WEBVTT - Patriots Playbook 11/13: Bears Recap, Rams Preview 0:00:30.425 --> 0:00:33.945 Patriots Catch twenty two. We'll join Evan Lazar and Alex 0:00:33.985 --> 0:00:36.544 Bart every Thursday as they take a deep dive into 0:00:36.585 --> 0:00:39.665 the exit, the No's trends, and latest New England Patriots 0:00:39.784 --> 0:00:40.385 roster moves. 0:00:40.465 --> 0:00:43.824 And I'm usually into the numbers. Okay, we do this. 0:00:44.105 --> 0:00:46.664 I'm into the tangible numbers. There's there's tame here. 0:00:46.745 --> 0:00:47.264 Just give me. 0:00:47.504 --> 0:00:49.585 There's the advantage. In fact, you haven't know how to 0:00:49.625 --> 0:00:52.345 work it. I'm surprised an old man over here. I 0:00:52.345 --> 0:00:54.385 thought maybe I'd have to show you, like a tutorial 0:00:54.505 --> 0:00:54.905 or something. 0:00:55.065 --> 0:00:57.625 How am I old man search for Patriots Catch twenty two? 0:00:57.705 --> 0:00:59.185 Anywhere you get your podcast? 0:01:03.345 --> 0:01:15.785 Patriots rasta. 0:01:17.185 --> 0:01:17.785 Dream of. 0:01:35.865 --> 0:01:38.185 La La La. We do have to have a reverse 0:01:38.265 --> 0:01:41.185 camera on him. I've just said we have to do this. 0:01:41.705 --> 0:01:44.024 We have to have the reverse camera on marine. 0:01:44.185 --> 0:01:46.425 So I keep saying, enjoy the songs. Yeah, I know, 0:01:46.545 --> 0:01:48.185 we like it that you enjoy the song. 0:01:48.305 --> 0:01:49.985 Totally rocks out in there, right, I. 0:01:49.945 --> 0:01:52.105 Have the people probably feel bad that they don't get 0:01:52.145 --> 0:01:53.305 to see you enjoy the song. 0:01:53.545 --> 0:01:55.345 We should have it. Why don't we have a camera 0:01:55.385 --> 0:01:58.465 in then anyway? Because I mean, you're looking for that, Yeah, 0:01:58.545 --> 0:01:59.385 you're looking into it. 0:01:59.385 --> 0:01:59.905 It's true. 0:02:00.705 --> 0:02:02.225 There should be a way to we could do that. 0:02:02.225 --> 0:02:04.945 Where would be like a voice activated thing maybe you 0:02:04.985 --> 0:02:07.985 know where you know, whenever you speak, the camera flashes 0:02:08.025 --> 0:02:10.025 onto you sitting there with your you know, at your 0:02:10.145 --> 0:02:11.825 control board with the microphone. 0:02:11.865 --> 0:02:13.705 It's like the camera for the dog, and it tells 0:02:13.705 --> 0:02:15.185 you when something moves in the house. 0:02:15.265 --> 0:02:18.385 Yes, yes, precisely, Yes, that's what we need from that. 0:02:18.585 --> 0:02:21.065 We need a dark legs detected. 0:02:22.385 --> 0:02:27.225 We did pet camera. Yeah, yeah, for marine. I like it. 0:02:27.265 --> 0:02:29.105 I like it. That works for me. All right, Welcome 0:02:29.145 --> 0:02:31.544 into the playbook, every one. Patriots fans. If you want 0:02:31.585 --> 0:02:35.304 to see Toyota's best offers, including those not seen on TV, 0:02:35.425 --> 0:02:38.545 go to buy a Toyota dot com. It's Toyota's official 0:02:38.585 --> 0:02:41.145 website for deals from the official vehicle of the New 0:02:41.185 --> 0:02:45.825 England Patriots, Toyota. Let's go places. I'm John, He's Evan. Hey, 0:02:45.825 --> 0:02:48.225 we got a win to talk about, which is a 0:02:48.265 --> 0:02:50.625 little bit of a I mean, I would have to 0:02:50.625 --> 0:02:55.225 say pleasant surprise. But I'm left really with two overwhelming 0:02:55.305 --> 0:02:59.505 thoughts about the game on Sunday. First of all, I 0:02:59.585 --> 0:03:04.385 expected the Bears to be better. I don't know why. Basically, 0:03:04.505 --> 0:03:06.225 you know, given you know how they let end of 0:03:06.265 --> 0:03:08.305 the game, but I expected that team to be better 0:03:08.305 --> 0:03:13.305 than it was. Second of all nine sacks. Yeah, so 0:03:13.425 --> 0:03:16.105 that tells me either the Patriots are really better on 0:03:16.145 --> 0:03:18.345 the defensive front than we've been given the credit for, 0:03:18.665 --> 0:03:21.945 or the Bears are really bad on the offensive line. 0:03:21.985 --> 0:03:23.625 And I'm wondering if it's not some both. 0:03:23.865 --> 0:03:25.345 Yeah, it's definitely some of both. 0:03:26.185 --> 0:03:31.345 I would say that my rewatch of the game, I 0:03:31.425 --> 0:03:33.825 was more impressed with the coverage. 0:03:33.825 --> 0:03:35.425 Than I was with the rush. 0:03:35.425 --> 0:03:38.785 And I would also then say the overall game plan 0:03:38.905 --> 0:03:43.145 and scheme from Girodmeo and DeMarcus Covington, this was their 0:03:43.265 --> 0:03:45.465 best coach game on that side of the ball, and 0:03:45.505 --> 0:03:48.105 it's not particularly close. You know, they had a really 0:03:48.145 --> 0:03:51.225 great plan, they executed it, and we can get into 0:03:51.265 --> 0:03:53.745 like the nitty gritty of some of those you know, 0:03:53.785 --> 0:03:57.505 schematic twists that they had. But they played Mansaman coverage 0:03:57.545 --> 0:04:01.025 against Chicago. They said, you know, our guys can cover 0:04:01.105 --> 0:04:03.985 your guys, especially with you know, the issues that are 0:04:03.985 --> 0:04:07.305 going on with that Bears team and against a lot 0:04:07.345 --> 0:04:09.745 of backups on the offensive line, which is you know 0:04:09.825 --> 0:04:12.945 context we should include the pass rush was able to 0:04:12.985 --> 0:04:15.505 have themselves a day so not to take anything away 0:04:15.545 --> 0:04:18.745 from the guys up front, and I thought, especially as 0:04:18.784 --> 0:04:21.025 the game wore on, they started to wear down the 0:04:21.025 --> 0:04:24.984 Bears offensive line and get some quicker pressures. But in general, 0:04:25.065 --> 0:04:28.025 I thought that this game started by setting the tone 0:04:28.025 --> 0:04:30.385 in the back end that you guys you know and 0:04:30.425 --> 0:04:33.785 now and Dj Moore Romadoonze, those guys were going to 0:04:33.865 --> 0:04:35.984 have a tough time uncovering against the Patriots. 0:04:35.985 --> 0:04:38.224 Second one, what did you what did you notice in particularly? 0:04:38.265 --> 0:04:39.625 You thought that was maybe a little bit of a 0:04:40.505 --> 0:04:44.665 switch schematically for this team. What was the philosophy other 0:04:44.705 --> 0:04:47.104 than I mean than Manda Man. We could tell and 0:04:47.185 --> 0:04:50.265 I was actually impressed with that. We've actually seen when 0:04:50.265 --> 0:04:55.265 this team is physical with Manda Man coverage, they can stick. 0:04:55.385 --> 0:04:57.065 They can stick with a lot of teams. So yeah, 0:04:57.104 --> 0:05:00.305 I've actually been impressed with that slow improvement. Sometimes it's 0:05:00.344 --> 0:05:02.745 been a little unsteady. They will take two steps forward, 0:05:02.784 --> 0:05:04.745 then they'll take one back, then they'll take another two 0:05:04.745 --> 0:05:06.585 steps forward, and then they might take another one back, 0:05:07.104 --> 0:05:10.145 but they're still just slowly moving the needle that way. 0:05:10.224 --> 0:05:11.424 What else did you see out there? 0:05:11.625 --> 0:05:14.104 Well, I would say the biggest thing obviously is schooler 0:05:14.185 --> 0:05:16.865 you know, using a schooler as a spy. I thought 0:05:16.945 --> 0:05:19.825 was really innovative and really smart. Now I'm going to 0:05:19.865 --> 0:05:22.825 write something about this this week. This wasn't the first 0:05:22.865 --> 0:05:26.025 time that the Patriots have done that sort of thing. 0:05:26.945 --> 0:05:29.664 The origins of it, so it's called the Longhorn package, 0:05:29.664 --> 0:05:31.904 which I'm sure you really like, John, you know, there 0:05:31.904 --> 0:05:35.784 you go hook them right, But it was actually originally 0:05:35.825 --> 0:05:39.625 called the Auburn package because the player who was spying 0:05:39.664 --> 0:05:44.385 the quarterback was Jonathan Jones, not Brendan's schoolers. So it 0:05:45.145 --> 0:05:47.904 was originally called the Auburn package, and they started doing 0:05:47.945 --> 0:05:51.025 it in twenty nineteen when they played Lamar Jackson for 0:05:51.065 --> 0:05:54.345 the first time. So it's not something that hasn't been 0:05:54.344 --> 0:05:56.344 done here before, but I would say it hasn't been 0:05:56.344 --> 0:05:59.825 done here in years since that matchup in nineteen, and 0:05:59.865 --> 0:06:02.025 maybe a little bit in twenty when they played Lamar 0:06:02.065 --> 0:06:05.385 again the following year in that rainstorm here at Gillette, 0:06:05.784 --> 0:06:09.065 But in general, it isn't something they've done recently. And 0:06:09.664 --> 0:06:12.145 they got into third down, they got that package on 0:06:12.224 --> 0:06:15.224 the field, and they allowed themselves to do some pretty 0:06:15.265 --> 0:06:20.305 cool things, so you could obviously whittle it down to upfront, 0:06:20.385 --> 0:06:22.905 they were stouter they were more physical, they were more 0:06:22.904 --> 0:06:25.945 fundamentally sound, they were better in the run game, which 0:06:25.984 --> 0:06:28.025 was a big part of what they did on Sunday. 0:06:28.025 --> 0:06:29.705 But I also thought the coaches did a great job. 0:06:30.145 --> 0:06:33.185 Look at this then, as you know, making gradual steps 0:06:33.185 --> 0:06:35.425 in the right direction, or did they just really did 0:06:35.464 --> 0:06:37.904 the Bears just kind of play down a level and 0:06:37.945 --> 0:06:41.344 the Patriots just have a better day. I'm the point 0:06:41.344 --> 0:06:42.864 that I'm trying to drive that here is are we 0:06:42.984 --> 0:06:46.305 singing now that we're past a halfway point of the season, 0:06:46.305 --> 0:06:49.304 are we seeing now measurable improvement? 0:06:49.585 --> 0:06:53.385 Yeah? Uh, I'm not ready to go there yet. I mean, 0:06:53.464 --> 0:06:55.505 let's see what it looks against them. 0:06:55.705 --> 0:06:57.824 That's fair, because I would agree with you in that regard. 0:06:57.984 --> 0:06:59.145 Yeah, I'm not ready to go there yet. 0:06:59.185 --> 0:07:01.664 But I think the main reason why I'm not is 0:07:01.705 --> 0:07:04.505 because I didn't really feel like it was this way 0:07:04.505 --> 0:07:07.104 against the Titans just the week before. Where I came 0:07:07.145 --> 0:07:10.025 off that game, I could not have told you that 0:07:10.105 --> 0:07:13.665 this defensive performance was coming from the Patriots in Chicago 0:07:13.705 --> 0:07:16.504 based off of what we had seen against Tennessee. They 0:07:16.545 --> 0:07:19.545 were they were decent against the Jets, and you know, 0:07:19.585 --> 0:07:21.985 there was a lot of things similar with the Jets 0:07:22.065 --> 0:07:25.505 as what the Bears underperforming, you know, quarterback not playing 0:07:25.505 --> 0:07:28.504 as well, coordinators and coaches getting fired right like, so 0:07:28.545 --> 0:07:30.985 there's a lot of the same stuff going on with 0:07:31.065 --> 0:07:34.145 the Jets that that was with the Bears. But let's 0:07:34.545 --> 0:07:36.985 call a spade a spade, Like the Bears passing game 0:07:37.105 --> 0:07:41.865 is broken, like they're schematically broken. Caleb is not playing 0:07:41.985 --> 0:07:45.425 very well and not seeing the field very well, his timing, 0:07:45.665 --> 0:07:48.505 his rhythm is off. So there's a lot of things 0:07:48.585 --> 0:07:53.625 wrong with Chicago. That being said, I didn't necessarily think 0:07:53.665 --> 0:07:57.985 the Patriots had that kind of defense performance in them regardless. 0:07:58.465 --> 0:08:01.465 I'll give up three points, one hundred and something yards 0:08:01.465 --> 0:08:05.425 of total offense one for fourteen on third down where 0:08:05.465 --> 0:08:08.505 the Bears in that game, Like even to the Patriots 0:08:09.145 --> 0:08:12.265 going up against the opponent that's wounded or opponent that 0:08:12.425 --> 0:08:15.345 is not firing at all cylinders, I still think that 0:08:15.385 --> 0:08:18.785 they deserve kudos for just how well they played. I mean, 0:08:18.825 --> 0:08:20.585 that's a different level, and I. 0:08:20.625 --> 0:08:22.665 Think we realize that. You know, the Patriots have been 0:08:23.345 --> 0:08:26.985 short a few sticks throughout the course of the season 0:08:27.025 --> 0:08:29.585 with the injuries, with the suspensions, everything else that's been 0:08:29.585 --> 0:08:35.505 going on up the middle. But Chicago's performance has taken 0:08:35.545 --> 0:08:38.025 a step backward. They started out well this year, now 0:08:38.065 --> 0:08:40.464 they've hit a bump in the road, whereas the Patriots 0:08:41.625 --> 0:08:45.065 since an game notwithstanding, started out slower but seemed to 0:08:45.065 --> 0:08:48.425 be slowly incrementally moving. And I'm wondering at least if 0:08:48.465 --> 0:08:50.985 in the direction that they go in this week against 0:08:50.985 --> 0:08:53.145 the Rams being an opportunity and now to kind of, 0:08:53.465 --> 0:08:56.025 you know, stack week upon week upon week, you know, 0:08:56.065 --> 0:08:57.824 try to get some good things back together. I mean, 0:08:58.145 --> 0:09:01.225 I can't believe I'm even thinking about a winning streak, 0:09:01.425 --> 0:09:03.745 but I didn't think we'd be saying that with this 0:09:03.785 --> 0:09:07.105 football team this year. But there's a very real possibility 0:09:07.105 --> 0:09:09.465 that that could happen if, of course, you try to 0:09:09.465 --> 0:09:11.985 play and can play mistake free football. Yeah. 0:09:11.985 --> 0:09:14.345 Look, I mean, if you stack the Rams roster up 0:09:14.345 --> 0:09:18.505 against the Patriots roster, you're right. So I don't want 0:09:18.545 --> 0:09:21.025 to get too ahead of ourselves, but just based off 0:09:21.105 --> 0:09:23.425 of what they have done, I think the part that 0:09:23.985 --> 0:09:26.465 irks me a little bit now is that that game 0:09:26.505 --> 0:09:29.865 in Tennessee that goes to overtime was so winnable for 0:09:29.905 --> 0:09:32.625 this team like that this team easily could have won 0:09:33.105 --> 0:09:36.064 in Nashville a week ago and then all of a sudden, 0:09:36.145 --> 0:09:38.184 you win that. You're talking about the three game winning 0:09:38.184 --> 0:09:40.785 streak that you got cooking right now. And so I'm 0:09:40.785 --> 0:09:43.145 not trying to talk about playoffs or like get any 0:09:43.225 --> 0:09:47.184 crazy way ahead of ourselves. But I know which, I know, 0:09:47.985 --> 0:09:50.505 I know, let's calm down, let's let's come back down 0:09:50.505 --> 0:09:52.304 to earth a little bit. But at the same time, 0:09:52.905 --> 0:09:55.185 it's been better. You know, they were they they are 0:09:55.345 --> 0:10:00.145 now in games and they're now able to dominate a 0:10:00.225 --> 0:10:04.985 lesser opponent or an opponent that's not all tied together 0:10:05.265 --> 0:10:08.625 like the Chago Bears right like that that game, Like, 0:10:08.985 --> 0:10:11.064 let's face it, you know they were They've played games 0:10:11.105 --> 0:10:13.185 like that against opponents in the last couple of years 0:10:13.184 --> 0:10:15.344 and they haven't been able to win those games. They 0:10:15.345 --> 0:10:17.585 played a bunch of those games. Last year they lose 0:10:17.625 --> 0:10:21.344 to Tommy DeVito and uh, you know whoever was that? It 0:10:21.425 --> 0:10:24.385 was a Gardner Minshew in German and Germany for the Colts, 0:10:24.425 --> 0:10:26.425 And you know, they they lose games like that. 0:10:26.545 --> 0:10:27.065 Last year. 0:10:27.105 --> 0:10:29.465 They lost those games and now it looks like they 0:10:29.824 --> 0:10:32.145 maybe against Chicago they won one of those games. 0:10:32.225 --> 0:10:35.145 Yeah, well they were. Look, we'll give credit what credit 0:10:35.184 --> 0:10:37.425 is due. They took advantage of the situation that they had. 0:10:37.465 --> 0:10:40.225 The game plan was proper, the effort was proper, the 0:10:40.225 --> 0:10:43.545 mistakes were somewhat minimized other than you know, maybe you 0:10:43.545 --> 0:10:45.745 know Drake Matho in a bad pass every now and then, 0:10:47.465 --> 0:10:51.625 but you are better than at least a handful of 0:10:51.665 --> 0:10:55.185 teams in the NFL, even with the roster not being 0:10:55.265 --> 0:10:57.145 where you think it needs to be in order to 0:10:57.184 --> 0:11:00.464 be a contender in this league. And so I think 0:11:00.465 --> 0:11:03.385 there's something to be said for the core here that 0:11:03.505 --> 0:11:05.824 undoubtedly is going to end up probably you know, coming 0:11:05.865 --> 0:11:08.824 back in some form or fashion at least competing for jobs. 0:11:08.824 --> 0:11:11.905 And if you can augment that core properly, this really 0:11:11.905 --> 0:11:15.145 puts the onus on player personnel to get the right 0:11:15.225 --> 0:11:18.465 people in here to complement what you already have so 0:11:18.545 --> 0:11:22.705 you can continue the growth. To me, this team is 0:11:22.785 --> 0:11:27.705 improving now because we're actually seeing improved coaching. Yeah, you 0:11:27.704 --> 0:11:30.345 know we were critical of coaching or in the if 0:11:30.704 --> 0:11:32.425 we were critical on this show. I know you guys 0:11:32.425 --> 0:11:35.065 were critical week because twenty two, we were critical last week. 0:11:35.064 --> 0:11:38.585 We're critical of it almost every week, and yet we're 0:11:38.625 --> 0:11:43.344 critical even though we know that it's a rookie head coach, 0:11:43.665 --> 0:11:47.105 a first year's staff, guys who are largely inexperienced at 0:11:47.145 --> 0:11:51.865 their positions, in the primary positions, and you know, and 0:11:52.225 --> 0:11:54.785 fair or not, they're the ones that you know, shoulder 0:11:54.824 --> 0:11:57.465 a lot of the burden here, and so they're the 0:11:57.465 --> 0:12:01.945 ones that are paid for fans for the league to 0:12:02.064 --> 0:12:05.345 see incremental improvement. We saw some of that this week. 0:12:05.665 --> 0:12:07.905 So it's hard for me to bash anybody this week 0:12:07.944 --> 0:12:10.665 because the bottom line, and I've always said this, this 0:12:10.745 --> 0:12:12.825 is a bottom line league. Let's just win, move on. 0:12:12.944 --> 0:12:15.225 It doesn't matter how you win. You just win and 0:12:15.265 --> 0:12:18.385 you move on. Style points do not matter. We keep 0:12:18.425 --> 0:12:21.425 trying to put style points in the NFL. We keep 0:12:21.505 --> 0:12:23.785 trying to say, well, yeah, but they don't have this, 0:12:23.944 --> 0:12:26.184 or they don't have that, or the quarterback's not any good, 0:12:26.265 --> 0:12:28.345 or they don't have a third down pass rusher, or 0:12:28.345 --> 0:12:31.025 they don't have situation. I mean, I'm like, it doesn't matter. 0:12:31.785 --> 0:12:34.385 And this is where I kind of sided with guys 0:12:34.425 --> 0:12:36.185 like you know, Bill Belichick and some of the older 0:12:36.505 --> 0:12:38.304 coaches in the league that had come through. And I 0:12:38.625 --> 0:12:40.425 still think that, you know, there are a couple of 0:12:40.505 --> 0:12:42.465 coaches around that that adhere to a lot of this 0:12:43.704 --> 0:12:48.865 that analytics aside, just win the game, Yeah, move on 0:12:48.985 --> 0:12:51.064 and win the game. And I think that's exactly what 0:12:51.105 --> 0:12:53.785 the Patriots did this week. And so if you're looking 0:12:53.865 --> 0:12:59.345 for some kind of glimpse of hope of promise, they 0:12:59.345 --> 0:13:01.344 went old school on you this last week. They did 0:13:01.385 --> 0:13:03.944 exactly what they had to do. They game planned to 0:13:03.985 --> 0:13:06.505 beat that opponent. I was impressed with the running game. 0:13:06.944 --> 0:13:09.345 It looked like the offensive line got out of their 0:13:09.385 --> 0:13:12.585 own way, which they haven't been able to do. And 0:13:12.625 --> 0:13:15.625 again it's it's still a work in progress. Okay, there's 0:13:15.625 --> 0:13:16.985 still a lot of work to be done here, but 0:13:17.064 --> 0:13:21.105 at least, you know, Remandre Antonio Gibson and let's throw 0:13:21.145 --> 0:13:23.665 Jamichael Hasty in there. You know, some good days and 0:13:23.665 --> 0:13:25.905 bad days, but let's face it, he is what he is. 0:13:27.064 --> 0:13:29.824 I was just I was impressed, and I think it 0:13:29.905 --> 0:13:34.304 was because of you know, Drake made some mistakes that 0:13:35.345 --> 0:13:37.265 I know he said already he'd like to have back, 0:13:38.585 --> 0:13:40.425 but I'm willing to live with a few of those 0:13:41.304 --> 0:13:43.944 because we all know that he's a playmaker, that he's 0:13:43.985 --> 0:13:46.585 an instigator, that he's a bleep starter, whatever you want 0:13:46.585 --> 0:13:48.745 to call it. But that's what he's doing for this team, 0:13:48.785 --> 0:13:52.184 and they need that element. And with that element, it 0:13:52.225 --> 0:13:54.865 allows everybody to almost kind of like pin their ears 0:13:54.905 --> 0:13:56.545 back and go after it a little bit more. And 0:13:56.545 --> 0:13:58.985 that's the kind of an attitude that they need. I 0:13:58.985 --> 0:14:01.465 loved his explanation this week of you know, why he 0:14:01.545 --> 0:14:04.625 went for that slide head first, and I just I'm like, 0:14:05.145 --> 0:14:09.865 I'm just like, wow, Okay, I like the attitude. Yeah, 0:14:10.145 --> 0:14:12.505 And so I can live with one or two bad 0:14:12.545 --> 0:14:15.145 throws a game. Obviously, these are things he'll have to 0:14:15.145 --> 0:14:17.025 clean up if he's gonna really have any success for 0:14:17.064 --> 0:14:20.505 the long haul. But to me, I'm sensing almost sense 0:14:20.625 --> 0:14:25.985 like week six or seven and attitude Adjustment has. 0:14:25.825 --> 0:14:29.305 A real belief in the quarterback. And I've believed in them, 0:14:29.585 --> 0:14:30.785 you know, I. 0:14:30.665 --> 0:14:32.865 Know you have. You've been a long time, been straightforward 0:14:32.905 --> 0:14:34.465 with that and and yeah, yeah. 0:14:34.305 --> 0:14:36.385 This is sort of what I had seen. I'm not 0:14:36.465 --> 0:14:38.505 like trying to take a victory lap, but this is 0:14:38.585 --> 0:14:43.145 what I was seeing with him and just being around 0:14:43.185 --> 0:14:45.905 teams and being in the locker room and understanding how 0:14:45.945 --> 0:14:48.905 these things work. You know, that is the most important 0:14:48.945 --> 0:14:51.945 position on the team, but it's not all that different 0:14:51.985 --> 0:14:54.825 than other team sports. You know, when you have a 0:14:55.185 --> 0:14:57.825 you know, just because it got across sports every once 0:14:57.825 --> 0:15:00.465 in a while, when you have a Jason Tatum and 0:15:00.545 --> 0:15:03.825 you're starting five, and when you have a David Pasternak 0:15:04.225 --> 0:15:06.745 on your you know, power first, power play, and you 0:15:06.825 --> 0:15:10.865 have these superstar players, it makes it a lot easier 0:15:10.905 --> 0:15:13.385 for the rest of the roster to just kind of 0:15:13.745 --> 0:15:16.345 start pulling on the rope a little bit stronger because 0:15:16.385 --> 0:15:18.905 you have you have a leader, you have a guy 0:15:18.945 --> 0:15:20.985 that can carry you to the promised land that you 0:15:21.065 --> 0:15:21.945 have confidence in. 0:15:21.985 --> 0:15:25.585 And and and Okay, now I'm going to go back 0:15:25.585 --> 0:15:27.265 to what I was harping on earlier in the year. 0:15:27.585 --> 0:15:29.305 You start this guy at the beginning of the year 0:15:29.305 --> 0:15:32.265 because he's clearly the better of the more talent of 0:15:32.265 --> 0:15:35.145 the quarterbacks. Yeah, this team is likely five and five 0:15:35.225 --> 0:15:38.665 right now. I truly believe that. And we could legitimately 0:15:38.665 --> 0:15:40.145 be talking about a playoff contempt. 0:15:40.225 --> 0:15:40.425 Yeah. 0:15:40.465 --> 0:15:43.185 Look, it's hard to say. You know, revision is history. 0:15:43.385 --> 0:15:44.985 Not hard for me to say it is. 0:15:45.065 --> 0:15:46.025 Revision is history. 0:15:46.065 --> 0:15:47.345 But it's not hard for me to say. 0:15:47.425 --> 0:15:50.025 Well, it's hard to say because you know, you just 0:15:50.105 --> 0:15:54.745 don't know if he starts Week one against I have 0:15:54.825 --> 0:15:58.025 no doubt if he starts week one that he would 0:15:58.105 --> 0:16:01.425 be better off now than he would have been back. 0:16:01.225 --> 0:16:03.585 Then, that much further ahead of the curve. 0:16:03.465 --> 0:16:04.065 You would think. 0:16:04.265 --> 0:16:06.585 But I don't know for a fact that they win 0:16:06.625 --> 0:16:09.385 in Cincinnati if he turns the ball over three times 0:16:09.425 --> 0:16:12.425 and you know, we get the exact same Drake May 0:16:12.465 --> 0:16:14.785 start that they got against Houston in his very first 0:16:14.825 --> 0:16:17.185 start in the league. Yeah, and he turns it over 0:16:17.225 --> 0:16:19.745 three times and gives the Bengals three extra possessions. I 0:16:19.745 --> 0:16:21.665 don't know if that rest of that game goes the 0:16:21.705 --> 0:16:24.425 exact same way, but I hear. I mean, look, I've 0:16:24.465 --> 0:16:27.105 been wanting them to start since week one, since April, so, 0:16:27.145 --> 0:16:29.104 like you're peaching to the choir there, I've just kind 0:16:29.105 --> 0:16:31.665 of moved on from it because it is what it is. 0:16:31.705 --> 0:16:34.465 But I just think the biggest thing with with Drake 0:16:34.545 --> 0:16:36.945 May and we can talk about his play specifically, but 0:16:37.225 --> 0:16:38.865 you know, we had him micd up this week and 0:16:38.905 --> 0:16:40.905 that's out now. You can watch that on all of 0:16:40.945 --> 0:16:43.945 our platforms and you just see the leadership. You see 0:16:44.265 --> 0:16:48.785 that ability to rally people in all Yeah, the positivity 0:16:48.905 --> 0:16:50.825 and you know, that sort of thing out of this 0:16:50.905 --> 0:16:53.985 twenty two year old kid and the poiss. You know, 0:16:54.225 --> 0:16:57.105 I feel like is off the charts with him as well. 0:16:57.225 --> 0:16:59.985 So all those things are are great things for the team. 0:17:00.105 --> 0:17:04.545 And I say coaching like, this is why I sound 0:17:04.585 --> 0:17:06.504 like a broken record because I go on, you know, 0:17:06.785 --> 0:17:09.024 three different shows in a week and say the exact 0:17:09.025 --> 0:17:11.504 same thing after they lose to the Titans. But I 0:17:11.545 --> 0:17:13.745 hate sounding like a broken record. But at the same time, 0:17:14.665 --> 0:17:16.625 when the coaching gets out of its way, you know, 0:17:16.665 --> 0:17:21.225 the old belichickism is that coaches lose games, players win games. 0:17:21.465 --> 0:17:23.984 And I felt like in Tennessee, the coaches lost them 0:17:24.025 --> 0:17:26.585 a game. You know, they shuck up the offensive line, 0:17:26.745 --> 0:17:30.465 they blew the situation before halftime, they didn't know which 0:17:30.505 --> 0:17:33.065 way the win was blowing, and overtime, like these were 0:17:33.105 --> 0:17:36.665 things that actively lost the Patriots the game. This week 0:17:36.705 --> 0:17:39.865 in Chicago, you know, they start the same offensive line 0:17:39.865 --> 0:17:42.145 that they ended the game with in Tennessee. Finally, some 0:17:42.305 --> 0:17:46.145 continuity and some you know, foresight to do that they 0:17:46.225 --> 0:17:48.705 scored before the end of the half. They executed that 0:17:48.744 --> 0:17:52.065 situation pretty much flawlessly before the end of the half 0:17:52.105 --> 0:17:54.345 to get that field goal to go up by ten points. 0:17:54.785 --> 0:17:58.385 And they played the situation in the game correctly. And 0:17:58.425 --> 0:18:01.105 that's if you if you get that from coaching every 0:18:01.145 --> 0:18:05.984 single week. I understand they're not loaded talent wise, but 0:18:06.065 --> 0:18:08.784 this is the NFL. They have players that can go 0:18:08.865 --> 0:18:11.545 out there and make plays on offense. They have players 0:18:11.545 --> 0:18:13.744 that can go out there and make plays on defense. 0:18:14.264 --> 0:18:18.465 This is not you know, Bimigie State versus Alabama, right like, 0:18:18.545 --> 0:18:21.784 this is not like we're not talking about like this. 0:18:23.264 --> 0:18:25.785 I don't know, I just made that one up Appalachian State. 0:18:25.785 --> 0:18:30.585 There you go. This is not like, you know, some 0:18:31.345 --> 0:18:33.105 a huge, huge. 0:18:32.905 --> 0:18:35.225 Talent gap that like you walk off the bus and 0:18:35.264 --> 0:18:38.104 you just have no chance on the game. Every NFL 0:18:38.145 --> 0:18:40.305 team has a chance on Sunday. Sure you can win 0:18:40.345 --> 0:18:43.304 any game. Yeah, And so when you look at that, 0:18:43.504 --> 0:18:46.945 when the coaching is an actively an anchor to what 0:18:46.984 --> 0:18:49.425 they're trying to do, I'm not saying that they're gonna 0:18:49.504 --> 0:18:51.625 rattle off six in a row. I'm just saying they're 0:18:51.625 --> 0:18:54.905 gonna be competitive, they're gonna beat in games. They're gonna 0:18:54.905 --> 0:18:57.584 have chances to win football games, and they have, and 0:18:57.665 --> 0:18:59.785 if the players then go out and put them over 0:18:59.865 --> 0:19:03.024 the top, then yeah, they could maybe start to stack 0:19:03.105 --> 0:19:05.744 some wins together. But the first step was not beating 0:19:05.785 --> 0:19:08.665 yourself and on Sunday. They were able to go out 0:19:08.705 --> 0:19:11.744 there and not beat themselves. That they can do that consistently. 0:19:11.825 --> 0:19:13.505 We're gonna see some competitive football. 0:19:13.825 --> 0:19:15.265 I'm bringing you guys up to day and what we're 0:19:15.264 --> 0:19:19.265 gonna do here with the show coming up in i'd 0:19:19.345 --> 0:19:23.744 say about ten twelve minutes, we're going to I'm getting 0:19:23.865 --> 0:19:27.064 I'm getting, I'm getting a missive from control. Oh. I 0:19:27.145 --> 0:19:29.225 was gonna say Phil Perry and he's not going to 0:19:29.225 --> 0:19:31.385 be here now because he show has been moved. Okay, 0:19:31.545 --> 0:19:33.504 so we'll probably hear from Drake May coming up a 0:19:33.504 --> 0:19:35.385 little bit. Phil Perry was going to join us, but 0:19:35.425 --> 0:19:37.625 his schedule change. I got wear you just in time. Yeah, 0:19:37.665 --> 0:19:39.545 I know, I'm glad you did that. But Greg Beacham, 0:19:40.025 --> 0:19:42.264 who covers the rams for the Associated Press, is going 0:19:42.305 --> 0:19:43.744 to join us, so we'll get into some of the 0:19:43.825 --> 0:19:46.105 rams a little bit, and of course Russell Backshew will 0:19:46.105 --> 0:19:48.105 be along as well. In our number two. I want 0:19:48.145 --> 0:19:49.504 to make sure that you know that the phone lines 0:19:49.504 --> 0:19:53.625 are always open eight five five pats five hundred eight 0:19:53.705 --> 0:19:56.544 five five p ats five hundred. You can hit us 0:19:56.585 --> 0:20:00.585 up on podcasts at Patriots dot com. You can find 0:20:00.785 --> 0:20:03.225 my handle on x and submit something that way as well. 0:20:03.345 --> 0:20:06.105 I'm at JR Broadcaster and I hope that you'll you'll 0:20:06.185 --> 0:20:08.425 check in with us on this one, but we'll we'll 0:20:08.545 --> 0:20:11.584 entertain your questions as well. Coming up. I want to 0:20:11.625 --> 0:20:15.344 know what you think of I saw the report that 0:20:15.504 --> 0:20:18.185 was out there about I think it was put out 0:20:18.185 --> 0:20:21.785 originally by Bert Breer, who said that the Patriots were 0:20:22.065 --> 0:20:26.825 looking for the outside advice on how to develop Drake 0:20:26.945 --> 0:20:30.504 may And I think it's because if everything's true true, 0:20:31.105 --> 0:20:33.105 and I'm not surprised by this if it is true, 0:20:34.385 --> 0:20:36.105 but they wanted to make sure that they don't stub 0:20:36.145 --> 0:20:37.665 their tool again, kind of like they did with Mac 0:20:37.744 --> 0:20:40.145 Jones in that situation over the last few years. What 0:20:40.385 --> 0:20:42.305 do you make of that, if anything at all. 0:20:42.425 --> 0:20:45.065 Yeah, I would love to know the timeline of when 0:20:45.065 --> 0:20:50.064 that happened, because asking, you know, guys like I'm just 0:20:50.065 --> 0:20:50.905 throwing this out there. 0:20:51.145 --> 0:20:52.744 I'm not saying that this is who they asked. 0:20:52.785 --> 0:20:56.705 But let's say, uh, girod Mayo or mister Craft or 0:20:56.825 --> 0:20:59.905 AVP or any of them put in a call to 0:20:59.984 --> 0:21:04.264 Brian Dable and said to Brian Dabele, how did you 0:21:04.425 --> 0:21:07.465 go about developing Josh Allen? Because we think that we 0:21:08.145 --> 0:21:11.625 either drafted or are going to draft. Yeah, a Josh 0:21:11.705 --> 0:21:14.945 Allen type. So like, how did you go about doing that? 0:21:15.105 --> 0:21:16.945 You know, I don't think that that is all that 0:21:17.145 --> 0:21:22.345 crazy and I don't necessarily find that nefarious. Like I 0:21:22.425 --> 0:21:23.984 think a lot of people are trying to make this 0:21:24.105 --> 0:21:26.625 out to be and you know, I think that that 0:21:26.705 --> 0:21:29.024 stuff goes on. You pick each other's brains. You know, 0:21:29.065 --> 0:21:32.505 it's a it's a small world of coaching in the NFL. 0:21:32.625 --> 0:21:35.024 Not a lot of guys are in that position or 0:21:35.065 --> 0:21:37.425 where are those hats. There's thirty two head coaches, there's 0:21:37.504 --> 0:21:40.465 thirty two coordinators. Like, it's not like there's you know, 0:21:40.585 --> 0:21:44.584 it's not optim here where there's five thousand people that 0:21:44.625 --> 0:21:46.825 work at the company here, right, Yeah, So I think 0:21:46.945 --> 0:21:50.185 you go around and you talk to people, and you 0:21:50.264 --> 0:21:52.705 talk to guys that have been through similar things. And 0:21:52.865 --> 0:21:54.824 I think the players do it with other players. I 0:21:54.825 --> 0:21:57.744 didn't coaches do it with other coaches. I don't find 0:21:57.785 --> 0:21:59.465 this to be I don't think. I don't want to 0:21:59.465 --> 0:22:01.064 speak for Burt, but like, I don't find it to 0:22:01.065 --> 0:22:05.305 be as smoking gunny as it's like or nefarious as 0:22:05.305 --> 0:22:05.744 it's being. 0:22:06.025 --> 0:22:08.064 Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest, I didn't you know. 0:22:08.105 --> 0:22:09.625 When I looked at it, I said, well, that actually 0:22:09.705 --> 0:22:11.265 kind of makes sense to me. And I didn't find 0:22:11.305 --> 0:22:14.625 that anything terribly revealing on that because look, if I'm 0:22:14.665 --> 0:22:17.585 mister Kraft, I damn sure want to make sure that 0:22:17.625 --> 0:22:19.465 I don't make the same mistakes again. So what do 0:22:19.545 --> 0:22:22.585 we do as an organization to keep from falling into 0:22:22.625 --> 0:22:25.705 those traps and in those those potholes to speak? Because 0:22:25.744 --> 0:22:28.745 I think we understand where some of that, maybe even 0:22:28.785 --> 0:22:31.385 a lot of that occurred to the previous regime. But 0:22:31.504 --> 0:22:33.784 now that we have, you know, a guy that we 0:22:33.865 --> 0:22:36.145 think can lead us back to where you know, this 0:22:36.225 --> 0:22:38.504 franchise wants to go, which is back to the postseason 0:22:38.705 --> 0:22:41.384 and then have success in that postseason. They might have 0:22:41.425 --> 0:22:43.905 a guy here who's capable of that, provided you surrounding 0:22:43.945 --> 0:22:46.425 with the right pieces. So how do we nurture him? 0:22:46.465 --> 0:22:49.865 What what do we need to do in an effort 0:22:49.945 --> 0:22:52.024 to not get in the way of his development? And 0:22:52.025 --> 0:22:55.305 how can we help augment that development? To me, one 0:22:55.345 --> 0:22:58.025 of the things would be would be to have some 0:22:58.145 --> 0:23:02.345 consistency in his learning curve, which mac Jones did not have. 0:23:02.984 --> 0:23:07.665 And with everyone crying for Alex van Pelt, Pelt so 0:23:07.785 --> 0:23:11.544 to speak. I'm not sure so sure that I just 0:23:11.825 --> 0:23:13.425 I'm not sure that's the direction you want to go 0:23:13.504 --> 0:23:15.465 here right now at this stage of his development. 0:23:15.625 --> 0:23:15.825 Yeah. 0:23:15.905 --> 0:23:18.105 So the way I look at it, and I know 0:23:18.145 --> 0:23:21.344 I've come off as a as an AVP defender a 0:23:21.385 --> 0:23:25.065 little bit, but I look at it as almost two 0:23:25.065 --> 0:23:29.425 separate jobs. So Alex Van Pelt, to me's job right 0:23:29.465 --> 0:23:32.585 now isquarter back development, Like his job is to develop 0:23:32.665 --> 0:23:36.145 Drake May. It's his footwork, it's his mechanics, it's his 0:23:36.905 --> 0:23:39.705 reads and his you know, the upstairs stuff, the between 0:23:39.744 --> 0:23:40.504 the years stuff. 0:23:41.105 --> 0:23:42.705 It's developing a quarterback. 0:23:44.065 --> 0:23:48.945 I don't necessarily think that's that's the same as designing 0:23:48.984 --> 0:23:53.025 an offense or calling plays during the game. So there 0:23:53.105 --> 0:23:56.665 might come a time and place where, let's say two 0:23:56.705 --> 0:24:00.304 three years down the line now, when Drake May is 0:24:00.345 --> 0:24:03.385 about as finished up a product as he possibly can be, 0:24:04.145 --> 0:24:06.945 that the Patriots needs somebody that's a little bit more 0:24:06.984 --> 0:24:10.065 innovative and a little bit more creative and a little 0:24:10.065 --> 0:24:13.665 bit better at calling plays during games to kind of 0:24:13.705 --> 0:24:17.465 get them to that next step. But I don't necessarily 0:24:17.504 --> 0:24:20.345 know if that guy is the guy that develops the quarterback. 0:24:20.545 --> 0:24:22.504 If you understand what I'm saying, Like, I feel like 0:24:22.625 --> 0:24:26.985 right now I'm subject to change. If their offense goes 0:24:26.984 --> 0:24:29.425 into the tank for the last eight games of the season, 0:24:29.425 --> 0:24:32.185 then I'm going toge my mind on this. But for 0:24:32.305 --> 0:24:34.665 right now, I think Alex Van Pelt has done his 0:24:34.825 --> 0:24:39.064 job in terms of developing Drake May And that's item 0:24:39.145 --> 0:24:41.865 number one. Like, I understand that people have gripes with 0:24:41.905 --> 0:24:44.705 the way he calls plays during games and stuff like that, 0:24:44.744 --> 0:24:47.744 but frankly, it's that is not seeing the forest for 0:24:47.825 --> 0:24:50.984 the trees, right like that is right now we're getting 0:24:50.984 --> 0:24:54.185 a little bit ahead of ourselves of where this team is. 0:24:54.345 --> 0:24:56.705 And at this point in time, I would take the 0:24:56.785 --> 0:25:00.865 quarterback developer over the fancy offensive coordinator. Now, if you 0:25:00.905 --> 0:25:03.785 could find an offensive coordinator that's good at both, then 0:25:03.825 --> 0:25:07.105 you've hit the jackpot. But most likely that guy's got 0:25:07.105 --> 0:25:09.544 the head job. He doesn't have the officers coordinator. 0:25:09.264 --> 0:25:11.385 That person exists, because if he does, he's probably a 0:25:11.385 --> 0:25:12.105 head coach somewhere. 0:25:12.185 --> 0:25:13.305 Yeah, I mean most of the time. 0:25:13.385 --> 0:25:15.584 Now, you know, I think the one guy everybody always 0:25:15.585 --> 0:25:18.625 points to is Ben Johnson in Detroit. But like Ben 0:25:18.705 --> 0:25:21.744 Johnson in Detroit has Jared Goff, who's a veteran quarterback 0:25:21.785 --> 0:25:23.665 in this league. I don't know what Ben Johnson does 0:25:23.665 --> 0:25:26.065 with rookie quarterbacks. I know what he's done with the 0:25:26.105 --> 0:25:28.025 guy that's been there and done it before. I mean, 0:25:28.025 --> 0:25:30.024 we can say what you want about Jared Goff, but 0:25:30.345 --> 0:25:33.544 he made a Super Bowl with another team and another coach. 0:25:33.665 --> 0:25:38.504 So how Ben Johnson's a great, great coordinator. I'm not 0:25:38.625 --> 0:25:42.945 trying to say he's not. But right now, quarterback development. 0:25:43.345 --> 0:25:47.705 Trump's let's call some cool stuff on Sundays, right, And 0:25:48.025 --> 0:25:49.305 I'm all for the cool stuff? 0:25:49.345 --> 0:25:49.705 You know me? 0:25:49.825 --> 0:25:52.625 Well, can we, though, maybe get a little more help 0:25:52.705 --> 0:25:55.624 to where we could eventually call more cool stuff because 0:25:55.785 --> 0:25:58.225 it's one thing to call the cool stuff and not 0:25:58.305 --> 0:26:01.385 be successful. Yeah, I'd like to see the cool stuff 0:26:01.425 --> 0:26:04.705 be successful. Yeah. I don't think they have the personnel 0:26:04.785 --> 0:26:05.385 to do that all. 0:26:05.305 --> 0:26:08.584 The time, right, So I would say that if I 0:26:08.984 --> 0:26:12.064 were in a position of power, which I am totally not, 0:26:12.744 --> 0:26:15.984 the one thing that I would maybe do, whether it's 0:26:16.545 --> 0:26:21.105 spending time with another coordinator or another offensive mind, or 0:26:21.145 --> 0:26:24.905 it's hiring somebody actually to be on staff, is in 0:26:24.945 --> 0:26:27.465 the off season, I would like to see them try 0:26:27.504 --> 0:26:30.385 to improve their play design and try to be little 0:26:30.385 --> 0:26:32.705 bit more creative on the offensive side of the ball. 0:26:33.185 --> 0:26:36.305 So if that means bringing in somebody who is sort 0:26:36.345 --> 0:26:38.385 of one of these wizards that is more of an 0:26:38.385 --> 0:26:40.824 expert in that sort of thing. Like, I think Van 0:26:40.905 --> 0:26:43.705 Peltz a really good fundamentals coach. Like I think he's 0:26:43.744 --> 0:26:47.585 getting Drake May's footwork is better. I think his mechanics 0:26:47.585 --> 0:26:50.945 are better. I think his processing and his timing and 0:26:50.984 --> 0:26:53.504 his speed in the in the between the ears stuff 0:26:53.545 --> 0:26:56.305 is better than it was at North Carolina. I think 0:26:56.305 --> 0:26:59.784 you're seeing small increments of improvement, but the offensive line 0:26:59.825 --> 0:27:02.425 and the fundamentals and the techniques and like all that 0:27:02.504 --> 0:27:06.185 kind of stuff is starting to slowly improve with lesser talent. 0:27:06.545 --> 0:27:09.385 So I actually really believe that Van Pelt's a decent 0:27:09.504 --> 0:27:13.665 football coach. I just don't know if he's Kyle Shanahan 0:27:13.825 --> 0:27:16.145 right where like he's gonna get into games and he's 0:27:16.145 --> 0:27:19.905 gonna really out fox the opposing defensive coordinator. 0:27:20.225 --> 0:27:21.504 Is he not that guy? Probably? 0:27:21.785 --> 0:27:25.705 Probably not, Probably not to be frank, But when we 0:27:25.744 --> 0:27:28.105 get to that point where that's what this team needs, 0:27:28.385 --> 0:27:31.544 then we can have that conversation comparison. I keep on 0:27:31.705 --> 0:27:35.784 using is Lamar Jackson because Lamar Jackson started off with 0:27:35.825 --> 0:27:39.705 Greg Roman as his offensive coordinator, who worked with Kaepernick 0:27:39.744 --> 0:27:43.225 in San Francisco and ran a wing te you know, 0:27:43.305 --> 0:27:47.064 triple option style offense in college. So he was really, 0:27:47.905 --> 0:27:51.584 you know, like buttoned up in terms of how to 0:27:51.665 --> 0:27:55.065 use that kind of quarterback. So he had Roman for 0:27:55.145 --> 0:27:56.825 a couple of years when MVP of the league with 0:27:56.945 --> 0:27:59.945 Roman by the way, and then eventually they got to 0:27:59.984 --> 0:28:04.185 the point where Lamar had evolved past just being an 0:28:04.185 --> 0:28:08.785 option quarterback, and he had evolved past the Greg Roman offense. 0:28:09.264 --> 0:28:12.945 So the Ravens hired Todd Monkin as their offensive coordinator 0:28:12.945 --> 0:28:15.705 and fired Greg Roman, and Todd Monkin came in and 0:28:15.705 --> 0:28:18.945 put more on Lamar's plate, ran more pro style concepts, 0:28:19.305 --> 0:28:21.145 and now all of a sudden, you see this version 0:28:21.185 --> 0:28:24.984 of the Ravens. So the Todd Monkin might not be 0:28:25.145 --> 0:28:28.784 what Drake may needs today. He might need Todd Monkin 0:28:28.865 --> 0:28:32.345 in three years, but today he might need Alex Van Pelt, 0:28:32.504 --> 0:28:34.705 and he might need a guy that has played the 0:28:34.744 --> 0:28:38.505 position before in the league, who knows quarterbacks, who knows 0:28:38.505 --> 0:28:41.425 how to coach quarterbacks. And we'll get to the point 0:28:41.465 --> 0:28:43.305 where we're talking about scheme in a. 0:28:43.225 --> 0:28:48.425 Little bit isn't that originally why Van Pelt was brought here, 0:28:48.745 --> 0:28:52.665 thinking that he could help bring along, you know, whatever 0:28:52.745 --> 0:28:55.865 rookie quarterback that they ended up you know, drafting, whether 0:28:55.865 --> 0:28:58.865 it was you know, Drake May, Jayden Daniels, whoever ended 0:28:58.945 --> 0:29:02.105 up being at that pick. They want him to basically, 0:29:02.225 --> 0:29:03.985 you know, be the quarterback whisperer. 0:29:04.225 --> 0:29:04.584 Yeah. 0:29:04.705 --> 0:29:07.065 Yeah, and I think that was the original premise. We 0:29:07.225 --> 0:29:09.905 kind of lost sight of that once, you know, we 0:29:09.985 --> 0:29:11.905 knew it was Drake May, and it's kind of like, 0:29:11.905 --> 0:29:13.905 all right, now, let's see what, you know, Let's gore points, 0:29:13.985 --> 0:29:17.545 let's score touchdown, let's win games. But the one thing 0:29:17.625 --> 0:29:20.145 that I keep kind of harkening back to myself is 0:29:20.145 --> 0:29:22.864 is that this staff, even when it came in new 0:29:22.905 --> 0:29:26.305 they kept saying this is going to be a developmental process. 0:29:26.505 --> 0:29:31.105 There's going to be a slow, probably painfully laborious process. Yeah. 0:29:31.225 --> 0:29:34.185 They haven't lied to us in that regard. Yeah. 0:29:34.505 --> 0:29:36.985 Yeah, And you know, I look at Jayden Daniels I 0:29:36.985 --> 0:29:40.225 think as a cool kind of foil to the Drake 0:29:40.305 --> 0:29:43.305 May thing, because we talked about this all draft season 0:29:43.425 --> 0:29:45.945 and it's rung true. You know, Jayden Daniels spent six 0:29:46.025 --> 0:29:49.425 years in college football, He made over fifty career starts 0:29:49.425 --> 0:29:52.825 in college football. He was by far and away the 0:29:52.865 --> 0:29:56.225 most pro ready quarterback out of this group, and he, 0:29:56.745 --> 0:30:00.145 you know, was just further along in his development. So 0:30:00.305 --> 0:30:03.864 the Commanders they hired Cliff Kingsbury, who is one of 0:30:03.905 --> 0:30:07.185 these schemers, who is one of these creative offensive minds, 0:30:07.425 --> 0:30:09.625 because they didn't necessarily need to hire a guy that 0:30:09.745 --> 0:30:11.865 was going to work on footwork with jayde and Daniel. 0:30:12.025 --> 0:30:15.385 Yeah, have you wondered what would happened if the roles 0:30:15.385 --> 0:30:18.665 were reversed and Kingsbury was here taking care of May. 0:30:18.825 --> 0:30:20.665 If in that position, would we still be at the 0:30:20.665 --> 0:30:21.705 same stage we are now? 0:30:21.865 --> 0:30:22.065 Yeah? 0:30:22.305 --> 0:30:25.145 I do wonder, because you know, look, I think Kingsbury 0:30:25.185 --> 0:30:27.105 the one thing that I have been you know, the 0:30:27.185 --> 0:30:30.785 couple things I've been critical with AVP and of the 0:30:30.825 --> 0:30:34.065 actual design of the plays and the play calls themselves 0:30:34.785 --> 0:30:37.745 are one. I don't necessarily feel like he's catered the 0:30:37.785 --> 0:30:40.745 offense to Drake May. I feel like he's asked Drake 0:30:40.785 --> 0:30:44.465 made a fit into his offense. And before everybody's you know, 0:30:44.545 --> 0:30:48.865 takes that that's not just an AVP thing. I would 0:30:48.865 --> 0:30:52.385 say Josh McDaniels did the exact same thing with Mac Jones, like, 0:30:52.465 --> 0:30:55.265 this is our system, this is what we run, this 0:30:55.305 --> 0:30:57.065 is what we're gonna ask you to do, and you 0:30:57.145 --> 0:30:58.545 have to go out there and do it. And if 0:30:58.585 --> 0:31:00.665 you can't do it, we'll get another guy to do it, right, 0:31:00.745 --> 0:31:03.225 Like that's a lot of coordinators think that way. But 0:31:03.345 --> 0:31:07.425 Kingsbury he got his hands on Jaden Daniels when Washington 0:31:07.505 --> 0:31:11.305 drafted him, and he went to LSU and basically took 0:31:11.345 --> 0:31:14.265 the LSU playbook and they took the things they liked, 0:31:14.305 --> 0:31:16.545 and they took they throughout the things they didn't like. 0:31:16.905 --> 0:31:18.545 But a lot of the things that they run in 0:31:18.665 --> 0:31:21.465 Washington are what Jaden Daniels was running at LSU. You know, 0:31:21.545 --> 0:31:26.505 there's a lot of read options and quarterback run and 0:31:26.705 --> 0:31:29.104 all that kind of stuff that was all going on 0:31:29.145 --> 0:31:32.825 at LSU. They're now doing yeah in Washington, and I 0:31:32.865 --> 0:31:37.665 don't necessarily see the Patriots doing that for Drake. So 0:31:37.825 --> 0:31:40.385 that's a big thing. And I would also just say that, 0:31:40.545 --> 0:31:43.225 you know, in general, I think some of the play 0:31:43.305 --> 0:31:48.705 calling lacks sequencing, Like it lacks cohesion where you know, okay, 0:31:48.745 --> 0:31:51.225 we're running this play, We're running this play, and now 0:31:51.265 --> 0:31:54.425 here's the counter, Like here's the punch off of that. 0:31:54.705 --> 0:31:57.545 I don't necessarily see that going on and often enough. 0:31:57.585 --> 0:31:58.905 All Right, I want to get back to that in 0:31:58.945 --> 0:32:00.545 just a moment, But I want to pause here for 0:32:00.625 --> 0:32:03.425 just a moment and bring in Greg Beacham, who covers 0:32:03.425 --> 0:32:06.625 the Rams, amongst other things, for the Associated Press in 0:32:06.705 --> 0:32:09.945 Los Angeles. Greg, it's John Rook and Evan Lazar here 0:32:09.945 --> 0:32:12.145 in Foxborough. Thanks for taking a little time today. 0:32:12.905 --> 0:32:14.465 Hey John, Hey Heaven, thanks for having me. 0:32:14.665 --> 0:32:17.545 Sure, so I get the obvious question I have is 0:32:17.545 --> 0:32:21.065 is what the hell happened this last weekend? I mean, 0:32:21.065 --> 0:32:22.865 and I'm sure that's a question that you know, the 0:32:22.945 --> 0:32:25.505 Rams are asking themselves. I'm sure that that's a question 0:32:25.545 --> 0:32:28.465 that Rams fans are asking themselves, especially after having a 0:32:28.465 --> 0:32:31.305 couple of pretty good offensive performances leading into that and 0:32:31.305 --> 0:32:35.185 getting this team back into you know, some kind of contention. Man, 0:32:35.265 --> 0:32:39.185 that was a semi stinker against the Dolphins, I thought, Yeah. 0:32:39.105 --> 0:32:41.545 Especially offensively for a team to admit a lot of 0:32:41.585 --> 0:32:43.905 progress on offense for the last couple of weeks. I mean, 0:32:43.945 --> 0:32:46.545 a lot of it came down to red zone execution, 0:32:46.705 --> 0:32:49.225 as you saw. I mean, they repeatedly, you know, failed 0:32:49.265 --> 0:32:52.785 to convert opportunities. Even when there were open receivers, Matthew 0:32:52.825 --> 0:32:55.265 Stafford didn't find them. And all that is just play 0:32:55.345 --> 0:32:58.985 to play stuff. But overall, the overarching theme is that 0:32:59.065 --> 0:33:01.105 this team is struggling to get its run game going 0:33:01.145 --> 0:33:04.505 for some reason, even though they've got Karen Williams back there, 0:33:04.505 --> 0:33:06.465 who is an elite running back. In Blake Krum the 0:33:06.505 --> 0:33:09.225 rookie who looks like a really good backup. I think 0:33:09.225 --> 0:33:11.545 you have to credit that partly to the offensive line, 0:33:11.545 --> 0:33:14.545 which has been constantly influx this year injuries every week, 0:33:15.305 --> 0:33:18.305 but also Charmavay's play calling. He's calling a lot of passes. 0:33:18.345 --> 0:33:21.225 He's in the top quarter of the league for passes called, 0:33:21.625 --> 0:33:23.865 or that's falling behind when they were struggling earlier this year, 0:33:23.865 --> 0:33:26.425 But it doesn't explain everything. They've been trying to move 0:33:26.465 --> 0:33:28.905 the ball through the air, particularly since Cooper Cup and 0:33:28.945 --> 0:33:32.505 Pukinikua came back, but it did not work against the Dolphins. 0:33:32.545 --> 0:33:34.465 They struggled to get the ball in the end zone, 0:33:34.465 --> 0:33:37.425 they struggled on third down, right, they struggled everywhere where 0:33:37.425 --> 0:33:39.425 they'd been doing pretty well the previous two weeks. 0:33:39.945 --> 0:33:43.105 I would ask you why you think maybe they've struggled. 0:33:43.145 --> 0:33:44.545 I mean, I saw that they were pretty good in 0:33:44.665 --> 0:33:46.785 terms of possessing the ball, but when it got to 0:33:46.825 --> 0:33:50.385 the red zone, they just they came up with they 0:33:50.385 --> 0:33:54.665 fired blanks. Is it because of anything that either Nikoua 0:33:54.745 --> 0:33:56.385 or Cup were doing, or is it because they don't 0:33:56.425 --> 0:33:59.305 lack they lack a running game? Was it the play calling? 0:33:59.345 --> 0:34:01.065 I mean, have you been able to kind of look 0:34:01.105 --> 0:34:03.305 at it and say, well, maybe was this or that. 0:34:04.265 --> 0:34:06.625 It's occurred a lot during Sean mcvay's eight years. He's 0:34:06.625 --> 0:34:08.185 an excellent coach, he's one of the best. 0:34:07.985 --> 0:34:08.424 In the league. 0:34:08.465 --> 0:34:13.265 But in terms of his you know, short field play calling, execution, 0:34:13.425 --> 0:34:15.465 all those kinds of things that we talk about, he's 0:34:15.505 --> 0:34:16.905 lacked at times. And he's to be the first to 0:34:16.945 --> 0:34:18.425 admit it. He's like, you know, I didn't put my 0:34:18.465 --> 0:34:19.745 guys in the position to succeeed. 0:34:20.465 --> 0:34:22.985 He'll put you know, Stafford back there with a couple. 0:34:22.865 --> 0:34:25.385 Of options if one of them's not open. Matthew Stafford 0:34:25.465 --> 0:34:27.145 is not the most elusive quarterback in the world. He 0:34:27.185 --> 0:34:29.344 needs to make a quick decision. They'll take a chance. 0:34:29.345 --> 0:34:31.625 He's also a gambler. He made a couple of mistakes 0:34:31.665 --> 0:34:33.465 on Monday Night overall. 0:34:33.465 --> 0:34:37.545 I just say it's an overall not having a sense 0:34:37.745 --> 0:34:39.665 of being able to establish the running game and go 0:34:39.745 --> 0:34:42.185 from there. That's been the repeated problem this year is 0:34:42.305 --> 0:34:44.424 just not getting the ball moving on the ground enough 0:34:44.425 --> 0:34:46.344 to where you can set up the pass properly. And 0:34:46.384 --> 0:34:48.265 a lot of teams do it the opposite way, obviously, 0:34:48.344 --> 0:34:50.625 but the Rams when they've been at their best when 0:34:50.625 --> 0:34:52.705 they had Todd Gurley, when they had no Kiren going 0:34:52.745 --> 0:34:55.225 nuts last year, where a team that would use the run, 0:34:55.265 --> 0:34:56.825 set up the pass and have a lot of success 0:34:56.864 --> 0:34:58.585 that way, they have not been able to do that. 0:34:58.665 --> 0:35:00.424 Even when they've played well this year, it hasn't been 0:35:00.465 --> 0:35:03.584 really impressive. They're rushing offenses like twenty six in the league, 0:35:03.585 --> 0:35:06.825 I believe before Monday night. So it's just not getting 0:35:06.825 --> 0:35:08.745 it going, and to me, that's the biggest problem. And 0:35:08.785 --> 0:35:09.945 I think again you have to come back to the 0:35:09.985 --> 0:35:12.385 offensive line on that they've had injuries, that just hasn't 0:35:12.384 --> 0:35:12.785 worked out. 0:35:12.945 --> 0:35:16.944 Seemed like everybody is having major offensive line issues. The 0:35:16.985 --> 0:35:21.105 Patriots offensive line is well documented issues that they've had. 0:35:21.145 --> 0:35:22.904 We saw that this last week from the Bears the 0:35:22.905 --> 0:35:25.385 Patriots played, and now we're seeing it from the Rams. 0:35:25.945 --> 0:35:27.544 Have you been able to put your finger on why 0:35:27.585 --> 0:35:31.425 this is. Are there just not enough good players out there? 0:35:31.545 --> 0:35:34.104 Or is it because of the physicality of the game. 0:35:34.185 --> 0:35:36.305 I'm just kind of curious what you're your point of 0:35:36.344 --> 0:35:38.625 view might be on why we're seeing so many offensive 0:35:38.625 --> 0:35:39.265 line issues. 0:35:39.825 --> 0:35:42.944 Well, that might be it. I mean I always talk 0:35:42.985 --> 0:35:45.665 about this with hockey, that there's so many, so many 0:35:45.745 --> 0:35:47.825 players in the NHL right now who would be in 0:35:47.825 --> 0:35:50.665 the AHL a few years ago because they've expanded so much. 0:35:50.985 --> 0:35:53.384 Maybe it's it's a fact where there's just not that many, 0:35:53.745 --> 0:35:56.464 not that many difference makers at this level. But but 0:35:56.505 --> 0:35:59.024 the Rams offensive line issues started early. They lost, they 0:35:59.025 --> 0:36:01.105 lost three guys in the first two games, and after 0:36:01.145 --> 0:36:03.305 that they're just they're just patching holes all over the place. 0:36:03.344 --> 0:36:05.785 They're playing a rookie at center who did his best. 0:36:05.985 --> 0:36:08.105 You know, they're playing they're they're switching tackles. They had 0:36:08.145 --> 0:36:10.504 they had their left tackles suspended for two games, so 0:36:10.505 --> 0:36:12.904 they haven't had any continuity to work on something. And 0:36:12.905 --> 0:36:15.585 that was something that they went into the offseason really 0:36:15.625 --> 0:36:18.504 wanting to address. They signed Jonah Jackson, paid a top 0:36:18.545 --> 0:36:20.625 dollar for a guard who turned out to be a center. 0:36:20.864 --> 0:36:23.864 They drafted Steve Avola in the second round last year. 0:36:24.185 --> 0:36:26.745 They've paid Kevin Dottson to stay, paid him big money 0:36:26.745 --> 0:36:29.504 after after very smartly acquiring him in a trade. They 0:36:29.505 --> 0:36:31.705 thought that the interior of their offensive line would be 0:36:31.745 --> 0:36:33.905 their strength. I don't know that you can blame injuries 0:36:33.945 --> 0:36:36.785 on any specific, you know thing. I don't know that 0:36:36.785 --> 0:36:39.065 that works. They did rely on Joe Noteboom as their 0:36:39.065 --> 0:36:41.464 swing tagle, who's been injury prone his entire career, and 0:36:41.505 --> 0:36:43.344 he got hurt again, only came back last week and 0:36:43.344 --> 0:36:45.544 didn't do so good because Rob Havnstein was out at 0:36:45.785 --> 0:36:47.904 the right tackle. So I don't know that you can 0:36:47.985 --> 0:36:50.105 tag it on one particular thing. Some of that's the 0:36:50.185 --> 0:36:51.985 role of the dice as that every team knows. You know, 0:36:52.025 --> 0:36:53.825 you come into a season with a plan and then 0:36:53.825 --> 0:36:54.705 you get punch in the mouth. 0:36:55.145 --> 0:36:57.344 But I think, I think if they can just get 0:36:57.425 --> 0:36:59.905 a couple of few weeks together to build some continuity, 0:36:59.945 --> 0:37:02.025 build some stability, I think the running game will come 0:37:02.025 --> 0:37:04.825 because Karen Williams looks just as good as before, except 0:37:04.864 --> 0:37:07.225 his yards per carry his way down, and that's hurting 0:37:07.265 --> 0:37:08.145 everything the Rams. 0:37:07.985 --> 0:37:08.545 Are trying to do. 0:37:08.985 --> 0:37:11.745 Philosophically speaking, and then I kind of tossed this out 0:37:11.745 --> 0:37:14.424 to both of you. Here, is this a problem on 0:37:14.465 --> 0:37:17.465 the offensive line that could be solved with expanded rosters? 0:37:17.465 --> 0:37:19.865 Because we're getting ready to even think about the eighteen 0:37:19.905 --> 0:37:21.984 game regular season in the next few years, certainly by 0:37:22.025 --> 0:37:25.065 the time the next contract, you know, with the NFLPA 0:37:25.185 --> 0:37:28.305 rolls around, I'm wondering if this is a solvable problem 0:37:28.384 --> 0:37:32.145 so that teams can improve them with some added depth. Greg, 0:37:32.145 --> 0:37:33.225 I'll let you take it first. 0:37:33.905 --> 0:37:35.785 That's a good question. I'd be curious. I do know 0:37:35.825 --> 0:37:38.065 that the Rams you know, have they have depth in 0:37:38.105 --> 0:37:40.745 the building. They have a practice squad full of guys 0:37:40.745 --> 0:37:42.785 who they you know, they drafted or they think can 0:37:42.825 --> 0:37:45.225 step up. Some of them have tried and have failed. Though, 0:37:45.265 --> 0:37:47.624 I don't know whether the only way you get better 0:37:47.705 --> 0:37:50.384 is to play. Then if you can't play, then how 0:37:50.384 --> 0:37:52.145 do you get better. I don't know how that works. 0:37:52.185 --> 0:37:53.305 I would love to see. 0:37:53.344 --> 0:37:53.705 I'm all in. 0:37:53.705 --> 0:37:54.905 Favor of expanded rosters. 0:37:54.905 --> 0:37:57.105 I think anything you can do to help people get 0:37:57.105 --> 0:37:58.945 better at football and be part of the team and 0:37:58.985 --> 0:38:01.504 all that kind of stuff would work. But in terms 0:38:01.545 --> 0:38:04.464 of like fixing you know, injuries and depth, that's gonna 0:38:04.465 --> 0:38:06.944 be really tough, just because the level is so high 0:38:06.945 --> 0:38:09.344 in the NFL. The defensive lineman you're going against are 0:38:09.425 --> 0:38:11.864 so good. You know, you're not gonna lose your backup tack, 0:38:12.025 --> 0:38:14.025 lose your tackle and then have him go up against 0:38:14.025 --> 0:38:14.864 the backup defensive end. 0:38:14.905 --> 0:38:16.864 That's not the artworks. You guys just gonna get murdered 0:38:16.864 --> 0:38:18.225 by an elite guy on the other side. 0:38:18.425 --> 0:38:21.065 Yeah, yeah, I just I think a bigger problem to 0:38:21.105 --> 0:38:23.864 me is the lack of padded practices and the lack 0:38:23.905 --> 0:38:28.265 of you know, contact, especially in the summertime, because look, 0:38:28.305 --> 0:38:31.785 that's offensive line play is just fundamentals and you know, 0:38:32.145 --> 0:38:35.505 physicality and all that kind of stuff. And if you 0:38:35.545 --> 0:38:38.344 don't have those reps under your belt, especially and we're 0:38:38.344 --> 0:38:40.625 talking about depth guys that get even less reps than 0:38:40.625 --> 0:38:43.225 the guys that are starting, and a lot of places, 0:38:43.265 --> 0:38:45.864 it's just kind of compounds itself that these guys just 0:38:45.864 --> 0:38:49.425 don't have a ton of experience. And I've always wondered 0:38:49.465 --> 0:38:52.065 if like there was a way to you know, now 0:38:52.105 --> 0:38:54.504 we have all these like spring leagues and stuff like that, 0:38:54.665 --> 0:38:56.864 like if you start sending some of those guys like 0:38:57.225 --> 0:39:00.265 that are going to be eighth, nine, tenth offensive lineman 0:39:00.305 --> 0:39:03.705 on NFL rosters practice squad guys like, give those guys 0:39:03.785 --> 0:39:08.105 opportunities to get more live reps other places. You know, 0:39:08.185 --> 0:39:10.904 maybe that would help him out as well. But you know, 0:39:10.985 --> 0:39:13.705 that's the biggest thing to me, because you do look 0:39:14.185 --> 0:39:17.464 at the NFL and you can see, especially teams that 0:39:17.505 --> 0:39:19.864 are at least able to stay somewhat healthy on the 0:39:19.905 --> 0:39:22.384 offensive line. By the end of the year, it's a 0:39:22.384 --> 0:39:24.145 lot better than it was at the beginning of the year. 0:39:24.145 --> 0:39:25.424 And that's not a coincidence. 0:39:25.465 --> 0:39:25.625 You know. 0:39:25.705 --> 0:39:28.265 They build to that sort of thing. I think we're 0:39:28.305 --> 0:39:30.424 even seeing that here a little bit, is that the 0:39:30.465 --> 0:39:33.305 Patriots have been able to build at least in some spots. 0:39:33.344 --> 0:39:35.065 Yeah. I think it goes back to the old adage. 0:39:35.065 --> 0:39:36.984 And I've said this all along, he who has the 0:39:36.985 --> 0:39:40.024 most toys wins. And if you're if you're if you're 0:39:40.065 --> 0:39:43.745 able to keep that some semblance of depth for the 0:39:43.785 --> 0:39:45.944 long haul here, you're going to be one of those 0:39:45.985 --> 0:39:48.825 teams that is truly a contender. That's what Kansas City 0:39:48.985 --> 0:39:50.945 has done so marvelously well over. 0:39:50.785 --> 0:39:52.785 The last few years and blocked field goals. 0:39:52.905 --> 0:39:57.825 Yeah field is that unbelievable, right, I know? And really 0:39:57.864 --> 0:40:00.065 can't Yeah, really can't they just lose and get it 0:40:00.105 --> 0:40:03.384 over with, you know, I mean, honestly, it's it's like, 0:40:03.665 --> 0:40:07.545 but they've got, you know, some of that sunshine. Uh yeah, 0:40:07.785 --> 0:40:10.265 sprang up their skirt, so to speak, Uh, like the 0:40:10.265 --> 0:40:11.544 Patriots had a few years ago. 0:40:11.665 --> 0:40:11.864 Yeah. 0:40:11.864 --> 0:40:12.945 Absolutely, very similar. 0:40:13.025 --> 0:40:13.705 Absolutely, Greg. 0:40:13.785 --> 0:40:17.265 I had a couple of questions for you, just since 0:40:17.265 --> 0:40:20.105 we're on the topic of offensive line. Do you expect 0:40:20.105 --> 0:40:22.145 it to be the same group as it was last week, 0:40:22.185 --> 0:40:23.825 because I know they had got a bunch of guys 0:40:23.864 --> 0:40:26.585 back and it didn't exactly go the way that they 0:40:26.585 --> 0:40:27.465 were hoping it would. 0:40:28.225 --> 0:40:30.145 We have not talked to Sean yet today. He talked 0:40:30.344 --> 0:40:34.105 in about an hour. But the expectation with Rob Hanstein, 0:40:34.145 --> 0:40:36.065 their starting right tackle, was that he would have a 0:40:36.185 --> 0:40:38.864 chance to come back this week. Joe Noteboom played for 0:40:38.905 --> 0:40:40.785 him last week. Didn't play that well overall. I mean, 0:40:40.825 --> 0:40:42.384 he's doing his best. He was coming back from his 0:40:42.425 --> 0:40:44.864 injuries first time since week one, so he was just 0:40:44.905 --> 0:40:47.305 being thrown into the fire. They did get they did 0:40:47.384 --> 0:40:49.105 get their center back, and they got their they got 0:40:49.105 --> 0:40:51.745 their left guard back. There was one bad snap that 0:40:51.985 --> 0:40:53.585 showed a little bit of rustiness from those two guys 0:40:53.585 --> 0:40:55.945 who'd been injured, but they'll both feedback. They're both okay. 0:40:56.225 --> 0:40:57.905 So they're going to be close to one hundred percent 0:40:57.945 --> 0:41:00.425 this week. They're either going to have their five starters 0:41:00.425 --> 0:41:02.384 from from week one, which will be the first time 0:41:02.384 --> 0:41:04.705 they've had their five starters from week one, or they're 0:41:04.745 --> 0:41:08.265 going to have four starters and they're they're dependable, very 0:41:08.265 --> 0:41:10.665 well paid backup tackle at right at right tackle who's 0:41:10.665 --> 0:41:13.065 going to be expected to produce. So they're close to 0:41:13.105 --> 0:41:15.705 one hundred percent as they can be right now, and 0:41:15.745 --> 0:41:17.665 you know, at week whatever week we're at, and so 0:41:17.825 --> 0:41:19.424 we'll see if that pays dividends on the field. 0:41:19.785 --> 0:41:21.825 Yeah, And then just to flip over to the other 0:41:21.864 --> 0:41:23.785 side of the ball to talk about some more positive 0:41:24.225 --> 0:41:27.825 things for the Rams right now. Obviously that defense is 0:41:28.185 --> 0:41:30.464 playing lights out over the last month or so. 0:41:30.705 --> 0:41:32.585 Loved your adverse, Yeah, does what do you. 0:41:32.505 --> 0:41:36.185 See from the group overall? And Chris Sula and his 0:41:36.265 --> 0:41:38.904 scheme seems pretty pretty good right now too. 0:41:39.745 --> 0:41:41.904 They've made a lot of improvements that the story from 0:41:41.905 --> 0:41:44.225 September to October was night and day. And I give 0:41:44.225 --> 0:41:45.985 credit to Chris Shula because there are a lot of 0:41:46.065 --> 0:41:48.105 raised eros at that higher because he you know, he 0:41:48.185 --> 0:41:51.385 was Shawn's college teammate, college roommate, you know, old friend, 0:41:51.705 --> 0:41:53.705 had not really been a candidate for a lot of 0:41:53.705 --> 0:41:55.585 defensive coordinator jobs. And Shawn is a. 0:41:55.505 --> 0:41:58.625 Guy who's gone outside of his organization, thought outside the 0:41:58.625 --> 0:42:01.065 box to find defensive coordinators. He you know, his three 0:42:01.105 --> 0:42:04.105 coordinators were West Phillips, who's never worked with before, I 0:42:04.105 --> 0:42:07.825 mean yeah, and then Uh and then Brandon Staley, who 0:42:07.905 --> 0:42:10.585 he you know, knew, didn't know Raheem Morris, who was 0:42:10.585 --> 0:42:12.545 a former colleague but hadn't worked with him in the Rams. 0:42:12.665 --> 0:42:14.904 To get stay in, to stay in the organization and 0:42:14.945 --> 0:42:16.705 to go with that was a bit of a surprise. 0:42:16.825 --> 0:42:18.785 But they're making a lot of strides and a lot 0:42:18.825 --> 0:42:20.865 of it's about that defensive front. You guys are gonna 0:42:20.905 --> 0:42:22.904 love getting the first first hand look at Jared Verse. 0:42:23.384 --> 0:42:23.624 Uh. 0:42:23.745 --> 0:42:26.465 Just kind of a monster on the edge, just relentless motor, 0:42:27.065 --> 0:42:29.545 just has great instincts. Once once he learns how to 0:42:29.545 --> 0:42:31.625 put down you know, every tackle that he has an 0:42:31.625 --> 0:42:34.185 opportunity to make. Like a veteran, he's going to be 0:42:34.185 --> 0:42:35.344 one of the best, you know, one of the best 0:42:35.425 --> 0:42:37.464 ed rushers in the NFL. He might already be. I'm 0:42:37.465 --> 0:42:39.344 not sure, but that's not the only guy. That've got 0:42:39.425 --> 0:42:42.185 Kobe Turner at nose tackle, who's a very active, very 0:42:42.185 --> 0:42:44.825 aggressive nose tackle, has done a great job of filling 0:42:44.825 --> 0:42:47.665 a lot of the of the gap that Aaron Donald's left. 0:42:47.705 --> 0:42:49.585 That've got Byron Young on the other side, who is 0:42:49.625 --> 0:42:52.864 a nice book nd pass rusher for Jared Burst. He 0:42:52.905 --> 0:42:55.225 doesn't pop off the screen quite as much as Burst does, 0:42:55.265 --> 0:42:58.424 but he's very effective and very relentless as well. And 0:42:58.465 --> 0:42:59.944 then they've just got They've got a bunch of guys 0:42:59.985 --> 0:43:02.225 you know, on the interior who filled good roles as well. 0:43:02.305 --> 0:43:04.745 So and Braden Fist, their other rookie, is also showing 0:43:05.025 --> 0:43:07.705 real promise on the interior defensive line. So a lot 0:43:07.745 --> 0:43:10.384 of the success is built on this young defensive line 0:43:10.425 --> 0:43:12.344 really coming into its own after just a half a 0:43:12.384 --> 0:43:14.745 season together. It really bodes well for the future of 0:43:14.785 --> 0:43:16.424 the Rams. They do have problems at the other two 0:43:16.505 --> 0:43:19.145 levels of the defense, but right now that their team, 0:43:19.185 --> 0:43:21.065 their team is getting a lot of pressure and stopping 0:43:21.065 --> 0:43:22.585 a lot of stuff at the line of scrimmage. 0:43:22.864 --> 0:43:25.985 I was sort of sorry, just you know, just as 0:43:25.665 --> 0:43:29.225 a team right now in the Patriots that are obviously rebuilding, 0:43:29.625 --> 0:43:32.504 you know, there was there's clearly a philosophical shift with 0:43:32.625 --> 0:43:35.225 less Need and Sehn McVay about how they were going 0:43:35.265 --> 0:43:38.745 to approach team building from the you know FM picks 0:43:39.065 --> 0:43:42.465 era to now right, So like what sort of changed, 0:43:42.545 --> 0:43:45.544 Like why did they go this direction? And now we're 0:43:45.585 --> 0:43:48.504 talking about you know, Verse and Fisk and all these 0:43:48.545 --> 0:43:51.384 first and second round picks that are making impacts because 0:43:51.384 --> 0:43:52.025 they have picks. 0:43:52.025 --> 0:43:55.665 Again, Lester p Sneed likes to zig when the world's aggs, 0:43:55.705 --> 0:43:57.865 and that's what he's done twice. I mean, he realized 0:43:57.864 --> 0:44:00.945 that people were overvaluing their high picks. He took advantage 0:44:00.985 --> 0:44:03.745 of that by landing a bunch of difference making veterans 0:44:03.745 --> 0:44:05.904 to win a Super Bowl. And then when the last 0:44:05.945 --> 0:44:08.064 of the league cut up to him and started realizing, hey, wait, 0:44:08.065 --> 0:44:09.504 these are worth something and we can get a guy 0:44:09.505 --> 0:44:12.024 who's really good right now, he was like, we need 0:44:12.025 --> 0:44:15.785 to rebuild our base. He you know, the fmpis thing. 0:44:15.825 --> 0:44:17.944 They always said it was sustainable long term. They didn't 0:44:17.985 --> 0:44:19.864 feel like they were loading up and putting all their 0:44:19.905 --> 0:44:22.504 cards on the table in twenty twenty one. Having said that, 0:44:22.745 --> 0:44:24.745 when they had twenty twenty two that went so poorly, 0:44:24.785 --> 0:44:26.945 they decided, Okay, wait, we need to restock this base, 0:44:27.265 --> 0:44:31.505 and so they've approached that deliberately intentionally. They've they've deliberately 0:44:31.545 --> 0:44:33.904 stayed away from long term, major commitments to guys who 0:44:33.945 --> 0:44:36.024 will not be here in three years, and they've they've 0:44:36.025 --> 0:44:39.185 restocked everything they needed. And they've started on the defensive line, 0:44:39.185 --> 0:44:41.464 because that was the most obvious place to start, particularly 0:44:41.505 --> 0:44:44.024 after Aaron Donald retired, but even before that they needed 0:44:44.025 --> 0:44:46.745 stuff there. So they've done that, they're doing it again, 0:44:46.985 --> 0:44:48.705 and now when you look around the league, it's funny. 0:44:48.745 --> 0:44:51.465 At the trade deadline, you stop people starting to really 0:44:51.585 --> 0:44:53.944 value those high picks again and maybe not making a 0:44:53.945 --> 0:44:55.705 move that would make them more of a Super Bowl 0:44:55.745 --> 0:44:58.505 contender this year, which makes us think maybe Less is 0:44:58.505 --> 0:45:00.944 going to be like, hmm, well, if I, you know, 0:45:01.305 --> 0:45:02.944 if I have a competitive team here and I have 0:45:02.945 --> 0:45:04.464 a first round pick that I can trade for a 0:45:04.465 --> 0:45:07.745 difference making cornerback or a difference making receiver, maybe I'm 0:45:07.785 --> 0:45:09.585 Gonnazig when they're going to zag again. I don't know. 0:45:09.665 --> 0:45:12.024 We'll see, but it's very interesting to see the way 0:45:12.025 --> 0:45:16.024 the league has been following Less around. It's been funny. 