Is Losing Out and Getting a Top Draft Pick a Generational Decision for Patriots Fans?

I've been a diehard Patriots fan since 1960 back when they were the Boston Patriots of the AFL. Later, in 1970, when the AFL merged with the NFL, I remained a loyal Pats fan despite their 2-12 finish that first year.

It wasn't until 1976 that the Patriots would have a winning season in the NFL, finishing 11-3 under Coach Chuck Fairbanks. 

They went on to have some decent years, appearing in Super Bowl XX in January of 1986 but went in a bad direction from 1989-1993 when they were a combined 19-61, the final year of that run finishing 5-11 under Bill Parcells in his first year as Patriots head coach.

In '96, in what turned out to be Parcells' final year with New England, they finished 11-5 and made it to the Super Bowl, losing to the Packers 35-21. It was a year marred with controversy surrounding Parcells and Kraft over personnel decisions. It's when Parcells famously said, "They want you to cook the dinner. At least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries." After coaching the Super Bowl, Parcells resigned with one year remaining on his contract. Then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue brokered a deal that allowed Parcells to take over the 1-15 Jets provided they gave New England their third and fourth-round picks in '97, their second-round pick in '98, and their first-round pick in 1999. Kraft wanted a better deal, but he accepted the terms.

After Parcells' departure, the Patriots remained competitive under Pete Carroll, going 27-21 from '97-'99,  but in 2000, with Bill Belichick at the controls, they finished a dismal 5-11. The following year that all changed…

In 2001, when Drew Bledsoe got hurt, Belichick put Brady under center and finished 11-5, won the Super Bowl, and established a dynasty that wouldn't end until 2019, Brady's last year when the Patriots finished 12-4, but were eliminated by Tennessee in the Wild Card, 20-13. Rumored to be unhappy in New England, Brady moved on and won his seventh Super Bowl with the Buccaneers the following year (2020).

My youngest son Dylan is a football fan; my two other boys, not so much. I watched a lot of regular season games, playoff games, and Super Bowls with Dylan and his friends. Most of his friends were born in '92-'93, and by the time they were old enough to watch football and understand the game, it was 2001. They were fortunate to grow up watching the greatest Patriots' teams in franchise history and, arguably, in NFL history. Those kids never said die, even when my football experience and good sense told me otherwise, and to my surprise, Tom Brady and the Patriots rarely let them down. I constantly reminded them of all the tough years I'd experienced as a Patriots fan, but they didn't want to hear it; they were born into a football dynasty and were living in a world where their football team was elite, and according to them, unbeatable!. 

In three of four years since Brady's departure, the Patriots have been disappointing, and other than finishing 10-7 in '21 and losing in the Wild Card, they are currently 29-36 post-Brady with two games remaining in 2023. They haven't been able to find the right quarterback to lead them back to the promised land, and as a result, their offense has struggled mightily. 

Mac Jones, the Patriots 2021 first-round draft pick, 15th overall, was recently benched in favor of his backup, 2022 fourth-round draft pick, 137th overall, Bailey Zappe, who seems to have breathed new life into his teammates.

Dylan and his friends have all turned 30. Some are married, have kids, and own their own homes, but they still hang out together, competing in fantasy leagues and watching games, and their general opinion is that losing and getting the first or second overall pick in the 2024 draft is more important than winning right now. I understand their logic, and it makes perfect sense. Without an elite quarterback, the Patriots won't be able to compete with the better teams. Dylan and his friends grew up watching the Patriots win and want to continue winning going forward, even if that means losing games right now.

I was watching the Patriots-Broncos on Christmas Eve with Dylan, and by then, I had changed my attitude, agreeing with him and his friends, that losing was more important than winning at this point in the season. That getting the first or second overall pick in the 2024 draft would give the Patriots a better chance of winning over the next decade. Then something happened…

Bailey Zappe started making some great throws, and other than a miscue to start the game that resulted in a turnover, a missed field goal, and a missed point after, the Patriots were firing on all cylinders, reminding me and my son how much fun winning was. When Denver made their comeback and tied the score at 23, we started walking back to the "Sometimes you gotta lose to win" way of thinking. And, I get it… But I'm fast approaching my 68th birthday, and for me, future trips around the sun aren't guaranteed, so fuck everything! I wanna win, and I wanna win NOW!

Rookie kicker Chad Ryland had already missed a 47-yard field goal and a point after, and after his second miss, I put out a call for an Uber to take the kid home… When he lined up for a 56-yard game-winning field goal, I thought he didn't have a chance in hell, that he'd embarrass himself and all Patriots fans with a gawdawful kick… When he put it through the center of the uprights with distance to spare, I went crazy! Dylan did too, but even in his excitement, he was quick to point out that "losing was still better for the future of the team…"

Against the Broncos, Zappe was 25 of 33 for 256 yards, two TDs, and no interceptions, with a QB rating of 117.7. He made the tough throws when he had to, and he moved the chains. His performance made me wonder how the Patriots would've done had they pulled Mac Jones earlier in the season…

In that moment of glorious victory, the Patriots went from a potential 1-2 pick overall in '24, to a 4th pick overall, and honestly, being caught up in the moment, I couldn't care less! One of Dylan's friends said his dad reacted to the kick like it was a Super Bowl game winner. I suppose we old-school boomers live in the here and now because that might be all we have left…

The Patriots have done well over the years with their first-round picks, John Hannah (4th, 1972), Sam Cunningham (11th, 1973), Russ Francis (16th, 1975), Stanley Morgan (25th, 1977), Bruce Armstrong (23rd, 1987), Willie McGinest (4th, 1994), Richard Seymour (6th, 2001), Vince Wilfork (21st, 2004),  Logan Mankins (32nd, 2005), Jerod Mayo (10th, 2008), Devon McCourty (27th, 2010), and Dont'a Hightower (25th, 2012).

Their number one picks overall include, Ron Burton (1960 AFL), 9th overall in the NFL, Jim Plunkett (1971), Ken Sims (1981), Irving Fryar (1984), and Drew Bledsoe (1993).

Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick in 2000, 199th overall, and look how he turned out. Finding the right mix of players isn't always about their position in the draft.

I hope the Patriots win out and beat both their AFC East rivals, the Bills and the Jets, and finish 6-11. I still wanna see some good Patriots football before this horrible season comes to an end…