Kansas City Chiefs' Matt Cassel Can Become Elite QB in 2011

Matt Cassel will be entering his third season as the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.

In his first season with the Chiefs, there was definitely a gestation period.  It was only his second season as a starting quarterback, including college.  There was a complete makeover in Kansas City, most notably a new coach, as former Arizona Cardinals assistant Todd Haley took over for Herman Edwards in 2009.

Scott Pioli took over as the Chief's' new GM in 2009 adding to the changes made in Kansas City. Pioli was the Vice President of player personnel for the New England Patriots 2001-2008.  Pioli helped the patriots win three Super Bowls during his tenure.

After Cassel’s so-so season in 2009, (16 touchdowns against 16 interceptions), a lot of fans might have written him off and chalked up his decent season with the New England Patriots in 2008 to being the product of a great system.  

Cassel was named the starter after a knee injury to Tom Brady in the season opener sidelined him for the year. The former USC backup tossed 21 touchdowns with 11 interceptions and totaled 3,693 yards passing.  The Patriots won 11 games in 2008 with Cassel as the starter, but failed to make the playoffs.

There is no doubt that backing up Brady has played a big part in his development, so in Cassel’s case, being a backup wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

In 2010, things started to change for Cassel and the Chiefs.

Haley and Pioli quickly changed the culture in Kansas City and the Chiefs started to win, and a lot of that had to do with Cassel. The Chiefs went from a 4-12 in 2009 to 10-6 in 2010, winning the AFC West.

Don’t get me wrong, credit for the Chiefs' success can be spread around to a lot of different players.  Running back Jamaal Charles burst onto the scene with a breakout year.  Speaking of breakout years, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe had one as well.

Everything starts with the quarterback, though, and Cassel was a true leader on this team, putting up big numbers.  Cassel threw 27 touchdowns with only seven interceptions and totaled 3,116 yards passing with a 93.3 quarterback rating. Cassel was awarded for his efforts by being selected to play in the Pro Bowl.

The sky could be the limit for this once career backup.  With the addition of wide receiver Steve Breaston from the Arizona Cardinals taking a little pressure off Bowe, Cassel’s numbers could skyrocket.  Charles will have something to say abut the offense as well.

With Bowe and Charles on the cusp of being full-blown stars, Cassel will reap the benefits in 2011.

Again, I stress the fact that this kid has always been a backup, and now he has three years as a starting quarterback under his belt and he is with a team headed in the right direction.  Everything seems to be falling in place for Cassel and the Chiefs to excel in 2011.

All of this praise for Cassel and the Chiefs is coming from an Oakland Raiders fan, so trust me, this was not easy.  In fact, I may have thrown up in my mouth a little while bringing you this piece, but I have to tell it like it is.