Images courtesy of JimPlunkett.com & Sports Illustrated
By Alan Segel
NEFJ Contributor
FOXBOROUGH – With apologies to Mr. Word himself, William Shakespeare, the question is not “to be or not to be?” the question is “Drake or not to Drake?”
That’s the prime question on the lips of many Patriot fans these days.
Drake Maye of course is the third overall choice in last year’s draft and is the future (they hope) franchise quarterback of the Patriots. He is also the fuel of many sports debates and the lifeblood of Boston sports radio as his insertion into the lineup is debated with more frequency than “who you voting for?”
Rookie head coach Jerod Mayo has gone with the veteran Jacoby Brissett and again reiterated on Wednesday that “he is still the starter” as they get ready for Miami. The clamoring for Maye though, is getting louder and louder. Opinions are plentiful and my thought is a big NO.
Mine is not just a random opinion though, it is based on what my eyes have seen in the past with the Patriots. In 1971, New England drafted first overall and took Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett from Stanford. He was big, strong and tough. In the words of UCLA coach, Tommy Prothro, “the best pro quarterback prospect I’ve ever seen.”
The hopes of Patriots’ fans were immense back then, but this was not a good team in 1971 under John Mazur. There was not enough overall talent. But, according to former Patriots wide receiver and friend of Plunkett’s Randy Vataha, fans think “that the quarterback is the beginning and the end for each team.”
The quarterback gets the focus of course, but without an offensive line and receivers that can’t create space on a consistent basis, it is difficult for any quarterback, never mind a rookie.
The game was certainly different back in the early 70’s, but the fundamentals were the same. You have to protect the quarterback. The Patriots did not do that with Plunkett by any stretch and it cost them according to Vataha.
“The bottom line for Jim was that he took a horrific beating,” Vataha told me on Wednesday. “He had injuries and surgeries in his shoulders, knees and other places and only his toughness allowed him to play through all of that.”
There were 14 games in the NFL in the 70’s and in 1971 (Plunkett’s rookie year) the Pats were 6-8 and he was sacked 36 times. Thirty-nine sacks followed in 1972 with a 3-11 record. In 1973, Chuck Fairbanks arrived and worked on his offensive line. He took future Hall of Fame guard John Hannah with the first pick. The Pats also picked up a tackle from Miami on waivers named Leon Gray. Those two would eventually form the best left side the Patriots (and possibly the NFL) ever had. However, they still posted only a 5-9 record and Plunkett was sacked 37 times.
In 1974, the Patriots ignited the fan base. They started 5-0 and were 6-1 behind Hannah and Gray, seemingly on their way to a great season. However, in the seventh game – a win over then 5-1 Minnesota – they sustained an injury to tight end Bob Windsor(a huge factor) as he scored the winning touchdown. They were never the same again and were just 1-6 the rest of the way, finishing at 7-7. Early in 1975, Plunkett suffered a separated shoulder. He played just five games (his last for the Patriots) in which he was sacked 13 times. Plunkett, a battered QB, was traded in 1976 to the 49ers. His residence in Foxboro had some great moments, but overall was not what everyone dreamed of on draft day 1971.
Which brings us to present day and the debate about playing Drake Maye. The combination of a battered offensive line and receivers that can’t separate consistently has made life miserable for Jacoby Brissett, who is on pace to be sacked 64 times this season. Brissett, who is extremely resilient and tough, is also under pressure more than 40% of the time, the most in the NFL. Those statistics and the overall situation does not present a positive way for a rookie QB to learn and grow.
Vataha is a believer in Drake Maye. He told me that he likes what he has seen in the pre-season and even in his short stint against the Jets. However, Vataha said “he would like the team to settle better” and wonders “how much risk do you want to take by starting him?” It’s a tricky problem.
“I would not be against playing him a few series,” suggests Vataha. “However, if you are not getting the protection, and playing at a different level than you were in college, and running around, it is tough to learn a new system. It’s good to see live action, but you can ruin him physically and mentally.”
I fully agree with the very knowledgeable Patriots wide receiver.
There is just too much risk the way things are four games into 2024. Drake Maye has a great future but needs people around him, as did Plunkett when he was drafted. Let him learn, grow the players around him, draft more talent in the spring and then in earnest, begin the Drake Maye era.