Projo Pats Blog

BY ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- Denver coach Mike Shanahan has a lot of respect for both Tom Brady and Matt Cassel.

"We all know what Tom Brady has done and what he has meant to the Patriots and the National Football League in general," Shanahan said. "[Facing] Tom, you could never make the right call. Tom would get you in protections with the long counts. No matter what blitz you had he would be able to redirect the offensive line to the right blitzer. If you did get a guy free, he would know where his third or fourth wide receiver was.

"That just takes some time. One of the reasons he is arguably the best in the game is just how he has played and how many games he has won. It takes quarterbacks time. That just doesn't happen over night. Matt will just keep on getting better and better as he experiences the offense. I am just hoping he doesn't do it [tonight]."

Having coached Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and then Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, and Jay Cutler, Shanahan knows what Cassel is going through having to take over for a franchise icon.

"It is impossible to do," Shanahan said. "Especially with the three Super Bowls and how [Brady] has played and how many games New England won in a row. Anytime you play behind a legend it is almost impossible. At least with the interviews I have seen with Matt he seems like he handles it really well. Tom has helped him. You have to understand you have to forget about the critics and just concentrate on the job at hand and that is what he is doing."

Cutler is glad that he wasn't the one to immediately replace Elway.

"It's tough," Cutler said. "I think Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the game right now and to have to go in and replace him with limited experience in college and limited experience in the NFL would be tough. Especially how high the bar has been set over there with what they did last year and what they accomplished offensively. I can't image having to do that."

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