Patriots Playbook: Recapping Jets Loss, Previewing 49ers

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
On Patriot's play The Religions upon Chung of brings heat
play the Storm from Brady's Schools to New Star Rison
The playbook super so mismerizing and slable.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Patriots Playbook is your host Shong book legend and Patrists.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Keep doing it, baby, keep doing it. Yeah, I love
it absolutely. I can understand why that one got some votes.
That's a good one.

Speaker 4 (00:52):
Whoa, whoa, whoa. This is my first time hearing this.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Very did that several Oh.

Speaker 4 (00:57):
Wow, that was fantastic.

Speaker 3 (00:59):
Who Ever did that has been on his game.

Speaker 4 (01:02):
Good stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
He's had a little help from computers, but other than that,
you know, he's on his game.

Speaker 4 (01:06):
At the bots.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
Now was that a bottle or what was that? I
don't know. To take a little bit of original ability, right,
you had to like you, I gave it words. You
had to feed it a little something, feeded a little
ticker tape, whatever it used to be, right, I gave
it the genre of music I wanted. I think that
the Yeah, that's good. That's absolutely good. By the way,

(01:27):
because you're playing the music. I wanted to start with
something today because I went to TD Garden Monday night
to see Jeff Lynn in Elo are you do you
even know who jeff Lyn and el R?

Speaker 4 (01:39):
I don't know who that is.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
You don't know who that is? Do you know who
that is? Okay? Electric Light Orchestra right, Okay, big big,
big band of the nineteen seventies out of the UK.
So obviously our UK friends know about jeff Lynn in
the E l O. Right, and this is their farewell tour.
And so mss Robin is a huge, huge fan of
ELO is her best of her favorite group ever. Okay,

(02:00):
so I did this. I bought the tickets back for
her birthday in June. Of course the concert was last
what a guy Monday, I know, right, but but there's
always a butt. But the line was incredibly long to
get into the garden. I have never seen anything like that,
not even for a sports event Celtics playoffs, forget it.

(02:21):
There's not a line like that getting in. The line
snaked all the way down the entire block of I'm
trying to remember what the cross street there is. Anyway
it was. It took us fifty minutes to get into
the garden.

Speaker 4 (02:38):
So were you coming up the back? Yes, the back
way now so they funnel everybody through that way. Now
back when I was a kid and I go games
with my dad, you just come right in through the escalators.
There would be like on either side, and North Station
would be like right in front of you. Right now,
they funnel everybody into that back entrance and they just
cram people in there like like like you're at like

(03:00):
a rave or something like that, and you just it's terrible.
I don't understand. It's they're trying to control traffic by
making traffic in my opinion, but I'm not a city
planner or whatever.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
I gotta go there next Friday. I hate hearing all this.
I'm sorry, but I gotta I gotta warn you it was.
It just wasn't fun. It sucked the life out of
the night. We were all fired up for a great and
by the way, the concert was great. Jeff Lynn, first
of all, has not lost a beat. He looked like
he stepped right out of nineteen seventy five. It's amazing. So,

(03:30):
I mean, it was just like out and back into
a time warp. And most everybody in the concert, not everyone,
but i'd say the overwhelming majority. And the garden was packed,
I mean to the gills. So it was very much
an athletic event, you know, type of atmosphere. But everybody
was you know, my age are close to it anyway,

(03:51):
because Elo was a big group when I was a
teenager and and the music was fantastic. And they've changed
over the band and the orchestral part of it, and
you know, new people involved from the original group clearly,
but Lynn is obviously still the original and they're still
churning it out and they haven't missed a beat. I
just was amazed that it took us almost an hour

(04:13):
to get into the damn building. Yeah yeah, yeah, just
like I said, it makes you want to just you know,
stay home and crack on the big TV. I hear you,
I know, right, all right, that's guys what we're doing
this weekend too, except you you're going to go to
San Francisco.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
I am, that's true. Yeah, first time, So.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
This is your maiden voyage to San Francisco.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
First time in San Francisco, first time to Levi Stadium.
So I actually do have a spreadsheet I'm keeping track
of all the stadiums that this is such a humble brag.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
No, No, this is great. I'm impressed. I'm jealous. I
wanted to do that too.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
Yeah, So I've kept track, and I believe this is
like twenty four or twenty five out of the thirty
two or thirty one technically because met Life.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Is yeah yeah for two teams.

Speaker 4 (04:56):
Yeah yeah, but I believe this is like twenty five
for twenty five.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
But you're getting there.

Speaker 5 (05:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (05:01):
But unfortunately with the some of the ones are NFC West,
So now I have to wait until the next round
where they play the NFC West because I've never been
to Seattle, for example, So like some of the ones
are still probably for like four years away from me
checking them out. But but you do in four years time,
I'm here for the long call. Yeah, that's yeah, absolutely done.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
Well, then you gotta you got to cruisean Barca Daro.
You gotta go, uh you know, I mean you can
do some of the touristy things, like you go to
the Giordillic Chocolate factory, which is always kind of fun.
It's always good to you know, bring that significant other
in your like in your life, a little you know,
candy sweet treat, yeah, little sweet treat. So it's pretty
good stuff. But so the seafoods pretty good. But listen,

(05:44):
if you don't go to in and out Burger. You're
a nut.

Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well, I bet. I used to live in Los Angeles,
so then you know I've been to in an out
Burger one hundred times.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
You got to get a double double animal style. You
just know the way to order it.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
Yeah, and the I like the fries. You order them
well done, well, order.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Them well done. Also get the animal style as well.
Then they put the sauce in the onion, Like, oh my.

Speaker 4 (06:04):
God, you get them. You gotta get them well though,
because then they're a little bit more like crunchy h
and that they're good.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
Yeah. Well all right, so you got that going for
you this weekend? Right, so much for the football. I
waiting for that. I don't. I don't. I don't want
to be Doggie Downer today. I really don't. We're Debbie
Downer today. I don't. Wah wah wah. You have that one, Marian,
you got that one. He's looking for it. Wait wait
here it comes, wait wait wait wait for it.

Speaker 4 (06:34):
Yeah, there you go.

Speaker 3 (06:36):
I I have been on at w h O not
w O. I just after watching last Thursday night, I
I'm like, man, uh, it didn't take long to reverse
all the momentum. From that opening week, you know, the
surprise performance against Cincinnati, who are and three by the way, Yeah,

(06:58):
and there, so that it just goes to show you
the old adage, no matter how bad you have it,
somebody else has got it worse than you do. Yeah,
and so that that's the case. But be that as
it made. That's their ball of axe. Patriots have to
worry about their ballo axe now. And you know, the
only thing that has any interest holding any interest from

(07:19):
me going into Sunday is the fact that the forty
nine ers are so banged up themselves. They're worse off than,
you know, than New England. They maybe worse off than
any other team in the NFL right now in terms
of their interest. Do we know if Kittle's gonna play.

Speaker 4 (07:30):
It doesn't sound like it him, McCaffrey and Deebo sound
pretty permanently.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah. Yeah, So that's that's a huge blow for them.
It's it's a benefit of the Patriots, but I don't
know how much that helps even I really, that's that's
my biggest problem here. The Patriots clearly after getting thrashed
every which way, but you know, Sunday against the Jets,

(07:56):
they don't have enough talent, they clearly and it was
it was just egregiously obvious on both sides of the ball.
You know, thought that the defense was and we've talked
about it. We thought the defense was, you know, in
pretty good shape and be able to keep this team
in games. And it may yet still, but I'll tell
you I really wasn't sure. Now I'm convinced. I think
losing Juwan Bentley is every bit as big as losing

(08:19):
Christian Barmore, if not more so.

Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah, it's it's tough when the injuries start to stack
up every year, but when you're already a pretty thin
team personnel wise, the injuries making an even bigger deal
when some of those key players start to go down.
I think defensively, if you want to be optimistic, you
come out of that game with some excuses. It's a
short week against a hungry Jets team playing their home opener,

(08:43):
Aaron Rodgers' first game back with the Jets at home
since tearing his achilles in the same place a year ago.
It seemed to me just the vibe pregame was that
there was a very very fired up crowd and a
very very fired up Jets team against a Patriots team
that was banged up on a short week, just played

(09:03):
an overtime game the week before, and you could just tell,
now we know, big picture that it feels like there's
a big talent gap between these two rosters, but you
could also just tell from an energy standpoint. Yeah, there,
it was very abundantly clear right off the jump that
the Jets were blitzing the Patriots. And I don't mean literally,
I mean figure.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
Figuratively as well. But I mean the thing about it
is that I think we all sort of, you know,
bought into the kool aid, like, oh, you know, hey,
it's just the Jets, They're gonna jet, you know, and
nobody expected it. Plus, when you won at a particular
venue like the Patriots have won, it meant life. What
eight straight times were the last time Patriots had won
fifteen of sixteen going into this game last Thursday, you haven't.

(09:44):
It's real easy to overlook. And so when you combine
that with everything else that you just talked about, they
were set up for beating. We just didn't see the
writing on the wall.

Speaker 4 (09:54):
Yeah. Yeah, And I couldn't agree more that that week
one win feels like a year ago, two years ago.
Ten years ago now and you start to get into
week one, is they say, it's never believe what you
see in Week one. It's always usually somewhat of an
aberration for where the league is going and where teams
are trending. So this is this is gut check time

(10:16):
for the Patriots. I'm allowing offensively, they have issues that
are systemic and probably not going anywhere this season. Defensively,
I am allowing for short week, you missed a bunch
of bunch of tackles, you were really undisciplined in the
pass rush. There were things that the Patriots did wrong
defensively in that Jets game that theoretically could be fixable,

(10:40):
and I'm not They're not going to be the eighty
five Bears, but maybe they do come back down to
a more respectable point. Now. With that all being said,
the forty nine ers are a terrible matchup for that
to happen like that.

Speaker 3 (10:57):
Even without their weapons. That's the scary part amount.

Speaker 4 (10:59):
Because scheme has always given the Patriots problem.

Speaker 3 (11:03):
So exactly if.

Speaker 4 (11:04):
You you couldn't have picked the worst team to get
right against. Not that the Patriots are really a get
right team to begin with, but unfortunately to flip the script.
The Patriots are are the forty nine ers get right
game right now? Like the forty nine ers are hoping
to get right against the Patriots and not the other
way around anyone.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
And that's that's also scary when you consider that there's
two players on the differensive side of the wall that
I want to talk to you about, at least initially today.
By the way, we walcome in into the playbook with
Evan Lazar. Of course, I'm John Rook and coming up
with the show will be Andrew Callahan for The Boston Herald,
so we can get you up to date on some
of the things going on within both teams for the
game coming up on Sunday out in California. And Russell

(11:48):
Baxter will join us. Week five or is it we four?

Speaker 2 (11:50):
No?

Speaker 3 (11:51):
Five? Yeah? Week four around the NFL. I think I
said week five today. I can't count.

Speaker 4 (11:55):
It all starts to melt together.

Speaker 3 (11:58):
Yeah, yeah, I can't. It's it's hard for me to
count today. So at any rate, two guys that want
to ask you about number one bar More. I know
he's been seen in the locker room a little bit.
He's still working out. Uh, you know, so he's in
and around even though he's he's on i R with
a designation to return. Do we really expect that to happen?

