Cassel steps up, manages victory.

Byline: Rich Garven

COLUMN: RICH GARVEN

FOXBORO - One of the biggest questions surrounding the Patriots has finally been answered. For one day, at least.

What, we all have wondered, would ever happen should Tom Brady (insert: God forbid, knock on wood, etc.) ever get hurt? Now we know.

An injured Brady departed 7 minutes, 33 seconds into the Patriots' season opener yesterday against the Kansas City Chiefs. He did not return, and multiple media outlets were reporting last night the All-Pro quarterback's next game would be in 2009, his season over due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Down went Brady, and in came Matt Cassel, a career backup who is owned in like zero fantasy leagues (until yesterday). What lay in store was anyone's guess, even for the guy stepping in for a legend.

"I didn't really know what was going to happen," Cassel said. "I've been here for four years, and every time he's been knocked down, he's gotten right back up. I was just anticipating that being the next move, but I guess it was what it was, and they said, `You're going in.' So I buckled my chinstrap and got ready to go."

Cassel was sacked four times, intercepted once and threw no touchdowns during a disastrous preseason, leading to rampant speculation he wouldn't survive the final roster cut-down. But Cassel survived getting axed and mostly thrived in Brady's place while "managing" - that was the buzzword afterward - the Patriots to a 17-10 victory.

It was the first meaningful game Cassel had played a significant role in since high school. He served as an understudy to Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and, since being drafted in the seventh round in 2005, has served as Brady's backup.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time," the easy-going Californian said. "To be out there and get this win and have it be a real team victory, because the defense and special teams, everybody played well. To have it be a team win and do it on the field felt really spectacular."

Cassel made one spectacular play, but mostly was simply efficient while finishing 13 of 18 for 152 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked twice, but wasn't intercepted and also displayed a trait rarely seen by Brady, scrambling four times for 13 yards with a long gain of 9.

It was all shocking, to say the least, considering how un-electrifying Cassel looked while starting all four preseason games in Brady's absence.

"I'll tell you what, he took a lot of heat in the offseason," left tackle Matt Light said. "His job as the backup quarterback is to understand everything we do on offense and be able to step in there and perform at a high level. That's what's expected of him, and that's what he did."

Cassel did receive a lot of criticism from fans and the media for his play in the practice games. Trouble was, he brought it on himself with poorly thrown passes and a jittery pocket presence.

He looked much sharper against the Chiefs, who were 4-12 a year ago but fielded one of the NFL's better defenses. The Patriots finished with 338 yards while converting 7 of 13 third-down opportunities.

Cassel took the field to a standing ovation from the Flying Elvis Faithful. Most of the crowd remained on their feet to see what he and the Patriots had in them.

It wasn't much to start, as Sammy Morris twice averted being tackled in the end zone while losing a yard. That left the ball at the New England 1-yard line.

Then the Patriots did exactly what they would have done were Brady out there, calling for a pass to Randy Moss. Cassel, off play action, let it fly up top to Moss, who was brought down 51 yards later.

"We had a few handoffs just to say, `Look, I'm going to be playing here,'" Cassel said. "You just take a deep breath, and you get going. After that pass, though, it definitely calmed the nerves down a bit, and I said, `I can do this,' and `Let's roll.'"

The Patriots rolled all the way down the field, Moss pulling in a 10-yard pass underneath the goalposts to cap a 10-play drive and give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. Late in the third quarter, Cassel directed another drive of 10 plays, this one covering 80 yards and extending the advantage to 14-3.

It got a little shaky at the end, but the defense held firm, and the Patriots are now 1-0. Cassel is the hero for a week, but there are 15 games to go, and apparently we are all, for better or worse, about to find what life without Brady is really like.

Cassel by the numbers

Comp. Att. Yards Pct. Long TD INT

13 18 152 72.2 51 1 0

NAME: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS