Has Matt Cassel Become Jeff Hostetler ?

From Peter King:

Now this stat is eerie: After Tom Brady‘s first 11 starts in the NFL, his completion percentage was 66.3. After Matt Cassel‘s 11 NFL games this season, his completion percentage is … well, 66.3.

“Wow,” Cassel said from Miami after the Pats’ 48-28 win. “That’s pretty good.”

It’s crazy and all-too-soon and slightly irreverent. But it is also unavoidable. Life is imitating art. The career path of Cassel is following Brady’s. Brady’s record after 11 games: 8-3. Cassel’s: 7-4 — and if the Pats had won the overtime coin flip a week ago Thursday, I bet those records would be the same. Brady’s rating: 91.6. Cassel’s: 90.5. Cassel leads Brady by 377 passing yards, thanks to Cassel’s back-to-back 400-yard passing games. (Been on Mars? That’s no misprint.) As for touchdowns, Brady leads Cassel by three.

If the Patriots somehow manage to win the division, you have put Matt Cassel in the top 5 for MVP candidates. Other than Kurt Warner, what quarterback has meant more for their team ? Matt Ryan of Atlanta must be in that equation as well, but with the Patriots lack of defense, Cassel has continually kept the Patriots in games, and won’em for them. Could you name five other players who should be MVP candidates other than Cassel ? This is all with the belief he continues to play like he has. And this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers should be a good barometer for how far Cassel has came in playing against the #1 defense in the NFL.