The Knee Shot Heard Round the World
Tom Brady is out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL. Enter backup QB Matt Cassel, who until Sunday hadn’t started a game since high school. What could be the mindset of the Patriots and their new QB, and how can it be improved? We turn to an interview with Boston University sport psychologist Leonard Zaichkowsky, in BU Today, for some answers.
On advice for Matt Cassel:
“If I had to make a recommendation, I’d say you’ve got to be yourself and keep it simple. As you get more and more repetitions, you can go beyond simplicity.”
On how to handle Brady with the team, now that he’s hurt:
“I think the single most difficult thing he’s going to have to adjust to is that it’s difficult for coaches to include injured players in all of the team activities and preparation. I don’t know the culture of the Patriots, but one of the things I recommend to all teams is to try and work injured players in, so they’re actively involved. That’s the hardest part.”