Personalized Playbook

After two games, it looks like QB Matt Cassel has been asked to not screw it up. Pretty much every pass has been underneath or behind the line of scrimmage. "Manage the game" they all say.

It's not working. Against the Jets, the Patriots were 6-of-14 on third down. It was even worse against Miami as the offense went 4-of-15. The story in the red zone is similar. New England was held to one-of-five by the Jets and one-of-three by the Dolphins. That's 25 percent of the time in the red zone, the Patriots score a touchdown. That's not good enough.

Obviously, the coaches have to open up the playbook and encourage Cassel to throw downfield more. It doesn't have to be seam routes 45 yards downfield. Intermediate routes like posts just over the linebackers or dig routes across the field would be a first step towards making the offense more productive.

But I wonder if just changing the routes is all the coaches have to do.

Cassel's build is very similar to Tom Brady's. The Pats do a good job of finding players that fit the system. This is a offense designed for a drop back passer. Cassel is tall enough to see over the line and has the strong arm to stand and deliver the ball to his targets.

But there's a difference between the passers. Cassel is significantly more athletic than Brady. If Cassel has the wheels, why leave him in park?

I'm not saying run Cassel as if he's Michael Vick. But if he can use his legs to simplify his job, the coaching staff should create ways to use Matt's ability to his advantage.

Because teams haven't seen these kinds of plays from New England, they would be caught off-balance. Starting with roll-out passes to give Cassel the option to pass or run, eventually defenses become indecisive about whether to go after Cassel or remain in coverage. It also would be a good way to teach Cassel when to throw the ball away and try again.

Another play that would be good in short yardage situations are designed quarterback draws. New England likes spread formations. It spreads the defense across the field and can create lanes for Cassel to exploit. A residual effect could be a hesitant pass rush as defenders become mindful about not losing containment.

I may not know much, but I do know that staying the course won't get the Patriots very far. The key to Brady's successful 2001 season was adjusting the offense to make it work for Brady. This offense as-is doesn't seem fully catered to Cassel's abilities. More adjustments are needed to get more out of the Cassel-led offense.