The pairing of Matt Cassel and Jake Rudock has been underwhelming for the Lions. They have dinked and dunked their way down the field and while it’s a viable strategy during the preseason, it rarely correlates to success against regular season starters. They pose no deep threat, which limits the threat of players like Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay.
As highlighted in Kent Lee Platte’s article regarding backup quarterbacks, there is more to them than just on-field performance. Knowing the playbook and helping break down tape is an extremely important facet of being a backup, and that is where a veteran like Cassel can shine.