WEBVTT - Drive Time: AFC East Preview with Evan Lazar 0:00:01.639 --> 0:00:04.720 You're listening to the Miami Dolphins podcast Network. 0:00:05.120 --> 0:00:08.280 This is Drive Time with Travis Wingfield. Back to throw 0:00:08.360 --> 0:00:10.560 to a looking whips about. 0:00:10.280 --> 0:00:17.320 A wide Dolphin touchdown, Tyriquel uncrelievable, just blue fire for 0:00:17.360 --> 0:00:18.240 a second time. 0:00:18.520 --> 0:00:20.320 Don knew where he was going right away. 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:21.880 I want to hit that man. 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:23.080 I'm gonna help you. 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:26.239 Someone will keep on his man away Wattle Wadle to 0:00:26.400 --> 0:00:28.760 a shotgun, back to throw, looking at them. 0:00:28.840 --> 0:00:34.839 Up Myers touchdown. It's Waddle his sixth touchdown, Parados the King. 0:00:35.960 --> 0:00:39.000 Drive Time with Travis Wingfield begins. 0:00:39.560 --> 0:00:41.320 Now, let me check your pulse if you're not. 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:45.159 What is up? Dolphins? 0:00:45.240 --> 0:00:48.239 And welcome to the Draft Time Podcast, part of the 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:53.199 Miami Dolphins podcast Network, covering your team, your Miami Dolphins. 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:54.440 How's it going everybody? 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:55.080 I am your. 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:58.800 Host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's episode, our penultimate divisional 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:03.280 preview episode takes us inside our own division, the AFC East. 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:05.880 Evan Lazar from Patriots dot Com will join us. 0:01:06.120 --> 0:01:06.520 That's it. 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:09.600 It's gonna be all Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Patriots right here 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:13.000 from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:16.640 This is the Draft Time Podcast. 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:20.679 Maggie, Jeff, let's go ahead and jump right into my 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:23.600 interview with Patriots dot COM's Evan Lazar. 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.160 And joining us today for the AFC East. 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:29.600 Preview for the twenty twenty three season is a man 0:01:29.600 --> 0:01:31.760 from Patriots dot Com, the host of the Catch twenty 0:01:31.760 --> 0:01:34.520 two podcasts there for the Patriots podcast Network. 0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:36.240 Evan Lazar. Evan, how you been man? It's been a 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:37.840 long time since we've talked. 0:01:38.200 --> 0:01:39.880 I know, it's been a long time since we've done 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:42.200 a show together. Saw each other at the Combine, which 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:46.199 is always fun to see everybody that you know mostly 0:01:46.240 --> 0:01:48.960 from social media, but they get to meet them in person. 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:51.600 So that was that was cool, and uh yeah, it's 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:53.840 I'm glad to be back and doing something with you. 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:56.000 Were you down here for Week one last year? You 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:56.520 had to have been. 0:01:56.840 --> 0:02:01.680 I wasn't, actually because I caught COVID in our trip 0:02:01.720 --> 0:02:05.280 to Vegas for the final preseason games. As the one 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:09.200 road game I didn't travel to last year was Miami, 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:12.160 but knock on wood all, I'll be back there this year. 0:02:12.200 --> 0:02:17.079 But I still can't get every road game. That last year. 0:02:17.120 --> 0:02:18.560 I was like, this is it. I'm going to be 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:22.240 every single game, and then it turned out that I 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:25.200 missed that one, But I always loved coming down to Miami. 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:28.560 I've been down there before for past Patriots games. I 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:31.800 was at the Miami Miracle. Unfortunately, I was at a 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:35.359 few other Patriots Dolphins games, so it's always a good 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:35.840 place to be. 0:02:36.400 --> 0:02:40.040 I sit on the furthest section over closest to the visitors, 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:42.800 like reporters, and I remember I didn't come say hi 0:02:42.840 --> 0:02:44.200 to you. It's like I wouldn't do that if if 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:46.040 I had seen you, So I was wondering if you 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:47.880 were there or not. But this year, we'll definitely get 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:50.639 a look and it'll be maybe good weather, at least 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:52.880 better than the season opener last year, and in early 0:02:52.919 --> 0:02:54.919 September one, it was just hot as hell out there. 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:58.200 But the game will be Sunday, October twenty ninth here 0:02:58.280 --> 0:03:01.200 week number eight, one o'clock kickoff. Dolphins face the Patriots 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:03.880 as well week two up in Foxborough for a Sunday 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:06.880 night kickoff on the seventeenth of September. But we're gonna 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:09.840 start here before we get into the games against the Patriots. 