Matt Cassel confers with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the first quarter of Sunday's game.

Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Is there no end to Matt Cassel's talent?

We knew he could throw the ball. And that he also was dangerous as a scrambler, evading would-be tacklers and running for first downs. Now, it turns out, he can kick the ball, too.

Cassel was a true triple-threat in the Patriots' 13-0 beatdown of the Bills.

Passing in extremely difficult conditions -- winds consistently blowing at 40 miles an hour, and gusting up to 60 -- he completed six of eight attempts for 78 yards. He ran three times for 19 yards, twice picking up first downs on fourth-down scrambles. Then, in the fourth quarter, Cassel got off a quick kick on third down that, with the wind at his back, bounced 57 yards to the Buffalo 2-yard line.

"I was a punter in high school. They didn't take that into account," he said with a smile.

What Cassel and the Pats most certainly did take into account was the gale-force winds.

"We knew that was going to play a role in how we called the game," he said. "We just figured that, when we had the wind with us, and we were able to throw the ball, we'd do that."

When they were heading into the wind, what the Patriots did was run the ball. With Sammy Morris (85 yards on 24 attempts) and LaMont Jordan (20 carries, for 64 yards and the game's only touchdown) leading the way, the Pats ran a season-high 47 times for a total of 168 yards.

"We played a different style of game than what we've been doing the last few weeks," Cassel said. "The guys did a great job, and we were able to execute and come out of here with a 'W.'"

The question now is whether Cassel will be "out of here" next season.

It seems likely, given what it would cost to keep both him and Tom Brady in Patriots uniforms.

Cassel will be a free agent, the original contract he signed as a seventh-round draft choice out of Southern Cal in 2005 expiring after this season.

But if -- as some reports have indicated -- Brady is struggling to come back from the knee injury that ended his season in the first quarter of the first game, it could complicate the club's thinking regarding what to do about Cassel.

When asked last week about his future, Cassel didn't want to talk about it.

"Nobody knows the future," he said. "If anybody knew the future, I probably wouldn't be here right now, because a lot of people predicted I wouldn't be here after the preseason. The fact is, nobody knows where I'm going to be next year. So I could definitely be back here. It's something we'll have to wait and see."

When Cassel left Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, he and his New England teammates had to wait to see if they'd be in the playoffs, even after finishing 11-5.

"We hope the situation comes about," he said, "where we get a chance to play in the playoffs. I think this team is definitely deserving." As it turns out, that didn't happen.

"It's been a satisfying year," Cassel said. "I didn't know how this year was going to go when it all started. I stepped into this role, and I had some big shoes to fill, but to win 11 games was a big accomplishment -- not only for myself, but also for this team and this organization."

Veteran linebacker Junior Seau praised Cassel for his performance this season, which was particularly impressive considering that Cassel hadn't started a game since he was in high school.

"Cassel did a heck of a job of maximizing his opportunity," Seau said. "Who knows where his journey may be, but he's going to be a great quarterback in this league."

jdonalds@projo.com