0:45:15.545 --> 0:45:19.105 It's fascinating, it's also, Yeah, and the other obvious thing here, 0:45:19.145 --> 0:45:21.384 just to kind of cut to the chase, is that 0:45:21.425 --> 0:45:23.825 I've noticed in some of the headlines about the Rams 0:45:23.825 --> 0:45:26.785 the last few weeks, they've gone from streaking to struggling. 0:45:27.225 --> 0:45:30.344 How does that happen so quickly? And at four and five, five, 0:45:30.825 --> 0:45:34.104 four and five? Is this team that far away from 0:45:34.145 --> 0:45:36.344 being that contender that somebody thought they would be? 0:45:37.505 --> 0:45:39.665 We thought they were. They had turned the corner until 0:45:39.785 --> 0:45:41.705 until Monday night. Actually, they had a one and four 0:45:41.745 --> 0:45:44.145 start with injuries. They had their top two receivers out, 0:45:44.344 --> 0:45:46.465 their top tight end has already been out for the season. 0:45:46.745 --> 0:45:49.064 You know, they had two key offensive linemen out. We thought, 0:45:49.065 --> 0:45:50.745 you know, well, this is this is turning into twenty 0:45:50.745 --> 0:45:53.105 twenty two again. They're just they're just too injured to compete. 0:45:53.465 --> 0:45:55.344 They turned it around. They won three games in a row. 0:45:55.344 --> 0:45:57.105 They looked really good in all three of those games, 0:45:57.105 --> 0:46:01.104 defensively particularly, but also offensively. After Cup and Nickula came back, 0:46:01.465 --> 0:46:03.825 and then you know, on Monday night against Miami, they 0:46:03.825 --> 0:46:06.864 could not execute for the multiple reasons we already talked about. Yea, 0:46:06.864 --> 0:46:08.185 they couldn't get the ball on the end zone. If 0:46:08.185 --> 0:46:10.185 Matthew Stafford gets Karen Williams open in the end zone, 0:46:10.185 --> 0:46:11.665 it might be a different dicussion. You know, that changes 0:46:11.705 --> 0:46:13.464 the entire dynamic of the game. That was you know, 0:46:13.545 --> 0:46:15.864 every NFL played, every NFL game comes down to a 0:46:15.864 --> 0:46:18.384 handful of plays like that. But having said that, you know, 0:46:18.384 --> 0:46:20.385 they lost. They looked, they looked really poor on offense. 0:46:20.384 --> 0:46:22.705 They couldn't they couldn't do anything when it really mattered, 0:46:22.705 --> 0:46:26.185 even though they outgained the Dolphins fandily. So I think 0:46:26.185 --> 0:46:28.544 this game against against New England, they got New England, 0:46:28.585 --> 0:46:31.145 Philadelphia and New Orleans coming up back to back, you know, 0:46:31.305 --> 0:46:32.864 that's going to show you a lot about where they're at, 0:46:32.945 --> 0:46:35.065 and that's going to really determine whether they're actually a 0:46:35.065 --> 0:46:36.985 contender for a playoff spot. They've they've come down to 0:46:36.985 --> 0:46:38.464 the point in the season where it's going to really 0:46:38.505 --> 0:46:41.105 matter what they do in New England on Sunday. This 0:46:41.145 --> 0:46:42.384 is a really important game for them. 0:46:42.825 --> 0:46:45.025 Really good stuff, Greg, thanks for taking a little time 0:46:45.065 --> 0:46:46.904 to visit with us today. We do appreciate it. 0:46:47.344 --> 0:46:48.985 Oh, thank you so much. John and Nevian appreciate it. 0:46:49.025 --> 0:46:49.625 Have on the game. 0:46:49.785 --> 0:46:52.225 Thanks you got it. Greg Beacham covers the Rams for 0:46:52.265 --> 0:46:54.785 the Associated Press in Los Angeles joining us here in 0:46:54.785 --> 0:46:58.145 the playbook. I you know, to me going into the season, 0:46:58.145 --> 0:46:59.825 the Rams one of those teams that are like, well, yeah, 0:46:59.825 --> 0:47:02.385 they'll probably be back. You're thinking, you know, Sean McVay 0:47:02.425 --> 0:47:03.785 is still one of the you know, the up and 0:47:03.825 --> 0:47:06.944 coming coaches of all you know, and the Patriots of 0:47:06.945 --> 0:47:08.785 course match witch with him a few years ago in 0:47:08.864 --> 0:47:11.105 the Super Bowl when he was just starting out, and 0:47:11.384 --> 0:47:13.464 certainly you would think that with a little seasoning and 0:47:13.505 --> 0:47:17.384 having to gone through some adversity, here's a team in 0:47:17.425 --> 0:47:19.504 an organization that's got to be on the uptick, which 0:47:19.545 --> 0:47:23.025 is why when they started out struggling this year, I'm like, Wow, 0:47:23.105 --> 0:47:25.785 what's going on? Is the blame all to go with McVeigh. 0:47:25.985 --> 0:47:29.785 Admittedly probably some of that turning it around, okay, on 0:47:29.825 --> 0:47:31.785 the back on the right track, and then they took 0:47:31.825 --> 0:47:34.104 a huge step back, and I have you know, look, 0:47:35.145 --> 0:47:38.344 I think tour Toungo Viiloa is a better quarterback than 0:47:38.384 --> 0:47:41.065 we've given him credit for over a long period of time, 0:47:41.344 --> 0:47:45.625 especially since he's been in the NFL. Uh you know win, Yeah, 0:47:45.665 --> 0:47:46.785 that's exactly right. 0:47:46.905 --> 0:47:48.745 In the regular season, that's exactly right. 0:47:48.825 --> 0:47:51.065 But I can't believe he would be that much of 0:47:51.105 --> 0:47:55.985 a difference maker for the Dolphins and and and maybe 0:47:56.065 --> 0:47:58.265 he is, and maybe we need to give him credit 0:47:58.265 --> 0:48:00.305 for that. But what I saw, the little I saw 0:48:00.344 --> 0:48:02.305 of the game this past week, I'm like, I was 0:48:02.384 --> 0:48:07.105 just I was more amazed at the rams inability to convert. 0:48:07.545 --> 0:48:10.344 Yeah, they had a lot of injuries the Rams, did 0:48:10.384 --> 0:48:13.665 you know, pukin Akua, Cooper Cup injuries on the offensive 0:48:13.665 --> 0:48:16.384 line that Greg was talking about, and the whole thing 0:48:16.425 --> 0:48:20.305 with them has been and that they are just hoping 0:48:20.344 --> 0:48:22.745 they get everybody back at the right time and then 0:48:22.785 --> 0:48:24.544 they can go on a run in the second half 0:48:24.545 --> 0:48:26.944 of the season and make the playoffs and get into 0:48:26.985 --> 0:48:29.145 the playoffs and and be that you know, team that 0:48:29.185 --> 0:48:31.585 nobody wants to play as a six seed or seventh 0:48:31.585 --> 0:48:34.225 seed or something like that. But the issue is is 0:48:34.265 --> 0:48:36.904 when that happens, like you have no margin for error, right, 0:48:36.905 --> 0:48:39.904 Like you can't lose games that you should win. And 0:48:40.065 --> 0:48:41.985 I don't know if Miami was necessarily a game you 0:48:41.985 --> 0:48:44.065 should win because the Dolphins have a lot of talent 0:48:44.105 --> 0:48:47.504 and well, definitely talk about Miami next week, so he can, 0:48:47.905 --> 0:48:50.465 we can talk about them then. But in terms of 0:48:50.505 --> 0:48:53.504 the Rams now, they're at a point where, like Greg 0:48:53.625 --> 0:48:55.825 was saying, they have to win pretty much every game, 0:48:55.945 --> 0:48:56.425 like they. 0:48:56.344 --> 0:48:58.425 Don't have any margin for error anymore. 0:48:58.785 --> 0:49:01.344 Now, the one thing I would say, you know that 0:49:01.425 --> 0:49:04.425 we didn't really touch on too much just now with Greg, 0:49:04.745 --> 0:49:11.105 that Nikua and Cup. To me, I don't necessarily see 0:49:11.185 --> 0:49:15.464 Cooper Cup as being as dynamic of a receiver as 0:49:15.505 --> 0:49:17.865 he maybe was a couple of years ago on film. 0:49:18.265 --> 0:49:19.985 I do think that's why he was a rumor for 0:49:20.545 --> 0:49:22.065 trade possibility before the deadline. 0:49:22.145 --> 0:49:24.785 It's possible. I and this is just my opinion. 0:49:24.985 --> 0:49:28.025 I just watched film of the Rams now and I 0:49:28.065 --> 0:49:31.265 don't necessarily see the same guy that won Super Bowl 0:49:31.344 --> 0:49:33.265 MVP a couple of years ago. You know, Like I 0:49:33.305 --> 0:49:36.985 don't think that he is quite as electric of a 0:49:37.065 --> 0:49:39.424 route runner as he once was. And I think these 0:49:39.465 --> 0:49:41.944 injuries that he's had, and he has had quite a 0:49:41.945 --> 0:49:46.025 few nagging injuries, some serious ones too, if I'm not mistaken, 0:49:46.505 --> 0:49:49.265 those seem to be catching up to him maybe a 0:49:49.265 --> 0:49:52.585 little bit this at this stage of his career. So now, 0:49:52.625 --> 0:49:54.985 you know, the Dolphins, they played a lot of zone, 0:49:55.025 --> 0:49:57.424 but like when they were playing man to man, and 0:49:57.625 --> 0:50:00.385 I always watched the man to man tape a couple 0:50:00.465 --> 0:50:02.384 times because the Patriots are going to play a lot 0:50:02.425 --> 0:50:05.024 of man to man against opponents. And when I watch 0:50:05.065 --> 0:50:08.265 the Rams and watch them try to get open against 0:50:08.305 --> 0:50:10.825 man to man coverage, like Cup used to just be 0:50:10.985 --> 0:50:14.065 uncoverable one on one when you played him in straight up. 0:50:14.705 --> 0:50:16.825 Now I don't necessarily see that. 0:50:16.945 --> 0:50:18.625 And with Nakua, I think. 0:50:18.425 --> 0:50:21.705 That he's a really good catch and run receiver, but 0:50:21.785 --> 0:50:24.145 he's someone that I believe is more of a product 0:50:24.145 --> 0:50:26.904 to Sean McVay and in the scheme, right, like get 0:50:26.985 --> 0:50:29.705 once they get him open with the scheme, then he 0:50:29.745 --> 0:50:31.545 can catch and run with the football and do the 0:50:31.585 --> 0:50:33.104 things that he does with the ball in his hands. 0:50:33.145 --> 0:50:35.265 How then do you see the Patriots trying to match 0:50:35.384 --> 0:50:38.145 up then with the Cup and Cool? 0:50:38.384 --> 0:50:42.305 Yeah, I definitely think they're going to play man again. Yeah, 0:50:42.305 --> 0:50:42.745 it's a tough on. 0:50:43.985 --> 0:50:46.145 I definitely think they're going to play man. I mean 0:50:46.305 --> 0:50:48.424 I think that's their college for now. Yeah, that's what 0:50:48.425 --> 0:50:49.185 they do now. 0:50:49.185 --> 0:50:49.785 They know that. 0:50:49.905 --> 0:50:52.065 And the one thing that you look at with with 0:50:52.105 --> 0:50:56.145 these Rams receivers outside of maybe too too atwell who 0:50:56.545 --> 0:50:59.505 is a burner, but you like kind of that Marcus 0:50:59.545 --> 0:51:02.145 Jones matchup probably on at well. I think the one 0:51:02.145 --> 0:51:04.785 thing you look at with with cup and and Puka 0:51:04.864 --> 0:51:07.305 is that they don't necessarily run by people. You know, 0:51:07.305 --> 0:51:10.265 they're not receivers that are going to threaten you really 0:51:10.344 --> 0:51:12.984 at the third level. They are more guys that want 0:51:13.025 --> 0:51:14.904 to run you off the line of scrimmage and then 0:51:14.985 --> 0:51:18.705 break at the intermediate level on crossing routes, out corners, 0:51:19.265 --> 0:51:22.384 comebacks like things like that. So if you can give 0:51:22.545 --> 0:51:25.065 corners leverage, you know, help into the middle of the 0:51:25.065 --> 0:51:28.265 field and those situations and they can sit outside of 0:51:28.305 --> 0:51:31.384 these receivers and just you know, follow them around or 0:51:31.384 --> 0:51:33.505 trail them as we would call it in terms of 0:51:33.545 --> 0:51:36.464 the technique, then you can have some success. And that's 0:51:36.505 --> 0:51:39.464 what Miami was able to do was you know, they're 0:51:39.505 --> 0:51:42.665 gonna okay, you know, Cooper Cups got like an option 0:51:42.785 --> 0:51:45.065 on this. He can break in or he can break out. Well, 0:51:45.105 --> 0:51:47.424 we're gonna put a defender right in the middle of 0:51:47.465 --> 0:51:49.424 the field, so if he breaks in, it's gonna break 0:51:49.465 --> 0:51:51.585 right into the help. If he breaks out, then the 0:51:51.585 --> 0:51:54.065 corner's sitting right there for him on the out. So 0:51:54.665 --> 0:51:57.984 that's what the Dolphins were able to do against this team. 0:51:58.025 --> 0:52:00.864 And right now, you don't necessarily see them separating a 0:52:00.905 --> 0:52:01.984 ton on film. 0:52:02.105 --> 0:52:05.785 If the Rams don't solve their red zone issues, which 0:52:05.825 --> 0:52:08.904 they clearly had. Yeah last week, is this winnable game 0:52:08.905 --> 0:52:09.625 for the Patriots? 0:52:09.745 --> 0:52:12.825 Yeah, look at their red zone issues are definitely documented. 0:52:12.864 --> 0:52:14.705 And I would also just say there are a couple 0:52:14.745 --> 0:52:17.145 of possessions in that game against the Dolphins where they're 0:52:17.185 --> 0:52:20.145 just going backwards like on their own unforced errors like 0:52:20.225 --> 0:52:24.384 bad snaps or bobbled exchanges with the running back and 0:52:24.425 --> 0:52:26.785 like just weird things like they would get over the 0:52:26.825 --> 0:52:28.985 fifty and then all of a sudden they take like a 0:52:29.065 --> 0:52:33.305 twelve yard sack because the snap went over Stafford's head. Like, 0:52:33.785 --> 0:52:36.944 you know, that's not necessarily the Dolphins, Like, that's that's 0:52:36.985 --> 0:52:37.785 the Rams. 0:52:38.945 --> 0:52:39.785 Issues that you talk too. 0:52:39.985 --> 0:52:41.225 Yeah, getting in their own way. 0:52:41.344 --> 0:52:44.305 So if they continue to shoot themselves in the foot, 0:52:44.425 --> 0:52:46.545 then yeah, they're gonna find themselves in a little bit 0:52:46.585 --> 0:52:48.665 of a game here with the Patriots on Sunday. But 0:52:49.065 --> 0:52:51.825 if they play their best, and even if you play 0:52:51.864 --> 0:52:54.024 your best, and I would pick the Rams in the game, 0:52:54.065 --> 0:52:56.665 and I probably would pick the Rams anyways, But if 0:52:56.665 --> 0:52:59.185 the Rams keep on shooting themselves in the foot, then 0:52:59.225 --> 0:53:00.545 sure anything can happen at that end. 0:53:00.705 --> 0:53:03.185 It is it likely then, and I want to expand 0:53:03.185 --> 0:53:04.944 on that for just a second, Is it likely then 0:53:05.065 --> 0:53:08.185 the Patriots won't be favored in a single game this year. 0:53:08.705 --> 0:53:10.225 I think they have a chance to be favored against 0:53:10.225 --> 0:53:12.705 the Colts. The Colts are going to go back to 0:53:12.705 --> 0:53:15.665 Anthony Richardson. It sounds like, at least for the time being, 0:53:16.265 --> 0:53:18.745 he's got to stay healthy. If in three weeks the 0:53:18.745 --> 0:53:22.544 Patriots play the Colts here at Chalette Stadium, uh, it's 0:53:22.625 --> 0:53:24.944 either going to be Flacco or Anthony Richardson in the 0:53:24.945 --> 0:53:28.944 Indianapolis Colts. And if the Patriots win another one of 0:53:28.985 --> 0:53:31.384 these two games coming up in between now and then, 0:53:31.465 --> 0:53:34.265 and they're you know one four, six or three or 0:53:34.265 --> 0:53:36.225 five or whatever the heck the math is, then like 0:53:36.305 --> 0:53:38.064 I could see them maybe being favored here. 0:53:38.625 --> 0:53:41.424 Well, that's something I think to potentially look forward to. 0:53:41.545 --> 0:53:45.225 But at the same time, you know, small steps, right, Yeah, 0:53:45.265 --> 0:53:47.384 we're still in that stage where you've got to take 0:53:47.425 --> 0:53:50.985 small steps. What needs to be seen this week for 0:53:51.025 --> 0:53:53.585 you to continue to think this team is moving in 0:53:53.625 --> 0:53:54.305 the right direction. 0:53:54.864 --> 0:53:58.785 I would say offensively, they got a nice performance I 0:53:58.825 --> 0:54:01.705 thought from the supporting cast for Drake May. They ran 0:54:01.745 --> 0:54:04.145 the ball a little bit. The offensive line wasn't a 0:54:04.185 --> 0:54:07.745 complete sieve. The coordinating and the coaching, like we talked 0:54:07.745 --> 0:54:11.944 about earlier, was decent enough. Like I don't again, I 0:54:12.025 --> 0:54:16.265 still have not crazy about Alex van Peltz, you know, 0:54:16.425 --> 0:54:18.905 play calling and scheming and x's and o's. 0:54:18.985 --> 0:54:21.864 But it was fine. It was good enough. He did, 0:54:22.305 --> 0:54:22.705 you know, Tay. 0:54:22.745 --> 0:54:25.545 They took advantage of some busts and some opportunities that 0:54:25.625 --> 0:54:28.424 the Bears gave them, and they, to their credit, they 0:54:28.505 --> 0:54:30.944 hit them right. You know, they got a hooper coming 0:54:30.945 --> 0:54:33.385 across the field with nobody on them, and they didn't 0:54:33.785 --> 0:54:37.424 screwed up. They hit the open receiver. If they can 0:54:38.225 --> 0:54:41.465 continue to get that level of performance from the offensive 0:54:41.465 --> 0:54:44.065 line and Alex van pel and then have Drake may 0:54:44.105 --> 0:54:46.825 play a little bit better on top of that, then 0:54:46.864 --> 0:54:49.345 I can really start to get excited about this offense 0:54:49.384 --> 0:54:51.385 and see where they're going. I thought in this game 0:54:51.705 --> 0:54:53.745 against the Bears, I thought Drake took a little bit 0:54:53.745 --> 0:54:55.665 of a step back, and I thought the rest of 0:54:55.745 --> 0:54:57.705 it took a little of a step forward. So if 0:54:57.705 --> 0:55:00.584 we can kind of get those things going together, then 0:55:00.985 --> 0:55:04.864 we can start talking about them progressing on that side of. 0:55:04.785 --> 0:55:06.344 The ball tell you what I want to see. I 0:55:06.384 --> 0:55:08.585 want to see. I realized that they're not going to 0:55:08.705 --> 0:55:11.585 hold the Rams to one of fourteen on third den 0:55:11.705 --> 0:55:12.984 like they held the Bears. 0:55:12.625 --> 0:55:14.625 Probably, which to me is ahough, the Rams are bad 0:55:14.665 --> 0:55:17.424 on third down. Last week they weren't good. They weren't good, 0:55:17.785 --> 0:55:21.424 but one of fourteen that was astounding to me. I 0:55:21.465 --> 0:55:23.505 want to continue to see the defense figure out a 0:55:23.505 --> 0:55:26.345 way to get off the field and hold the opponent 0:55:26.425 --> 0:55:29.785 to thirty thirty three percent something like that conversion on 0:55:29.785 --> 0:55:32.025 third day. If they can do that, that tells me 0:55:32.185 --> 0:55:35.145 they're giving their offense enough opportunity to have the ball, 0:55:35.344 --> 0:55:37.344 hold on to the ball, and maybe even score some 0:55:37.384 --> 0:55:38.625 points with the ball fair enough. 0:55:38.665 --> 0:55:40.384 I think a big part of that. To me, I'm 0:55:40.545 --> 0:55:44.465 a big believer in that funneling from early down defense. 0:55:44.785 --> 0:55:46.585 And a big part of this Bears game was that 0:55:46.625 --> 0:55:48.424 they stopped the run. You know, they were able to 0:55:48.425 --> 0:55:50.785 stop the run. They were able to stop the Bears 0:55:50.785 --> 0:55:53.584 on first down, and then you get into second and long, 0:55:53.665 --> 0:55:56.025 you get into third and long, you know, so obviously 0:55:56.105 --> 0:55:58.665 it goes without saying that it's easier to play third 0:55:58.705 --> 0:56:00.505 and long defense than it is to play third and 0:56:00.545 --> 0:56:03.544 short defense. So if you can get these teams into 0:56:03.625 --> 0:56:05.864 longer down and distances. You know, we talk so much, 0:56:06.785 --> 0:56:10.305 and myself included about the Longhorn package and about Brendon's school. 0:56:10.025 --> 0:56:12.585 Are going there and I just going there again. 0:56:12.465 --> 0:56:14.785 And it's fun, Like it's fun to talk about it, 0:56:14.785 --> 0:56:17.424 it's fun to write about. But the bottom line is, 0:56:17.425 --> 0:56:19.545 if you're not in third and ten, then Brendon's Schooler 0:56:19.625 --> 0:56:21.185 is not going to have an opportunity to come on 0:56:21.305 --> 0:56:22.864 the field because he's not going to play on third 0:56:22.905 --> 0:56:25.185 and three. Yep, He's going to play in a certain situation. 0:56:25.384 --> 0:56:27.545 So they did a nice job against the Bears of 0:56:27.585 --> 0:56:30.705 playing on a good stout run defense, and we're able 0:56:30.705 --> 0:56:33.825 to get them into those some of those long yardages. 0:56:33.465 --> 0:56:36.185 You know, like Saturday, I once told us more cow Bell, 0:56:37.105 --> 0:56:40.384 more schooler, more scholar, I need more Brendan school Yeah. 0:56:40.384 --> 0:56:43.705 I don't know if Stafford's not really the mobile quarterback 0:56:43.745 --> 0:56:46.065 that you necessarily have to worry about like Caleb is. 0:56:46.305 --> 0:56:47.984 So I don't know if this week will it will 0:56:48.025 --> 0:56:52.745 be a big long hold package. Yeah, but I definitely 0:56:53.905 --> 0:56:57.064 love Schooler's energy that he brings to the defensive side 0:56:57.105 --> 0:57:00.105 of the ball. And they've needed you know, last year 0:57:00.145 --> 0:57:02.985 they used mac Wilson a lot as a spy, you know, 0:57:03.065 --> 0:57:05.785 in that sort of role in their five man rush package. 0:57:05.825 --> 0:57:09.344 And you know, they didn't necessarily have a player like 0:57:09.425 --> 0:57:12.305 that that that could do those sort of things the 0:57:12.344 --> 0:57:15.585 way that mac Wilson could. And so it's nice that 0:57:15.625 --> 0:57:18.465 they've found someone that you get him into third and 0:57:18.545 --> 0:57:20.465 ten and you have a guy that can improvise or 0:57:20.545 --> 0:57:23.025 run around a little bit back there. Now they'll have 0:57:23.065 --> 0:57:25.745 that ability. Like I'll give you, you know, just an 0:57:25.785 --> 0:57:27.505 example off the top of my head. We just talked 0:57:27.545 --> 0:57:30.465 about am Anthony Richardson. Like if he's the court back 0:57:30.505 --> 0:57:32.625 for the Colts in three weeks and the Patriots are 0:57:32.665 --> 0:57:36.345 playing ar then maybe he's somebody that they do run 0:57:36.345 --> 0:57:37.425 the Longhorn package. 0:57:37.505 --> 0:57:38.945 A final one that I want to hit you upset 0:57:38.985 --> 0:57:42.105 of the head with. Yeah, okay, after seeing what you 0:57:42.145 --> 0:57:47.425 saw last week in Chicago, all right, would you go 0:57:47.545 --> 0:57:52.665 with the Williams or May at quarterback? Oh? 0:57:52.705 --> 0:57:54.865 That's tough because I don't want to get too caught 0:57:54.945 --> 0:57:59.545 up in like recency bias, because my draft analysis was 0:57:59.585 --> 0:58:02.825 that Caleb was the better prospect, and so I think 0:58:02.865 --> 0:58:04.985 to be fair to him, It would be kind of 0:58:05.065 --> 0:58:08.145 unfair to then reverse on that. But the one thing 0:58:08.185 --> 0:58:11.025 that was definitely true for both of these guys and 0:58:11.065 --> 0:58:14.185 why I was so high still on Drake May was 0:58:14.225 --> 0:58:17.185 I felt like Drake May could win playing more traditional 0:58:17.265 --> 0:58:20.705 quarterback than Caleb could. I thought that too much has 0:58:20.825 --> 0:58:25.225 been and was made of Drake May the improviser or 0:58:25.305 --> 0:58:28.625 Drake May the athlete, like great athlete. Don't get me wrong, 0:58:28.665 --> 0:58:31.145 I'm not saying he's not, but I thought a little 0:58:31.145 --> 0:58:33.305 bit too much was made of that being a crutch 0:58:33.345 --> 0:58:36.305 for him. This is a guy that North Carolina won 0:58:36.345 --> 0:58:39.105 from the pocket a lot and run from the pocket 0:58:39.145 --> 0:58:42.065 a lot so far and his first five career starts, 0:58:42.105 --> 0:58:45.345 whereas I feel like with Caleb, Caleb is truly one 0:58:45.385 --> 0:58:48.265 of those guys that is going to want that to 0:58:48.345 --> 0:58:51.265 be a big part of his game. So I feel 0:58:51.385 --> 0:58:54.665 as though this is not that surprising that it's gone 0:58:54.745 --> 0:58:57.145 this way just because of that, because you know, I 0:58:57.185 --> 0:58:59.785 think Drake May is doing a lot more of the 0:58:59.825 --> 0:59:05.145 traditional quarterback stuff than Caleb is right now for Chicago, 0:59:05.265 --> 0:59:08.305 And you do see throws from Drake in structure that 0:59:08.345 --> 0:59:10.665 are in rhythm and on time and to the right 0:59:10.745 --> 0:59:14.584 read and accurate and on the move, and you see 0:59:14.625 --> 0:59:17.065 the Patriots be able to generate some big plays off 0:59:17.105 --> 0:59:19.785 of those things. I thought, in general, you still saw 0:59:19.825 --> 0:59:22.465 some of that against Chicago, even though I had him, 0:59:22.465 --> 0:59:24.945 As you know, this is probably his worst start in 0:59:25.025 --> 0:59:27.385 my mind for Drake, out of all five of them. 0:59:27.905 --> 0:59:29.785 But I still think that you saw plenty of that. 0:59:30.225 --> 0:59:31.064 He had better help. 0:59:31.385 --> 0:59:33.025 Yeah, you had a little bit better help, a little bit 0:59:33.025 --> 0:59:35.105 better help. And I'm probably being too hard on him 0:59:35.145 --> 0:59:38.345 for one play. Like, look, we're just at the point 0:59:38.385 --> 0:59:42.825 to me where the the interception like he throw through 0:59:42.905 --> 0:59:45.665 on Sunday against Chicago, Like we gotta get rid of 0:59:45.705 --> 0:59:48.505 those like the You know, it's not to say that 0:59:48.585 --> 0:59:51.025 he's not still a twenty two year old rookie, because 0:59:51.025 --> 0:59:53.385 we're all aware that he is. He's gonna make mistakes, 0:59:53.905 --> 0:59:56.225 but those are mistakes that you can avoid, like if 0:59:56.225 --> 0:59:58.185 he throws a pick because he just throws a bad 0:59:58.225 --> 1:00:00.785 ball and it's intercepted. I keep going back to the 1:00:00.905 --> 1:00:03.465 very first picky through against Houston where he just sailed 1:00:03.505 --> 1:00:06.225 it over Pop Douglas's head in the safety caught it 1:00:06.345 --> 1:00:08.585 behind him. Like those plays I can kind of live 1:00:08.625 --> 1:00:10.745 with because it's the right read. It's the right throw. 