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Oakland Raiders: A definitive case for Jim Plunkett’s enshrinement in Canton

By Kevin Saito

21 Dec 1986: Quarterback Jim Plunkett of the Los Angeles Raiders dropping back during game against the Indianapolis Colts at the Los Angeles Memorial Colesium in Los Angeles, California. The Colts won the games 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Al
21 Dec 1986: Quarterback Jim Plunkett of the Los Angeles Raiders dropping back during game against the Indianapolis Colts at the Los Angeles Memorial Colesium in Los Angeles, California. The Colts won the games 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Al /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 14: Joe Namath speaks during a Super Bowl III 50th Anniversary celebration during halftime of the game between the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on October 14, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Oakland Raiders (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Argument #2: Touchdown/Interception Ratio

Another popular chestnut among the Plunkett Truther crowd is his touchdown to interception ratio. Again, Plunkett’s ratio is less than stellar — 164 touchdowns to 198 interceptions.

Now, you can make a credible argument about the rules during the time Plunkett played as being skewed more toward defenses — or at least, not as skewed toward receivers and offensive production in general — as one reason for the high number of interceptions.

If you’re being intellectually honest in this argument, you’d have to acknowledge that corners and safeties back in the day got away with mugging receivers, giving them a better shot at coming up with a pick.

These days, it seems that a corner can’t look at a receiver cross-eyed without drawing a flag.

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But, rather than debate the rules of the day then versus now, let’s simply look at Namath once again. Over Namath’s Hall of Fame career, he threw 173 touchdowns against 220 interceptions.

That’s right, according to this argument, Namath is more Hall-worthy than Plunkett because he threw nine more touchdowns. Nine. Of course, to sustain this argument, we must overlook the fact that he also threw 22 more interceptions.

So yet again, the facts bear out that this argument for celebrating Namath as a true Hall of Famer while also using it to keep Plunkett out doesn’t hold water. It’s as invalid as most of the other arguments floating around out there.

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