Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - 2018 Revisited: Divisional Round - Locked On Patriots June 18, 2019

Episode Date: June 18, 2019

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Drop to the knee, razor sharp all day long here at Gillette. The Patriots quarterback threw for 343 yards and the Pats remain unbeaten at home. And now they've got to take a performance like today's and build on it, travel to Kansas City with it to beat the Chiefs for the second time this year as they will meet in the AFC Championship game next Sunday in Kansas City. Deja vu, pal. We're back. Looking forward to it.

You and I will be out there. Can't wait to call it. Another chance at the big one for a chance for a trip to Atlanta. That's all you can ask for. They did what they had to do. They finished 11-5. They secured the number two overall seed. Kansas City did their job.

You did your job. We teed that sucker up. What is it? 6.30 Eastern. Eastern time. 6.40. I'm sorry, next weekend, next Sunday. And for the ninth championship Sunday. Consecutive time.

The Patriots earned a postseason bye. They were well rested and well prepared for today's game. They were in control early. And as a result of their win over the Chiefs, 41-28, the Patriots are bound for the AMFC Championship for an eighth straight year. And there's no doubt about our co-players of the game today. All in agreement, the Masternall Cancer Center everyday amazing players of the game belong to a quarterback in his 19th season, still terrific after all these years,

and a running back in his first. Tom Brady and Sonny Michel. Every day, every moment holds the opportunity. Hey there, everybody, and welcome on in to another installment of 2018 Revisited, the off-season series here at Locked On Patriots, where we are going week by week through the season that was for your New England Patriots, a season that culminated, as you well know, with Lombardi Trophy No. 6. Today we have reached the playoffs. We've gone through all 17 regular season games,

and the New England Patriots opened their playoff run with a home game in the divisional round against the Los Angeles Chargers. How did the teams get there? Well, the New England Patriots finished with an 11-5 record, securing the second overall seed in the AFC. And that got them a first-round buy and a chance to host a divisional round game again on the Sunday of the divisional round slate. As for the Chargers, well, they were rewarded with their rather impressive 12-4 record with the fifth overall seed, thanks to the AFC champions in the West, the Kansas City Chiefs earning the number one overall seed. And so the Chargers, they were rewarded with a trip east to play Baltimore in the first round,

a four versus five game,. The Los Angeles Chargers pulled off a win in that contest. And so, they had to come east for the second straight week, taking on the New England Patriots. And the Patriots would get that win in the divisional round, rolling to a 41-28 victory. We're going to go through that game

in a moment, but first, your usual reminders. Please do follow me on the old Twitter machine at Mark Schofield. Check out the work in places like InsideThePylon.com, Pro Football Weekly, The Score, Matt Waldman's Rookie Scouting Portfolio, and yes, that holy trinity, as it were, of SB Nation websites, including Big Blue View, Bleeding Green Nation, where I co-host the one and only QB Scosio, and of course, Pat's Pulpit.

Let's dive into this game now. And if you remember the run-up to this game, there was a lot being made of the Chargers and their pass rush. I remember I spent a long time breaking down how they were able to get pressure with just four or five, mostly with four. And a lot of what they did was just some creative twists and stunts up front. But they were able to get pressure, which allowed them to play lighter in the secondary and even in the second level in fact in their game against Baltimore the week prior they had basically rolled out a six or seven

defensive back package for the most part part of it was scheme they looked at that as a way to sort of slow down Lamar Jackson what that Ravens offense was doing. But part of it was injury. They had injuries at the linebacker level, so they were forced to rely on this sub-package. The Patriots, they found a way to exploit it. And it started on the opening drive, where they put together a long and methodical march, taking the opening kickoff, winning the toss, going down the field, working almost eight minutes off the clock.

And it culminated in this. Sonny Michel, one-yard touchdown point the clock. And it culminated in this. Sonya Michelle, one-yard touchdown point. Incredibly smart route by Nwingo. He's going to run into you and turn around and box you out and just throw it on. It's like a DB can't even do anything but try and get up into it. First and goal. And the Patriots drive it the distance for the touchdown.

