was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. He completed 90 of 144 passes (62.5%) for 1,111 yards and an NFL-leading 12 touchdowns, with just one interception. He had a 111.2 passer rating for the month. As a result of his performance against the Seattle Seahawks, Cassel won the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award, as voted by the fans. On December 8, 2010, Cassel underwent an emergency appendectomy. It was unclear at the time whether he would be able to play in that week's game against the Chargers. The Chiefs ended up starting backup Brodie Croyle and lost the game 31–0. Cassel returned for the next two games however and led the Chiefs to landslide wins over both the St. Louis Rams in the Governors Cup and then at home against the Tennessee Titans. The 34–14 win over the Titans, along with a loss by the Chargers to the Bengals, helped the Chiefs clinch the AFC West title. This would be the first Chiefs playoff game in four years and the first home playoff game since 2003, the last time the Chiefs won the AFC West division. In a home playoff 30-7 loss against the Baltimore Ravens, Cassel went 9 of 18 for 70 passing yards and three interceptions. In January 2011, Cassel was named as an alternate to the Pro Bowl in place of an injured Tom Brady. 2011 season In 2011, Cassel led the Chiefs to a 4–4 record. During the first two games, he only threw one touchdown. Those first two games were blowout losses. In the second game, Cassel threw three interceptions. Cassel finally had his first good game, throwing two touchdowns in a 17–20 loss against the San Diego Chargers. He led the Chiefs to their first win against the Minnesota Vikings, where he threw for 260 yards and one touchdown. The next week, he led the Chiefs to a comeback victory against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts jumped to a 17–0 lead, but Cassel threw four touchdowns and 257 yards with no interceptions to lead the Chiefs to a 28–24 win. After the game, Cassel had a 138.9 quarterback rating. In Week 8, Cassel threw one touchdown but also threw two interceptions. In Week 10, Cassel injured his hand against the Denver Broncos. He was replaced by Tyler Palko, and had surgery on the injured hand on