Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - 2018 Revisited: Week 13 - Locked On Patriots June 10, 2019

Episode Date: June 10, 2019

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Bill Belichick who recorded his 200th regular season win as a head coach at Minnesota in 2014. We'll look on as quarterback Tom Brady aligns in victory formation protected by Cordero Patterson deep in the backfield and as Brady takes the knee Bill Belichick today has won his 250th game overall regular season and postseason combined. But more importantly for this Patriots team, an impressive win over the Minnesota Vikings by a 24-10 final guarantees the Pats franchise a 19th consecutive winning season.

That's impressive. That's impressive. Boom, Brady's gone too. Didn't even stick around. Right into the locker room. I wonder what that's impressive. Boom, Brady's gone too. Didn't even stick around. Right into the locker room. I wonder what that's about. That's a good win for this football team. Can't describe this in any other way.

Sit here, yeah, you can get critical of the offense at times, but what'd they do? They sat there and they figured it out. It's a great job by Josh McDaniels adjusting. And it also proves to everybody, you know, we talk about guys like Hogan, Gordon, maybe you didn't get a look at it. Next thing you know, when it's rug cutting time, they will go to you.

And that's something you've got to have your head on a swivel offensively. Keeps everybody in it. Makes the meetings better during the week. Get a chance to get back in your division. Go down to Miami, take care of business down there, finish them off. The defense has been criticized a lot this year. And they rose up today against the Minnesota Vikings, Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen,

Stephon Diggs, Kyle Rudolph and company. And that's why we've named the Patriots defense our Mass General Cancer Center Everyday Amazing Players of the Game. Every day, every moment holds the opportunity. Hey there everybody, welcome on in to the latest installment of 2018 Revisited, the off-season series here at Lockdown Patriots, taking a week-by-week, game-by-game look at the season that was for your 2018 New England Patriots. A season that had some ups, some downs, and of course the ultimate up, a Super Bowl championship.

I'm Mark Schofield, as you know, your host here at Locked on Patriots into the big chair for yet another installment. And today we are into week 13, that home victory against the Minnesota Vikings in what at the time was a very fascinating game to think about. It was a very fascinating game to cover. Fascinating game to break down in the wake of the Patriots' victory over the Minnesota Vikings 24-10. And this was an interesting game because the Patriots entered the game 8-3. Obviously, they had that bad loss a couple weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans.

But they were coming off the bye a win over the Jets and a chance to establish themselves against another NFC North team the Vikings coming in obviously five five and one that odd awkward early season tie against the Green Bay Packers we weren't quite sure what we were really getting in the Minnesota Vikings and when the season ended we still weren't really sure what we had in the Minnesota Vikings but in front of the Patriots was a team with a brand new quarterback two fantastically talented wide receivers and Adam Thielen and Stephon Diggs and so they did pose a significant threat this was NFL's game of the week it was a Fox broadcast 425 start and it kicked off the first of five games in December and what was traditionally a very good month for the New England Patriots.

And so the Patriots obviously wanted to get off on the right foot, and they did. We'll break down this game. But before we do, your usual cavalcade of reminders. Please do follow me on the Twitter machine at Mark Schofield. Check out the work at a variety of places, including InsideThePylon.com, Pro Football Weekly, Matt Waldman's Rookie Scouting Portfolio, and yes, that trinity of SB Nation websites included. Big Blue View, Bleeding Green Nation, where I co-host the QB's Go Show. We are going to be back doing some episodes after a little hiatus.

And of course, Pat's Pulpit. Now let's also remind the gentle listeners here, our great friends, Hotels.com, Grip6, Belts, Untuckit, the great new podcasting app, Himalaya, that you got to check out. You can follow shows on there. You can have curated playlists created for you. And also our great friends over at Playbook Products. More on them a little bit later. But as you heard right there, the Patriots did get the job done on this Sunday in question 24 to 10 over the Minnesota Vikings

now this game got off to a very Patriots start as a lot of the Patriots games this year specifically later in the season got off to the Patriots forced the Vikings into a quick three and out and on the air and soon possession their opening possession they went right down the field this was basically a pass and drive a lot of short throws on their first possession, they went right down the field. This was basically a pass and drive. A lot of short throws on their first possession, a touchdown possession from the New England Patriots. Tom Brady would hit Julian Edelman for 13 yards on a short throw over the middle. He'd hit Chris Hogan for another short throw. And a big play on this drive was a 24-yard pass from Brady to former Viking Cordell Patterson. And that was just another quick little throw to the flat this was a rather well-designed play Patterson fakes a block on the edge before releasing to

the flat Tom Brady off of a play-action fake looks deep and then checks it down to Patterson in the left flat. The catch and run set the Patriots up with a first and 10 at the Vikings 31. After another short throw and completion from Brady to Rex Burkhead where he got down to the Vikings 16-yard line, Julian Edelman went around left end for 15, giving the Patriots a first and goal at the 1. Sonny Michel was stopped for no gain, but on second and goal from the 1, it would be the man from Brown, the man we love here on the show, James Devlin,

punching it into the end zone. He does a great job. And of course, Linville Joseph comes in and helps finish him off. So second and goal. Hand-off is to Devlin for the touchdown. His second of the year. A short touchdown plunge from the Patriots' fullback gave New England an early 7-0 lead with the Stephen Kostowski extra point.

And 7-0 would be the score until into the second quarter. The Vikings would struggle offensively. Dan Bailey would miss a 48-yard field goal late in the second quarter. The Vikings would struggle offensively. Dan Bailey would miss a 48-yard field goal late in the first quarter, and the Patriots would tack on to their lead. A promising drive that began on their own 31-yard line stalled out inside the Vikings' 10-yard line. On a third-and-one play from the Minnesota one-yard line, Tom Brady's pass intended for Julian Edwin fell incomplete, and this sort of touched off a portion of the season when many began to wonder about the Patriots' ability to score inside the red zone. You remember some of the games that we've talked about previously,

Patriots struggling on goal line possessions on the offensive side of the ball? Happened yet again. The Patriots facing a first goal at the seven, the drive stalls out, and Steven Kostelski converts a 20-yard field goal, giving the Patriots a 10-0 lead. However, the Vikings would get back into this one. Late in the first quarter, late in the first half, excuse me, they would have a two-minute drive, two-minute drill situation that ended with a Kirk Cousins touchdown pass to the aforementioned Adam Thielen.

Looking right all the way. There's Thielen. His first catch is a touchdown. And for Adam Thielen, his ninth of the year and catch number 94 on the season. And they tried doubling him, Joe. They had Jason McCourty who was to the outside. He's got inside help. But McCourty allows him to get to the corner. So even though they had two guys on him,

Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty, his brother, Jason McCourty lets him get to the corner. And so, Jason McCourty, lets him get to the corner. And so even when you think you have the right call against the right receiver. And with the Bailey extra point, the Vikings now found themselves trailing just by three as this game headed to the halftime break. Up next, we'll break down the second half of this Week 13 contest between the Minnesota Vikings and your New England Patriots. But before we do that, folks, friends, Father's Day is literally just around the corner.

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patriots a season that ended as we all know another Super Bowl title. Let's get back into this now. We'll pick up the action in the second half. And the New England Patriots had a chance to extend their slim three-point lead on the opening possession of the second half. The Patriots took over after a Patterson return of 34 yards. Got them nice field position, starting out at their own 36-yard line. However, they would go a quick three and out. James White would go for four yards off left tackle on first down and two Brady incompletions, both in the direction of White. Forced them to punt.

Now the defense stepped up again. They forced a three and out of their own. However, the ensuing Patriots possession a possession that started deep in their own territory on their own 24 they were able to work it down facing a third and 15 however at the Vikings 30 yard line a Tom Brady pass over the middle for Rob Gronkowski fell incomplete Gostowski came onto the field to attempt to convert a 48-yard field goal try. However, he would not convert this one. four for four in that range prior to that effort stays a three-point game ghosts field goal attempt is pushed wide to the right as you heard

there from joe buck on the fox call and that opened the door for minnesota for a possession of their own to perhaps tie or even take the lead in this game. Now, this next possession would be marked by a little bit of a spat between Bill Belichick and the aforementioned Adam Thielen. On a third-and-five situation, Kirk Cousins threw a pass short right to Kyle Rudolph, who was pushed out of bounds by Aubameyang and Fonwell, knowing he was going to challenge the ruling on the field of a first down. And that's when Adam Thielen kind of gutting Bill Belichick's face as Belichick was throwing the red challenge flag some words were exchanged some colorful language was

used but eventually order was somewhat restored amongst the sidelines and the Vikings possession continued on the next play of first and 10 the Patriots 40 yard line Dalvin Cook went for 18 yards getting Minnesota a first and 10 just on the cusp of the red zone. But the Patriots' defense stiffened. An incompletion for Adam Thielen along the deep right sideline, as well as another incompletion on 39 intended for Aldrick Robinson. JC Jackson in coverage on both of those plays. The rookie looking stout in both pass attempts in coverage situations.

