The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/790572
90 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PROS Pack Rookies Help Patriots Win Super Bowl BY RYAN TICE M any NFL players will go their entire careers without tast- ing the sweet success of a Super Bowl victory. NC State rookies Joe Thuney and Jacoby Brissett won't have to worry about that; the duo helped the New England Patriots win Super Bowl LI Feb. 5. Thuney served as the team's start- ing left guard from day one after being selected with the 78th overall pick in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. According to The Boston Herald, Thuney entered the Super Bowl having played more snaps than anybody else on the squad — 99.6 percent of the offensive snaps, ac- cording to The Dayton Daily News — and it did not appear he left the field on the biggest stage. Pro Foot- ball Focus (PFF) rated Thuney as the Patriots' sixth-highest ranked player in the Super Bowl and fourth on the offense with a grade of 77.4. Thuney was one of just two of- fensive players to start all 19 games for the Patriots, and the Professional Foot- ball Writers Association named him to its 2016 All-Rookie team. His name didn't make the box score often, but he did make two plays that led to it appearing on the statistics sheet. Twice, Thuney recovered a teammate's fumble — once in a week 14 win over Denver and again in the divisional round of the playoffs against Houston. The Patriots tied for the NFL lead with just 11 turnovers — despite having to play their second- and third-string quarterbacks in the first four weeks due to Tom Brady's suspension — and ranked fifth in sacks allowed (24). Brissett, surprisingly, also played a hand in the Pats' march to their fifth Vince Lom- bardi trophy since 2002. Drafted for quar- terback depth, he was pushed into action when Brady was suspended and backup Jimmy Garoppolo was hurt in week two. The third-round (No. 91 overall) rookie came on in relief and went 6-of-9 passing for 92 yards in a 31-24 win over Miami. A week later, in his starting debut against Houston, Brissett went 11-of-19 passing for 103 yards and rushed eight times for 48 yards and a touchdown in a 27-0 victory. In the process, he became the third former Wolfpack signal-caller to win his first NFL start and was the only one to post a rushing touchdown in it. In Patriots' history, he was the club's first African-American to start under center and the first rookie quarter- back to receive the nod since 1993. He did injure his thumb in that contest, but started in a 16-0 loss to Buffalo the next week — throwing for 205 yards and rush- ing for 23 — before landing on injured re- serve for the injury, which required surgery. Brissett did not play again in the season, but the Patriots — a team that traditionally carries only a pair of quarterbacks on their roster — did decide to use their one recall from injured reserve on him in mid-De- cember. He finished his rookie campaign with 34 completions on 55 attempts (61.8 percent) for 400 yards and a passer rating of 83.9. He also rushed 16 times for 83 yards and a score on the year. "I couldn't imagine what was in store this season," Brissett told Roy Lang of USA Today Sports Network Feb. 1. "It's a dream come true. I'm fortunate to be a part of this organization, this ride." Mike Glennon Set To Hit Free-Agent Market NFL teams looking for a quarterback on the open market have limited options, but former NC State quarterback Mike Glen- non will be one of the best available ones. Despite playing in just a pair of games over the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers turning to former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston, Glennon showed enough in his first two seasons to likely land a starting gig somewhere, according to many analysts. After being selected in the third round (No. 73 overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft, Glennon started 13 games as a rookie, completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,608 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine intercep- tions. He didn't get much help from a bad team that finished 4-12, while head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik were fired at the end of the regular season. The following year, he played in six games and started five for head coach Lovie Smith, who would last just two seasons and has never been known for his offensive mind. Glennon went 117-of-203 passing (57.6 percent) for 1,417 yards with 10 touchdowns and six picks on the year. "He held his own as a young starter in '13 and '14 on a pair of bad Tampa Bay teams," Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke recently wrote. Both of the 6-6, 232-pound quarter- back's last two appearances came this fall in relief of Winston — he went 10 of 11 for 75 yards with a touchdown, giving him 30 scoring throws against 15 interceptions in his professional career. On Dec. 23, ESPN's Adam Schefter re- ported that the 27-year-old boasts "what personnel people perceive to be great up- side. … Glennon is an unrestricted free agent and could fetch $13-15 million per year on his next deal — maybe more de- pending on the number of teams bidding." Meanwhile, both PFF and Bleacher Re- port ranked Glennon No. 2 on its list of available quarterbacks this offseason. PFF also named him its No. 50 overall free agent. "He should receive opportunities else- where," Bleacher Report wrote. "That's not to say Glennon is a star, but he showed off the kind of consistency and competence that backup quarterbacks rarely do during his short time on the field in Tampa Bay. … Glennon's physical talent is greater than that of anyone else who is scheduled to hit the open market, and he has shown more technical precision than most." Rookie guard Joe Thuney played more than anybody else on the Super Bowl champion Patriots, reportedly seeing action on 99.6 percent of the team's offensive snaps before the big game. PHOTO COURTESY NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/DAVID SILVERMAN