Speaker 4 (12:15):
No? No, uh, this is I'm not reporting anything. It's
just my my instining, my opinion understood. It seems like
we're still ways away from talking about football when it
comes to Christian Barmore, and we're more still in the
category of getting him healthy just as a human. Before

(12:35):
we start to realize.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
We got to remember he kept David Andrews blood clots,
kept David Andrews out for a whole season.

Speaker 4 (12:41):
Yeah, yeah, I think what that with him being around,
They're they're trying to keep him engaged mentally so that
he's not just sitting on his couch all day long
doing nothing. I don't think that this is about we're
building up towards playing football as more. It is let's
not have this be a totally lost season.

Speaker 3 (13:00):
Got Yeah. Our second guy I gotta ask you about
is Christian Gonzales. Yeah. I know, he's matched up with
some pretty good receivers. I think he's held his own
in terms of, you know, targets and receptions. It just
doesn't seem like he has the impact that we're expecting
him to have. What am I missing here with him?

Speaker 4 (13:19):
Yeah, I guess I am a gonzo apologist a little bit.
The main reason being that they just have so many
issues on this football team and one of the only
guys where I feel like I watch him on film
and I'm like, that's a blue chip talent. Is he
there yet fully where he's realized that potential.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
No, Oh, we can see him, but we can see
his move He can struggle with the best of right,
so he can run backwards with the best of him, right,
But teams continue to target him pretty heavily, and it's gonna,
I fear the biggest issue here is that it's gonna
wear down on him and wear him down.

Speaker 4 (13:54):
It's possible. I look at his performance against the Jets,
there are obvious times, you know, he falls down on
a route that was an incomplete pass. It was also
an illegal motion on Garrett Wilson. So that play it
counts to our eyes, but it doesn't count in the
box score, right, Like, we saw him get burned for
a potential touchdown. But no matter which way you slice

(14:16):
it, it wasn't going to be a touchdown. Whether it was
the penalty was accepted or the past was incomplete. For
the most part, though, I think he's very, very competitive
in coverage. That the one thing that I would say
with him is that he moves like a ballerina. You know,
he moves extremely well.

Speaker 3 (14:34):
He could have been on Dancing with the Stars instead
of Danny Amadola. Yeah, Amadola got smoked.

Speaker 4 (14:40):
He moves extremely well. But there are elements to cornerback play,
specifically route anticipation and understanding down in distance situation, how
can you get yourself in a position to make a
play there. There's more to cornerback play adapt in his
where we hope he is headed in towards towards that

(15:01):
number one corner, lockdown corner. There's more to it than
just being able to stick with somebody in man to
man coverage going you know, up and down the field.
You want him to make impact plays. You want him
to be turning the ball over and you know, getting
his hands on the football and making those splash plays
in coverage, and those things come with instincts and with anticipation.

(15:22):
So I think he's got excellent cover skills, but he's
not quite there yet in terms of his ability to understand.
You know, Okay, he's probably gonna run a slant here,
so I'm gonna look for the slant, or he might
you know, he's probably gonna try to go on me here,
so I'm gonna, you know, play the vertical. Like those
types of mind games. Maybe could help him out a
little bit. But like I said, I have a tough

(15:44):
time there's certain guys, and I get defensive about it
maybe at times, because there's certain guys on this team
that I just have a tough time pointing the finger at.
He's one of them. Keon White's another one. On the
defensive side of the ball. I didn't think Kean White
played his best game against the Jets either in terms
of impact on the game. But I'm not going to
come in here and be like Kean White was down

(16:06):
this week, and you know, now I have questions about
him because he's one of the few players that's pulling
the rope in the right direction for this team right now.
And I feel the same way about concept.

Speaker 3 (16:15):
All right, So flip it to the other side of
the ball. I'm beginning to wonder because the Patriots are
dead last and passing offense in the NFL and I
know some of that's been by design because of you know,
them wanting to play it close to the vest. They
want to you know, speed games up and you know,
keep the shot the clock short and stay in games
that way. I understand the theory completely, but usually that's

(16:38):
what a team does when they are undermanned. Yeah, let's
just face it. Let's call it what it is, and
you're undermanned. But they're effective at doing it. Now. They
got away from that against the Jets, and I'm not
sure why they got away from it against the Jets,
but they did. They never really committed to running. And
then if you don't have a run game, you have
actually zero you know, play action, and you got to

(17:00):
be able to throw the ball. Does this team have
a prayer of throwing the ball?

Speaker 4 (17:05):
Yeah, it's a good point. Coming into this game, it
felt to me like Alex Van Pelt overthought at first,
I mean, just to be I thought so too point
blank about it. But he had said something that I
thought was interesting on Friday, and I understand where he's
coming from and that he felt like they had I

(17:26):
think his exact words were earned the right to throw
the ball more aggressively on first down because they had
ran it so well in the first two weeks, So
they were expecting from a game plan standpoint, that the
Jets were going to come in with eight guys in
the box.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
And clog the run, right, And we talked about that, right, So.

Speaker 4 (17:48):
They were gonna they were gonna hit him, you know where.
They weren't expecting it by running all these play action passes.
Now my rebuttal to that and the way it ended
up playing out in hindsight, I understand, I have the
The advantage of hindsight is that in order to set
up play action pass you have to establish a run game,

(18:09):
like you said, and this whole system, this whole outside
zone system, is predicated on the run game married to
the pass game. So we're gonna run, run, We're gonna
show you the same run looks that we are running
the ball with, but now we're gonna play action pass
off of it. So everything's gonna look the same. It's
all gonna look exactly the same to the defense until

(18:31):
it's not the same. And if I was a player
on the Jets, until I see you commit to the run,
I'm not overplaying the run. I'm not going you might
have done that two weeks ago against the Bengals, but
this is Thursday night in the Middlelands. This isn't two
weeks ago against the Bengals. Coaches, to me think about
it like this is what we put on film, this

(18:52):
is what's gonna happen. It's different when you actually get
between the lines and start playing the game.

Speaker 3 (18:56):
No doubt, which is why I think one of the
culprits here that we haven't really talked about is that
this young Patriots coaching staff, and I mean young, not
just in age but even an experience together, they're getting
out coached.

Speaker 4 (19:08):
Yeah. I couldn't get out. I couldn't agree more with that.
On the offensive side of the ball, And this is
sort of my my soapbox, like I'm gonna stand on
this one. I understand that the offensive line is an
easy target right now, and they have not been good
in pass protection. Particularly, They've been terrible, like basically across
the board, the worst pass protection in the NFL, statistically

(19:29):
thirty second in pass bock win rate, the most of
the pressure allowed.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
More than one out of every two drop backs he
got pressured against the Jets percent.

Speaker 4 (19:38):
Yeah, so fifty something extraordinary, Yeah, So Brissett's been pressured
on forty six percent of his dropbacks through three games,
just the highest in the NFL. A pass bock win rate,
which is an ESPN stat that tracks this sort of
thing as well, thirty second in the league. Yep, dead last,
Like they are the worst pass protection in the league.
But what I want to stress to people is that

(19:58):
play calling in quarterback have a lot of control on pressure,
and play calling can help a bad offensive line, whether
it's sure getting the ball out quickly, quick games, screens,
you know, perimeter screens, throw I would.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
Think the zone run would also help an offensive line. Yeah,
because then a zone run and maybe you explain a
little bit of the X and zer of it here
because I know you get it. But based on my
limited experience, a zone run offense, it has to do
with blocking assignments with the offensive line, and so you
can give them the same look as you suggested, basically
call the same play, but if you change the call
on the blocking, that opens up different creases for the

(20:36):
back to go through. And that's what you see some
of those runs popped on plays like that because the
blocking assignment is different, right, So yeah, it can make
you a better run team, even if you're a poor
pass protection team.

Speaker 4 (20:50):
Yeah. The big thing with it too is that usually
when you run, these boots are half boots.

Speaker 6 (20:56):
You know.

Speaker 4 (20:56):
Sometimes they fully boot the quarterback and sometimes they just
kind of roll the quarterback back into the middle of
the pocket off the off the stretch right, so he
stretches out and he kind of just half boots and
rolls back into the middle. You usually have some sort
of extra protection, so it's not just a five man
pass protection, it's usually like seven because you have the

(21:17):
tight ends in, you have the back in like, you
have some extra reinforcements there. The Patriots problem with it
is that everything right now is that these defenses are
just attacking the line of scrimmage because they are no
they have no fear of the ball going over their head,
so they're just coming full bore. You know, Will McDonald
just coming Scott free off the end right on Jakoby
were set.

Speaker 3 (21:37):
With nobody to bump him, them.

Speaker 4 (21:40):
Rolling a safety down and just blitzing the safety. Whether
it's a run or it's a pass, he's just gonna go.
You know, these types of things, you know, are happening
a lot with them. I talked to Brissett about it today.
He said that they have something that they're they're working
on to try to combat this.

Speaker 3 (21:54):
Well, let me see, let me ask you the sixty
four million dollar question. Yeah, would Drake May make this different?

Speaker 4 (22:01):
So here's my take on on Drake May. Because I'm
I'm a play May guy. I wrote it.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
You know that this is one of the few things
you and I actually agree on. Yeah, from from day one.
If he's the better guy, he should be playing.

Speaker 4 (22:13):
Yeah. So I wrote it yesterday. I talked about it
on the radio yesterday. It's it's something that has crawled
up my backside at this point that this is happening.
Because the way that I see it is that you
can stylistically, you can change your team with Drake May.
He's a different kind of quarterback. He's a more obviously

(22:34):
more athletic, more physically talented quarterback than Jakoby Brissett. So
I look at Drake May and I say, well, if
you play Drake, then you put him in the gun.
You run early down, you're running RPO, you're unning quick game,
you're running college style stuff, right like what the Commanders
are doing with Jaden Daniels.

Speaker 3 (22:53):
Right.

Speaker 4 (22:53):
You run a lot of books, a lot of quick
game you know concepts, curl flat, slant flat, whatever, you
know that type of stuff. You run urpo, you run option.
Like the quarterback's now involved in the run game because
he's a factor with his legs, Drake is, so you
can do that sort of thing. So now the ball
is coming out quicker. It's coming out quicker, and it's
coming out horizontally instead of really trying to challenge vertically.

(23:15):
Yet and on third down, yes, I don't want him
to get killed behind a bad offensive line either, but
on third down, you know, he has that ability to
extend plays and make plays with his legs. So even
though I don't want him running for his life per se,
it's also his game, like, that's also what he does.

Speaker 3 (23:34):
Yes, yes, thank you. I'm glad somebody else sees that. Yeah,
this is what he's supposed to be doing. What the
Patriots need to see on offense. Yeah, the problem everybody's
skinnish over the offensive line. That's like a big piece
of Swiss cheese out there.

