Tag: Matt Cassel

NBC Sports asks Rutgers tight end Johnny Langan what Big Ten school has the ‘wildest student section’

Johnny Langan talks Big Ten with NBC Sports.

Johnny Langan has been known around the Rutgers football team as ‘Johnny Offense,’ given his versatility around the program. But it might be time to start calling him ‘Jersey Johnny’ instead.

Such is the love that Langan, a senior tight end, has for Rutgers and his home state of New Jersey.

In an interview with NBC Sports’ Matt Cassell during Big Ten Media Days, Langan was asked a series of questions to survey his thoughts about the Big Ten. His first question was about the top uniform in the conference, and he said that the Rutgers black-out uniforms were the best.

Two questions later, Langan was asked to give the best student section in the Big Ten.

“I have to go with the Scarlet Knights again. They show up every week, they bring the energy,” Langan told NBC Sports.

“Just great to have them on our side.”

He was then asked by Cassel to name the worst visiting locker rooms in the Big Ten. Langan’s answer likely resonated with other players from around the Big Ten.

“I remember my first year here, and then we’re going to go back this year. I remember Iowa they have that all-pink locker room,” Langan said.

“I’m sure that’s on purpose, they’re trying to have the worst locker room in the Big Ten and I think they take the cake.”

A 14-year veteran of the NFL, Cassel notably played at USC but never started a game during his college career. He is part of NBC’s lineup for Big Ten games this fall.

Cassel had a final question of Langan that was specific to tthe Scarlet Knights. He asked Langan who was the “best athlete to come out of your school all time, at the (sic) Rutgers.”

“I’m going to have to go Marco Battaglia,” Langan said.

Battaglia spent eight years in the NFL and won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is currently the Senior Advisor to the President of the Rutgers Foundation.

The full interview featuring Cassel and Langan can be found here:

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Former Patriots QB Matt Cassel reveals favorite ‘He’s HIM’ moment

Matt Cassel’s choice for the best “He’s HIM” moment in sports is fitting

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Former New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel had a hilarious response when answering a question asking about the biggest “He’s HIM” moment in sports.

Cassel went into the Patriots vault and shared a video of one of his most memorable plays with the team against the rival Buffalo Bills. It occurred during the 2008 season, when Cassel took over as the starting quarterback after Tom Brady tore his ACL.

The Patriots were on the road and ahead 13-0 late in the fourth quarter. It was 3rd-and-8 on the Patriots’ side of the field. However, instead of risking a conversion, New England called a punt play that Cassel nailed to perfection.

Cassel had a stellar career with the Patriots, and his best year came in that 2008 season. He went 327-of-516 that season, throwing for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Patriots went 11-5 and narrowly missed the playoffs.

Cassel had an active NFL career, but this highlight may be the one that stands out the most.

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Matt Cassel places Mac Jones near bottom of QB rankings heading into 2023

One former Patriots signal-caller is “still unsure” of Mac Jones at QB.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will be entering a pivotal third season in 2023.

It’s especially pivotal if he hopes to win over those skeptical of his abilities in the NFL, including former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel. In his early quarterback rankings for The 33rd Team, Cassel put together a list that placed Jones 25th of 32 quarterbacks in the league.

Jones struggled last season offensively, as did the entire unit. He threw for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He performed better as the season went on, but injuries and inconsistent play plagued him.

Cassel had Jones near the bottom of his list, along with the Cleveland Browns’ Jacoby Brissett, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Kenny Pickett, the Los Angeles Rams’ Baker Mayfield and the Houston Texans’ Davis Mills.

It’s safe to say Jones has a lot of question marks with his game, as Cassel wrote:

There were a lot of ups and downs for Mac Jones this past season. I’m still unsure of what type of quarterback he can be. But we will certainly find out with new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien returning to the New England Patriots this season.

There is a lot of intrigue surrounding how Jones will play in his third pro season. The signal-caller will have to take a big step to change the narrative and put the Patriots back into contention.

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Giants’ Darius Slayton shades Daniel Jones critics

New York Giants WR Darius Slayton recently took exception to some 2023 quarterback rankings and where Daniel Jones was placed in them.

Retired NFL quarterback Matt Cassel, now writing for The 33rd Team, released his “Way-Too-Early NFL Quarterback Rankings for 2023” this week and he views Daniel Jones of the New York Giants as someone who belongs in the middle of the pack.

Cassel dropped Jones in at No. 16 overall but left open the possibility for him to climb in the rankings.

Daniel Jones proved he can play. Now the New York Giants may have to prove they can pay. Jones is one of the more underrated arms in the league. He is accurate, and he has arm strength that doesn’t get talked about enough. He’s also become a hybrid pocket-running passer like we’re seeing more and more in the league right now. The future is bright for Jones.