0:03:09.880 --> 0:03:12.520 With the thirty thousand foot view of the afast breaking 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:14.440 down this division. You and I both have been covering 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:16.480 this division for a long long time, so I thought 0:03:16.600 --> 0:03:17.960 it'd be fun to talk about it with you here 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:20.400 on the podcast. A lot's gone on here, man, This 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:23.600 division has gone from one team that dominated for twenty 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:25.760 years to all of a sudden, really a bunch of 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:27.919 teams that feel really good about where they are heading 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:29.840 into the new campaign. Kind of just talk about this 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:32.400 division as a whole and how the offseason's gone so 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:33.480 far in the AFC East. 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:37.120 Well, ultimately, I still think we're all chasing Buffalo, and 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:40.920 until Buffalo is dethroned as division champs, the Bills should 0:03:40.920 --> 0:03:44.360 probably feel pretty good about repeating as long as they 0:03:44.400 --> 0:03:47.880 have that nucleus together of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs 0:03:48.200 --> 0:03:50.480 on the offensive side of the ball, And even though 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.080 they lost Tremaine Edmonds on defense, I still think the 0:03:53.200 --> 0:03:57.000 general outline of their defense is pretty similar at going 0:03:57.040 --> 0:04:00.880 into this year as well. So for the Patriots against 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:03.040 the Bills, that they have one win in the last 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:05.520 couple of years, which was that Gail Force wins game 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:09.640 Monday night in Buffalo. Other than that, they don't have 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:12.680 a win against Buffalo since I think nineteen when Brady 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:16.480 was here, So last so I always look up at Buffalo, 0:04:16.760 --> 0:04:19.440 but I think what's fun or interesting about this division? 0:04:19.480 --> 0:04:21.400 And maybe the Patriots, and we'll get to them. I know, 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:23.960 individually in a second, have gone about it a little 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:27.560 bit differently than the Jets and the Dolphins have. But 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:30.440 it really feels like the AFC East has turned into 0:04:30.440 --> 0:04:33.680 an arms race where everybody is just trying to load 0:04:33.800 --> 0:04:36.479 up as much as they can offensively to try to 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:38.880 compete with Buffalo. And you look at what the Jets 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:41.919 have done with Aaron Rodgers. Obviously, Miami's done with the 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:45.840 receivers that they've added around to and hiring Mike McDaniel 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:49.640 to bring an offensive flavor to the Dolphins organization. So 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:52.200 they're going to score some points in the AFC East. 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:54.800 And I know defensively these teams are pretty good too, 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:57.599 but I still think that the quarterbacks and the offense 0:04:57.720 --> 0:04:59.800 is going to be what ultimately decides the division. 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:01.560 You mentioned the Gail Force wins. 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:03.640 I'm so glad Buffalo didn't put a dome or I 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:07.279 guess propose a dome stadium up there in western New York, because, 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:09.000 like the weather in this division to meet is one 0:05:09.000 --> 0:05:10.599 of the more fascinating things you Hays get the wind 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:12.719 up in the meadow lands, you get the heat down 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:16.560 here obviously, you get crazy lake effects snow in Buffalo, 0:05:16.600 --> 0:05:18.159 and then of course in Foxborough you never know what 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:21.000 you're gonna get with those weather winter temperatures up there 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:21.400 as well. 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:23.480 So it's one of the most fun divisions. 0:05:23.480 --> 0:05:26.000 Not saying that just because I'm so innundated by this 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.719 AFC East Division, but man, the off season of just 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:31.320 crazy acquisitions, a big time quarterback coming over. 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:32.320 I agree with you. 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:34.480 You know, last year going into that Week three game 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:38.000 against Buffalo are kind of mantras as Dolphins fans, was like, 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:40.000 we got to beat him first before we can start 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:41.920 talking about how we might have a chance to you know, 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:43.800 surpass him in the standings. And that has to be 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:45.320 the case, you know, going into this year, just like 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:47.640 it was for the Patriots for so many years there. 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:48.600 But you mentioned Buffalo. 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:50.600 We kick it off with the Buffalo Bills and talk 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.480 about their off season here because you know, a change 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:55.880 of defensive cordion they're gonna have Sean McDermott calling plays 0:05:55.880 --> 0:05:59.160 this year. You mentioned, you know, the replacing Tremaine Edmonds 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:00.960 the middle of that defense. Let's go ahead and start 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:03.240 there on defense for Buffalo because last year a little 0:06:03.240 --> 0:06:04.960 bit up and down performance, there's lots of injuries on 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:05.479 that side. 