QB Matt Cassel had his vacation. It was about a week, maybe 10 days after the end of the Chiefs' disappointing 2009 season. By the middle of January he was back working out, looking at tape from last season, meeting with head coach Todd Haley and new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. As far as the Chiefs' starting quarterback is concerned, the 2010 season can begin any day now. "We went through our growing pains and our adjustment periods," Cassel said. "We played good football collectively at times and there were other times that maybe we weren't on the same page. I'm thinking somebody's doing this; they're doing that. We weren't meshing like we need to." Cassel has been watching tape of all the Chiefs games last year, especially the 15 that he started after he missed the season opener because of a knee injury. He's reliving the ups and downs of a season where the passing game never really came together, and the offense stumbled along until running back Jamaal Charles became the running game at midseason. 21/8/2010

Cassel completed 10 of 29 for 84 yards and two TDs in Sunday's 44-13 loss to Denver.
12/07/2009