before didn't he?

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Yes.

Iamtdg said:

Yes.

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In fact Romo has come back very well from all his injuries. Aikman on the other hand didn't recover well from his injuries and eventually had to leave the game because of injuries and concussions. Should we tell Ravi?

L.T. Fan said:

In fact Romo has come back very well from all his injuries. Aikman on the other hand didn't recover well from his injuries and eventually had to leave the game because of injuries and concussions. Should we tell Ravi?

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Nah, let him wander in the wilderness abyss.

L.T. Fan said:

Romo came back fine from a collar bone break before didn't he?

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Yes, but we aren't really sure what the timeline is until he is actually 100% recovered. The average on this type of injury is like 7 weeks. So the assumption is that he should be good to go after what is basically 9 weeks rest (8 weeks of the season, but 9 weeks in between games).

L.T. Fan said:

Romo came back fine from a collar bone break before didn't he?

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Not in the same year. Romo broke his collarbone game 6 of 2010 and never returned.

Troy broke his game 2 of 1998 and came back in game 8. Almost the first play of his return was a jailbreak sack on MNF vs. Dawkins and the Eagles, and Aikman got up fine. Cowboys crushed them and went to the playoffs.

Aikman had the one collarbone injury, but his whole deal was hanging in the pocket despite taking vicious hits on a regular basis. He wasn't breaking bones every five minutes.

This is Romo's 13th season and 10th as a starter. Dude's broken his ribs on multiple occasions, had two back surgeries, broke his floating ribs in his back, broke his pinky, jammed his hand, and broke his collar bone twice.
That's a lot of breakage, and it's gotten to the point where every time he's sacked I wonder if he'll get up. It's back to back years in which a QB hit has taken him out.

ravidubey said:

Not in the same year. Romo broke his collarbone game 6 of 2010 and never returned.

Troy broke his game 2 of 1998 and came back in game 8. Almost the first play of his return was a jailbreak sack on MNF vs. Dawkins and the Eagles, and Aikman got up fine. Cowboys crushed them and went to the playoffs.

Aikman had the one collarbone injury, but his whole deal was hanging in the pocket despite taking vicious hits on a regular basis. He wasn't breaking bones every five minutes.

This is Romo's 13th season and 10th as a starter. Dude's broken his ribs on multiple occasions, had two back surgeries, broke his floating ribs in his back, broke his pinky, jammed his hand, and broke his collar bone twice.
That's a lot of breakage, and it's gotten to the point where every time he's sacked I wonder if he'll get up. It's back to back years in which a QB hit has taken him out.

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I have to say Tony Romo is a tough mofo. He has been knocked the fuck out and gets back up and gets back in there for more. I never questioned his toughness.

ravidubey said:

This is Romo's 13th season and 10th as a starter. Dude's broken his ribs on multiple occasions, had two back surgeries, broke his floating ribs in his back, broke his pinky, jammed his hand, and broke his collar bone twice.
That's a lot of breakage, and it's gotten to the point where every time he's sacked I wonder if he'll get up. It's back to back years in which a QB hit has taken him out.

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You're making a mighty good argument for drafting a QB in the first round of the upcoming draft.

p1_ said:

I have to say Tony Romo is a tough mofo. He has been knocked the fuck out and gets back up and gets back in there for more. I never questioned his toughness.

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His mental toughness, never. I feel strongly that this guy can take a good team to a championship.

Physically he's become very brittle.

Cowboysrock55 said:

You're making a mighty good argument for drafting a QB in the first round of the upcoming draft.

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I feel Romo has 2-3 more good seasons left. If he misses 3 games a year on average I think we're OK with Matt Cassel (or some other experienced backup).

So if we draft a guy next year, it would have to be a Favre-Rodgers dynamic and the team will set itself back just like the Packers did by suppressing a 1st round pick for four years.

So we should only do it if a strong talent drops.

ravidubey said:

Not in the same year. Romo broke his collarbone game 6 of 2010 and never returned.

Troy broke his game 2 of 1998 and came back in game 8. Almost the first play of his return was a jailbreak sack on MNF vs. Dawkins and the Eagles, and Aikman got up fine. Cowboys crushed them and went to the playoffs.

Aikman had the one collarbone injury, but his whole deal was hanging in the pocket despite taking vicious hits on a regular basis. He wasn't breaking bones every five minutes.

This is Romo's 13th season and 10th as a starter. Dude's broken his ribs on multiple occasions, had two back surgeries, broke his floating ribs in his back, broke his pinky, jammed his hand, and broke his collar bone twice.
That's a lot of breakage, and it's gotten to the point where every time he's sacked I wonder if he'll get up. It's back to back years in which a QB hit has taken him out.

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Reason Romo didn't come back was the season was already lost.

L.T. Fan said:

Reason Romo didn't come back was the season was already lost.

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I might add he gets better after a comeback.

The Romo injuries are adding up, he can't keep going at this rate much longer.