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:05.680 Of the ball. 0:06:05.839 --> 0:06:07.760 How do you see them coming back this year, especially 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:09.600 with a new play caller who is their head coach 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:10.159 on defense. 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:14.400 Yeah, I think that's a really interesting way to go 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:17.360 about things for the Bills. And I understand that they 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:21.240 probably feel pretty good about Dorsey on the offensive side 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:23.520 of the ball, and Josh Allen maybe even calling his 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:26.000 own game to a degree at this point in his career. 0:06:26.520 --> 0:06:31.360 But I'm never I always have reservations about head coaches 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:34.240 taking over play calling that haven't done it in a while, 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:36.560 or that's not really the way that they want to 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:39.520 go about things. It's almost like McDermott has to take 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:42.000 it over just out of necessity because they don't really 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:45.560 have anybody to step in to that role for Leslie Frazier. 0:06:45.720 --> 0:06:47.839 So I look at the Patriots and how they've done 0:06:47.880 --> 0:06:51.760 things too. Bill Belichick has never really been a play 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:54.320 caller as the head coach of the Patriots. He's been 0:06:54.360 --> 0:06:57.240 more of that CEO type on the sideline that's just 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:01.560 quality control and overseeing the entire operation, and he allows 0:07:02.080 --> 0:07:04.880 right now. Obviously Bill O'Brien coming back to call plays 0:07:04.920 --> 0:07:09.200 offensively and Steve Belichick doing the play calling defensively. So 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:11.280 it's gonna be interesting to see how it works out 0:07:11.400 --> 0:07:13.240 for Buffalo. And I think the other thing that you're 0:07:13.280 --> 0:07:17.320 sort of waiting for this with this defense is those 0:07:17.400 --> 0:07:20.600 younger pass rushers, you know, guys like Greg Russo for instance. 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:23.040 Are those guys and Head Oliver who just got that 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:26.920 massive extension, are they gonna step up and really be 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:30.880 a force up front alongside von Miller? Which when does 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:33.560 he come back? Is he gonna come back full strength 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.400 and be the same guy he was before the injury, 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:39.040 I think is another big question. We know about their secondary. 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:42.080 They're really well coached back there. They have a good system, 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:45.520 They've been good in the past defense in the secondary 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:48.320 for a long time. But I feel like Buffalo is 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:52.880 still waiting for really Russo and Ed Oliver to truly 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:55.720 come into their own and start to take over games. 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.400 Yeah, the von Miller thing is really intriguing because I 0:07:58.400 --> 0:07:59.760 think if you add him to the mix and you 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:01.960 get von Miller, all of a sudden, you have a 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:04.920 front that is just going to put relentless pressure on quarterbacks. 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.440 I love the addition of Leonard Floyd and Puna Ford 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:09.680 in that defensive line to make a strength even stronger 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:10.080 this year. 0:08:10.240 --> 0:08:12.120 And you mentioned the secondary, Like you know. 0:08:12.080 --> 0:08:14.840 We always look at the acquisitions teams making the offseason, 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:17.160 but sometimes it's just your incumbents or guys that you 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:19.640 get back. They didn't have Micah Hyde and Jordan Ployer 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:21.360 for most of the year last year. Then you add 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.120 Taylor Rapp and Cameron Danzler, you know, to Ron Johnson's 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:25.520 back there, and he's one of the best nickels in 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:28.000 the entire game. So I think that's a really intriguing part. 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:30.280 They're on the defense. And you mentioned, you know, in 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:33.120 the thirty thousand foot view portion, how the other teams 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:34.720 in the arms race kind of trying to catch up 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:37.960 to the Bills offensively in this division. I'm looking at 0:08:37.960 --> 0:08:40.400 Buffalo and they did rework the offensive line, but for 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:42.720 the most part, didn't really do a whole lot to 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:45.040 add to their offense. I'm curious how you think the 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:47.400 impact of a couple of guys will will help that offense, 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:48.680 because they really made two moves. 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:49.559 Damien Harris. 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:52.079 Harris, who I love and you know very well and 0:08:52.679 --> 0:08:55.360 Dalton Kin kid the rookie tight end. Curious how you 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:57.040 think those two guys impact this offense? 