Despite the praise for Jones, Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton took exception to the ranking and sounded off on Twitter.

Twitter immediately fired back at Slayton but the truth is, the receiver does have a point. Jones critics have frequently piled on for a lack of wins and no playoff appearances, but have now reversed course and dismissed that accomplishment. Instead, they’ve resorted to nitpicking whatever negative they can find even if it contradicts their previous criticisms.

Jones has become one of the most polarizing athletes in all of football and discussions about him are almost political in nature. Each side has their heels dug in and they refuse to budge. His teammates, meanwhile, continue to stump for him whenever the opportunity presents itself.

For Jones, having the support of his teammates is much more meaningful than having the support of Twitter, which isn’t a real place.

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Patriots’ history with the franchise tag under Bill Belichick

Here’s a look at the Patriots’ franchise tag history under Bill Belichick.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick rarely leans on the franchise tag in present-day negotiations with pending free agents. There was a time when he used it frequently as a negotiating tactic, but in the last eight years, only one player has been franchise tagged by the Patriots.

That run of not tagging players will likely continue in 2023 with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Jonathan Jones being the only legitimate tag candidates on the roster.

That isn’t to suggest both players don’t deserve pay raises. But it’s hard envisioning Belichick and the Patriots footing the bill for a rising price tag at positions they can address through free agency and the draft.

Still, for fun, let’s take a look at all of the Patriots players that have been franchise tagged over the years by Belichick.

Former Patriots coach pushes back on notion that Bill Belichick has changed

A former Patriots coach pushes back on comments that Bill Belichick has changed

Former New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel dropped an article that hinted on the idea that coach Bill Belichick had loosened his typical ruling with an iron fist on players’ comments to the media.

There have been remarks touching on concerns and uncertainties with the way the offense is being handled.

FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd took things a step further by saying the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach had changed. He pointed to the success, money and age being the primary culprit in the metamorphosis of Belichick.

Well, former Patriots assistant coach and former NFL head coach Eric Mangini disagreed with those comments, during an appearance on “The Herd.”

“I heard you talking about Bill yesterday when you said that he changed, and I don’t know many people in their 70s that changed,” said Mangini. “If anything, they become more ingrained in what they believe in. Bill has not changed. There’s been one comment from one guy. There wasn’t comments before. There hasn’t been comments after. And you’re not going to see anymore comments.

“That’s been handled. That’s been addressed. And there is a plan, and there is a consistent plan. And I can promise you that money hasn’t changed him. The fame hasn’t changed him. He’s been wealthy since he was in Cleveland.”

There aren’t many talking heads out there that know Belichick as well as Mangini. So his points are duly noted in this segment.

However, it will be interesting to see if other comments sneak through the cracks if the team struggles down the road. But so far, it has been dead silence since the initial comments—just like Mangini said.

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Former Patriots QB Matt Cassel sees a change in Bill Belichick

Matt Cassel sees a difference in this current version of Bill Belichick

Former New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel is surprised with the openness coach Bill Belichick is allowing the team to show in regards to many of the issues they’re facing this season.

One such issue is trying to replace former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with Matt Patricia as the new offensive play-caller. The team has also been working to implement a new offensive scheme within a unit still void of the play-making receivers that many of the other top teams in the AFC have on their roster.

Players have publicly expressed their concerns with the offense, which is a bit different from the buttoned-up teams of the past for the Patriots. In an article for NBC Boston, Cassel claimed Belichick would have addressed the comments by now.

“Open conversations are important to have. However, there’s a time and a place for them. It’s been strange for me to watch Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and to some extent Mac Jones making comments about the offense throwing certain things out and shifting its philosophy. Bill Belichick knows everything. He knows these comments are being made. And the Bill that I know would address it immediately. I don’t know if there would be consequences, but it would be addressed. It wouldn’t be one of those things that would be left open for people to wonder about what the comments meant.”

Meyers openly admitted that he questioned what the game plan was sometimes for the Patriots, and Bourne talked about the team scrapping some of the offense that wasn’t working.

It’s a bit different from the days when the Patriots players were looked at as robots in the media for a head coach that kept a tight lid on everything.

But then again, Cassel hasn’t played for the Patriots in 14 years. Belichick isn’t 56 years old anymore. He’s a 70-year-old man with three more Super Bowl rings on his fingers since Cassel’s time in New England.

So of course he’s changed.

Whether that leads to eventual wins or more losses for this Patriots team remains to be seen.

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Former Patriots QB Matt Cassel has high expectations for Mac Jones

Matt Cassel has high expectations for Mac Jones.

