Patriots Pregame SocialPatriots Pregame Show 12/28: Chargers Preview, Inactives Analysis and Keys to the Game
Patriots Unfiltered the world's original podcast. Patriots Unfiltered brings you inside Jillette Stadium for rousing conversations on everything New England, Patriots, and NFL. Join host Fred Kersh alongside Patriots dot COM's Paul Parillo, Mike Desso, Evan Lazar, Tamara Brown, and Alex Francisco as they bring you in depth coverage of the team.
He's a red shirt rookie at that point, so it's really that's his rookie season essentially too. So now we're really not talking about them, really knowing.
Search for Patriots Unfiltered anywhere you get your podcasts. The Patriots Pregame Show fueled by dunk.
Just throwing touchdown New England.
The Patriots Pregame Show is your source for all the news and information before every game.
He chucked into the House Finery Patriots Tan't Believe with Matt Smith, Mike Ussa, Paul Parillo, and Tamara Brown.
I'm the Patriots have won. There's six Super Bowl.
Time Patriots Nation. Welcome to the Patriots Pregame Show fueled by Duncans.
And Happy Saturday, Everybody, a little Saturday football here at your let's Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts for the Patriots pre game social fueled by Duncan, where the three and twelve New England Patriots will host the nine and six Los Angeles Chargers. Chargers win and they're in, Patriots win and they're spoilers. It's not a great day for football out there. But I'm looking for just a football out there. Paul Prello, Mike, Justus Tamara Brown, Paul, what are you looking for to today? A loaded question on right out of this shoot.
Four o'clock, no more, acculately probably six o'clock. I don't know, just can they can the Patriots sort of get off to another good start like they did last week? You know, you know they played a good half last week. You know, can they stay two good HAPs together?
Is there momentum to be built built off a last too late? Okay?
In my opinion, like anything that happens at this point is kind of yeah, you know whatever, you know, It's just kind of the.
Statement in a second, Tamarrow, what are you looking for to today?
A clean game?
Okay?
I mean we saw them get off to a fast start last week, and you know, turnovers derailed them last week. You can't have three of them against a team like the Buffalo Bills and expect to win. And you're not gonna win until you stop beating yourself. But you have heard that time and time again this season. And I don't want to point just Tormandra Stevenson in this. Drake may has had his spare share of turnovers as well. But this team has to play clean if they want a chance to win, and the.
Elements today certainly do not are not in favor of that. No, for sure.
When I walked in and saw this, whether the first thing I thought about was Ramondre Stevenson because it's.
Like, no, it was it you said I got to stand out on this.
Yes, you're right.
The first thing was I have to stand outside and to report in the rain.
The second was m Stevenson.
Yeah, especially today if they if they don't bet and they started them to give them another opportunity. I feel like the pressure would be even more on you today when the conditions are slippery.
And as my colleague Paul Prole likes to mention and says it, and I don't know that anybody wants to listen to it. Ramandre certainly gets the bulk of the criticism there, but his back up Antonio Gibson put the ball on the carpet last week as well. The difference the Patriots recovered that one. That's the difference. But so ball security is an issue. Michael, what are you looking forward to today in your nice clean sweater vest.
I thank you very much. Yeah, feel nice.
Mark Capello says, I got the stamp.
Of approval this morning.
Thank you.
No one knows who that is, but that's great, very specific for me. I want to see Drake May light it up, and I want to see him not turn the ball over. I want to see a little Katon Wallace at right tackle. Probably love to see a little Cold Strange at center. Maybe maybe might be able to see to Smith. We'll see how that goes, but I'd like to see. I'd like to see a little bit of a shootout today.
I'd like to see.
That's for both these last games. You know, I look worth this point now and we're not talking about tank anymore. I'm just thinking about draft position. Chargers have something to play for today, so it's gonna be competitive. I think the way they come out and play, I don't really care about what the defense does, you know, to be honest, because I think that ship is sailed. I don't you know when you get to week seventeen and you're still talking about run fits and tackling, that the ship has sailed for the defense. So I don't need all of a sudden, Hey, the defense played great today in week seventeen out of nowhere and we won, and now we're picking eighth.
Ironically, I think they did play great last week.
They had a good game plan, and they did play competitive, you know, and I'd be okay with that. But look, I think just bottom line for me, I want to see Drake May put some points up. I just let's get him a game where he doesn't throw a pick like you know, it doesn't fumble the ball, no turnovers for Drake May today everybody else, it is what it is. But that's this is the team. I want to see Drake May show a little this Justin Herbert action, go back and forth, maybe a little bit with Justin Herbert. As you guys mentioned, the weather's a factor, so that that might you know, it might not be quite an offensive onslot, given how these teams are constructed anyway, But I just want to see Drake move the ball put some points up.
You guys usually know the answers to these questions more than I do. But I isn't the rain supposed to be done soon? I think it's off and not like not even during the game. It won't be raining anymore so, and it's unseasonably warm.
Yeah, compared to last week when it was thirteen.
I'm not even gonna get one of the things I wanted to sort of check off my list, and cold another bad weather game like it looks it looks like it's gonna be okay at game time, mid forties and no rain. I just I would just December.
The only thing for me is that it's definitely not mild for the charges probably so for them it's probably a little bit of you know, a little bit of challenge.
Big market tees. Tamara Brown will have our full weather recap coming up in about forty five minutes or so.
Are you bringing one of those big thermometers out with you?
I am not, but I love I love.
Big umbrella.
So Mike, you're you're telling me that you know it doesn't matter about run fits defense, Paul saying momentum can be built. There's two games left to evaluate and there's evaluating going on as far as the players are concerned and the coaches are concerned. So I would argue that, you know it, it does matter because I think decisions. I'm not saying that a final decision well, yeah, maybe a final decision will be made based on the way that they play these last two games out. Isn't that fair?
Oh, It's totally fair. I'm just I'm just saying I don't want the defense to suddenly, you know, kind of pull together for a miraculous performance and in the process hurt the Patriots draft position. You know, that's I just think we know what we know about this defense now, and it's been in a bad year for them. They they're down in pretty much every statistical category. They're down near the bottom of the league. There's nothing for them to really hang their hat on. I think they do play good man defense at times on the back end with their secondary, but overall, I just don't want any questions heading into the offseason that this defense needs a significant influx of talent. Where you know, we're gonna spend a lot of time talking about tackles and wide receivers. There should be some time spent talking about linebackers and edge players.
Sort of agree with Mike, and I do think that the Drake may part of it, that Mike unfolded that one, that one's relevant because he's he's going to be your guy going forward. I would rather not have any sort of you know, false hope and planted. I would rather avoid a situation like the Chicago Bears found themselves in at this time last year, when you finish the season strong and everything is on the upswing, and you decide that a coach that you're not sure about, well maybe he is he maybe he is the answer, and then halfway through the following year you gotta fire him. And I'm not talking apples to apples with Gerrod Mayo because I don't really think Gerard Mayo's really in that same kind of a situation as a first year guy, much different situation than Matt Eberflews. But to Mike's point, if the defense goes out and plays a great game, that doesn't you know, sort of take obscure the first thirteen games of the year where they would kind of, you know, ineffective. So I would rather, you know, not necessarily have those kinds of things. In terms of young guys that are you know Cole Strange in Cayden Wallace now not enough, you know, great, I'm glad that we're going to get that. It certainly looks like we're going to get a chance to see Cole Strange because Ben Brown's out and I'd rather have him play than not. But I'm not gonna know that he's the answer next year based on two games for sure?
For sure. All right, we a little teased there on what we're looking for today, but let's hit to the keys the game, please.
Matt, you've waited all week for the whole teams in the locker room right now just listening to this, waiting to hear what you're gonna say. Here are the Patriots pregame socials keys to the game.
So a quick perusal of these, who's got the catchiest riff going? And I'll just say I think it might be mister Dousau. So I'll let you elaborate please on your key.
So I was riffing off of, you know, with the old key stop the run has some fun, So today it's stopped the run er it won't be fun. Just going back to what I spoke about earlier that I think is the baseline for this defense. They've had trouble all year against the run. If there's been one consistent element that they just haven't been able to solve, I think it's been the run defense. And you know, today, I think Chargers are gonna come want to come in here and want to run the ball. Sounds like Jay K Dobbins is going to be back. He was their lead back early in the year, you know, was over one hundred yards. I mean, every time they were over one hundred yards they seem to win. So I just think they're gonna come in with an attitude of it's gonna might be a little wet out there, we just let's do what we do. Run the ball on this Patriots team that can't stop the run, and it's easy to see if they're able to run that, the game's just gonna unfold in their favor. They're going to be in favorable third down distances. And the other part of this, too, is that talking to the defenders this week in the locker room, just explosive runs. The explosive runs we saw it last week again. I mean it's one thing to you know, give up four or five yards a clip and they do that. But then there's also these forty fifty yard runs that you know, go to the house like they did last week, And I just think overall, it's so demoralizing to a defense win. You know they're going to run, they keep running. We've seen it all year long, the Jags, you know, being a prime example of that. So I just think for a baseline for the Patriots to be competitive today and make it interesting, I think they have to stop the run right out of the game.
And the weathers we've been talking about a lot already out of the shoot I think would be conducive to the Chargers trying to run it.
You know, makes sense?
Why not?
Makes sense?
Why not? Tomaraw?
So my key is second best this week? Is that what you're saying?
Maybe, no deal with it. I just was looking.
I was looking in your direction.
No I am, I will say, like usually he goes to me because my keys make no sense.
So now that yesterday I know you got to you gotta get your mystery back.
I do.
I'll work around that. In twenty twenty five. That would be my New Year's resolution, be more mysterious. Yes mineus b Grinch, Like it's the holiday season, so I feel like I had to do a holiday spin on my key and The Grinch is my favorite Christmas movie. This is a Patriots team that likes to give a lot of gifts to the other team, and it is the gift giving season.
But this week they have to be stitched. They have to be the Grinch.
They have to hate giving away gifts to the Los Angeles Chargers who are plus ten and the turnover differential. They have nineteen takeaways on the season, So if the Patriots want to have a chance in this game, they have to hold onto the football. We saw what it did to them last week. They had three turnovers. It took them out of the game where they got off to a really fast.
Start to Shay good one.
Paul, Yeah, I'm just looking back at last week and that's the formula.
You know.
They can they sustain any of that kind of success that they had early on in the game. The first two drives, they were very efficient, They moved down the field, they put some points on the board. Can they do that? Can they repeat that performance? So it's just rinse, repeat, figure out a way to get off to that start. And unlike last week where you know, once you got to the third drive, your offense went south for the rest of the game. They need to maintain it a little bit. I like the balance they came out with last week. I like the efficiency on third down that they came out with. I think they converted their first four or five third downs, and some of them were not easy ones. You know, the third and lungs with some pressure on Drake may show that that you can sort of build on that performance that they had at the start of last game. You know, start this game in a similar fashion, but maintain it.
So the old song goes Saturday nights all right for fighting. It's not a night game to the day game one o'cloft. The entire country will have their eyes on Foxboro Massage rolling Stonies.
Correct. Is that the roller stares youre talking about or not the base set of rollers?
I think that's a little Elton.
Saturday. That's keep ondance into the So Saturday Saturday, here's Bob music. I told you ah and this.
I feel like I'm a broken record here down the stretch. But I don't just want to see a little fight, you know, I would I don't mean literally, although I wouldn't mind that either as long as it's not really cheap, shoddy or anything. Show me some show me some grit, show me some balls. Let's see what you can do. As far as that's concerned, I think that's necessary as they're playing these last games out who wants to be here, who wants to be part of something going forward? And who doesn't? You know, let's make those lists and and make sure that we have them.
You know who I think about mat when you say that, is key On White. I mean a lot of stories came out this week about you know, Kean. I was there in the locker room where he expressed some dissatisfaction. You know, what kind of effort is he going to get out there today? I mean he's the kind of guy that looks like he might come out and play angry and you know, really get after it or maybe not. I don't know. It's just it's interesting. He's a guy in the spotlight, second year player. A lot of people really high on him coming out of training camp, and I mean I think he's had a pretty good year. I just I think overall, the lack of depth on defense I think is hurt key On White from really being the player that he might be able to be, but I don't know if I'm quite ready to say like he's a superstar and waiting. I think he's a pretty solid player, but I still think there are questions about how he kind of fits in and what his full time role is.
So expand if you would please Mike, because that became the media story yesterday, you know, and his comments, and I think in talking a little bit just around the offices and everything, I think that there were people who were what's he really trying to say? Is he being hard on himself? Is he being super critical and he's not happy with the way he played? Or was it very obvious that maybe he's not happy with the way he's being used or the way the coaching staff is devising game plans? How did you read and hear comments?
Yeah?
Well, I mean just you know, credit to Karen Gregan for Mass Live. I think she wrote the main piece, but he also spoke to us in the locker room. I think it was I guess it was Thursday. I'm losing track of days now, but you know, I think the thing that is interesting was that out of the gate he was kind of critical of himself, but then even in the piece that Karen wrote, it seemed like there was more, you know, It wasn't just I need to figure out, you know, what I'm doing and how I can be better against the run, you know. Then there were little nuggets, but it's more than that too, So I guess I would just default too. I've found in the last couple of years, every loss makes things more miserable, and everybody gets more and more upset, and it just gets harder and harder. So I'd file it under that without knowing specifics, But I just think overall, this is defense that's really struggling from top to bottom, and you're seeing key on White kind of let that frustration boil over a little bit.