Speaker 4 (23:47):
Yeah. So the it's granted it's preseason and it's a
garbage time drive against the Jets, so I understand that
there's caveats to what I'm about to say, but in
terms of time to throw in the pocket, Drake May
his time throw and from the preseason to his twelve
drop backs the other night against the Jets is two
point three to nine seconds. Jacob berseets time to throw

(24:08):
is two point eight seconds. That doesn't sound like a lot,
but it is a lot. Yeah, and so and that's
on average, right, So you're looking at a way of
offense that you can play with Drake May. That's just
stylistically a little bit different, in a little bit more quick,
you know, quicker with Jacoby Like they're trying to put
him under center. They're trying to run seven steppers, they're

(24:30):
trying to run bootlegs, they're trying to move the pocket,
they're trying to do all these sort of delayed actions
where these plays take a while to get going and
to get moving down the field. Those behind a bad
offensive line, when the quarterback himself is not overly nimble either,
they those give me a lot of reservations about this
offense being able to pick this up. And my biggest

(24:53):
gripe with Jacoby is he's a nine year NFL veteran.
He is supposed to be in here at the game
manager that presses the right buttons, it does all the
right things. He's not doing that. He's not getting the
ball out when there's open guys. He's not getting them
in and out of plays where they are doomed. You know,
these plays are just doomed, and you would think that

(25:14):
a nine year vet would see the field and be
able to kind of get them in and out of things.

Speaker 3 (25:17):
That's one hundred correct. I expect more out of Jakobi
and I think he's a he's a marvelous human being.
I think he's an adequate quarterback. But we expect more
out of a starter in the National Football League.

Speaker 4 (25:31):
Yeah, there was a play on in the game on
Thursday night where the safety just rolls down from from depth,
like from like eight to ten yards off the line
of scrimmage and he's just coming down to blitz and
Jakob's under center and you can see it coming from
a mile away, and he's he snaps the ball. Yeah,

(25:52):
and so he runs play action. It's under center. Play action.
Gibson tries to is the back on the fake. He
tries to peel off at the last secon and try
to get a piece of the safety. It was actually
the play where Jacob was in the grasp and they
blew the whistle dead. And I just look at plays
like that, and maybe it's an Alex van Pelt problem,
maybe it's not a Jacob Brissett problem, But I look

(26:14):
at it and I say, well, why didn't he check
out of the play?

Speaker 3 (26:19):
Like it should have recognized me, right, he didn't.

Speaker 4 (26:22):
If you know the safety is coming, and you can
see the safety is coming, that's a.

Speaker 3 (26:25):
Play that I would expect a young, inexperienced guy to
make because he didn't have the experience, right, you know.

Speaker 4 (26:32):
And if you're going to sell me on this is
the guy because of these reasons, because he's taking care
of the ball and he's running getting them in and
out of the right plays like he's managing the game, right,
Like that's the selling point for Jacoby Brissett to me.
He has not managed games.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
How do you feel about most of the media? Not all,
because I include two of us as part of the
media here clearly, and we're both you know, you got
to play Drake guys. Yeah, how do you feel about
the majority of the media saying Oh, there's no way
in hell you can and play you know, Drake may
behind that offensive line? How do you feel about that?
Are they? Are they right? What are we? What are
we not seeing?

Speaker 4 (27:06):
I understand where they're coming from that. Historically speaking, playing
a young quarterback behind a bad offensive line can lead
to bad habits. And we're not talking about him necessarily
getting hurt. That's obviously a factor in this too, But
more importantly, what Romar talking about is sped up internal clock, seeing, ghosts,
you know those types of things.

Speaker 3 (27:28):
Right, ghost watching doesn't seem to have hurt Sam Darnold, didn't.

Speaker 4 (27:31):
He Yeah, yes, But that's what we're talking about, right,
is him getting You know, what happened to mac Jones
like shell shock, But what happened to.

Speaker 3 (27:38):
Mac Jones is completely different. Mac Jones was ruined by
the coaching staff. They didn't they didn't feed him what
they should have fed him at the time he needed it.
He was past, you know, the baby food pablum stage,
and they regressed from there. And that's why mac Jones
is no longer a patriot. You can't tell me he
didn't have enough ability. He had more enough ability to

(28:01):
do the job as it was presently situated for him
with the receivers. Everybody else said he had mac Jones,
you can throw the ball. He got hammered by the
coaching staff. That's in my opinion. I don't think that'll
ever change.

Speaker 4 (28:16):
Yeah, I just my rebuttal too. It's all about Drake
and his development and keeping him safe and keeping him
away from this offensive line. My biggest rebuttal to that
is one. I maybe I'm just biased because I was
high on him in the draft. I'm glad he's here.
I'm glad he was the pick. It's almost selling his

(28:39):
talent short because he's going to elevate this offense when
he gets in there. I'm telling you that, like his
physical tools are going to elevate the supporting cast. Is
it going to be a top five offense in the NFL?

Speaker 3 (28:49):
No?

Speaker 4 (28:49):
No, But I understand everybody thinks that the Commanders now
have like the seven Patriots out there around Jaden Daniels.
I get it, but they don't. The Commanders have an
offensive line that had as many questions marks as the
Patriots coming into the season, and.

Speaker 3 (29:03):
They're not really all that much more highly rated than
New England's now anyway.

Speaker 4 (29:06):
And Terry McLaurin that that's what the that's what the
Commanders have. Dame another receiver on the Commanders. I can't
exactly like Noah Brown, Timi Brown. They drafted Luke McCaffrey
in the third round, just like the Patriots drafted their receivers,
you know, like that those are their receivers.

Speaker 3 (29:25):
But Daniels clearly has more of an ability to work
with the football besides just his arm. And we know
Drake has some elusiveness. We know he knows you can
recognize stepping up into the pocket when he has to.
I mean, Jayden Daniels is the guy that I preferred,
all things being equal, they're taking nothing away from Drake,
but I knew that wasn't gonna happen with the third pair,

(29:45):
so I was very happy to get Drake at number three.
I understand all that. But when I saw what Jaden
Daniels started to do this past week, I'm kind of like,
WHOA what that should be? There should be that kind
of you know bump, you know, from from playing Drake.
Now is the time, Now's the time.

Speaker 4 (30:01):
Yeah, And I'll just leave you with this the last
thing I'll say about it. The other thing I feel
really strongly about is that as much as it is
all about Drake, it's not just about Drake. And if
this Patriots offense is going to start building something here
in New England for the future, then guys like Jalen Polk,

(30:23):
Kidden Wallace, Javon Baker, Pop Douglas Leyden Robin.

Speaker 3 (30:28):
They they need to start playing with Drake.

Speaker 4 (30:30):
And they need to start playing some good football and
they need to start building something here. And right now
it feels to me like this is we're on the
path to nowhere again. We're on a march to nowhere.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
We're marking time, We're treading water right, We're trying to
avoid drowning, is all I feel like this team is doing.

Speaker 4 (30:50):
Yeah, Like this type of the way they have been
offensively is no help to any of those young guys
around the quarterback, Like it doesn't help Caden Wallace that
they're under siege all the time in past protection and
he's out there for the first time I left tackle
in his first NFL career star and the Jets are
blitzing five guys after him and he has no idea

(31:12):
what to do. Like that doesn't help anybody, all.

Speaker 3 (31:13):
Right, I got a last one here for you. By
the way, just got an email from Ricky who says,
first time emailing. I watch every episode on YouTube. Love it.
Thank you, Ricky. I just want to see May play already.
Patriots need to stop being scared.

Speaker 4 (31:26):
Yeah, I understand. I don't know if it's scared. There's
just a lot of factors, like he's gonna be inconsistent
because he's a young quarterback and they're not fully ready
for him, as we know with the state of things
right now. So it's not quite that they're scared. I
don't think. But like I keep saying, I understand, everybody

(31:46):
wants to come at me and tell me that Washington
is this totally different scenario, because you know, the guy
that they have calling play is Cliff Kingsbury. I floated
his name in January as a potential offensive coordinator for
these Patriots, and people came at me and said, Cliff Kingsbury,
that guy's a bomb. Now all of a sudden, he's
calling plays for Jayden Daniels and he's Bill Osh right.

(32:07):
Like it just they are not that different from you.
They have a new coordinator, they have a rookie quarterback,
they have an offensive line with question marks, and they
have scary Terry and you're telling you, like, all of
a sudden, scary Terry is Jerry Rice, right, Like you know,
like he's a really good player. He's a really good player,
I know, but he just they're not all that different

(32:29):
from you.

Speaker 3 (32:29):
All that's it. Enjoy your trip out west brother, Thank you, sir,
all right, be safe above all right, all right. Evan
Lazar at Easy Lazar of course on X that's where
you can find him. He's getting ready to hop on
the team plane Friday. Right, you're gonna leave Friday, Yeah,
Friday to head out a little bit early. Eight five
five PATS five hundred is the toll free telephone number.

(32:49):
Web Radio at Patriots dot com is the email at
JR broadcaster on exes where you can follow Patriots fans.
If you want to see Toyota's best offers, including those
Nazee on TV, go to buy a Toyota dot com.
It's Toyota's official website for deals from the official vehicle
of the New England Patriots. Toyota Let's go places and
it's easy to drink, easy to enjoy. Bud liked the

(33:13):
official beer sponsor of the New England Patriots, covering the
New England Patriots as well for the Boston Herald Andrew Callahan,
who now joined us here in the playbook. Hey Andrew,
how's it going today?

Speaker 7 (33:22):
Man? Go well afternoon, John?

Speaker 3 (33:25):
Excellent, excellent. Good to hear it. So you probably caught
a little bit of that last conversation I had with Evan,
and I think I got a pretty good idea where
you stand on the whole. You know, should they play him,
should they not play him? Where are you right now
with Drake May's development?

Speaker 8 (33:41):
Yeah, I want to.

Speaker 7 (33:42):
See him sit John at least for a couple more weeks.
And this is not because I've been in practice and
can tell you exactly how he's doing. I rely, like
most people do a lot on the words of drive
Mayo teammates and all those reports. He positive, but not
positive though it is a situation you would be thrusting
him into, which right now is the worst past protecting
offensive line of the league. I get the folks that
are frustrated. I get we all want to see more points.

(34:04):
I'm excited to see Drake me a guy I'm with
a ver believer in before he got to New England.
But what I don't want is him to be put
into a situation that right now is allowing quarterback kids
ten times a game and pressure on half of the dropbacks.
So I just need to see something better than that.
It doesn't need to be perfect, it's never really probably
even going to be good.

Speaker 8 (34:24):
Sure it should be better than that.

Speaker 3 (34:26):
Sure, Well, let me ask you this. Then, with Drake
being in the game, you know that the Patriots have
got to run basically a different kind of offense or
call different plays than what they were running. Would you
Kobe Brissette, would you agree with that?

Speaker 7 (34:38):
No, I don't think so, just because I saw him
work under center, you know, this summer and even in
the preseason games. His footwork looks better. You know, we
all know he's in the gun a ton in college.
But like, this is a guy who you know has
shown development very quickly, so it's a quick burner. He's tough.
I think you can run the offense if you want
to see.

Speaker 8 (34:54):
Fit to either guy.

Speaker 3 (34:56):
Okay. It just seems to me though, that you can
style in offense and you can limit the pressure on
the quarterback if you're you know, doing things like throwing
to the backs, or you know, hitting middle receivers, or
you know, hitting the little slants, playing the dink and
dunk game, which I guess the Patriots were known for,
as we know, you know, over decades really under Tom Brady.
If you get back to that kind of mindset, then

(35:18):
you've got the you've got the defense in a holding pattern.
They don't really know which way to attack the Jets
last Thursday night, knew exactly what was coming, which is
why I'm engineered with Evan the coach used to have
is getting coach circles around it. Right now, They've got
to do something that the other guys aren't expecting.