Heading into the 2021 season, New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones has had many expectations placed on him from several analysts. That continued for the former Alabama star earlier this week, when former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel gave his thoughts on Jones.

Castle played for the Patriots for four seasons from 2005-2008. Backing up Tom Brady, it would be safe to say that he has firsthand knowledge of high expectations placed on talented quarterbacks.

As for Jones, Cassel is very excited about what the rookie can bring to the table. Along with high expectations, he understands that Jones has the time needed to develop his game.

“My expectations are high for Mac Jones, but at the same time I know he has time to develop, which is nice for him because it’s a very complex system. Look, I grew up in that system. A lot goes into the terminology, the run checks, the in-game adjustments. There’s a lot of emphasis put on the quarterback to get you into the right plays. There’s going to be a steep learning curve and it’s going to be quick.”

With Jones impressing over the course of OTA’s and practices, the rookie undoubtedly has learned quite a bit over the past couple of weeks. It will be intriguing to see if he can deliver on the pundits’ high expectations.

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Former Chiefs QB Matt Cassel reflects on his tenure in Kansas City

Former #Chiefs QB Matt Cassel discussed his trade to Kansas City, Pro Bowl season, and thoughts on the team’s offseason moves | from @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have had several impactful quarterbacks come through the franchise, leaving their unique legacy. The tenure of former starting quarterback Matt Cassel may not have received the desired results, but it still had fleeting moments of success.

Recently Cassel appeared as a guest on the “Upon Further Review” podcast with Zach Brook discussed his trade to Kansas City, his Pro Bowl season, and thoughts on the team’s recent offseason movement.

”As that offseason started to go, I got franchised by the New England Patriots because Tom (Brady) had a little this, that and the other with his knee, you know, some, some concerns,” said Cassel recalling the 2009 offseason. “But then, as we started to see that Tom was going to be healthy. I figured I was going to get traded. And I didn’t really anticipate it being the Kansas City Chiefs, to be honest with you, even though Scott Pioli, who I had a relationship with from New England, went there.

“But when it all, actually all was said and done, I got a phone call from Bill (Belichick). And he said, ‘Matt, I want to thank you for what you did, you know, I’ve got a lot of respect for you. But we did trade you to the Kansas City Chiefs.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, here’s the next chapter at the same time. There’s a lot that goes into, when you get traded, you’re now the franchise guy, and you’re moving to a brand new city again, you have to build that relationships, that rapport with your team that’s looking at you as the figurehead.’ And there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with it, especially when you go to a struggling team in the prior years. We’re in a rebuilding process. So I knew it was going to be a difficult task to turn this thing around and get it going in the right direction.”

Cassel played four seasons in Kansas City, posting a disappointing 19-28 record during his span as a starter. He did have one successful season in 2010, leading the team to a division title, earning the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career.

”It was incredible, a remarkable accomplishment. You know, I set a goal early on that year that I wanted to, you know, win double-digit games, make the playoffs, you know, go as far as possible,” Cassel said. “Obviously, the ultimate goal is always to do that. But after the first year that we had there, we were on the struggle bus, we won four games. I said, ‘Let’s get into double digits, let’s make playoffs win the AFC West.’ And that’s what we’re able to do.

“And then, to get the honor of going to the Pro Bowl was just icing on the cake. And it was something that I kind of sat there, and I was just like, ‘I just got a phone call to go the Pro Bowl. I hugged my wife, and you know, a lot of hard work went into it, and it’s obviously not all me.’

Cassel showed pride and appreciation for his fellow Chiefs teammates, who helped him accomplish his personal and team goals.

“I had a lot of great help along the way with you know, all my teammates Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe went to the Pro Bowl that year; he was incredible,” Cassel said. “My offensive line did a great job. So I give credit to those guys. But I got to go and be at the pinnacle of, you know, pro sports, which is sitting there next to Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers, and Drew Brees and Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and all these guys, Matt Ryan was there. You get to hang out with your peers, you know, and that, to me, was a special moment, I’ll never forget, I flew my family out, my brothers, my sister, her my wife’s family just to be there and experience it because it’s so unique, you know, to be there amongst greatness. And so I always will covet that moment for sure.”

The 14-year veteran has served as an NFL analyst since returning to the league after the 2018 season. Cassel shared his thoughts on the transactions made by Chiefs general manager Brett Veach heading into the new year, expressing optimism for the rebuilt offensive line.

