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New England Patriots: Ranking 10 Greatest quarterbacks in franchise history

By Nick Ziegler

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after beating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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New England Patriots
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Detailed view of a New England Patriots helmet in the hand of a player against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

8.) Jim Plunkett 1971-1975

Coming in eighth in the greatest quarterbacks in Patriots history is Jim Plunkett. As a former first overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft, seeing Plunkett eighth on this list is somewhat disappointing.

Plunkett started right away for Patriots in his first season out of Stanford. To start his career, things looked like they were going to be alright for Plunkett. The Patriots were able to go 6-8 in 1971 with Plunkett under center. He played pretty well for a rookie, as he totaled 19 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. However, things fell apart in his second season.

In his second season as a starter, Plunkett really regressed for the Patriots. He totaled eight touchdown passes and 25 interceptions, as the Patriots had a 3-11 record that season. For the next three seasons, Plunkett threw more interceptions than touchdown passes in New England.

After leaving New England, Plunkett went on to live up to some of his potential with the Oakland Raiders. In 1980, he was named Super Bowl MVP, as he had one of the best seasons of his career in Oakland. With Oakland, Plunkett had a 38-19 record as a starter, which was far better than his 23-38 record as a starter in New England.

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