The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

FOXBORO — In his first seven starts, he posted a 5-2 record, completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,390 yards and was sacked 20 times.

Matt Cassel? Nope, Tom Brady.

The unfairness of being Cassel these days is that outsiders expect him to be just like Brady. Only they want to see Brady 2007, the NFL MVP who put up never-before-seen numbers, or even Brady 2006, who threw for over 3,500 yards despite a who-is-that? cadre of receivers.

But the truth of the matter is, Cassel is just like Brady: the Brady that took over for Drew Bledsoe in 2001. Statistically, the two put up remarkably similar numbers over their first seven games.

Brady was 135-for-211 (64 percent). Cassel was 131-for-199 (65.8). Brady totaled 1,390 yards; Cassel 1,362. Their yards per completion and per attempt 10.3 and 6.6 for Brady, 10.4 and 6.8 for Cassel are alike.

The only difference? Brady’s passer rating of 90.35 is a touch better than the 84.62 Cassel has earned so far, in large part because of the touchdown-to-interception ratio for each. Brady had 10 touchdowns through seven games, with five picks. Cassel has seven TDs and six interceptions.

In the end, however, both had won five of their first seven starts (counting Cassel’s effort against the Chiefs in Week One).

On Sunday, after leading his first fourth-quarter victory, Cassel was asked about the impossible situation he stepped into as Brady’s replacement.

He’s winning, but he just can’t win.

Cassel led a comeback in his seventh game? Heck, Brady did that in his third start, and had four more before the season was out, including in the divisional playoffs against Oakland and in the Super Bowl.

“I think that’s one of the main things when you step into a role like this and you step in for a guy like Tom Brady, who has done the things that he’s done over the last nine years here,” Cassel said. “I think it puts a lot of pressure on [me], and I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform and pick up where he left off.

“Obviously a lot of people would say that’s hard to do, and it is hard to do, but as long as we continue to build, we can continue to grow.”

It’s not an easy task, replacing a legend. Just ask Jay Fiedler, who took over under center in Miami after Dan Marino retired in 1999, or any of the other 13 quarterbacks who’ve started a game for the Dolphins in the nine years since.

Aaron Rodgers is getting better results taking over the job Brett Favre held for 16 years in Green Bay, but when he shows up to work at Lambeau Stadium and looks into the stands, the number of No. 4 jerseys he sees far outnumbers his own No. 12.

Bill Belichick was asked yesterday about Cassel now compared with Brady then, but seemed loath to do so. There’s not a lot in common between the two, he noted; the only offensive player both have thrown to is Kevin Faulk. Brady then went over game plans with Charlie Weis; Cassel now huddles with Josh McDaniels. Brady’s first come-from-behind win was at the eyesore that was Foxboro Stadium; Cassel’s was in Gillette Stadium.

“There are so many different players; there are so many different things,” Belichick said. “They both have gotten in there, have done a good job, have worked hard, made plays to help us win and have managed the game the way they should offensively in terms of time management. Those are the kinds of things of things that a quarterback has to do to be a good quarterback. It’s not just throwing the ball and having a big arm, but it’s making the right decisions, managing the clock; we use a lot of different personnel groups, so getting all that straight. That’s a big part of it in our offensive system and both quarterbacks did that.”

So remember: Cassel now is pretty close to Brady then, at least statistically. And he’s winning games, which even Belichick would tell you is the bottom line.

smanza@projo.com

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson