Patriots Playbook 10/2: 49ers Recap, Dolphins Preview, Injuries Piling Up

Tune-in as we discuss the loss to the 49ers, preview this Sunday's game against the Dolphins and discuss injuries piling up for the Patriots. Today's guests are Evan Lazar from Patriots.com, Karen Guregian from MassLive Sports, Alain Poupart from SI.com and Russell Baxter from ProFootballGuru.com.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
H on page Playbook Where Legends are Born. John Book
brings the heat rain of storm from rain supposed to
goo stars.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Rising the playbook something, it's so massa rising, and so
the playbook Patriots play gives your host John Book legend
voice of the New England Patriots. It's Patriots Playbook.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yah, you're hon I just hadn't muted nothing. Oh okay, Well,

(01:00):
we can't hear a thing. I just want you to
know that. So that's you know, should we do sign language, maybe,
well I can hear you.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
You just aren't going to be able to hear the callers.
That's that's the problem.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
I can't even hear myself right now, to be honest
with you.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
But if they can hear us, then I can hear.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
I can hear him just because he's resonating through the headphones.
So that's okay. I've had you know, I've actually done
it with the ten can and the phone line string.
But I believe that we could do that. We could
do that way too. And plus we were sort of distracted,
So it's not mass fault because we were actually talking

(01:40):
about Chinese food. Yes, where we got started here today
only because you made your first effort trip to San
Francisco this PACT week I did.

Speaker 4 (01:46):
It was a lot of fun. I mean, obviously we
wished the game went a little bit better, but frankly,
I think all of us were prepared for the fact
that the game wasn't going to go particularly well given
the matchup, so I wasn't totally shocked. I don't think
any of us were by the results of the game.
But we had a good day in San Francisco on Saturday,
got a day off there, which was really nice, and

(02:07):
I'd never been to San fran so it was cool
to tour around the city a little bit.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
Okay, would you eat?

Speaker 4 (02:13):
We ate some great Mexican food on the first night,
really good.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
And then you know San Francisco and you're eating Mexican food.

Speaker 4 (02:21):
It's you know, it's not part of the country a
little bit.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
I think San Francisco is kind of known for its
Chinese food.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
I know, I know, it's You're right. I'm not even
gonna try and defend us.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's okay, because Mexican food is my favorite, yeah on
the planet, but Chinese I have to admit it's a
close second. And believe me, those of you who know
that you know how long I've lived here, and you know,
I'm a I'm a frequenter of you know, Federal Hill
and Providence of the North end of Boston, all these
great places with unbelievable Italian and it is magnificent. But

(02:54):
if I really had to, you know, hold my feet
to the fire, it's Mexican, it's Chinese, and Italian is
a close third, but it's still third.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
Yeah, I'm a big Mexican food fan myself. I got
enchiladas with the mole sauce. Yeah, it was. It was
really good. It was really good. It was uh, it
was good. And then the second night went in around
we went to In and Out yep, of course, and
guy in and Out for dinner.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Which double double animal style, double.

Speaker 4 (03:21):
Double, some fries, well done.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
You don't do the shake, no, that's I'm okay with that.
But as long as you get in the double double
url set, yeah, in and out, that's perfectly.

Speaker 5 (03:33):
You know.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
I actually have been a a fall river what what
what what is known as a Oh my god, now
I'm gonna forget it. It's the it's the Chinese noodles sandwich. Oh,
it's it's unbelievable. I didn't.

Speaker 4 (03:50):
I didn't know that existed.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
It's it's it's unbelievable and it's sort of a fall
river thing. But I'm like, I'm like, I'm just you know,
really kind of gotten into it over the last couple
of months. And of course the place that that Miss
Robin and I go to, it's closing on New Year's Eve.
Oh you know they're they're retiring and getting out of business.

Speaker 4 (04:07):
Oh like officially, I thought you just meant it was
gonna the.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Restaurants called me some okay, and uh, it's it's delicious.

Speaker 4 (04:14):
Yeah, we have a good We were just talking off
the air and everybody's like, this isn't a food podcast,
is it? But we we love talking about food.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
Okay, what's the alternative. We can talk about the ambulances.
We can talk about the ambulances that are pulling up
on now we're just kidding on the ambulances, all right,
but ye know we can talk about that too, which
we will. But yeah, here, you know, I mean the man,
the young man makes his first visit to California, to
San Francisco.

Speaker 4 (04:37):
I should say, yeah, specifically, yeah, and.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
I have to find out what kind of Chinese food.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
Yeah, you know, I was a SoCal guy for a
little while, lived out in Los Angeles, uh in my
younger years.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
So so when you were out there, though, you never
made the trip up to No Cal.

Speaker 4 (04:51):
I never did. I never did. It just wasn't something.
We were San Diego a lot. We went to Vegas
a couple of times, obviously, Joshua Tree, Yeah, no, no
trips up So I didn't get a chance to go
up there when I was out there. So it's my
first time.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
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(05:30):
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(05:52):
at Jillette Stadium, but that's close. Oh no, I know,
I know I had to do it. So let's bring
up to dat and every thing as best as we can,
because it seems to sort of be unfolding as we speak.
I know you were in the locker room all morning long,
and you know, listening to Gerard and Jacoby and the

(06:12):
things they were doing today. The major news of the day.
Let's start with the big story, at least for me,
is David Andrews deciding for surgery, which is going to
put him out for the rest of the year. He's
gonna hit ir. It hasn't officially happened yet, but we
do expect that to happen, right.

Speaker 4 (06:27):
Yes, we do. And he wasn't that practice today as
you might expect, and I did. They closed the locker
room just when he walked in, so I didn't get
to speak with him, but I did see him towards
the very end of open locker room come into to
the Patriots locker room, obviously not dressed for practice. But
it's disappointing and you won't find a bigger fan of

(06:50):
David Andrews than me. Just a consummate pros pro, great
great personality, great leader, gritty as hell, you know, just
tough as nails type player. With all that being said,
I have noticed over the last year to a little
bit of a drop off in his game. And I

(07:12):
say it like I'm about to, you know, cry, because
I hate saying that about the guy. Like I really
do hate saying that about a guy.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
And everybody really appreciates his professionalism, uh, you know, and
he's been you know, he calls all the line, you know, uh,
you know, changes and plays and I mean, and so
here's a guy that has really come up to the
I mean, the guy was a free agent when he
first started out here, he was not even undrafted, and
he worked his way up the ladder to where he's
become certainly one of the more respected linemen, if not

(07:42):
centers in the entire league, certainly in the AFC East
in the AFC. And have him have these problems, you know,
he had the blood clock issue, which is hurt Christian
Barmore this year and and uh and be able to
come back from that and now to have this happen,
and especially at a time when the Patriots offensive line is,
you know, not only a group of walking wounded, but

(08:03):
they just they're not functioning as a unit together. They're
not doing what they need to do and may even
be delaying the development of their star quarterback, which will,
I'm sure get into a little bit. But the fact
of the matter is is that Andrews is valuable and
I was happy to see a couple of the reporters
in the media tweet out earlier today that his expectation

(08:24):
is to return for twenty twenty five.

Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, yeah, I wonder because mentally he's always so locked in.
Yeah that a lot of the things that you see
on film with him in terms of his play the
last few years, when you talk about some decline are
obviously physical decline, and with a player like David, I
do wonder a little bit if his body is starting

(08:50):
to give in on him, give in on him, just
a little.

Speaker 3 (08:54):
Bit, give out on the way you want to look
at it.

Speaker 4 (08:57):
Just because of some of the things as you're seeing
physically you probably wouldn't have seen with him a couple
of years ago, and now you know, injuries and things
like that are starting to pop up. You know, he
was on the injury report. I don't know if it
was last week or the week before for something totally
different than what he's gonna miss the season for, but
he was already starting to get some bumps and bruises.

(09:19):
I think it was before the Jets game that he
was It wasn't one hundred percent that he was gonna
play in that game. So a really tough loss for
the locker room, for the leadership, for all that sort
of stuff. With the Patriots. Obviously a big loss in
terms of communication, as you were talking about. I do

(09:39):
wonder though, and I say this lightly because I don't
want to disrespect David, but I do wonder if Nick
Leverett as a blocker is gonna be really that big
of a drop off, especially what we saw from Leverett
on Sunday, if that's how he's going to play.

Speaker 3 (09:55):
He actually I thought was representative of the position. Yeah,
there were no agree there that.

Speaker 4 (10:00):
I shall now, it seems like he's cleaned up the
snaps a little bit from the preseason. Obviously, more reps
will help you with that. I'm sure there during the
week in practice that Andrews was being managed in terms
of reps too, So a lot of those reps in
practice with the ones might have gone to Nick Leverett
just to keep David Andrews fresh for the game. So
I look at Leverett from the film on Sunday against

(10:24):
San Francisco and say, one for one as a blocker,
I don't know if there's necessarily going to be this
major drop off now from a leadership, toughness, grit standpoint,
there's no There's only one David Andrews, so that that's
gonna be difficult.

Speaker 3 (10:42):
All right. So, well, the David Andrews situation is playing out,
we expect the IR designation you know, to come, you know,
in fairly short order. The question now remains, Okay, who's left?
Who's next? Next man up? Is there a next man up?
I mean, I think all of those are legitimate questions
at the stage of the game. Is especially when we
know that on the offensive side of the ball, the

(11:02):
focus I mean, sure there's a lot of focus on
Jacoby and the running backs and the wide receivers, but
it all is predicated on what happens up front in
the trenches. We've talked about this on off all season long. Eters.

Speaker 4 (11:13):
I know nobody wants to talk about the offensive line.

Speaker 3 (11:15):
But no, but it really is the key to everything
else that's going on with this team on offense. And obviously,
with all the struggles that this team is having, thirty
first out of thirty two teams in scoring offense, the
thirty second team just happens to be the team they're
playing this week in the Miami Dolphins. And we'll jump
into that a little bit. But what do you foresee

(11:38):
the immediate future to be like on the line? And
you know, if Nick Leverett has to take over at center,
I would ask you, is there you know, what's what's
up with Cole Strange? Is it a possibility that he
could return at some point? Is there? I know that
they brought in a free agent today for a workout,

(11:59):
and maybe you can bring us up to date on
that one. And I guess really are they I know
Jacoby has said not, Jacoby Gerard has hid uh that
they're not necessarily in the market for a free agent tackle,
But might that have to be revisited just in sheer numbers.

Speaker 4 (12:17):
Yeah, because they just don't have any Well, it sounds
like they're not in the market for any of the
tackles that are gonna cost some real money. You know,
David Batiari, UH, Charles Alano, DJ Humphries. You know those
guys that are out there, there's one more, Donovan Smith,
there's the other one. I know they're in the market
for those level of tackles.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
They're gonna have to pay too much of it? Is that?
I mean, I don't know. I can't give These guys
aren't playing right now, so I'm not sure.

Speaker 4 (12:45):
What's the I can't give you a good reason. The
only reason that the only out that I can give
the team that isn't money related, because I can't believe
that it's the money. The only out that I can
give the team is that there has to be some
sort of injury with those guys. Some of them we
know of their injuries. Others maybe they're tapped, you know,

(13:06):
in terms of being older and that kind of thing
that the rest of the league knows about that the
outside world doesn't. Because let's face it, if any of
those guys were healthy and ready to go, then there's
plenty of tackle needy teams that would take David Bakhtiari
on their team right now.

Speaker 3 (13:23):
So that's kind of what I thought, right, So, if
these guys are still available and here we are in
week five. There's something else going on.

Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yeah, my guess is that a lot of those guys,
and like I said, some of it is public. Humphreys
is coming off an injury, Leno had offseason surgery. Bachtiari
hasn't played a full season in years and has been
contemplating retirement, like you know, different things like that. So
some of those guys have issues. Donovan Smith is, for
all we know, healthy but struggled a lot with the

(13:50):
Chiefs last year and his film with the Kansas City
was not good. So all those guys have flaws. I
get the Patriots guys have flaws too. I'm not trying
to excuse the team for where they're at on the
offensive line, but that's where it's at. I think the
one other thing I would just mention, you know, in house, Uh,
they the line that we saw out at practice today,

(14:11):
they really have done a major shakeup. If this is
what they're going to roll with, Like this line, well
got put into an absolute blender by the coaching staff.
The line that we saw and we do this on
PU and everybody got very confused. So I'm gonna try
to do this is straight forward as possible left tackle

(14:31):
Vederian Lowe, left guard Michael Jordan. Center was Brian Hudson
who's on the practice squad. But I don't look at
that and say that Nick LeVert is not going to
be the center. Maybe he's banged up also, well he
banged up, Yeah, so maybe right guard City sw right

(14:53):
tackle Mike on Wing. So that right side is what
they had last year on the right side for the
majority of the season. Get Jordans in low back healthy.
On the left side, they feel probably feel like those
have been their two best guys on the left side
so far this year. And obviously you're gonna have Leverett
most likely at center. But as dire as that still sounds,

(15:17):
I can see the method there. Of these five guys
have been at that those specific positions are our best
five guys right now. The one odd man out really
is Leiden Robinson, the rookie who goes to the bench
after having a tough game last week.

Speaker 3 (15:31):
So well, they can't afford not to play him. He's
got to figure in that mix somewhere because their depth
is incredibly thin.

Speaker 4 (15:37):
Well, on the interior they have some depth, you know
they have, So they have Jordan, They obviously could play
on winning on the inside if they if they had
the option to do that. So it's really tackle that
that depth is a major concern. But well, it's a concern.
The whole line has been a concern all year long,
regardless of what combination you put out. It's the worst

(16:01):
part of the team, There's no doubt about it.