That forced Minnesota to try out Dan Bailey for a 39-yard field goal. He would convert tying the game. Now if you would for a moment, dear listener, close your eyes and try to remember how you were feeling at the moment Bailey split the uprights, tying this game at 10. Because if it's anything like my recollection of this moment and my recollection of how, for example, the Locked On Patriots Slack channel was acting at that moment, I wasn't feeling too confident. Maybe you were not either.

It felt like Josh McDaniels was taking a very conservative approach to the offense, throwing short, throwing quick, worried perhaps about the Vikings pass rush, worried about perhaps the offensive line, worried perhaps about Tom Brady. And it seemed like this conservative game plan might be slowly costing them a chance to win a much-needed game. So I wanted to sort of frame the context of the moment for what happens next in this contest because the Patriots are able to sort of put this game away in almost the blink of an eye. And it seems like Josh McDaniels perhaps sort of takes the training wheels off the offense. They get a little bit aggressive in the downfield passing game on there in soon possession.

And it starts and ends with Brady finding Josh Gordon. With a shout out to the show coach. As the pass is caught first of the game by Josh Gordon and the big bodied receiver spins and takes it all the way to the New England 49 good for 24. Well they brought Blitz the opposite side so now you got Marcus Sherrill and Josh Gordon and when you don't make that tackle, you make the tackle, it's a minimum gain. You miss that tackle and then you're just hoping somebody's going to come help you. How much longer he's going to be able to hold on. Three plays, 24 yards, 15 yards, 12 yards.

Brady throws another big one. Gordon for the touchdown. Tom Brady was perfect on this short touchdown drive. As you heard, he hits Josh Gordon on a quick little hitch route to the left. A broken tackle and a run picks up 24 yards for the Patriots. On the next play, Brady hits Rob Gronkowski over the middle for 15. A James White run around left end for 12 yards gave the Patriots a first and 10 at the 24-yard line. The drive began with a 24-yard completion from Brady to Gordon, and that's how it ends. Brady hitting Gordon on a dig route over the middle against a cover two look. Gordon

turns upfield, splits the safeties for the score, giving the Patriots a quick and much-needed 17-10 lead. Now, you might have noticed Troy Aikman there with a bit of foreshadowing, talking about Rob Gronkowski and the mileage on his body right before the Gordon touchdown. We're going to break down the pivotal play that Josh Gordon touched on a little bit later in the show, but that touchdown gave the Patriots, as I said, a nice little lead just pretty much as the third quarter came to an end. And the Patriots defense would step up to start off the fourth quarter the very first play of the fourth quarter the Vikings facing a third and five on their ensuing position the third play of that drive could the Patriots get a three and out well they did just that Kirk Cousins sacked by Trey Flowers New England's next possession their first of the

fourth quarter ended as their first touchdown drive ended with another James Devlin touchdown plunge. For a guy who hadn't played much football, and you've changed teams in the middle of the season, hard to get acclimated, but he's getting one more call. Here's Devlin gets another. His second of the game. And the Patriots open it up here in the fourth quarter, up by two scores. The Devlin plunge and the ensuing Gostowski extra point gave New England their 24-10 lead, which would be the final score of this contest.

There were a couple of big plays left in this game, particularly a trio of interceptions, really, because the Patriots had a chance. They stopped the Vikings on a fourth and 11 on Minnesota's next possession. So they have a chance for the knockout blow. But Tom Brady, a pass intended for Julian Edelman, is intercepted. But the Patriots would get an interception of their own. On the very next possession, Jaron Harmon would intercept a Kirk Cousins pass, giving the Patriots another chance to put this game away. Their drive would eventually stall.

It was a long, lengthy drive that worked a lot of clock, almost four minutes, one of those four-minute drives, forcing the Vikings to also burn three timeouts. But Ryan Allen would eventually punt the ball away. On their final possession, on their final offensive play of the contest, Cousins would be intercepted on a pass intended for Thielen, this time by Jonathan Jones, and Tom Brady would be able to kneel it, as we heard at the outset of this show, and the Patriots will have their victory. Up next, we're going to break down that Josh Gordon touchdown, as well as what we learned from New England in this Week 13 win. Mark Schofield back with you now.

