Cassel Of Dreams

Matt Cassel was a back-up. If an offensive lineman's production is described by the fact that you never have to say his number, then a back-up quarterback lives for anonymity. And for his entire career, Matt Cassel was a great back-up quarterback.

Until this season, Patriots fans' lasting impression of Cassel would be from December 23, 2007. Tom Brady was pulled for the afternoon, after already tossing five touchdown passes against a woeful Miami Dolphins team that was racking up its 14th loss, while the Patriots were headed to their 15th win of the season.

In stepped Cassel, for his first major work of the season, promptly throwing an interception to defensive end Jason Taylor, who returned the pick for a touchdown.

Brady was inserted back into the game, and quickly racked up his franchise record sixth touchdown pass of the game.

Fast forward a season later to the Patriots' second game against Miami, and Cassel is doing things that no one named Brady has ever done. Cassel was in the midst of recording his second straight 400-yard game.

Brady has never had more than one in his entire career.

When Brady was the quarterback, for all of seven minutes in the 2008 season, there were no questions about the offense. Once Brady went down, the Patriots' season was dead in the water, with the prospect of Cassel leading the team fated to go nowhere near the playoffs.

Now, 11 games later, it is the defense, not Cassel, that will ultimately be the downfall of the Patriots' '08 season.

No one expects the Patriots to win the Super Bowl, implying that eventually the Patriots must be knocked out of the playoffs (should they make it there at all). As incredible as it sounds, Cassel will not be the reason that the Patriots do not win a Super Bowl.

Gone are the games in which Patriots' fans could not trust Cassel to win a game, not just manage it. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has implemented the Patriots' 2007 offense back into their game plan, and for two straight games, Cassel has shown the ability to handle it.

Cassel does not have the same arm that Brady has. But he has shown the decision-making ability that has allowed him to keep all of his weapons open, which has wreaked havoc on good defenses.

Cassel is not Brady, but both will be starting quarterbacks in the 2009 season.