Speaker 3 (16:03):
Can you update Stranger's status?

Speaker 4 (16:05):
Strange is gonna be out indefinitely? Uh you know, he
got injured late in the year last.

Speaker 3 (16:11):
Wasn't he eligible to come back this week?

Speaker 4 (16:13):
Technically?

Speaker 3 (16:13):
But he is not.

Speaker 4 (16:15):
He is not close. He is not close.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
You know.

Speaker 4 (16:17):
He has a turn piteller tendon, which is a really
difficult injury at this point with all the science that's
gone behind fixing acls, it's probably the worst injury that
you can have in your knee.

Speaker 5 (16:30):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (16:30):
So he's he's gonna be out for the foreseeable future.
He's not a part of this right.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
We really should expect him at any point.

Speaker 4 (16:37):
I would say I wouldn't rule out the season entirely,
but I am not expecting to see him any time soon.

Speaker 3 (16:43):
Okay, So that's the latest, at least on the offensive
line and what this team might do about it. The other,
you know, major story that you know certainly would have
some New England interest, at least that I thought saw
today was DeVante Adams, you know, being you know, cut
loose or you know, potentially traded by the Raiders to
some place. There's a betting website that emailed me to

(17:04):
tell me that the Patriots are the fifth team in
terms of favorites to land Davante Adams. I don't see
that that's gonna happen, although I guess stranger things have happened.
But I would say, at this stage of the game,
why the hell not. I mean, if you don't have
to give up any anything of any you know, great
importance or note like if you could get away with
a third or I don't know, I don't know. It

(17:27):
might take a second to get him, but certainly if
you could, you know, use a third round draft pick
on him, depending on the rest of the compensation, why
wouldn't you take a shot at him?

Speaker 4 (17:36):
Well, I think it's a couple of things. The way
I look at them training for Devonte Adams is that
that would be solely a way for Elliott Wolf to
put the fans at bay a little bit. I it's
a knee jerk trade to me.

Speaker 3 (17:52):
But they don't care about that.

Speaker 4 (17:54):
They shouldn't. They shouldn't. But if you're doing something to
gets some interests, piques some interest back in the team,
and get some fans excited about what you've done.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
A second, wait whatit hold On's So they're they're they're
throwing out Uh, they're trying to they're trying to get
the play Drake may people off their backs.

Speaker 4 (18:16):
Or just as people in general that we have calling
and email in and myself included, Guy I, we're all
frustrated with the results on the field. That's how I
would view acquiring DeVante Adams. Davante Adams is going to
be thirty two years old. People got to realize that
he's actually almost exactly the same age as myself. So
I know he's gonna be He's gonna be thirty two

(18:38):
years old. Both born in December of ninety two. How
about that? So he is not necessarily a part of
your future plans, whereas that draft pick compensation that you're
giving to the Raiders for Devonte Adams is a part
of your future plans. So this is a move that

(18:59):
is for the here now, for a roster that's not
here or now ready. So that's the part of it
that I wouldn't really understand. The Other part of it
is is that he's already pissed off being in Vegas
because they stink, so now he's gonna be less pissed
off about being here. So it just doesn't really seem
like it would make any sense for both sides for

(19:21):
him to come here. I get, it's a shiny new toy,
it's a name, it's a known commodity. They need receiver help,
they need offensive firepower. I get there are some pros
to the move, but you have to understand that this
is that's a win now move for a team that
is not winning now, even with DeVante Adams on the roster.

(19:42):
So all that would be doing would be you and
I can go buy his jersey at the pro shop,
you know, like that's it.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
Yeah. Well, it's my understanding as well that he most
likely wants to play with the quarterback he has some
familiarity with his will. That's what I saw at least.

Speaker 4 (19:57):
Yeah, I would assume that it interested. Parties at the
top of the list have to be the Jets, you know,
pair him again with Aaron Rodgers outside of Garrett Wilson.
Even though you know, Alan Lazard and Mike Williams looked
like dogs against the Patriots, they're not necessarily that in
the grand scheme of things. So pairing him with Garrett
Wilson would obviously give them another weapon that's a legitimate

(20:20):
factor that would be a problem. So the Jets make
a lot of sense just to put him back with Rogers.
I've heard, you know, other teams that have been floated
Steelers a little bit. You know, they're always poking around.
They were poking around on Brandon aiyuk oh, and that
whole thing was going around. So they're clearly in the
market for a number one receiver. Also, they're you know,

(20:41):
in a much better position than the Patriots. So the
only reason why I from a I guess what's the word,
A realistic point of view, The only reason why I
see this even being a possibility for the Patriots is
because Elliott Wolf has gone big game hunting at that
this position multiple times already, Chase Calvin Ridley, Chase Brandon Ayyuk,

(21:05):
so that this would jive with their approach in that respect.
But I don't believe that they're in a position to
give up any sort of real draft copet, Like if
they're giving up a top one hundred pick right now
for DeVante Adams, would I would view that as a mistake.

Speaker 3 (21:23):
Would bringing in DeVante Adams make Jacoby Brissett a better quarterback?

Speaker 4 (21:30):
I think bringing in the player of Devanta Adams's caliber
makes anybody a better quarterback in theory. But there issues
with Jacob Brissett are systemic that go beyond just the
fact that they don't have receivers that can separate. You
already have two young receivers and the Mario Douglas and
Jalen Polk who have created some opportunities and just aren't
really getting the full print right. So I don't think

(21:52):
that they there issues with Jacoby Brissett. The way that
I see it, and why I have been number one
on the band wagon of the play May you know
the play may band wagon is that right now, it's
a bad combination between quarterback, play caller, and offensive line.
This mix of those three things just don't It doesn't work.

(22:15):
It doesn't work together because you have probably the worst
pass blocking offensive line in football. You have a quarterback
that's not a fast processor or an athlete at the position.
So you have a guy that's gonna hold the ball
back there, and you have a bad offensive line, and
you have a play caller who wants to run a
certain kind of offense but doesn't really have the personel

(22:38):
to execute that kind of offense. So that's why I
really truly believe it would be better with Drake, because
Drake May is a playmaker at the position. So on
third down, we saw it in a little glimpse in
the Jets game. There are fourth downs, but we saw it.
He can pick up a third down with his legs.

(22:59):
He can make a throw over the middle of the
field to Pop Douglas on third down to move the
chains what.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
Little separation we're seeing from the receivers. He can hit
that pass. Yeah, he can make this. We saw that
in the summer.

Speaker 4 (23:09):
Key threw that ball to Pop Douglas with a little
what I would call anticipation where Douglas is on the
right hand side of the linebacker. He sees the window
form to hit him on the other side, and so
he leads Douglas coming across the field. I just don't
see Jacob, were said doing those kinds of things with regularity,

(23:30):
seeing windows, throwing the ball with anticipation, throwing the ball,
you know, into NFL open targets, not wide open, but
NFL open, and there's a difference between those things. What
I see with Perssett is holding the ball waiting for
people to come wide open and uncover so that he

(23:50):
can see, Okay, this.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
Is do that though because he requires that or because
he's being told to do.

Speaker 4 (23:57):
That, probably a combination, because I do think that there's
an element of don't turn the ball over, don't turn
the ball over, don't turn the ball over.

Speaker 3 (24:05):
And if we playing conservatives right, but it's not getting
anybody with their spinning their wheels right.

Speaker 4 (24:11):
So if he throws an anticipatory throw over the middle
of the field and Jalen Polk breaks out instead of
breaking in, ye, then now we have an interception on
our hands, and that's a problem for this team. But
the problem that they have now is that these guys
are coming NFL open again. I don't want you know,
we're seeing a lot of the receivers are creating separation,

(24:32):
they're getting open, they're not getting the ball. I agree
with a lot of that, but I don't want to
conflate that with this is Tyreek Hill running through the
defense and he's ten yards behind everybody wide open. There's
two different things, right, Like, there's wide open and there's
NFL open. What I'm seeing on film is that there's
receivers that are NFLFL open that the quarterback isn't finding.

(24:53):
But that doesn't mean that they are. It's easy, right, Like,
that doesn't mean that these are.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
You gotta have a quarterback that I'll occasion has to
thread a needle. Yeah, I mean, yeah, the past to
Jalen Pulk this last week, the one that was ultimbly
ruled out of bounds, yeah, which looked like it was
an unbelievable catch, right, Yeah, that was threading the needle.

Speaker 4 (25:10):
Yeah, you know that.

Speaker 3 (25:11):
But that's the kind of pass though that you need
to expect him to be able to make almost regular
once twice a game at least, right, And.

Speaker 4 (25:20):
Yeah, well see, yeah, I would look at the back
shoulder throat a Jalen Pulk too as another example, because
Polk as a receiver is one of those guys where
you just need to put the ball on him, like
if he if he's running a vertical route, you don't
want to lead Jalen Pulk down the field and throw
it to a spot down the field because he doesn't

(25:41):
have great pull away speed. So if you're playing with
you know, just because they're playing Miami's top of mind.
If you're playing with Tyreek Hill and he's even with
the defensive back, he's even, he's leaving right, If he's
even with the defensive back, you just throw it as
far as you can and just let him run underneath
it because he's probably going to outrun the defensive back

(26:01):
to the football. But a guy like Jalen Polk, you
want to put it on him, like, you want to
throw it to him to a spot, you know, throw
it low, throw back shoulder, high, point it, you know,
something along those lines, because he's got great hands in
body control, so he can go and he can snag
those passes and do something with it after, right, So
he makes that back shoulder catch. That's a throw that

(26:23):
I think should be a regular part of this Patriots
offense moving forward because that's the type of receiver that
he is. But it takes a quarterback that's willing to
throw that ball with some trust to do to execute
that kind of play.

Speaker 3 (26:37):
All right, so this kind of directly leads us into,
you know, what the next topic was, because we've been
doing it now for what four weeks now going on five.
Drake May. Yeah, I started the hashtag, and I've seeing
it appear a little bit play the Drake and and
and in all honesty, I understand both sides of the story. Yeah,

(27:00):
I've long been an advocate for playing him. I think
you've kind of been on that side of the fence
most of the time all the way as well. I've
hesitated the last few weeks only because we see what's
happening in front of us with the offensive line, right,
and then on top of that, let's add you know,
Ramandre Stevens's you know, somewhat inexplicable fumble problems, and I hope,
for his sake as well as the sake of everybody else,

(27:20):
he finds a little pine time this week. Yeah, because
that just can't continue. They are too dependent on that
position and what he's doing for that to continue to happen.
So be that as it may, hah pun intended. Can
we even legitimately think about putting Drake May in the game.

(27:41):
And I'm at the point now where how much worse
could it possibly be. We're now getting five weeks into
the season. You're playing a team that is struggling mightily
scoring the ball just like you are. So this may
be a battle of attrition more than anything else on Sunday.
But yet you're at home and you really should win

(28:04):
this game. I mean, I'm thinking, you know, I know
they're a slight favorite, which is shocking me, to be
honest with you, because they're the way that Miami basically
manhandled them a year ago. But at the same time,
this is an opportunity to make a lot of eels
go away and to put some needed confidence behind a
bunch of guys that we didn't think would be playing
at this stage of the game. And that even included Jacoby.
So when does he play? If he plays, I see

(28:26):
time and the clock ticking away on him developing game
sense in a cheap part of his contract that they control.
That bothers me. If he red shirts this year and
they basically wasted an entire year on a manageable contract,
that bothers me. I think that's like dumb.

Speaker 4 (28:49):
Yeah, So let's unpack it from both angles, because I
do think that there is a the angle I don't
agree with necessarily, but I can see the logic is
that if you put him behind this offensive line and
he gets his butt kicked, like Jacoby Bris said, is
it's going to have long term effects on his internal cloth. Sure,

(29:10):
and that sort of thing makes sense in the pocket.
You don't want this to turn into a shell shock
situation where he looks like Mac Jones did last year.

Speaker 3 (29:19):
Right, But in my instance, you know he's worth the
number three pick of the draft. You have to think
that a guy that's taken that highly and a guy
that's supposedly your next quote unquote quarterback savior can overcome
that because of his ability, right, And we've seen flashes
of that in the little that we've seen him in
this year. So I'm like, let's roll the dice on
this thing. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (29:39):
So the other side of it, which is the side
that I've been on basically the entire time since we
saw him go on that climb in preseason in training
camp where he was getting better and better and better.
The way that I look at it is that in
the here and now, there's no doubt about it that
his playmaking ability and his physical talent would give you
a better chance to win. Then Jacoby said, I'll just

(30:02):
say this point blank. I it bothers me when Girodmeo
and Alex Van Pelt tell us that jakobers said gives
them the best chance to win football.

Speaker 3 (30:17):
That's it's just not true.

