New England: Patsies No More
They are removing the scaffolding at last from the locker room inside hulking, gray Schaefer Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. After dazzling consecutive wins over three of the National Football League's finest teams--Miami, Pittsburgh and Oakland--the once and always rebuilding New England Patriots are no longer under construction. With a conference-leading offense built around the passing and surprise running of Star Quarterback Steve Grogan (see box) and an adequate, if not preternatural defense, the newly proud Pats have shucked their longtime label--Patsies.
New England's rise has been as stunning as it was swift. The Patriots had not enjoyed a winning season since 1966. After a dismal three wins and eleven losses last year, Quarterback Jim Plunkett--the 1970 Stanford Heisman Trophy winner who was supposed to parade the Patriots to glory--asked to be traded to a California team. Patriot fans, sensing that the RENOVATIONS UNDER WAY sign might hang for years longer, responded by planning to stay away from Patriot games. Result: season-ticket sales dropped by 10,000, and first-game attendance was the lowest in the team's five years at Schaefer Stadium. When the club lost its opener to Baltimore--with Grogan chucking four interceptions--the empty seats yawned.
Actually, the Patriots were about to march. The offensive line, heavy with superb blockers, had become a cohesive unit. Grogan's love of running with the ball made their jobs easier. With a mobile quarterback, linemen need not pour all their energy into defense of a very small place, the passer's pocket. Says Left Tackle Leon Gray: "With Grogan, a half a block may be enough."
The testimony of opponents is that Patriot blockers do far more. Neither Oakland's defenders nor Pittsburgh's Fearsome Foursome were able to dump
Quarterback Grogan. New England's running backs have likewise benefited. Fullback Sam ("Bam") Cunningham is off to what could be his best year ever, carrying for 308 yds. in four games. Quick-off-the-ball Andy Johnson is just a few steps behind Cunningham as a rusher. Both are effective receivers as well--Cunningham alone has 14 catches--but it is their speed in cannonballing through holes opened by the line that makes for yardage and scores.
Blithe Spirit. The holes were wide open as New England surged ahead with six touchdown drives in the 48-17 win over Oakland--including sustained, slugging marches of 92, 80 and 76 yds. Tackle Gray, a black, trumpet-tootling Mississippian, and his sideman, white, fiddle-playing Alabamian John Hannah, are close friends off the field and dominant on it. Tight End Russ Francis brought to the team a free spirit and a Hawaiian hex for use against opponents when he arrived as a first-round draft pick last year. Francis owns his own Beechcraft and zips around in a Maserati when he is not punishing linebackers or breaking into the clear for key receptions. "The car is almost as fast as the plane," Francis says nonchalantly. At 6 ft. 6 in., 240 Ibs., Francis still can sprint 40 yds. in 4.6 sec.--fast enough to make him a Maserati among tight ends.
Center Bill Lenkaitis, the N.F.L.'s only active dentist, extracts running room from opposing defenders. Right Guard Sam Adams is tagged "Cut
Man," not for medical reasons, but for his knee-jarring blocks on sweeps and roll outs. He teams with alternating Tackles Bob McKay and Tom Neville to blast open the right side for onrushing Patriot backs. Says Raider Coach John Madden: "They've got five offensive linemen who can block, a fullback who can block, plus a tight end who blocks. It's like playing against a seven-man line all day."
The offense has solidified around Grogan. Filling in last year for the injured Plunkett, the raw quarterback took his lumps. The worst of them were self-inflicted--18 interceptions in eight games. But slowly, his confidence, and his teammates' confidence in him, were building. Grogan's quiet praise for their efforts contrasted with Plunkett's aloofness. After the Baltimore fiasco, which was as much his own fault as anyone's, Grogan showed for the first time that he could put his mistakes behind him and "start fresh on Monday, a sure sign of maturity in a quarterback.
The turnabout came against the World Champion Steelers. Held to a starveling 22-yds. rushing in the first half, the Patriots went into the break trailing 13-9. Pittsburgh quickly scored again in the third period to lead 20-9. This was the moment for a young, demoralized team to fold. Instead, on fourth down with 2 yds. to go on the Steeler 38-yd. line, Patriot Offensive Coach Red Miller called a play to test the steeliest nerves. Grogan faked a hand off, dropped back to pass and saw Francis roaming alone on the left sideline. The rangy end had sliced from the right side through the heavy traffic of Steeler linebackers and was running free. Grogan strong-armed a perfect pass, and Francis went into the end zone untouched. When Francis turned around, he banged face masks with Grogan, who had rocketed 45 yds. downfield to congratulate him. It was a journey most quarterbacks never take and expressed the new Patriot spirit more eloquently than words. The New Englanders were back in the game. They won 30-27, and were on their way.
When the Pats returned from Pittsburgh, they found an airport crowd to greet them, where once they would have been lucky to find their luggage. Ebullient fans roared they would go all the way to the Super Bowl with "Grogan's heroes," but a minefield of a schedule lies ahead. New England comes up against AFC East Division powers on four straight weekends: Miami, Baltimore and Buffalo twice. The Patriots are thin on the bench; one or two key injuries could end their dream. That happened in 1974, when, after a 5-0 start, they sank to 7-7.
First Dawnings. The big question mark is defense. Coach Chuck Fairbanks used two first-round draft picks to solidify a porous secondary. Top Choices Mike Haynes and Tim Fox have fulfilled their promise, successfully defending against the bombs that once exploded in the deep zones. Linebacker Steve Nelson leads Fairbanks' 3-4 defensive alignment, a configuration that allows for more mobility. Still, it is not an overpowering defense, and defense is the key to championship hopes.
But after so many long sere winters of football, with three straight upsets, New England is entitled to savor a rush of promise. Scalpers are now busy outside Schaefer Stadium. In the locker room, there are the dawnings of belief that today's giant killers could indeed become tomorrow's giants.
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