0:08:57.360 --> 0:08:59.560 Well, I feel like, and then with all this stuff 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:02.200 that's come out about Stefan Diggs, and it seems like 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:05.280 his unhappiness was about how they tried to be a 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:08.240 little bit more traditional offensively in the second half of 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:10.360 the year to take some of the pressure off of 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:12.560 Josh Allen. And that's what I felt like the Damien 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:15.720 Harris signing was for, was to give them a true 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:18.960 between the tackles early down back. I mean, we know 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:21.880 Harris really well up here, and he's a power back. 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:24.760 He's somebody that's gonna be able to tote the rock 0:09:25.120 --> 0:09:28.560 if he's healthy one hundred and fifty two hundred times 0:09:28.559 --> 0:09:31.600 on the ground. But is that really how Buffalo wants 0:09:31.640 --> 0:09:33.920 to play. It doesn't seem like that's what Diggs wants 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:36.240 to do, right. They want to air it out and 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:39.000 throw it and be one of those teams that we 0:09:39.040 --> 0:09:43.520 see every single year, you know, passing over expected. Buffalo 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:46.320 and Kansas City are always like all the way over 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:48.480 here and everybody else is like sort of middle of 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:51.760 the pack. So is that going to continue for the 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:54.360 Bills now that they have a guy like Damien Harris, 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:56.480 I thought maybe not, and then they go ahead and 0:09:56.520 --> 0:09:59.920 they draft Dalton Kincaid, who's basically just a big wide receivers. 0:10:00.080 --> 0:10:02.800 So it is kind of mixed signals I think from 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:05.800 Buffalo where they're headed, and they obviously want to keep 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:09.079 their star wide receiver happy. So I still lean towards 0:10:09.160 --> 0:10:12.280 the Bills being a heavy pass team and really putting 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:14.760 most of it on Josh Allen in that passing game. 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:17.320 But I think what they need to do offensively, and 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:19.120 this is where some of the running stuff I think 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:21.640 was supposed to come in, is they need to be 0:10:21.679 --> 0:10:26.160 more consistent and not as volatile where they could hang 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:28.120 fifty on you. But they can also have a game 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:30.280 like they did against the Bengals and the playoffs. And 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:33.120 when you heavy, is the head that wears the crown 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:35.880 right like Buffalo. I say this all the time to 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.000 Bill's Mafia when they have me on their shows. We 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:41.720 knew it all well and good in New England that 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:44.920 you got to target on your back and the expectation 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:47.920 is super Bowl or bust. And when you're the Bills, 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:50.320 the pressure is starting to mount a little bit to 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:54.120 get that first Super Bowl championship and maybe that breaks 0:10:54.120 --> 0:10:56.000 the damn right they get one and all of a 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:59.080 sudden they're a team that wins a couple in a 0:10:59.160 --> 0:11:01.840 few years. But until they get that first one, the 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:04.080 pressure is going to continue to mount and mount and 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:04.960 mount in Buffalo. 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:07.559 That's literally the last bullet point I had to ask 0:11:07.600 --> 0:11:09.840 about was the pressure that they might be facing this year, 0:11:09.880 --> 0:11:12.000 because again, like you said, I listen to all kinds 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:13.760 of different podcasts around the NFL, and that's one of 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:15.440 the things I hear about is this has to be 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:16.280 the year for Buffalo. 0:11:16.320 --> 0:11:17.839 It's like it does it? I don't know, I mean, 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:18.520 maybe maybe not. 0:11:19.280 --> 0:11:21.240 And you know you mentioned some of the additions on 0:11:21.280 --> 0:11:22.800 the offensive line there. I thought they did a great 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:25.840 job of going and getting Brandon Shall of Cyrus Torrance 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:28.240 and who was the other one up here, Connor McGovern 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:30.720 this offseason, So maybe there is a little more thought 0:11:30.760 --> 0:11:33.120 there towards the running game. But like you mentioned, I 0:11:33.120 --> 0:11:35.640 think that the best example of the passing game and 0:11:35.679 --> 0:11:37.840 being reliant on that and the pressure they felt was 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:40.319 like you talked about in the playoffs, because before the 0:11:40.320 --> 0:11:43.440 Bengals game against Miami, Alan average like it was something 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:46.480 like fourteen are yards per throw in that game against Miami, 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:48.000 and he turned the ball over a lot in that game, 0:11:48.040 --> 0:11:50.160 and it kept Miami in the game till the very 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:52.400 end there, you know, with a rookie quarterback under center 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.520 for them. So I'm curious how, like, I don't know 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:58.040 how you could possibly answlis Evan. I'm gonna ask anyways, 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:00.720 because we don't know the psyche of the professional athlete. 