Top 10 Quarterbacks in Patriots history
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To help pass the time between Christmas and the much-anticipated showdown between the New England Patriots and New York Jets in Week 16, we here at Musket Fire have got a treat for you this Saturday morning: a ranking of the ten best quarterbacks in Patriots franchise history.
Pats-Jets BOLD PREDICTIONS: 120 yards, TD for Hankerson
The main criteria for the ranking are win record, playoff success, length of time with the team, and general quarterback statistics such as touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Note that all stats given in this article came by way of Pro Football Reference. Because this is a ranking of the top ten quarterbacks in Patriots’ history, only the quarterbacks’ stats during their time with the Patriots are shown in each slide.
Alright, let’s get to it.
Next: 10. Hugh Millen
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10. Hugh Millen
Tenure: 1991-1992
Record as starter: 5-15
Quick look at stats: 60.5 percent completion rate, 4,276 yards, 17 touchdowns, 28 interceptions, 71.8 rating
Millen joined the Patriots in 1991 under Plan B free agency (a topic worth reading about). The Patriots marked Millen’s third team in a journeyman career that had previously included stints with the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons. Following the 1992 season, Millen was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he played briefly before finishing his career with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.
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Despite his poor numbers and record as a starter, Millen makes this list because he was instrumental in improving the team from a 1-15 record in 1990 to a 6-10 record in 1991. After replacing Tommy Hudson in Week 4, Millen led the Patriots to a 5-7 record as the starter and finished with 3,073 yards that year.
However, things got weird for not just Millen but rather the entire quarterback depth chart in 1992. Millen, Hudson, Scott Zolak and Jeff Carlson all threw passes for the Patriots in 1992; Millen gets bragging rights because he led the crowd with 1,203 passing yards in the forgettable 2-14 season.
Millen probably loved his time in New England, as 20 of his 25 career starts came during that two-year span before Drew Bledsoe took over.
At the risk of poking the Defategate bear, Millen spilled some interesting tidbits back in January that are worth reading up on.
Next: 9. Mike Taliaferro
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9. Mike Taliaferro
Tenure: 1968-1971
Record as starter: 8-17
Quick look at stats: 44.9 percent completion rate, 3,920 yards, 27 touchdowns, 44 interceptions, 49.8 rating
Taliaferro’s time in New England bridged the gap between the franchise’s status as an AFL team and an NFL team. Taliaferro sandwiched four seasons with the Patriots in between five years with the Jets and a final season with the Buffalo Bills.
The highlight of Taliaferro’s experience with the Patriots came in 1969, when he was crowned an AFL All-Star by starting 14 of the Patriots’ 17 regular season games, throwing for 2,106 yards. He also tossed more touchdowns (19) than interceptions (18).
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That being said, the Patriots only managed to win four games that season. Clearly, the criteria for naming all-stars has changed considerably since the AFL days. Different era.
The cards were stacked against Taliaferro a bit, as he assumed control of the Patriots after the reign of Vito “Babe” Parilli, who will be elaborated on later in this slideshow.
Next: 8. Doug Flutie
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8. Doug Flutie
Tenure: 1987-1989, 2005
Record as starter: 8-5
Quick look at stats: 48.5 percent completion rate, 1,871 yards, 11 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 61.0 rating
One of the more beloved quarterbacks of his generation across the entire North American continent, Flutie joined the Patriots in his second season in the NFL. He was drafted by the L.A. Rams in 1986 only to be traded to the Chicago Bears midseason, where he appeared in four games as a rookie before heading to New England the following year.
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Flutie drew the ire of some players by suiting up for games in the strike-riddled 1987 season, as he garnered the “scab” label by crossing the picket line. He only started one game that year, but he made it count, leading the Pats to a 21-7 win over the Houston Oilers. He played a larger role in 1988, winning six of his nine starts. After going 1-2 as a starter in 1989, Flutie sent it to the CFL, where he made his fame as one of the best players in CFL history.
By making a return to the Patriots in the 2005 season, Flutie regained popularity among the New England fan base. That popularity reached a peak when he booted a drop-kick through the uprights on New Year’s Day 2006, the first such play since the 1941 season. Here it is, in case you forgot:
The Natick, Massachusetts high school graduate will forever live in Patriots’ lore, but his low win total relegates him to the No. 8 spot on this list.
