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August 30, 2007

The other QBs get their chance

BY PAUL KENYON
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- The numbers were strong, even if the conditions under which they were obtained were not exactly typical.

How about 17 completions in 25 attempts for 198 yards with one interception, and an offense that produced 22 first downs and 27 points?

That’s what the Patriots received from their quarterbacks in their 27-20 victory over the Giants Thursday night, even though Tom Brady never got off the bench. On a night when it was difficult to get excited about anything, with the regulars all watching from the sidelines, the work by the backup quarterbacks had to be encouraging, at the least, for Patriots’ fans.

There are some questions the Pats hope they never have to answer this season, one of the biggest being what would happen if Brady was injured. But the two guys who will be the guys called upon if something does happen to Brady -- Matt Cassel and Vinny Testaverde -- both looked solid.

''We went out there and executed and did a good job tonight as a good lead-in to the regular season,'' Cassel said. ''Everybody gave 110 percent effort. That’s all you can ask.''

Cassel started and played nearly a half. He was 10-for-14 for 99 yards and guided the team on a 13-play, 87-yard march as well as another drive that resulted in a field goal.

''As an offense, we moved the ball pretty well. We were moving up and down the field,'' Cassel said in a fair assessment. ''Overall, I’d say our execution was pretty good. There are a lot of things we still need to work on , but getting out there and getting another start under my belt, even if it is preseason, is a great experience for me. I tried to do the best with it.

''I feel confident,'' he added. ''I’ve been here for three years. I feel confident in the system. I feel confident in the guys around me. God forbid, if something was to happen . . . ''

When Cassel went out, Testaverde, the 21-year veteran who rejoined the team after the completion of two-a-days, took over. He kept the offense moving as he went 7-for-11 for 99 yards and showed a nice touch on several of his passes. He appreciated the chance to see his first action of the season.

''It’s always important for players to get as much work as possible, whatever the circumstances may be,'' he said.

''Overall, I was satisfied. I think there are some things there to be worked on, but going out there seeing coverages, the speed of the game was where I would like it to be. It slowed down for me. Everything wasn’t running real fast in my mind. If you’re seeing things good you can work through the other mistakes you make.''

Rookie Matt Gutierrez, who seems ticketed for the practice squad, took over late and completed 7 of 9 passes, all of them short ones, for a total of 48 yards.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 11:41 PM | Permalink