Speaker 4 (30:18):
It's not true. So stop saying it. What if you
want to say that he's the best option for this
team right now, that's fair. That's fine. I can I see.
It's it's this bucket, right It's the other side, it's
the we don't want to subject Drake to this type
of beating. I understand that side of it. Don't lie
to me and tell me that he's not better than

(30:39):
Jacob we said, because I know that's not true. I've
seen them both play. I've seen them both play in
NFL practice, in preseason games. I've seen them play against
NFL competition. I've seen Drake play in college. The other
thing that I think is important with with Drake may
without not just the physical tools. I think people need
to understand the intangibles of the player as well, and

(31:02):
the support system that he has around him. This is
something that drew the Patriots to him and drew a
lot of teams to him. He comes from a family
of all athletes. He's the youngest of all of his siblings.
His older brother is a North Carolina basketball hero. His
father played football for North Carolina quarterback at UNC. His

(31:25):
other brother won a national championship with the Florida Gators
and baseball. This is a family of athletes that is
extremely tight knit, and I find it really hard to
believe that they are going to let him fail like that.
Maybe he just doesn't have it right, Like I don't
think that's going to be the case, but he might
fail just because guys fail. That happens. I don't think

(31:49):
that he's going to fail because of a lack of
confidence or a lack of you know, physical mental stuff
in tangibles. I really believe a lot in him. I
have from the before the day they drafted him, talking
going to his pro day, talking to some of those
coaches down there at North Carolina, talking to some of

(32:09):
the quarterback coaches that he's worked with in the past.
You know Clyde Christensen, who's worked with Manning and Luck
and Brady and all these other great quarterbacks. He is
a special, special kid, and at some point they are
going to have to figure out that they need to
put him in the game not only because of his
individual development, but my bigger concern right now is becoming

(32:32):
the entire team. There's fifty two other players in the
locker room that are all trying to win football games
right now, and there's receivers that are frustrated. There's offensive
linemen that are getting beat up in the media and
beat up on the field. At some point in time,
and we saw this a little bit over the last
week with guys calling out each other publicly and things

(32:53):
like that. At some point in time, you are going
to start to lose this locker room. And if that's
the case, then Drake is the one that needs to
fix it. So that's my concern at this point is
more about the whole thing. You know, how does Gerrod
Mayo get buy in? How did the players in the
locker room respond to all this losing. It's a big

(33:14):
problem to me that everybody else is being stunted and
they're not playing the best quarterback that's going to run
its course with this locker room at some point.

Speaker 3 (33:23):
Now that I can hear you, the nbodyc Matt, the
little mole running around back here in the underneath the table.

Speaker 4 (33:29):
Did a good job of not being too distracted.

Speaker 3 (33:32):
Yeah, no kidding, right, I just saying, fortunately it worked
and we haven't even touched on the defense at all,
which I'm even sure that it's you know, yeah, you know,
needed to do at this stage of the game. But nevertheless,
I would say that we could probably sufficiently uh just
kind of surmise by saying they're not getting enough pressure
on the quarterback, and when they are rushing, they're not

(33:54):
staying very disciplined in what they're trying to do. And
I mean we saw rock Perty just eat them up
this last week.

Speaker 4 (34:00):
So I'll try to keep it quick because I know
you have alan on. But I think the biggest thing
to me with their defense is third down. Right now,
they're thirty first in the league and third down defense
second to last. Ye they're allowing a conversion on third
down over fifty percent of the time. It's just hasn't
been good enough. I disagree slightly with the notion that

(34:21):
they're not getting pressure on the quarterback. I don't think
they're getting good pressure on the quarterback. It's not that
they're not logging pressure on the quarterback. They're just not
getting the productive kind of pressure because they're being undisciplined
and they're rushing up the field and they're letting quarterbacks
out of the pocket. Girodmeo said something this morning that

(34:41):
I really agree with. That's exactly how I see it
on the film. Their coverage has actually been pretty good
on third down. They've they've been in good position coverage wise,
but they're allowing quarterbacks to get outside the pocket and
extend plays and you can't expect those guys to cover
for that long.

Speaker 3 (34:59):
Yeah, I had you know this last week? He had
almost what four seconds? Yeah, I think to throw the
ball right. That's an eternity.

Speaker 4 (35:06):
Because he's moving around right right.

Speaker 3 (35:08):
But they weren't staying disciplined in their lanes and so
that's why they were overshooting him. He just steps up
in it, you know, pulls his best Tom Brady finds
the spot, yeah, and sets and fires and they got
eaten up by.

Speaker 4 (35:19):
Yeah, they get they're getting eaten up by quarterbacks extending plays.
So they actually track this nowadays. So with the extended plays,
is anything over four seconds time to throw the Patriots
right now and EPA, you know, expected points added are
giving up the second most EPA in the league on
extended plays, So they're probably the worst defense in the

(35:41):
league at that at this point. So when you look
at all of that, what's happening is is no matter
how good Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones
and all those guys are in coverage, when you let
the quarterback run around back there for four four and
a half seconds, you're gonna have a lot of problems.
So if they can clean up the pass rush, and
you know, next week, if this continues and we have

(36:01):
some more time, I can tell you about some of
the things I've been hearing.

Speaker 3 (36:04):
About this because.

Speaker 4 (36:06):
There's different They're asking their edge guys to do some
different things than Bill would have asked them to do,
and some of those guys are adjusting and some of
those guys are not. And that's I think been a
big part of this, is that it's not wholesale changes
to the scheme defensively, but it's different enough that some
guys are going through it.

Speaker 3 (36:26):
In terms of this transition, is that part of what
Devon Godshaw told the we I hear this week that
some guys are playing a little selfishly.

Speaker 4 (36:33):
Yeah, some of the guys I I I bounced around
the locker room today and ask some of the guys
that are playing out on the edge what's going on.
And those guys don't feel like that's it. They understand
why that is coming out because guys like in the
middle of the field, like Godshaw, are saying, well, I'm
doing my job. It's you know, these guys that are

(36:53):
not doing their jobs. So the frustration's boiling over. And
I get that. But what I look at this defense now,
with the edge presences and stuff like that, is that
they are being asked to do things a little bit
differently than what Bill would have asked them to do,
and it's not going well. And so if I'm the coach,

(37:14):
is they I understand that Alex van Pelt's been under
a lot of fire. Their offense lacks a lot of
imagination and just has not been good. I have more
problems right now with the defensive coaching than the offensive
coaching because the defense, even with all the injuries and absences,
the defense has talent. The defense has talented players that

(37:36):
are playing currently for the Patriots. Christian Gonzalez is a
really good corner. They have a really good safety tandem
when both those guys are healthy. Jelani Tavai has played
better football than this in the past. Joshua ja has
played better football than what he's playing right now. Kean
White is a good emerging football player. These guys are

(37:58):
not Jags like. These guys can play ball. They're not
being coached well enough on that side of the football.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
That's a whole nother story, because this team has been
out coached quite a bit, and we knew that that
was gonna happen as well. By the way, it's new
coaching staff, rookie coaches in a lot of ways and
in their positions that they're coaching very young in their careers,
and we knew that this was going to be a
learning curve. And when you combine all the other stuff together,
I'm not sure what else to say other than, hey,
we got a kicker and a punter and a punter

(38:28):
yeah amongst the league leaders right there. Sixty three yard
field goal?

Speaker 4 (38:31):
Yeah, thanks, it's I think it's Elaine.

Speaker 3 (38:34):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (38:34):
By the way, I said Alan, yes, I apologize.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
Oh no, that's well, we should ask him that it's
allan Yeah. I think he hung up? Is that because
you called him by the wrong name. Okay, yeah, Alan
Poopar from si dot com covering the Miami Dolphins was

(38:57):
set to join us there momentarily. Unfortunately, looks like we'll
have to try to get him back, all right. Uh,
don't forget bud Light is easy to drink, easy to enjoy.
Bud Light the official beer sponsor of the New England Patriots.
We thank Evan Wizar for the update. There's so much
going on here. I realize it's not the news that
you really want to hear. It's not the news that

(39:18):
I want to hear. We you know, want, you know,
good things to occur as well. But at the same time,
this is what it is. And when you know, Girod
said earlier today, and we've talked about this on and
off for you know, over a month now, that this
is going to be a bumpy ripe, that this is
going to be, you know, a huge learning curve for

(39:40):
this football team in many, many different ways. We were right.
We didn't think we were going to be right, especially
after that Cincinnati game to open up the year. That's
certainly certainly I think set everybody off a little bit
differently here. But now when you add injury, and you
add the expected difficulties that you kind of knew were coming.

(40:00):
But again, Cincinnati's game just kind of glossed over some
of those issues. Well, now you can kind of understand
why everything seems to be in such disarray right now.
I mean, the fact of the matter is, I think
the first real truthful thing that I heard Gerrod Mayo say,
not that he's lying, you're not lying anybody, But to me,
the one that really resonated today was, you know, hey,
we knew when we beat Cincinnati a month ago that

(40:22):
that was not sustainable. The way that they played that game,
it was not sustainable. And by that I mean, you know,
running grinding it out. You had relative health on the
other ensive line, with the exception of strange. You know,
we hadn't seen yet some of the problems that either
the receivers or Jacobe Prissett were having. That they knew
that we're just not built to sustain that kind of

(40:43):
punch him in the mouth, grinded out type of game
for very long. And we're seeing it. We're seeing it
all right. Alan Popart, who covers the Dolphins for SI
dot com Sports Illustrated, joined us here in the playbook. Hey, Alan,
thanks for the time today, Sorry to keep you waiting.
How Hey, Well we're hanging. It looks like we've got
some similar issues going on here and with two teams

(41:06):
that are struggling to you know, move the football. And
so I would ask you first and foremost, what's the
what's the latest on on to a tongue of our law.
Might he come back? What are you hearing? What are
you seeing? What's being talked about in Miami in terms
of potential reignition of that offense.

Speaker 6 (41:27):
Well, what's being talked about is mostly what comes up,
what comes from. Mike McDaniel is avoiding talking about timelines.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
Yeah, wanting no part.

Speaker 6 (41:39):
Of speculating about will Tour come back this season? When
will he come back to season, focusing strictly on him
getting better. We see the reports out there that he's
got no concussion symptoms, that he's fully intentive coming back.
That the fact that he traveled with his teammates to
Scattle and week three certainly could we should be looked

(42:01):
at as a good sign. So if you're reading the
tea leads, it does look like he's going to be back.
He's eligible to return week eight when they play the
Arizona Cardinals at hard Rock Stadium. Whether that happens right
then and there, who knows. Yeah, but I would say
that again reading the tea leaves the idea certainly seems

(42:21):
to be you will return at some point this season.

Speaker 3 (42:23):
Well, that would be good news obviously for Dolphins fans,
no question about that, and hopefully good news for him
in the meantime. You know, this is a Dolphins team that,
you know, surprisingly is behind the Patriots in scoring offense.
How does this team stay afloat long enough until Tua
could come back and still give this team an opportunity
to be a postseason team like everybody thought it was

(42:44):
before the gear started.

Speaker 6 (42:46):
Well, they got to show, even if it's like a
tiny microscopic amount of progress on offense, that would be
a start, because right now they're giving their defense not
a chance. The defense actually has been pretty well, with
the exception of giving up seemingly one big play every game,
and on Monday Night it was that forty one yard

(43:07):
run by twenty Pollards. But outside of that, Tennessee had
six seven scoring drives. There was five field goals and
two touchdowns, and six of the seven drives were twenty
seven yards or less. So the defense is put behind
the eight ball constantly, and at some point, even if
the offense is not putting up anywhere near the kind
of numbers they did last year, at the very least,

(43:29):
don't make it so difficult for the defense to be
able to help you pull out a win. That's step
number one. I don't know that you can expect the
offense to operate the same way to the same levels
with Tyler Huntley a quarterback, or Skyler Thompson if he
returns to the starting lineup once his rib injury heals.
But at the very least they need to be functional,

(43:50):
and the problem is that it's not enough to be
playing with every starting quarterback, and then it's everybody's production.
You know, has level of performance, I should say supposed production.
Level of performance has drawne down. The offensive line is
spruggling worse than ever, and obviously to a mass some
of that because of his ability to get rid of

(44:10):
the ball quickly. The run blocking is not there, particularly
up the middle, and now we're back to having the
short yardage problems of the Dolphins had throughout all the
last year, which seemed to be a thing of the
passer early on, So it's a complete.

Speaker 7 (44:25):
Mess right now.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
It sounds to me like both teams UH defenses could
get healthy in a hurry if they have an opportunity
to just stop the other team's offense. Which which quarterback
in your estimation, gives Miami the best chance to win
right now? Thompson or.

Speaker 6 (44:42):
I think because of the scrambling ability. I mean, he's
been an inconsistent passer if you study his history, and
they were that popped up on Monday Net a couple
of times. They were a couple of opportunities to hit
Tyreek Hill. The one that obviously stands out was that bomb.
I think it was I want to say, a third
quarter when the score got into sixteen to sixth and tire,

(45:04):
he got behind the jerious Snead and he couldn't hit him.
And that's what you're gonna get with two. Honey's gonna
make plays with his legs. He did leave the team
in rushing with forty yards, but there're gonna be some
throws that are there that he's gonna miss. Skyler Thompson
was kept on this roster since he was a rookie
seventh round pick in twenty twenty two, didn't play a

(45:25):
snap last year as a number three quarterback, moved up
to number two this year, and then his first start
against Sattle before he got hurt. How can I put
this very politely? It was ugly and it wasn't just
that he was missing throws. I wasn't even the issue,
as he looked overwhelmed in the pocket, and for a
guy who'd been in the system for three years to
have that kind of performance was massively troubling. And all

(45:46):
you can think of at that time is did the
Dolphins really leave themselves with this guy as their number
two quarterback when they have a starting quarterback whose durability
is always going to be.

Speaker 3 (46:00):
Question Sure, All right, let's flip it over over the
for a second. Here, Alan Poopar, who covers the Dolphins
for SI dot Com, joining us here in the playbook.
I kind of looked at some numbers this morning. I'm like, wow,
I guess I wouldn't aware of it, maybe because of
the team's overall one and three start like the Patriots.
But defense is sixth in the league in totally yardage
allowed and first in third down conversion, And that's like, well, now,

(46:26):
so the end of the question I would have is
is how is this team only winning one game? Is
it that bad on offense or is the defense giving
something up that isn't really sort of meeting the obvious eyeball.