Speaker 7 (35:34):
Yeah, that I'm really on board with. And I you know,
I've been calling for a lot of touches for Pop Douglas,
who features heavily and that big passing game you're talking
about right over the middle, plant screen, bubbles, all those things,
and I think, you know, there are a couple of
tough parts here. And you know, the Patriots tried to
run the Alex Van pel offense, as we last saw
at in Cleveland really weeks one and two at downfield

(35:55):
focused passing game routes that take long to develop and
by the time that they do develop, the offensive line
can't block it. So that led to a lot of
pressures and sex. Jacobe Prissett actually avoided only fourteen percent
of the pressure debates resulted in sex. That's an excellent number,
no matter the offense, no matter the league. In Week
three they adjusted a little bit, but so did the Jets.
They blitzed more than they had ever blitzed under Robert Sala. Knowing, okay,

(36:18):
the Jets the Patriots are probably going to adjust. We
need to get there faster than they're unloading the ball.
It worked a lot of unblocked pressure and that brought
down the offense faster than they can recover.

Speaker 3 (36:27):
All right, so let's do this. Then we kind of know,
you know, where we stand on the whole Drake may thing.
We're still in a holding pattern on this outside of
the issue on the offensive front for New England, what's
the biggest issue right now that you see other than
you know, finding a tackle that can block somebody.

Speaker 7 (36:47):
Yeah, I think it's getting explosive plays.

Speaker 5 (36:49):
John.

Speaker 7 (36:49):
You know, when we talk about seeing to drive winning,
everyone goes turnover March or turnover March. So that's true,
that's the number one stat so strongly correlated with winning
anywhere in football any level. Who has the ball and
who's keeping it fast. Second after that as who is
getting the most explosive play, and the Patriots just can't
do that right now. I think it's because of any'll
can see plan week one to two. Like we just

(37:09):
talked about these downfield routs the camp protect, but how
else do you get them? Well for the Patriots, that
means running I think more quick game two screens like
Pop Douglas, or it means designing runs that will get
reminder Stevenson or Antonio Gibson in Spaceman Gibson. As the
longest play of the season, it was forty five yards
a version of outside zone we've jabal seen, we've all

(37:29):
watched called Penn and pull, and that unlocked something new
against the Seahawks, who had really been following up the
run game. So there are avenues here, and another thing
I'd like to see in the vein of this explosive
play is a lot more intermediate throws. Jakobe Prisaid doesn't
have a single deep completion this year, but he is
six of ten on passes between ten and nineteen yards downfield.
He's good in that area attack for there.

Speaker 3 (37:52):
Okay, that's fair, and I think that's actually a good
number that probably a lot of fans aren't aware of.
All Right, So Andrew Callahan, Boston and Harold joining us.
This is just a fifth time since two thousand the
Patriots are double digit underdogs in any game, and they
are ten and a half point favorites of dogs right
now at San Francisco. So this is the first time

(38:14):
I believe I read today since since last season when
they were fifteen and a half point underdogs in Buffalo.
Even though they cover that spread, the Bills still ended
up winning the game. How do the Patriots have a
shot here against this forty nine ers team that clearly
is a walking wounded unit themselves.

Speaker 7 (38:33):
Yeah, it's a good question, John. It's funny, you know,
And I dug up that stat on Monday that you
just cited. The Patriot's actually two and two of those games.
Now they have to thank Tom Brady for two wins
in two thousand and one and then the Kansas City
in twenty twenty, and then of course they lose the Bubblos.

Speaker 5 (38:46):
You just mentioned.

Speaker 7 (38:47):
Yeah, and I think what you have to do is
I was to get an early lead. So you need
a lot of tendency breakers here in my mind, John,
you know where their play action game has really been
short circuited because Seattle seemed to know when it was coming.
The Jets didn't even let them get to it with
all of the blitzing. So what I would say is
called new plays that you haven't shown yet. Do something
that allows you to get to what you eventually want
to do running the ball, but with a really good

(39:08):
first driver or two. And that's easier said than done,
especially on the pall and doing radio than it is
drawing it up and executing and playing on Sunday. But
that's going to be key. The other part is you
need the tendency break on defense because I've been writing
about this the last couple of weeks. Gino Smith and
Aaron Rodgers shredded the blitz Seattle average over thirteen yards
per play whenever the Patriots blitzed. The Jets had a

(39:29):
success rate of almost eighty percent when they tried to
blitz Rogers. So the disguise that they're using right now
are not working. Twist those around they self scouted this week,
do not the Castanza opposite approach of what you've been doing.
But I would say, honestly, John, something close.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
So yeah, it'd be nice if they could have it exactly,
but you're right, something close at the very least. I
think the other thing that I would look at, at
least from the Patriots is defensively. You know, while I
think they've been a little bit of a disappointment, especial
the way they got manhandled by the Jets, I'd like
to see the Patriots get a little bit more aggressive defensively.

(40:05):
It seemed to me early against Cincinnati, especially that they
wanted to, you know, put extra pressure on the quarterback
maybe and throw a bletcher two in there, and then
they seem to have backed off on that. I'm wondering
if that might not be something that they could do
that would be a little bit of a change up here.

Speaker 6 (40:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (40:22):
And you know, it's funny because you know, with this
new world of the defenses are starting to get a
clamp down, right, scoring down passings down. A lot of
the edge that they've created is you don't know who's
going to rush and from where, and he's can do
this because they're playing with a lot of other defensive backs.
But to me, the Patriots timing with these either stimulated
pressures but are only four man rushes where you bring

(40:43):
a linebacker or safety or our corner in place of
a defensive lineman. The timing hasn't been perfect, and teams
seem to know either the quarterback or the offense.

Speaker 3 (40:52):
When they're going when these are coming right.

Speaker 7 (40:54):
So if I'm the Patriots, I might bring the pressure
you're talking about more on first down because we know
this as they run heavy forty nine ers team that's
gonna be pissed up coming back home. They're wanting to
They're gonna want to run the ball down your throats,
the same way with the Patriots, want to run the
ball down their throats. Yeah, bring more pressure, put them
in second and long then I think you can simulate pressure,

(41:14):
actually bring her or do whatever you want, but you
have to get to those second third longs first.

Speaker 3 (41:18):
Even more of a reason to change things up because
you know San Francis is gonna come in thing as
you suggested, They're gonna be pissed off at what they
you know, losing that game to the Rams, which they
had no business losing last week, and they're gonna look
at the Patriots as a way to kind of set
things right again, even though they've got all these you know,
this myriad list of injuries going on. I mean, it's
an impressive list. It ought to tell you how talented

(41:39):
top to bottom on this roster, this San Francisco team is.
There's a reason they, you know, were thought of as
a true Super Bowl contender because they got so much talent.
Now that they're missing it, this is your chance to
seize the day. This is your chance to carp at
dim And you're right, I think the only thing you
can do is throw them something that they just don't expect.

Speaker 7 (41:59):
Yeah, I think it's hard John to have faith and
a team like the Patriots that's got a new coaching
staff that in my mind, has been out coached the
last two weeks. But I think just like the players
getting healthy after a Thursday night game, with that extra time,
that extra time to self scout and delve into an
opponent you don't know that well, and then have an
extra practice as they did Monday, it would be really
helpful for this coaching staff. So, whether it's having those

(42:21):
changeups reinforcing the fundamentals like we saw this week. You
always want to catch a good team, like we know
the Niners are early in the season, and ideally with
extra time. Patriots have that extra time. They've got the
Niners early in the season. So as much as everyone's
counting them out and I wouldn't bet them win, I
mean I don't bet period on NFL football, this honestly
might be an ideal spot for them to catch the

(42:43):
Niners off guard, given the injuries you mentioned in the
calendar and the extra time they've.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
Had this week. I'm with you on that one. In fact,
I likeing it a lot too. You know, catching Cincinnati
off guard. I don't think Cincinnati knew what hit him.
And look now the Bengals are in a spiral right
now at Owen three to start the year, when everybody
thought they would be a contender in the AFCA before
got started. So it can be done. But I think
the Patriots, as we've said many times, you've said it,
We've said it here, Hey, you got to throw them

(43:09):
some of them they don't know. You can't be predictable
and be your margin of error is so thin you
can't make the mistake. So to me, number one key
for you know, being able to hang in there and
stay in this game of the fourth quarter and maybe
stealing one, which would shock the NFL. Is to play
as perfect as you can, limit the turnovers or no turnovers,
I would tell you, and limit the penalties. They can't

(43:31):
have offensive linemen jumping because they didn't know the stamp count.

Speaker 7 (43:36):
And that's not only you know, a fundamental act, like
you have to do that to be good teams, like
you're talking about. It's something that the Patriots had done already, right,
Like their first turnover was the fumble they lost at
the Jets, Jacobe Prest throwing a single interception, and they
came close once ends on throw Insincedaddy and Drake may
came close on his first throw as an NFL quarterback
in the regular season game. But Chakobe Present protects the ball.

(43:58):
He's tied with Aaron Rodgers with the lowest career interception
rate in NFL history. Yeah, like we can all bury
the guy and he's never going to be above the
fifteenth best quarterback, maybe even twenties, but he does protect
the ball with the best of them, and that's the
starting point San Francisco for an upset.

Speaker 5 (44:12):
He's your guy, all.

Speaker 3 (44:13):
Right, so very quickly. Then on the forty nine ers,
it looks like Javon Hargrove is going to be out
for the year. So that's the latest big one that
they had. I guess irs is on his docket. And
they're already reeling from losing a game that they once
had a two touchdown lead in against the Rams this
last week. Who in San Francisco? Who in that lineup

(44:34):
right now should be a concern for the Patriots to,
you know, either slow down or go against when they
have the ball on offense.

Speaker 7 (44:43):
Yeah, I mean you got a lot of guys who
could pick from. I mean offensively, you know, Brandon Ayux
had a slow start for them, and Juwan Jennings has
got three touchdowns and carrying the load. And we don't
know about George Kittle yet. Yeah, but when the forty
nine ers are on defense, it's sick Bosa, right. I mean,
this guy like has to be licking his chops second
he left Los Angeles. And see Cave Wallace is the
third round rookie and even the top the guys that

(45:05):
get taken in the top ten of offensive tackles, they
struggle as rookies. Oh, and Kate Wallace got things up
last time. And he's a career right tackle in college,
so if he's gonna start up lift tackle again, we
might get for very low, but very Low's lots four
pressures in all the games that he's played in so
far the season.

Speaker 8 (45:20):
Nick Bosa is a problem.

Speaker 7 (45:21):
That's one of the best ed rushers.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
In the league.

Speaker 7 (45:23):
Even if he still had Matt Lte or Nate Solder
or Primetime Brown around here, he would be a problem.

Speaker 5 (45:28):
But he's especially a.