I feel like you saw that earlier in the season too, where there were comments postgame from certain people saying people need to basically stop trying to play.
Hero ball and stick to their assignment.
And there are a lot of people that were insinuating that there were some people on the team that were doing what was best for them versus what's best for the team. That was a comment I feel like three weeks straight that we were getting in the.
Postgame, doing your job Mantra. Yeah, Paul, you and I talked a little bit about this yesterday. I think he on White's a nice player. I think he's got the kind of tools that a defensive coach would look at and go, we can do something with this guy. But as Mike mentioned earlier, he's not a foundational guy. Maybe he's more of a situational or role player. And I don't know that they've really found what that role is now in a second year.
Yeah, and I do think that he has ability to contribute. We've seen it. I think, you know, as Mike said, I think he's had a pretty good year overall. I think people, you know, looked at the sack totals coming out of the gates. That's not necessarily the kind of player he is. He's never been that in college. He's not a huge pass rusher, but I do think he can have some value. I am with Mike. I thought it was a little bit of both. I thought he was very hard on himself and his performance stopping the run, but I also think it was not hard to understand that he's not happy with the coaches, and he said, you know, well, we'll see what happens these last two games and then we'll see what the future holds. So it was kind of ominous as to what exactly, you know, he means. Is he gonna, like what is go into the offseason and request a trade? You know, like, does he not feel like he's a fit in this system? Are some of the guys that are here? Will there be changes? And maybe he's talking about that. I don't know exactly what he meant by that, but I do think he took accountability for his own play and said he wasn't playing well enough, and that, to me was my big takeaway. I think that's a good sign for a young player. The rest of it is kind of frustration that comes, as Mike said, with being three and twelve, you know, youet frustrated.
Yeah.
I think he's a thoughtful kid, and I do think he you know, I think he wants to be there.
I liked it. Well, Ca'll take a guy who cares, and that's a guy I think he cares for sure.
He definitely.
I said that on the Thursday Patriots Unfiltered show, and then I didn't know about the second part of those quotes that Karen got on Friday, which was much different. Tenor than what he said on Thursday, But I stand by it. I think he's a guy that cares, and they could use more guys that care.
Yeah, I think the defense, I mean, that's something that stood out to me though, was just generally that you know, I think Drake, you really you can feel the frustration with him. But you know, not everybody, but on the defensive side of the ball. I find whenever those guys talk, you could just you can feel how hard of a year it's it's been on them. And I think that they've been a little bit shorthanded. But nobody expected this. Nobody expected the defense to fall off this this much. I mean I think anybody could have reasonably accepted that, Look, there's going to be a dip without Bill Belichick, without the play caller Steve Belichick, who's been here. You can't just take those elements out and no problem. Then you compound it with the injuries. But still, it's just it's been, you know, like I said, bottom of the league, and that is a certain point. There's no excuses to be bottom of the league. You know, there's even though even the defenses that have been really hit hard with injuries, a lot of those defenses can find ways, you know, still be competitive, still find a way to get off the field on third down consistently, still find the way to take the ball away. And it's just when you look across the board, this defense isn't able to really do any of those things consistently.
And I want to go back a few weeks that Paul mentioned, uh, DeMarcus Covington pre buy and how he seemed to be in his weekly tet of TETs with the media and there was always a little confidence with DeMarcus and clarity among his comments and everything like that. And Paul, you thought you witnessed a definitive switch in him post by the way he talked.
Do not know what week it was, but there was one week that he was not the same as the others. Every other week he is sort of I would say, borderline brash, you know, and talking about the defense and the performance. And there was one week that he sounded like just defeated. And I don't remember which week it was, but if it might be the one coming, uh, it might have been the week after the Arizona game that that performance. I don't know which which week it was, but it was recently he just sounded different to me. But I thought he was back about the way he was sounding earlier in the year this past week, so I've made I mean, I mean, I actually would say like sort of irrationally, so like, I don't think that the performance has been all that good for the most part, and he's sort of cherry picking the bad plays out. You know how many times they said, you know, a couple of long runs, you know here and there. Now, this past game against Buffalo, given the opponent, I think it was one of the stronger defensive performances of the season. Now I know that they had trouble against the run. I think that's what you got to do against Buffalo, you got to give up something. I thought their coverage was really strong in that game. So I can sort of understand if Covington was feeling better about the performance after that game then most but we've heard him sort of talk like that after other games as well.
This is the pregame social fueled by Duncan. And here's a question for the crowd. If your team runs on their Fians, what do the Fians run on? When you kick off your day with Duncan, We're with you all the way to the end zone, make a run to Duncan. It's the official coffee run of the New England Patriots. As we've got the NFL Network pregame show on and you know there's all this talk about young quarterbacks. Where do you, guys, how would you rank him? Is it the right way? I want to say your thoughts on Herbert?
Yeah, I mean really good. I mean, look, he's got all the talent in the world. I think it was year four, five five, Okay, wow. You know, I think the way I looked at Justin Herbert two years ago is kind of similar to the way I look at Josh Allen, which was got all the tools and man, what I wouldn't give to have one of those kind of guys. And now that we kind of have one of those guys, now I look at Justin Herbert of through the prism of the lens of how do you get to the next level with this guy? Like, you know, how do you get to avoid kind of being what the Chargers have been, which is you know, stuck in neutral. He's you know, had good years, the coaches got fired, they brought a new coach in this year, and I think that's what we're trying to avoid. We're trying to like kind of got a great quarterback, how do we build around the how do we really make something magical? Because to me, the Chargers are an example of just because you have the quarterback doesn't necessarily mean like everything else is going to just fall in line. You know, that's that's a little bit more interesting, you know, way it's involded for them, and who knows, maybe this is you know, the year that they start to build on Harbaugh. And you know, there's always that personality thing that comes with the Chargers where, oh, they're Southern California team, they're saw if they got to come here in the weather, they're not gonna be able to do it. We'll see if they can shake that that identity and really, you know, form something new around.
Justin hur saw something that they're four and one in their last five games and the temperatures under forty or something like that. So I just don't I don't really think that that that holds true to them, especially with Harbaugh, because they don't want to play that way anymore anyway, which to me is a mistake.
But there's a toughness about this team that Harbaugh's unquestionably he's trying.
He's trying to make them a power football team, and I just think that's really a mistake. But I think they're doing what they need to do because they don't have really any weapons to choose from. They have, you know, they let them all go in the offseason, but it also means that you're not as high powered as the contenders for the most part. So I understand what Harbaugh is doing, and they're exponentially better because of Jim Harbaugh. Correct like they're coaching is improved dramatically over Brandon Staley, So they're in a better situation they were. I like Mike's point about just because you have the quarterback, and I actually think for all the talk of comps, I think this is the guy that more closely resembles Drake May than Josh Allen. And I love I love Justin Herbert. I will say the one thing, even being you know, firmly in the Herbert can, I don't know how to identify it, but there's something a little something missing from Justin Herbert that he does not win quite as many games as I think he should, and more often than not, they're not necessarily something you can point to say, well they lost because of him. But he's one of those guys that's sort of at the end of the day you look up and he's nine and six instead of you know, say, you know eleven and four right now and you don't know why. Yeah, you know one of these This isn't one of those teams. To me for the Chargers, this is a team that probably is doing well to be nine and six. I don't think it's an overly talented roster. You look top to bottom, they're missing a lot, but they're getting better. And as I said Harbaugh, I think really has instilled as Matt says, that like sort of a toughness about them that they want to play with. They don't run the ball well, but they're gonna run the ball and they're gonna make you, you know, make sure you know you showed up for a physical, hard fought game.
And they're a little less explosive, maybe aren't they this year?
Yeah, yeah they don't. I Mean they have lab McConkey far and away their best receiver, and he's a rookie and he's kind of you know a limit, you know, he's he's having a good, good rookie year. Quinton Johnston kind of a disappointment last year. This year he's been much better, but not a volume guy. He's got some touchdowns, big play guy, but not consistent, has a lot of drops. Mike, Yeah, you know, so they're they're they're missing some of those those weapons.
I just wonder how they feel where they took a little bit of a you know, a little bit of a reset. Not quite as extreme as the Bills did this year, but oh yeah, moving on from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams that with those are kind of the.
Austin and Now guys.
Those guys were the guys and and to to let those guys go and now to have a pretty good season and you know, be on the verge of making the playoffs, I think it, you know, it bodes well for them in their program. I think some of the young guys on defensive started to step up a little bit for them. They got a good balance I think on that side of the field. You know, some of their edge players age up a little bit. So yeah, I'll be interested to see how they you know, stack and start to build. I mean, this is what you you know, it's what you want out of the first year Jim Harbaugh down there, you know, it's it's showing that this team kind of knows how to in here right out of the gate, even if they are a little bit limited.
Paul mentioned him. I guess it is a Patriot fans today, we'll have their eye on number fifteen for the Chargers, and that's Lad McConkie. Absolutely, Paul, you sort of turned your nose up a little bit when I mentioned McConkey. He's not your kind of guy. You're generally not the stick mover.
Oh no, he's kind of a guy. I like McConkie. I just don't. I think it's very easy right now, and you know we're nothing if not predictable around here. Big front page of the Globe story yesterday, you know, a big picture of Ladd mcconkee. So Ever, you know the Patriots, Patriots fans know what they did. They traded down from the top of the second round. They moved down a handful of spots with the Chargers. The Chargers took Lad McConkie. The Patriots ended up with Jalen Polk. Obviously, bad move. Can't sugarcoat it. Wear Patriots dot Com. We're not gonna sit there and say, no, Jalen Polk is going to be bit No, they got the wrong They trade it down and let a better player go. I mean that's that's what that's what it looks like right now after one season. I just don't think that you're going to be looking at Lad McConkie as like this all pro kind of guy down the road. I think he's a good player. I think he was drafted exactly where he should have been, you know, in day two. It's a guy. It's a guy Fred really liked a lot. I think he's a he's a was a productive player at Georgia Athletics slot kind of guy. I like Lad mcconky, I do. I'm not telling you that I don't, but I don't. I just it was a bad trade. Can we just like it was a bad trade. There's no two ways around it. You moved down and got a wide receiver who's not as good as all the wide receivers that were drafted in the area that you were in.
Right so far, Yeah, it's only one year, and for all the attention that Lad McConkie gets, I mean, let deuce do his little defense thing. I mean Tovandre Sweat, Braydon Fisk, and Cooper de Jean were the next three guys who went after polk And those are three defenders who have all played really well. I mean we saw Fisk here. Ta Jean's been all over the place, and.
An argument could be made I'd rather have all three of those guys than Ladmak Conky. Yeah, because those I mean Fis, Fisk, and Degene Uh in particular Sweats kind of like he's a really good interior defensive lineman. But you know, yeah, that's one of your guys.
I don't love those guys anyway, Paul, right.
I just think that you can have like you know, Devon Godsha.
But yeah, I would just say within the context though, it's like like Paul said, like any one of those three guys, whether you like him or hate him, they would all be playing.
All three of those guys would be starters.
I mean, have given you a lot more than than you got. Jalen Polkan his twelve catches absolutely right.
What's a is? This is predictable kind of a comp uh Welker Edelman from a Conky a little bigger.
I mean I probably a love towards Edelman just because he's a little bit bigger. But you know, he's just I mean, he knows how to get open. He's just he's real master of dialing down routes. I mean, there's definitely elements of those guys, and this.
Guy has more talent.
Now, yeah, I mean, well, Samconky's.
Got more talent. I mean, I don't know if he's gonna pan out. That's a big that's a big ask, right, but he comes into the league higher regarded than any of those, like the way.
You saw and develop into a route runner by like year six seven in his career. That like that was kind of the skill that Monkonky had. It's just you know, he's he's a little bit smaller, he's a little little thinner. I mean, I think he missed just one game this year to injury so far. But you know, that's something to watch with him. But no question, you throw him out there with Drake May and his ability to get open and the confidence that inspires that he can create separation, it's a you know, it's certainly an element you can understand why why you'd like to have in the mix here.
So the Patriots aren't going to be able to match up Marcus Jones with him. Jones a scratched, will not play today. I are as a has been placed on ir. If they're gonna play me into me and Mike, who is it that gets the Maconkey assignment? Would you guess?
I mean, I am always open to, you know, moving Gonzales around and and matching up that way if you have to. I mean, I think last week you saw Jonathan Jones a little bit more on the slot than we have seen him, and I thought he did a pretty good job there lined up against Shakir So probably Jonathan Jones I think makes the most sense. And you know, allow Alex Austin to stay on the outside that seems like where he's a little bit more fit. So I would predict today Jonathan Jones will see a good dose of the lab Maconkey.
Admittedly, I'm a fan, and I liked some of the things that Mike Pellegrino had to say about Jonathan Jones this week. I mean, there's a guy who's got his players backs, yep. And you know it wasn't too too revealing, but wanted to make sure that fans knew that Jonathan Jones has been going through a tough goal of it this year. Hasn't always been one hundred percent, but always willing to do what it was. And maybe last week against Buffalo we saw a little bit more of the Jonathan Jones that people are accustomed to seeing in here. He played pretty well last week against Buffalo, he.