83 yards in 14 plays with Michelle finishing it off. Used up almost half the opening quarter. And that's why they elected to take the football at the top. Oh, they sent a message right here. They ran the ball six times on that drive. Brady got the ball out of his hands. Simple power play right up the middle. Jim Nance, Tony Roman there on the call. And as you heard, the Patriots, they were balanced in this approach.

You had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 passes from Tom Brady. And you had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 rushing attempts. Nine passes, six rushing attempts. They culminate the drive with the Sonny Michel touchdown run on a first and goal play from the one. The Patriots wasted no time in that red zone opportunity. Remember, throughout this season, particularly later in the season, we talked a little bit as we've been going through 2018

about their woes in the red zone, not so much on this possession. Now, the Char charges would get the ball back they would not waste a lot of time on a first and 10 play from the patriots 43 yard line it would be the chargers first play in opposition territory territory philip rivers would hit keenan allen on a double move to even the score tight rushing performances but that was a good run another to go to pick up a first down. They can run the football like that. It minimizes what New England can do on third down.

Play action. Rivers steps up. Heaves it downfield. Wide open. That's a touchdown. Keenan Allen got behind everybody. And Rivers finds him from 43 yards out. Well, this is nothing more than eyes.

Gilmore has deep third. That means he has a third of the field deep. He's going to have a third of the field deep. So you just take your zone area and you keep going deep. I don't know what he read to jump. But to me, that means that Rivers looked him inside. Watch. He just goes inside because Allen gives him a double move a little in and up fake but he had to have been reading the quarterback and Rivers pumps him and gets as Romo breaks down there Patriots are in cover three on this play Gilmore

has a deep outside third they run a little double move with Allen he bites on the inside move. Allen goes over the top. Rivers hits him. And the Chargers even the score. But the Patriots would strike quickly. And they would strike right away on their next possession. Closing out their last possession of the last full possession of the first quarter

with Sonny Michel again going right tackle for 14 yards and a 14-7 lead. They've been running that for years. They've just saved it. again going right tackle for 14 yards and a 14-7 lead. Pylon. Touchdown, New England. Just look it. This is I-formation lead draw. I see it once every eight weeks in the NFL, and he's in. The Patriots are bringing back old plays, and they're doing a little bit of everything. Josh McDaniels with a perfect start to the way he's calling this game. The Patriots using a little lead draw action to get Michelle into the end zone.

14-yard run, 14 points on the day so far, and the Patriots are out to a 14-7 lead. That lead would become 21-7 early in the second quarter when Brady would hit Philip Dorsett from 15 yards out for touchdown pass, number one of the day. For us to win the third and sixth and longer game is the key. He's got third and sixth. Here we go. Brady going to the end zone.

Open is Dorsett for the touchdown. Well, you talk about the third and one and how Belichick's going to be upset. Well, this is a sin for these guys right here. Communication. The stacked motion means you have to decide who's covering who. And the communication doesn't happen. That's the number one thing for the Chargers is communication on defense. They do a great job with it, but they didn't get it done there. When he motions down, you've got to tell him, I'm in, I'm in, I'm out, I'm out.

You stay with him, stay with him. Wasn't communicated, and they give up an easy touchdown. We're going to break down this play in Part 3 of this show, but the Patriots get Brady into a situation where he has a wide-open Philip Dorsett on a corner route for a touchdown, and the Patriots have that 21-7 lead. Up next, we're going to talk about how the Patriots sort of put this game away throughout the second and third quarters,

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you now break it down their Division around win for the New England Patriots over the Los Angeles Chargers. The game the Patriots would win 41-28. And now we're picking up the action here in the second quarter. The Patriots have just gone out to a 21-7 lead. And they would stop the Chargers on again their next possession getting the football back. And this time it would be Rex Burkhead going left tackle to cap off another touchdown run, getting the Patriots out to a 28-7 lead early in the second quarter. So that way they can get into third down and rally tackle. Well, if you're always ahead of the chains, you're going to have to change.

