The Dallas Cowboys weren’t making any big moves offensively with Brandon Weeden behind center, so it wasn’t surprising at all when the team announced veteran Matt Cassel would be taking over until the return of injured Tony Romo.
Speaking about the change, owner Jerry Jones admitted Weeden’s conservative approach just wasn’t cutting it for the ‘Boys. He expects things to change with the insertion of Cassel into the starting lineup.
“I think he’s also got experience in basically just stepping up in the pocket and making some plays,” Jones said of Cassel on 105.3 The Fan, via Pro Football Talk. “Now, he will, with that experience though, do something that Weeden was not doing. Weeden…was not taking chances with that ball. Now, we know you can’t make plays if you don’t take some chances. So, we’ll see more of that. We could see the risk of that hit us a little bit, but hopefully we’ll be getting our share of them over on the defense with this group we’ve got.”
Ever the optimist, Jones hopes this will help his team earn some wins while Romo remains out of the lineup. However, it is nice to see he acknowledges that taking more risks can backfire, even if he thinks it could be “a little bit.”
In reality, Cassel taking risks doesn’t necessarily bode well for the Cowboys, either. Throughout his career, the journeyman quarterback hasn’t been rock steady. In his last two years with the Minnesota Vikings, Cassel threw 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, which is actually better than what he did the final two years he was with the Kansas City Chiefs.
So, while Cowboys fans might feel excitement at the prospect of seeing the offense actually take shots down the field, that excitement might soon turn sour as opposing teams make big plays off turnovers.
That said, the Cowboys did need to make a change. Weeden clearly was not the man to lead the offense, and just maybe Dallas will get the 2010 version of Cassel (27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions) instead of the guy we’ve seen since.
Up next for the Cowboys following the bye is a road trip to face NFC East rival New York Giants in Week 7. With a record of 2-3, it’s now-or-never time for Dallas to stay relevant until Romo and receiver Dez Bryant return from their injuries.