Did, and I mean, I just, you know, I just I wonder where Jonathan Jones is at. I mean, he's going to be a free agent this year. You know, the times we saw them move him to safety a little bit more, which isn't anything new, that's happened plenty of times in recent seasons, but you just wonder, you know, with some of these cornerbacks, they start to slow down a little bit, you start to play more safety. So is he slowing down? I mean, I don't think anybody would really make an argument, and I certainly wouldn't make the argument that that Jonathan Jones was had this versatility to play mostly outside and inside. I think, like I think he kind of was a slot and they like him, and he's got okay size, and he's got good speed, and you know, at a certain point they just said let's just play him on the outside and and you know, keep it going. But I just think what we saw last week is kind of what he's ideally fit to do, is to play in the slot, to play against those guys, especially with his experience going against younger receivers. So I just I don't know. I don't know what the end game is with him. Do you move on from him this year? There's some good wide with some good cornerbacks potentially on the free agency market that I think would you could get younger, you could improve that outside position. But he's showing right now he's still he still can play a little bit, and you know, when he's in the slot, I think today he might be he might be effective.
And as you're making those decisions, Mike, I would just say, you know where they've been in another place lacking, I think is leadership and guys that they need that they can rely on in that locker room. And Jones, for all of his ups and downs, at least in the locker room, has been a steady presence here as a postal guy like Bentley who's been hurt, as a postal guy like Andrews has been hurt, They don't they're not. The cup is not running over of you know, leadership guys in that locker room. And I would put Jonathan Jones as one of those guys. I think it's a great question. Man.
I'd also put Tetrick Wise, who's going to be a free agent this year, into that as well, you know, t Trick Wise. I'd put a little bit more on the end of like we need to upgrade, like, I mean, he's kind of plateaued. He is what he is, good situational player, you know, good situational player. But you know, at a certain point, I think this team has to ask themselves, especially on the defensive side of the ball, of do we got to do we have to take one foot out of the old era? Do we have to kind of move on and say, look, we love Dietrich Wise, He's a leader. I mean, you can't ask for more from the guy on and off the field. Same with Jonathan Jones. But at some point are the new guys saying, these guys are telling us things that happened eight years ago when they were good, and you know it's just not ringing true anymore. We need to go and maybe turn the page a little bit and let some young guys learn these lessons and then you know, let them learn them on their own rather than still having these guys from the dynasty years who's you know, this is how it used to be when I played here. You know, like young guys need to hear new messages. And I think that's something they have to consider this year when they when they look at this defense and how they're going to improve it and change it. And I think that's you know, a spot there's gonna be some significant change this offseason. Personnel coaching scheme all on the table to be.
Let's put a pin in that I can come back to it. But first, because it's a you know, quarter past the hour, let's go to Behind Enemy Lines, Matt.
You know the view from New England, but what about the view from the other side?
And that's why you're a favorite pregame show guests.
Yeah, every year, And now you tell everybody that I was on with you guys at twenty eighteen Thursday Night Football.
Yeah, and I will vote out with the favorite for the show.
No time now to go Behind Enemy Lines?
My god, it's got a ride four And joining us this week on Behind Enemy Lines is nobody.
Matt what Matt.
Barrell as is usual work. The phones work, the innerweb worked, the text machine had messages out to more than three people to ask to see if they'd like to join us in the pregame show. No names necessary here. He didn't get a response. He didn't get a response. So the only reason I say that out is, Hey, I'm busy, I've got obligations before the game and everything like that. I can't join you. Matt Moreau deserves a response, that's all. Is that a fair one?
I don't well, I think he got one right before the show.
No.
Yeah, I'm not gonna be able to do that.
Just Matt, go out in the hallway. There's just chargers people walking back and forth. Grab one putting on the local.
We want somebody that wants to or at least wants to grace Matt with a response that he wants to be here or not. Let's go back to your point about leadership, because I think, Mike, quite honestly, I think that's a place where they're sorely lacking. And how do you balance the can the guy play anymore? What can they give us on a snap basis versus I need somebody to be able to carry that message, and I don't know that that message necessarily here's what we did during the Dynasty years. But it's about accountability, it's about being to meetings on time. It's about making sure that you lift on the days that you have to lift, taking care of your body, hydrating, everything like that. And I don't know that they have enough guys on this team that can do that, that Mayo and his staff can count on to carry that message. Because there's some sort of that message that they're delivering to the players that they need the players to disseminate.
Yeah, well, I mean might push back on that would be if you're keeping guys around who can't play anymore just because they can get to meetings on time, like you're going in the wrong direction.
And I'm not saying that that's the case. I hope that's not now.
And that's but that this team has to find their identity, and that's you know, maybe one of the most disappointing things about this season across the board was that there is no identity to this team. There's no identity of the offense, you know, other than the identity is the bad things the consistent turnovers, you know, the consistent in game brain farts, all those kind of things that have consistently showed up with the good stuff, the things of what you know, this is what we can rely on. And you know, you hear it during the week with the press conferences and the report orders. Ask you, do you feel like your offense has an identity? Do you feel like you haven't? And they dance around the question a little bit. But again, the only identity that they've established this year is that they're not that great and that they're really inconsistent in the key moments and they don't know how to win yet. Maybe that's the biggest thing. And that's one thing I would say with a new coaching staff over with the Chargers is that they seem like they have a little bit of understanding how to win games. The Patriots don't. Whenever the game is on the line or there for the taking, they wilt it this year. And that's you know, I just we talked so much what do you want to see at the end of this year, and we talk about, oh, you know, winning a few games down the stretch, and you know, maybe they'll be playing the Chargers and the Chargers are up for a playoff game. You know, I just I'm disappointed. I don't know who this team is they have.
And that would be another one of the reasons. You know, Matt at the very top of the show, like what you know, what you could get, like the feeling of winning is not irrelevant because this they don't have.
Mike.
You mentioned all the guys that are sort of there's not that many left, yeah, that have been around that understood success, And now you're probably in a situation I think people are looking at like a massive overhaul. I don't think you're going to get that from a personnel standpoint. I think you're probably going to have I don't know, upwards of thirty five of these guys back next year, maybe more. I mean, almost everybody's under contract for day three.
They're eighth most, they have most eighth most players under contract for next year.
So if you're dealing with almost all of these guys that we back and a lot of like whatever, the so forty three guys are under contract in twenty twenty five, I'm going to say eighty five percent of those guys have never really experienced any success in the league. Like I'm talking about from a team standpoint, not an individual standpoint. So that's hard, and it's hard to just flip the switch and say, Okay, we're going to be good this year, and this is what it takes to be good to Matt's point, getting all the things done that need to be done for winning programs.
Yeah, and even guys like Devont Gotcha. You know guys that I mean you think have been here a while, but they don't go back to twenty eighteen. They you know, they're they've been here during these lean years too, Hunter, Henry sty Three, Jilani, and I think I brought it up on the on the show this week. It's just, you know, what point does losing become the culture around here? You know, that's what you have to be careful of that you you know, you don't have any guys that know how to win, and that's you know how things you just see it happen. It's snowballs every loss. It gets a little harder in that locker room for everybody. And it's you know, you see how it's easy that once you lose one, he'll lose another, and then you lose another and then you turn on each other. You know, it picks up momentum and it's hard to break.
So.
Clearly there will be There has been an emphasis on the play of Drake May and he is a bright spot and a building block for the future. What can Drake May do as he ascends to a sophomore season where he doesn't stand for any of those things and he knows this is what you need to do to be a winning player. And I'm not going to tolerate, you know, the illegal shifts, the illegal motions, and his standard becomes a standard at least for that side the ball.
It's a great question, man. I think that's maybe the key to this Patriots offseason is Drake May fully taking ownership, holding guys accountable, you know, being the one who's setting the standard, rather than he's a rookie. He's learning, you know, and I think that's why last two games, love to see him not turn the ball over. I mean, I just think that's that's the on field thing, that's his little bugaboo that he's been battling. You know, everything else you can say pretty great, but if he can get rid of those and then this offseason, you know, I go back to just the receivers like, this guy's have been so inconsistent on and off the field across the board all season long. They need a kick in the butt and it's Drake May that has to deliver it. He needs to be the Brady who, you know, not necessarily the same thing of like icing guys out when they don't know what they're doing, but starting to hold guys accountable. That when you're running short of the sticks on third down while I'm not looking your way anymore, or you know, when the ball's going off your hands and flying into the other team, then I'm not looking your way as much anymore. He needs to be that guy. He needs to take full ownership of this team. It needs to be Drake May's team in twenty twenty five.
Yeah, and you point too, you know about the mistakes and the turnovers. You know, let's you know, when are we going to make the transition between Drake May is the rookie quarterback or he's the Patriot starter quarterback because everybody seems to think unequivocally they've got the guy, myself included. But I've sort of made that transition. Okay, now I know he can play. Now I need to see some of these things improve, and some of these things get eliminated, do.
You know what I mean?
Like, I don't treat him like a rookie quarterback anymore. Right, some people still do, some don't. I'm not saying that no one has. It's starting to come now, Like you know, these turnovers got to stop. Alex van Pelt isn't doing it anymore. He's he's holding him accountable. Fifteen turnovers and ten starts is a lot.
And I think May's say I'm not a rookie anymore, and nobody's a rookie anymore. And I like that now.
I like it too.
I don't expect May to bury a guy like Baker. I don't expect Made to bury a guy like Polk. I think he's been outwardly very supportive of those guys. But I think maybe some of the subtle things that we could look at is how definitively does he have their back, you know, going forward, because he can't prop those guys. He can only prop those guys up for so much before he needs to cut bait and say we need guys who are gonna think.
Seeing them cutting bait because he's not throwing those those guys the ball anymore. Yeah, you know, to Mike's point, don't worry everybody.
They say, watch what they do.
Everybody. You like my little adages.
I like that.
He just threw my adage back at me. I like that.
I mean I wasn't here when Welker was here. I got this vibe from him, though, but I was here when Edelman was here, and I definitely got this vibe from him of like a lot of this stuff we seem of the wide receivers let this year unacceptable for Julian Edelman to, you know, for those kind of mistakes. If this stuff was happening in his room, I mean, he would be what was it, happily miserable, Like he would be pissed off. And you just don't get that vibe from this receiver room. It's you know, we're gonna we're trying. We're trying hard, man, We're gonna get it, you know, Like that was my bad Like I mean, I've been beating the my bad stuff in the end of the dirt the last few weeks. But it's just it's not the kind of room where you're holding each other accountable and you knew, Like when I looked at Wes Welker as a fan, I'm like, that guy's here to play today. He knows what he's gonna do. When it's third and five, he's gonna get you six. He's not gonna come back to third and four and be like, yeah, you know, that was my bad on that one. Like that stuff didn't exist with those teams that were really good, and that's the stuff they got to get rid of. It's just too many excuses, too many, you know, and people happy to admit that they made the mistake. Stop making the mistake.
You know what I fired funny is Brady, especially toward the end, started to get a lot of criticism for his lack of patience. And now people and this is not a criticism of you, Mike, because I agree with you. I think people are starting to say, hey, Drake, this should take ownership of this. This is your offense, this is your team right now. You need to hold these guys accountable. And they're absolutely right if you think that way. I think that is part of it, you know, so like they were a Brady like you give Nikhil Harriet a break. He's just got no no figure out what you're supposed to do. Jacoby Myers. Kobe Myers got the ball thrown to him as a rookie because he was weir who you're supposed to be.
Yep, maybe Drake, you dole red ass him, do you think I do? I mean, and he might have it, but you know, and he might have it, and like I think he's got it.
You know, he's very supportive publicly. I think he has it.
Word yeah, which is which is I think a little uh, you know, might be a little bit frustrating for a fan at first, where you want it to be this like, oh, nice guy, that's always happened, Like for you to be a winning quarterback, you need to kind of be an a hole, you know, especially because it has to all go through you. I mean, I just remember, like you know, as a fan watching Brady just walk onto the field to walk to the huddle and just the control and the swag, the swag that he had, and you know, I like and I hate, you know, holding him up as like Drake's got to be like Brady. But I think any quarterback in this league that's good. I mean I think even like you know, Bo Nixon like a little bit, and it is his intensity that you've seen as a rookie where you know, it's like Paul said, it's kind of like at one point you're like, we want to play well for the rookie. We got to help this kid out. Rather, it's got a change to I better play good or else. Drake's not gonna throw me a football anymore. He's gonna glare at me as I'm walking back to the huddle. Like that's the kind of steps that I think would be, you know, absolutely huge for this offense, you know, going into twenty twenty five.
All right, much more to discuss as you're watching and listening to the Patriots pre game Social fueled by Duncan. You can call us at eighty five to five Pats five hundred. That's a TPX slotline, and please email the show at podcast at Patriots dot com when we return an actives a weather report and we'll get into one of the wide receivers that I have a question to mister show about is can they count on this guy moving forward? This is the Patriots pregame Social fueled by Duncan.
You've got to watch your NFL team everything.
Thank you for downloading that.
With FedEx one rate you can ship to your student for a simple predictable flat rate. Send a box full of home baked treats that say your father and I miss you, or send a box full of instant noodles that says my father and I just stop asking us for money. Either way. One rate fits all. FedEx one rate two day shipping, one flat rate starting at fourteen fifty. Visit FedEx dot com slash one rate for details. Exclusions apply. With FedEx one rate, you can ship to your student for a simple predictable flat rate. Send a box full of home baked treats that say your father and I miss you, or send a box full of instant noodles that says your father and I would like you to stop asking us for money. Either way. One rate fits all. FedEx one rate, two day shipping, one flat rate starting at fourteen fifty. Visit FedEx dot com slash one rate for details. Exclusions apply.
You've got to watch your NFL team every Sunday, and Verizon's got you covered for all your team's out of market games every Sunday afternoon. Come on from kickoff to sign off, from first downs and touchdowns all right to turnovers, no and overturn plays.
