The Patriots lost to Brett and the Jets last night, but don’t blame it on Matt Cassel – the Pats’ QB, who began the season figuring not to play except in mop-up duty, threw for an even 400 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 16-yarder to Randy Moss to tie the game at the end of regulation. His season stats are not overwhelming – 2200 yards, 10 TDs, 7 INTs – but he’s clearly getting comfortable in the Patriots’ offense, and obviously has plenty of skills (otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to hang 4 bills on an NFL defense). I bring this up only because Cassel is a free agent at the end of the season and, well, to say the Vikings have a glaring need at quarterback would be understating matters. Gus Frerotte made believers back into doubters with a 3-pick day against the Packers (yes I know the Packers have a great secondary), and anyone who thinks Tarvaris Jackson is the answer obviously hasn’t been paying attention the last couple of years. And John David Booty? Can you say Brooks Bollinger 2.0? Cassel, on the other hand, gets more attractive with each passing day (and I don’t mean that in a gay way). He has a decent arm, he has mobility, and he obviously responds to coaching. Plus he must have a thick skin otherwise Straight-Cash Randy would’ve driven him crazy by now screaming for the ball. It’s all speculation but I have to believe the Vikings would at least look at Cassel in the off-season. He’s clearly the most appealing free agent option – unless you’re up for another old-fart fill-in quarterback (Kurt Warner, Kerry Collins, Jeff Garcia…ugh, no thanks).
Of course there’s always that other possibility – the Pats win it all and decide to let Tom Brady walk. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in purple either.