FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -Coach Bill Belichick needs more than one exhibition game to decide which players to keep and which to cut.
That may be a good thing for Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel.
The seventh-round pick out of Southern California in 2005 faces probably the biggest challenge to his role as Tom Brady’s backup and was the least impressive of three quarterbacks who played in New England’s 16-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Thursday night’s exhibition opener.
“Preseason is really important to me, like all these guys” he said. “We’re working hard and this is where you get better.”
Cassel has been in the unfortunate position of backing up outstanding quarterbacks in college – Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart – and in the NFL. He threw just 33 passes in college and 39 in his three pro seasons.
Now even his job as a backup may be in jeopardy with second-year pro Matt Gutierrez and rookie third-round draft pick Kevin O’Connell vying for it.
“We can’t base anything on one game,” Belichick said Friday, speaking generally and not specifically about quarterbacks. “We will just have to keep working on all the areas that we have identified that need improvement. A lot of guys got playing time. Some guys got quite a bit.”
The three quarterbacks split time about evenly while Brady got the night off and watched from the sidelines.
Cassel and receiver Chad Jackson had some communication problems that led to incompletions.
Belichick takes issues like that into consideration when evaluating quarterbacks.
“I don’t think it is very different than the other positions,” he said. “Sometimes the player doesn’t have the opportunity to be productive on a particular play, whether that is because of what the other team is doing or maybe because of another breakdown.
“Then there are other times when he does. In the end, the bottom line is how do you feel the player’s production on any given play is rated toward the potential, or what he could have done or he should have been able to do in that particular situation.”
Cassel played the first three series and completed one of four passes for 11 yards and an interception. Gutierrez, signed last year as a rookie free agent, took over with 12:01 left in the second quarter and played five series, going 10-for-16 for 76 yards and one interception with three sacks and one lost fumble.
O’Connell, who played at San Diego State, came in with 4:53 left in the third quarter and played the final four series. He went 6-for-13 for 57 yards and one interception.
“I’m sure Kevin learned a lot,” Belichick said. “I’m sure the next time he gets an opportunity to play he will try to take some of the experiences he had last night and build off those.”
That could come Aug. 17 in the next exhibition game at Tampa Bay. Brady could play then, which would reduce the time available for the other three quarterbacks.
“I think every day is important, whether it’s a game or practice or a meeting,” Gutierrez said. “We’re always competing and trying to get better.”
O’Connell may be the most likely of the three backups to stick with the team because the Patriots chose him in the third round. They’ll probably keep three quarterbacks and maybe all four.
“It’s definitely a new experience, but I was prepared to play well by the coaches,” O’Connell said.
Cassel has had three full years of preparation but isn’t guaranteed a fourth pro season.
“You just have to come back next week, watch some film, try to get better and move on,” he said.
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