After review the pass was incomplete.
Nice I know this season.
Win every Sunday with Verizon, get a great deal on NFL Sunday ticket from you Tube and YouTube TV, and a new phone excludes digital only games. Turns into Bargo's apply.
Without good blocking, your team's not going anywhere. Cisco blocks cyber attacks for customers around the world, including the entire Fortune one hundred and the NFL because when the game is on the line, and it's always on the line, the NFL relies on Cisco.
It ain't my dad's razor dat, hey watch, it's from Gelett Lapse. This green bar releases trapped hairs from my face. Game change will afflex this contours to it, so the five blades can get virtually every hair in one stroke for the ultimate Gellett shaving experience.
The best to make can get.
Is Gelett Lapse.
By the time this Patriots fan is finished drinking his pepsi, you'll be fifteen seconds closer to game time. Patriots watching better with pepsi.
Good Good.
Join the conversation by calling into the TPX hotline at eight five five Pats five hundred, or email the show at podcast at Patriots dot Com now live from our studios. Here is Matt Smith.
And welcome back to the Patriots pre game social fueled by Tonkan. It is the witching hour for a one o'clock game. That means the eleven thirty time slot where it's time for the inactives and let's go out to a rainy Jelette Stadium playing field with Tamara Brown joins us live Tamara. Who is in and who is out today against the Chargers?
Please, Well, I'm happy to report that there are no surprise and actives for today against the Chargers. I will I say one thing that pointed. One thing that stood out to me was Marte Mapo. For the second week in a row. He will be playing coming off his big performance last week versus the Bills where he had a four s bumble interception and two pass breakups.
Can you build on that in today's game versus the Chargers.
With that being said, Jabrill Peppers is out today, so we expect to see a lot of Marte Mapu and then for the offensive line, one of the biggest things I've noticed since watching the pregame warm ups is Cole Strange getting some one on one work with offensive line coach Scott Peters. He's been out here working on his snap working on his technique with Scott Peters. So that's been a huge sign today seeing Cole Strange out here getting ready for hopefully the first time, getting to see him in game action and nearly over a year.
Number sixty nine on your scorecard. We're going to keep an eye on him, close Strange. I want to go back to something on the Peppers Mapoo situation to Marwan Huh, because it was Peppers who was out last week that led to Mapou playing and he played pretty well. Micha, I'll let you chime in on this as well. Is there can they not be a theme the field? Ken Duggars, Ma Poo and Pepper's in a big Nickels sort of a situation. Can they not be on the field together?
Yeah, I'm not sure. I mean, I actually I just thought it's it's Maya Tomara. Have you seen Tiprill Pepper's out there? Was he You know, sometimes those guys get out there and do a little bit of early work. But just curious if you saw him at all working out earlier. I know you were in here with us, so maybe not.
Yeah, I wasn't able to see him out here because I was in the studio with you guys. But from what I've seen so far, I've just seen Kyle Dugger and Marty Mapho out here warming up. That's in regards to the safety room, of course.
That's it's an interesting, really kind of inside baseball question about it. But here's Mapho, who doesn't play all of training camp. You know, the Pepper situation arises and map Who's gotta go wire to wire against Miami, and everybody goes it. Wait, they nailed one. They got this one too straight. As Tamara mentioned, healthy scratches he plays last week, you know, it kind of looks a little bit not knowing what's going on. Well, if Peppers is out, Mapoo plays, what happens if Peppers is back? Like, that's a kind of an interesting one to keep an eye on, it seemed to me.
Tamara, Well, I think Matt Smith. It all goes back to what Gerard Mayo keeps saying. He wants to see what he has and I know we only have two games left. We talked about that with Cole Strange and Kayden Wallace, but it's now or never to figure out what you have out of Marte Mafu, And so I think these last two games, I don't mind seeing more of Marte Mafu that you already know what you have with Jabrell Peppers and Kyle Dugar.
So let's see what you have with Marty Mafu.
Okay, I don't What I don't see is I don't see any big thermometer.
No, I don't see.
Any big umbrella.
No, no problem.
What do you got for a weather forecast? At eleven thirty four, tomaraw.
So, I'm gonna put my meteorologists hat on and say that when I arrived here at the stadium earlier this morning, I was carrying an umbrella, there were steady rain coming down. Now as we were approaching kickoff, it's more of a mist, more of a spitting type of rain happening. And so I don't need my umbrella, I don't need my rain jacket. And compared to last week, I'd say this is pretty warm, compared to thirteen degrees in Buffalo.
Okay, it's too early, really, you're probably just opening right now at eleven thirty four, I'll throw this out for everybody. What do we anticipate from the crowd today because I think, you know, I wouldn't be surprised if there's some maybe newer Patriot fans out there today that got a holiday gift under the tree or you know, for Honiker or something like that, and maybe we have new people coming to the stadium today. Maybe that's a little wishful thinking on my.
Part, hopefully, hopefully, I mean, it's uh so great.
Yeah, go with Merck will I will say one thing.
I know.
My key to the game was to be grinch like and no gift giving today versus the Chargers. But I do see in the very front row there is a fan that says this is their first Patriots game. They're here all the way from DC. So, Matt Smith, you were exactly right. Someone got a gift to come to this game against the Chargers.
So with that gift comes a responsibility. We need you to be loud, we need you to be intimidating, We need you to create an atmosphere out there today. Right, that's right, good stuff.
To merly make this first Patriots game for this fan.
I hope it's a fun one.
Yep. Absolutely nice job to me, er, Thank you very much. There's your nactive we do see on the Chargers side the bus Gus is out or the Gus bus is out. Dobbins, who's been put back in the active list, will likely go today, and he's their first rink back should probably I mean, I don't know if he's full go, but we're gonna see a lot of Dobbins.
I think we will, yeah. And I mean he was, you know, frush off of ir and you know, I think he was the plan this year and out of the gate. Like I said, I think he had over one hundred and thirty yards rushing their first two games. He's a big part of what they're what they want to do, I think this year, and like Paul said, think in a perfect world, they're going to stock off on some talent and get better at running back and add some more depth behind him. Maybe you know, continue to try to find that number one receiver on the outside for Justin Herbert. But I just I fully expect them to come, try to run the ball early and often establish the game, you know, just the end of the year, try to win these games tough. Ugly think Jim Harbaugh has a real good sense of how playoff games go when it's in January, and I think he'll use this, you know, a little bit as a as a prep for his team, because, let's face it, they may they're probably gonna have to go on the road and probably play somewhere cold, you know, whether it's going to Baltimore or Buffalo or Kansas City, so they're gonna have to be ready. This won't be the last time the Chargers have to play in some weather.
If the standing's hold, it's another hardball bull. It looks like it was two weeks left, but that was I think what the match it would be today.
I think if you grab your helmet on, Matt for that one.
Where the media will be all a buzz about that. Easy to drink, easier to enjoy. Bud Light is the official beer sponsor the Knowing of Patriots. Our number again is eight five five. Pat's five hundred and as we do every week, let's have Pat from Agaam join us. Good Morning Pat, You're first on the Patriots pregame Social fuel by Duncan. Good morning Pat, Good morning Pat, Patty going once, going twice. I don't hear Pat Pat call back. As we await Pat to call back, Let's try Larry in Denver. Larry, you're next to the Patriots pregame social high Larry, all right, what are the chances that there's any of this is operator era either of the match? I don't think so, but you never know. We'll let him go Before we go back to the phones, Mike, I wanted to fall up and something with you. We're talking about the wide receivers, Drake May. You know how tough he should be with the Bakers and the Pulks of the world. Do they have something in Booty coming off of a career game last week against Buffalo? Is he a guy that you feel comfortable going forward with? That's a part of the solution for the twenty twenty five Patriots offense.
I'll tell you I feel comfortable bringing him back into training camp and letting him compete, you know, and knowing that he has a little chemistry with Drake May. In a perfect world, there are maybe two wide receivers that join this roster this offseason that you immediately pencil in, you know, a top of the depth chart. No plenty of people, you know, let's just call it T Higgins and you know, maybe a second round pick something like that that that could be put into the mix. So I love what Booty did last summer. I mean, I think that you got to give a guy a lot of credit when there's a log jam at wide receiver and he was able to come in, and I mean it was tenuous. I mean it wasn't like, oh, he was just emerged and took the job. He did it with consistency, He did it with really solid hands. I think that said many times, that's the trait that always stood out to me of just what he's best at. So look, you know, we get into three four, what is he You know, I don't think that he's going to be the long term solution as the number one X receiver on the Patriots roster, but I do think that he potentially could be that third fourth guy on the depth chart that's gonna get some rotational snaps that's gonna get in there that you know, has some confidence with where you know, has some chemistry with Drake May that that could potentially build into year two. But I wouldn't promise anything to any of the receivers on this room this year. They're all gonna have to come back next next year, and hopefully they're gonna have to compete with some guys who are going to raise the talent level right.
Our email address is podcast at Patriots dot com. This is from Kyle, who writes in after Harry Adam Schefter's latest report, I'm feeling a little bummed out because it seems if they're trying to s him for all the problems on the team this year. I think getting rid of a VP who, by all accounts may really like some credit to development would be a mistake. Didn't see the Chefter report, but I certainly think that Van Pelt being up in the air has been in the air for quite some time over the last month.
Yeah, and it's just it's hard because of everything that I've talked about here of the team not really building identity and not a lot of improvement. Like the one thing you can say that you feel pretty good about is that your rookie quarterback has developed pretty well, and you know the things that he needed to work on that all the scouts said coming out, we've seen improvement in those. I mean, I've just seen improvement in him, major jumps from where we saw him in the summer. So to kind of target Alex Van Pelt and be like, yeah, let's get rid of him. I like, I get like, and I understand why. I understand why people want the offense to suddenly be something magical. But I don't know of all the coaches this year, if you had to point out one that's done in a way okay job, I think Alex van Pelt will be the one. I also enjoy listening to him. He's very upfront. There's no pretty ductu refuge with him. You ask him a question, you're going to get an answer. I think that you know, has maybe gott him in trouble a little bit this year. But I just I really struggle if Alex van Pelt is the one guy to walk the plank this year because of this season win. In reality, he's the one positional coach. I mean, i'd say one positional coach because it you know, tight ends and there have been good position positional play. But I mean, the most important thing to this franchise right now is Drake May and this guy came in developed him. I mean, look at the mess with Caleb Williams right now. So now we're thinking let's get rid Alex van Pelt. Whoever the next guy is, he's got to be better, right, Like, I don't I have trouble getting on board with that. I wouldn't mind seeing Alex van Pelt back. I do think, you know, maybe there are some changes among the offensive coaching staff that they need to consider because it was kind of a hodgepodge group. It wasn't like, you know, an offensive coordinator came in brought all his guys. So I do think there are changes needed. But to me personally, Alex van Pelt is down the list as far as things that need to immediately change after this season.
Eight five to five Pats five hundred. Back to the phone lines to try to make sure the phone lines are working. Pat You're first from Agaam. Good morning, Pat. How are today? Sir?
Hey?
Can you hear me now?
There is Patty?
Good morning everyone. I hope y'all had a great Christmas and holiday season so far. To touch on three, thank you very much. It was it was awesome. No complaints.
You know.
I want to just touch on three things and get your opinion on the last one. First, first thing is deuced. You said a couple of things I couldn't agree more with. The First thing is this team's identity is they they don't know how to win. They need to find a way how to win. Hopefully, you know next year that that'll take place. They'll start learning how to win some games. And the second second thing you said is, you know you're if you're a cup, you kind of have to be an a hole, you know, not just like we've seen it with Brady Book. You know, we've seen clips of Peyton Manning, Like there's a famous clip at him yelling at Jef Saturday like, you know, worry about blocking and I'll worry about calling the plays and doing my job, you know, and then goes right up back up to him after and and you know, dabs him up and Polly. I think we saw that like in ninety seven with Drew Bledsoe if I remember, I think it was a ninety seven season where I think they're playing Jacksonville where Vincent Brisbee wrongs the wrong route, he gets up in his face and screaming at him, and I think on the next series he throws him a touchdown pass. And that's kind of like, that's the kind of leader he needs to be going forward. The second thing I wanted to touch on is Marcus Jones. I'm a little bit worried because I like you guys, I love him, but this is the second year in a row where he's ended a season on IR. I hope that doesn't become heavy well.
Like not the third on IR. But he's had injury problems all three years that pass came in.
With and doubles shoulder surgeries, and I hope that's not something that we have to address in the offseason because we already have so much to address as it is. And the third thing.
Is this game.
I can't help but get visions of the two thousand and nine playoff game against the Ravens where you know, the game was over like two minutes into the game. And I wouldn't be surprised if Polly, I know, you said they're running attack. Isn't that good? But just following the trends, this run defense has been so abysmal, Like I wouldn't be surprised if Dobbins takes their first carry for seven yards for touchdowns. I mean, that's how bad it's been. But I think it's you know, I'm picking a ten point game. I think the Chargers are gonna win something along the lines of Lake thirty one to twenty one. But I just want to see this team, like they did last week, come out and just just play with fire, play with a little heart, and you know they won't all be surprised. I'm not one of these guys that wants to see him lose the next two games. I want to see him start winning games. But might be a little too late for that. But that might be a little wishful thinking this week. But I just think I think the Chargers are going to probably end up running all over us like every team has this. That's all I got.
Thanks Pat for the phone call, very uplifting message there, and I'll let you.
You know he sounded too sober.