Next: 7. Jim Plunkett
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7. Jim Plunkett
Tenure: 1971-1975
Record as starter: 23-38
Quick look at stats: 48.5 percent completion rate, 9,932 yards, 62 touchdowns, 87 interceptions, 59.7 rating
When the Patriots drafted Plunkett back in 1971, they were confident they had struck gold. After all, UCLA head coach Tommy Prothro had called Plunkett “the best pro quarterback prospect” he’d ever seen. Plunkett entered the league eager to display his arm strength and precision passing.
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A tier above the likes of Flutie, Taliaferro and Millen, Plunkett still ranks in the back of the pack because his time in New England was characterized largely by frustration and injuries, eventually leading to the end of Plunkett’s spell with the team when Steve Grogan appeared on the scene midway through the decade.
Plunkett is better known for his exploits after his time in New England. No one in 1975, when Plunkett left the Patriots, could make a case that Plunkett was Hall of Fame worthy; while he hasn’t been inducted and likely never will, there is an argument now that Plunkett has earned a pair of Super Bowl rings along with the Super Bowl XXV MVP trophy. After all, he’s the only eligible quarterback to start and win two Super Bowls who isn’t enshrined in Canton, Ohio.
Next: 6. Tony Eason
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6. Tony Eason
Tenure: 1983-1989
Record as starter: 28-21 (3-2 playoffs)
Quick look at stats: 58.4 percent completion rate, 10,732 yards, 60 touchdowns, 48 interceptions, 80.6 rating
Eason’s career is overshadow by virtue of him being a member of the 1983 quarterback draft class, a group that includes five other first round quarterbacks: John Elway, Dan Marino, Todd Blackledge, Jim Kelly and Ken O’Brien. Nonetheless, Eason is remembered as one of the better quarterbacks in Patriots’ history.
The period from 1984 to 1986 saw Eason in his prime, sporting a 93.4 rating, the third-best among all quarterbacks in that span. He led the Patriots to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 1985 after the team ripped off three straight playoff victories on the road, the first team to ever pull off such a feat.
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However, history doesn’t treat Eason so well because he failed to complete a pass against the Chicago Bears’ nasty ’46 defense, and the Patriots pulled Eason from the game during the second quarter. Eason brought the Pats back to the AFC Championship in 1986, but fellow 1983 first-rounder Elway prevailed in that game.
Three years later, the Patriots traded Eason to the Jets.
Eason is noteworthy because he brought the Patriots so far in the mid-eighties, but his nose plant on the biggest stage drags down his stock, which is why he lands smack in the middle of this ranking.
Next: 5. Matt Cassel
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5. Matt Cassel
Tenure: 2005-2008
Record as starter: 10-5
Quick look at stats: 62.9 percent completion rate, 3,946 yards, 23 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 88.2 rating
Although he was a backup for the entirety of his collegiate career at USC, Cassel was a coveted quarterback in the 2005 NFL Draft. The Patriots nabbed him in the seventh round, and Cassel responded positively by beating out veterans Rohan Davey and Chris Redman for the No. 3 spot behind Flutie in 2005.
A strong preseason propelled Cassel to the backup role in 2006. After injuries to Josh Miller and Ken Walter, Cassel proved his worth to the team by assuming holder responsibilities for rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski.
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After Tom Brady went down for the year in the 2008 season opener, Cassel took hold of the starting job, weathering the try-outs of Chris Simms and Tim Rattay. Cassel played as well as anyone could have asked that year, completing 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 picks, good for a 89.4 rating. You can’t blame the Patriots’ missing out on the playoffs with an 11-5 record on Cassel
The Patriots traded Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2009 offseason, but he is always remembered fondly in New England. 2008 could have been an utter and complete disaster had Cassel not come of age before our eyes, and that’s why he gets slotted at No. 5 in this ranking.
Next: 4. Steve Grogan
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4. Steve Grogan
Tenure: 1975-1990
Record as starter: 75-60 (0-3 playoffs)
Quick look at stats: 52.3 percent completion rate, 26,886 yards, 182 touchdowns, 208 interceptions, 69.6 rating
Until Brady finishes the 2015 season, Grogan will remain the longest-tenured player in Patriots history. The guy spent all 16 years of his career with the Patriots, and that time commitment alone gives him a boost over the likes of Cassel and Eason, the latter of whom he played alongside throughout the eighties. Eason didn’t take the Patriots to Super Bowl XX on his own; Grogan was 5-1 as a starter that season.
