Hoyer the Destroyer: The Greatest Patriot

The state of Patriots football has turned upside down. With the injury to starting quarterback Mac Jones, Pats fans have been going insane as to who should play this week against the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Bill Belichick has said that Brian Hoyer is the starter if McCorkle can’t play. But many fans have a different perspective.

 Answers have ranged from fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe, to even bringing back Cam Newton from the pet cemetery for a cheap rental. Hell, official reports aren’t even ruling out that Mac Jones might even play.

But why are we just discrediting the fact that we have a great quarterback on the roster already? Brian Hoyer continues to get disrespected, and I simply will not stand for it. The 13-year veteran has more than earned his place as the surefire QB2 behind Jones. Hell, I’ll even go further than that. Not only is he the QB2, but he should be calling all the plays himself. Instead of failed head coach gone Bill-bot Matt Patricia. Plus, there isn’t anything about the position of quarterbacking that anybody can tell Hoyer. Especially not also failed head coach Joe Judge.

Hoyer’s Illustrious Career

Over the course of his illustrious career, there isn’t much that Hoyer the Destroyer hasn’t seen. After being an undrafted free agent signed by the Patriots back in 2009, Hoyer has bounced around the league. Most notably, his stint in Cleveland.

Hoyer in the dog pound was a different breed. He went 10-6 while a member of the Browns, passing for a career-high of 3,326 yards and throwing for 12 scores in 2014. Holding off one of the greatest college football athletes in Johnny Manziel. The Browns almost made the playoffs under Hoyer, but the Browns foolishly gave the keys to the probably drunk Manziel, and they never recovered. Losing their final five games.

Hoyer would quickly find a place in the league after proving to be a quality starter in this league, leading the Houston Texans to the post-season after beating out fellow Tom Brady disciple Ryan Mallett for the starting gig. Hoyer threw for a career-high 19 touchdowns. In the post-season, he met a vaunted Kansas City team and got walloped. Losing 30-0 and throwing four interceptions. None of them being his fault of course. The Texans had failed him. Just as they failed every quarterback before and after him.

Let’s fast forward, Hoyer spent a season with the bears before breaking his arm against the Packers. Then signed up with notable choke artist head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers in 2017. Surrounded by a disaster class of a roster, he didn’t win a single game. And was cut after the 9ers robbed the Patriots of other Brady disciple Jimmy Garoppolo, by sending just a second-round pick.

Return of Hoyer

All seemed lost until Bill Belichick brought Hoyer back to Foxboro. Where he truly belonged. With Hoyer, the Patriots went on a tear. It seemed the good vibes Hoyer brought to the locker room seemed to work as New England rolled through the AFC and was a shoo-in for the Conference Championship. Hoyer showed the upmost grace when Tom Brady tore his thumb open ahead of their title game versus the Jaguars. Hoyer could have been selfish and told the stubborn 40-year-old Brady “the future is now, old man”. But he didn’t. He stepped aside and allowed Brady to do what he does and will the Patriots to an eighth Super Bowl appearance.

Of course, they lost that game. One could argue Brady was in over his head, and that the thumb injury should have kept him out of the game. Hoyer not playing in Super Bowl LII to this day remains the biggest mystery in Patriots history. Why would Belichick, a football mastermind, bench such a key member of the team? Can’t name another player that was snubbed this hard by the hoodie. Especially that day.

Hoyer Won a Super Bowl

They would soon make up for this though, in 2018 the Patriots would go on and win Super Bowl LIII against the Rams. The key difference in this game was indeed Hoyer. The galaxy-brained quarterback played under both Kyle Shanahan and Rams coach Sean McVay at different points in his career. And he paid close attention to the language they used because that’s just how dedicated Hoyer is to the game.

In the final minutes of Super Bowl LIII, it all came to fruition. As he correctly predicted where the Rams were going with the football and relayed this information to all-pro corner Stephon Gilmore, who made the game-sealing interception. Without Hoyer’s influence, the Patriots might only be five-time Super Bowl champions. But Hoyer put them over the top, winning his first Super Bowl, giving him as many as Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.

Hoyer’s Twilight

Since then, the Patriots have been dedicated to Brian Hoyer. Although in 2019 they foolishly doubted his ability and released him in favor of Jarrett Stidham. Don’t worry, Hoyer would prove them wrong by throwing four touchdowns with Indianapolis as he was called upon in relief of other Brady disciple Jacoby Brissett. He would be swiftly brought back when Brady left for Tampa Bay in 2020.

Hoyer was a lock for the job but opted not to take it. He instead, selflessly, taught former MVP Cam Newton the offense. Recognizing the natural talent and just the kind of athlete Newton was, the potential was otherworldly. He was correct to do so. The Pats started off hot, going 2-1 ahead of a big matchup versus the Chiefs. Unfortunately, Newton caught COVID and was forced to miss the game.

On two days’ notice, Hoyer had to prepare to start versus the defending Super Bowl champions on their turf. And was unfairly benched after Josh McDaniels failed to inform Hoyer that there were no time-outs left ahead of halftime and left the Patriots down 6-3. In the third quarter on came Stidham, who threw a pick-six to ice the game. Belichick, the arrogant grump that he is, would leave Hoyer, the one who won him one of his eight rings, on the inactive list for the rest of the season.

Hoyer Deserves This

Though every time the Patriots called, Hoyer has returned. At 35 years old he could be retired, spending time with his family. But he came back to tutor rookie Mac Jones. And now in 2022, he’s being called upon again.

Patriots fans… Brian Hoyer has always been there for you. When you needed an undrafted quarterback to develop? Hoyer signed up to do so. When you wanted to get rid of the handsome Italian signal caller of the future? Hoyer came in to fill his shoes. Every time you threw him out to the streets and said he was nothing? He still came back.

Hoyer has more than earned his chance to get his first recorded win as a starter for this franchise. He should be treated as the all-time great Patriot that he is. Hoyer might not be the hero that you want at this time. But he’s the one you need. It’s Hoyah time in Green Bay. And I’ll be cheering for him every step of the way. Will you?

If you enjoyed this content, or hate it and want to argue with me, follow me on Twitter @KalebEmcee! Feel free to check out the work I do on Foxboro Beat! Also, read up on the rest of the NFL content Belly Up Sports has to offer here!