You got to worry about a Ravens repeat reducts nine player game?
Yeah, I mean I did actually think of it a little bit because I know that the Chargers haven't been great running the ball. But a team that wants to run the ball and they want to lean on your running the ball against a team that hasn't been able to stop the run is not a great combination. But I just would be surprised if the Chargers put up thirty in this game, that that would be that'd be really really depressing. Yeah, from a Patriots say. Wow, that good crowd for that Fenway Bowl.
Huh.
I know Yukon's in the game, but that's that's a pretty good crowd for Nick and Idaho nothing right. Over the past couple of seasons, the Patriots have had some good games against the Chargers. Wasn't last year's Charges game one.
Of the worst games successes? Awful? Did that translate today or is Harbor enough of a change to get rid of that chance today?
So?
I guess if I'm reading Nick correctly, here is Harbor the difference in India Los Angeles posting a dominant performance.
Yeah, I mean, I don't think it has the past success. To me, is irrelevant because you have a different coach, right, I mean it's not the same First of all, it's not even the same team, like we talked about in the first hour. All the guys that are gone. You know that basically the guts of the offense have changed.
Kyle writes in this is a topic that in some of our pre show prep Kyle, Paul and I were working on. Our wide receiver room has such a lack of talent that we might need to target guys regardless of if they may be a diva wide receiver like signing Stefan Diggs or training for someone like George Pickens. These are not usually the players I hope the Patriots signed. But beggars cannot be choosers, right, says Kyle. So this this is a little longer the two.
So let's yeah, I'm not talking about Stefan Diggs today, but Stefan Diggs is a guy that you would not normally want to now, including Mike from this, Stefan Diggs is a guy that you would not have wanted to see on the Patriots over said the last five years prior to this, like, I can't help you, like you wonder why you have a hard time getting wide receivers because the ones that are good you don't like because they might have like an ego. I don't know what to say.
Wasn't there a lot of talk though before Buffalo, when he was in Minnesota that Patriot fans are drooling over the opportunity please bring Steffan Diggs in. Is there any chance that they'll bring David Stephan Diggs del Chick talked about him from Maryland and everything like that. Wasn't there some false hope potentially there.
I don't recall Mike hates Stefan Diggs, but that's not even a shot at Mike. Mike has always sort of gotten bad vibes from Diggs, but that aside, like as productive as any receiver in the league for a stretch of five years, Like if that's not a guy you want to like. Pickens is not that productive and he's that disruptive. So I could sort of understand you saying I'm gonna go with the mic you so I'm gonna be a little bit more cautious on Pickens. He's good. Now, I would say pittsbordh kind of fell apart when he left the lineup, So maybe he's a little bit more impactful than people give him credit for. But I get that he's he's a disruptive guy and he doesn't have fifteen hundred yard seasons like Diggs did.
I guess maybe one of the overreaching question here though from Kyle is do you have to be as picky and choosy and if a guy is a diva, is there so little talent in that wide receiver room that you got a hold?
Can I just say I want a diva wide receiver like I want one of those.
I get it.
Those are the difference makers.
I get it.
You know, there's just like for me, there's a level of diva that I can accept, whereas there's a level of high maintenance that this requires. I got example, George Pickens, Okay, you know a guy that the coach is going to have to put his arm around him and make sure he doesn't lose his mind because the play didn't go his way. You know, at any given moment, he might fire the ball into another guy and get a fit dan yard penalty. You know, it's just like he's voluable. You know, he is volatile. That that's the stuff I don't like. Look, I love AJ Brown. I would bite any bullet for AJ Brown. I know it can be a little high maintenance too, but I think that's the level of player that is worth it. It's good.
Those are those are two good examples of what you talking about.
Start getting down the ladder a little bit and it's like, well, he's a one B and he's a pain in the ass, and we're gonna have to pay him thirty million. You know, it's like that's a lot. That's a lot to ask, and I just I would be you know, you want to be calculating when you're building the team at this point. You want to you know, in a perfect world, you want to say, we're gonna bring in the Stefan Diggs or you know whoever, and our culture is established, like this guy has just got to get out. You know, Amari Cooper's not that guy. But for Buffalo, they're doing what they do and they brought in Amari Cooper and I said, great, you're not our savior. You're gonna be the guy who's gonna make a couple big catches for us now because you're super talented, But we don't need you to be the man. We don't need you to remake our offense read the Finder offense. I just that's the move I'd like to make. I'd prefer I know it's hard, there's no guarantee that you know that you can build a team that way. But in a perfect world, that's what it would be, not these guys. And they then they become, you know, kind of the captain of the ship in some ways. And now, all right, great, Like how does Stefan Diggs feel today? Like it's not about Drake May It's about how does the receiver. Is he you know, is he gonna be he on today? Or is he a little bit you know, pissy about something that That's the stuff I don't want to deal with.
Eight five five Pats five hundred. Andre in New York is next on the Patriots pregame social fueled by Duncan.
Good morning, Andre, Good morning everybody.
How you guys doing fantastic?
That great great.
Happy holidays, Sam. Just sitting here watching your show. I love your show, big Pats fan. I had a quick question about, since we're talking about receivers, what is your guys take on jayvon Baker. I've seen him in the I've seen him in summer, the summer camps, and I've seen his college highlights, and I think he looks like a great breakout wide receiver. I've seen he had some stuff off the field with like a car accident and some thing that happened, and I've seen he hasn't gotten any like great playing time. So I just wanted to know he's.
Got to learn how to be a professional.
Great question, Andre, and thank you for the phone call.
I think that's what this offseason is for him. He's got to either put in a ton of work and live around the stadium and be totally locked in and totally understand the playbook and be with Drake May every other weekend, you know, thrown with him and he comes into camp and all this you know, nonsense off the field that always kind of seems to be lurking in the periphery. He's got to get rid of that stuff. And if he doesn't, he'll he'll be cut next year.
I mean, that's you know, I would say that. You know, I'm just talking about as a patriot. I'm not talking about the college tape. In the summer, I at least saw potential for Jalen Polk. I saw him every single day catching a no. Admittedly, I sort of bickered with Mike because we're like an old married couple sometimes and we bicker, you know. I saw a lot of shallow crosses for three yards, but he caught a million passes in camp. I did not see any of that from Javon Baker. I didn't see really any I saw a couple of flash plays here or there, but I didn't see any sustained consistent production in training camp. I didn't think he had a very good camp. I thought he got worse as the camp went on. I thought he had a terrible preseason, dropped a bomb from Drake May in the Philly game. I want to say just has done nothing as a Patriot. I've seen no flashes of brilliance at all. Jalen Polk, I saw flashes of ability where he could be like that complimentary piece to a good offense. I've seen nothing from Baker. Compound that, with everything that Mike's had off the field, I think you're looking at a sort of a wasted pick. I know that sounds brutal after a year, but there's a reason why a lot of teams didn't have them on their draft board. He was off their boards.
Am I level of optimism that he would do the things that I said he needed to do, which has learned how to become a professionalist offseason and totally dedicate himself to his care sev I mean, I just I don't have a lot of optimism that he's going to do that. I assume he's going to get to training camp next year, and then you know, if it goes the way it should, he should be in a life and death fight with Kaishan Boody.
And be beaten out by a better player, and he has the rare chance I think to be a second year draft pick that gets cut.
Craig from Central Massachusetts rights in good Morning Pregame crew, it looks like rap reporters reporting that Gerard is expected to be back unless some type of calamity happens. Have we reached a point where calamity has become the norm?
I do think so like this, like the fourth week in a row, we've gotten these reports of like he's okay, unless it totally falls apart from.
The same reporter does basically the same wording. Right, either tell me that he is definitively back or tell me that there is still evaluating. Right, enough of this he's going to be back on less dot dot which is this is the third week in a row we're hearing that.
So to continue with Craig from Central mass last season was one. I assume he means calamity and things look worse this year, but by all means, let's print some cash on a soft team and leave them thinking quote you said it, I didn't we need a change for the coordinator. In parentheses, he puts s coordinators who wants to work for an HC that's going into twenty five on the hot Seat blow Out, the Hodgepot staff of Bill holdovers and retread cast offs, don't delay the inevitable. Happy New Year. And on a happy note, Matt, you've really gone into the host's chair. Okay, thanks Greg.
I appreciate that that cut on my chin wag on the other station. That was you know, it was another vote of confidence and I'm like, but it wasn't it kind of like the same vote of confidence. And I'm not criticizing Ian Rappaport because he's reporting what he's being told, right.
And they're still losing these games. I mean, they haven't looked like abject disasters, I guess.
But I mean, I mean, I don't know what. I don't know what a calamity is. If three and twelve isn't the calambit, so I don't mean, I don't know.
Right back to the phone lines, eighty five to five, Pats five hundred, Nick, Baby Love Love the Name is next on the Patriots pregame, Social Fuel by Duncan. Good morning, Nick.
How are you doing? Gentlemen?
Hey Nan, good to hear from you.
Happy New Year.
Yeah, Well, I'm dealing with my health. I think if your name is Matt the host, just a shout out to pay your nation. I love everybody and the show has been excellent. Let me focus on, you know, one thing, and I'll try to call him more often. I just, like I said, I'm dealing with my help. Paul will explain when I get off, you know, be a call. But I want to say about leadership. Are you there, gentlemen?
Yeah?
Sure, h Plus you miss the Holy Cross and was Paul.
You guys know me very well. So the leadership thing is very important because to me, somebody who's an older guy that has not missed one game since they Billy Sullivan bought the franchise in nineteen sixty, but twenty five thousand dollars, I just think losing is unacceptable and I am very upset about that. And I just think the leadership is the heart and soul of the whole thing. And I think I don't want to get into the draft, but I think, you know, I know Dian Sanders, Paul and I used to hang out with his dad, Pops rest in Peet. But Travis Hunter is a leader. He's once in a generation. And I pray that they can get somebody like that. It just to add to the team, because can you imagine Brady A.
Belichick.
Do you think all this nonsense the noise will be happening if they weren't there. So that's basically hopefully I can hear you talk about that. God bless you all and happy holidays.
Seat next.
Well, good phone call and be well, Nick, thank you for the phone call.
And Travis Hunter. I think everybody's intrigued by you know. I mean, there's a lot of talent there. I don't know if that's you know, the no brainer pick for the Patriots had a lot of fans think, but it's certainly a very talented guy.
Well, we can update. It's not much of an update right now. They're slated in the two slot. You know, they're in the two hole with the Giants. I think firmly having a choke hold on the number one pick. You'd think the Giants would be looking at quarterback. And it's not a great quarterback draft. I've heard other Draftnick say it's not a great overall draft. But I also heard of wives on say this morning, they are NFL players in the draft. It's your job to find them. Yeah, you know, and how they do against the Chargers today, how they do against a Buffalo team that's got a seed already wrapped up and wants to rest people beforehand, and they win a game against it, you know, not necessarily the varsity unit of the Buffalo Bills, that would have an impact on their draft situation. That might not be the worst thing in the world, you know, because maybe at five six seven, you feel a lot better about taking the kid from Texas, the other offensive lineman. You know, that might be a better.
Fit than it too next week's game. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but it terrifies me. It terrifies me. And I mean I'm not a tank guy, but like a meaningless win over a backup Bills team that drops you and I you know, did some playing around with all right, if this team's winning, these teams winning, the Patriots go one on one over these last two, and you could go down to like ten. I mean, so we'll get to next week when we get to it, but that that game really really scares me because at this point there's nothing really to be taken from a victory, and the difference between two and ten is the difference of Travis Hunter. You want to shot at Travis Hunter. You win that game.
He goes bye bye, O contrer. I just want to make sure we're consistent. I've heard throughout the hour or show that we've been on this morning that winning is important when.
You get to the backups and week eighteen, they like they need to win.
You you could get something out of out of today.
You so next week means nothing. It doesn't help not I mean, does it hurt the program or help the program.
It's irrelevant to the program. Okay, if you're if you're not playing an NFL game next week, it's like winning the preseason.
You win, you can beat their backups.
It doesn't does you any good to win a preseason game. And that's what it's I mean, I don't know, can I can I wait and see how the game unfolds before I just I declare that it's the most next week, okay, before I declare it meaningful, Like if I see it, I might I might have a whole different I said, you know what, these teams can't they showed up to play Patriots did some nice things today. This is that's a good win. Let's not jump ahead of ourselves.
I think we all would like to see a competitive representative game out of the Patriots today against a team who with the wine off in the site.
So you know, everything's so one on the train that I did see over the weekend that worries me is you know, we've talked a lot about Will Campbell potentially being a guard. I saw a lot of reports that Kelvin Banks is more suited to guard now too, Like, are there any tackles in this draft?
The Connorly kid from Oregon, who I think is down a little bit, he's one.
Of like that.
He's the one that get hurt.
I'm not sure one of them.
One of them had a knee injury, was out, but.
Not like just edge watch that edge look a bunch of states.
Well that's just the first round for Penn State.