Speaker 3 (45:29):
Problem Primetime Brown. I love that, And then that's the
number one concern for me when I look at that
line and I still see Nick Bosa, you know, and
you know he hadn't hurt yet. Damn. That was my
initial impression, and I can't. I mean, they're gonna put
him wherever they can, you know, utilize him best. That
is the major concern for me. They got to figure

(45:49):
out a way to slow him down or chip him
or do something, because I think Nick Bosa could have
one of those four or five sack kind of days
that you know, we'll be talked about all season long.
And the patrons aren't very very careful here, which means
you're gonna have to make quick decisions. You have to
get rid of the ball quickly, utilize the run game,
whatever they can do to neutralize him. That's kind of
where they have to go.

Speaker 7 (46:10):
Yeah, I would say run at him right, like what
is this?

Speaker 3 (46:13):
Absolutely run right at him, totally, totally run at him.

Speaker 7 (46:17):
And Kan Wallace is a big dude, Like he's not
gonna win a lot of these matchups with Nick Bosa.
You just need to win enough. And if you can
wear on Nick Bosa early, maybe they go hurry up,
which we have not seen a whole lot from the
Patriots that will tire out a pass rush more of
the moving bootlegs and play action which they've had issues
with so far. But I think some of that is fixable.
Like it's just like a good quarterback, right, you have
to throw a ton of different looks at them to

(46:38):
keep them off balance, and then you only have a prayer.
I think that's the case here with Nick Bosa. You
have to chip, you have to stubble, you have to
run at him, you have to foot away from him,
make him feel uncomfortable or at least a little hesitant. That
might buy Jacoby Prissett justin on time to get the
ball out before he gets there, and he'll get a
couple of hits. But this is not trying to pitch
a shout out, just make him uncomfortable.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
Right, I mean, I'd love to do the controlled hurry
up you know, where they take the entire play clock
to get them play, you know, because then San Francisco can't.
It's hard to You can't really substitute effectively there because
you don't know when the ball is going to get snapped.
That kind of a thought right there, I think is
the best way to neutralize that hard charging defense. Now,
whether or not they pull it off, I don't know.
And if it takes you know, guys like you and

(47:19):
I to figure this stuff out, and the Patriot coaching
staff can't figure that out, then we got bigger problems
than just trying to block Nick Bosa.

Speaker 7 (47:26):
I don't know, John, it sounds like we're due for
a raids. If that's the case, I think we're wearing
a headset on Sunday and we're making a lot more money.
That sounds good to me. How about you.

Speaker 3 (47:32):
I'm all in Hey, thanks for the time, Andrews. Save
travels buddy. Thank you. Andrew Callahan Underscore. He's at Underscore
Andrew Callahan on x so that's where you can find
his stuff and read his stuff on the in the
Boston Herald Boston Herald dot com eight five five pats
five hundred. I'm going to start it off with Eldred

(47:54):
in North Carolina. Yo, Eldred, what's up? Man?

Speaker 6 (48:00):
Well, let's legend. How you doing?

Speaker 3 (48:01):
I'm good, I'm very good. Where are we traveling today, brother.

Speaker 6 (48:05):
I'm coming out of Sailor going back to Charlotte to
call it a day after this.

Speaker 3 (48:10):
Nice? What are we hauling today?

Speaker 6 (48:14):
Let me see? Oh yeah, I got something for midline
better headline is uh?

Speaker 3 (48:22):
Okay, all right, well be be saved with that.

Speaker 6 (48:24):
Going to California.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
What it's going on to California?

Speaker 6 (48:28):
Going to California?

Speaker 2 (48:29):
Yes?

Speaker 6 (48:29):
So why wowl container?

Speaker 3 (48:31):
So you're not volunteering for that trip?

Speaker 6 (48:34):
I wish I could drive down. I would look to
I did it, but I'm not over the roads.

Speaker 5 (48:39):
I'm local.

Speaker 3 (48:39):
I got you.

Speaker 6 (48:40):
They put it on the train and it a little
bit quicker.

Speaker 3 (48:43):
Okay, all right, well that makes sense to me? Yeah? Sure,
all right? All right? What's on your mind today?

Speaker 5 (48:49):
Bro?

Speaker 6 (48:50):
What's on my mind today is everybody I want to
put to put kid in.

Speaker 3 (48:57):
Uh uh, how I know, I know how you feel.
I know how you feel about him. We talked about that,
so I know how you feel about Drake. But you
gotta admit, yep, it seems like we're spinning our wheels here, okay,
So you gotta do something to change this up. Otherwise
you're heading for four and thirteen or maybe even worse
this year. And I don't think anybody wants to see that.
I don't think anybody has the stomach for that. And

(49:18):
I think it's time to see what the kid can do.

Speaker 6 (49:23):
I do too, but not now. But maybe you know
I'm like this, like I told you to begin it.
If I picked a third overall, you start day one,
even though I don't I didn't like to pick. I'm
starting day one. We get his lumps out. I hope
you don't get hurt, but deadline is and then I
keep listening people on the internet, and you know, uh,

(49:48):
or Section to change Protection came up with a game
plan from day one, like sit out the out rossils anyway,
m hm, talent, but but they do you know they
gonna go, we gonna run, They're gonna run, blitz off,
they long, they catch you the pass and got you
the path, and that was their game plan. And even
if some of it on perpet but mostly it's on

(50:08):
them lineens because I got somebody that and my boy
win you okay, Uh, why you coach the little league?
You take the guy on the inside, get you on
the outside, inside, get there first, you know, you take
the gut on inside and he just double what shoul out.
The guy came through a bunch of them and bunch

(50:28):
of them lineers. They just missed their call. And even
the running back they just missed it trying to whoof
at the last minute. So beset, I hold a little
bit wet, But that line coach and the players, I
hold a lot wet, especially the players. And I can't
understand is they won't do it the package way, you know,
but packas Waite never drafted them slow wide receivers I

(50:51):
ever seen, and we got slow wide receivers. I would
have got a d bitch around the bat or. But
we need a quarterbacks. Could get Arrison, but Harrison's, like
I told you, it's been my first bid. Martin Harrison
has been my first bid.

Speaker 5 (51:04):
And then go from there.

Speaker 6 (51:06):
But I'm like this, If if wave Protect keep getting
licked like that, you're gonna see him sooner, sooner than
then later, you know, because I just want to mad time.
Hes gonna keepetting up off the carpet, you know, cause
they because they are had tattooed. Maybe we just stay
back back in the day they putting that wood to him,
you know. So it's just a matter of that.

Speaker 3 (51:29):
You know, wom.

Speaker 6 (51:34):
I said just a couple of years ago on your show,
and uh, you said, they was listening to me laughing. Uh,
mister path fall to you. Let me draft for you
one time. I don't have to pay me. I do better,
you to him, frowned to him, and one had five
years before. I bet y'all do a better.

Speaker 3 (51:54):
So you're willing to offer your services for free, right
for free?

Speaker 6 (51:58):
And then then you have me next year. And I
still keep it a freak. Yeah, I'm couching my boys
looking like this. Yeah right now, I'm the buddy.

Speaker 3 (52:06):
I know. Well, but you know what you know, we
all know payback is a five letter word for dogs.
So that's the way it works, right, Yeah, I understand that.
And and and so just let people have their fun
while they can. I. You know, I don't know what
else to say. You know, I dawned on me, elder,
that we're really learning now what it was like to,

(52:29):
you know, watch the Patriots from outside our little dome.
When you watch Kansas City now, because you know, everybody,
everybody's hating on the Chiefs. Oh my god, the Chiefs again.
Oh my god, we gotta watch Canandas City again. Oh
my god. The Chiefs are getting all the calls from
the officials, and I'm like, whoa, weren't they saying the
same thing about us about ten or fifteen years ago? Right?

(52:51):
They were? So so it's good to see that on
somebody else's you know, dime. Do I think officials, you know,
throw games?

Speaker 5 (52:58):
No?

Speaker 3 (52:59):
Do I think officials know sometimes who the best players
are and know who the fans want to see? Yes?

Speaker 6 (53:07):
I do, yes, yes, sir.

Speaker 3 (53:09):
Yes I do. I believe that. And but that doesn't
keep them from you know, still, you know, uh, the
NFL from spanking Tom Brady and putting him on suspension
and and all these other things. I'm still waiting for
the NFL to jump in on on the Kansas City
Chiefs at some point, because right now they're everybody's darlings,
and they're on national you know, they're on nighttime TV
like ten times this year or whatever it is, eight

(53:30):
to ten times something like that. And it seems like
every time I turn on a channel somewhere there's the
damn Chiefs again, and and look they they've earned it,
they've earned it. But I'm just saying, you know, right, yeah, yeah,
they've earned them, they've earned the right, they've earned the right.

Speaker 6 (53:45):
I got said to beat the man, you got to
beat the man.

Speaker 3 (53:47):
You do, man, you do. But one day I.

Speaker 6 (53:51):
Can't understand about, Okay, we got what three more weeks?
Put a three day line? Put three day line is off?

Speaker 3 (53:58):
Yes, yes, off top of my head.

Speaker 6 (54:00):
Yes, about three more week. Every team got a price
for every play on that ross. Everybody got a price.
I can't understand. I know you he'll get You might
not get the top ross, top tackle, but like I
was staying before you tackled Minnesota, Darisol j't gonna get him.

(54:21):
You stould get him, but they drafted his apparent.

Speaker 5 (54:24):
He's twenty three out of.

Speaker 3 (54:26):
Well, let me let me let me ask you something him,
Let me ask you something philosophically, Then you do you
do you really think you make a trade in mid season,
knowing how much chemistry it really requires to become an
effective offensive line. Do you make a trade in mid
season or do you just stick with what you have
and they go after one of those two kids, either
Williams or Banks, you know, out of the draft next year.

Speaker 6 (54:47):
No, I'm trading because I want to win a little
bit and I want This guy is young, just like
just like Maine, so he might stroke a little bit,
you know. But darrisol he's five, and the other guys
for the three, But jing gonna get Darrissa unless you
come up with two three first war first round. But
you're gonna do that, so you probably get that that.

Speaker 5 (55:08):
Guy that got like he's sixty.

Speaker 6 (55:10):
Six, three hundred and eight pounds and move and think
he got thirty three inch arms and he's what.

Speaker 3 (55:16):
Do you have to give up for him?

Speaker 6 (55:18):
But they got him into third. I'd give a second
and a third point. Okay, right now, you ain't got
nobody on their left side.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
Yeah, I know, you ain't got nothing, I know.

Speaker 6 (55:26):
And then I would put I'll put when you back
at guard and put Kate Wallace at at right tackle.
And then I'm going away from there. That's what I
would do, okay, all.

Speaker 3 (55:36):
Right, it's not a bad strategy. I just don't know,
if you know, this year it's gonna really matter much,
just because it's gonna take a while for that unit
to gel anyway, and I think they'll be making wholesale
changes in that line next year. Anyway, there's gonna be.

Speaker 6 (55:49):
A lot of host But then again, I don't know,
because you know what, I keep wondering. He was there
when Bill was drafting, right, yeah, run.

Speaker 3 (55:57):
Yeah, well he was. He was from the last couple
of drafts.

Speaker 6 (56:00):
Yes, yeah, okay, last come draft. Either you draft from
bugging be with you here, or you doing it because
you're drafted the same duram weight. Yeah yeah, because you
get in the same type of plea. And to me,
I don't know what to blame on, but due but
a step above better, you know, at least try to
get anox creation.