”I love that. I mean, with Fisher and Schwartz, you know, at the end of the year being out and moving on from them, but then going and getting Orlando Brown Jr. From the Ravens,” Cassel said. “That was huge. Bringing in Joe Thuney from the Patriots. I mean, that’s really what they need to do is fortify that line. Because if they protect Patrick Mahomes, I mean, we all know, what a special player he is, and then not only that he’s surrounded by guys like Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, I mean, they were able to get (Demarcus) Robinson and resign him as well. So they’re gonna have all the weapons that they had at their disposal last year. Now, if they can sure up that offensive line, keep that offensive line healthy. I mean, they’re going to be just as explosive and exciting of a team to watch as they have been in the past.”

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Chiefs legend Jamaal Charles talks playoff experience, Browns matchup

Chiefs legend Jamaal Charles talks about his NFL playoff experiences and his expectations for the Chiefs-Browns divisional playoff game.

Kansas City Chiefs all-time rushing yards leader Jamaal Charles has more than cemented his legendary status in franchise history. The four-time Pro Bowler holds several NFL records, including most receiving touchdowns by a running back in a single game, and most career yards-per-carry for a running back.

Charles recently teamed up with Crown Royal this season, encouraging football fans to stay safe, support their community, and drink responsibly while rooting on teams during the NFL season. Chiefs Wire contributing writer Ed Easton Jr. recently sat down with Charles to talk about his work with Crown Royal, his expectations for this Sunday’s divisional-round battle with the Cleveland Browns and more.

Chiefs Wire: Tell us about your partnership with Crown Royal

Charles: “This football season, I teamed up with Crown Royal to make sure wherever you watching the game to drink responsibly, and stay safe, don’t ruin games for family and friends.”

Chiefs Wire: What are your thoughts on this year’s Chiefs squad heading into Sunday’s game

Charles: “I’m ready to get it on. I’m looking forward to watching the Browns and the Chiefs this week seeing Kareem (Hunt) come back home and try and take vengeance against his former team. I want to see what Baker Mayfield is about to do against the defense, and I want to see Pat (Patrick Mahomes) on the field. I want to see Travis (Kelce) and Tyreek (Hill) and all the great weapons they have on offense, it’s gonna be interesting. As long as the Chiefs don’t start like last weekend with the Steelers against the Browns, they have a great chance at moving on to the next round.”

Chiefs Wire: What are your thoughts on Chiefs’ first-year running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire?

Charles: “He’s having a great year thus far. He’s represented the number [Jersey No. 25] very well. His yards after contact is up there like Derrick Henry if he just comes back healthy. I know the Chiefs would be successful at how he opens the game up for Pat (Patrick Mahomes).”

Chiefs Wire: What was the mood during your first playoff game?

Charles: “It was fun. I played Baltimore in my first game in the playoffs; most people don’t understand that it’s a different building, a different level, a different emotion in the playoffs. I was very upset we lost against Baltimore; it was a tough team playing against Ray Lewis, and basically, we had Matt Cassel. It was just hard to try and put together a game plan, but we could’ve easily won that game.”

Chiefs Wire: Can you describe what was going through your mind when you became the Chiefs all-time leading rusher in 2014?

Charles: “I was just excited to do it excited to get over the hurdle to be the leading rusher in franchise history; that was one of the milestones I wanted to accomplish, and I did, and I was excited. I’m still happy that I am still the Chiefs leading rusher to this day, I don’t stop and stare, but I’m excited to be on the list.”

Chiefs Wire: What makes Andy Reid’s coaching style so unique? 

Charles: “Andy Reid knows how to get the ball to his best players hands, and he also knows to put them in space and make people miss you just gotta do the rest. He’s a great caller you got coach (Eric) Bieniemy that’s helping him out as well; he was there when I was there as well. He put everything in detail, which helps you, even more.”

Chiefs Wire: Were there any similarities between Travis Kelce and Tony Gonzalez? 

Charles: “My first year when I played with Tony (Gonzalez) he was a guy that every time he went on the practice field, he used to run his own routes while the defense was on, I’d be like, ‘what are you doing’, and he just is over there running routes catching a lot of passes throughout the entire practice. And I know playing with (Travis) Kelce, he used to do that as well at a young age and go and catch like 100 balls a day with the jug machine. I saw all that coming with Kelce; he’s gonna be a great player. When he was a rookie, he was doing spectacular stuff. Being able to play with him while I was there, I knew he was a great route runner, I knew he was gonna be one of the best tight ends in the league today.”

Chiefs Wire: What advice would you give the Chiefs regarding utilizing the Arrowhead Stadium fan energy? 

Charles: “Take the energy that you get from the crowd. I know it’s not the same like they experienced last year from the playoffs but be thankful for what you have, be thankful that you have fans. Most people didn’t have fans throughout the entire season so make those fans happy and shout for them because hopefully will be back together next year will have a sold-out stadium. We just have to deal with what we have now; we’re still in a pandemic.”

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