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:03.320 But I'm thinking about your time covering the Patriots because 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:05.959 when the first they had that first like dynasty, right, 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:08.800 they just won right away and they kept winning after that, 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:10.400 So there wasn't like this pressure to go get a 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.200 championship at that time. But I think the second part 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:16.800 of Brady's career, when the championships weren't coming and they 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:18.800 had lost a couple of Super Bowls, did they kind 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:20.400 of feel that sense of pressure? How do you think 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:22.520 that team can kind of compare to this Buffalo team 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:23.800 in terms of we got to go find a way 0:12:23.800 --> 0:12:25.320 to win a ring because right now we have this 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:27.439 all time great quarterback, we have to pay it off 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:28.200 with a championship. 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:32.080 Yeah, I look at let's face it, and now in hindsight, 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:34.160 we don't have to worry about this in New England. 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:38.280 But if the Patriots dynasty quote unquote had just started 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.600 at two thousand and five and they never had dynasty 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:44.200 two point zero in the twenty tens, then you're gonna 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:46.640 look back and say they only won three times with 0:12:46.720 --> 0:12:49.280 Tom Brady, Like that's kind of a failure, you know, 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:52.439 similar to how like Brett fav won once in Green 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:54.559 Bay in the beginning of his career and never won again, 0:12:54.600 --> 0:12:57.440 and Aaron Rodgers won once and never won again. Like 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:00.320 that's sort of what the narratives might have been in 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:02.720 Tom Brady's career. And I think it's one hundred percent 0:13:02.800 --> 0:13:06.520 true that in those early twenty tens, like when they 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:09.360 reset after the Moss years, like you know, nine to 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:12.559 twenty ten around there, they had some really bad defenses 0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:16.000 and there was a lot of pressure to win another one. 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:19.000 They went a decade as much success as they had, 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:20.880 and they made two Super Bowls and they won a 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:23.840 ton of games. The Patriots about a decade in between 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.560 Super Bowls from two thousand and four to twenty fourteen, 0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:28.480 so there was a little bit of a drought in 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:32.280 terms of championships. And I think that Buffalo is in 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:36.920 a similar spot where they have to maximize this Allan 0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:41.000 Digs window and at some point they'll probably turn it 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.719 over to a next regime around Allen because Diggs is 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:47.319 going to age out and Alan isn't. But will they 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:50.000 be able to replenish the arsenal at that point and 0:13:50.040 --> 0:13:52.920 will they be able to find another Stefan Diggs to 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:56.400 pair with a thirty to thirty five year old Josh Allen, 0:13:56.520 --> 0:13:59.920 let's say, And that's really what they're up against right now, 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:04.280 is making sure that the roster around Allen doesn't h 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:06.520 and it doesn't wilt around him to the point where 0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:08.760 then they have to reset. So I think there's a 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:11.760 ton of pressure on Sean McDermott and Buffalo, and I 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:14.840 think you have to start really considering the fact that 0:14:14.840 --> 0:14:16.960 if they don't get over the hump and they don't 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:19.800 at least make the super Bowl here soon, how much 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:22.920 longer is Sean McDermott gonna have until they look at 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:25.960 it and say, well, he got us to this point, 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.320 but is he really the coach that's gonna win a 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:31.080 title for us? And I kind of go always go 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.760 back and cross sports, you know, like with the Warriors 0:14:33.840 --> 0:14:36.840 right with Mark Jackson, and then the finally they bring 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:38.800 in Steve Kerr and he's the one that gets them 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:41.720 the championship. And maybe that's a similar thing with Sean 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:45.640 McDermott and the Bills. We'll see. But ultimately I really 0:14:45.680 --> 0:14:48.400 find it interesting to see where this offense is headed 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:50.960 