The first round's got edge players and look, I mean and like, if you look at the offense, tackles and wide receivers, tackles wide receivers like, I think you can kind of get by everywhere else on the offensive roster next year. Not saying you're not trying to upgrade, not saying you're gonna take some flyers on guys, but tackles wide receivers, and then look at the offense of the defense. You gotta add to the front seven. You gotta add some insurance behind ju Wan Bentley. You need a dynamic, kind of Willie McGuinness type every down presence, who can stop the run, who can get after the passer. They don't have that piece, And I don't think enough people talk about. You know, everyone's just so focused on getting a receiver on a tackle that you know you just can't let the defense with or on the vine. They drafted Marcellis Dile only defensive player they did last year. There's gonna have to be some money invested in the defense. And I'd really look at free agency as a place where they can make some noise at CB two. They can make some noise at off the ball linebacker edge not so much. But you know a guy like Alee McNeil from Detroit who's gonna hit free agency, who's been a really consistent player and is in his twenties, Like, you don't know what you're gonna get with Barmore next year. So you have Godshaw for what he is, but you need a consistent interior defensive presence. You need an edge presence and you need some off of the battle so front seven, baby, don't ignore it.
This year Mike Show is talking about players. Yvonne from Toronto wants to know about players. Hi, everybody, you guys already mentioned this many most players will be back next year. I think, Paul through what the number forty three are already under contract? And that's not good, says she. We need better players exclamation point. Which player under contract next year can be cut, take a financial loss and be upgraded? That's Yvonne from Toronto.
All of them. Yeah, and I'm not being snarky. I mean you can cut anybody you want. Yeah, you just got to replace them with better players.
Yeah.
Aleen McNeil, By the way, we signed with Detroit. Yeah, like like a month ago. I thought that when you said it, I punched it in the old Google machine. Just to make so much.
I'll put you on the spot.
Who do you like?
Who do you have that you that you can't upgrade?
No, And that's I think like the three and twelve.
For a reason, everybody tells me they don't have any talent in the roster, Like we can't get rid of any of ther coaches because it's all all the talent's vault. But now we can't cut anybody and upgrade. I think you can upgrade all of these guys.
Yeah, I mean that's and that's kind of the debate of the offseason. Is you know a guy like look Michael when he is gonna probably be your right guard next year, you can't. You know, you're not gonna upgrade him. You know, you may be just gonna have to figure out with Laden Robinson at left guard. They seem to like him, and you know it's you gotta prioritize what the guys are. But you know it's like Hunter Henry, like he's really good. Do you I mean, you have so many bigger holes? Do you try to upgrade Hunter Henry?
Like Kendrick Bourne signed a three year deal to stay, you can't upgrade him. Oh yeah, you know, Jabrill Peppers signed a deal thrade him.
I'm thinking more on defense. With both Duggar and.
Pep julyny to I signed a deal. You can upgrade him.
Very similar players those two.
And I mean, and you know, I know what Paul will say to this, but like when the car after next year, that's when you get out of all the contracts you signed last year. If you if you really want, if you're really concerned about eating dead money and all the things that come with those, you know, new contracts. But for the most part, you're kind of stuck with all those.
I wouldn't advocate, you know, take the ten guys that they re signed, cut them all. No, that doesn't make any sense either. That's just cutting people for the sake of cutting him. But you can get rid. You can get out of those contracts. None of a Win, who is probably the only pricey contract that you'd probably pay. You know, that would hurt to get rid of that one. But you, like says Mike said, you're probably not upgrading him, right, because you got to upgrade the other four.
Spots, right, And you said, I mean you said, Dougger and a Win, you two. I just I'd look at them next year and be like, you guys got to come back and play good. Yeah, No, Dougger and a W.
So Jonathan Jones is like, you know, he's been dealing with a lot, but Douger evidently just no, he stinks now, he's not dealing with anything. Like, if you're on the field, you gotta play. I agree with Mike Douger hasn't played well. I know he's not healthy. I know he hasn't been physically right. I say the same thing about Jonathan Jones. I know he's not physically healthy. He hasn't played well. But I think that those two guys get looked at him differently because one of them signed a sort of modest contract to stay and Doug signed a big contract which put him at the high end of the safety scale. But it's still like relatively nothing in the in the scheme of contracts in the league. He just makes a lot for his safety. He hasn't played well. I agree with Mike No.
Eight five five Pats five hundred run from New York is next on the Patriots pregame Social Good Afternoon Run. You're next on the Patriots pre game Social Field by Duncan.
Good afternoon, guys, Thanks for taking the call. You're welcome. Ultimately is to just question the leadership of this franchise. Maybe you've talked about it already. I tuned in a little bit late, but like the key on White comments that came out this week, and it's been I mean, I follow, you know, Mike and Lazarre and Kyle's and Reese the comments throughout the season. These guys have been letting little things slip here and there. The coaches have had to walk things back and apologize on Monday morning shows. I just questioned the leadership. We're loaded to make a difference going into next season, but do we have the right guys in place to make make those picks, to spend that money to develop the players we already have to truly make a difference for this franchise. My fear is we're becoming the Dallas Cowboys or the La Raiders. And the point that I would say that to back that up is those franchises for years have been run or in the Raiders case, were run by the front office, the owners and in what other walk of life when you have a franchise, a productive business, a story franchise like the Patriots, would you say we need a complete rebuild? But then you hire a guy to run that that has never done the job and clearly is learning on the job. You always go with the strongest leaders you can find, and then you know, you move forward with the pieces that they clearly have going into this next offseason, we don't have that leadership we got guys nobody else wanted. They were unemployed for a reason. Some have done well, some have struggled. I mean on the defensive end, Covington is he's been left a lot to be desired. Avp's had his moments. Mayo's leadership has been questionable all season long, and it's just not acceptable when you're trying to turn a franchise around, to go from three and twelve to something respectable, that you have a guy that's just learning. And there's nothing against Mao. He's a terrific player and by all accounts, he's a leader of men in the business world, maybe more so than in the football room. But I just don't hear enough about questioning this leadership and are we being run by the ownership? Is that why we have a guy that maybe's brand new and learning on the job, because it's the owner that's instructing him on how to move forward. I just want to get your guys take on that, and thank you for taking a call.
Good questions run, Thank you for the call.
Yeah, I mean it's it's it's a really hard question. I mean, I think we don't I don't think we put enough attention on the fact that Mayo had never really coached a football team before. And I mean, and you know, you just put him in as kind of the CEO of the coaching staff and that you know he would put all these things together. But I think we've seen some real, real growing pains with him. And I think, you know, a lot of the points the caller made, you know, it's it's hard to disagree that they haven't been error repeaters at times that they haven't, you know, looked like game management has been an issue of getting on the same page and knowing how we want to play these things. And I just I'm look, I'm still shook from this last draft class. I think this last last draft class was hugely, hugely important. And yes, Drake may the layup at three overall has worked out pretty good. But I think they they I just wonder if the draft problems that existed the last five years still kind of existed this year. So they've got to figure out a way to get that right, because if they keep missing on these draft picks, it's going to be a long, long row back to any kind of competitive football.
Yeah, they won't have an opportunity to miss on anymore.
If that's yeah.
Yeah, And I don't think like we're talking about like Dallas that like the Jones family and Al Davis were heavily involved in personnel and they were really good at what they did. Like I think that those those get like thrown around like their punchlines all the time. Everybody tells me Dallas is one of the most talented teams in the league every year, but they don't have the coaching. That's why Mike McCarthy's on the hot seat. So that's not the problem. Like acquiring talents is not the problem, and it certainly wasn't the problem for the Raiders when Al Davis was alive. Now they don't do it that way anymore. Al Davis obviously is long gone and Mark Davis does not pick the players. They're doing it traditionally. They hire a GM and they've been failing. So like this whole notion of you know, we don't want to be one of those organizations, Yeah, they don't want to be successful like that. I mean, like the Raiders and the Cowboys, they had a lot of success. They haven't had it lately. But it's not because of the reasons you think.
Right, Dallas has got a much bigger, stronger talent pool they've had or I agree with you one hundred percent, Paul, And I think I mentioned this to you during the week. Was looking through a long read by I think Bill Barnwell, and he was going over some of the Raiders' drafts and he misss Reggie McKenzie, Mike Mayock, Dave Ziggler, all three of them. And there's one guy really to show out of all three of those regimes, and that's the kid Crosby, who's a terrific player. But there isn't a lot after that. And so we look at New England and see the draft woes of the last few years and go, oh boy, they haven't really had a lot of success drafting. The Patriot aren't the only one if you take a look at some of these teams out there there. It's it's why it's an exact an inexact science.
It's hard to do it is. I mean, I just a little throwback, you know. You guys know I've been working on a project for the four season. It's just you know, when you reflect back and it's like and look, I know it was Brady was a shot in the dark in two thousand that you got a six round pack. But you know, look at how they stack those drafts. I mean, you get a Hall of Famer and Richard Seymour, you get a ten year plus left tackle in Matt Light. The next year you get Dion Branch who had something like twenty two catches and two Super Bowls. You know, was he a Number one? I don't know, but he sort of delivered when the time was on. David Gibbons. You know another guy who was productive, Ty Warren. I mean, you look at the draft classes two thousand, two thousand and one, two thousand and two, two thousand, that little chunk.
Like this year was watching in will Fork.
Each year they're at least stacking one or two players who are going to be long term, solid contributors at positions of real need. And that's as much part of that sustained excellence that they had as I want to say, as much as anything, but they played a part in it. You know, you're getting guys every year at important positions on rookie contracts and now you're not that anymore. Now you're chasing it in free agency. You're trying to somehow they got to get back onto that track.
And just as big. You know, when you have a really good team and your six, you know, sustaining success the way that those teams were. Now you're drafting guys, you know, in the middle to late rounds like Jarvis Green and Dan Copen and they become important players because you're good. You know, you get a center in the fifth round who just sort of steps in and plays, but you stink, it's not really the same, do you know what I mean? But Dan Copen is a really valuable player as a fifth round pick in the middle of a dynasty, you know what I mean. Like, and that's they got a lot of good play like that as well, not just the hits.
On the top. Yeah, I mean he was a hit at the top of sin you know with fork right, Like I mean, just you know, you lose Ted Washington and now you've got another young nose tackle that uh, you know was so critical to that defense and you know then carried them all the way through till those lean years until they got back to the championship in twenty four two.
Bridgetone is the official tire of the New Patriots, and they're proud to partner with Sullivan Tire New England's headquarters for quality bridgetone tires. Visit sullivantire dot com to find a location near you. Back to the phones, eight five to five, pass five hundred the number. Kendall from North Carolina is next on the Patriots pregame show fueled by Duncan. Good afternoon, Kendall, you're next.
Good take it out you all right? All right? My question for all of you, I guess you could start with I guess Paul, Paul Pop Dougley. Do y'all think he I got two?
Quick?
Pop Dugley's you think he's been the think he is like a number three receiver, maybe even like a four. I don't think even. I think he's probably a three really for us. And my second question is if if we keep that number two spot, if y'all had to pick the day. Now, I know pre Ac and all the other stuff leading to the drafts going way into it, but if you had to pick today with the number two people, who would y'all take? And I take it off, appreciate it. I'll do a good job.
Good questions, Kennill, Thank you very much. Who wants to tackle Pop first?
I'd say, yeah, he's kind of a four. I mean, I you know, I just I think he's a solid though fair, complimented, complimentary slot player. I'm passing downs and he's got some quickness to him. But he can't be the guy drive in, drive out, driving the train, high volume, a lot of cats. I mean, he just doesn't have the frame to hold up to that stuff. So I mean that just goes back to I think me and Paul are lockstep that you need two receivers a top the depth chart this offseason and then and then we can talk about Booty. He's a good all right, Booty is your number three and rotates in and you know, Pop Douglas is your four like that that that's.
Mconk yeah, oh lad, McConkey is much more talented. But Pop Douglas, I think is he's a good player if you have a good offense, and I think he look a lot better. I think you could use him in individual spots and he could he could give you some value. And I always bring up the different guys Mike that are you know, sort of not gadget guys, but guys that you know, oh yeah, we have him too, like Taevon Austin. You know, or two to two at well with the Rams right now. You know, I think that he can be a valuable player if you had a good team. I think you're asking him to do too much. And I don't want to get caught up in the numbers like he's a one or two or three what I know that drives you crazy times.
That's why I jumped into it.
But I do think that you need you need guys that are at the top of the pecking water, like to your point in oh four like like like that and that. First of all, it was a much different error. They ran the ball right. They had a sixteen hundred yard rusher in that on on the old fourteen. But Troy Brown was the number one guy, right, and everybody fell in place because Troy Brown was the guy that you know, Brady leaned on the most, you know, one hundred catches I think in one or whatever it was, that was the guy. Not a traditional number one receiver, but they were able to get by because you have Brady.
So I'll give you another one in that era, Jarvis Green. Mike already mentioned him a second ago on a team with Richard Seymour, uh Ty, Warren, Vince Wolfork. Jarvis Green's a rotational player. The problem today is you're playing guys like Jarvis Green. And Jarvis Green is a good player.
So don't get me wrong, Dietrich Wise is probably a better player than Jarvis Green. Jarvis Green made way more plays than Dietrich Wise, right, But my point is, like Green was a rotational player. There's too many guys on this team who should be rotational players. But because the rosters the way it is, are playing way too many STAPs.
Yeah, let me jump in on that. Because tie it all together, Richard Seymour gets traded in nine, Jarvis Green suddenly becomes the starter right defensive end. We talked about what happened in the opening of that Baltimore game. In the nine playoff, they ran right by Jarvis Green, who, you know, some to Dietrich Wise was kind of that rush guy that would come in. You know, he's not the base defensive end in your three. And now you know, and it's similar to what's you know happen here a little bit that you're asking guys to do a little bit more than maybe they should be doing. And you know, to Paul's point about Pop Douglass, you start adding some other talent, you get that Seymour back in the mix. All of a sudden, Jarvis Green has elevated his game, and he's doing great in a limited role when he's not being asked to be the guy. Could be the same thing for Pop Douglas.