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As a sophomore pro, Grogan set the single-season record for rushing touchdowns for a quarterback (12), which would stand until Cam Newton trumped that total in 2011. 1976 was indeed the height of Grogan’s career, as he piloted the Patriots to a franchise-best 11-3 record. Grogan’s running ability flashed again in 1978 when he amassed 539 yards on the ground.
Grogan’s legacy is one of toughness. He accrued a ton of injuries over the decade and a half he played: cartilage damage and bone chips, separated shoulders and broken legs, herniated neck discs and concussions… the list goes on. But Grogan was always there in New England, a true Patriot if there ever was one.
Here is a cool interview of Grogan by Monday Night Football back in 2000.
Next: 3. Babe Parilli
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3. Vito “Babe” Parilli
Tenure: 1961-1967
Record as starter: 44-32-7 (1-1 playoffs)
Quick look at stats: 47.2 percent completion rate, 16,747 yards, 132 touchdowns, 138 interceptions, 64.8 rating
Let’s start this entry on Parilli by paying homage to his AFL legacy. Parilli is one of only 20 players who played in the AFL for the league’s entire 10-year existence. “Babe” was a three-time AFL All-Star as well as the 1966 AFL Comeback Player of the Year. In addition, he quarterbacks the Patriots’ 1960s All-Decade teams.
After previous stints with the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL and Oakland Raiders, Parilli joined the Patriots as part of a major trade in 1961.
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Parilli combined with Gino Cappelletti to form the “Grand Opera” connection, which was on full display in 1964 when Parilli threw for nearly 3,500 yards and 31 touchdowns, unheard of numbers in a hardnosed era of professional football. Those 31 touchdowns in a single season would stand as the franchise record until Brady’s 2007 season.
The highlight of that memorable season was undoubtedly Parilli’s effort against his former Raiders teammates when he tossed for 422 yards and four touchdowns.
Parilli stands at No. 3 on this list because he put up ridiculous stats considering the nature of the game during the 1960s. He also meant a great deal not only to the Patriots, but the entire AFL as well, and that was on full display when he joined the Jets in 1968 and earned a Super Bowl ring as Joe Namath’s backup.
Next: 2. Drew Bledsoe
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2. Drew Bledsoe
Tenure: 1993-2001
Record as starter: 63-60 (3-3 playoffs)
Quick look at stats: 56.3 percent completion rate, 29,657 yards, 166 touchdowns, 138 interceptions, 75.9 rating
If it weren’t for a certain Michigan graduate in the next slide, Bledsoe would go down as the best quarterback in franchise history. Bledsoe reached three Pro Bowls during his time in New England, and he was inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame in 2011. Although he was benched in favor of Brady in 2001, Bledsoe was instrumental in getting the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI by filling-in for No. 12 in the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After being drafted first overall in 1993, Bledsoe improved the team from two wins in 1992 to five in 1993. He continued to track upward in 1994, leading the league with 4,555 yards and becoming just the second player in NFL history to complete 400 passes in a season.
Bledsoe navigated the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI, but like Eason 11 years before him, Bledsoe imploded in the big game by tossing four interceptions.
And finally…
Next: 1. Tom Brady
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1. Tom Brady
Tenure: 2000 –
Record as starter (through Week 15): 172-49 (21-8 playoffs)
Quick look at stats (through Week 15): 63.6 percent completion rate, 57,663 yards, 427 yards, 149 interceptions, 96.5 rating
No surprise here. The best quarterback in Patriots’ history is Thomas Edward Patrick Brady.
The Patriots’ all-time leader in passing touchdowns, passing yards, attempts, completions, wins and games played is in hot pursuit of another title as we speak. He holds the NFL record for most wins with a single team, something that Brady will look to pad a bit on Sunday.
What makes Brady’s career truly remarkable is the sheer amount of ways he has won football games. In the early 2000s, he operated an offense that looked nothing like the Greatest Show on Turf that he defeated in Super Bowl XXXVI. And then Randy Moss came along, and the 2007 Patriots boasted the highest-flying offense in NFL history.
There have been years when the Patriots have had zilch for wide receivers (cough, 2006, cough) and there have been years when the Patriots haven’t been able to run the ball for squat. There have been years when the defense is the best in the league, and there have been years when the secondary resembled swiss cheese. It doesn’t matter what shape the Patriots are in, Brady finds a way to pull the best out of his teammates and win games.
Next: Patriots-Jets BOLD PREDICTIONS: 120 yards, TD for Hankerson
At age 38, Brady only continues to add to his legacy. We look forward to seeing what he’s got left in the tank.