Speaker 6 (46:40):
Now, the only it's the offense. The only complaint you
can have about the defense. Again, if you look at
their last three games of three losses, I don't think
they gave up three hundred yards in any of those games.
Comb with Buffalo. The Buffalo game is they couldn't respond
to the challenge where they were put on a short field.
They gave up the long run to James Cook. Against Seattle,

(47:02):
they gave up seventeen points hundred fifty yards in the
first quarter, and then that was basically if they shut
the door, but the offense scored three points, so they
never had a shot. And then against the Titans on
Monday night, you saw it again. They gave up like
two hundred and fifty yards. They gave up the one
long run in the third quarterb Outside of that, not
a whole lot. No, this is purely on the offense.

(47:25):
And for anybody to point the figure anywhere else but
the offense. For the one in three record, I mean,
you're asking this group to be like the eighty five
Bears or the two thousand Ravens or the two thousand
and two Buccaneers, because you can't ask that much of
a defense.

Speaker 3 (47:40):
Well, I know that this team, you know, may have
surprised a few in the very early stages of Mike
McDaniel's career. I think they started perfect the first three
weeks of the last two years, if I'm not mistaken.
And yet this team has kind of stumbled off to
a one and three start at least right now. And
you know, is having all kinds of trouble moving the football.

(48:01):
Is it all too related or is there a deeper
systemic problem that's really kind of keeping the offense from
breaking loose.

Speaker 7 (48:11):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (48:11):
No, there was a cloud over this offense dating back
to late last season because the issues didn't just suddenly
appear when two was injured in the opener against Jacksonville.
They were they were able to hit two long plays
when to Tyreek went to gym and waddle. Outside of that,
it was a very pedestrian effort offensively against Buffalo before

(48:33):
Tour went out lay in the third quarter. They weren't
getting a whole lot done to it it had thrown
three picks.

Speaker 8 (48:39):
But this goes back.

Speaker 6 (48:39):
I guess it's the last season when the Dolphins couldn't
do a whole lot against Baltimore, Buffalo, and the Chiefs
in their last three games, and even if their last
win of last year they beat Dallas twenty to twenty
at home, kicking five field goals. And the big question
that's being asked around here is have opposing defenses figured
out how to stop this offense, which is basically play

(49:02):
very loose coverage on defense to make sure that you
don't get beat over the top, which Jacksonville forgot for
a couple of plays, and make sure you secure the
perimeter when the Dolphins try their jet sweep or run outside,
and the Dolphins need to have to come up with
a nancidote first while two is on the sidelines, and

(49:23):
also when he does come back whenever that might be,
because again, the offense was not humming in the first
game in three quarters even with Two.

Speaker 3 (49:31):
At quarterbackkay Well, I mentioned one in three nine teams
right now in the NFL at one in three and
I guess I think you even put pointed this out
in the latest post that you had twenty four teams
since the league went to seventeen games, twenty four teams

(49:54):
have started one in three and only three of them
have made the postseason. What it will it take for
this Miami team to be a fourth team to make
the playoffs.

Speaker 8 (50:05):
Well, they have to.

Speaker 6 (50:06):
Figure out what's going on with the offense. I think
the defense is fine. And the defense came into the
season as maybe the bigger question mark because they had
lost Christian Wilkins and David Howard in the secondary, because
they had a new defensive coordinator in Anthony Weaver. But
the defense, like I said, has been fine. It hasn't
been great, but it's been fine. But the offense has

(50:27):
gone from being number one in the NFL in total
yards to being the low scoring team in the NFL.
So there's got to be a middle ground. You would
think that they would figure things out again once an
F two what does return, because he had done the
offense which was built completely around with two does best,

(50:48):
which was a quick passing, timing, precision passing for which
the Dolphins don't have the backup quarterback. But once the
pieces we're all back in place, certainly you would expect
the offense to take a massive jump. How far of
a jumping can he can be. That's going to determine
whether they can make her out of the playoffs. And

(51:09):
interesting you make him the one, one and three in
my research. By the way, the Patriots you're just familiar
with one and three because that's the fourth straight year
for them.

Speaker 3 (51:16):
Yep, we are aware of that very much, so run yeah, yeah, yeah,
we're kind of there with you on that one. Hey, Alan,
thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it. If
you're traveling up this way, be safe this weekend. All right,
Thank guys, you got it. That's Allen Poopar on our
TPX hotline. By the way, you can get him on

(51:39):
X at p o U p a r t is
how he spells his last nine Poopar NFL. That's where
you can find him on X for the latest on
the Miami Dolphins. And it's kind of clear to me
that you know, there are a lot of similarities between
these two teams, at least on the offensive side of
the football. But yeah, Miami still got a defense that's

(52:00):
extraordinarily capable. Now that's not to say that the Patriots don't,
but Miami is putting that up with the numbers to
back it up. So, you know, for a team that
we know, at least in New England's case, for a
team that we know, has to play nearly a perfect
game in order to really be there. I mean when

(52:20):
I tell you that, you know, hey, we talk about
this even when the teams are good and they're getting
ready for a slugfest with you know, Kansas City or
with Buffalo or you know, with you know somebody who's
a contender. We I always tell you it's always going
to come down to turnovers and special teams play well,
it's gonna have It's still that way anyway, even when
you got two teams that are struggling. That philosophy doesn't

(52:41):
change here. Football is still football. Basics still matter here,
and you still have to block and tackle the other guy,
and you still have to hold onto the ball. It's
rare that teams can turn the ball over two or
three times a game and win it. It's still rare.
It can't happen, especially if you're defense is forcing the
other team into two or three turnovers where it basically

(53:03):
evens things out. Okay, I'll buy that. But the one
thing that I've noticed you know, even though they had
a couple of turnovers is last week with you know,
this Patriots team needs to go after the football a
little bit more. On defense. We need to see more
guys punch at the ball. I think the coverage, and
Evan mentioned this a little bit earlier, the coverage has

(53:24):
been adequate. It's even been really outstanding at times. It's
not ever going to be perfect because you know, corner
and even safety, but corner especially that's an extraordinarily difficult
position to play. To me, playing cornerback in the NFL
may be the single toughest position to play in all
of professional sports other than facing I don't know, one

(53:47):
hundred and ten mile hour pucks in the NHL coming
at you if you're a goaltender, but you're having to
do everything back pedaling or moving side to side or
swiveling on your hips. And so for the Patriots to
have a chance to go up against some of these receivers,
I think they're actually playing it pretty well. Where the

(54:07):
Patriots defense is not comparable to what Miami is doing
thus far, is has to do within their contain and
with setting the edge. You hear that term a lot
and again Evan mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating here.
They're playing a little bit differently schematically than they were
used to playing under the former regime under Bill Belichick.

(54:30):
They're asking the defensive ends, especially to do some different things.
So this coaching staff has to the coaching staff this
is where this is where we're at a crossroads. Okay,
the coaching staff has to decide, Look, do we still
force feed these guys to get them to do what
we want them to do? Or do we move them around?

(54:50):
Do we get them to play a different way, a
way that they may be more comfortable in playing, a
way that they may be more adept at playing, in
order to be able to get better production out of
them right now? See, I think this adds into the
whole You know, the last three weeks the Patriots coaches
have has had the pants coached off of them, I
mean the absolute pants coached off of them, and again

(55:12):
realizing that there are gonna be growing pains here, Okay,
they're absolutely we're gonna be. You got a first year
head coach, you know, and while you know alex Van
Pelton and Marcus Comington are not rookie coaches, it's a
rookie staff, and they're all trying to come together with
what they think is best for the current skill set
of the players that they have on the roster. And

(55:34):
so what they've discovered now through you know, summer camp, preseason,
and the first month of the season is that this
team needs more talent. So I would tell you, look,
do you keep muddling along and trying to reinforce what
it is that you're trying to get them to do,
or do you say, all right, scrap this, let's go
back to some basics here, that's to be a little

(55:54):
bit more familiar with what you've done in the past,
and let's try to win some ball games. Does this
team really want to go one in sixteen? I actually
think that we may know the answer to that question
after this weekend. I think we might. I think it's possible,

(56:15):
depending on the effort that we see the depending on
on the way that we see you know, the Dolphins played,
especially with the Patriots defense. I you know, look, if
we see the same type of lackluster effort and lack
of attention to detail and turnovers and without any repercussion
coming from the coaching staff yet, I mean, Romandre love you, buddy,

(56:37):
but dude, grab some pine, okay, until you can figure
out a wait to hold onto the ball. If we
see that kind of an attitude that tells me these
guys are okay with going one in sixteen, I'm embarrassed
by that. I'm embarrassed by that. I don't know about you.
I'm embarrassed by that. This is a proud franchise over

(56:59):
the last twenty three years that has managed to win
six Super Bowls, and we know it's been a struggle
in the four years now since you know TV twelve
left the docket, and then of course you know Bill Belichick.
I would say, look, he's not blameless here because I
think the overall depth of the roster has suffered because
they've largely had some failures up high in the draft.

(57:22):
Can't lie to anybody, it's pretty obvious. But I think
he was able largely to buy time on his goodwill
and what he's been able to do in the past.
And I think we all realized this game is what
have you done for me lately? Nobody should get by

(57:43):
on their goodwill. If anybody should get buy on their
good will, you could certainly make an argument that Bill
Belichick is that one guy. But over the last year
or so, the move that the organization made to move
on from him was the right move to make. As
much as it pains me to say that this team
be any better right now if Bill were coaching it,
I don't think so. Not sure. I mean, yeah, I

(58:05):
am sure. I don't think I don't think they would be.
I don't think it would be because there just isn't
enough talent here, and so what you need is you
need a complete and total rethinking of how to develop
this roster out. Elliott Wolf is the man in charge

(58:26):
of that, and he needs to deliver. He's the one
that's look, I'm willing to go along with some growing
pains from this coaching staff. Someone asked me this week,
just off handed, sent me an email. He said, hey,
do you think that you know, I mean, after a
year that you know, alexand pelt should be gone. You know,

(58:46):
he should be fired. Now. You know what about at
the end of the year if he's not fired by then.
And I answered to this, no, I don't think so
at all. I think that there's a full intent of
having him being able to sort of be the quarterback
whisper for a guy like Drake May. And so the
first part about it is is that when you know
Gerrod Mao says, you know, Jacob is still our number one. Okay, great,

(59:07):
but havn't alluded to this also a little bit earlier.
It's like, you know, you can't tell me he's the
best quarterback in the roster because that's just a lie.
It's just not it's it's just it's we're not being truthful.
We can all see it, even novices, even casual fans
can see that this isn't the case. But if you're

(59:28):
not playing him to protect him from this, you know,
shred of an offensive line. He's not learning, he's not improving.
And please don't tell me Willia's getting thirty percent of
the of the reps against the ones in the practice
that's nothing. Do you realize that they mostly only practice

(59:48):
in shells and shorts. I mean they weren't full pads today.
That's rare, and the Players Association is the one that's
fault for that. That's part of their rules. Now. It
can only be somebody padded practices in a year. He
can't get better unless he's out there on the field.
In game speed, in game situations, recognizing what he is

(01:00:10):
supposed to do. It can't happen. That's like asking an
airline pilot to to pilot of the seven forty seven
and he's only got practicing in assessana. It ain't gonna happen.
It's gonna be hard, it's gonna be difficult. We we
gotta he needs to play. I know the line is

(01:00:30):
his shambles. I know he might be running for his life,
but he's got the ability to step up in the pocket.
Is he gonna get hit, Yeah, is he gonna get secked? Yeah,
still gotta see it, Still gonna play. It's the only
way that he can recognize it. And so I'm seeing,
you know, Tom Brady, I saw James White even see

(01:00:53):
this on a podcast order this week where they say, oh,
there's no way, there's no way that the Patriots should
play him, because you know, you could end up, you know,
he ended up developing bad habits. Okay, developing bad habits
is one thing, but this is where coaching comes into play.
And Yeah, I'm gonna go right up against two guys
who played it at a very high level and maybe

(01:01:13):
the best quarterback that ever played. Nothing beats experience. Nothing
nothing nothing beats experience. Put him in situations where he
can excel. He's adept at getting rid of the football
more quickly. He's adept at moving in and around the pocket.

(01:01:38):
He can run with the ball, he can create things
on his feet that Jacobe Prissett cannot. He might be
able to make a player too. That could keep a
drive alive, giving you a chance to score once or
twice in a game, and damn it, that might be
enough to win a game or two. I fully expect

(01:02:00):
that I'm asking for it, but I fully expect if
we see the same drek that we've seen and it was,
it was pitiful, it was putrid last week. If we
see that, I think Julllet fans are gonna let everybody
know it this week. And this is completely and totally
devotable sticking to the plan for whatever that plan may be.

(01:02:24):
If that's what this team is doing, I'm gonna make
a strong argument here, and I think I've already made it.
It ain't working. It's time to look at Plan B,
or at least Plan one to A. Maybe they includes Drake.
I just don't see how it could be any worse
at this stage of the game. Karen Gregian is cover
the Patriots for over three decades now, formerly at The

(01:02:47):
Boston Herald, now at masslive dot com and love having
Karen on the show, and she joined us here and
said the playbook, Karen, how goes it today?

Speaker 9 (01:02:55):
Hey, Jean, I'm doing better than most that way.

Speaker 3 (01:03:01):
I know, I know better the most people we have
to know and work with on a day and day
all basis around here. I'm just kind of curious your
take on all things patriot Land today. And I know,
I'm pretty sure I know where you stand on the whole.
You know, Drake May thing, and I know that there's
a lot of uh, you know, conjecture about that now,
especially considering the plethora of injuries that this team is

(01:03:23):
going through. How do you feel, Karen, about the quote
unquote plan and whether or not maybe there should be
an adjustment or two in that at this stage?

