Can Matt Cassel Take The New England Patriots All The Way?

Tom Willock — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:47:35 -0400

The career backup finally gets his shot.

It was truly a sad day in New England when news came out that Tom Brady was out for the season, but as usual Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots saw it as an opportunity to prove they are a "team"—not just a group of players led by last year's MVP.

As of today, Cassel has the 4th highest completion percentage in the NFL at 67.3%. This is evidence that he has the skills needed to play quarterback in the NFL. As the offence continues to play together, they will improve their timing and learn the tendencies of their new leader.

Cassel's strong, accurate arm should allow his receivers to play the way they are used to under Brady's leadership. He has been in New England for three seasons, so he knows the playbook as well as anyone.

All they really need is time. You should see the Patriots improve each week offensively.

The only thing that could possibly keep the Patriots from winning the AFC East—yet again—will be their defense.

If their defensive backs can remain healthy for the remainder of the season, you should see the defense improve each week as well. With the number of new faces on defense, once again, all they will need is time.

In the end, they have the best coach in the NFL with Bill Belichick, the best owner in the NFL with Robert Kraft, and the greatest fans in the world.

Only time will tell if the Patriots—under the helm of Matt Cassel—can continue to be this century's greatest team.

In this fan's opinion, I still expect greatness from the NFL's most recent dynasty, the New England Patriots.

Kimbo Slice: A Class Act

Tom Willock — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:23:56 -0400

Last week, some of us witnessed Kimbo Slice get knocked out in 14 seconds.

I was expecting excuses and a bad attitude from Kimbo when the fight was over. Instead, he showed professionalism and class. He congratulated Seth Petruzelli on his victory, without even a hint of an excuse.

To me, this shows how Kimbo has truly become a professional. Sure, he trained for a ground battle with Ken Shamrock but ended up fighting an unknown at the extreme last minute. A lot of experts had been claiming Elite XC was setting Kimbo up for disaster from the very beginning of his career. I have been a fan of Kimbo from the start, and I will remain so.

Hopefully, the public can understand that this happens in such a violent, and sensitive sport. We can all enjoy future Kimbo events, if we look at it like any other professional sport. Every top fighter has lost at some point in time, other than Rocky Marciano.

Really, in my opinion, this may have been the best thing. If Kimbo had lost to an aging Shamrock, rather than a young prospect, it may have really hurt his credibility. I look forward to watching Kimbo come back from this loss with ease. His trainer, Bas Rutten, is a savvy veteran who will bring Kimbo through this, and make him a better fighter for it.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Tom Willock

Can Matt Cassel Take The New England Patriots All The Way?

Kimbo Slice: A Class Act