The troubling sign for Cassel and company is as I have written before, their inability to finish drives. Despite working on red-zone offense all week in practice, this previous week, their only red zone touchdown today came courtesy of an Ellis Hobbs 81 yard kick-return which left them a very short field to work with.
The Patriots face an urgent situation. Cassel's inability to finish drives seems to be affecting the morale of the offense. Welker took issue with a telegraphed lateral throw, and another sign was the unspeakable happening: Randy Moss taking off a big play, on a crucial third and eight on the first drive of the second half. Cassel's throw was on the money for once, but Moss did not reach.
Fortunately for them, they now have two weeks to think things over. One thing is for certain, the training wheels have to come off now. They can no longer play conservative. Either the coaches will have to put their faith in Cassel and allow him the long bomb, or they go with O'Connell.
Of course the loss of Tom Brady can be interpreted as letting the Patriots off the hook big time in terms of expectations for this season, but that team is a very proud team. They take their accomplishments seriously. They are professionals. In that regard, something has to happen to keep everything in order.
I would not be surprised if O'Connell starts at some point during this season, and I hope it is not courtesy of an injury. But, as I have written in my other articles, I am a fan of his ability to read, and his great field vision and poise. For right now, however, the Patriots' last loss came against the Dolphins, 21 games ago, and so does their first loss, a set of bookends nobody would have predicted; quite the bitter pill to swallow, and quite the reality check.
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