Handling it

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. — Matt Cassel will talk about the weather or the Arizona Cardinals’ defense or the toll that playing quarterback exacts on the body and mind.

He just doesn’t want to talk about his grief.

“I’d rather answer football questions today,” the New England Patriots quarterback said Thursday. “If we could stick to football questions, I’d appreciate it and thank you for being so respectful over the last week or so.”

Cassel played his best game as a professional Sunday, just six days after his father died, throwing for four touchdowns in a 49-26 victory over the Raiders. He said he never thought about missing what turned into a bittersweet game.

“I always felt like I was going to play,” he said. “I took some time away and then came back and was able to get enough preparation in to go out there and play. I think that’s what my father would have wanted.

“It was a good distraction last week, there’s no doubt. Being around my teammates and having this secondary support factor with a family away from home definitely helped.”

Cassel’s father, Greg, died last week at 57 in San Bernardino.

As Cassel goes about his work, he continues to win admirers.

“He’s done a tremendous job,” Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner said. “To be able to handle himself the way he has [all season], obviously, just another example, last week coming back and playing the way that he did and being the leader that he has become on the team.”

That hasn’t been a surprise to Arizona backup quarterback Matt Leinart, who started ahead of Cassel when both were at USC in 2003.

Leinart told the Mesa, Ariz., East Valley Tribune this week that he barely beat out Cassell for the job.

“I won, but I didn’t even win convincingly,” he said. “It was close. I had to play well to keep my job.”

On the pre-draft pro day at USC, Leinart said scouts were startled by Cassel.

“He was lights out throwing the ball,” Leinart said. “And everyone was saying, ‘Who is this guy?’ ”

Cassel has “always been a capable player,” Leinart said, “He’s a really good athlete, with a big arm. He can move. And he’s smart. It’s not really a surprise that he’s doing what he’s doing. . . . He’s going to basically get that team to the playoffs.”

He will be tested this weekend. There is still a path to the playoffs for the Patriots if they lose to Arizona on Sunday, but it is an unlikely one. The game against the Cardinals is all but a must-win game, which is another first in a season of firsts for Cassel.

“The only thing that we can control is if we win,” Cassel said. “If we don’t win, then all the other scenarios don’t matter. We’ve got to take care of business on our end and then if things fall into place then they do.”

Taking care of business may come down to two things. The first is dealing with the weather, which is forecast to take a miserable turn just about the time the teams are gathering for the coin toss. There is a chance of snow, wind and a wintry mix.

This would suggest the Patriots would have the warm-weather Cardinals at a disadvantage, but Cassel is inexperienced in inclement weather too. The Patriots practiced outside Thursday, as they have been in recent weeks. The outdoor workouts have given Cassel a chance to get a feel for cold-weather football.

Perhaps more problematic than the weather is the Arizona defense, which is ranked 16th but is opportunistic. Protecting Cassel will be a key Sunday, because the Cardinals show different fronts and blitz from different formations and Cassel has been sacked 45 times. And Arizona has shown a knack for stripping the ball and causing fumbles.

“They are a hustling and aggressive defense,” Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said. “They make a lot of plays on defense. You really have to take care of the ball.”

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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX

Stepping in

The New England Patriots have gone 9-5 this season with former USC quarterback Matt Cassel at the controls. His numbers since taking over for the injured Tom Brady in Week 1:

*--* OPP. (Result) ATT-COMP Pct. YARDS TD-INT RATING Kansas City (W) 13-18 72.2 152 1-0 116.0 @NYJets (W) 16-23 69.6 165 0-0 89.9 Miami (L) 19-31 61.3 131 1-1 68.1 @SanFran (W) 22-32 68.8 259 1-2 77.5 @San Diego (L) 22-38 57.9 203 0-1 61.6 Denver (W) 18-24 75.0 185 3-0 136.3 StLouis (W) 21-33 63.6 267 1-2 73.7 @Indianapolis (L) 25-34 73.5 204 0-1 76.1 Buffalo (W) 22-32 68.8 234 0-0 89.8 NYJets (L) 30-51 58.8 400 3-0 103.4 @Miami (W) 30-43 69.8 415 3-1 114.0 Pittsburgh (L) 19-39 48.7 169 0-2 39.4 @Seattle (W) 26-44 59.1 268 1-0 84.3 @Oakland (W) 18-30 60.0 218 4-1 108.1 Totals 301-472 63.8 3270 18-11 87.1 *--*