The Chiefs have yet to give any hints that they are dissatisfied with their starting quarterback, Matt Cassel. But if in private moments they’re looking for encouragement that trading for a young, largely untested quarterback can indeed pay dividends, they need to look no further than the opposition in Sunday’s game against the Texans in Houston.
Houston’s Matt Schaub, like Cassel, was once traded from another team where he had no apparent future other than as a backup. Schaub has succeeded to the point that the Texans view him as a franchise quarterback.
“In this league, you’ve got to feel good about that position and you’ve got to have one, or it’s tough to be successful,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “Sometimes you have to make some moves to go get you one, and sometimes you have to take a risk to get one and he may not have played much football. It’s a matter of you doing your homework and believing in what you’re getting, and sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t.”
So far, at least, Schaub has worked out better for the Texans than Cassel for the Chiefs. Schaub was acquired by Houston in a 2007 trade with Atlanta, which at the time entrusted its future at quarterback to Michael Vick.
Schaub was the AFC’s starting quarterback in the Pro Bowl last season, when he led the NFL in passing yardage.
Cassel had one solid season as the starter in 2008 with New England, where he replaced the injured Tom Brady. He’s still trying to establish himself since coming to the Chiefs in last year’s trade.
Cassel this season has had a few shining moments, the most notable being his 250-yard, three-touchdown game last month against the 49ers. Otherwise, he has one of the league’s worst completion percentages (54.7) despite trying a small number of long passes. The Chiefs have tried fewer passes than all but one other NFL team, making it appear they have little confidence in their passing game.
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