Speaker 3 (56:20):
That's what I would do, all right, Eldred you the
man be shafe, be shafe out there, big Eldren in
North Carolina, love it. Christian in la Hey, Christian, you're
in the playbook.

Speaker 8 (56:33):
Hey rookie, how are you there?

Speaker 3 (56:34):
I'm good buddy, how's it going, Thanks for hanging in.

Speaker 8 (56:37):
You know it's going okay. The year is going as
it's sort of like a bunch of us probably expected.
We're not the most talented team. We would have to
punch above our weight if we wanted to win a
few games here and there, and we would most likely
finish at the bottom quarter of the of the league.
With that said, as a diehard Patriots fan, I'm not

(56:58):
going to get into the same dialogue and everyone else
getting into with you know who he gets this year.
What I wanted to talk with you, rookie, was about
maybe a little bit of theory. And here's hiss a
theory most teams, like the teams will probably get about
what seven picks in the draft?

Speaker 5 (57:12):
Is that?

Speaker 8 (57:13):
Is that correct?

Speaker 3 (57:13):
Yeah? I mean, if you keep all of your picks
without trading them away, then you you probably end up
with about I mean, yeah, you probably end up with
about that, sure, right.

Speaker 8 (57:22):
And so on average. I don't those seven four of
those guys probably aren't gonna make the team or even.

Speaker 3 (57:28):
Play correct three to four. Sure, I'd go with that, yeah,
Bee four.

Speaker 8 (57:33):
So what it sounds like to me is that Brown one,
two and three produced anybody that's really gonna make what
is a predictable to some degree impact on your team.
Does that sound correct?

Speaker 3 (57:44):
Okay, I'm following.

Speaker 8 (57:46):
So what I'm saying is maybe it's a new era
in the league where because premium talent is that such
a lack of a better word, premium. Instead of getting
five six guys that gonna make the team, we know
we're getting a high first round, and we know we're
probably getting a high second round, why don't we start
packaging the rest of those guys to get back up

(58:09):
into the second round or or back highest to the
third and just forget about rounds four or five, six,
and seven with middling players that aren't gonna make it.
Why don't we just go for impact players use the
draft capful, we had but two or three impact players
and that's it, and we're good with the draft.

Speaker 3 (58:24):
Well, in theory, I think Rookie in theory, I like you.
I like your thought. I'm kind of with you on that.
But the problem is that the Patriots actually had more
of their success Christian in those latter rounds than they
have in the early rounds lately. So if they're the
players that are sticking, are the ones that are usually
somewhere in three, four or five. That's why they've got
success there. So I think they're a little reluctant to

(58:45):
part with that. And of course you've gotta have two teams,
you gotta have another, you gotta have a dance partner
before you can pull off a deal like that, So
you know that's the other that's the biggest issue.

Speaker 8 (58:56):
Actually, Rookie hasn't hasn't a Houston and Philadelphia recently pulled
it off. What's the difference between their GM and our CM.

Speaker 3 (59:08):
Great question? Other than being older, I don't really know.

Speaker 8 (59:13):
So it's so it's there to have and the empirical
data would say that look at Houston and look at Billy,
who get us in the rest of their picks, got
two high picks and put game changing guys on the board,
well on the field for them.

Speaker 3 (59:26):
Yeah, I absolutely think you're you're I don't. I don't
mind your theory at all. I think it's spought on.
I actually would love to see them do that. I'm
sure a lot of fans would love to see them
do that. I'm just trying to I'm playing Devil's advocate
here with you. Because of what I've seen the Patriots
do in the past and what I know they tend
to like to do. And I'm not sure that the
philosophy of you know, of you know, straying away from

(59:48):
you know, finding lower round or even free agent guys
to stick around really has changed all that much. Now.
That was something that actually Bill Belichick did excel at
was finding you know, the diamonds in the rough. And
I if they feel like this staff and this scouting
staff still feels like they can do that, which is
partly why, not all the reason why, but partly why
they're probably they would be reluctant to make the deal

(01:00:11):
that you talk about. On top of that, again, you
got to find a willing trade partner on that one.
And so you know, if you identify, you know, as
Elder was talking about a minute ago, you got to
find a team that has, you know, an offensive tackle
that would actually be a definitive upgrade to what you
already have if you're completely healthy. Otherwise you're again to me,
you're spinning your wheels on that, and you'd have to
find an upgrade on you know, receivering and whatever else.

(01:00:32):
And frankly, I think that might be something that you
know they could hopefully attack again in free agency, even
though they swung on the list on Brandon Ayuk. You
have to you have to find a way to start
the process of making this a destination place and so
to to to your end. That's why I'll agree with it.
Sometimes you've got to sacrifice in order for the greater good.

(01:00:54):
And right now you need some panash, you need some flax,
you need a place that guys want to go to.
Oh I want to play with that, dude. They don't
have that right now, and I think that's part of
the deal. And by the way, by the way, I
might add here, Christian that if you put Drake May
out there and he has any kind of success at all,
you might have that as well.

Speaker 8 (01:01:14):
Absolutely absolutely, And before before I drift overs to Drake May,
I just wanted to say that listen to two impact Jennison,
all the picks, we get two impact players and then
we get one impact player in free agency. It is possible.
Let's let's it's a new era. We have a new
new front office, new GM, new coach. Let's jettison the
old way.

Speaker 3 (01:01:34):
Yeah, yeah, jumpers.

Speaker 8 (01:01:36):
So that's that's that. On on on Drake May Here's
what I'm afraid of. It works with Jadeen Daniels because
Jaden Daniels has guys that can get open within the
first two seconds. Sure, our fastest receiver is four five,
the slowest d back is probably for for four four,
four and a half. You're not going to get the
quick You're not going to get the quick guy open.

(01:01:56):
So that quick game is going to cause Drake to
have the pause. And that pause with the line that
we're that we're is.

Speaker 3 (01:02:02):
Cause of the issues. Yeah, I see where you're going,
but that that problem can be solved by schematics. You've
got to have an offensive coordinator that can draw that up.
And that's where I think we're finding some issues right now.
This is this is more right now, I think an
Alex van Pelt problem even than a Jacoby Brissette problem.

Speaker 8 (01:02:20):
Right right, to play Devil's Advocate with myself, rookie, there's
a guy named Cooper Cup who runs a four to five. Right,
there was a guy named Judian Ellman who run who
ran a four to five, a guy named Pooper and
the cook who runs at a guy named a J.

Speaker 3 (01:02:32):
Brant.

Speaker 8 (01:02:33):
You do have receivers that can do it with that
that speed and scheme. We don't. I've seen the town
that we have. We don't have the even the guys
that we have that run the four five. It's not
the kind of four to five that's like under stricting it. Yeah,
and open right, he's a straight line Jaffron. Baker's not
getting behind anybody. Sorry, he's not. And does I mean?

(01:02:58):
And now, guy poll he's tough. Yes, he is really tough.
But guess what tough tough receivers one day don't last
and too how many catches are you gonna get in
the game. That's gonna change the game with a tough
guy catching a seven yard end?

Speaker 3 (01:03:10):
Okay, come on, okay, I buy it. I buy it.
Very passionate stuff, Christian, Thank you appreciate that. Let me
get Nelson in La here really quick. Hey Nelson, what
are we working on today?

Speaker 5 (01:03:22):
Uh?

Speaker 8 (01:03:23):
But that's again all right? Backing it right now?

Speaker 3 (01:03:26):
Okay, good, good that the part in last week, man,
I was not I know, I know, brother, I know,
break my TV. Don't do that. It costs too damn
much money to get the good one again.

Speaker 5 (01:03:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:03:40):
Forel my position this week, I said, we're gonna I'm
gonna I'm.

Speaker 7 (01:03:44):
Gonna go another another fine with a W.

Speaker 3 (01:03:46):
Fauz seventeen fourteen, seventeen fourteen. So you like him to
keep it low and you want them to You think
they're gonna get the upset?

Speaker 7 (01:03:55):
Yeah, I think they're gonna fix them. Let's say they
they didn't pay on Thursday, right, I don't know what
they had.

Speaker 3 (01:04:02):
Well, I hope you're right. I just think I think
Zaverage is gonna be madder than a hornets nest as well,
just because they shouldn't have lost that. They should have
lost that game to the Rams.

Speaker 8 (01:04:11):
Yeah, they got a lot of players are not playing
for those, you.

Speaker 3 (01:04:13):
Know, right right totally? So yeah, a night, Bay, I'm
over here alongside of it, thanks, buddy, all right, be
safe out on the job now. Yeah you're too dark. Yeah.
Nelson's always working, right, digging trenches, you know, drilling for oil,
doing something out there. You gotta love it. Guy's a
hard hat calling us instead of actual construction. I know,

(01:04:36):
I know. Isn't that the American way? Anyway? I think
kind of so, I think kind.

Speaker 2 (01:04:40):
Of so.

Speaker 3 (01:04:43):
A real woman like, yeah, it's a real big woman.
It's time to go around the NFL with football guru
Russell Baxter. Now on the name is Flounder on Patriots Playbook.
By the way, I should tell you that, you know,
after twenty how many years have we done this show?

(01:05:03):
Now twenty three years? This is to your twenty four right,
that we've done this show. Right, We have changed our
email address and I didn't know it. It just happened. Yeah, okay,
all right, well that's fine, that's fine. So I noticed that,
Well there's a different address here on the computer. But
I'm like, should I say something? And then you know,
the missive has come in. So if you're gonna email
the show, all right, we want you to send it

(01:05:24):
to a little bit of a different address from this
point forward. I'm sure that the accounts will kind of
mirror and draw each other and all that kind of stuff.
But it's podcasts at Patriots dot com. Okay, we're gonna
have a million more listeners now, yeah, well I hope, yeah.
I don't know who knows podcasts at Patriots dot com.
And you know with that, we're gonna bring in the

(01:05:46):
one and only Russell Baxter Podcasts at Patriots dot com. Russell,
please make sure you make note of that for your
own you know, address book.

Speaker 5 (01:05:55):
I'm just glad you've got that last call entirely in
because I always prefer over a half.

Speaker 3 (01:06:01):
I half melts it. It's funken. Oh yeah, wrong, drop each.

Speaker 5 (01:06:08):
Other to get the seventeen to fourteen score in yeah,
while water main was breaking.

Speaker 3 (01:06:15):
So but you gotta admire you gotta admire his dedication, right.

Speaker 5 (01:06:22):
Yeah, I was. I was waiting for you to pop
on money python and just it's only a flush woman.

Speaker 3 (01:06:28):
Do we have that drop? No, I don't have that drop.
That's a good one to next week.

Speaker 5 (01:06:33):
I can tell you that.

Speaker 3 (01:06:34):
Yeah, we'll have to find that one. We'll have to
get that one. Oh my goodness, too good, All right,
my man. So, uh, I you know, you kind of
know what the Patriots are facing here. That was a
that was a that was not pretty on the Thursday
night game a week ago. So you know you got
a team though that's still one and two, and I
think there's a lot of expectation for this new England

(01:06:55):
team to sort of head southward now because you're facing
a forty nine er team that we thought would be
a contender, but they may be as banged up as
anybody in the league right now.

