Brady may be an extreme rags-to-Armani tale, but NFL history has its share of backup QBs who were questioned when they first stepped under center and ultimately canonized for their performance. Cassel will attempt to join the likes of Brady, Earl Morrall, Kurt Warner, and his opposite number today, Brett Favre, as second-string quarterbacks who proved to be first-rate.
Perhaps the patron saint of reserve signal-callers is Morrall, who twice rescued Don Shula teams and led them all the way to the Super Bowl.
In 1968, when Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas hurt his arm during the preseason, Morrall led the Baltimore Colts to the NFL championship and an appearance in Super Bowl III, winning league MVP honors along the way. He reprised his super-sub role for the undefeated Miami Dolphins in 1972, when Bob Griese broke his leg during the fifth game of the season. Morrall led Miami to nine wins as a starter during the regular season and two more in the playoffs, before Griese capped the perfect season (17-0) in Super Bowl VII.
The 74-year-old Morrall, who now lives in Naples, Fla., said the best piece of advice he can offer Cassel is to stay within himself.
"Don't try a lot of heroics. Just play smart," said Morrall. "You've got to just work with what you're given and keep the confidence of the guys. Don't try to do foolish things out there."
That's what Cassel did last week against the Chiefs, when he led the Patriots on a 98-yard touchdown drive.
"He came in and he did a great job taking control of the huddle," said left guard Logan Mankins. "No one started losing their mind or tried to talk. We just let Cassel run the show, and he did a good job of it."
A cautionary tale
When Morrall replaced Unitas in 1968, he was a 34-year-old veteran with 64 career starts. However, he had spent just one week in Baltimore's system. Cassel has had four years in New England.
"That's so important," said Shula. "That's one of the toughest things for a quarterback - to go from one system to another, no matter how good you are.