Right, we didn't answer, Uh, the gentleman's question about who would you take it to?
Probably Travis Center, but I have no idea that probably probably Travis Hunder or Abdual Carter rid Right now, I take the edge cush on him.
I take the edge just because I think he's uh, you know, he's he's raw, He's gonna need some time.
But a lot of people think he's the same kind of player that you're talking about, situational guy.
Okay.
Uh.
Kendall and Vermont is up next on the Patriots pregame Social fueled by Duncan Good Afternoon.
Kendall's two kends in a row going on double Kendall questions.
I have a question about white situation. So if he refining or leaving, Uh, he's clearly disgrunkled. Here recently spotted rock in the Bill Belichick NFL films. Could he swiss leads?
Uh?
It's weird we cut players in our off season, primarily the quarterback room to essentially like out with the old, in with the new, did we miss players?
Like?
Is that something to look into again? And Uh? Also, I don't even think he on wipes that good. He's complaining about things changing, improving the run game, improving in the run game. For himself, from what I've seen, he's not existed in the run defense. He shows a few flashes and path rushing and our defense when our defense passed him with containing his numbers or shots. Uh, what kind of role is best for him personally?
Yeah, yeah, I would disagree with you. I think they brought all of the previous regime back. I mean, they get rid of the quarterback, but everybody else came back. I mean, we just went over a lot of them, the re signings of the players that who I mean, who would they allow to leave mac Wilson pretty much. And that's why I said the quarter other than the quarterback, which was obvious research. You drafted. You drafted a quarterback with a third overall pick. Obviously you were gonna that wasn't because out with the old that was get better Like everybody else resigned. I think they did way too much of that, To be honest with you. You're watching Keon Whites under contract for two more years.
Pregame war ups are going on Patriots in their snappy home blues. We got a little uniform vote on what we look like is the dirty grazers It the.
Whites, the dirty gray dirt.
Right. That means the chargers will go with the whites maybe and the light blue or the yellow. What do you think we got today out.
Of the charger?
Seen anything yet?
No, I haven't seen anything. I know they're not wearing the powder blues.
I will say that those pants don't look as dirty with the blue.
They don't. They looks like white.
With white, they look dirty. Yes, with the blue, it just looks like it doesn't match.
It's interesting to me, though, I mean they've I think they've worn these great bottoms with the blue tops more than they've won.
We haven't won the blue plants for a long time.
Oh year, So maybe the them be getting phased out.
Perhaps? All right, Matt, let's why don't we hit the over under poleae sir.
It's time for this week's edition of over Unders.
The pencil is out Paul's fear ferociously writing down. Paul, why don't we go over the stats?
Uh, let's see here. I went four and two last week, Mike went three and three, No socks one and five. Season standings. I am fifty nine thirty one and Mike and No Socks fifty and forty.
I think I had to text my responses back to Matt Morrell, and I think he got them all wrong. I think that's probably the reason why. That's that's the reason for my one.
And about that, are you sure about that?
I'm sticking to it. How about that? Out of the shoot, we start with Drake May passing yards at two nineteen and a hey to nineteen and a half, Paul.
I'll take the over on that.
Yeah, I'm gonna go over just because he's not even wearing sleeves today, so he looks ready. Look at him right there, he looks very fire. The ball more than two hundred and nineteen point five.
Yards three for three on the over for Drake May. And then we go to the other quarterback. That's Justin Herbert passing yards two thirty two point five for Justin Herbert.
Mike, Yeah, I just I wonder if he's gonna have to throw this much if the Chargers get that run game going. I don't think he really will have to. I'm gonna say they do get the run game going, Herbert just has to be efficient and has a low passing outward. So I'm gonna say under on.
That for I'm gonna say under also, And as a just a quick aside, we see Drake May taking snaps from colest Stranger.
I was gonna bring that up. Good job, Paul, and we're three for three on the justin Herbert under never by the way, just a little nerdy point here, kind of like to handheld camera that we get a little nice for the quarterback in center exchange warm ups. Very nice job, beautiful. Next up, Drake May rushing yards at twenty six point five.
Paul, I'm gonna take the under on that, just a hunch.
I'm gonna take the over just to try to play off of Paul's hunch to see if I can maybe make up some ground.
I'm gonna follow mister Dusseau and go over on that. He did that in one run a couple of weeks ago, total punts.
Eight and a half.
Who was wishing for.
A shootout that as many punts. I was wishing for a shootout, but I don't think im what's realistic doesn't look like there's rain right now is high twenties. The low twenties, I feel like is realistic. I'm gonna go under on that one.
If it's my turn, it is your turn, and you're gonna go under, I will follow you on the under.
I think it's just a lot of running, not a lot of you know, long position.
All right, I'll take the under.
Also three for three on the total punts. JK Rowling, I mean JK. Dobson or Dobbins. I'll get it right one of the times. Uh, he's the primary back for the Chargers. You'll runners at fifty five and a half?
Is that for the first half, Because I'm gonna I'm gonna hammer. I'm gonna hammer the over I'm gonna hammer the over on that one.
What worries you? He's not? Okay, Gus buses out though, Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna guess you guys are right. I would hammer the over all, right, hammer.
The over all right, you guys are hammering hammering.
Yeah, that wasn't hammering it yet.
That was not hammering you.
Uh.
And last but not least is a total score forty two and a hey, forty two and a hey. On this one, Mike's looking for a shootout or wanting a shootout? Do you get what you want?
Yeah?
That's uh, that seems a little tiny, tiny, tiny bit low to me. I'm gonna go over. I'm gonna go over on that one. Be optimistic here.
I am taking the under. I don't think these are the most high powered teams.
I'll uh, I'll go with Paul and that I will go under as well. Back to the phone lines at eight five five, five hundred. Uh, let's go to Deshaun and Virginia. You are next on the Patriots pregame show Social fueled by Duncan Good Afternoon.
DeShawn Good, afternoon, guys.
How you guys doing fantastic yourself?
Fine?
Good? Good.
I wanted to piggyback off the caller before name wrong, like say, he's basically spot on, because remember the time when I was talking about uh that I think the reason why there's a lot of I think it's a lot more bad teams and have ever seen before whatever see, But I wanted to bress up on that see what I see from a lot of teams right now. Like I say, you know, a lot of teams to be able to draft well. When you talk about the Cowboys and Rais or whatever, a lot of these teams that have had talent or whatever, but the coaching and on from the from the head people that called the shot on to the coach or on to the quarterback has been de fine for a lot of these teams. The foundation has been nice, but from the from the top on has not been great. But now when I look at the patient situation, I look at as as being in a double wa double whammy situation because not all the coach is gonna be bad, but I'm worried about who's got to be stuck with the grocery as well as they're gonna do a good job at it. So that that's the biggest problem what I see with uh, you know, with us right now, you know versus other teams, the other teams has been being able to draft well, like Tampa for example. I mean, Tempe's always been a team that I've been looking at for years. They have great talent, but they've always had a guy thy touchdowns and the head on has a big break, but they've been able to draft well. But I see true problems second hands down the strap. Yeah, that's all I have to say.
Thank you to Shun.
I mean, I just I share the same concerns as to Sean. You know, and they have you know, everyone will say we got all right, they got some money to spend this year, they're gonna, you know, make some additions in free agency. They should be very active. That they have ten draft picks, one of which will will hopefully be in the top ten. But how can I have confidence right now that they're gonna nail it, that they're gonna nail that. Boy, you know, it's just it's it's hard to say. You're gonna just have to wait and see and cross your fingers that they do it.
I don't know why you just said something there that perked me up a little bit, And I get what you're saying. How do you have confidence that they're gonna nail it after one whack? Do you not have confidence? I mean, the streets littered with teams that have quote unquote blown drafts, okay from very respected organizations, evaluators, et cetera. Does one draft make or break a player evaluation room. And I think that you know, as I hear people talk about, well, it's not fear. You know, Gerarde only had one year. Isn't the same true with the personnel department?
Yeah? Not to me. They've been around. I mean a lot of these guys have been here for five years of bad drafts.
Right, I mean that's and like I think, you know, on a certain level, I don't know what level, but you're right, You're right that you know, Elliott, Yes.
These are the guys a lot of identifying the players. These are the guys that are put in their big you know, what's on the table and asking if you want to draft fast players. You got to draft fast players if you want, if you want tough guys like these are the guys that are you know, we're getting to hear from after drafts. These are the guys that are evaluating the talent in the draft. Sorry, like they haven't been good enough.
And it's just and it's jarring how bad that this rookie class has been. I mean, other than Drake. I mean, you feel great about Drake, but after that, I mean, to you know, I wouldn't in a million years have thought I don't remember when to kill Harry caught his first year. I'm guessing it's more than twelve passes. I'm getting he touched the bone.
But it's a good question.
In any world, I never saw that this kind of you know, production from these guys Leyden Robinson, maybe you know, maybe you have a little suit men are and and like I said, at a certain point, you might just have to pencil him in at left guard next year and you know, hope he continues to develop. But uh, like I'm a little shook. That's just I mean, it's a and it's a me problem because it's how many have go ahead, you're laughing, twelve exactly.
Twelve one oh five in two touchdowns?
Right, Oh my god, it's just like, Paul.
Can you help me out there, if you would? On the lower third. They are the fifteen Hall of Fame finalists. Yes, yes, so did the kicker make it?
The kicker made it? No Rod hot Rod, no hot Rod, no.
No Harrison, no will Fork. Okay, I don't know if they were even they already made it to the past.
They were they were to the next level. Will Fork fell off.
So Vinitaria is a finalist.
Uh and then guys with sort of peripheral you know, touching of the Patriots, Fred Taylor, Fred Taylor, toyam yes, a Hall of Famer.
Okay, John and Los Angeles is next on the Patriots pre game Social Fuel by Duncan. Good afternoon, John, and good morning in your case, because you're in Los Angeles and I'm not.
So I'm in New York. I just started a long time ago, John in l A.
And I moved very good.
Thank you for so uh.
I first wanted to say I agree with everything you guys have been talking about in terms of how frustrating it is with the drafting, but I also have to say I'm so freaking psyched about uh Drake May and I love watching him play and develop. So I feel like I just want to chime in with with a positive there. I mean, I know you all agree, but I just think he's a great kid. I love watching him play football. I did have one comment about one his receivers. I love the attitude and the energy from Kendrick Warren, but I don't understand he's just not a hard worker. I mean, is that their rumblings.
Of that because he's always talking about like.
Oh, he's got to buckle down and he didn't run the right route.
And yeah, I kind of think, well, I think maybe we're harshing words here. I think he's a very hard worker. I think he works his tail off. I was actually sorry Peter King voice here, Well, was it an off season workout with him at one point in time. He's a very hard working kid. I think where the problem is is maybe he's not the most buttoned up kid, and maybe it's attention to details and a lack of focus potentially situationally that gets in the way with him.
Yeah, brain farts, you know, and that's I think popped up with some of the you know, critical moments. Yeah, that's I mean, I think, thank you John having it having him to you know. It's just it's hard because these guys prorect project good energy, but it starts to get annoying when they lose and you're like, stop being so happy all the time.
Although it's it's the energy, it's great, where's the production's got to follow.
The I think I think it affects the way people report about these guys because he's great and I really enjoy talking to Kendrick points. I don't pretend to have such a personable Yeah, I don't pretend to have like a personal one on one relationship with him, but in my dealings with him, he's terrific to talk to. He's he's a lot of fun. Yeah, that's great.
How much places did you have this one?
He's the poster child for what Mike's talking about. You know, I almost third and ten and I broke that off at eight yards. That's my bad. Yeah, Like, well, I know that was supposed to run this route, but I ended up in the same spot where the ball was and I drew coverage. That's my bad. He's the poster child for that. But no one, no one ever like criticizes him because he's a great guy, right, and there's great energy.
I'm not suggesting that this is going to be the case with this player. I'm just saying this has been a topic that we talked about earlier in the show. Okay, the administration and whoever's a part of the administration are going to have decisions to make in the upcoming months, and a case could be made from a blanket statement, Well, we went three and fourteen with this guy. How much worse can it be if he's not on the team, you know. I mean, well that.
Was kind of my point about like who do you have that?
And that's the points of the forty three guys is that you know, you have to bring people in to make these guys compete. And you know, maybe it is like a T. Higgins comes in and there's now an alpha dog and it's more than just having a number one. It's about re establishing them or the room and Drake's throwing it to T. Higgins over and over and over that see them right?
Oh very good.
But you know that now it's like everybody else, there's no more conversation about like get on their level. Yeah, you know that's what has to happen.
Very fair, A little Sunday six pack time, please, Matt.
This is the Sunday six pack, So kick back and listen up position. I'm getting to getting the pits back.
You better bring a big stack, get it mixed jack to win it.
Yet, this is the Sunday sixth.
Bad Paul pencil Paul, it looks like there was a unbelievable performance last week to vault someone into contention.
There was there was also that had been Paul that was youhll socks. No, socks went five and one to pull into a tie with with me, I went four and two.
Why does it say two and four?
Yeah, because I went four and two. Evidently I couldn't get fixed on the on the on the redo, whoa fixed? No not mine sheet hasn't been and Mike was three and three I believe. So the season's standings don't seem to make a lot of sense. I should be forty six, forty four and two. Uh no socks, No, I don't know.
I feel like I'm gonna get.
I'm just gonna say forty four, forty four and two for me for no socks, forty three, forty five and two real battle Royale here two and two.