Speaker 5 (01:07:05):
Yeah, I mean, you know they might have taken them. Well,
let me ask you this what listen, get Nelson back
on the phone. Okay, here's the reason I'm asking.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
Ye.

Speaker 5 (01:07:17):
What's with the West Coast teams and the injuries?

Speaker 3 (01:07:19):
Right? Yeah? What are they doing? Yeah? What are they
doing out there?

Speaker 5 (01:07:23):
But Chargers, the Niners? What are they all on the
beach or something?

Speaker 3 (01:07:30):
I don't that's a great question, great question.

Speaker 5 (01:07:32):
Somebody clip on their copper tone, I mean, and big
names obviously even rock Perky's got a sword that right.
You know, the Chargers are Herbert is questionable, Joe Ault,
they're fine, rookie left tackle, banged up. We're already talking
about Cooper Cuff and Poop and Dakua and I think

(01:07:54):
the Rams get some people back this week and so on. So, uh,
you know, at the NFC, what certainly taking its lumps.
Seattle's three and oh the rest of the teams are
combined free wins. So and you know they even really
even haven't gotten to the divisional schedule yet. So yeah,
a lot of banged up. But I like what you

(01:08:16):
said about a hornet's net. And if the Niners respond
like you would expect them to. You would think they
would win the game. But you know, it's funny. You'll
remember last year the Niners won their first five games
and then they went into a three game skid. Yeah, yeah, okay,

(01:08:37):
so a big loss to the Browns at Cleveland of
Minnesota on Monday night, and then came home and lost
to the Bengals. So you know, obviously, listen, it's a
longer season now and you can recover from some of
these things. But I also like what you said about
New England, you know, the win over Cincinnati, even though

(01:08:59):
this appointing ending, played well against Seattle, But I don't
think anybody forgets twenty four to three, how about four
hundred to one thirty nine?

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
Yeah, that was just that was a beatdown. That was embarrassing.
There's no way that you know, a team should be
out manned like that, And there's no way a team
in the modern day NFL. I don't care how good
the defensive are, there's no when that team should be
held with a harder and thirty nine totally yards.

Speaker 5 (01:09:22):
Yeah, and we've seen quite a few of that this year.
We really have teams being held under forget three hundred,
under two hundred yards on a couple of times. And
if I remember right, the Bears actually won a game
doing that, yep, when they beat Tennessee. Now, when you
block a punt for a touchdown, you get a pick six.
That certainly helps. And we know scorings a little down

(01:09:45):
at this stage, but you know, I don't know if
that'll continue, if any if Monday night was any indication.
You know, we saw three teams score thirty three points
or more on Monday Night. The four teams have played. Yeah,
so you know we're obviously we're just getting warmed up.
And you know, last week we talked about all the
interconference games, and this week we finally get a little

(01:10:06):
meat on the bone. The five divisional games after there
were only seven divisional games the first three weeks and
important and obviously the divisional games are all important. It
starts Thursday night with the Cowboys and the Giants. I
think the Cowboys are very happy not to be home, right,

(01:10:26):
how is this, John?

Speaker 3 (01:10:27):
I would think the Patriots are also happy not to
be home. They've lost eight of nine here.

Speaker 5 (01:10:32):
Sometimes it works on in your favor, Okay, when there's
a you know, a lot of expectation or a lot
of question marks, and a lot of it, as you know,
comes from fans and a lot of local media who's
doing something every day on the team. Sometimes it helps
to be away from that. Maybe it helped New England

(01:10:54):
to hear how they were going to go, you know,
bottom up this year and go into Cincinnati and win
that game. And conversely, Cincinnati, who a lot of people
expected to rebound, they have lost their zero and three,
you know, and they you know, the Kansas City game
in the middle. But think about this, they lost to

(01:11:16):
two teams that last year finished four and thirteen each
and they were both in Now Cincinnati was a last
place team last year, but they were nine and eight. Yeah,
so it just goes to show you maybe there is
that mindset early in the year. I think to a degree,
all the noise about Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and Pittsburgh,

(01:11:38):
I think that helped the Steelers to a degree that
they opened the season at Atlanta and then at Denver
and didn't have to deal with all that. You know,
who's in, who's out, who's gonna this, and who's going
to do and so on. So I mean there's a
lot of men tell you there's so much mental that
goes in to this game. And you know it's it's
also a younger league now, and I think a lot

(01:11:58):
of these younger players they hear the noise. Well we
know this. They not only hear the noise, they respond
to Okay, So I think it's a lot different now.
And again, you know, here we come Week four already
Week four, the off week start in week five, yep.

(01:12:20):
And it's a fascinating schedule this week because there are,
like I said, numerous interdivisional games, only two interconference games,
although one is fascinating to me and other New England
San Francisco. So let me get this three. Bryce Young
was the first pick in the twenty twenty three draft.

(01:12:42):
He got benched after two games in his second year.
They put in Andy Dalton, who went and rolled eleven
at Las Vegas last week, and Andy Vault Dalton and
the Panthers at home, and here come to Cincinnati, Bengal
his old employer.

Speaker 3 (01:13:00):
Right, may him look pretty good, didn't it? I had
somebody asked me this week and said, hey, maybe the
Patrins should have gotten a guy like Andy Dalton. I'm like, look,
I didn't even think that the way that this offensive
line is playing right now, that Tom Brady would still
be upright right right.

Speaker 5 (01:13:15):
Well, Easier said, didn't getting Andy Dalton. They would have
to trade for Andy Dalton. He's with Caroline. He wasn't
a free agent to my knowledge. He was with the
team last year. So you know, unless I'm goofing that up,
and I don't don't think I am. So, I don't
think anybody's trading for Andy Dalton at this stage of
his career. But boy, he looked awfully comfortable last week.

(01:13:35):
And now Antonio appears as if you heard what he
had to say that after the game last week he
thought some of his players were making business decisions, and well,
guess what, he's in charge of the business of the Raiders.
And rumblings about eight and O'Connell, and you know that's again.
There is a team last year that finished with a flurry,

(01:13:58):
physical football. After he took over, We're went into Christmas
Day and beat the Chief in Kansas City, which, by
the way, it's the last game Kansas City lost. They
won nine in a row down the playoffs. Yeah, and
coming off a comeback fourth quarter win at Baltimore, and
then that wasn't an egg, that was an anomalot, that

(01:14:20):
was a Fortata.

Speaker 3 (01:14:21):
Yeah. Do we still make those.

Speaker 5 (01:14:26):
Any time I can slip for Tata into the show.

Speaker 3 (01:14:29):
We're going to try to do that, all right. So
let's say, I mean, as we look at the schedule
you already mentioned, you know, the divisional games that are
coming up this week. I'm kind of curious though, because
I know you have a little bit of perspective to
offer on this. The teams that are one and two
or in three, and I'm going to point at the
Bengals as well, because they're sort of a surprising oh
and three. At this stage, does one team or another,

(01:14:50):
whether you're one or two or over three, have a
definitive advantage for the remainder of the year. In other words,
are they sunk as far as the postseason or is
it still too early to really make that kind of judgment.

Speaker 5 (01:15:02):
It's early, but I will say this, and this is
it's kind of weird.

Speaker 6 (01:15:06):
You know.

Speaker 5 (01:15:07):
The one thing I always watch for is opportunity, Okay,
and it has nothing to do with playing easy opponents.
It has everything to do with who you play and
who you play in your division. Now, because the first
three weeks of the season, We've only seen seven divisional games.

(01:15:28):
There's very little to go on, even though it's worth
noting the Rams have already played two divisional games. They
lost to and then you know, wound up beating the
forty nine ers and so on. But some of these
teams have not. And I bring that up because you know,
you got a young quarterback in Chicago and Caleb Williams. Okay,

(01:15:48):
the offensive line is struggling. Defensively, they have played pretty
respectable football. Every one of those their games so far
has been decided by seven points or less. They beat
the Titans by seven, they lost to Houston byte six.
They lost to the Colts by five, which means the
Rams will be a four point game this week. After

(01:16:08):
that it'll be a three point game, ceter effects thatter.
I bring this up for this reason because the NFC
North you got Minnesota is one of the five three
and oh teams Detroyton, Green Bay or two and one.
They're sitting at one and two divisions played the divisional
game they should, although that changes this week because Minnesota
goes to Green Bay. Well, my point with the Bears

(01:16:32):
is this, you heard a lot about Pittsburgh's schedule because
they don't play a divisional foe until week eleven, which
is hard to believe.

Speaker 3 (01:16:41):
Wow, I didn't know that. No, I didn't realize that either.

Speaker 5 (01:16:45):
Yeah, week eleven they play their first division game. But
guess who else doesn't play their first division game until
week eleven the Bear Bears, which means they'll have all
those teams and if they can stay.

Speaker 3 (01:16:57):
Close, yeah yeah, yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:17:01):
Okay, you never know what can happen. Okay. And this
was a team last year that played They were seven
and six after their zero and four start, okay, and
they went into they beat the Lions decisively at Soldier
Field last year. Okay, So that's the Ringing Dinas champion.

(01:17:24):
So if you hang around now, if you know, if
you're you're getting into the final, the final eight weeks
of the season and you're seven games behind a bunch
of teams. I get it. But every year we see
somebody start fast and fade. Every year we see someone
start slow and catch fire. You know, I think people

(01:17:45):
kind of forget what the Chiefs and I know the Chiefs. Listen,
they won back to back Super Bowls. Maybe it's a
bad example. The Chiefs lost their opener last year. Okay,
they reeled Loft six in a row going into the playoffs. John,
they were five and five in their last ten games.

(01:18:06):
They were a mediocre at that and it wasn't like
they blew other than Miami. It didn't blow anybody away.

Speaker 3 (01:18:12):
What does that say? What does that say?

Speaker 5 (01:18:15):
Yeah, well, it just says that things are getting it.
They find ways to win. People like to And I
don't care what you win by. If you win by forty,
where you win by one. You know, it's the same adage.
If you hit the ball off the tee, it hits
a tree and it rolls onto the green and you
put it in, it's still a birdie.

Speaker 3 (01:18:34):
True, all right, I got.

Speaker 5 (01:18:37):
It's so hard to tell what we have.

Speaker 3 (01:18:39):
Yeah, even more so, Yeah, even more so today, I
would say, Which is why I want to I want
to do this next ele exercise with you. So play
along here a moment. I'm gonna spot like three teams
and I want you to tell me. I want you
to tell me for real or fraudulent Vikings at three
and zero who played the two and one Packers at
Green Bay this weekend? For real or frauds?

Speaker 5 (01:19:03):
I think Minnesota is for real because they balanced on
offense and Brian Floor staid a hell of a job
with the defense last year and it may even be
better this season.

Speaker 2 (01:19:13):
You know.

Speaker 5 (01:19:14):
Losing Daniel Hunter in free agency I thought was tough,
but they It's funny Houston and Minnesota actually wound up
swapping her top pass rushers because Jonathan Greenard is there
and we saw what Minnesota did to Houston last week. Now,
could they go into Green Bay and lose? Sure? Could
stamp Darnald implode because we've seen him get off to

(01:19:36):
some decent start to the one year with Carolina as well.
They have turned over the ball four times this year.
It's not like they've played perfect football, but Darnald has
been very, very poised. They have Aaron Jones, who who
knows what kind of comeback reunion he's going to have
with the Packers this week him loose and then signed

(01:19:57):
Josh Jacobs. So but no, as football team, I think
they are confident, physical and balanced.