1:00:10.825 --> 1:00:12.425 It just wasn't a good throw, right. 1:00:12.985 --> 1:00:13.185 Uh. 1:00:13.345 --> 1:00:16.625 But the picky through against Chicago we got. Those have 1:00:16.705 --> 1:00:19.705 to be nipped in the butt immediately, like you can't 1:00:19.785 --> 1:00:22.585 keep doing that kind of stuff. Uh, and you know, 1:00:22.625 --> 1:00:26.385 get away with it. So that play bothered me a lot, 1:00:26.465 --> 1:00:28.465 I guess. So maybe I am looking too much into 1:00:28.465 --> 1:00:31.265 one play. Uh, But I thought on the whole, you know, 1:00:31.345 --> 1:00:33.745 grading it played by play, I still thought that it 1:00:33.825 --> 1:00:35.025 was his worst performance. 1:00:35.065 --> 1:00:37.785 But I'm still I'm still a drake guy. Don't worry. 1:00:38.225 --> 1:00:40.265 Don't worry. We won't give up the ship on him now. No, 1:00:40.345 --> 1:00:42.025 I don't think I will either. Ev Thanks for the 1:00:42.065 --> 1:00:44.385 help today, man, anytime there go all right, the one 1:00:44.385 --> 1:00:47.865 and only Evan Lazar at Easy Lazarre on X is 1:00:47.865 --> 1:00:51.225 where you'll find him, and that's where we That's kind 1:00:51.225 --> 1:00:53.105 of where we are going into this thing. So at 1:00:53.145 --> 1:00:56.425 this point in time, phone lines are open. I mentioned 1:00:56.465 --> 1:00:58.145 that a little earlier. I'm going to get to a 1:00:58.185 --> 1:00:59.785 couple of calls here in just a moment. But eight 1:00:59.825 --> 1:01:02.705 five to five PATS five hundred toll free on the 1:01:02.745 --> 1:01:06.104 TPX hotline eight five five p A t S five 1:01:06.185 --> 1:01:11.265 hundred you've got podcasts at Patriots dot com as the 1:01:11.305 --> 1:01:13.785 email address. You can also hit me up on x 1:01:14.305 --> 1:01:18.225 at JR Broadcaster Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy bud 1:01:18.345 --> 1:01:21.585 like the official beers sponsor of the New England Patriots. 1:01:21.625 --> 1:01:27.265 And if you want to spend Black Friday weekend watching football, 1:01:27.585 --> 1:01:33.385 I do, although h I don't know if I should 1:01:33.385 --> 1:01:36.945 say this or not. What the hell? It's just me 1:01:36.985 --> 1:01:40.905 and you, isn't it right, Matt okay and thousands of listeners? 1:01:41.465 --> 1:01:46.905 Thousands millions? You're right, millions? Yeah, exactly, I'm gonna I'm 1:01:46.905 --> 1:01:51.825 gonna be elsewhere on Black Friday weekend? Should I say? 1:01:52.305 --> 1:01:54.025 Is that even? Is that even? Should I even? Should 1:01:54.065 --> 1:01:56.865 I even mention that? I mean, you know, I don't 1:01:56.865 --> 1:01:59.505 want anybody feel sorry for me. I just looked. I 1:01:59.545 --> 1:02:04.265 don't feel sorry for you. I get to I'm going. 1:02:04.305 --> 1:02:07.865 I'm going to cover the Battle for Atlantis. Yeah, I know, 1:02:07.945 --> 1:02:10.465 which is it's a pretty cool thing to do over 1:02:10.505 --> 1:02:14.265 the Thanksgiving holiday. But I do enjoy a good Black 1:02:14.305 --> 1:02:17.785 Friday weekend and I love football over the Thanksgiving weekend 1:02:17.865 --> 1:02:20.825 right Anyway, if you wanted to make it a good 1:02:20.825 --> 1:02:25.945 deal on some Coco Locos out there, Coco Coco locos. Okay, 1:02:26.105 --> 1:02:28.145 all right, all right, I'll have to take your word 1:02:28.185 --> 1:02:30.785 for that. I don't do any of that stuff. I 1:02:30.785 --> 1:02:34.945 don't do any you'll love that drink. I don't do that. 1:02:36.585 --> 1:02:39.345 I lie too a lot. Uh what I want? It's 1:02:39.345 --> 1:02:43.425 been black Friday weekend watching football instead of waiting in line. Well, 1:02:43.425 --> 1:02:46.624 this November, Bob's is unboxing unbeatable values for your home 1:02:46.705 --> 1:02:49.305 all month long, so you can skip the phony sales 1:02:49.305 --> 1:02:52.745 and stock up early on everything from sofas to bedroom sets, 1:02:52.785 --> 1:02:57.745 to stocking stuffers and plenty of well wowworthy gifts. Right, 1:02:58.065 --> 1:02:59.705 so stop in and see how much you can say 1:02:59.785 --> 1:03:02.745 when you dare to compare with Bob's Discount Furniture, the 1:03:02.785 --> 1:03:05.985 official furniture store of the New England Patriots. All right, 1:03:06.065 --> 1:03:07.825 let's get to some of the phones here as well. 1:03:07.865 --> 1:03:10.425 Eight five five Pats five hundred. Also going to get 1:03:10.425 --> 1:03:13.505 to a couple of emails our buddy Sean and Vancouver Sean. 1:03:13.545 --> 1:03:14.385 Thanks for hanging in. 1:03:14.385 --> 1:03:18.145 My friend, No problem, John, Great to speak with you again. 1:03:18.465 --> 1:03:19.745 Always good to have you, you know. 1:03:20.625 --> 1:03:22.905 Oh yeah, it's always great to speak with it. Now 1:03:23.185 --> 1:03:29.065 your friend from the Rams media mentioned that we're he said, 1:03:29.105 --> 1:03:32.105 you're gonna love seeing Verse on Sunday. I don't think 1:03:32.185 --> 1:03:34.065 he's talking to me because I have a feeling I'm 1:03:34.105 --> 1:03:36.625 not gonna love seeing Verse or Fisk or any of 1:03:36.625 --> 1:03:40.465 those young, ferocious defensive linemen on the Rams. But I 1:03:40.465 --> 1:03:42.785 don't want to see the making life difficult for the 1:03:42.825 --> 1:03:44.305 Patriots and Drake May. 1:03:44.625 --> 1:03:47.745 Yeah, I mean I understand that, I'm you know, looking 1:03:47.745 --> 1:03:50.705 at it from a purely New England point of view. 1:03:50.905 --> 1:03:53.064 I have a feeling that that could end up being 1:03:53.065 --> 1:03:55.745 the difference in the game. That if the Patriots offensive 1:03:55.745 --> 1:04:00.105 line does not come to protect and to play as 1:04:00.145 --> 1:04:02.225 well as they did, you know last week for the 1:04:02.225 --> 1:04:05.185 most part, that, yeah, a guy like Jared Vers could 1:04:05.185 --> 1:04:07.505 make it really difficult on Drake May to be able 1:04:07.545 --> 1:04:10.025 to find his receivers in time, which is where I 1:04:10.065 --> 1:04:13.865 think the Patriots will largely have to have some semblance 1:04:13.905 --> 1:04:16.785 of a controlling the clock running game again to take 1:04:16.825 --> 1:04:19.265 the pressure off of the edge. And if they can 1:04:19.345 --> 1:04:21.865 run the ball against the Rams, then I think you'll 1:04:21.865 --> 1:04:24.025 see the Patriots just probably hanging there as long as 1:04:24.025 --> 1:04:26.385 they're not shooting themselves in the foot. But if they're 1:04:26.385 --> 1:04:28.385 forced to go to the air because they fall behind 1:04:28.425 --> 1:04:33.065 early this one, this one could be over. Yeah. 1:04:33.145 --> 1:04:33.345 Yeah. 1:04:33.545 --> 1:04:36.585 Well, speaking of offensive line, what we saw last Sunday 1:04:36.705 --> 1:04:41.065 with the Bears is a great example of what happens 1:04:41.145 --> 1:04:43.265 when you don't have a great offensive line. They were 1:04:43.305 --> 1:04:45.745 missing three of their starters, yes, as the guard got 1:04:45.825 --> 1:04:49.225 hurt early in the game, and they just I mean, sure, 1:04:49.305 --> 1:04:55.305 the Patriots defense played really well, but that was less 1:04:55.465 --> 1:05:00.665 than subpar players on offensive line, and Chicago couldn't do anything, 1:05:00.705 --> 1:05:03.145 which is a big contrast to what they were doing 1:05:03.145 --> 1:05:06.265 earlier in the season. So it makes you think, you know, 1:05:06.305 --> 1:05:08.865 as a Patriots fan, hey, you know what, we don't 1:05:08.905 --> 1:05:12.265 have it so bad. Our offensive line with just one 1:05:12.385 --> 1:05:16.425 player who's actually a starter in a nu and everyone 1:05:16.425 --> 1:05:21.665 else has backups like finding people off the street. Scott Peters, 1:05:21.665 --> 1:05:24.825 this has done a really excellent job. We actually have 1:05:25.465 --> 1:05:28.665 something of a semblance of the decent offensive line. Is 1:05:28.705 --> 1:05:32.425 not good, but it's passable, and we're able to make 1:05:32.465 --> 1:05:34.065 things work at times. 1:05:34.105 --> 1:05:37.225 Well, you know, like like we were discussing a little 1:05:37.225 --> 1:05:40.465 bit earlier, they're hardly a team in this league at 1:05:40.465 --> 1:05:43.425 this stage when you're in week eleven now, there's hardly 1:05:43.465 --> 1:05:45.225 a team in the league at this stage that isn't 1:05:45.225 --> 1:05:49.065 doing something that could be considered patchwork. Whether it's the 1:05:49.105 --> 1:05:55.785 offensive line, defensive line, linebacking corps, secondary receivers, somebody somewhere, 1:05:55.825 --> 1:05:57.905 Every team has got what they would consider to be 1:05:58.025 --> 1:06:01.625 patchwork from what they originally intended for it to be. 1:06:01.865 --> 1:06:05.265 So which teams are best suited to cover up the 1:06:05.305 --> 1:06:08.665 warts to you know, bandage the boo boo so to speak? 1:06:08.905 --> 1:06:14.785 Right now, I see one team. I see the Chiefs. Okay, yeah, 1:06:14.825 --> 1:06:16.265 and that's the team. 1:06:16.345 --> 1:06:19.665 I mean, they've had problems, but they were able to overcome. 1:06:19.345 --> 1:06:21.145 It because well, and they've been able to overcome it 1:06:21.145 --> 1:06:24.825 because they've got you know, singular standout talent at key 1:06:24.865 --> 1:06:27.665 positions that can win you football game. And let's yeah, 1:06:27.665 --> 1:06:31.185 it's Patrick Mahomes. Let's start with him. And you know 1:06:31.345 --> 1:06:33.265 there are a couple of other teams. Detroit I think 1:06:33.385 --> 1:06:36.065 is right there with them. And you know, frankly, I 1:06:36.105 --> 1:06:38.185 was talking about this with somebody at school earlier today. 1:06:38.185 --> 1:06:39.905 I'm like, you know, man, you know what, it would 1:06:39.905 --> 1:06:43.385 be real easy to enjoy a Kansas City Detroit super 1:06:43.425 --> 1:06:45.705 Bowl if we get to that far, because I'm gonna 1:06:45.745 --> 1:06:49.665 root like hell for the Lions. And you know, I understand. Yeah, 1:06:49.745 --> 1:06:51.185 And I think I think there'd be a lot of 1:06:51.225 --> 1:06:53.425 people that would do that because the Lions have never 1:06:53.465 --> 1:06:55.185 won a Super Bowl. They haven't won anything in the 1:06:55.265 --> 1:06:57.745 NFL since what nineteen fifty six when it was the 1:06:57.785 --> 1:07:00.945 old NFL Championship. So yeah, I'd be really easy to do. 1:07:00.985 --> 1:07:02.785 And nobody wants to really see not enybody in New 1:07:02.825 --> 1:07:04.105 England anyway it. I know, I wants to see the 1:07:04.145 --> 1:07:06.985 Chiefs win three in a row because the Patriots, you know, 1:07:07.105 --> 1:07:10.865 tried and couldn't quite get through themselves. But you got 1:07:10.865 --> 1:07:13.865 to I think at some point in time, you got 1:07:13.905 --> 1:07:16.905 to give credit where credit is due. Now that having 1:07:16.945 --> 1:07:21.945 been said, you also have to watch for teams that 1:07:22.145 --> 1:07:27.785 peak too early, and I'm wondering if the Chiefs are 1:07:28.465 --> 1:07:32.825 not in that category, doesn't mean that they won't it 1:07:32.945 --> 1:07:34.985 kind of, it doesn't mean that they won't do it. 1:07:35.065 --> 1:07:37.585 But at the same time, I just get the feeling 1:07:37.665 --> 1:07:40.745 that maybe, you know, because they're struggling and they're finding 1:07:40.825 --> 1:07:42.465 different ways to win. I think, you know, a lot 1:07:42.465 --> 1:07:43.905 of that is karma, and a lot of that is 1:07:43.945 --> 1:07:45.745 their talent. A lot of that a lot of that 1:07:45.785 --> 1:07:48.505 as they're coaching. But at the same time, you know, 1:07:48.585 --> 1:07:50.665 you can only go to the well once so often. 1:07:50.905 --> 1:07:53.385 I look for teams now that are starting to get 1:07:53.385 --> 1:07:55.225 on a little bit of a roll, and I would 1:07:55.225 --> 1:07:57.665 tell you that Buffalo falls into that category. I think 1:07:57.705 --> 1:08:00.825 the Lions are still in that category. You know, They're 1:08:00.865 --> 1:08:02.865 probably a couple of others as well that I'm not 1:08:02.905 --> 1:08:05.025 thinking of off the top of my head. I'm not 1:08:05.025 --> 1:08:06.025 sure the Chiefs are. 1:08:07.545 --> 1:08:09.385 Well, that's what I want to see. I don't remember 1:08:09.385 --> 1:08:13.105 the last time I've rooted for the Bills, but I'm 1:08:13.105 --> 1:08:15.505 going to root for them against the Chiefs, even though 1:08:15.705 --> 1:08:18.105 they might be missing some of their top weapons. And 1:08:19.225 --> 1:08:22.825 I think Coleman could be out as well as Kincaid, 1:08:22.825 --> 1:08:25.425 and you know, they could be missing some some top 1:08:27.225 --> 1:08:28.825 grkets in the passing game. 1:08:29.145 --> 1:08:32.264 Yeah, you know. And here's another team that is totally 1:08:32.305 --> 1:08:34.985 off the radar that I think has an opportunity. It's 1:08:34.985 --> 1:08:37.705 a team that plays the Thursday night games, the Commanders. 1:08:37.945 --> 1:08:39.305 They got to go on the road and they're gonna 1:08:39.305 --> 1:08:42.145 play the Eagles. But I I got listen, that's gonna 1:08:42.145 --> 1:08:43.985 be a heck of a game, I think on Thursday night, 1:08:44.225 --> 1:08:47.145 you know, yeah, going to play Philadelphia and the winner 1:08:47.145 --> 1:08:48.945 of that game is going to be right there in 1:08:48.985 --> 1:08:52.345 the hunt for everything, you know, and all in all 1:08:52.385 --> 1:08:55.665 the marbles, and probably as a primary contender. I'm still 1:08:55.705 --> 1:08:58.265 not going to sell the forty nine ers short. Even 1:08:58.345 --> 1:09:00.985 if the you know, the the forty nine ers, you know, 1:09:01.025 --> 1:09:03.225 with their you know, current struggles on the field, you know, 1:09:03.265 --> 1:09:05.025 then they were able to you know, get by Tampa 1:09:05.065 --> 1:09:07.425 this past week. But I'm just you know, I think 1:09:07.425 --> 1:09:10.625 there's some really good football teams and in the NFC. 1:09:11.705 --> 1:09:16.625 I'm not sold on the AFC beyond Kansas City in 1:09:16.705 --> 1:09:23.585 Buffalo maybe right now, I don't think I don't think Baltimore. Yeah, 1:09:23.585 --> 1:09:25.585 I don't think the Ravens were consistent enough for my 1:09:25.745 --> 1:09:27.185 for my liking, to be honest. 1:09:26.945 --> 1:09:30.065 With you, Their defense, the problems, especially when they lost 1:09:30.185 --> 1:09:34.545 they lost one of their best corners in our last game, 1:09:34.585 --> 1:09:37.025 and that really, I mean, I think I gave up 1:09:37.065 --> 1:09:40.145 tons and tons of points to Cincinnati because of it. 1:09:40.305 --> 1:09:44.025 So yeah, they need they need help on defense. But yeah, 1:09:44.105 --> 1:09:48.265 it's there's there's some interesting things and I'm really looking 1:09:48.305 --> 1:09:50.545 forward to to that Thursday game because I want to 1:09:50.585 --> 1:09:54.745 see what Jayden Dianels can do against the Eagles. And 1:09:54.825 --> 1:09:57.225 there's some there's some great, great football to come, so 1:09:57.545 --> 1:09:58.705 I'm really looking forward to it. 1:09:59.025 --> 1:10:00.945 Well, let me ask you, then, Sean, what your your 1:10:00.945 --> 1:10:03.505 thoughts are about, you know, the steps forward that this 1:10:03.585 --> 1:10:06.745 Patriots team has taken. You know, uh where? I mean, 1:10:07.425 --> 1:10:10.465 what surprised you the most about last week? And was 1:10:10.465 --> 1:10:12.905 that smoke and mirrors or is this actual progress? 1:10:14.545 --> 1:10:18.585 Well, it's some progress. They certainly took advantage and as 1:10:18.625 --> 1:10:22.945 you should of a very weak offensive line. I didn't 1:10:23.585 --> 1:10:26.345 anticipate the win, and I'm glad that it happened. 1:10:27.145 --> 1:10:28.025 I wasn't. 1:10:28.305 --> 1:10:31.825 I'm still scratching my head of as to why they 1:10:31.825 --> 1:10:36.385 played Osborne over Borne. I'd like to see Bourne get 1:10:36.585 --> 1:10:39.425 another chance because I think he has talent and I 1:10:39.465 --> 1:10:41.905 think Drake may confined him as it looked like he 1:10:42.065 --> 1:10:47.105 was a couple of weeks ago against I was it 1:10:47.185 --> 1:10:49.105 was it the Jaguars. I can't remember the game, but 1:10:49.785 --> 1:10:52.025 Bourne looked like he was he was taking a turn 1:10:52.105 --> 1:10:55.065 after the injuries. So I'd like to see that happen 1:10:55.145 --> 1:10:58.305 and you know, some other players stepping forward. I want 1:10:58.345 --> 1:11:00.145 to see what the secondary can do this week, because 1:11:00.225 --> 1:11:02.825 last week they looked great, but again, you know they 1:11:03.225 --> 1:11:06.665 the the Bears didn't have the time to throw the 1:11:06.665 --> 1:11:10.465 ball because Kid Williams was under so much pressure. So 1:11:10.545 --> 1:11:13.745 I'd like to see how how they hold up against uh, 1:11:13.825 --> 1:11:18.345 some some great receivers, you know. I know Evan said 1:11:18.385 --> 1:11:20.625 that Cooper Cup doesn't really have what he had a 1:11:20.665 --> 1:11:23.985 few years ago, but then they have other receivers as well, 1:11:24.025 --> 1:11:27.185 and Robinson and and even at Well, and of course 1:11:27.265 --> 1:11:31.385 they have a Puk Natua who's who's still a tremendous weapons. 1:11:31.425 --> 1:11:33.305 So it's going to be a good challeance to see 1:11:33.465 --> 1:11:36.785 what they can do defensively against that passing game. 1:11:37.105 --> 1:11:39.545 Yeah, I agree with that. I'm gonna I'm going to 1:11:39.585 --> 1:11:41.825 look forward to the challenge. I hope that the Patriots 1:11:41.825 --> 1:11:44.065 secondary is up to it because they may not face 1:11:44.105 --> 1:11:45.945 a better one two punch at receiver than what they're 1:11:45.985 --> 1:11:49.185 going to face this weekend. I've always kind of liked 1:11:49.545 --> 1:11:53.865 Matthew Stafford at quarterback, even though I think he you know, 1:11:53.985 --> 1:11:55.305 got a little bit of a bill of goods. But 1:11:55.345 --> 1:11:57.065 I was happy to see him, you know, having won 1:11:57.105 --> 1:11:59.785 a Super Bowl because I think he's got some real talent, 1:11:59.825 --> 1:12:01.705 but he definitely needs help. And the one thing that 1:12:01.745 --> 1:12:03.505 the Rams haven't been able to get and one of 1:12:03.505 --> 1:12:05.865 the things that really killed them last week against the 1:12:05.865 --> 1:12:08.185 Dolphins was the lack of a running game. So if 1:12:08.225 --> 1:12:11.505 I'm the Patriots, if I'm the Patriots, look, I don't 1:12:11.505 --> 1:12:13.905 want Stafford to beat me with his arm. I want 1:12:13.905 --> 1:12:15.345 to make sure that you know we're doing what we 1:12:15.385 --> 1:12:16.985 need to do to make sure that you know, those 1:12:17.025 --> 1:12:20.185 two guys, you know, maybe they catch a few over 1:12:20.225 --> 1:12:22.585 the middle, I don't want them damaging in the red zone. 1:12:22.705 --> 1:12:25.105 So I might have to think, you know, similarly like 1:12:25.145 --> 1:12:26.105 the Dolphins did in that. 1:12:26.065 --> 1:12:29.345 Regard, they something to set the edge, because you don't 1:12:29.345 --> 1:12:32.825 want Williams to finding tons of yards going around you 1:12:32.905 --> 1:12:35.665 like that to make sure that they cover that up. 1:12:35.945 --> 1:12:37.785 Sure, yep, I agree. 1:12:38.225 --> 1:12:40.905 All right, well I'll let you go. Thanks a lot done, 1:12:40.985 --> 1:12:42.785 Thank you, Sean. Be another great game. We're not going 1:12:42.865 --> 1:12:45.425 to make any predictions, but I hope the Patriots have 1:12:45.465 --> 1:12:45.945 a good showing. 1:12:46.105 --> 1:12:49.145 So yep, sounds like a plan. Sean of Vancouver eight 1:12:49.265 --> 1:12:52.945 five five Pats five hundred. Russell Baxter will join us 1:12:52.945 --> 1:12:54.865 here at the top of the hour. Let me let's 1:12:54.905 --> 1:12:57.905 hit a couple of emails here and then we'll hear 1:12:57.905 --> 1:12:59.465 from Drake. May you know coming up in just a 1:12:59.505 --> 1:13:02.145 couple of moments. But in case you missed him today, 1:13:02.665 --> 1:13:05.745 we'll reprise that for you. Jacob the pool guy checks in, 1:13:06.225 --> 1:13:09.585 you know on email. I love you guys. But all 1:13:09.625 --> 1:13:12.465 this talk about if May had started, we'd have a 1:13:12.465 --> 1:13:14.905 better record and May would be better is just silly. 1:13:17.705 --> 1:13:21.105 I'm talking revisionist history through ruby tinted lenses here. That 1:13:21.185 --> 1:13:23.945 old line we had during those games was an absolute mess. 1:13:24.185 --> 1:13:26.185 Brissette was running for his life at the snap of 1:13:26.225 --> 1:13:28.905 the ball. He took a ton of hits, made some 1:13:29.105 --> 1:13:32.425 neo and the matrix type evasions. Yes, May is better 1:13:32.425 --> 1:13:34.265 of a com on. He wasn't ready, probably would have 1:13:34.265 --> 1:13:36.985 been hurt and even turned the ball over more. Okay, 1:13:37.705 --> 1:13:42.865 fair points, Jake, fair points, And you're right, it's really 1:13:42.865 --> 1:13:47.545 probably hard to make that even sort of comparison because 1:13:48.745 --> 1:13:53.585 he likely was not ready yet to do what they 1:13:53.665 --> 1:13:55.505 needed him to do in order to be able to 1:13:55.585 --> 1:13:59.345 run the offense that we're seeing him run right now. 1:14:01.945 --> 1:14:06.385 Be that as it may. We knew those of us 1:14:06.385 --> 1:14:10.585 that watched practice, we knew in training camp he was 1:14:10.625 --> 1:14:12.785 the more talent of the two quarters. And I'm really 1:14:12.825 --> 1:14:18.064 not disparaging Jacoby said, they're different quarterbacks. They have different talents. 1:14:18.345 --> 1:14:21.785 They have different abilities, and the Patriots brought Jacoby was 1:14:21.865 --> 1:14:25.385 set in for a specific reason, and that was basically 1:14:25.425 --> 1:14:30.745 to man the fort until they felt Drake was ready. Now, look, 1:14:31.505 --> 1:14:33.945 they made the change. When they made the change, there 1:14:33.985 --> 1:14:37.465 are many of us who observed the team who thought 1:14:37.465 --> 1:14:40.905 that Drake was ready a little earlier than when he 1:14:40.945 --> 1:14:44.345 actually got in there. Look, it's it's just a point 1:14:44.345 --> 1:14:48.025 of conjecture. They're the ones that get paid to make 1:14:48.065 --> 1:14:52.105 these decisions. We don't, so obviously their decision is what's 1:14:52.145 --> 1:14:54.945 going to go down. I think my general point is 1:14:54.945 --> 1:14:56.745 is that, look, if he had had an opportunity to 1:14:56.785 --> 1:15:00.145 play a little bit earlier, that the Patriots would have 1:15:00.185 --> 1:15:02.145 had a chance to win some of these games, if 1:15:02.185 --> 1:15:04.545 not outright win one or two of those. And you're 1:15:04.585 --> 1:15:07.105 looking at the difference maybe between three and seven and 1:15:07.145 --> 1:15:09.065 five and five right now with this team. I don't 1:15:09.065 --> 1:15:12.545 think that's just I don't think that's far fetched. Now, 1:15:13.825 --> 1:15:17.225 could he been running for his life, sure, Could this 1:15:17.305 --> 1:15:19.905 team put him in harm's way? They might have, which 1:15:19.945 --> 1:15:21.585 is one of the reasons why they decided to err 1:15:21.585 --> 1:15:23.985 on the side of caution. And again it's all revisionist 1:15:24.065 --> 1:15:26.865 history here. I understand that. But when you're in a 1:15:26.905 --> 1:15:29.785 business to win football games, and you've already seen with 1:15:29.865 --> 1:15:32.985 your two eyes, who is better equipped for the long 1:15:33.025 --> 1:15:36.945 haul to win football games in this league? Why do 1:15:36.985 --> 1:15:40.145 you not play him? This argument of well he's not ready, Well, 1:15:40.185 --> 1:15:43.985 who says he's not ready? You don't know. Unless you 1:15:44.025 --> 1:15:46.945 put someone under the gun. You don't know. Unless you 1:15:46.945 --> 1:15:50.505 put someone in the frying pan, right in the fire, 1:15:51.385 --> 1:15:54.105 you don't know. And the best way to learn. And 1:15:54.385 --> 1:15:58.065 coaches say this, players say this. People have been in 1:15:58.105 --> 1:16:00.985 the media who covered the NFL say this all over 1:16:01.025 --> 1:16:03.825 the place. All Right, I'm gonna say this, and I've 1:16:03.825 --> 1:16:11.465 covered the NFL for four decades. I'm in my fifth decade. Okay, 1:16:11.625 --> 1:16:12.545 that's how old I am. 1:16:12.585 --> 1:16:12.785 Now. 1:16:12.905 --> 1:16:15.745 I started covering the NFL in the nineteen eighties. Right, 1:16:16.505 --> 1:16:22.145 But here's the thing you learn by playing. There is 1:16:22.345 --> 1:16:30.905 no better experience than guys playing. This is the problem 1:16:30.945 --> 1:16:34.425 that teams that are successful versus teams that are not 1:16:34.505 --> 1:16:38.505 successful run across all the time. Oh, I got a 1:16:38.585 --> 1:16:41.185 kid who's really great, but he's not ready, Well make 1:16:41.305 --> 1:16:44.945 him ready. Well they got to prove it in practice. 