Cassel to Follow an Old Path to the Playoffs

Did QB Matt Cassel's performance on Thursday remind you of something? Does the spread formation throughout the second half and the big numbers bring you back to a moment in Patriots history?

Well think about this. It was exactly 14 years ago Thursday that Drew Bledsoe had his coming out party. With the team down by 20 to the Minnesota Vikings, Bledsoe was given the keys to the car in the second half and he put the pedal to the metal. Drew shifted the offense into no-huddle overdrive and tied the game 20-20. In overtime, the Patriots got the ball first and never gave the Vikings' offense a chance. Bledsoe directed the winning drive, culminating in a beautiful play-action touchdown pass to fullback Kevin Turner.

Bledsoe finished the game 45-of-70 for 426 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He set NFL records for pass attempts and completions that are still standing. That was the beginning of a six-game winning streak for the Pats. They finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and a playoff birth.

The result for Cassel on Thursday wasn't a win, but everything else is like going back in time. He led the team back from 18 points down to the New York Jets with a pass-first offensive attack (New England rushed the ball seven times in the second half, four by Cassel). Matt threw a pin-point touchdown to Randy Moss at the front corner of the endzone. Cassel became the first player in NFL history to pass for 400 yards and rush for more than 60 in one game.

And maybe, if the Patriots won the coin toss, Cassel would had finished the job and led a game-winning drive. But that wasn't the case as the offense never returned to the field.

The good news though, is the Pats are 6-4 with six games remaining on the schedule, as opposed to 1994's 3-6 record before the Minnesota win. The Pats don't have to go undefeated from here on out to secure a playoff spot. Four more wins likely will be enough to reach the post season and all remaining games are win-able.

Cassel doesn't have to be Bledsoe for the stretch run. Just keep on being Matt Cassel for the rest of the year and that should be enough to reach the post-season.