It's time to play man-to-man and put pressure on Brady. You can't sit back anymore and let him pick you apart. Burkhead slices through for another touchdown. Gronkowski threw a block. The whole left side of the line is moving.

I mean, Ingram hasn't been pushed back like this in a long time, and you see the double team of Gronk and Brown. It just makes it a walk-in almost for

Burkhead. Look at that. We got Gronk. I'm telling you. You can say what you want. This guy, not a lot of tight ends are willing to put that effort every game in and blocking Gronk. As you heard Tony Romo allude to there, one of the big factors on this touchdown run by Rex Burkett was the blocking up front by the entire offensive unit, including tight end Rob Gronkowski.

This was a game perhaps more than any other throughout the Patriots run in 2018. Let's talk Gronkowski used as more of a sixth offensive lineman than a true tight end. And he was one of the lead blockers on this play, this touchdown plunge that got Burkhead into the end zone and the Patriots out to a 28-7 lead. Now, we even talked a lot about the defense and special teams so far in this installment of 2018 Revisited.

But we'll fix that here in a moment because after the Burkhead touchdown run the Patriots stopped the Chargers on their next possession but when the Patriots get the ball back they're looking at perhaps their first three and out of the game Ryan Allen dropped a punt Desmond King looked back ready to return and perhaps get the Chargers onto the board late in the first half they were down 28 to 7 They needed a score to get back into this game, but instead Desmond Kinn would fail to make the catch. Albert McClellan would be the man on the spot,

and the Patriots would get the ball right back before halftime. He tries to bring that ball back in. Ryan Allen was never called on to punt in Super Bowl 52, so it's been, what, six quarters in the postseason since he got called on balls on the field, on the ground. And I'm sure the Patriots got the full control of it before it went out of bounds. McClellan was on it.

Well, you finally get a stop. You have a chance. The Chargers can go in and score, make this a two-possession game, and get the ball back in the second half, but they need this ball right here. King mishandling it, slaps it toward the sideline.

Oh, this is going to be really close. Gene, at what point does he have control? Gene Steratore. From the last few I got, Jim, it appears to me that number 59 has control of that football right there prior to anything touching out of bounds, which would constitute a turnover. We know how important this call is. The Chargers. Here we go.

The New England player recovered the ball while it was inbound even heard their little gene stentor on the call there for cvs breaking down the rules and yes the patriots upon the challenge would be given possession of the football thanks to the heads-up recovery by Albert McClellan, setting them up with a first and 10 of the Chargers' 35-yard line, already up 28-7 with just 3.23 left in the first half. After a couple of plays, they would have a first and goal at the 5 of the Chargers, with 1.47 remaining.

And for the third time on this afternoon Sonny Michel would get himself into the end zone Give him touchdown number three. McClellan's recovery set it up off the King mishandle. This is just Gronk first. I'm going to do nope. And look at that right there inside. And Devlin finishes the playoff. The fullback, James Devlin, and Gronk, you're going to see him.

And Devlin, 46, goes in there, and you go behind those two. And look, they just push him. I mean, it's just like. They're out physically. Yes, they're just pushing him. Winning every battle. Hitting harder. I'm stronger. I'm going at you.

That touchdown gave the Patriots a 35-7 lead right before halftime. A lead they would take to the halftime break. And for all intents and purposes, this game was over at that point. The Chargers, yeah, they tacked on 21 points in the second half. You know, they closed the gap somewhat. But this game was over by halftime. The Patriots out to that huge 35-7 halftime lead. Up next, we're going to break down the Dorsett touchdown catch

from earlier in this game. And what we learned, both about the Patriots and about how people viewed the Patriots in the wake of this 41-28 divisional round win over the Los Angeles Chargers. That's all ahead on this divisional round edition of 2018 Revisited here at Locked On Patriots. Mark Schofield back with you now on this divisional round installment