1:16:45.385 --> 1:16:49.905 Well I saw it in practice, And so that's really 1:16:49.945 --> 1:16:53.985 the basis for what I'm saying, play Drake, what Evan's saying, 1:16:54.385 --> 1:16:58.025 Play Drake. I don't have any problems really with the 1:16:58.025 --> 1:17:00.465 way the Patriots handle this situation. Zero. It's hard for 1:17:00.505 --> 1:17:04.745 me to criticize because, again, they're paid to make these decisions. 1:17:04.945 --> 1:17:08.185 Our job here is to bring up what if. Our 1:17:08.305 --> 1:17:10.945 job here is to scrutinize. Our job here is to 1:17:11.465 --> 1:17:14.385 put it under the microscope. We don't necessarily have to 1:17:14.425 --> 1:17:18.345 agree with everything. We don't disagree with everything. It's okay 1:17:18.385 --> 1:17:20.625 to like some of the things that get done. It's 1:17:20.745 --> 1:17:23.265 okay to also dislike some of the things that are done, 1:17:23.305 --> 1:17:26.785 because this is what creates conversation. This is what creates conjecture, 1:17:26.825 --> 1:17:29.665 This is what creates interest in the team, the program, 1:17:30.305 --> 1:17:33.985 and the welfare of the franchise. The conversation. So all 1:17:34.025 --> 1:17:38.585 we're doing is creating and continuing conversation. Doesn't mean that 1:17:38.585 --> 1:17:43.025 we're experts, but you have to at least admit that 1:17:43.785 --> 1:17:46.465 there are people throughout the league who say the best 1:17:46.545 --> 1:17:51.185 way for a guy to learn is by playing. I 1:17:51.225 --> 1:17:52.705 don't know what else. I don't know what if you 1:17:52.705 --> 1:17:54.905 can do? What else you can say? And when you 1:17:54.945 --> 1:17:57.785 see with your own two eyes that he's the better player. 1:17:58.265 --> 1:18:02.585 How much worse could it have been? And Jacob, you 1:18:02.625 --> 1:18:04.105 actually bring out a good point. You know, the old 1:18:04.105 --> 1:18:06.345 line we had on those games was an absolute mess. 1:18:06.385 --> 1:18:09.585 Sure it was. Who's to say though, he couldn't have 1:18:09.585 --> 1:18:15.425 made more plays with his legs? Right? Who's to say that? 1:18:15.465 --> 1:18:17.785 We don't know that? And again this is all conjecture. 1:18:17.865 --> 1:18:20.905 We don't know that. Could you put him in harm's way? Look, 1:18:20.945 --> 1:18:23.745 you're in harm's way every time you snap the football 1:18:23.785 --> 1:18:26.625 in the National Football League? Have you ever stood on 1:18:26.665 --> 1:18:31.505 an NFL sideline for an actual game. I'm going to 1:18:31.545 --> 1:18:34.705 throw that one out there to anybody and everybody. Have 1:18:34.865 --> 1:18:40.785 you stood on an NFL sideline? Have you seen? Have 1:18:40.905 --> 1:18:45.745 you heard? Have you smelled what the rock is cooking? 1:18:46.145 --> 1:18:52.785 Have you? I mean literally, have you experienced the physicality 1:18:53.705 --> 1:18:56.945 of an NFL satelline. Now I've covered college football for 1:18:57.025 --> 1:19:00.825 a long time too. It's night and day almost between 1:19:00.825 --> 1:19:03.265 the college game, because you got the raw rah, you 1:19:03.385 --> 1:19:05.625 got the emotion, all that stuff, and the pro game, 1:19:05.665 --> 1:19:10.065 which is all about winning. And if you're truly all 1:19:10.145 --> 1:19:14.465 about winning, then you need to put your best foot 1:19:14.545 --> 1:19:16.985 forward and you put your best players on the field. 1:19:17.305 --> 1:19:20.305 That's the only real criticism I ever had of the 1:19:20.345 --> 1:19:23.905 Patriots not playing Drake Maine from the start. You took 1:19:23.945 --> 1:19:30.985 the guy with the third pick. He should be a player, Okay, 1:19:31.145 --> 1:19:32.985 you want to bring him along more slowly because you're 1:19:33.025 --> 1:19:35.385 not sure that everything else around him was up to stuff. 1:19:35.665 --> 1:19:39.065 I get that. Not gonna argue that point, but I'm 1:19:39.105 --> 1:19:43.945 all about winning football games. I'm not sure quite that 1:19:43.985 --> 1:19:47.385 this franchise, in this coaching stat was about that. If 1:19:47.425 --> 1:19:50.305 you want to criticize, that's a criticism. I'm not sure 1:19:50.305 --> 1:19:54.865 they were about that. I think they were gunshy with 1:19:55.025 --> 1:19:58.785 Drake because of what happened here previously with Mac Jones. 1:19:59.665 --> 1:20:03.105 I believe that. That's my own personal opinion, and I 1:20:03.145 --> 1:20:05.785 think they wanted to avoid that kind of a comparison 1:20:05.825 --> 1:20:08.105 at all costs. So they were just gonna go the 1:20:08.105 --> 1:20:10.145 opposite way, and they were gonna do it, and they're 1:20:10.145 --> 1:20:14.585 gonna let people yell and scream and complain and criticize 1:20:14.625 --> 1:20:18.625 like like we did. Okay, that's fair. Again, they're the 1:20:18.625 --> 1:20:20.865 ones that get paid to make these decisions, all right, 1:20:21.305 --> 1:20:27.425 So it kind of is what it is. But I 1:20:27.465 --> 1:20:30.345 think it's also reasonable to assume that this patrio his 1:20:30.385 --> 1:20:34.665 team would have been a little better then, maybe not appreciably, 1:20:34.705 --> 1:20:36.825 but a little better. I think it's also reasonable to 1:20:36.825 --> 1:20:38.985 assume that they'd be better now. They'd be that much 1:20:38.985 --> 1:20:41.985 further ahead of the game now if he'd had that 1:20:42.105 --> 1:20:49.625 extra experience to learn from, especially through adversity. My two cents, 1:20:50.185 --> 1:20:52.105 you want to call that revision is history, you can 1:20:52.105 --> 1:20:54.985 call it revision is history. I don't know necessarily that 1:20:54.985 --> 1:20:58.145 that's the case, but just my two cents, I'd love 1:20:58.185 --> 1:20:59.545 to hear your thoughts on it, if you want to 1:20:59.585 --> 1:21:02.625 agree or disagree eight five to five, Pats five hundred 1:21:02.985 --> 1:21:08.105 or podcasts at Patriots dot com. Austin and Illinois writes, 1:21:08.145 --> 1:21:10.145 I have no knowledge of any of this, but could 1:21:10.185 --> 1:21:13.705 Bourne not play last Sunday be due to Soldier field 1:21:13.745 --> 1:21:16.345 being grass instead of terf for his knee? The field 1:21:16.345 --> 1:21:18.065 didn't look terrible on TV, but I know in the 1:21:18.105 --> 1:21:21.385 past that field can look and be pretty awful. You know, 1:21:21.465 --> 1:21:24.225 that's an interesting thought and I never really thought about it, 1:21:24.265 --> 1:21:26.705 but it kind of lines up with some of the 1:21:26.705 --> 1:21:29.185 reasoning that we've heard for that the Patriots wanted to go. 1:21:29.345 --> 1:21:30.985 At least they said they wanted to go with the 1:21:31.065 --> 1:21:34.905 younger receiving set and the fact that bourn really didn't 1:21:34.945 --> 1:21:37.105 have a good game the week before, a couple of 1:21:37.185 --> 1:21:40.065 drops in there. You know, he stumbled, you know, on 1:21:40.145 --> 1:21:43.425 the pass that was intercepted. You know, he just didn't 1:21:43.425 --> 1:21:47.665 have a very good game, and they wanted younger slash 1:21:47.745 --> 1:21:52.665 fresher legs against the Bears. Ended up working out right, 1:21:52.705 --> 1:21:57.025 because the bottom line again is, Hello, they won the game, right, 1:21:58.985 --> 1:22:02.105 where's Herman Edwards and we need him? Hello, you play 1:22:02.145 --> 1:22:05.505 to win the game. Okay, that's that's kind of what 1:22:05.545 --> 1:22:05.945 they did. 1:22:06.145 --> 1:22:08.745 Hello, you play to win the game. 1:22:08.905 --> 1:22:14.465 Thanks, coach, appreciate you. So I think they felt like 1:22:14.705 --> 1:22:19.225 physically those receivers were better at that moment. Maybe they 1:22:19.225 --> 1:22:20.985 were thinking about Kendrick in that regard. I think you 1:22:21.025 --> 1:22:24.185 actually bring up a really good point, Austin, but nobody 1:22:24.225 --> 1:22:26.665 ever really verified that this week. Look, the fact of 1:22:26.665 --> 1:22:29.705 the matter is is that I think the Patriots are 1:22:29.705 --> 1:22:35.825 better receiving corps with Kendrick then without him, especially over 1:22:35.865 --> 1:22:39.625 the long haul. Like Kendrick Born, I think he's a 1:22:39.665 --> 1:22:42.505 good locker room guy. I think that the players like him. 1:22:42.665 --> 1:22:48.105 I think he's a good you know, uh stirr. He's 1:22:48.105 --> 1:22:50.745 the stir that you know, he's the straw that stirs 1:22:50.785 --> 1:22:52.705 the drink type of guy back there. And I think 1:22:52.745 --> 1:22:56.265 they need savvy. I think they need veteran leadership, you know, 1:22:56.545 --> 1:22:59.185 at a position that particularly has struggled with a lot 1:22:59.225 --> 1:23:03.305 of that this week so or this this year, last 1:23:03.345 --> 1:23:07.025 week in particular. So anyway, good one, good question if 1:23:07.025 --> 1:23:12.385 you have another one fire Away Podcasts at Patriots dot 1:23:12.425 --> 1:23:14.745 Com overall, all right, before we get to Russell Baxter, 1:23:15.265 --> 1:23:17.785 in case you missed it, I wanted to dial in 1:23:17.825 --> 1:23:19.665 to Drake Main for just a little bit and what 1:23:19.785 --> 1:23:22.585 he had to say earlier today here at Jillette Stadium 1:23:23.065 --> 1:23:26.105 in previewing not just the Rams, but talking a little 1:23:26.145 --> 1:23:28.185 about last week against the Bears. And and here's the 1:23:28.225 --> 1:23:31.585 thing that I noticed about Drake. He's more and more confident. 1:23:32.025 --> 1:23:35.745 In case you missed this, He's more and more confident 1:23:36.265 --> 1:23:39.625 when he's at the podium. You can sense almost a 1:23:39.625 --> 1:23:44.945 little brashness about Drake, which I like, this is what 1:23:44.985 --> 1:23:47.865 you're hearing, this is what you're seeing in his leadership 1:23:47.905 --> 1:23:50.745 skills with this football team overall. And while some of 1:23:50.785 --> 1:23:52.985 the guys are really stopping and actually now beginning to 1:23:53.065 --> 1:23:56.625 listen to what the rookie quarterback has to say, see 1:23:56.665 --> 1:23:57.705 what you think for yourself? 1:24:01.345 --> 1:24:01.545 Great. 1:24:02.025 --> 1:24:04.945 A lot of said this weekend of Sets of Urgency 1:24:05.265 --> 1:24:06.545 was drag message. 1:24:06.945 --> 1:24:07.745 How do you take that? 1:24:07.825 --> 1:24:10.065 And we kind of talked about kind of what you 1:24:10.065 --> 1:24:13.105 said to your offense after practice one day last week. 1:24:13.145 --> 1:24:15.065 What kind of things go through your mind is to 1:24:15.065 --> 1:24:16.705 try to get back to back wins. 1:24:16.505 --> 1:24:17.185 For the first time. 1:24:17.545 --> 1:24:18.945 Is build on it from last week. I think, you know, 1:24:18.985 --> 1:24:21.265 a big winning in Chicago and a you know, way 1:24:21.785 --> 1:24:25.185 away game in a big time atmosphere. Remember so the 1:24:25.225 --> 1:24:27.145 time I was yelling set hut for the snap a 1:24:27.145 --> 1:24:29.145 few times on a fourth down before I called time 1:24:29.185 --> 1:24:30.905 out and they couldn't hear me. So, you know, a 1:24:30.905 --> 1:24:32.265 big one from there, and just build on it, like 1:24:32.345 --> 1:24:34.465 I said, Like I said, since Sergercy, what what coach 1:24:34.505 --> 1:24:37.145 Mayo's a preaching? I think it starts with cleaning up, 1:24:37.225 --> 1:24:39.065 you know, from from the game Sunday. Clean up some 1:24:39.065 --> 1:24:41.225 little things that I think we could have ended up 1:24:41.225 --> 1:24:43.105 being a bigger, bigger margin victory for us, you know, 1:24:43.145 --> 1:24:46.545 especially offensively, defense did about all they could scoring in 1:24:46.585 --> 1:24:49.865 the red zone and obviously my turnover. Gotta just keep 1:24:49.905 --> 1:24:52.265 on you know, these little things that can kind of 1:24:53.745 --> 1:24:56.025 help build the complementary football like coach Mayo's preaching about. 1:24:56.065 --> 1:24:57.825 So I think, you know, got another chance here at home, 1:24:58.465 --> 1:25:00.185 and l has come off a short week, so I 1:25:00.225 --> 1:25:02.585 gotta help prepare for them. And they're good upfront on defense, 1:25:02.665 --> 1:25:03.625 so I'm preparing for them. 1:25:04.145 --> 1:25:07.345 How important is Alex f Alex ben Felt then team 1:25:07.425 --> 1:25:08.105 his scenes. 1:25:09.305 --> 1:25:10.185 Yeah, it's been huge. 1:25:10.225 --> 1:25:11.905 I think he's just a confidence booster for a quarterback. 1:25:11.905 --> 1:25:14.305 You know, you love playing for the offense quarter like 1:25:14.385 --> 1:25:16.545 a v P. You know, he's he's positive and also 1:25:16.585 --> 1:25:17.785 at the same time, we'll coach you hard. You know, 1:25:17.825 --> 1:25:19.545 he's done it. He's played quarterback, played quarterback in this 1:25:19.665 --> 1:25:22.345 league and at a high level, so he knows what's 1:25:22.505 --> 1:25:24.065 you know, what it needs to be done, and in 1:25:24.145 --> 1:25:26.065 the task he knows his tall task as well, which 1:25:26.145 --> 1:25:28.945 is pretty you know him and TC both kind of 1:25:29.225 --> 1:25:31.545 you have the quarterback minds and coach McAdoo, So those 1:25:31.985 --> 1:25:34.065 those three are I know, it's like how hard it 1:25:34.065 --> 1:25:36.145 is to play quarterback in this league and give a 1:25:36.185 --> 1:25:37.785 lot of leeway, but at the same time, you know 1:25:38.025 --> 1:25:46.225 what's you needs to be done. Yeah, I think I 1:25:46.265 --> 1:25:48.065 think I'm I'm working towards that. I think that's more 1:25:48.065 --> 1:25:50.505 of a perfective thing. I wouldn't say, you know, for me, 1:25:50.585 --> 1:25:52.185 I'm just trying to build on every day. I think, 1:25:52.305 --> 1:25:54.145 you know, it's more of a thing for the outside 1:25:54.185 --> 1:25:56.225 crowd to say. I think I'll come a long way 1:25:56.265 --> 1:25:58.465 within the system of learning the system, knowing what to do, 1:25:58.905 --> 1:26:01.545 knowing where guys line up, getting run in and out 1:26:01.545 --> 1:26:04.345 of run checks and and past things. So I think, 1:26:04.865 --> 1:26:06.985 but I wouldn't say, better to say more comfortable. I think, 1:26:07.105 --> 1:26:08.665 you know, a lot of stuff is coming to tie together. 1:26:08.905 --> 1:26:11.305 You know, I think still a lot of the same players, 1:26:11.345 --> 1:26:13.265 and you know, still the same player and the same 1:26:13.265 --> 1:26:15.265 players that you have made in college is making today. 1:26:15.425 --> 1:26:17.705 So I think just building on getting more comfortable in 1:26:17.745 --> 1:26:20.305 this offense and just growing as a you know, a 1:26:20.425 --> 1:26:21.585 young young young adult. 1:26:24.185 --> 1:26:25.185 You asked the question. 1:26:29.185 --> 1:26:31.025 You were talking about a people said, like when the 1:26:31.065 --> 1:26:33.025 film comes up with him Pittsburg. 1:26:34.385 --> 1:26:36.345 Yes, cool, he saw some of his guitar fakes and 1:26:36.425 --> 1:26:39.225 his play action and at center and he threw it well, 1:26:39.305 --> 1:26:41.025 so he could throw the football. So it's it's cool 1:26:41.105 --> 1:26:43.385 seeing he doesn't throw very much anymore that he's like 1:26:43.465 --> 1:26:46.465 throwing like one time, you know, this season. But seeing him, 1:26:46.545 --> 1:26:48.585 you know, do some of the same actions or you know, 1:26:48.705 --> 1:26:51.705 throwing the same concepts. It's pretty cool and it's pretty neat, 1:26:51.705 --> 1:26:53.225 you know, sitting out there on some old you know, 1:26:53.305 --> 1:26:54.145 granny film. 1:26:54.225 --> 1:26:56.465 So drink with the support. 1:26:56.505 --> 1:26:59.185 But like Kobe potentially took over as the starter and 1:26:59.345 --> 1:27:02.025 wasn't at all difficult to find when to speak up 1:27:02.225 --> 1:27:04.305 as a leader, knowing he's still a captain. 1:27:04.025 --> 1:27:06.025 And so step Yeah, it's a good question, you know. 1:27:06.065 --> 1:27:07.385 I think Jacoby is still, you know, a big time 1:27:07.465 --> 1:27:10.345 leader on this football team. Especially he's in my ear 1:27:10.425 --> 1:27:12.185 and I don't know if you'll see him on the sidelines, 1:27:12.225 --> 1:27:14.185 but it's basically like he's he's playing the game over there. 1:27:14.185 --> 1:27:16.145 He's yelling and yelling at me, youlling at the rest 1:27:16.185 --> 1:27:19.065 on the sideline. So he's very animated and that's his personality. 1:27:19.105 --> 1:27:21.625 I think everybody respects him on this football team, has 1:27:21.625 --> 1:27:23.225 a lot of respect. And see what he did in 1:27:23.225 --> 1:27:24.985 the Jets game. I think that even just you know, 1:27:25.105 --> 1:27:27.265 raised the bar of him coming in after you know, 1:27:27.345 --> 1:27:28.985 me being the starter and him coming in and getting 1:27:28.985 --> 1:27:29.785 a big time win at home. 1:27:30.145 --> 1:27:31.305 Think those guys just respect him. 1:27:31.305 --> 1:27:32.945 And he's been, uh, it's been a lot to me 1:27:33.105 --> 1:27:36.585 of some mentor and and just trying to learn everything 1:27:36.625 --> 1:27:38.905 I can. He's probably tired of me asking questions, but 1:27:39.385 --> 1:27:41.425 now I think he enjoys and we enjoy, you know, 1:27:41.545 --> 1:27:42.425 be in the same room together. 1:27:42.945 --> 1:27:45.064 The virtual reality headsets, we're a bit of a storyline 1:27:45.105 --> 1:27:45.505 this summer. 1:27:45.785 --> 1:27:47.545 Was curious how much of those help you before you 1:27:47.625 --> 1:27:48.385 actually got to play. 1:27:48.505 --> 1:27:50.505 Do you still use them now that you're actually out. 1:27:50.385 --> 1:27:50.825 On the field. 1:27:51.065 --> 1:27:53.465 Yeah, they give just some of the base concepts and 1:27:53.545 --> 1:27:55.985 some of the concepts of carrying weekend week out, a 1:27:55.985 --> 1:27:57.865 little bit of the two minute stuff we have in 1:27:57.985 --> 1:27:59.985 some of the VR, but the vrs, you know, been 1:27:59.985 --> 1:28:03.345 a nice edition. Thankful to the pages Orgulation for forgetting 1:28:03.345 --> 1:28:05.545 that and using that. And I think it's some you know, 1:28:05.625 --> 1:28:07.425 every week just going back to the base stuff and 1:28:08.025 --> 1:28:09.705 sometimes we can throw in, you know, the different team 1:28:09.785 --> 1:28:11.705 or the stadium we're playing in and get different looks. 1:28:11.705 --> 1:28:12.665 So it's pretty cool. 1:28:13.305 --> 1:28:16.905 When he learned about yourself over the past five stars. 1:28:16.705 --> 1:28:22.705 That you've first starts learned about myself, I think just 1:28:22.865 --> 1:28:25.425 battling back from university and versity and times in the 1:28:25.505 --> 1:28:28.865 game and times in this season. You know, starting the season, 1:28:28.865 --> 1:28:31.025 obviously you plan on he wanted to be the starter 1:28:31.145 --> 1:28:35.465 and handle university, you know, throughout the locker room or throughout, uh, 1:28:35.585 --> 1:28:37.345 just being on the football team and then the anniversity 1:28:37.385 --> 1:28:39.505 when up you're actually in there playing, So just channeling times, 1:28:39.545 --> 1:28:42.065 you know, difficult times and and bouncing back and no 1:28:42.185 --> 1:28:44.785 one at this position that you know, these guys look 1:28:44.865 --> 1:28:46.945 to me and and know that you know kind of 1:28:46.985 --> 1:28:50.145 get a you'll keep a keep a up kind of 1:28:50.265 --> 1:28:53.625 upbeat mindset and up your personality because these guys you'll 1:28:53.625 --> 1:28:57.745 follow me and listen to me, and you'll expect me. Sorry, 1:28:57.745 --> 1:29:00.625 I know you mentioned you know as a football fan, 1:29:00.665 --> 1:29:02.265 you know getting the face guys like Aaron Rodgers. 1:29:02.345 --> 1:29:04.985 This week you get to face Matthew Stafford. What is 1:29:05.185 --> 1:29:07.625 uh is he somebody you followed as a kid, and 1:29:07.705 --> 1:29:09.065 what is it against? 1:29:09.225 --> 1:29:09.425 Yeah? 1:29:10.185 --> 1:29:11.345 Is you know mass staverage? 1:29:11.345 --> 1:29:12.785 I think you know back in the days watching lines, 1:29:12.825 --> 1:29:14.225 if you you know, I always saw him play on 1:29:14.265 --> 1:29:17.105 Thanksgiving and seeing him play is is pretty cool with 1:29:17.145 --> 1:29:19.985 thanks having coming up. So anytime you play a Super 1:29:19.985 --> 1:29:22.225 Bowl winning quarterback and you know, guy in this league 1:29:22.225 --> 1:29:24.145 has done a long time and play at a high level, 1:29:24.305 --> 1:29:26.345 it's cool to watch. I think I'll definitely take a 1:29:26.385 --> 1:29:27.985 moment and always try to watch them up see what 1:29:28.025 --> 1:29:29.905 they do or see how he's throwing it. That's kind 1:29:29.905 --> 1:29:32.185 of cool thing that I try to do. And other 1:29:32.265 --> 1:29:34.065 than that, just hopefully get a chance to meet him 1:29:34.065 --> 1:29:36.345 and you know, respect his game and you hope that 1:29:36.385 --> 1:29:37.425 you get a chance to come out with a win 1:29:37.505 --> 1:29:39.745 against you big time quarterback like that. It's always a 1:29:39.785 --> 1:29:40.465 pretty cool feeling. 1:29:41.185 --> 1:29:44.145 Sure on no sliding, and that's why you have a 1:29:44.265 --> 1:29:45.145 plant out of the sis. 1:29:45.465 --> 1:29:46.785 You know, he joked that there might. 1:29:46.705 --> 1:29:49.385 Be a sliding period of practice to say, has that 1:29:49.505 --> 1:29:51.945 been conveyed to often been coaching out in terms just 1:29:51.985 --> 1:29:53.385 working on sliding and things like that. 1:29:53.745 --> 1:29:56.345 Yeah, I wouldn't say working on You know, I play 1:29:56.385 --> 1:29:58.385 baseball growing up, and you know I've slid and the 1:29:58.465 --> 1:30:01.105 one time I slid against the Jets, I got hit 1:30:01.105 --> 1:30:02.945 in the head. So I think there's times and places 1:30:02.985 --> 1:30:04.505 for it. I think I definitely do a good better 1:30:04.625 --> 1:30:06.425 job of getting down, taking care of my body, and 1:30:06.905 --> 1:30:08.265 and I know that I took one and you know 1:30:08.265 --> 1:30:10.025 the Bears game that was done with the kind of 1:30:10.105 --> 1:30:12.825 third quarter, So you know, I'm I'm mindful of it, 1:30:12.865 --> 1:30:13.825 and the coaches are doing good job. 1:30:13.905 --> 1:30:14.105 TC. 1:30:14.985 --> 1:30:17.945 Does guys job emphasizing it, So I think it's, uh, 1:30:18.105 --> 1:30:20.225 you know, it's kind of different when you're between the 1:30:20.305 --> 1:30:22.625 lines and you're trying to show your competitive side, so. 1:30:22.785 --> 1:30:24.465 You can show a lot of frustration. 1:30:24.625 --> 1:30:27.545 I guess I would say the field is not letting 1:30:27.665 --> 1:30:29.425 your emotions get the best and you were not showing 1:30:29.425 --> 1:30:31.985 emotions something he comes naturally or is that something. 1:30:31.865 --> 1:30:32.665 You are talking about. 