Speaker 5 (01:03:34):
Well?

Speaker 9 (01:03:35):
I get the plan, I do, but like you said,
you know, there are occasions where sometimes you have to
scrub the plan and go to Plan B. Yeah. I
do think we'll see Drake May this year at some point,
whether it's from Jacobe, you know, not getting up one

(01:03:58):
time final, But is that even.

Speaker 3 (01:04:01):
Fair to Jacoby? I mean, my goodness, were we going
to wait for him to get his block knocked off
before Drake May gets in? That just seems ridiculous to me.

Speaker 9 (01:04:10):
Well, I think I think a lot of it has
to do with some of the things that you said
in the lead in that you know, with that offensive line,
no quarterback should be behind that line, whether it's a
veteran or a rookie. I mean, that offensive line is ridiculous.

(01:04:33):
But that being said, well, I mean, there were plenty
of reasons to go with Jacoby at the start. You know,
his familiarity with the offense. You know, Alex van Pell
trusts him. You know, they have an understanding. I think
he thinks Jacoby can run the offense how he wants.

(01:04:57):
But I also think because of having a bad offensive line,
Jacoby's more equipped to handle it. And then I'm not
just saying taking a pounding understanding where the pressure is
coming from, knowing perhaps where what the you know where
to go judging by where the pressure is. I mean,

(01:05:19):
it's his experience and knowing what he's seeing in front
of him from the defense, and that kind of experience
is something Drake doesn't have. Does Drake need to get
that experience? Yeah, I just think the Patriots would prefer
not to have his head taken off in the process

(01:05:42):
of doing that. They saw, they saw what happened to
the previous young quarterback Mac Jones by getting hit too much.
And I actually think you're seeing it now with Jacoby.
We're set. I think it took four games, but I
think he's seeing ghosts now.

Speaker 8 (01:06:03):
I think he might be sometimes.

Speaker 9 (01:06:06):
I think he sees pressure when there isn't pressure.

Speaker 3 (01:06:09):
Yeah, I think he might be because he's missing opening he's
missing open receivers. As we go back and we look
at it, which we have the ability to do, and
I know the team does this as well when they
film review. But I mean within a couple of seconds,
we can rewind it and look at it and say,
oh my god, he's wide open. How did he not
see him? Because because there are ghosts.

Speaker 9 (01:06:26):
At other things in his head, you know, and again
sometimes things that aren't there. But that's what happens when
you're sacked a half dozen times every game and hit.
He's been hit over twenty times the past two games.
That has an impact.

Speaker 3 (01:06:44):
John, Yeah, sure does have an impact on both of us.

Speaker 9 (01:06:47):
Are what's that?

Speaker 3 (01:06:49):
I said? It would have an impact on both of
them as well as both of us if you're getting it,
If we're getting pounded twenty or thirty times over a
couple of weeks, I got to tell you, I'm gonna
be a little gun shot.

Speaker 9 (01:06:59):
Right and they're trying to avoid having their rookie begunshy
right out of the gate.

Speaker 3 (01:07:07):
Yeah, that makes perfect sense, it really does. Okay. Nevertheless,
if you wait too long, you don't have an opportunity
for him to get the quality kind of development that
he needs, and you're going to waste a manageable contract year.
So yeah, I mean, he's got to play this year
at some point, But when does that start? And shouldn't

(01:07:29):
it start now while you still have a chance to
win a few games and make your season interesting?

Speaker 9 (01:07:39):
All good points. And if we don't see Jaco, I'm sorry.
If we don't see Drake until like January, it's a
wasted season.

Speaker 7 (01:07:51):
It is totally agreed.

Speaker 9 (01:07:54):
But you know they just lost David Andrews too.

Speaker 3 (01:07:58):
Yeah, I know what are we arguing here?

Speaker 9 (01:08:05):
He's the brain center, yes, and he's the guy who's
gonna who's the quarterback's best friend right now. So again,
although it was encouraging actually to hear Gerard Mayo say
today that one wouldn't have anything to do with together
in terms of Drake, he claimed that losing Andrews would

(01:08:30):
not impact when Drake gets out on the field or not.

Speaker 3 (01:08:36):
Well. See now that that tells me that they're doing
everything they possibly can do to quote unquote stick to
the plan, whatever that is. And I wish we had
a little more insight as to what the plan really means.
I'm beginning to understand it, and I'm also beginning to
think that they're in over their heads on this one,

(01:08:59):
because we've seen this coaching staff a little over its
head the last three weeks when it comes to matching
wits with the other guys. And again, I don't even
necessarily blame them, because I knew that a young coach
and a young staff was likely gonna take its lumps
along with a team that didn't have as much talent
as it should have. Right, so we knew that there
were gonna be bumps in the road. But this plan

(01:09:20):
is something they can control, and it almost to the
point where I feel like they're being obstinate about it. Yes, Yes,
that's the praise I'm looking for. They're over controlling, guys.
You're not looking at the real big picture here. The
real big picture here is actually the next year year

(01:09:42):
and a half if you expect this team and this
franchise to be competitive within the division and possibly play
into the postseason starting next year, like that's what we've
been told. Anyway, he's got to play, and he needs
to be able to see these same ghosts or whoever's
out there that Jacoby's looking at right now. He needs
to see that. He needs to recognize it, and he
needs to play it one way or the other. And

(01:10:03):
you stick with him through thick or thin, because that's
the only way you learn. With all the respect to
the things that Tom Brady and James White and some
others are.

Speaker 9 (01:10:10):
Saying, John, but don't you know they have this simulator
simulating thing where it's like the quarterback like he's taking
actual snap.

Speaker 3 (01:10:20):
Of Karen mule muffins. Okay, and I'm putting that nicely. Okay.
That's anybody that says that a simulator or AI is
anything close to the real thing, they have no idea
what they're talking about.

Speaker 9 (01:10:36):
I agree with you as being very facetious.

Speaker 3 (01:10:39):
I know I did, but I'm just making sure just
in case somebody didn't catch it. Look, I think it's
not great that they have that capability, because sure it's
gonna get him familiar with some things. But listen, you
aren't learning unless somebody's six foot five and two hundred
and eighty pounds is breathing down your neck. That's how

(01:11:00):
you learn.

Speaker 9 (01:11:02):
Yeah, you experience is the be all and end all.
Have no question about that, right, And you know I
agree with you too. He offers much more than Jacoby.

Speaker 3 (01:11:15):
Question.

Speaker 9 (01:11:16):
And that's not to knock Jacoby, but this kid can
make rows that Jacoby can't. This kid doesn't know what
he doesn't know, so he's going to try and put
balls in windows that Jacoby doesn't because Jacoby is it's
like it's ingrained into his head to play safe, no turnovers,

(01:11:38):
play safe. Well that went out the window.

Speaker 3 (01:11:40):
Yeah, he's been told that. He's been told, you know,
no turnovers, we want to be conservative, you know, blah
blah blah. He's been told that. So we can see
and it's we're painfully aware of it now that that's
how Jacoby has been told to play right.

Speaker 9 (01:11:53):
And I but I hope they wouldn't do that to Drake.
He has to make mistakes. He has to see at
this level how good his arm really is or isn't. Yeah,
if he can put the ball in those tight windows.
It took Josh Allen a year two to figure out

(01:12:17):
what his arm could it couldn't do. It took him
that long to get on target. But look at him now.

Speaker 3 (01:12:24):
Well I'm just saying though that. Yeah, but if it
took Josh Allen a couple of years, and that's the
comparison we're using, why does it have to take Drake
May that long?

Speaker 7 (01:12:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:12:34):
I don't know. You know what the word is, John,
there's no urgency. Yeah, for whatever reason, that's what's emergency.

Speaker 3 (01:12:45):
But that's what's embarrassing, I think to a lot of fans, Karen,
I mean, you know you and I hear both sides
of it, okay, And while the coaching staff and the
team and maybe even the front office and maybe the owners,
I don't know, maybe they're okay with sucking, but there
are a lot of fans around here who are used
to winning. Over the last twenty three years. Yeah, and
nobody's okay with this. Nobody thinks, you know, a team

(01:13:06):
that you know at once flirted with seventeen and oh
you know, uh and a decade and a half later,
they could be one in sixteen this year. And that
doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency. That's not right?

Speaker 9 (01:13:19):
Yes, yeah, or are we are.

Speaker 3 (01:13:21):
The Patriots turning into you know, the John Henry Patriots?

Speaker 9 (01:13:27):
Shutter the thought.

Speaker 3 (01:13:30):
I probably shouldn't have brought that up.

Speaker 4 (01:13:32):
Huh.

Speaker 9 (01:13:32):
It's kind of a story, short spot with six millions
still in camp spy. I know, I know some people
are some people are drawing that that parallel. Yeah, I know,
you know, it's like, well, why didn't you get this guy?
Why don't you get that? Well, it takes two. It's
like people are throwing DeVante Adams out there. It's like,
you think DeVante Adams wants to walk into this.

Speaker 3 (01:13:54):
No, no, if I'm DeVante Adams, no, no, no, no, no, no,
I can understand why. Brian Brandon Ayuk said, no, I
understand all of that. I get it. I get it.
It's a shame, but I get it. And so my
point is, yes, thank you. They got to know that
they have to know that, and the only way to
fix it is by.

Speaker 9 (01:14:14):
Winning, right, You can't rest on your laurels of six
super Bowls, the last one coming six years ago.

Speaker 3 (01:14:24):
Right, yeah, yeah, it's what have you done?

Speaker 9 (01:14:28):
What have you done for me?

Speaker 3 (01:14:30):
One hundred? What have you done for me lately? And
this team is not doing squat and and has it
done squat And they need to start, you know, squatting
is what they need to do. They need to do
something about that. They've got an opportunity and I think
you would appease everybody and we'd learn a lot more
about the intestinal fortitude of this team if they let
the rookie have a crack headed here. Let's all right,

(01:14:51):
here you go, kid, have at it. And you know,
we know that he can throw the short passing game.
We know that he can get it out quickly. We
know he can make plays with his feet. Let's get
in the end a couple of times. And maybe they
don't average thirteen points a game, maybe they average eighteen
or twenty. Even if they score twenty points, I think
this team's got a chance to win four or five games.

Speaker 9 (01:15:10):
Yeah, well, I don't know. I don't see all of
practice anymore. You know, I don't.

Speaker 3 (01:15:19):
They don't let anybody that you get to.

Speaker 9 (01:15:21):
See the nothing parts of practice early on, whether it's
stretching or warming up. So it's hard to know exactly
how Drake is doing in practice, except all the coaches
rave about how he's doing. But it's like, do these coaches,
whether it's Girrod or anyone, know that by raving about

(01:15:45):
Drake they're further planting the seed that he should be playing.

Speaker 3 (01:15:51):
No, I don't think they're aware of it. And that's unfortunately,
that's the part of the difficulty. Hear. You know, one
of the things that this Locker Room and this and
this franchise learns so well Bill Belichick is to ignore
the noise and to to you know, not really speak
outwardly to the media and stay off of social media
all that kind of stuff. And look, I would be
and I tend to agree with that, okay, because there's

(01:16:11):
a lot of noise out there that you know, a
lot of guys probably shouldn't waste their time on. But
at the same time, if you don't have a general
sense of awareness of how you're being perceived, whether it's
through fandom or whether it's through media, or whether it's
through other teams in the league, then you're losing a
big part of the big picture. And I think it's
clear this team isn't aware of how they're being perceived

(01:16:32):
around the league. And if they're not aware of it
now because they've had, you know, some high profile players
say nah, I don't think so all passed, like Brandon
Ayuk for instance, and maybe even Demante Adams, then you
know what, then that's a part of this process. And
this is a part that they are failing right now.

Speaker 9 (01:16:51):
Yeah, without question, all right, And and to that end,
I actually I talk to a couple of the receivers today,
most notably Pop Douglas yep, who's kind of been called
out for his little tantrums when he's.

Speaker 5 (01:17:06):
Open and doesn't get the doesn't get the ball.

Speaker 9 (01:17:08):
Yeah, right, and and how that's not the best lookal.
He knows it now, I mean, he said he he
told me today he went back and he looked at
the film from from the forty nine ers game and
he was almost like taken aback by what he saw
himself do and and he admitted that that was wrong

(01:17:28):
and he needs to but it's hard he's reacting in
the moment curious. Yep, it's frustration.

Speaker 3 (01:17:34):
Yeah, he's a young guy too, he's not really, I
wouldn't call him a veteran, and it's the second of
your player. He's learning and he's having to learn, really,
you know, on the firing line.

Speaker 5 (01:17:44):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:17:45):
Oh man, all right, Let's let's try to end on
somewhat of a more positive note here, Karen, because you
know it's not all doom and gloom. There's nothing they
can really do about the injuries. We know that football
is an extraordinarily physical violence sport, and so these are
going to happen other than Joey Sly and maybe Bryce Behringer.

(01:18:05):
All right, because we know that those two guys certainly
to be two of the best at their positions right
now in the league based on their recent performances. Especially,
What do you like about this team?

Speaker 9 (01:18:19):
That's a loaded question.

Speaker 7 (01:18:21):
I don't.

Speaker 9 (01:18:22):
There's not a lot to like yet.

Speaker 3 (01:18:24):
Yeah, but I knew you'd give me an honest answer.

Speaker 5 (01:18:27):
Okay, well it's true.

Speaker 9 (01:18:31):
How do you how do you like an offense that's
only scoring thirteen a game?

Speaker 3 (01:18:36):
You can't that, yeah, you can't.