of 2018 Revisited here at Locked On Patriots. And we've reached that portion of the show where we talk about the game's pivotal play as well as what we learned about the New England Patriots in this installment. And what we're going to do for the pivotal play is we're going to talk about the New England Patriots in this installment. And what we're going to do for the pivotal plays, we're going to talk about the Philip Dorsett touchdown reception. This came with 12-22 left in the first half. Patriots facing a third and six at the Chargers 15-yard line after a false start penalty on Chris Hogan backed them up five yards from a third and one situation to a third and six. And like so many Patriots touchdowns, especially in the passing game,

this one comes thanks to a bit of pre-snap movement, which creates some confusion. The Patriots have Brady in the shotgun using 11 offensive personnel, one running back in the backfield. Tight end Rob Gronkowski in a slot to the right with Chris Hogan outside of him. Phillip Dorsett is in a slot alignment to the left

with Julian Edelman aligned outside of Dorsett who would catch the touchdown on this play. Chargers they show pressure up front they've got the four linemen package up front and then basically a dive look behind it with one two three four five six seven defensive backs. They show two high safeties at the start of this play but one of those safeties will drop down when Dorsett and Edelman, on their side of the formation, motion into a stacked slot, with Edelman coming in motion right behind Philip Dorsett when the ball is snapped.

Now they drop into basically a cover one look. And there's confusion generated out of the stacked slot that they motion into. The Patriots run a basic route combination, a flat seven smash. Julian Edelman runs to the flat. Dorsett runs to the corner route. It's basically a football one-on-one type of play. But the confusion comes when the two players now across from the stack slot. Again, you've got Dorsett on the line of scrimmage. Edelman motions just behind him. They don't know which one they're supposed to cover. That's supposed to be called out pre-snap.

When you see that motion player coming, the guy that's supposed to be trailing him is saying, okay, I'm taking first break. I'm taking first outside. You take second outside. Whatever the call is, they have to make it. They don't. Both of them squat for a second on Edelman's flat route,

and that gets Dorsett all the space he needs and all the separation he needs to run his little corner route. Brady hits him, easy throw, easy catch, easy route, touchdown New England Patriots. One more example of the Patriots using sort of pre-snap movement, pre-snap motion to create some confusion, and then Brady exploited it after the snap of the football. Let's talk what we learned. And more than anything else, what we learned was this. The Patriots were not going to go without a fight. Lead it up into this

game. If you listen to the national media, you would have thought that the Patriots and their run was over. I mean, let's start over ESPN's first take. Stephen A. Smith. The Chargers would win. He did not trust the Patriots to win the game. He expressed doubt in Julian Edelman, who got 151 yards receiving. And he also voiced concerns over Rob Gronkowski's health and the late-season loss of Josh Gordon. Not to be outdone, Max Kellerman.

Opposite Smith, on the same show. He said the season was evidence that Brady's decline has finally arrived, saying his stats were down all across the board, and he said that he would take any of the remaining AFC quarterbacks in the divisional round, Mahomes, Luck, and Rivers, over Tom Brady. When given a chance after this game to walk it back, Brady, he faced zero pressure, threw to zero tight windows.

Every receiver was open by 10 yards. Andrew Filippone, who covers the Steelers, radio host out of Pittsburgh, he tweeted out that morning, the Patriots dynasty is in its final hours. Gronk's last game. Brady will get beat up. Feel like Christmas morning. Last time we have to take

the Patriots seriously as a Super Bowl threat. And of course, Rob Parker, Fox Sports 1. Brady is not the same Brady from a year ago. The problem is they're living in the past. They're looking at the Tom Brady who did win. Did they watch this year? Had to do it. Had to do it. A lot of people, like I said, counted them out, didn't think they were going to win this game. Patriots did. Now they would face a tougher test the next week

when they would have to go on the road to Kansas City in that environment, a place where they've had some debacle-type losses before, and knock off Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. We'll cover that game tomorrow. Until then, keep it locked right here to me, Mark Schofield, and Locked on Patriots.