I'm going to close out this Week 13 installment of 2018 Revisited, looking at Tom Brady to Josh Gordon late in the third quarter and this touchdown pass gave Brady 508 career touchdown passes tying him for third most all time and also his 579th career touchdown pass including the postseason which tied Peyton Manning for most all time and if you remember gentle listener listener, dear listener, friendly listener, the run-up to Super Bowl 53. I put a lot of threads together on Twitter, wrote a lot of stuff about Super Bowl 53. And one of the things I talked about, in terms of Tom Brady at least, were the non-negotiables at the quarterback position. The things that you need to have,

that you can't really be successful playing this position without. And one of them was the ability to sort of move around in the pocket. And that's what we see on this touchdown throw from Brady to Gordon. It's a very simple route concept. It's really just a dig from Josh Gordon out of the, it's a switch verticals dig. So Gordon is on the outside. He runs a dig, break it over the middle at about 15 yards. The inside slot receiver runs a wheel route to the outside. This play in the Patriots playbook, it's called, interestingly enough, when a wheel in and in.

And that is the concept that Patriots run on this play. The dig route from Gordon on the outside. The wheel route from the slot receiver on the inside. Minnesota is just in a standard cover two, something that Tom Brady has seen pretty much every day of his life since he was probably 17 years old. Two deep safeties, and it's a standard cover two. It's not even a Tampa cover two, so you don't get a linebacker dropping into the middle, or if you're supposed to, he doesn't do it well because this is wide open Tom Brady has a ton of room to fit this throw in now the only thing that Brady has to worry about is some pressure because the pocket does sort of collapse on him around the edge but again the brilliance of Brady is that ability to manipulate

a pocket and that's exactly what he does he needs to buy some time for this play to take effect, for Gordon to find that window. And he buys that time by climbing the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield, using his feet, and delivering a strike. And from there, with the safeties too deep and wide, Gordon makes a simple quick turn upfield for the score. Now, what did we learn about New England in this game? One, well, we learned that the offense, when they were able to get a little bit aggressive, could come up with a drive like this to sort of not put that game away, but come really close to it. Because, as we'll talk about in a second, this defense played really well.

And so we saw that from this offense. We saw how Tom Brady could still make some throws and deliver in moments. And this wasn't the best of conditions in this game. I mean, at the outset, Joe Buck was saying how it was kind of cool and rainy. It was 53 with some wind, and there was a little bit of moisture in the air, so to speak. The other thing to think about here is what this defense did. This defense was close to flawless, you could say.

They sacked Kirk Cousins twice for 18 yards. They only gave up a net of 183 passing yards and a net of 278 yards total. The Vikings were 3 of 12 on third down conversion opportunities. That's pretty impressive. They were held to under 100 yards rushing. And they intercepted Kirk Cousins twice.

And the talented duo of wide receivers and Stefan Diggs was questionable going into this week. So you maybe don't want to read too much into it. But Diggs, six targets, five receptions for 49 yards. Adam Thielen, 10 targets, just five receptions for 28 yards and the one touchdown.

For a talented duo of receivers, the Patriots did a pretty good job limiting their damage. And it's not like other guys really you know picked up the slack you know their leader receiver in terms of receptions was dalvin cook the running back 10 targets 8 receptions for just 22 yards and so the patriots did a fantastic job in this game on the defensive side of the ball you heard for example the guys over at 985 zolak and so she they named the defense their players in the game and the thing to remember about this contest is how they moved Trey Flowers around and what we

saw was perhaps some of what we learned from that Tennessee loss they used a right out front of their own they moved Trey Flowers around put him up against the center where you get a really quick sack working against Pat Elfman. And so this defense starting to round into the form that by playoff time had many of us convinced that, yeah, maybe the Patriots didn't have the best offense left when it got to the conference championship weekend, but they might've had the best defense left. And we saw some of that in this game. Now, this sets the stage for, interestingly enough, the worst two-game stretch of the season, dated back perhaps to weeks two and three, because now we have two more games to talk about this week before we get into the final stretch. We've got at Miami, at Pittsburgh,

the two shows that I really don't want to do. But then after that, we get nothing but wins to talk about. So we'll get through those together. Those will be the next two installments here, 2018 Revisited. As always, please, if you can, check out the show on iTunes, leave a review, five stars if you would be so kind. Tell your friends, tell your loved ones, tell anybody you know, strangers on the street, whomever, to give this show a listen. Also, check out our great friends over at Himalaya, the podcast and app

where you can find this show and all the great shows on the Locked On Podcast Network. Of course, Hotels.com. Don't hate like your friend's vacation. Book your own for some upcoming travel here in the summer season on Hotels.com. Grip six belts, untuck it. And, of course, our great friends at Playbook Products. Get yourself some great X's and O's swag for this Father's Day season.

Until next time, everybody, keep it locked right here to me, Mark Schofield, and Locked on Patriots.