1:30:33.865 --> 1:30:35.505 Yeah, I think it's come naturally, you know. Growing up, 1:30:35.545 --> 1:30:37.985 I think I was always kind of you know, even 1:30:38.025 --> 1:30:40.585 kill mindset. And at the same time, I think, you know, 1:30:40.625 --> 1:30:42.745 showing frustration at times can be good, can be good 1:30:42.785 --> 1:30:44.505 for the offense, and you can kind of fire those 1:30:44.545 --> 1:30:47.385 guys up, so kind of mixing and kind of feeling 1:30:47.425 --> 1:30:48.945 that out of you know, when I could use the 1:30:48.985 --> 1:30:52.025 expecially in practice, I think getting frustrated and and showing hey, 1:30:52.105 --> 1:30:54.065 you know you pick it up is a is sometimes 1:30:54.145 --> 1:30:56.345 can be good. So I think you're just bouncing that 1:30:56.385 --> 1:30:57.865 aspect of it. And at the same time, you know, 1:30:58.425 --> 1:31:00.705 remind those guys of pumping them up, and that's everybody 1:31:00.825 --> 1:31:02.465 you know, feels good when you get pumped up. 1:31:02.665 --> 1:31:06.425 So ing people haven't talked about having a short memory 1:31:06.425 --> 1:31:07.945 of being a fans, specially in the games. 1:31:08.185 --> 1:31:10.465 If you agree and you so, how do you manage 1:31:10.465 --> 1:31:11.505 to keep the number short? 1:31:12.425 --> 1:31:12.625 Yeah? 1:31:12.665 --> 1:31:13.745 Short, re membery, that's it, you know. I think it's 1:31:13.745 --> 1:31:15.505 one of the biggest things for playing quarterback in this league. 1:31:16.145 --> 1:31:17.905 I think you see you know this past Sunday. You 1:31:17.945 --> 1:31:20.745 know Jared Goff, I think you know his game, you 1:31:21.105 --> 1:31:22.745 just turnovers and what he does to come back and 1:31:22.865 --> 1:31:24.505 lead that football team to win. I think there's so 1:31:24.545 --> 1:31:26.905 many times throughout the season you see, you know quarterback, 1:31:26.985 --> 1:31:29.065 especially you know at this level that are you handle 1:31:29.105 --> 1:31:30.825 a university and you know, it's tough. 1:31:31.705 --> 1:31:32.065 It's tough. 1:31:32.105 --> 1:31:33.825 It's a tough feeling going out there after throwing an 1:31:33.825 --> 1:31:36.745 interception and jogging back out there, you know, throwing it again. 1:31:36.865 --> 1:31:39.905 So I think it's something that it's kind of, you know, 1:31:39.985 --> 1:31:43.385 brushed under the rug when you're facing you know, good 1:31:43.425 --> 1:31:45.305 defense and you go out there and make a bad 1:31:45.345 --> 1:31:47.785 play and have to run back out there and facing 1:31:47.825 --> 1:31:49.305 those same guys and have to throw it again. So 1:31:49.345 --> 1:31:51.185 I think it's definitely having a short memory, like you said, 1:31:51.265 --> 1:31:53.705 and just trusting those guys around you. I think our 1:31:53.745 --> 1:31:55.825 team does a good job and especially the veterans and 1:31:56.145 --> 1:31:59.225 Jakobe has been great on the sideline with you know plays, 1:31:59.265 --> 1:32:01.385 and I think just bouncing back and seeing how you 1:32:01.425 --> 1:32:01.905 bounce back. 1:32:02.905 --> 1:32:06.425 The team released the micd up piece view from the 1:32:06.465 --> 1:32:08.985 game the other day, and a significant percentage of it 1:32:09.145 --> 1:32:11.385 was you basically popping up teammates. 1:32:11.305 --> 1:32:12.625 Encouraging them during the game. 1:32:13.225 --> 1:32:14.945 Why is that important for you to sort of take 1:32:14.985 --> 1:32:17.265 time during during game day to make sure that you're. 1:32:17.145 --> 1:32:18.065 Doing that for your teammates. 1:32:18.225 --> 1:32:20.305 Yeah, I think, you know, pregames, kind of checking those 1:32:20.385 --> 1:32:22.705 chicking on the guys, see how they're feeling. I think 1:32:23.865 --> 1:32:25.265 I think I was saying a lot of the same 1:32:25.305 --> 1:32:26.945 things over and over, you know, and the miked up, 1:32:27.025 --> 1:32:29.145 so I kind of kind of keep it simple and 1:32:29.385 --> 1:32:31.065 and don't try to know bug me by too much 1:32:31.065 --> 1:32:32.905 because everbody's kind of got their own thing on game day. 1:32:33.105 --> 1:32:34.865 But uh, yeah, I think pumping them up, like I said, 1:32:34.905 --> 1:32:37.425 you know, everybody feels feels good when you say, hey, 1:32:37.585 --> 1:32:40.065 you know, let's go, or hey nice play, or hey, 1:32:40.145 --> 1:32:41.905 great job up front. I think little things like that 1:32:42.025 --> 1:32:43.785 can go a long way. And being the leader on 1:32:43.825 --> 1:32:45.745 the offense and pumping those guys. 1:32:45.625 --> 1:32:49.705 Up with your with your lineman said again, they caught 1:32:49.745 --> 1:32:51.225 you in the locker room, say let's go get something 1:32:51.225 --> 1:32:51.745 to eat tomorrow. 1:32:52.225 --> 1:32:55.105 Yeah when somebody, uh we got somebody, let's say wednesday, 1:32:55.105 --> 1:32:58.545 we have some need Monday. So yeah, we went somewhere. 1:32:58.625 --> 1:32:59.665 So went somewhere good, So. 1:33:01.225 --> 1:33:07.385 Thank you. All right, So there you go. He carries 1:33:07.465 --> 1:33:09.745 himself with a heck of a lot more poise than 1:33:09.785 --> 1:33:11.785 you expect for what a twenty two year old kid. 1:33:11.905 --> 1:33:11.985 Right. 1:33:12.665 --> 1:33:15.985 Uh, I'm becoming a more of a fan every day. 1:33:16.905 --> 1:33:18.865 I also become more of a fan as the Patriots 1:33:18.905 --> 1:33:21.145 get him more help. So he's got more weapons that 1:33:21.225 --> 1:33:23.345 he can throw, to hand off, to block for him. 1:33:23.545 --> 1:33:24.945 That kind of sign, that kind of thing on that 1:33:25.025 --> 1:33:27.745 side of the football. I'd be remiss if I didn't 1:33:27.825 --> 1:33:31.225 mention here though. That The other thing that I think 1:33:31.265 --> 1:33:33.625 that you know, we we haven't talked about her all today, 1:33:33.705 --> 1:33:36.265 that I think will be a factor for someday's game 1:33:36.265 --> 1:33:40.105 against the Rams is the acquisition of Jannikin Gotway, who 1:33:40.225 --> 1:33:45.265 was claimed by the Patriots last week, veteran linebacker pass 1:33:45.345 --> 1:33:48.625 rusher from Baltimore. And think about what his world has 1:33:48.665 --> 1:33:51.385 been like. He's gone from a first place team in 1:33:51.465 --> 1:33:55.185 Baltimore to a last place team in New England. So 1:33:55.545 --> 1:33:57.825 it'd be real easy to get down on yourself, Bill, 1:33:58.225 --> 1:34:00.705 be real easy to think, ah, woe is me? You know, 1:34:00.745 --> 1:34:02.345 I had a chance to go to the playoffs and 1:34:02.425 --> 1:34:04.465 maybe you know, win a ring or whatever to a 1:34:04.545 --> 1:34:08.345 team now that wow, clearly is rebuilding for the future. 1:34:09.385 --> 1:34:11.745 But he just got through, you know, talking in the 1:34:11.825 --> 1:34:14.385 locker room not too long ago, and I could admit, 1:34:15.985 --> 1:34:18.385 let me read your quote, it didn't really matter to 1:34:18.465 --> 1:34:20.865 me where I was drafted. It was a team that 1:34:20.945 --> 1:34:23.665 didn't win a lot. That's when he was with Jacksonville. 1:34:23.745 --> 1:34:25.745 Remember he was on that Jacksonville team that ended up 1:34:25.745 --> 1:34:28.265 developing and coming here and losing the AFC Championship game 1:34:28.465 --> 1:34:30.345 to the Patriots. He said, the next year, you were 1:34:30.345 --> 1:34:32.545 in the AFC Championship. It's all about perspective. It's all 1:34:32.545 --> 1:34:39.025 about how you can build team camaraderie and change those things. Now, 1:34:39.065 --> 1:34:41.425 he's a nine year veteran, he's got more than seventy 1:34:41.505 --> 1:34:44.465 career sacks. He certainly has been an important part of 1:34:44.545 --> 1:34:47.465 both what they built in Jacksonville and what they were 1:34:47.545 --> 1:34:51.225 trying to build and maintain in Baltimore. And now he's 1:34:51.265 --> 1:34:53.425 in New England, and obviously he's in New England for 1:34:53.465 --> 1:34:56.225 a reason, because Baltimore didn't see a fit for him anymore, 1:34:56.345 --> 1:35:00.145 especially beyond this year. But here's an opportunity now for 1:35:00.265 --> 1:35:04.585 a veteran presence for a team that needs that in 1:35:04.665 --> 1:35:07.145 the locker room. Here's an opportunity for a guy who 1:35:07.265 --> 1:35:09.545 might still have we don't know yet, and we'll probably 1:35:09.585 --> 1:35:12.065 find out more this weekend, that might still have a 1:35:12.065 --> 1:35:14.945 little gas left in the tank. Here's a guy that 1:35:15.265 --> 1:35:18.625 drov Meyos says can play three downs as opposed to 1:35:18.665 --> 1:35:21.745 being just a situational player. Boy, do they need that 1:35:21.905 --> 1:35:24.145 because we know sometimes they've had trouble stopping the run 1:35:24.225 --> 1:35:27.385 up the middle, and we know that they've had some 1:35:27.545 --> 1:35:31.585 big gaps in the linebacking corps since Jowan Bentley went 1:35:31.665 --> 1:35:34.505 down early in the year. I'm excited to see what 1:35:34.625 --> 1:35:38.785 in Gocwa can provide this team on and off the field. 1:35:40.825 --> 1:35:43.185 A real woman could stop you from drinking. 1:35:43.825 --> 1:35:45.145 Y's a real big woman. 1:35:45.545 --> 1:35:48.505 It's time to go around the NFL with football guru 1:35:48.665 --> 1:35:49.425 Russell Baxter. 1:35:49.705 --> 1:35:56.785 Now the name is Flounder on Patriots playbook. I'm also 1:35:56.905 --> 1:35:58.945 excited to hear what Russell Baxter might be able to 1:35:58.985 --> 1:36:01.745 think about and getting some of his thoughts on a 1:36:01.825 --> 1:36:04.185 guy like in Gokwa going from a first place team 1:36:04.225 --> 1:36:06.025 to a last place team, but at the same time, 1:36:06.625 --> 1:36:09.145 you know, maybe providing a little leadership. And here's a 1:36:09.185 --> 1:36:11.865 guy that probably has some perspective on moves like this. 1:36:12.625 --> 1:36:14.985 I don't know, Russell over what the last thirty thirty 1:36:15.025 --> 1:36:15.745 five years or so. 1:36:17.065 --> 1:36:19.825 Well, obviously, now John in free agency and by the way, 1:36:19.865 --> 1:36:21.065 how are you if you're doing well? 1:36:21.225 --> 1:36:23.185 Excellent, yes, sir, thank you, Jo. 1:36:23.545 --> 1:36:26.465 And you know free agency now which began in earnest 1:36:26.505 --> 1:36:28.825 in nineteen ninety three, Now you see these kind of 1:36:28.945 --> 1:36:32.465 moves that take place. We saw a lot of action 1:36:32.625 --> 1:36:35.625 during the trade deadline, it just wasn't wide receivers. But 1:36:35.825 --> 1:36:39.945 what's intriguing about in Gocway is he has been a 1:36:40.025 --> 1:36:44.865 professional pass rusher for a number of teams, and early 1:36:44.985 --> 1:36:47.185 in his career, I wouldn't even say early in in 1:36:47.225 --> 1:36:50.665 the middle of his career, which he's only played nine years. Yeah, okay. 1:36:51.105 --> 1:36:54.465 He hasn't seen a lot of action necessarily the last 1:36:55.585 --> 1:36:58.225 you know, year or two, so I think there is 1:36:58.305 --> 1:37:01.225 a lot left in the tank. I think they'll probably 1:37:01.305 --> 1:37:04.465 start him out using him more situationally than anything else. 1:37:04.945 --> 1:37:09.025 But you'll remember he was traded more time. He didn't 1:37:09.065 --> 1:37:11.185 really hit the free agency market. A lot of times 1:37:11.385 --> 1:37:15.385 we traded. You know, he was with the Jaguars, as 1:37:15.425 --> 1:37:18.225 you said, and then there was a you know, if 1:37:18.305 --> 1:37:23.425 necessarily in the same word at Baltimore, Minnesota, the Raider, 1:37:24.105 --> 1:37:29.225 the Colt, the Bear. He's like the and you'll appreciate this, 1:37:30.265 --> 1:37:35.105 like the Brandon Cook of defense who spent most of 1:37:35.185 --> 1:37:38.025 his time going from team to team and being traded 1:37:38.265 --> 1:37:42.345 and not being a free agent. So you know, considering, 1:37:42.545 --> 1:37:44.825 you know, the Patriots gave up the top pass rusher 1:37:44.865 --> 1:37:47.225 in a trade to Kansas City. Now they get a 1:37:47.425 --> 1:37:50.225 very veteran experience guys that now have a draft pick 1:37:50.945 --> 1:37:55.465 next year. So the key will be here is can 1:37:55.505 --> 1:37:58.705 he perform down the stretch and more importantly, does he 1:37:58.865 --> 1:38:01.385 have enough by the end of the year that they 1:38:01.465 --> 1:38:04.945 warn't a series look at him bringing him back next year. 1:38:05.425 --> 1:38:09.105 So you can't you can't go wrong with the move 1:38:09.305 --> 1:38:11.625 like that, and you know, I have to go back 1:38:11.705 --> 1:38:13.345 to look, I don't I don't think. I think he 1:38:13.505 --> 1:38:18.625 barely played with the Ravens this year if at all. Okay, again, 1:38:18.705 --> 1:38:21.745 don't quote me on that one, but let's put it 1:38:21.785 --> 1:38:24.745 this way, if he did play for the Ravens, no 1:38:24.865 --> 1:38:28.585 one noted, and that's not a knock on him, that's 1:38:28.585 --> 1:38:30.025 a knock on the Baltimore defense. 1:38:30.145 --> 1:38:33.425 Sure, yep would agree. The one thing that stands out 1:38:33.425 --> 1:38:35.025 to me is I remember early in his career he's 1:38:35.025 --> 1:38:37.145 a Pro Bowl player. I think he actually led the 1:38:37.225 --> 1:38:39.505 NFL and forced fumbles one year, if I'm not mistaken. 1:38:39.705 --> 1:38:41.505 So here's a guy that knows how to hit. Here's 1:38:41.545 --> 1:38:43.785 another here's a guy that knows how to lead by 1:38:43.865 --> 1:38:46.985 example and let his play do the talking. And that's 1:38:47.025 --> 1:38:49.785 the kind of culture that as this team continue, this 1:38:49.865 --> 1:38:53.305 franchise continues to rebuild and get back maybe some semblance 1:38:53.345 --> 1:38:55.465 of what we had a few years ago. This is 1:38:55.545 --> 1:38:56.985 the kind of guy I think that can help you 1:38:57.065 --> 1:38:57.385 get there. 1:38:58.505 --> 1:39:02.905 Well, this is the kind of guy. Now listen, you know, 1:39:03.305 --> 1:39:06.305 and I don't have a whole shark in front of me. Okay, yep. 1:39:06.505 --> 1:39:09.945 There are guys who pile up back and get the 1:39:10.025 --> 1:39:13.665 quarterback on the ground. There are guys who would impact 1:39:13.745 --> 1:39:17.985 stack makers and the ball is on the ground as well. Okay, 1:39:18.705 --> 1:39:21.905 the quarterback on the ground and the ball out. That's 1:39:21.905 --> 1:39:25.305 why a guy like TJ. Watt is so invaluable. He's 1:39:25.345 --> 1:39:27.345 got over one hundred stacks. I think he now has 1:39:27.505 --> 1:39:31.705 thirty one force fumbles in his There are other guys 1:39:31.705 --> 1:39:35.785 who are great back artists, but they don't have that 1:39:35.985 --> 1:39:39.065 abillit with the strip sack, the sud to hit with 1:39:39.225 --> 1:39:41.305 the ball popped out and stuff like that. Those are 1:39:41.425 --> 1:39:45.425 game changing play. They flipped the field. They make life better. 1:39:45.265 --> 1:39:45.985 For the offense. 1:39:46.705 --> 1:39:51.705 So you have somebody here who can is that kind 1:39:51.745 --> 1:39:55.345 of a player? And dare I say, going against the 1:39:55.425 --> 1:39:58.385 team this week that certainly had problems protecting their veteran 1:39:58.505 --> 1:40:00.145 quarterback on Monday night? 1:40:00.345 --> 1:40:02.465 Sure? All right? So then I got to ask you 1:40:02.665 --> 1:40:05.145 the obvious question. Here a guy that was in Jacksonville, 1:40:05.465 --> 1:40:08.265 you already mentioned it. Then he went to Minnesota. Then 1:40:08.265 --> 1:40:10.225 he went to the Raiders. You know, he went to 1:40:10.265 --> 1:40:12.785 the Ravens, he went to the Colts. I mean, he's 1:40:12.825 --> 1:40:13.865 bounced around a little bit. 1:40:14.425 --> 1:40:18.145 Why, well, he's maybe more stop than Amtrak. 1:40:18.425 --> 1:40:19.625 I know that true. 1:40:20.785 --> 1:40:24.385 Well, you know, I don't know. You know, I think 1:40:24.545 --> 1:40:27.225 early in his career he was I got the sense 1:40:27.305 --> 1:40:29.105 he wanted to get paid because he was not a 1:40:29.225 --> 1:40:31.905 high draft voice. And you know, in this league, unless 1:40:31.905 --> 1:40:35.065 you're a first round pick, that second contract is very, 1:40:35.225 --> 1:40:37.745 very important to you. I think some of it has 1:40:37.785 --> 1:40:42.545 also been a circumstanced with him the right opportunity to 1:40:42.625 --> 1:40:46.025 get the right player. You know, early in this you remember, 1:40:46.265 --> 1:40:47.945 you remember ant Kwine Boulder, who was one of the 1:40:47.985 --> 1:40:49.305 most respective players. 1:40:49.025 --> 1:40:49.505 In the league. 1:40:49.625 --> 1:40:51.865 Absolutely, yeah, yes, you. 1:40:51.905 --> 1:40:55.065 Know, but he didn't wind up testing free agency until 1:40:55.305 --> 1:40:57.785 very late in his career. He was a guy who 1:40:57.865 --> 1:41:01.064 got traded to a bunch of teams. Okay, So sometimes 1:41:01.505 --> 1:41:05.225 that's part of it as well. I think sometimes you 1:41:05.385 --> 1:41:08.385 have to be alarmed when you see a guy who 1:41:08.505 --> 1:41:11.945 comes in and is not productive and disgruntled, and that's 1:41:12.025 --> 1:41:16.345 not necessarily been the case when in gotway. So, like 1:41:16.465 --> 1:41:20.025 I said, he could make a big impact on Sunday 1:41:20.225 --> 1:41:24.545 in this game. And again I'd have to go back 1:41:24.585 --> 1:41:26.665 to look at how many plays he actually played this 1:41:26.825 --> 1:41:30.105 year with the Ravens, which I know was not a lot. 1:41:30.425 --> 1:41:33.945 Their pass rush and their defense overall has been one 1:41:33.985 --> 1:41:39.465 of the big disappointments in the league, and so I'd 1:41:39.625 --> 1:41:42.305 like to pick up. I think it's a no lose 1:41:42.425 --> 1:41:46.385 move for the Patriots, and you know, let's see if 1:41:46.385 --> 1:41:48.825 they can win two games in a row, which it's 1:41:48.825 --> 1:41:49.305 been a while. 1:41:50.225 --> 1:41:53.385 Yeah, very true. That kind of puts us right where 1:41:53.465 --> 1:41:55.705 we are a team that has a chance to win 1:41:55.785 --> 1:41:56.985 too in a row and get in on a winning 1:41:56.985 --> 1:41:59.345 streak for the first time. Really, you know, this year 1:41:59.665 --> 1:42:02.465 a legit opportunity. Although we may be selling the Rams 1:42:02.505 --> 1:42:05.305 a little bit short. And the Rams are a little 1:42:05.305 --> 1:42:07.465 bit confusing because they had a couple of pretty good 1:42:07.465 --> 1:42:10.825 offensive outputs before, you know, coming up short against the 1:42:10.945 --> 1:42:13.385 Dolphins last week, and so we spent a little bit 1:42:13.425 --> 1:42:15.905 of time talking about this earlier in the program, and 1:42:16.745 --> 1:42:19.865 and it seemed like they came up short in the 1:42:19.905 --> 1:42:23.745 red zone. But they've got opportunity. They still got their receivers, 1:42:23.985 --> 1:42:26.185 you know, they've got some health back on the offensive side, 1:42:26.745 --> 1:42:30.465 but the conversion rate wasn't there, and defensively it wasn't 1:42:30.505 --> 1:42:33.705 quite enough in terms of contain And so the Rams 1:42:33.785 --> 1:42:37.105 are just kind of misfiring, and you have to wonder 1:42:37.185 --> 1:42:39.825 whether or not they find their stride again, because they 1:42:39.865 --> 1:42:42.105 look to me to be every bit as dangerous as 1:42:42.145 --> 1:42:44.465 they you know, were what we thought they were at 1:42:44.465 --> 1:42:45.265 the beginning of the year. 1:42:46.105 --> 1:42:49.665 Well, I mean, remember they you know, they early in 1:42:49.745 --> 1:42:54.905 the season, there was that horrible losst with Cardinals in Arizona, 1:42:55.545 --> 1:42:57.025 and that had to do with the fact that they 1:42:57.065 --> 1:42:59.105 were very banged up. They were just they had just 1:42:59.225 --> 1:43:01.985 won three in a row. They're very propu. I would 1:43:02.025 --> 1:43:03.425 put them in like the one of the five most 1:43:03.465 --> 1:43:06.185 confusing teams in the league this season. They're sitting at 1:43:06.265 --> 1:43:09.945 four and five and after looking like they were hitting 1:43:09.985 --> 1:43:13.225 their striketh, they didn't score touchdown against Miami. You know 1:43:13.385 --> 1:43:17.065 that's not necessarily no name defense these days. They the 1:43:17.185 --> 1:43:20.705 Dolphins struggled all year to stack the quarterback. They had 1:43:20.705 --> 1:43:24.185 a career, i'm sorry, a season high four stack in 1:43:24.305 --> 1:43:29.225 that game. They turned over Stafford, they turned over Kyrin Williams. 1:43:29.265 --> 1:43:32.025 I thought that was the the game was. Miami's defensive 1:43:32.105 --> 1:43:38.025 front did not let Kyl Williams get loose. He's been 1:43:38.105 --> 1:43:42.585 a standout for them, started late last season. This season, 1:43:42.665 --> 1:43:45.305 he's been you know, as a runner and a receiver. 1:43:45.665 --> 1:43:48.265 You know, we know about Papa, we know Pokin Naku 1:43:48.385 --> 1:43:51.905 and so on. But you know, you mentioned their third 1:43:51.985 --> 1:43:53.905 I think they were three of twelve on third down 1:43:55.265 --> 1:43:57.945 in the game one Monday night, and in some ways 1:43:57.985 --> 1:44:00.625 I think they made Miami's defense look better than well 1:44:00.785 --> 1:44:01.545 it actually is. 1:44:01.745 --> 1:44:03.345 Yeah, that was. That was kind of where I was. 1:44:04.945 --> 1:44:09.345 The defensive lineman Jared Verse, who created a little havoc 1:44:09.385 --> 1:44:14.785 the other night as well. So I'm not sure what 1:44:15.145 --> 1:44:18.905 version of the Rams was going to see. Remember when 1:44:18.905 --> 1:44:22.385 they beat Seattle and overtime, John, twenty six twenty they 1:44:22.465 --> 1:44:25.265 got one hundred and three yard interception return for one 1:44:25.305 --> 1:44:31.185 of their touchdowns. Okay, and uh, you know all butcher 1:44:31.305 --> 1:44:36.705 the Seahawks wide receivers DK Metcalf didn't play and one 1:44:36.745 --> 1:44:39.385 of the Seahawks wide receivers had one hundred and eighty yards. 1:44:40.545 --> 1:44:44.745 So this is a very perplexing team that last year 1:44:45.265 --> 1:44:48.665 was what three and six, went seven of eight and 1:44:48.985 --> 1:44:54.145 did not you know, made the playoffs, fell short. The 1:44:54.225 --> 1:44:57.185 thing that stands out to mea most about them, And 1:44:57.345 --> 1:45:01.265 even though Miami didn't do a good job running the football, John, 1:45:01.385 --> 1:45:03.465 go back to the opening week when they lost to 1:45:03.585 --> 1:45:08.665 Detroit in overtime twenty six twenty, If memory sirved, Detroit 1:45:08.785 --> 1:45:11.465 got the ball in overtime and never threw the ball, 1:45:12.065 --> 1:45:15.225 never threw it, never threw the ball, and ran right 1:45:15.305 --> 1:45:17.825 down the field into the end zone on about a 1:45:17.945 --> 1:45:21.625 nine or ten plays drive. All runs yeh and if 1:45:21.665 --> 1:45:25.145 it wasn't all runs, there was maybe one pat So 1:45:25.265 --> 1:45:28.585 I think they can be overpowered to young defense a 1:45:28.665 --> 1:45:31.865 lot of no names. I'm trying to think that the 1:45:31.905 --> 1:45:33.945 guy used to Oh that's right, Aaron Donald. 1:45:34.025 --> 1:45:36.505 Isn't there anything not there anymore? Yeah, that's right, you know, 1:45:36.585 --> 1:45:40.145 And they say sometimes you hit strength head on right 1:45:40.265 --> 1:45:42.145 when you're going it. So I mean I might be 1:45:42.265 --> 1:45:43.985 trying to, you know, go right at a guy like 1:45:44.145 --> 1:45:48.105 Verse in order to basically neutralize him, and the Papers did. 1:45:48.265 --> 1:45:50.225 That's one of the reasons why they won the game 1:45:50.585 --> 1:45:53.145 in Chicago this last week is they basically bludgeoned. The 1:45:53.185 --> 1:45:55.985 Bears had one hundred and forty four yards rushing about 1:45:55.985 --> 1:45:58.385 four and a half yards to carry pretty good output, 1:45:58.505 --> 1:46:00.265 one of the best outputs they've had in some time, 1:46:00.545 --> 1:46:02.705 you know, in the run game, and that might be 1:46:02.825 --> 1:46:04.865 one way to sort of neutralize what the Rams have 1:46:04.985 --> 1:46:05.305 to offer. 