Speaker 8 (01:18:38):
You can't.

Speaker 9 (01:18:40):
You know, no receivers stood out and your best player
on offense or Mindey Stevenson has tumbled every single game,
so it's where are you going to hang your hat
on that side of the ball. I think the defense
has really been hurt by injuries.

Speaker 3 (01:18:57):
Yep.

Speaker 9 (01:19:00):
Then they're told what they need to do. You got
to set an edge. You can't let the quarterback escape.
And then in the very next game, on the very
first series, brock Pert he's running like wild Yeah yeah,
I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:19:12):
And he's got four seconds to throw, I mean, come on, and.

Speaker 9 (01:19:16):
Right, so it's hard. I mean, I think Christian Gonzalez
has done pretty well. I'm still not yet gonna call
him a shut down corner, but he's you know, he's
held his home, his own in these really tough matchups
against some of the game games great receivers, and.

Speaker 3 (01:19:38):
He's still developing.

Speaker 9 (01:19:39):
But yeah, right, he's still developing. But again, you know,
defense was supposed to be their calling card. Well they
gave up thirty to San fran Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:19:56):
Well they gave up thirty to San Francisco, right, but
I mean, you know they had to pick six and
a fumble and you know a couple of fumbles that
led to scores. I mean, and by all rights and reasons,
that should have been about a seventeen thirteen to seventeen
sixteen game on Sunday.

Speaker 9 (01:20:10):
Right, Well, and this, I think the thing that's hurt
the Patriots a lot. Actually, it's the fact that they
did something nobody expected in the first game they beat Cincinnati.

Speaker 3 (01:20:21):
They totally and completely screwed up the thought process on
this team, absolutely right right own. It's their own damn fault.

Speaker 9 (01:20:30):
Now that the water is back to the seeking the
right the level it's supposed to be, yeah, it looks
even worse.

Speaker 3 (01:20:36):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no kidding. Hey, love talking to you, Karen.
Thanks for taking a little time today. I sure appreciate it.
Hey time, John, all right, we'll see on Sunday. That's
Karen Gregan at k Gregan G. You are E G
I A n on X. You're not following her. I'm
not sure why you're not. Patty and aguam Patty. I

(01:21:00):
appreciate your hanging on to all of that. What say
you my friend?

Speaker 10 (01:21:05):
What's going on?

Speaker 7 (01:21:05):
John?

Speaker 3 (01:21:07):
Hey? You know what's going on? Dude? You know what's
going on?

Speaker 7 (01:21:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (01:21:12):
Unfortunately, first off, I want to start it. I want
to start by saying you are absolutely right about Drake May.
I'm champing or chomping.

Speaker 5 (01:21:25):
I don't know.

Speaker 10 (01:21:26):
You got to you gotta call to east gall and
ask him how to say it. But uh, I'm champing
at the bit for him to come in, you know.
And I'm gonna make a couple I'm gonna make a
bold prediction and I'm gonna lay out some things that
I think might help his case. First off, it's not
necessarily a silver lining that David Andrews got hurt. But

(01:21:50):
the fact is, I mean he took most of his
snaps in the preseason and in training camp, in mini
camp with with Nick Larette, so he has some rapport there. So,
like I said, I wouldn't necessarily call that a silver lining,
but it's it just kind of is what it is.
You know, he he has experience with him, which is

(01:22:11):
kind of a good thing, you know, and love hopefully,
you know, if he stays out there at the center,
he doesn't have the snapping problems when they go to
shotgun that that he had. It looked like he cleaned
that up a lot this past game, which is good too.
The other thing, this team does not play a true

(01:22:32):
road game until November. We have three games at home
in one game overseas.

Speaker 3 (01:22:37):
Yep.

Speaker 10 (01:22:38):
And here's where the bold prediction comes in. I think
if fans don't start showing up, I think there's going
to be pressure from ownership saying hey, listen, I know
there's a plan. I know you guys have a plan
in place, and it's probably well intended. But you, as

(01:23:00):
you like to say, John, you know what they say
about good intentions.

Speaker 3 (01:23:07):
I thought that was the road to my house. No, come, yeah, right, No,
I get you. I listen, I understand that. And frankly,
we were not entirely certain that you know, there isn't
already pressure there, you know, from upstairs.

Speaker 5 (01:23:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:23:23):
So, I mean I I'd be surprised if there wasn't
something there already. But the only way that you know,
the only way that anything hits home is you know, uh,
you know, stop buying tickets, stop buying swag, stop going
to games. I mean, you know, that's how that the owners,

(01:23:44):
that's how they get hit, that's how they pay attention
as you hit them in the pocketbook. Now, I'm not
advocating that because I.

Speaker 5 (01:23:50):
Don't think it's either. I don't think it's as.

Speaker 3 (01:23:52):
Dire as that, But I would tell you that we've
seen what meddlesome ownership can do. You know, all you
got to do is look at the Dallas Cowboys and
Jerry Jones and there's a reason why they haven't even
been to a super Bowl in damn near thirty years. Okay,
but that franchise is making money hand over fist. They're

(01:24:13):
the most they are valued the highest of any franchise
on the planet. They're the first team on planet Earth
that has a ten billion dollar valuation. Why because it's
not all about winning. They want to win, sure, but
Jerry wants to win his way. He's already won overall
because it's the franchise is worth more money than anybody

(01:24:35):
can shake a stick out. And so what does winning
really mean? Especially after you've won six Super Bowls? And
I think it's fair to ask that question. So is it,
you know, is it fair to to to say, well,
you know, we won our super Bowls and now let's
try to, you know, suck for a few years and
build it where we can get back to an other
six super Bowls. I would tell you that I don't

(01:24:57):
think that's happening, as much as I hope it does.
As a f it's not happening. Because what the Patriots
caught with BB and TB twelve is lightning in a bottle,
and everybody knows it. One was not better than the other.
They each needed the other in order to put this
team on its backside and write it to six Super
Bowl trophies. Okay, that is a fact. And so if

(01:25:21):
they're hoping it gets lightning in a bottle and have
that happen again by building this thing slowly, it ain't happening.
It's not gonna happen. And so what you need to do.
I don't think you have to throw it all away
and win now it all costs. You can certainly build
where you might be able to get back into the
playoffs in another year or be competitive for a super

(01:25:42):
Bowl in the next two to three years. I think
you can get back to that stage. But there's so
much parody, and with the salary cap now in the NFL,
as things presently exist, everything is gonna be much more cyclical.
That the Patriots managed to stay at such a high
level for twenty plus years is extraordinary, and I just

(01:26:02):
don't see and that includes Kansas City. I just don't
see it happening. Again, I just I just don't Kansas
City still has another ten years to go before they
can even get close to being mentioned in the same
breath as the Patriots. So I'm just I don't know.
I don't see it happen. I think that you've got
to decide what you really want, and to me, the

(01:26:23):
only way that you can perpetuate winning is by starting somewhere,
putting a stake in the ground, drawing the line in
the sand. However you want to, you know, market, but
you got to start at some point and move forward
from there. Maybe they feel like they're doing that now,
maybe that's part of the plan. I don't know, but

(01:26:44):
I wish we had a little more clarification on that
so that way we could monitor it and see how
it's going. And then I want leadership to step up
and say, look, this ain't working. I'm not saying we're abandoning,
but we need to try something different. It's kind of like,
you know, banging your head against a brick wall. After
a while, it's gonna bruise. After a while, it's gonna bleed.

(01:27:07):
And when it's bruised and bloody, are you still gonna
bang your head against the wall doing the same thing.

Speaker 10 (01:27:13):
No, in my case, John, there's nothing up there to damage,
so I would probably keep banging my head against the one.

Speaker 3 (01:27:22):
Well, then then you know, in that case, if they
keep banging their head against the wall, I would tell
you that's the definition of insanity doing the same things
over and over and over again and expecting a different outcome.
When you get the same outcome and you keep doing
it over and over and over again expecting it to
be different, no, it's not gonna be any different because

(01:27:43):
you haven't changed anything. You gotta change.

Speaker 10 (01:27:46):
I'm with you.

Speaker 3 (01:27:47):
It's like in baseball, you're throwing fastball, fastball, fastball, and
pretty soon Aaron Judge is gonna clock it. Throw the
man a change up, throw the man at curveball. That's
how you're gonna get him out.

Speaker 10 (01:27:59):
I'm a slider. Or throw them a spitball, you.

Speaker 3 (01:28:01):
Know, throw them something, but not a fastball. And that's
what the Patriots are doing. They're throwing all fastballs. They're
not changing it up.

Speaker 10 (01:28:09):
And I'll bring up a point that I made a
couple of times already, like, yeah, games know how to
defend this team. Do you load the box and you
dare them to throw. And yeah, I mean it's it's
not just it's not just looking at the stats. It's
the eyeball test too.

Speaker 5 (01:28:26):
Yeah, you're not gonna.

Speaker 10 (01:28:27):
Win games in this NFL. In today's NFL, throwing for
the average one hundred and thirteen are a little under
one hundred and thirteen yards passing per game.

Speaker 3 (01:28:35):
Which is ridiculous.

Speaker 10 (01:28:36):
It's not going to happen.

Speaker 3 (01:28:37):
And I don't think there's anything wrong with the game.
Everything in the game is cyclical. Defenses always catch up
to offenses. So anybody that tells you that all the
game is allows you today, you know it's bad football
being played. No, it's the same football. It's the same athletes,
and the athletes are much more athletic than they were
ten or twenty years ago. Defenses catch up.

Speaker 10 (01:28:56):
And you know, yeah, like you, I like the ebbs
and the floor those of it. But I want to
bring you back to John. You remember, because you know
I've been watching this team forever since nineteen eighty five.
But do you remember? I know you remember because you
were you were still at the old crappy Stadium in
nineteen ninety three. Do you remember how bad that team was?

(01:29:17):
Of course you remember before that season started, to Carsel says,
anyone that does not want to be in here, get
in my office and I will get you the hell
out of time.

Speaker 5 (01:29:24):
Yes, and that's I mean, they had that's what they
need to do.

Speaker 10 (01:29:27):
With guys like they had Benson Brown. You know, they
had Maurice Hurst, they had Marv Cook, they had Ben Coates,
and they had a young Drew Bloodstone. They had the
young quarterbacks and I and you remember how that season
played out. I mean, I think they got their first
win with Scott Speakueles and then the last four games
of the year they ended up winning. Heard we had

(01:29:52):
a glimmer of hope, and that's that's kind of all
I want to see. Like I'm telling you, I'm making
a prediction because like I said, there's there's no there's
no true road games until November. If fans stop buying
tickets because they know Jacoby Pressett and this is this
is nothing personal against per Set, but he's he's just

(01:30:13):
he's he's not a starting, starting quarterback. But if they
stop buying tickets and start showing up, you better believe Craft,
both crafts will start holding this. This coaching staffs feed
to the fire and stay, guys, I like the idea
of the plan. You're costing me money. Your plan is
caught is now costing me money.

Speaker 3 (01:30:32):
I'll put it this way.

Speaker 5 (01:30:33):
It get out.

Speaker 3 (01:30:34):
The waiting list for season tickets is.

Speaker 10 (01:30:35):
Dwindling, Maybe a good time to buy a might be?

Speaker 3 (01:30:41):
Might be? He always you buy low and sell high.

Speaker 10 (01:30:43):
Bro Right, all right, let me give you my prediction.
Go ugh, Miami wins this game ten to nine.

Speaker 3 (01:30:54):
Okay, all right, Actually I like that prediction. Ten nine
sounds about right. Yeah, sounds about right.

Speaker 10 (01:31:02):
And in good faith, I can't pick them to win.
Roby started and like I said, that's nothing personal against him.
It's just yeah, I just laid out how to beat
the Patriots. Load up the box and Darren the pass.
That's not gonna happen.

Speaker 3 (01:31:14):
It may also be the way that you beat the
Dolphins this week, too, true.

Speaker 10 (01:31:19):
I'll put it, and I'll say this, whoever wins the
turnover battles more than likely going to win.

Speaker 3 (01:31:24):
Win the game. Yeah, because they'll have a short field. Yeah,
I agree. All right, Patty, you the man.

Speaker 8 (01:31:29):
That's all I got, buddy, Thank.

Speaker 3 (01:31:31):
You, thank you, appreciate that. Let me squeeze eldrid in here, Hey,
Eldred and.

Speaker 7 (01:31:34):
How are you, hey, missus legend, how are you doing today?

Speaker 3 (01:31:38):
Everything's okay? How are you no travels today?

Speaker 5 (01:31:42):
Uh?

Speaker 7 (01:31:42):
No, I got off with earlier today.

Speaker 5 (01:31:44):
Good for you, sunshine for one, Good for you, Good
for you.

Speaker 7 (01:31:47):
Part of North Carolina steel kind of close off.

Speaker 3 (01:31:49):
Yeah, we're just gonna say, were you affected by anything yourself?

Speaker 7 (01:31:54):
No, we had a bunch of rain, a bunch of
which God I didn't lose no power. And then but
part of Charlotte did to the other side. Then guests
on you and which is like twenty miles down the road,
and Marxville, which is up the road about eighteen out.
They had a lot and then you know.

Speaker 3 (01:32:09):
Well, I out, I really feel for the people in Asheville.
I came very close to taking me to taking a
job in Ashville. It's probably been about thirty years ago.
But when I when I see you know, the pictures,
I'm like, oh my gosh, I know that. I think
I know that area because I went and visited and
looked at houses into the whole thing. Job actually didn't
pan out the way that I wanted it to, but

(01:32:29):
I almost became a Nashville resident, And you know, years ago,
and it's just it's it's devastating to see, you know,
the aftermath of some of that. So, you know, anything
anybody can do to help those people out, I'm sure
it's appreciated.

