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Before Tom Brady came along, the history of New England Patriots quarterbacks and the Super Bowl was a story best forgotten. 

Tony Eason was at the helm with the Pats were embarrassed 46-10 by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Drew Bledsoe, Brady’s predecessor, lost 35-21 to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. 

Brady’s record six Super Bowl wins and nine appearances will forever make him a legend in Foxborough. However, even if Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defy the Super Bowl betting odds and defeat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, he’ll still have some work to do in order to be the most successful ex-Pats QB in Super Bowl history. 

That’s because Jim Plunkett quarterbacked two Super Bowl-winning teams after leaving New England.  

Different Beginnings 

Plunkett and Brady were both California high school quarterbacks who went to prominent colleges. Plunkett stayed in the state and went to Stanford, while Brady headed for the midwest and Michigan. And that’s where their paths diverged. 

After a so-so freshman campaign, Plunkett became a star for the Cardinal, rewriting the PAC-8 passing record book, culminating in his 1970 Heisman Trophy win. 

“The best college football player I’ve ever seen,” Washington State coach Jim Sweeney said of Plunkett. 

“He’s the best pro quarterback prospect I’ve ever seen,” added UCLA coach Tommy Prothro. 

After another pathetic offensive performance, Cam Newton should grab the clipboard and take a seat on the bench for the three remaining games.

With the postseason likely out of reach, it’s time for Bill Belichick to make a quarterback change.

Newton has not eclipsed 120 passing yards in 4 of his last 5 starts, and has a mere 56.60 completion percentage during that time frame. Newton has been inconsistent all the season, and the Patriots should be ready to officially turn the page.

Newton’s 12 starts with the Patriots have been a model of inconsistency. He’s missed reads, taken unnecessary sacks, missed open receivers, and at times, has been a liability. The former MVP and so called “superman,” has looked like a shell of himself, looking old and beat up.

Bill Belichick and the rest of the coaching staff has inexplicitly continued to praise and back Newton, even after his train wreck performances on offense.

Yes, there are limitations with the skill position players. They don’t have the personnel to be potent on offense, but at times, Newton has not done enough to set them up for success. At the end of the day, Newton has not been able to capitalize on some golden opportunities.

Look, there are a lot of issues with this Patriots team. Cam Newton is not PROBLEM NUMBER 1, but finding a franchise quarterback is PRIORITY NUMBER 1. Cam Newton is not the franchise quarterback, and Jarrett Stidham COULD be.

Nobody knows how good Jarrett Stidham is. Nobody knows how well he’d perform in game action, with a week of preparation, taking first team reps. It’s likely that Stidham will end up mounting to nothing, but before the arrival of Cam Newton, many pegged Jarrett Stidham to be the starter.

So, why don’t the Patriots want to give Stidham a look?

Are they afraid to lose the locker room? Do they feel like Stidham is incapable? Does it have to do with Belichick’s relationship with Newton? Are the Patriots worried about the perception across the league if they bench Newton? Or, do they truthfully feel like Newton is NOT to blame?

I feel like it could be a combination of all of that. But, even with all of those factors, Stidham still deserves to start.

Patriots Will Live or Die in LA

This Patriots’ edition is tough to figure out. One week they bow to the offensively challenged Denver Broncos followed by losses to the 49ers and Bills. Then they eke out a win over the woeful Jets, which felt like a loss, only to wake up the next week and stun the Ravens.

Maybe they’re not so bad after all? Well, just wait a week because they then dropped a 27-20 decision to the Titans and stood at 4-6 with their prospects against the up and coming Cardinals looking bleak. The only thing that looked bleaker last week was Cam Newton’s passing but the Patriots overcame that deficiency and clinched a 20-17 victory off the foot of Nick Folk in the waning moments of the game.

ESPN Patriots insider, Mike Reiss, reported, “Cam Newton appeared to be saying “I’m sorry, man” to OC Josh McDaniels as the Patriots’ celebration began after Nick Folk’s game-winning field goal. While Newton gutted through a challenging day, his 14-yard run (and then the 15-yard penalty) was critical to set up final kick.”

So, what now? Who are the New England Patriots? How do you handicap this team as they head to LA for a double dipper against the Chargers this week and then the Rams next week? Speaking of handicapping, the Patriots are a pick’em for this game at Nitrogen Sports on the road against the Chargers.

The simple answer is no.

After nine starts, the former MVP has proven to not be the savior in New England. The expectations of Newton were through the roof once the former Carolina Panthers quarterback signed in New England. Many expected him to be in the conversation for the Comeback Player of the Year award, and have the Patriots in charge of the AFC East. But, that just has not been the case… at least to this point.

It’s officially the halfway mark of the season for Bill Belichick and the Patriots. After eight games, we’ve learned a lot about this Patriots team.

Here’s my position grades for the Patriots through the halfway point of the season.

Stephon Gilmore is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but his tenure in New England should come to an end by the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, November 3rd.

COVID-19 has been an on-going problem for the Patriots, and have impacted their time at the facility for over two weeks. But, none-the-less, practice time and time at the facility should not be an excuse for a Bill Belichick coached team.

The Denver Broncos were coming into Gillette Stadium with a 1-3 record, with their lone victory coming against the Jets. They were even without two playmakers on offense in Melvin Gordon and Noah Fant. On top of that, the Patriots were getting Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore back off of the COVID/RESERVE list. This game seemed like it would be an easy layup for the Patriots, but Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos had other plans.