1:46:05.625 --> 1:46:07.505 Well, I don't think there's any question about it. I 1:46:07.585 --> 1:46:11.945 think you have to test that RAMS defense, which has been, 1:46:12.105 --> 1:46:16.985 like I said, it's been shaky at best. You know, listen, 1:46:17.145 --> 1:46:20.385 if they had not managed to pull out for less 1:46:20.385 --> 1:46:24.905 than less way to describe it, almost a miracle win 1:46:25.665 --> 1:46:28.625 over the forty nine ers. Earlier in the season, they'd 1:46:28.625 --> 1:46:32.945 be in dire straight Okay, yeah, because there there are 1:46:33.105 --> 1:46:38.865 times that, you know, they have looked like a decent team, 1:46:39.705 --> 1:46:42.065 but too many times this year they looked like a 1:46:42.185 --> 1:46:44.785 subpart team. And again, I think some of that is 1:46:44.825 --> 1:46:47.185 the you know, overall changeover in the roster and so on. 1:46:47.745 --> 1:46:49.825 I think it's a team that's far too dependent on 1:46:49.945 --> 1:46:52.385 its offense and whether people do like it or not, 1:46:53.425 --> 1:46:55.905 you've got to play some defense in this league. You know, 1:46:56.065 --> 1:46:59.825 that's that's going to wind up costing certain teams as 1:46:59.905 --> 1:47:03.385 we get closer and closer to the playoffs. And I 1:47:03.465 --> 1:47:08.065 know we're going to touch on this the AFC. Oh boy, yeah, 1:47:08.185 --> 1:47:11.225 what what a mess right now? I know there's eight 1:47:11.505 --> 1:47:15.145 weeks to go, yep, but it's don't you find it 1:47:15.225 --> 1:47:18.185 odd that there are only six teams in the conference 1:47:18.505 --> 1:47:19.505 that have a winning record? 1:47:19.705 --> 1:47:21.745 Well, yeah, I was. You know, I mentioned this earlier 1:47:21.865 --> 1:47:23.665 that you know, to me, there are two teams that 1:47:23.705 --> 1:47:25.905 are right now are standing head and shoulders above everybody 1:47:25.945 --> 1:47:28.345 else in the AFC, and one of them is the 1:47:28.385 --> 1:47:31.625 defending champs. So you know, I'm a little surprised at 1:47:31.665 --> 1:47:33.945 the depth. If you want depth. You got to go 1:47:34.025 --> 1:47:37.065 to the NFC, and let's start with the Thursday night game. 1:47:37.385 --> 1:47:39.825 You got the Commanders playing at the Eagles, and that's 1:47:39.865 --> 1:47:43.545 certainly for NFC East supremacy. But you would have knocked 1:47:43.545 --> 1:47:44.865 me over with a feather if you'd told me that 1:47:45.025 --> 1:47:47.025 Washington would be there at this stage of the season. 1:47:47.105 --> 1:47:47.825 Earlier in the year. 1:47:48.905 --> 1:47:51.985 A year ago, they gave up the third most points 1:47:52.185 --> 1:47:54.025 in a season in the NFL history. 1:47:55.585 --> 1:47:57.185 That's nuts, that's nuts. 1:47:57.745 --> 1:48:00.505 Yeah, Now the defense has been Now you know Pittsburgh. 1:48:00.865 --> 1:48:04.505 I wouldn't say Pittsburgh douged them last week, but Pittsburgh 1:48:04.585 --> 1:48:08.425 is certainly able to make some plays against them. And 1:48:08.905 --> 1:48:13.505 if people are knocking them for their three losses Tampa, 1:48:13.585 --> 1:48:18.585 I'm sorry Tampa Bay. Early in the season, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Okay, 1:48:18.865 --> 1:48:24.025 I mean, listen, they were pretty competitive in all those games. Okay, 1:48:24.065 --> 1:48:27.425 even though Tampa Bay got out big in dan Quinn's 1:48:27.465 --> 1:48:33.105 first game and shatond in this first game, they fought 1:48:33.265 --> 1:48:34.985 in that game. They were toe to toe with the 1:48:35.105 --> 1:48:37.945 Ravens if you remember that game. And last week they 1:48:37.945 --> 1:48:40.585 had a ten point lead on the Steelers. So this 1:48:40.785 --> 1:48:45.145 isn't like a fluky seven and three is not fluky. Okay. Now, now, 1:48:45.265 --> 1:48:49.545 of course they've got two games with the Eagles. Okay, 1:48:49.705 --> 1:48:51.985 they haven't played they haven't played Dallas yet either, and 1:48:52.065 --> 1:48:54.665 I know Dallas is whatever Dallas is and so on. 1:48:54.865 --> 1:48:58.385 So yeah, here come the test and all that and 1:48:58.465 --> 1:49:00.185 the end. And by the way, one of the big 1:49:00.305 --> 1:49:04.225 reasons the NFC has, you know, I think they have 1:49:04.505 --> 1:49:06.625 happ of their teams are above five hundreds because how 1:49:06.665 --> 1:49:10.105 they've done against the AFC this year. Some of those 1:49:10.185 --> 1:49:14.185 records are fattened up in in interconference games. But you know, 1:49:14.265 --> 1:49:16.745 Philadelphia looks like it might be hitting itch stride. They 1:49:16.825 --> 1:49:20.105 won five in a row. Some of it a little crazy, 1:49:20.225 --> 1:49:22.545 the Jacksonville game, would you know, going for two all 1:49:22.585 --> 1:49:24.825 the time and on. But five wins in a row, 1:49:24.865 --> 1:49:27.785 and five wins in a row. I went back and 1:49:27.865 --> 1:49:31.065 looked at this. This is how bad Washington was on 1:49:31.185 --> 1:49:32.105 defense last year. 1:49:32.225 --> 1:49:32.425 John. 1:49:33.185 --> 1:49:36.025 They scored thirty one points in each game with the 1:49:36.105 --> 1:49:37.625 Eagles last year and locked the boat. 1:49:37.825 --> 1:49:42.785 Wow. Yeah, that's not good. That's not good. Hey, you 1:49:42.865 --> 1:49:44.945 mentioned the Cowboys. I wanted to just touch on him, 1:49:44.945 --> 1:49:47.065 even though I know they're struggling. They play Monday night 1:49:47.105 --> 1:49:49.905 football at home, they get the Houston Texans, so they 1:49:49.945 --> 1:49:52.785 get the little rivalry thing going there again. But I 1:49:52.905 --> 1:49:56.705 read earlier today that the Cowboys are in serious danger 1:49:56.825 --> 1:49:59.745 of getting flexed out of some of their national television 1:49:59.785 --> 1:50:02.705 opportunities because they're only three and six and they look 1:50:02.785 --> 1:50:04.305 like they're going to be on the outside looking in 1:50:04.425 --> 1:50:06.825 of any kind of a playoff chase here over the 1:50:06.865 --> 1:50:10.145 stretch run. Now, I know that doesn't sit well with 1:50:10.305 --> 1:50:14.465 anybody in Dallas, especially you know, Jerry Jones, the architect 1:50:14.545 --> 1:50:17.785 of whatever America's team might be today. So could you 1:50:17.905 --> 1:50:21.145 see a scenario where Jones decides to sort of stir 1:50:21.265 --> 1:50:23.745 the drink the way things are going and grab the 1:50:23.825 --> 1:50:27.665 headlines back again by making a coaching change and maybe 1:50:27.745 --> 1:50:29.945 bringing in some guys with the initials B and B. 1:50:31.865 --> 1:50:35.105 I certainly don't rule that out. And if he doesn't, 1:50:35.385 --> 1:50:37.505 does hire B and B? Does he bring p M 1:50:37.665 --> 1:50:38.025 with him? 1:50:38.265 --> 1:50:38.465 Yeah? 1:50:39.585 --> 1:50:42.225 Okay, yeah, that way, that way Bill can coach the 1:50:42.305 --> 1:50:44.825 team and also do the podcast with that back. 1:50:47.465 --> 1:50:49.225 Right, you can just do it right, do it right 1:50:49.265 --> 1:50:49.865 there in the middle of the. 1:50:49.865 --> 1:50:53.705 Field, automatically improve their special teams in the punting game. 1:50:53.905 --> 1:50:58.465 Yeah, yeah, for sure, right, No, I could yes, I 1:50:58.545 --> 1:50:59.065 could see it. 1:50:59.545 --> 1:51:04.665 I could certainly see it because I think Jerry, right now, listen, 1:51:04.825 --> 1:51:07.025 I've said this for years. That's the only team in 1:51:07.065 --> 1:51:10.185 the league where the coach speaks to the press, even 1:51:10.305 --> 1:51:14.825 before or during or after the head coach spak. Yeah, okay, 1:51:14.945 --> 1:51:18.265 there's no other team that had a pr situation like that. 1:51:19.185 --> 1:51:24.985 And listen, there what they have now. Go back to 1:51:25.065 --> 1:51:28.185 the playoffs last year, Todd the loss of the package. 1:51:28.545 --> 1:51:30.505 They had won sixteen games in a round at home 1:51:30.705 --> 1:51:33.745 up until then. They have now lost five straight games 1:51:33.785 --> 1:51:37.425 at home and given up two hundred and one points 1:51:37.465 --> 1:51:41.145 in those ones. Oh man, two oh one. 1:51:41.345 --> 1:51:43.625 That's forty forty points a game. 1:51:43.865 --> 1:51:48.785 Yeah, forty points a game in their own building. That's nasty, 1:51:49.665 --> 1:51:53.905 you know, yeah, you know, they obviously and Houston, which 1:51:53.985 --> 1:51:56.105 is kind of broken on offense right now. I think 1:51:56.105 --> 1:51:59.185 they're going to get Nico Collins back this week. They're 1:51:59.225 --> 1:52:01.585 obviously not going to get Stefan Diggs back the rest 1:52:01.625 --> 1:52:06.545 of the year, and hopefully Houston this time is up 1:52:06.585 --> 1:52:08.905 twenty three seven in the fourth quarter, yep, and said 1:52:08.945 --> 1:52:12.985 at a half note. And Houston's kind of struggling right 1:52:12.985 --> 1:52:16.665 now too. By the way, let's let's be on. Yeah, yeah, 1:52:16.665 --> 1:52:19.185 I could see him doing something like that just to. 1:52:19.265 --> 1:52:20.265 Steal the spotlight. 1:52:20.465 --> 1:52:20.625 You know. 1:52:21.625 --> 1:52:23.265 It's like, you know, hey, there's not enough tension on 1:52:23.305 --> 1:52:25.785 the Cowboys and they're taking the national TV games away 1:52:25.785 --> 1:52:27.705 from us because their team is no good. So I 1:52:28.065 --> 1:52:29.745 want to be I want the spotlight back on me. 1:52:29.825 --> 1:52:32.665 I want the spotlight back of the Cowboys. I'm gonna 1:52:32.705 --> 1:52:35.225 make this splashy higher. I could definitely see that scenario. 1:52:35.425 --> 1:52:38.865 Well, Looten, we you know there was an everyday thing 1:52:39.065 --> 1:52:41.905 with the contracts for Ceedee Lamb at desk Dak Prescott. 1:52:42.385 --> 1:52:44.385 When did he wind up agreeing to them? Like on 1:52:44.505 --> 1:52:45.945 the eve of the start of the season. 1:52:47.905 --> 1:52:48.705 Yeah this year? 1:52:48.985 --> 1:52:52.305 Yeah, okay, I mean if that wasn't stealing the spot 1:52:52.465 --> 1:52:53.265 like nothing was. 1:52:53.425 --> 1:52:54.065 Yeah, that's true. 1:52:54.185 --> 1:52:59.585 So I unfortunately think he thinks that way sometimes. Okay, 1:52:59.665 --> 1:53:02.225 I give credit with credits due. He's been great for 1:53:02.305 --> 1:53:05.545 the league. He's owner of the team. They won three 1:53:05.585 --> 1:53:08.505 Super Bowls in four years, largely because of Jimmy Johnson's 1:53:08.625 --> 1:53:12.745 ability to draft players and so on. But you know, 1:53:12.905 --> 1:53:17.065 he's looking like a he's looking like a more pleasant 1:53:17.145 --> 1:53:19.825 version of Al Davis down the stretch. Does that make sense. 1:53:21.265 --> 1:53:22.825 Wow, that's the comparison. 1:53:23.185 --> 1:53:26.545 Well, I mean, listen, the Raiders, God rest his soul 1:53:26.585 --> 1:53:28.265 and so on. I actually got a chance to meet 1:53:28.465 --> 1:53:31.705 Al Davis years in the years ago and can't Ohia, 1:53:31.825 --> 1:53:35.905 So I'm I'm just he was a very pleasant man. Yeah, 1:53:36.865 --> 1:53:39.825 there were there were a lot of headlines made after 1:53:39.905 --> 1:53:41.705 he left. And the Raiders have really I mean, the 1:53:41.825 --> 1:53:44.345 Raiders have won a super Bowl in forty something year, right, right, right, 1:53:44.905 --> 1:53:47.905 they won a playoff game in twenty two years Okay, 1:53:49.185 --> 1:53:51.345 And there was there was an air I think of 1:53:51.505 --> 1:53:56.905 like bitterness and spontaneous moves and constant coaching changes and 1:53:56.985 --> 1:53:59.465 so on, and that was a thing He's usually known 1:53:59.545 --> 1:54:02.345 for its stability, you know, and winning games and so on. 1:54:02.625 --> 1:54:06.425 So you understand why I'm making why I'm making that comparison. 1:54:07.025 --> 1:54:09.185 When when things start to get away from you and 1:54:09.305 --> 1:54:12.385 so on, you you do things you you wouldn't have 1:54:12.665 --> 1:54:17.145 traditionally done. And I'm wondering where Jerry's headed here and 1:54:17.265 --> 1:54:20.025 so on, because this is this has been a disastrous season. 1:54:21.265 --> 1:54:24.385 You know, A lot has been said about them winning 1:54:24.545 --> 1:54:26.425 going twelve and five for years in a row. Well 1:54:26.465 --> 1:54:27.665 they can't even do that this year. 1:54:27.825 --> 1:54:31.025 No, they can't. That's true. Hey, before I let it go, 1:54:31.225 --> 1:54:32.745 because I want to touch on a couple of games 1:54:32.785 --> 1:54:35.705 in the crowded AFC, the jumbled uh you know mix 1:54:35.785 --> 1:54:37.785 here that we talked about in a second. But I'd 1:54:37.785 --> 1:54:39.585 be remiss if I didn't get your thoughts on John 1:54:39.625 --> 1:54:42.185 Robinson passing away this week. You know, I know that 1:54:42.265 --> 1:54:44.665 he was certainly noted, uh you know for his time 1:54:44.705 --> 1:54:46.905 as coach of the Rams, uh, but also in the 1:54:46.945 --> 1:54:50.065 collegiate ranks as well. And here's a football coach that 1:54:50.145 --> 1:54:52.785 I think that a lot of people will remember as 1:54:52.865 --> 1:54:57.025 a perhaps nothing more than just a damn good football coach. 1:54:58.185 --> 1:55:01.585 And and from what I could surmise, a very decent man. 1:55:02.105 --> 1:55:05.745 Yeah as well. Yeah, and uh, you know, when you 1:55:06.225 --> 1:55:09.345 when you're able to succeed at the level he was 1:55:09.385 --> 1:55:12.505 able to and on both college and mL and I 1:55:12.625 --> 1:55:15.945 know they never won a Super Bowl when he was 1:55:15.985 --> 1:55:18.905 at the Rams and saw but I mean he had 1:55:18.945 --> 1:55:25.025 a philosophy, you know, he was just a good football 1:55:25.265 --> 1:55:28.905 man and so on and just uh, you know, I 1:55:29.025 --> 1:55:31.425 was I was sad hear that because he was one 1:55:31.425 --> 1:55:35.345 of those figures of the of the of the eighties yep, 1:55:35.545 --> 1:55:37.585 in the league and so was. And again you know 1:55:37.865 --> 1:55:41.025 his his work at USD. I mean, you know, you 1:55:41.105 --> 1:55:44.025 know when you it, correct me if i'm along, didn't 1:55:44.065 --> 1:55:48.225 he didn't He followed John McKay. 1:55:49.065 --> 1:55:51.345 I believe he did. Yeah, I believe he was the 1:55:51.425 --> 1:55:52.985 coach after John McKay. Yeah, I believe. 1:55:53.025 --> 1:55:55.545 So yeah, so go ahead and fill those footsteps. 1:55:55.625 --> 1:55:57.505 Yeah yeah, right, yeah, okay yeah. 1:55:57.745 --> 1:56:01.905 And and and unlike you know, so again great players 1:56:01.945 --> 1:56:07.065 on both levels, highly respected man from what I've read 1:56:07.145 --> 1:56:10.585 and heard and stuff. Him and John Madden we had 1:56:10.625 --> 1:56:15.545 a very very good relationship. Another obviously iconic figure who 1:56:15.625 --> 1:56:17.505 was in the poul Football Hall of Fame, John Madden, 1:56:17.545 --> 1:56:19.145 who did everything for football. 1:56:20.385 --> 1:56:21.105 Yeah, it was. 1:56:21.705 --> 1:56:25.265 It was a little disconcerting. And and unfortunately, you know, 1:56:25.665 --> 1:56:28.145 you and I climb up the charts and I'm not 1:56:28.305 --> 1:56:33.345 talking about billboard, you know, which. You know, we see 1:56:33.425 --> 1:56:36.865 people who were big part of our lives growing up, 1:56:38.025 --> 1:56:41.665 in this profession and in this game we love leave us. 1:56:41.905 --> 1:56:44.705 Yeah, and he's certainly one of them. All right. So 1:56:44.905 --> 1:56:48.905 I've got basically here Russell a final four in the AFC. 1:56:49.625 --> 1:56:53.225 Oh tell me, tell me I'm wrong. When you have 1:56:53.305 --> 1:56:55.505 the Ravens playing at the Steelers and you have the 1:56:55.625 --> 1:56:58.945 Chiefs playing at the Bills this weekend. Is that the 1:56:59.065 --> 1:57:02.145 AFC Final four? And who are the best teams and 1:57:02.225 --> 1:57:04.905 which teams are setting themselves up for you know, success 1:57:04.985 --> 1:57:05.905 of the stretch run here? 1:57:06.665 --> 1:57:10.505 Well, I think at the moment it's the four teams 1:57:10.545 --> 1:57:13.825 that are playing best in the conference. I don't even 1:57:13.865 --> 1:57:15.865 know if you can question that. And the only other 1:57:15.945 --> 1:57:19.705 two teams in the conference that have winning records are 1:57:19.745 --> 1:57:22.545 the Chargers in the Texas, right, And that's not a 1:57:22.625 --> 1:57:25.065 knock on the Chargers. These defense has done a complete 1:57:25.145 --> 1:57:27.785 one eighth, giving up the fewest points in the league, 1:57:28.505 --> 1:57:30.625 the Texans, the Laws three out of four. They're reeling 1:57:30.705 --> 1:57:33.625 a little bit, but Pittsburgh's kind of had an offensive 1:57:33.665 --> 1:57:39.785 resurgence with Russell Wilson. Baltimore, you know, different from the 1:57:39.865 --> 1:57:42.945 Baltimore teams we've seen in the past. This time they 1:57:43.105 --> 1:57:46.625 need all those points to win these games. They I know, 1:57:46.705 --> 1:57:50.305 they've blew Denver out early this year, but forty one 1:57:50.425 --> 1:57:52.945 thirty one over the Bucks, forty one thirty eight over 1:57:52.985 --> 1:57:56.785 the Bengals, and over time thirty five thirty four over 1:57:56.865 --> 1:57:59.945 the Bengals twenty eight to twenty five of the Cowboys, 1:58:00.745 --> 1:58:03.865 they lost twenty seven to twenty six to the Chiefs. 1:58:03.945 --> 1:58:08.985 So I think there's a couple, sure, you know, decent 1:58:09.105 --> 1:58:14.265 bets out there, Decent bets that Lamar Jackson will be 1:58:14.345 --> 1:58:18.665 the league MVP, decent bets that Derrick Henry has a 1:58:18.785 --> 1:58:22.625 great shot at being Offensive Player of the Year, and 1:58:23.225 --> 1:58:25.865 in an incredibly great shot that you can bet the 1:58:25.945 --> 1:58:27.545 over with a Ravens game every week. 1:58:27.705 --> 1:58:30.585 Yeah, right, just about to bounce. 1:58:31.025 --> 1:58:34.545 I have to say something on Baltimore Pittsburgh, and I'm 1:58:34.585 --> 1:58:36.625 going back to two thousand and eight when it was 1:58:36.745 --> 1:58:42.225 first the first Harbaugh Comlin series. Okay, yep. Now they'd 1:58:42.265 --> 1:58:46.785 squared off now thirty five times, including in the playoffs 1:58:46.825 --> 1:58:52.345 three times. Okay. Twenty seven of those thirty five games 1:58:53.305 --> 1:58:57.465 have been decided by seven points or less, and eighteen 1:58:57.545 --> 1:58:59.345 of the twenty seven by three points. 1:58:59.585 --> 1:59:02.465 I love it. I love it. Hey, if the Bills 1:59:03.105 --> 1:59:06.905 hold home field and beat the Chiefs, are the Bills 1:59:07.865 --> 1:59:11.305 legitimate as a contender in the AFC to steal the 1:59:11.385 --> 1:59:12.585 crown away from case. 1:59:14.065 --> 1:59:16.345 Well? They had Casey in their own building last year, 1:59:16.425 --> 1:59:17.785 John and couldn't get it done. 1:59:17.745 --> 1:59:20.305 Right Yep? Okay, That's why I asked the question. 1:59:21.345 --> 1:59:24.145 I think what it would depend on, John if they 1:59:24.345 --> 1:59:28.265 took if they beat k C and use that as 1:59:28.385 --> 1:59:33.545 momentum to gain a winning streak, because you know, I 1:59:33.625 --> 1:59:38.265 don't even remember who Buffalo plays next week. Okay, okay, 1:59:39.225 --> 1:59:42.505 but or the next game. But if they beat KC 1:59:42.705 --> 1:59:45.825 at home and then lose, that kind of goes out 1:59:45.865 --> 1:59:50.385 the window. Okay. Now, last year, remember they were six 1:59:50.465 --> 1:59:52.225 and six at one time in the season and won 1:59:52.265 --> 1:59:55.745 their last five games, and then the Pittsburgh in the playoffs, 1:59:55.825 --> 1:59:59.905 and again they hosted the Chiefs and couldn't get the 1:59:59.985 --> 2:00:03.465 job done. In fact, I think Mahomes, since Mahomes got there, 2:00:04.025 --> 2:00:06.705 this will be like the eighth meeting between these teams 2:00:07.825 --> 2:00:10.745 in five seasons because they played in the playoffs and 2:00:10.865 --> 2:00:13.465 the Bills have won at Kansas City in the regular season, 2:00:14.225 --> 2:00:18.625 but Mahomes and Andy Reid are two and zero at Buffalo, 2:00:19.265 --> 2:00:21.905 and I think they won every postseason game, which I 2:00:21.945 --> 2:00:23.505 think is three of them as a matter of fact. 2:00:23.585 --> 2:00:28.865 So I think people would get very excited, and I 2:00:28.945 --> 2:00:31.705 think Kansas City is certain right for the taking. Yeah, 2:00:32.385 --> 2:00:34.625 you know this nail whitter thing they've got going on, 2:00:34.905 --> 2:00:38.225 and I listen, we see the Patriots were great at 2:00:38.265 --> 2:00:43.585 this okay, doing just enough to win. Okay, I mean listen, 2:00:44.065 --> 2:00:45.585 you hit the ball in the woods and hits the 2:00:45.665 --> 2:00:47.945 tree and it rolls onto the green. It's still a one, right, 2:00:49.785 --> 2:00:54.425 like most of my shots are, so nobody cares. 2:00:54.745 --> 2:00:57.505 Yeah, Okay, don't matter how it gets there, just get. 2:00:57.385 --> 2:01:00.785 There, Just just get there. I think it's doesn't depend 2:01:00.865 --> 2:01:03.865 on how they perform. I know Buffalo is a little 2:01:04.105 --> 2:01:07.185 undermanned wide receiver this week. I think Keon Puleman's out 2:01:07.665 --> 2:01:11.505 and Marii Cooper's a little banged up. But this as 2:01:11.585 --> 2:01:13.425 good as the Chiefs deef, I will say, as good 2:01:13.465 --> 2:01:17.465 as Chiefs defensive, and last year I think it was better. 2:01:17.545 --> 2:01:19.665 I don't think it's as good as it was. You know, 2:01:19.825 --> 2:01:23.345 Tampa Bay moved the ball when they had to against 2:01:23.385 --> 2:01:27.265 them h in that Monday night game. And Denver certainly 2:01:27.305 --> 2:01:29.905 didn't have any problems last week until it came to 2:01:30.665 --> 2:01:34.785 the field goal. You know, both Nick's really late. I 2:01:34.825 --> 2:01:36.905 mean we've seen the last couple of weeks. Even though 2:01:36.985 --> 2:01:40.785 Kansas City has won the game, Tampa Bay was able 2:01:40.865 --> 2:01:43.465 to drive the field and tie it to spend it overtime. 2:01:44.065 --> 2:01:46.025 Denver was able to drive it instead up a game 2:01:46.065 --> 2:01:50.265 winning field goal right now, Kansas City survived, okay, but 2:01:50.425 --> 2:01:53.505 that doesn't mean the defense is necessarily playing as well 2:01:53.545 --> 2:01:54.545 as it did a year ago. 2:01:55.905 --> 2:01:58.505 Good, good stuff as usual, my friend. Thank you very 2:01:58.585 --> 2:02:00.705 much for the time today. It's always appreciated. 2:02:01.585 --> 2:02:03.945 Oh my pleasure. And let me tell you something. 2:02:03.985 --> 2:02:05.145 This is to me. 2:02:05.265 --> 2:02:09.265 This is the first really big week of the season. 2:02:09.505 --> 2:02:11.385 And that's not the that's the first ten because I 2:02:11.465 --> 2:02:15.145 love them all. But when you have the three matchups 2:02:15.225 --> 2:02:18.665 that we have on Thursday and then the two to 2:02:18.705 --> 2:02:23.425 one Sunday, yep, all right, I listen. If I would 2:02:23.505 --> 2:02:25.225 just I would just call grubhub. 2:02:24.985 --> 2:02:29.385 Now, yes, sir, right up my alley. Yep. It's going 2:02:29.425 --> 2:02:31.745 to be some good foot, gonna be some good football. 2:02:32.145 --> 2:02:35.585 Thank you, Russell, talk soon, you got it. The one 2:02:35.625 --> 2:02:40.225 and only at Backs Football Guru on X. Bridgestone is 2:02:40.265 --> 2:02:42.305 the official tire of the New England Patriots, Proud to 2:02:42.345 --> 2:02:46.745 partner with Sullivan Tire, New England's headquarters for quality Bridgestone tires. 2:02:47.105 --> 2:02:49.705 Visit Sullivantyre dot com to find a location near you, 2:02:50.185 --> 2:02:52.705 and of course our programming here brought to you by 2:02:52.745 --> 2:02:55.945 bud Light. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy bud Light, 2:02:56.065 --> 2:02:59.345 the official beer sponsor of the New England Patriots. By 2:02:59.385 --> 2:03:02.105 the way, the bills next week are off, then they 2:03:02.145 --> 2:03:05.425 will play the forty nine Ers and the Rams. Patriots 2:03:05.425 --> 2:03:07.425 don't get him until December the twenty second, as you 2:03:07.505 --> 2:03:09.585 well know, so they got a ways to go before 2:03:09.665 --> 2:03:11.625 New England will see them. A lot of stuff can 2:03:11.705 --> 2:03:13.865 happen between now and then, as we know. Thanks to 2:03:13.945 --> 2:03:16.785 Russell Baxter, Thanks to Evan Lazarre. Thanks to Greg Beacham 2:03:16.825 --> 2:03:19.385 from the Associated Press covering the Los Angeles Rams for 2:03:19.465 --> 2:03:22.185 joining us here on the program. Patriots and Rams one 2:03:22.225 --> 2:03:25.505 o'clock kickoff again right here at Jillette Stadium on Sunday. 2:03:26.065 --> 2:03:29.225 We will recap it and look forward again, same patch time, 2:03:29.345 --> 2:03:33.545 same patch next Wednesday, right here in the Patriots playbook. 2:03:33.705 --> 2:03:36.025 Thanks to the Marine. Thank you for your service one man. 2:03:37.065 --> 2:03:41.625 Appreciate you until next time see it. Thank you for 2:03:41.745 --> 2:03:42.945 downloading this podcast. 2:03:43.225 --> 2:03:46.465 Subscribe on Apple, Google Play, and everywhere else you listen. 2:03:46.905 --> 2:03:50.065 Like the show, Please rate and review us. 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