Speaker 7 (01:32:44):
Yes, sir, I got family up there, So I'm calling
and keeping in check with THEMNSE. Out they doing you know, sure,
you know, man, and they keeping it, some of them
keeping informed by Facebook and something.

Speaker 3 (01:32:54):
You know.

Speaker 7 (01:32:54):
Yeah, I cant read a call directly, but you know
they're doing that. But I'm you know what this, I'm
gonna say this. I don't care if anybody get mad
at me or not fan wine because I'm a big
Patriots fan to the heart too. Like I said, I
take my butt kicking and trash talking to the team.

(01:33:16):
But some of but some of y'all, I understand everybody
is on Jakobe. Some of that is on him, but
yard that is not on him. But Jordy is that
ratulated radulate line that's been a problem for five years
since Bill got rid of Tony Mason and carrots.

Speaker 3 (01:33:34):
Yep.

Speaker 7 (01:33:34):
And he's the Predecessordessah. I'm talking about the GM, not
the coach who coo H pick talent pick just like him.
And it's five years that we ain't got no talent
to run any team on the on the NFL, you know.
And then if you get hit many times as that
guy get hit. Believe me, you used to a little
ghost to and I'm surprised he keeps getting up. I

(01:33:56):
want him to put me in. I want him to.
I want I want you everybody to see, okay, if
he had the same outcome or worse, because when he
got in against the Jets, he almost three interception and
when he took off running, he didn't take off full
speed and he got like like I said before, the
would lay to him that time. So I'm pretty sure

(01:34:16):
he learned from that. But maybe you know, and I
understand he's doing good with the Scout team, but like
you said, they got shelled.

Speaker 8 (01:34:22):
He needed to get hit.

Speaker 7 (01:34:23):
He did even know what's this and that? But like
I said, put him in and just go for it,
you know, just go for it and then we'll see.

Speaker 3 (01:34:32):
We'll see that one.

Speaker 7 (01:34:35):
It's it's it's but my thing, but my thing with
the fans, if he do like but that or worse,
I want to hear that crap. Only the same thing
that you give your Kobe same thing you give him.
It's only fair. It's only fair, sure, Brookie or not,
because you gave you gave Matt Jones the thing, and
I did too. I ain't gonna lie about it.

Speaker 5 (01:34:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:34:53):
And I would also argue that, you know, Max development
or like thereof is a little different than what the
patrons seemed to be trying to do with with uh,
with Drake, and it's because you know, they made a
fundamental change in coaches. I mean, the man had you
know what, three different coordinators in three years, and the
second one had no business coaching offense, and so that

(01:35:15):
was just that.

Speaker 7 (01:35:16):
Was John John John John huh huh. I ain't gonna
get away with that one. I told you to begin you.

Speaker 3 (01:35:22):
Go, You're wait a second, I was getting I'm getting
ready to call myself out on that because Bill said
good coaches know how to coach football regardless, and clearly
clearly that was wrong. I believe that. I believe that.
But what they didn't do is they didn't adjust to
how the quarterback could play and what he was capable

(01:35:45):
of playing. They didn't school him enough. They didn't teach
me enough. They expected more, and they didn't know how
to instruct him properly. And so that's that was where
the fault lied in having the hubris that, well, hey,
football coaches should be able to coach any position. Well, yes,
but in this day and age of five wides and
spread offenses and getting the ball up and down the

(01:36:06):
field and all that kind of stuff, No, they didn't
have that kind of experience. They did not. And here's
the funny part of the ironic part about it is,
now that the game is coming back to center, we're
seeing defenses catch up now because defenses are so much
lighter and quicker, they're able to stay up with the receiver.
And when you're playing that, you know, two high safety defense,
the shell defense that everybody talks about that Mel kaiper

(01:36:29):
Junior says ought to be outlawed. I think that's a
bunch of bunk, and I love Mel, but no, that's listen.
It's now up to the offenses to figure out a
way to beat that. And guess what history tells us
that that will happen. It will happen, Yes, it will.
It won't happen right away, probably won't happen this year.

(01:36:49):
But defenses catching up, guess what the offenses are gonna
take another step forward. You need that have a quarterback
that is ready to play in that environment.

Speaker 7 (01:36:57):
Yes, sir, Mitch So. And my thing is, uh with
Elliott Wolf is Okay, you traded j done to to
to the Falcon. Okay, uh, thank you, But we got
a fourth form fourth because of his age or whatever.
And he's showing out over there for the Falcons. I
think he was stuck in the third and in sacks

(01:37:19):
something like that impression something like that. I think. Okay, Uh,
mister Jim, you couldn't trade him for somebody for a
left tackle. This maybe not the first string, but somebody's
capable in the back because you ain't capful enough to
draft or left tackle or recognize that you need one
or did you need line plate?

Speaker 3 (01:37:38):
Yeah, we can pick that one all day, and you
wouldn't be wrong.

Speaker 7 (01:37:41):
I was picking that from from Jump Street. I wouldn't
have traded. At least we got a sucker out of fourth.

Speaker 3 (01:37:46):
Yeah. Well, but I don't think you were going to
get that. And you needed to get rid of the
guy because he was starting to become a distraction. So
that's that's that's why that.

Speaker 7 (01:37:54):
But I'll try a sucking or third. But exactually he
set a four fourth, you got a fourth. But like
that always say, you know, holding next year draft for
getting better. But I'm like I said, uh, tod you
last week, I'm seeing the same thing for when building,
you draft the same type of guy. Yep, well you
ain't getting no playmakers the type of guy they.

Speaker 3 (01:38:15):
Gotta they got a shot to improve, and they're gonna
get a shot to improve because they're gonna get these
draft picks that everybody you know wants them to get.
But there's there's no more messing around. You've got to
come up with the real deal. If you don't, then
everybody they should clean the house again and bring somebody
in the can to it. That's the that's that's the
one thing that you gotta. You can't. You gotta you

(01:38:36):
can't hesitate. I mean when mister Krafft said, hey, girod
Mao was the guy that you know, I had identified
as our future coach like five years ago. Okay, fine,
but now that he's got the job, you have to
as the leader is the ultimate leader here, you have
to be able to say this ain't working. Now. I'm
not saying it's not working for that Rod. I'm willing
to give him two three years, maybe just because I

(01:38:57):
think he needs to have pieces in place and a
couple of drafts to work with. But the clock is
already ticking. As far as I'm concerned by how they
handle this bit of adversity, I want to see leadership.
I want to see ford thought. I want to see aggressiveness.
I want to see the effort to try to win
football games and not be satisfied with a one in

(01:39:18):
sixteen mentality, because that's what I see right now, one
in sixteen mentality.

Speaker 7 (01:39:24):
I see that too. Matter fact, I get teased by
that every other day, especially from them Cowboys fans.

Speaker 3 (01:39:29):
Well, all you gotta do is just say, and you
haven't been to bulls since ninety five? Okay, shut up.

Speaker 7 (01:39:35):
I keep saying that. I keep saying it, But detail me, John,
It's okay, y'all won y'all in this decade. But after
a while you can be seeing the same thing that
we team.

Speaker 3 (01:39:45):
Well, then let's wait until after a while. Yeah, so
the Patriots go thirty years without winning a super Bowl, Okay,
then they can talk.

Speaker 7 (01:39:54):
Yeah that's true too. But most of all, one thing
I will I am down on Jakobe about is a
couple of those things. But then again I see people
flying at him, you know. Period there was a couple
of receivers on including Pop you know when he through
the interception, but he had we had both a burn
down on him, you know. But if you could have

(01:40:15):
held just half stuck in through it to the right
of Red Warner. Yeah, the pop was wide open, wilde
open right there. But when you got but that's easy
for us to say, we're watching it, but you.

Speaker 3 (01:40:24):
Gotta find nobody did gotta.

Speaker 7 (01:40:26):
Down there, run down my throat and Betty to eat me.

Speaker 3 (01:40:29):
Gotta find o.

Speaker 5 (01:40:30):
Thank you, you gotta find it.

Speaker 7 (01:40:32):
Like I said, letting good talking to you.

Speaker 3 (01:40:34):
But thanks buddy, Ellie.

Speaker 7 (01:40:35):
Well if you need you need to get up on
your job.

Speaker 8 (01:40:38):
Bro.

Speaker 3 (01:40:38):
Yes, I agree with him. Everybody good one, Thanks Bud,
appreciate it. Stay safe out there.

Speaker 7 (01:40:45):
A real woman could stop you from drinking.

Speaker 1 (01:40:48):
Ye, a real big woman.

Speaker 3 (01:40:49):
It's time to go around the NFL with football guru
Russell Baxter. Now on the name is Flounder on Patriots
playbook hung mister Baxter, thanks for hanging in there with
the some Patriot fans passionate enough to, you know, figure
out what the hell is going on around here, because
I'm not sure anybody really does know what's going on.

Speaker 8 (01:41:11):
Well that's true, but I will say this. There's passionate
and then there's accurate.

Speaker 3 (01:41:17):
Wait, those aren't mutually exclusive.

Speaker 8 (01:41:20):
Right Elbridge? The Patriots got a third round pick.

Speaker 3 (01:41:25):
Yeah, yeah, thirdkay.

Speaker 8 (01:41:26):
And you know, with all due respect, I don't think
one and a half sacks is leading amongst the leaders
in the NFL. That's what Matthew Judan has.

Speaker 3 (01:41:37):
Has one and a half, Keon White has four.

Speaker 8 (01:41:40):
Yeah, d Trick White has two. So my final point
is that this is for you. Is Hubris related to
Hugh Downs.

Speaker 3 (01:41:53):
Might have been at one time, or even Hugh culver House.
Hugh Culverhouse, Oh that's a good Hugh macklh.

Speaker 8 (01:42:00):
You brids is like referring to anonymous.

Speaker 5 (01:42:06):
God.

Speaker 3 (01:42:07):
Oh man. See the bad part about this, Russell is
that we're probably the only two that recognized these jokes
plays on words. So you know, it's but they as
long as as long as we're enjoying it, Who the
hell cares?

Speaker 8 (01:42:20):
You know what you're according to someone you know and
love very much. We get it. If you do good for.

Speaker 3 (01:42:25):
You yeah, absolutely, come along for the ride. So what
you know what I mean, you've seen the stuff, you
kept up with the news, you know what's kind of
going on. This game on Sunday between the Patriots and
the Dolphins is uh, not exactly turning out the way
that anybody thought it was. And certainly if you look
at it from the Miami perspective, it's just as bad,

(01:42:46):
if not worse, because they're shocked, they're shell shocked. I
didn't think they were going to be one in three
at this stage of the game, whereas the Patriots one
and three. Eh, that's probably about where we thought they
might be before the season started. But our expectations grew exponentially.
When you go in and you and you, and you
wrap Cincinnati in the mouth on the road in the
opening week. It just it blew up the expectations to

(01:43:09):
the point where now we've settled back into reality and
with the injuries that have happened, you know, David Andrews
is it looks like he's gone for the rest of
the year. You can't hold on the ball, you still
don't have receivers that can really separate. You've got a
quarterback that's you know, not really, he's missing open receivers.
You've got a you know, prized rookie who's sitting on
the bench because they're afraid or ostensibly to play him

(01:43:31):
behind a you know, a makeshift offensive line. I mean,
there's a lot of different storylines going on here, but
I love the phrase here, no matter how bad you've
got it, somebody else always has it worse than you do.
And I might put Miami in that category right now.

Speaker 8 (01:43:47):
Oh, I don't know if I might. I think I
definitely would after what's happened with them. And I will
say this, John, I think not only to win at
Cincinnati in Week one, but the very game effort, I
know it wasn't flawless. The overtime loss to Seattle in
Week two. I think that also hyped expectations. Yeah, because

(01:44:08):
they did move the football. They did and as we
are finding out, Geno Smith and that passing attack is
putting up big numbers against just about anybody. I know
they lost.

Speaker 3 (01:44:17):
Yeah, I think Seattle's better than advertised, er better than
we thought. Yeah, but now.

Speaker 8 (01:44:22):
The thud comes, Okay, the thud comes. What is it?
The net last two weeks fifty four to sixteen twenty
four to three thirty thirteen, and so one in three
you're exactly right. One in three based off the start
is disappointing. One in three if you're one of those
goofballs that goes through the schedule in May and forecast

(01:44:43):
every win and every loss, which I find isstounding because
people can't peak tick week to week. But if they
can do it six months in advance is fascinating. But
you said you could have it worse. Let me just
throw out a few figures and you'll probably see them
in some of my pieces. At this time last year,
the Miami Dolphins had played four games. Now I know

(01:45:06):
there's a bit of an outlier in here because of
what they did to Denver. They had scored one hundred
and fifty points. They had scored twenty offensive touchdowns in
four games this year. And by the way, ironically they've used,
not started, used for different quarterbacks because Tim Boyle didn't

(01:45:28):
start and Huntley is going to start this week, but
Dendor Skylar Thompson and thattch obviously Tua. The Dolphins are
dead last in the league with forty five points. Their
offensive scored four touchdowns. There are thirteen players in the
league after four weeks that have scored thirteen offensive and
thirteen players have scored at least for offensive touchdowns. They

(01:45:52):
look lost. Mike McDaniel to a degree, looks overwhelmed. They
look absolutely lifeless, which means this week is probably going
to be like thirty eight thirty five.

Speaker 3 (01:46:03):
Well, I'm just saying I think we're cruising that way.
I know everybody thinks we're destined for a ten to
nine game, and we might be, but listen, I don't know.

