Matt Cassel may have been a disappointment for the Chiefs last year, but the sixth year quarterback is earning his pay this season. Cassel has played turnover-free football, throwing for 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions all season. In fact, Cassel had gone 163 pass attempts without interception until Kevin Dockery picked him off in the first quarter of Sunday’s clash with the Rams.
Cassel did not look his best against the Rams but he played well enough to win against a pretty good defense. He went 15/29 for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception against St. Louis. Cassel also carried six times for 17 yards including a 13-yard run to pick up a key first down. The numbers certainly were not spectacular but it was Cassel’s accomplishment that stood out; the former Patriot was playing for the first time since undergoing surgery to remove his appendix on December 7th.
After missing last weekend’s critical contest in San Diego and being limited in practice all week, Cassel did not know how his conditioning would be for the game. He even said he didn’t do much in pregame warmups to conserve energy for the game.
Cassel may not be an MVP candidate or even the best offensive playmaker on his team (Jamaal Charles is, thank you), but Cassel deserves recognition for his steady season and for playing through pain. Even though it was a laparoscopic procedure, it’s impressive that Cassel could come back from surgery so quickly to lead his team to victory on Sunday.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Tom Gannam