Speaker 3 (01:20:08):
Okay, Steelers three and zero playing at the one and
two colts for real or frauds?

Speaker 5 (01:20:15):
All of it? They were frauds, But I think the
jury is obviously still out. I mean slowly their offense
is coming together. I mean, they had zero touchdowns in
week one, they had one touchdown in week two, they
had two touchdowns in Week three, Okay, and they were

(01:20:35):
their defense has been smothering. And it's way too early
to say this, but you know that every once in
a while we have a team who puts on one
of those defensive clinics for a year, okay, and it
winds up being one of those years that even though

(01:20:55):
their offense might be subpar or average at best, the
defense carries them a long way. The last time we
saw it where the Broncos in twenty fifteen. Who you know,
Peyton Manning was on his last legs. They believed the
Super Bowl. I think they had one hundred and ninety
four total yards and beat the Panthers, played two touchdowns, right, Okay,

(01:21:19):
but their defense was the calling card. You know, we
had the great defense of the Seahawks in twenty thirteen.
We had the Buccaneers in two thousand and two. Okay,
who you know Brad Johnson? Okay, offense okay, defense opportunistic.

(01:21:40):
They ran three interceptions back in Super Bowl for touchdown, right,
and then the Ravens you know who started out with
Tony Fanks's touch as their quarterback and then got Trent
Dilfer in there. I always I love pointing out the stats.
That actually one of one of Boomers Chris Berman's favorite
numbers the Baltimore Raven in two thousand, Johns played twenty games, okay,

(01:22:03):
glut in the playoffs, they gave up one hundred and
eighty eight.

Speaker 3 (01:22:07):
Points, which is remarkable. Yeah, that's remarkable.

Speaker 5 (01:22:11):
I think about the Sea like last year. For instance,
last year Baltimore gave up the fewest points in the league. Ironically, Yeah,
they gave it to eighty.

Speaker 3 (01:22:21):
So one hundred points more.

Speaker 5 (01:22:22):
Yeah right, yeah, one hundred points more and three lesson
Yeah nuts. I know the rules and I know a
lot of those things.

Speaker 3 (01:22:32):
Yeah, right.

Speaker 5 (01:22:33):
To me. The Steelers are not FROWND. They're not for real.
They're really a work in progress offensively, but again, defensively
they're there. They have been scared. I mean, I think
the Chargers had and I know Herbert was hurt most
of the second half. I think the Chargers had minus
five yards in the second half last week.

Speaker 3 (01:22:53):
Yeah, so they're at least effective team number three, And
I think I know the answer to this one. But
I'm gonna ask it anyway, because it's effecting, you know
what the Patriots do in the division. Buffalo three and
zero playing at the one and two Ravens, and clearly
I think this may be the game of the week.
I look forward to it, you know, and on Sunday Night.
But fraudulent or for real.

Speaker 5 (01:23:15):
I'm as a surprised that Buffalo has done. I really am,
because they were a team like Miami that were in
salary cap hell this offseason, and you know some of
the names they wanted to Mitch Morse, their longtime center,
got cut, Jordan Poyer, their safety got cut. They wound

(01:23:37):
up trading Stefan Diggs. So it was offense defense. They
made a lot of changes, and they have gone thirty
four points, thirty one points, forty seven points. I'm not
still sure how good the defense is, but right now,

(01:23:58):
Josh Josh Allen played Monday Night. It's gonna sound weird.
He played Monday Night like he played that playoff game
in Kansas City, the one they wound up losing in
overtime where he was just effortless and throwing the ball
down the field. James Cook gives them a lot of balance.
I think they are very much for real, but I'm

(01:24:20):
not sure if their defense is real, at least not yet.
They'll obviously get a big test this week. But I
will say this, what's happened to the Ravens defense?

Speaker 3 (01:24:30):
Yeah? Okay, Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:24:31):
They led the league the co holders of the most
takeaways in the league last year, which by all teams.
Do you know who? The Ravens had thirty one takeaways
last year and the best record of the league. You
know who else had thirty one takeaways last year?

Speaker 6 (01:24:45):
John?

Speaker 3 (01:24:46):
Thirty one takeaways last year? No?

Speaker 5 (01:24:50):
The Giants?

Speaker 3 (01:24:51):
Wait? What that Giant at thirty one takeaways? Yes?

Speaker 5 (01:24:56):
And boy they really were laid them into it amazing
eleven seasons. Okay, but Baltimore also gave us the fewest
points in the league this year that last year. So
they've given us twenty seven, they've given up twenty six,
They've given up twenty five. So I'm looking for Buffalo
to get twenty four this week. It's just a MERI

(01:25:17):
if they can hold off Lamar Jackson and the offense
and so on. Baltimore's not any trumple scoring and they
certainly have any trouble given the ball to Derrick Henry
last week. I think has at least one touchdown in
every game, right he's played so far this season.

Speaker 3 (01:25:32):
It seems like, right, this is a.

Speaker 5 (01:25:34):
Bigger game for Baltimore than really it is for Buffalo.
If Buffalo can nail this and go into Baltimore and
send Baltimore to one and three, you know that obviously
gives them a big early advantage in the conference, a
head to head tiebreaker. And you know, we've seen Buffalo

(01:25:57):
in the play now it's money. They made a couple
of years to get some more home playoff games. They
lost to Cincinnati a couple of years ago badly. Last
year they lost to Kansas City in the divisional round.
They finally got the Chiefs at home and didn't do
anything with it. So we'll see. But I don't know
if I answered your question.

Speaker 3 (01:26:13):
No you didn't. Yeah, no, I'm with you.

Speaker 5 (01:26:15):
Defense, wait and see.

Speaker 3 (01:26:18):
Yeah, I agree with that. I agree with all the above. Russell.
Thank you so much, as we always thank you. But
your insight is invaluable. It gets me thinking, So I
appreciate that. And let's see if I can come up
with another one or two to Buffalo. You a little
bit for next week.

Speaker 5 (01:26:32):
Oh no, good listen, I'll throw out a question to
the group, and I'll throw it out to you real quick.

Speaker 3 (01:26:38):
Shoot.

Speaker 5 (01:26:38):
Three weeks into the season, there's only one team in
the league that hasn't committed a turnover? Any idea?

Speaker 3 (01:26:44):
Who one team presently that has not committed a turnover?

Speaker 5 (01:26:48):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:26:48):
Is it a three and zero team? Nope? I didn't
think so. But that's as far as I can go.

Speaker 5 (01:26:55):
Now, here's the book, and you'll see this in my
key stat's page. This team last year turned over the
ball thirty two times.

Speaker 3 (01:27:01):
Good grief. Who hasn't turned it over? Is it Washington?

Speaker 6 (01:27:10):
It is?

Speaker 5 (01:27:10):
Washington?

Speaker 3 (01:27:12):
Had a boy I have to give I have to
give Marine credit on that one. That was his guest.
And so okay, all right, there you go, Washington, son
of a gun.

Speaker 5 (01:27:21):
You had a one out of thirty two shots.

Speaker 3 (01:27:22):
Yeah, exactly. Well, let's go play the lotto then, Marine,
and get the hell out of here.

Speaker 5 (01:27:27):
Yeah. I played the numbers tonight. I played eight six nine,
and I googled a.

Speaker 3 (01:27:35):
Lot of numbers. Google eight six, seven, five three nine exactly.
I love it. Thank you, my man. I'll talk to
you soon.

Speaker 5 (01:27:49):
Good luck and good luck with your with your assignment
per se.

Speaker 3 (01:27:53):
Oh yeah, thank you, thank you. I appreciate that. Uh,
you know, little banquet. We're on the banquet circuit time,
so that's where we're going.

Speaker 5 (01:28:00):
All right, Well, it's listen. If someone doesn't eat their salad.

Speaker 3 (01:28:03):
Grab it. I usually do. Thanks Buddy, the one and
only Russell S Baxter at Backs Football Guru on X
where you can find him getting ready for a marathon
game day watch party. Make sure you're well rested with
a brand new mattress from Bob's Discount Furniture. When you
dare to compare Bob's to operated signature mattresses, cutting edge

(01:28:25):
bibble Peati technology and every day low prices, and I'm
talking about over a thousand dollars less than the competition,
you can sleep well knowing you've snagged a winning combination
of top of the line features and unbeatable values. So
stop in see how much you can say when you
dare to compare with Bob's Discount Furniture, the official furniture
store of the New England Patriots. A couple of emails

(01:28:45):
that I do want to share with you guys. Here
Aiden in California, John Man, that team looked like it
played ot this Sunday before in a short week. No
excuses for not showing up, But onto the Niners. I
came to the conclusion that we need to play Dre.
I was not in this camp before, but we need
to see what we have and build around it. It's

(01:29:06):
a tough spot with the Niners this week, but fans
here are nervous about the game. Aiden's in California. So
with a tight game that'll be won by the Patriots
twenty three seventeen, they're wounded or they too are wounded,
and we're catching them at a good time. Always good
to hear from you, Aiden Howard and Stratford, Connecticut. John
With respect to the Jets game, the term I used

(01:29:26):
was disappointing. I was completely disappointed with the coaching staff
and its lack of preparedness of a plan as well
as getting the players ready for that game. I get
their young, inexperienced, but I expected better. Short we can
not me too. As for the Niners, I do see
this as a chance to steal a win. I think
the Pats pull it off twenty three twenty. I don't

(01:29:47):
think they start may here, but I too am a
start and may guy. Hopefully they come around to that
way of thinking. And pat naguam, Good afternoon, John Ann Marine.
I called it again last week. I'm gonna make a
bold prediction for this week. San Francisco wins thirty four
to thirty one. Yes, the Patriots will score thirty one points.

(01:30:08):
What is pat smoking? Patty? Usually a lot? Yeah, Patty,
this will only be because Jacobe gets benched at halftime
and Drake May takes the reins for the rest of
the year, but his comeback attempt comes up just short
this week. All right, Patty, you know we love you.
By the way, Did I call it last week? I
did ring. I said Drake May was gonna play. Didn't

(01:30:30):
I call me now for your free reading? Got me
now for your free reading? Yeah? I think maybe you should.
You should think about that. Football season is here. Sullivan
Tire and Auto Service kicks things off in a big
way with our exclusive gold Pat's Tires sale now through
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(01:30:51):
bridge Stone tires. Save one hundred dollars instantly with a
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for complete details. Go Patriots, and of course the show
is brought to you by bud Light Easy to Drink,
Easy to Enjoy, bud Liked, the official beer sponsor of

(01:31:12):
the New England Patriots. Thanks to Russell Baxter Andrew Callahan,
The Boston Herald are one and only Evan Lazar, who
will be of course in San Francisco to the Marine
who always sets it all up. Patriots and the forty
nine ers get the afternoon late game for fifteen twenty
whatever kickoff into rolling around Eastern time, so we'll have

(01:31:35):
more on that, talk about that and preview the next
one coming up this same time, same Pats channel next
week here in Patriots Playbook coming out for your rereading.
Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple, Google Play,
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(01:31:57):
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