When Charlie Weis was first brought on with the Chiefs, he said that his ultimate and number one goal was to "fix the quarterback." This, of course, created some buzz and I'm sure everyone remembers him saying that famous quote over a year ago.
For the fans, the quote by Weis just made the struggle that Matt Cassel faced during his first year in Kansas City that much more evident. Many good quarterbacks have struggled in a season or two during their career and it's accepted, but Cassel hadn't proven that he was a good quarterback yet (some would argue he still hasn't). That, coupled with the $63 million deal he received before the start of the 2009 season, made a lot of fans upset and nervous about the Chiefs' future.
Were these concerns fair? Was Weis's statement about fixing Cassel warranted?
Let's look at the stats:
Starting 15 games for the Patriots and playing the majority of the other (against the Chiefs) in 2008, Cassel went 327 for 516 (63.4%) passing for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. This was good for an 89.4 qb rating and a Patriots 11-5 record.
In his first season with the Chiefs in 2009, Cassel went 271 for 493 (55%) passing for 2,924 yards, 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The result was a 69.9 qb rating and a 3-12 record (he was absent from the season opener).
This was a clear drop off from his performance in New England, but were they "fix" worthy numbers. Clearly Cassel was surrounded by greater talent in New England than his first season in KC, but should that lack of talent effect a quarterback as badly as it did with Cassel? Was Cassel just having trouble adjusting from one team to the other? Was Cassel a victim of a fired offensive coordinator right before the start of the season? Did Haley call plays like he was coaching Kurt Warner again?
The third question is probably the most logical one. Trent Green had the worst full season of his career in his first year with the Chiefs, throwing for 17 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Donovan McNabb was coming off one of his best statistical seasons in 2009 with the Eagles before being traded to the Redskins, where he had arguably his worst season since his rookie year. Other examples aren't lacking either.
Was Cassel just going through a transition like these, hopefully like Green's (who went on to two Pro Bowls)?
Clearly, there are a lot of variables that could lead to an answer, but all of them are just speculation. The fact of the matter is, Cassel vastly improved this season and Weis is credited with fixing him.
Well, now that Cassel is seemingly fixed, it now becomes Jim Zorn's job, who was recently hired as the qb coach, to continue to develop Cassel (who turns 29 in May), and the rest of our quarterbacks (which could include one drafted this season [that might be the most important one of all]).
Hopefully, Cassel can continue to improve. Now that he's "fixed," and he's heading into his third season with the Chiefs, there can be no more excuses, only advancement. If Cassel continues to put up the numbers like he did in 2010, then the Chiefs don't have anything to worry about.
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