I don't know in our week seventeen games, let's kick things off.
Uh maybe maybe someone's paying attention.
Is today the only Saturday game we're doing, mister Moreau, we are, I think, and we'll save that.
Wait a minute, that's a matter.
That's a better guy.
So on my page here, I have a little problem here.
Oh yeah, the records are wrong.
Sorry.
Oh that's that's been updated. It is okay, that's on that one, Matt.
Sorry, much more better. Okay, here we go. One Saturday game it is, and we'll get to that at the end. Tomorrow one pm. Sneaky important game for Paul's Buffalo Bills, who are a ten point favorite at home against the New York Football Jets. The four to eleven Jets against the twelve and three Bills. Kick us off, please, Paul, Yeah, I'll take Buffalo. They got to win one of the last two. I don't know if they'll dump this one or the next one, but they only need one win against the Jets or the Patriots to clinch the second seed. I say they get it done in this one. You're gonna lay that heavy number. Yeah, okay, Michael.
Yeah, I'm gonna lay the heavy number two. But I will say I'm I'm rooting for the Jets. The Jets somehow pull off a miraculous If you want a better game, the Bills come next weekend, they gotta win it. Like, I think that's much better.
Okay, Just to be dare to be different. I will take the points, although I like the Bills to win the game. Also at one o'clock, the seven and eight Mike McCarthy led Dallas. Mike McCarthy Dallas Cowboys take on the suddenly questionable Philadelphia Eagles without Jalen Hurts, and the Eagles are seven and a half point favorites with Wilson Pickett at quarterback. Michael, who's your pick?
Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna take Philly still. I just think think I'm gonna play for and they'll be fired up try to do it without Jalen Hurts.
Yeah, I think that they will win this game easily, but I am gonna take the seven and a half points with the back door cover. I think Dallas has been frisky. I think they won something like five out of six or four out of five. They have been frisky, so I think that they'll continue to play, play hard. But I'll take the points.
I'll Philly will, I'll concur with young Perillo and take the points in that game with an Eagle win. At four pm tomorrow and Patriots fans, no excuses for you to not sit in your chair and enjoy a lot of football tomorrow. The sort of still in the playoff hunt seven and eight Miami Dolphins are at Cleveland to take on the three and twelve Browns, where the Dolphins are four and a half point.
Favorites, Paul, I'm gonna take Miami in that one. Cleveland just no no offense to speak of.
Yeah, Michael Hard I am tempted by Miami playing outside here north in I guess late this summer, but I will take Miami.
Forty degree whether it's not cold enough for Miami to complete the collapse. I will take the Dolphins. Giving the four and a half. The other four o'clock game, I guess it's this is the game of the day. Huh yeah, oh yeah. The Minnesota Vikings, who are one and a half point favorites at thirteen and two, hosts the eleven and four Green Bay Packers.
Good game, Paul, I will take the Vikings. Green Bay generally does not win when they play teams that are good, so I will take the Vikings.
Is that a trend that I should be following.
They lost to Minnesota, they lost to Philadelphia, they lost to Detroit. I think they'll lose to Minnesota again. They ast to destroy twice. I think that that continues.
Okay, Michael, I'm gonna take green Bay. All things must end. I think they're playing really good right now.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna get on the Green Bay Bean wagon for this one as well, and try to buck.
Paul's trent, which means I'll lose Monday Night every time. I'll all buy myself I.
Lose Monday Night football has the potentially playoff bound Washington Commanders, who could take on the Eagles. That would be an interesting first round playoff game. The Commanders are three and a half point favorite against a team desperate to try to get into the playoffs, and that's the division leading Atlanta Falcons, who are eight and seven. Michael, who do you like in that game?
Yeah, I'm gonna go with the Commanders at home, but I know, you know, Atlanta fighting for their lives here. I just don't know if Pennicks can get it done on the road.
Tea.
I'll take Washington. Also really really impressed with the Commanders season in general.
I will too. A couple of schizophrenic teams here though, and so in the under the umbrella of to be different and try to make some hey where you can and different yourself, I'll take the Flackens in this game against the Commanders, which leads us to the only game on Matt Morrell's board from today, where the three and twelve New England Patriots are getting six whole points against the LA Clippers. The Clippers can clinch a playoff spot today with a win. Here at you, let's stad him against the Patriots deuce.
Yeah, I'm gonna take I don't think the Patriots have got it. I wish I could say I think they keep it close, but I think the Chargers just a little bit need this one. Usually that's the team that's gonna win. I'm gonna take the Chargers twenty seven to twenty.
Do we have to put a number on this.
Yeah, I'm with Mike. I'm gonna take the Chargers. Unfortunately, the pick that I've made all year, suddenly this line has moved from four and a half to six. Evidently today I had twenty three seventeen of Just for the sake of an argument, I'll say twenty three sixteen and give the Chargers the.
Cover competitive in a game performance by the Patriots. I'll pick for the purpose of this exercise, the Chargers to win and cover and make the playoffs in the postseason. First year for Jim Harbaugh. We're watching pregame warmups here as Drake May throwing there as pregame warmups are dialing back a little bit. It'd be nice to see Mike. I think at the top of the show you mentioned that you'd like to see Drake go off. I don't know if you said it as eloquently as I just said it right there, but you'd like to see some Drake magic today. Sure be nice for the hometown fans, wouldn't it?
Echoing what you know what John from LA said, Uh, just want to see Drake continue to fire away, let them be aggressive with him, and just limit the turnovers. I think that's the biggest thing for me. You can get out of a game which just like he played pretty well, but he didn't turn the ball over. I think that's a win.
I'm with Mike, like he hasn't really done that. It hasn't really gone off like he's he's had good games, But I I I would like to see him, you know, throw for three fifty you know something like that, and you know, three touchdowns with no no blemishes on the on the ledger. But no, I think he's had a good rookie year. I think I think we all can agree on that.
All right, I'm gonna jump ahead here a little bit and jump on a topic of conversation that I think, while it might not dominate next week's discussion, I think will be a point of discussion next week. Do they sit drink me next week against the Buffalo?
I don't think so. I mean I I think yeah. I mean it's you need to play Joe Milton. But I'm a little bit tempted just if the if the Bill's got nothing to play, I would.
If you're gonna be if it's gonna be a JV game, why don't you go all JV.
Because I think you can get your quarterback valuable experience playing. Okay, just in general, do you have.
To worry about him getting hurt in a quote unquote meaningless game. I do think that that topic is coming up next week. I would say that, or or do you think I'm crazy?
No, I think we're going to be talking about Joe Milton because people say that you have to find out if you have a backup quarterback. Now we have to find out if we have a backup quarterback. I don't really understand that.
I don't think that's that's a horrible thing to find out if you can on I mean any game.
Situation, like does a factor in it all, Just so franchise.
Let's just say for document's sake that Joe Milton plays and he plays lights out? Does that mean you have a backup quarterback?
No?
That's looked it up, locked up?
So what so what are we doing?
But is there anything to be said though? For having Drake may a draw to the fans that are gonna come out here next Saturday and watch a meaningless game, and you know, like.
You want to split reps?
Feel like like a do that next Sunday. Don't do that. I'm sorry, don't do that. Don't do that.
Do you split reps and give me your half?
No?
Okay, no I wouldn't.
I mean, I know there, Matt, you are in the majority. A lot of people are clamoring to see Joe Milton because you have to find out if you have a backup quarterback. I'm not clamoring a lot of people are wondering about that. I am not, Like, I don't Drake Bay gets hurt?
What do you say to Drake?
Like?
Why what do you tell him? Why are we sitting here.
Like you're all set? You don't you showed everything? Have like we just got finished saying he hasn't really done what Mike is looking for it yet. Keen starts, but like.
What if he blows doors off today and has that kind of game that Mike Smith, can you.
Do it again?
Okay?
Like he's played ten games. Yeah, no, I doesn't need the experience.
I think it's an interesting discussion. I don't want to be the fence. Like I said, you can see both sides.
You are in the majority. A lot of people agree with you that that's an interesting discussion. I do not. I don't have any interest whatsoever in finding out if I have backups. I need to find out if I have starters. Okay, and I don't. And I'm sorry, I'm not convinced after ten games that I have the guy like he's my starting quarterback going forward. I need him to get as much experience as possible. I don't you know, I'll worry about the backups later. If you get to to OTA's next year and you're like, it looks like he's really progressed much. You gotta go out and get a veteran backup.
Don't you think they're gonna get like every other team, Don't you think they're gonna get a veteran backup anyway.
I mean ideally, no, Like I get the fans thing like that's an advantage to not have to go out and spend you know, five six million on a on a veteran backup quarterback. If Joe Milton can be the guy. But if they get to you know what, you know what I'm saying, like you like, they'll have him in the off season program. He'll be here in April and when they get started and they'll do all their film study and they'll be in the rooms and they'll get out and do on field work. If he can't do it, they'll know, and you go out and get a backup quarterback.
It's not the same, But I thought it was interesting. I come from the same school. So who's a kid that preceded Milton to Tennessee Hooker. Yeah, so Detrochi's went out and got a veteran guy because they're a little bit they're a little bit worried as to what happens if golf goes down. I don't know. I don't think they're doing it just to be nice to Teddy Bridgewater, do.
You, Yeah, I mean I think it's probably more because Hendon Hooker hasn't played much football.
I like that kid.
He tore his a cl right, But yeah, I mean I do think it's it's similar, And I think that's what you do if you felt like you didn't have enough depth that quarterback is you make a signing like that.
Yeah.
Now, I personally don't feel any better about Teddy Bridgewall playing than I do Handon Nooker.
The guy who's been with the team the entire year, you'd like to think.
Plus, I just think Teddy Bridgewater's career ended, unfortunately with that horrific injury that you suffered, right, I don't think he's ever been the same since.
I don't know, Paul. I think that when there's not a lot of subjects to discuss, as we look into the Buffalo game next.
Week, that's going to be one.
I hate to say it, right, Yeah, that is just Matt.
Matt Mat a little bit in front of that one, see a little bit mad and I Mike, you should learn from us. We like to give you the narrative ahead of time. Anybody can tell you what the narrative was.
No, I love I love it, and I tell you what it's going to be. I also love sometimes when I randomly stumble upon which you're like.
Like you next week, not you?
You know you're on it this week?
All right, Paul, I'm gonna ask a favor please, with your hands and keywards, would you pull up the finals to fifteen finalists please for the Hall of Fame unless you can remember off the top of your head. I just saw on the crawl. I saw Eli and I saw Antonio Gates. You can book those guys. They're going into Canton this year. Count of both in first ballot? Does our guy av get in or is he gonna get stiffed?
I think he's the greatest kicker in NFL.
Hit well, I don't think anybody. I think everybody agrees on that one, Mike. But somebody gonna sit there and go the kicker doesn't deserve it.
I mean, if we're being honest, I look at that group of guys and I would I mean, all right.
In alphabetical order, Eric Allen no, Jared Allen, no, Willie Anderson no, Jarry Evans no, Antonio Gates, yes, Tory Hold no, Luke Keigley no, Eli Manning yes, Steve Smith.
I think I need to look at his stats. I think Steve Smith's a pretty good player.
Terrell Suggs.
I think Suggs is getting.
Fred Taylor, no, Adam Vanna, Terry Yes, Reggie Wayne, Yes, Darren Woodson no Marshall Yanda.
So Woodson and Harrison are kind of knocking each other out there, and Woodson gets a nod kind of interesting there that he gets in and he doesn't. Uh So Steve Smith versus Reggie Wayne, who goes Reggie Wayne?
Right?
I would take all three of those receivers, Steve Smith, Tory Holds, Reggie Wayne.
They were going in, only six can go in? Right?
I mean, I don't know, I don't know how they do it, but I think there are all three of those guys are Hall of famers. I don't care the order he's telling you.
Maning like Smith, Eric.
Allen to me, never struck me as a Hall of famer Jared Allen, he did. He struck me as a Hall of Fame player. Willie Anderson. I don't know enough. Jarry Evans. I know these guys have a million Pro Bowls and all pros. Sure, let all the let all the linemen in. Terrell Suggs absolutely hall of famer. Antonio Gates no brainer to me. Eli Manning wouldn't be for me. I know he's going in New York. Med will carry him in. I'm not naive, but this isn't There only one New.
York guy, doesn't matter. Dyl influenced the room.
They're very loud.
Because everybody loves New York.
Think Av's gonna have an uphill climate. Looks like here.
I think he's in.
I hope you're right. I hope you're right. All right, So in just a few minutes, the three and twelve New England Patriots with a chance to spoil today the Chargers playoff hopes will take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh year one has got the team right on the cusp of the playoffs, and while the Patriots are looking to be spoilers, can Drake may play a clean game today? That would be something to look for that we hope we could talk about in the postgame show for Mic to show for Paul Parillo. My name is Matt Smith. We thank everybody behind the glass and the pregame show. We'll see you after the game to dissect and analyze the entire thing.
Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple, Google Play, and everywhere else you listen. Like the show, please rate and review us. Listener comments and ratings help keep us high in the podcast rankings so new listeners can find us. Be sure to check Patriots dot com for more news and more podcasts.
Patriots Postgame Show join Matt Smith along with Patriots dot Com Paul Parrillo and Mike dessou as they offer instant analysis after every Patriots game. We bring you the good, the bad, and the injured from each game. Plus you'll hear press conferences, exclusive player interviews, and more on the Patriots Postgame Show. Search for Patriots Postgame anywhere you get your podcasts