Speaker 8 (01:46:11):
Listen, I think there's going to be There might be
a postseason baseball games that outscore the Patriots and the
Dawson on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:46:20):
Yeah. Yeah, I think that's legit.

Speaker 8 (01:46:23):
It's not only in the case of Miami. They're just
not moving the football, and on third down it's been
you know, I go back to when they lost to
the Bills, and this was even before Tua went down
in the third quarter. John third down big in the

(01:46:44):
first half twenty four to seven, and they put on
a clinic of how not to be urgent in the
final two minutes of the half. I don't know if
you remember that. Okay, they wind up settling for a
field goal, but you know, timeouts, and I think they
were saving their time outs maybe for this week. Okay,

(01:47:04):
it was dreadful to watch, and it was they almost
looked defeated because I don't think they expected Buffalo to
come out the way they came out. And you know,
Buffalo struggled the week before against Arizona. Their defense didn't
look all that good. You know, they're they're the conservative
is conservatism by Mike McDaniel has been bewildering. It's it's

(01:47:28):
like they're not even taking over the last four games,
they have four play offensive plays of twenty or more
yards combined. I mean that was, I mean that was
that was different in week one and again I understand
the quarter the starting quarterback's not there, but the starting

(01:47:48):
quarterback was there for two and a half quarters in
week two and again it's almost like that they got
Buffalo in their own building, which they you know, not
like they've beaten a lot of places anywhere. Okay, again,
know they're coming off the comeback victory over Jacksonville and
they literally they laid an egg against a team that

(01:48:12):
was in just as much salary cap trouble as they
were this offseason. Bills made wholesale changes all over the place. Okay, now,
now that being said, we saw what happened this past week,
and I think the thing if you're Miami that's even
more disturbing is you're sitting there on Monday night at

(01:48:34):
home against the winless football team everybody else in the
division that already lost, and you laid a clunker. And again,
I know it's a new starting quarterback and all that,
but let me just throw out something. I'm proposing that
the Tennessee Titans moved to Miami in the next couple

(01:48:55):
of years because it seems like that's the only place.

Speaker 3 (01:48:58):
John.

Speaker 8 (01:48:58):
The Titans are two and eleven and in their last
thirteen year road games, and both of those wins have
come against the Dolphins in South Florida. Wow, Okay, okay, yeah,
I mean, I mean Tennessee is seven and twenty one
in its last twenty eight games. The only team they've

(01:49:19):
beaten twice at the Dolphins. And we know what kind
of state state the Tennessee's in right now, the struggling
as well. So and Miami said, listen, we know this.
Miami's had New England's number as well, but I don't
know kind of number that team has right now, and
I expect Tyler Huntley to be better in the second

(01:49:40):
second straight start, but I'm not sure what to expect
from New England. I think New England's physicality is going
to be a problem for Miami because I haven't seen
a lot of physical football out of the Dolphins the
last three weeks. Okay, okay, I'm trying to hype this
thing up.

Speaker 3 (01:49:58):
The I think you're doing a marvelous job. That's why
I'm letting you go. So that's kind of where we are.

Speaker 8 (01:50:05):
Yeah, it's like it's a rivalry.

Speaker 3 (01:50:10):
Game, divisional game, all of that stuff, and the and
the Patriots are even a one point favorite, which stuns
me to no end.

Speaker 8 (01:50:17):
Right well, and one point favor at home, yeah, which
means it's like really kind of on the fence.

Speaker 3 (01:50:23):
Yeah, of course it is.

Speaker 8 (01:50:25):
I think Miami's still getting the benefit of doubt because
they've been they've I think they've won three their last
five games in Foxborough going back to twenty nineteen.

Speaker 3 (01:50:34):
That is correct.

Speaker 8 (01:50:35):
But what you have seen on the field from them,
I mean I think they went they had a stretch
the shore already of ten straight orders without a touchdown, Okay,
you see Tyree Kill getting getting frustrated, and you know,
Mike mccainey, I don't do the body language thing, Okay,
I'm just going by what I hear from him when

(01:50:57):
he talks and the quotes and stuff like that. He
seemingly is at the loss of what to do. And listen,
teams lose their starting quarterbacks all the time, Okay, but
it's it's almost as he trying to, for lack of
a better word, hold down the Ford until Tua is

(01:51:19):
able to play again. And we know he's not able
to play two more games because he's on IR. He's
missed two starts, he has to miss two more. They
are off in week six, Okay, so we don't see
him again until I think it's week eight when he
can make his first start, and hopefully that makes the difference.

(01:51:41):
I mean, other than you know, other than some big
numbers by Jalen Waddell in the Jacksonville game and that
eighty or touchdown throw to Tyreek Hill in the first game,
we haven't seen a lot of what we saw from
the Dolphins early last year. And you know, this might
surprise some people, but at one point Miami was nine
and three if you include the playoffs last season where

(01:52:05):
they you know, they were frozen in Kansas City. This
team is three and seven in its last ten contest.

Speaker 3 (01:52:15):
Yeah, well, I mean a lot.

Speaker 8 (01:52:18):
Of numbers that none of them I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:52:20):
Just about to say, I'm not sure what is really
copasetic on that one. Let's let before I forget here,
let's let's take a look at a couple of other
games this week, only because there is some meaning for
football to be played, not that this game wouldn't be meaningful,
of course. I wanted to start though with, you know,
the divisional team, the Jets playing at the four and
oh Minnesota Vikings. Vikings may be the surprise, pleasantly so

(01:52:45):
of anybody in the NFL to this point in time.
And I thought, you know, the Jets stumbled mightily last
week when I think we thought, we, you know, we
expect a little bit more out of them, especially after
the way they thumped the Patriots. So, you know, are
the are the Jets still back on the clock in
terms of or have they jumped back on the clock
in terms of patients not only for Anon Rodgers but

(01:53:07):
also Robert Sala.

Speaker 8 (01:53:09):
Well, I'm not sure that I mean that was you know,
there seems to be a little disconnect between Sala and
Rogers the year and you know, the Jets have been
in the news for a lot of the day today
because of the availability. Now Davante Adams, who wants to
be dealt and you know I saw some Antonio Pears

(01:53:30):
sound and he's you know, he's not he wants no
part of this talk about the Davante Adams and so
on and moving on and so on. And it would
make sense obviously to reunite Davante Adams and Ion Rodgers.
Of course, it would also make sense to reunite DeVante
Adams and Derek Carr. All the reasons he wind up

(01:53:52):
with the Vegas. Then he also played with Derek Carr
in school. But yes, I mean after a promising effort
against New England and having more than a week and
a half half to prepare for her home game, and
I know it was drizzly and rainy and all that stuff,
but they I mean, I think they held the They
held Denver to under two hundred yards and you know

(01:54:12):
zerline misses the field goal, They had I think thirteen penalties.
They really looked completely disheveled. And meanwhile Minnesota. You can
make a case that Minnesota is the best team in
the league right now because they're doing it on both
sides of the ball. They had a big leader of
green Bay. They held on. They've done an excellent job
of creating turnovers on defense. Sam Darnold one time the

(01:54:35):
third overall picked in the twenty eighteen draft. But the
New York Jets, I don't know if I suggested this
to you, I might have suggested someone else. I think
the Jets should open up a quarterback school and draft
somebody and then give them to another team six or
seven years down the road. You know, obviously Sam Donald's

(01:54:57):
on his wife four different team and he's thriving.

Speaker 3 (01:55:01):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (01:55:01):
You will recall that you're more than a decade ago.
I believe they want the director Geno Smith, sure, and
he's thriving with the Seahawks. So you know, the way
this is going, I would imagine the next five or
six years, Zach Wilson will be the MVP of the league.

Speaker 3 (01:55:20):
I za, wait a second, Zach Wilson the MVP of
the league. The way that is going, what do you?
What are you? What are you? What are you smoking? Today?
Can I get something.

Speaker 8 (01:55:31):
Years ago. Oh, I need to get smoking about fermenting.

Speaker 3 (01:55:35):
Marine just said, can I get some of what he's having?

Speaker 8 (01:55:39):
You probably could just called eight six, seven, five, three
or nine.

Speaker 3 (01:55:47):
I love it, I absolutely love it all right. So well,
the Jets have a chance to make some serious amends
at the Vikings. I'm not sure whether they do or not.
The Vikings are are a favorite in that game, and frankly,
at two and a half, I'm a little surprised more
people haven't jumped on that. I guess. The only other
one the Bills. After stumbling last week, they got to

(01:56:08):
go on the road at the three and one Texans.
I think that's a matchup that would certainly be worth
watching and we might be able to tell a little
bit about both teams. The Steelers are at home after stumbling,
they get the Cowboys who are reeling, and then they're
not reeling, and then the reeling again, and then I
think the Money Night game is interesting because the Saints
surprised early, stumbled of late, but they go on the
road and they played at the Chiefs and Kansas City

(01:56:30):
continues to get itself into injury situations and all kinds
of stuff, But the Chiefs continue to chief and just
win games.

Speaker 5 (01:56:37):
Well.

Speaker 8 (01:56:37):
Kansas City, to include the playoffs, has now won ten
straight games, okay, which is nice, nine of them by
single digit Yeah, okay. The only game they've won in
the last over that stretch is when they blew out
Miami in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:56:55):
Yep.

Speaker 8 (01:56:56):
Everything else has been nip and tuck and you're all
four games this year. But you know, that's the difference
between them and other teams the league. They find ways
to win. I don't think their defense is still getting
enough credit for what they've done. It's not like Patrick
Prawoons is putting up amazing numbers. I think people some
people forget that last year Kansas City was minus eleven

(01:57:20):
in turnover differential. They turned over the ball twenty eight
times during the regular season. This year they're in the
negative category again and already turned over the ball seven
times in forty games. The Seespagnolo's defense is fast, it's quick,
it's aggressive. It has one of the best defensive linemen

(01:57:41):
in the league, and Chris Jones, you know, and it's funny.
The Saints blew out two teams to start the season
and now they've lost two games by three points and
two points, so that plays right into Kansas City's hands.
And you know we talk about familiarity. Safe to say
Grett Carr probably knows something about the Kansas City defense.

(01:58:05):
This will be interesting, especially if Alvin Kamara Kamara can
get on track running the football on Monday night. And
we have seen the Kansas City over last year and
have I know therefore oh this year. But they're not
world beaters at home like they used to be a
couple of gears. Remember they lost to the Lions last year.
They lost the Raiders on Christmas at home. So we'll

(01:58:29):
see what they should be very interesting. The Chiefs can
find ways to win games, they could also find a
way to lose a game. And I think the Saints
are very perplexed and try to figure out. We would
have never figured they scored ninety one points in their
first two games and then, on the other hand, find
a way to They really let the Eagles and the

(01:58:51):
Falcons slip away in the fourth quarter last two weeks.

Speaker 3 (01:58:54):
Correct, they did, They definitely did that. Russell, thank you
for always catching us up. Appreciate it. It's a little different.

Speaker 8 (01:59:03):
Can for one thing out that?

Speaker 5 (01:59:04):
Please do it?

Speaker 3 (01:59:05):
Yeah? Yeah, yeah, please, do you know me?

Speaker 8 (01:59:08):
I like my history. Derrick Henry is on the verge
of hitting ten thousand yards rushing because he needs eighteen
yards against the Bengals given the way Cincinnati plays defense.
He'll get that during the national anthem. Okay, the bigger
thing is Derrick Henry has now scored ninety nine touchdowns
in his career overall, no kidding, he can become the

(01:59:30):
twenty sixth player in NFL history. You get to a
se note now, by the way, he might be the
twenty seventh player because on Thursday night, tomorrow night, John
Mike Evans has ninety eight career touchdowns, he gets to
a steam note. So you know for a long time,
you know, and most of these gets just so you know,
most of these guys who have one hundred career touchdowns

(01:59:53):
are all in the Pro Football all of Fame. So
it's so just something to keep an eye on with
the Ravens and the Buccaneers this week.

Speaker 3 (02:00:00):
All right, Russell, I'll be keep an eye on it myself,
thank you, while I try to keep one eye on
the Patriots and the Dolphins.

Speaker 8 (02:00:06):
Right, just remember third round pick and one and a
half stack, yes, sir, correct, break that down, Aldred.

Speaker 3 (02:00:14):
I'm sure he's writing it down now as we speak.

Speaker 8 (02:00:16):
I hope he's not right.

Speaker 3 (02:00:17):
No, no, he's off the road today. Thank goodness, Thank you, Russell.
Talk to you next week. Yes, sir, you got it.
The one and only Russell Baxter at Backs Football Guru
on X This week, the Pats face off against the Dolphins,
as you know, and you can catch all the action
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to Russell Baxter to carrying Gregian of masslive dot com.
Also to Alan. How does he pronounce his last name again? Poopar. Oh,

(02:01:43):
that's right, Poopar. It looks like palpart but it's Poopar.
Alan Poopar from SI dot com covering the Miami Dolphins
and of course the one and only Evan Lazar for
coming in. And I'm trying to make some sense of
this mess today. Yeah, it's a little messy. We talked
about that at the opening of the show today. Patriots
need to figure out a way to work it out
and they've got another step. And look, I would tell

(02:02:04):
you that winning kind of cures most evils, not all
of them, because there are some things here that we've
seen the last couple of weeks that can't be cured
overnight with a win. But a win would certainly make
things a little bit more palpable. Let's see what happens
on Sunday right here at juet one o'clock Eastern time kickoff.
We'll be back same patch time, same patch channel next Wednesday,

(02:02:26):
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Speaker 2 (02:02:31):
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Speaker 3 (02:02:34):
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