and what they do because the two things that have 0:14:51.040 --> 0:14:53.480 really stood out to me about Buffalo, and this is 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:56.680 sort of their bottom line, is that Josh Allen can 0:14:57.040 --> 0:14:59.280 easily win the game for you as easily as he 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:02.400 can throw it away for you. And the interceptions and 0:15:02.440 --> 0:15:05.480 the high volatility for their offense, especially like in the 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:08.240 red zone and things like that and short yardage has 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:11.840 been a big problem for them in these close games 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:16.000 against playoff teams in the playoffs like last year. And secondly, 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:19.760 they're running game without Allen being a factor. Just their 0:15:19.800 --> 0:15:22.920 traditional turn it, you know, turnaround and hand the ball 0:15:23.000 --> 0:15:26.640 to the running back style running game has been bad 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:29.080 the last couple of years. It just has been bad. 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:32.640 So are they going to go all in on Allen 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:35.240 being Cam Newton two point zero and just let them 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:37.800 keep running all over the place, or are they going 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:41.040 to try to shift and then talking about the longevity 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:43.320 of Josh Allen, right, like how much do you really 0:15:43.320 --> 0:15:46.320 want to put on his plate? So I think that offensively, 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:50.960 they're at sort of a schematic crossroads of what's really 0:15:51.000 --> 0:15:53.400 best for the long term and maybe what's best for 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:56.440 going all in on the short term to win the championship. 0:15:57.640 --> 0:15:58.440 Really well said. 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:00.600 My first thought was, man, what a tough industry that 0:16:00.680 --> 0:16:02.800 you have a coach who, for my money, is one 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:04.840 of the best in the NFL consistently putting his team 0:16:04.880 --> 0:16:06.680 deep into the postseason. But like you said, like you 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:09.320 never know, and that I love the basketball baseball crossovers 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:10.520 here in the podcast to do it all the time. 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:13.480 So that Mark Jackson comment was perfect for the podcast here. 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:15.720 But what a tough industry, man, Like, you're winning all 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:17.560 these games, and you might, you know, you might have 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:19.360 that thought in the future of like can't he get 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:21.280 him over the hump? Like I remember Andy Reid dealt 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:22.960 with that for years and years before he got that 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:25.480 first championship with the Chiefs, and now it's like, looking 0:16:25.480 --> 0:16:27.400 back in hindsight, yeah, he's one of the best coaches 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:28.240 of all time there. 0:16:28.160 --> 0:16:29.480 So very fascinating. 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:31.960 And then the Josh Allen stuff man the way sometimes 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:33.600 when he gets hit Evan, I'm like, there's no way 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:34.320 he's getting up from that. 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:35.720 He bounces right back up. 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.320 He is an absolute tank and I'm curious to see 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:40.240 if they do, you know, continue. 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:41.160 Having him take that kind of punishment. 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:43.280 I think the front office would like to see him 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:45.160 not do as much, but sometimes you can't coach the 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.720 player out of the player sometimes. And you know, speaking 0:16:47.760 --> 0:16:49.600 of injuries, he did take an injury last year that 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:51.680 didn't cost him any time, but I think it did 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:53.480 affect the way he played for a stretch of games 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:55.920 there with that elbow injury. Facing the New York Jets, 0:16:55.920 --> 0:16:57.880 a team that did beat Buffalo once last year and 0:16:57.920 --> 0:17:00.520 competed in the second contest with him. But now the 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:02.560 Jets all of a sudden have their answer at the 0:17:02.560 --> 0:17:05.000 biggest position that was a real weakest for him last 0:17:05.040 --> 0:17:08.120 year at quarterbacks. They pivot here to the Jets real quick. 0:17:08.119 --> 0:17:10.000 The Dolphins wi play the Buffalo Bills Week four in 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:12.960 Buffalo on October the first at one o'clock kickoff, and 0:17:12.960 --> 0:17:15.560 then the season finale Week eighteen down here in Miami 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.480 for possibly a Saturday or a Sunday game against Buffalo 0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:21.000 speaking of the New York Jets, it all starts with 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:23.680 a quarterback, right, Aaron Rodgers. I just want to hear 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:25.879 your opinion here of someone's opinion that I really respect 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:27.639 in terms of the x's and o's and you know, 0:17:27.640 --> 0:17:30.200 scheme fits and all that stuff. What do you make 0:17:30.200 --> 0:17:32.199 of Aaron Rodgers' season last year where it was kind 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:35.000