Too many picks, and he didn't win in the playoffs.JohnH19 wrote:Grogan was loved because he was a leader and a battler. A Joe Kapp type.Jay Z wrote: Steve Grogan was also loved for reasons I don't really understand either.
I am not arguing the perception, just my perception as a distant observer. He came in '75 as a rookie, Plunkett hurt, seemed like David Whitehurst to Plunkett's Lynn Dickey. The team regresses, goes 3-11, but they trade Plunkett anyway, which was certainly weird on the surface. Then they go 11-3, which certainly helped Grogan. Plays decently in the playoff game at least, had the attempted draw off fiasco, but a decent performance considering the emphasis the team had on the run anyway.
By 1978 his stats weren't progressing despite better receivers, they lose their playoff game in an upset and Grogan plays poorly. That's the part I don't get, how he escaped blame for all of the post 1976 years. Do they win in the playoffs in 1978 with a healthy Plunkett and no other distractions? Don't know, 1978 Steelers were a lot better than the 1980 Raiders I think. Maybe 1976 was the Patriots' best chance no matter what.