Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - 2020 is Hindsight: Patriots defeat Jets in Season Finale — 1/4/2021

Episode Date: January 4, 2021

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton threw three touchdown passes and caught another, as the Patriots rallied to beat the New York Jets 28-14 in Sunday’s season finale of the 2020 NFL season. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy, as the duo discuss the positives to be taken from yesterday’s matchup, as well as the future of Cam and the quarterback position in New England.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Monday, January 4th, 2021. And yep, 2021 means it is a new dawn, a new day, and a very happy new year to all of you from your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

Locked On Patriots is presented today by Built Bar, the protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON. You'll get 20% off your next order. Happy New Year, Patriots Nation. It's out with the old of 2020 and in with the new of 2021. And I'm not just talking about the calendar year folks. I'm also talking about the NFL seasons for your New England Patriots. The Pats finishing their 2020 season

with a victory over the New York Jets yesterday at Gillette 28-14 as the Pats put on a pretty good show in the season finale for their 2020 season. And here today on the pod, we'll be breaking down not only the action on the field, but what the Patriots' performance yesterday might have said about their chances for improvement in 2021. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there doing some Monday meandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, we knew it was coming, but it still doesn't seem right that your New England Patriots are completely done with their NFL season in early January.

For the past 20 years, this has been a franchise that has used to deep playoff runs. And even though the Pats ended on a high note yesterday, it's still a pretty bitter pill to swallow that today at Gillette Stadium, your New England Patriots will be cleaning out their lockers and making plans for 2021. And if you thought last year had a lot of question marks surrounding this team, this year proves to be just as intriguing, maybe even more. And despite a premature end to your New England Patriots 2020 season, coverage of the 2020 offseason and beyond here on your New England Patriots 2020 season, coverage of the

2020 offseason and beyond here on Locked On Patriots is just beginning. But before we take too deep of a dive into 2021, technically today is a victory Monday. After all, the Patriots are fresh off of a win. And even though it may not feel like a victory Monday, we still have some game action to break down from yesterday's matchup with the Jets at Gillette Stadium. And if there's some game recapping to be done, and it's Monday, yeah, you know where I'm going with this, folks. What better way to kick off 2021 than in a big way with the big green man himself? That's right.

My good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy, joins me here today on the pod as we break down the Pats' 28-14 victory over the Jets yesterday in Foxborough, how what we saw on the field yesterday might give us a little more optimism heading into 2021 from an on-field perspective. And even though it's still way too early to determine exactly what will happen when it comes to the Patriots personnel, we will start to speculate a bit, and where better to start than the quarterback position. And it's a safe bet to say, folks, that we'll be discussing the quarterback position for your New England Patriots as it relates to 2021 quite often here on the pod. But Murph and I will get a jump start on Cam Newton's performance

yesterday and whether or not we believe that it was his Patriots swan song. Folks, it's always tons of fun when Murph stops by. There is tons to talk about, and rest assured, Murph and I will talk about it when he joins me here on the hot seat in just a moment. But before Murph and I take a deeper dive into yesterday's game, let's take a quick look at the action we did see on the field. And on both sides of the ball, Patriots actually looked pretty good in this one. Cam Newton, without question, saving his best performance this season for what could end up being his final game with the New England Patriots and I'll get into that in just a moment but Cam

was great in this game throwing three touchdown passes catching another that's right folks he caught a touchdown pass and again I'll get back to that in just a bit as well. But Cam would finish this game with his strongest stat line in quite a while, going 21 of 30 passing for 242 yards. Also ran the ball 11 times for 79 yards. And of course, one receiving touchdown to truly end the season on a high note. And the Pats offense didn't waste any time getting on the board. They ran the ball effectively in the first drive, saw the Patriots move the ball 84 yards on just seven plays, capped with a James White seven-yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton.

Pat's on top 7-0. It would stay that way until late in the second quarter when the Jets would strike back. With the first half drawing to a close, Jets tight end Chris Herndon hauls in a 21-yard pass from Sam Darnold. That tied the game at 7, and that's how this one would go into the half. Early in the third quarter, the Jets would move the ball 75 yards on six plays in just 3 minutes and 20 seconds, culminating with a Josh Adams 1-yard touchdown run, and the Jets were on top 14-7. But old habits die hard, and the Patriots were not about to let the Jets come in

and hand them a loss on their home field in the final game of the season. But old habits die hard, and the Patriots were not about to let the Jets come in and hand them a loss on their home field in the final game of the season. The Pats would once again find the end zone on a 10-play, 58-yard drive that took 4 minutes and 45 seconds off of the clock, and Josh McDaniels, dipping into his bag of trickery, saw Cam Newton drop back and run the reverse to Jacoby Myers, who has played quarterback a time or two in the past. Well, he would do that again. Cam Newton ran the route, caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Myers, and the

Patriots had tied it up at 14. From that point on, they were not going to relinquish the lead. In the fourth quarter, Devin Asiasi, yes, Claire, a tight end, actually caught a touchdown pass in this one. Devin Asiasi catches a 26-yard pass from Cam Newton. That put the Pats ahead 21-14. And last but certainly not least, Cam Newton would find Sonny Michel with a 31-yard touchdown pass,

Sonny's first receiving touchdown of his career, and the Patriots were on top for good, going on to win this one by a final of 28-14. With the victory, the Patriots finish at a record of 7-9. That record cements their status as holding the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. So barring any trades, that's where the Patriots will be selecting at number 15. And with that, the Patriots now march toward the 2021 season. Having completed their 2020 campaign, the Pats did have a couple of injuries,

which we will continue to monitor, even though there will be no injury reports, practice reports, or game status reports. We'll still keep a sharp eye on the health of safety. Adrian Phillips, who left in the first quarter with a hip injury, did not return to this game. Also, wide receiver Damir Bird helped off the field in the third quarter with a head injury.

Adam Butler exited with a thigh injury. And, and of course left tackle Justin Haran leaving with an ankle injury. Of course, if you're looking for a silver lining, the one benefit to having a long offseason is plenty of time to heal up, and the Patriots will need as full of an arsenal as they can to be able to compete in 2021 in what has become a very difficult division. And there are a ton of questions surrounding the Patriots' potential roster for 2021. But will that roster include quarterback Cam Newton? Well, at one point yesterday, it looked like it was a foregone conclusion

that these two sides would go their separate ways. Sunday night gave way to some new reports that might throw a little wrench into that. And as luck would have it, that's just one of the subjects that Murph and I will be discussing in just a moment when my good green friend joins me here on the hot seat and we break down anything and everything related to your New England Patriots as they begin not just the 2021 calendar year, but they're on to 2021 when it comes to the NFL as well. Locked on Murph Monday here on Locked on Patriots continues in just a moment. But first, Patriots Nation, are we ready for some football?

Well, even though it's not Patriots football, we're still very much looking forward to football. College football into the bowl season, and there are some big matchups still on the horizon. The NFL regular season has finished up, and that playoff picture now is crystal clear. There's only one place that has you covered and one place we trust. BetOnline.ag.

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and it's a time for a fresh start and maybe a few more wins. If you're betting this year and want more wins, then listen to the Locked On Bets podcast with your boy Q and Lee Sterling of Paramount Sports. They're picking college basketball, football, and NBA locks all winter long. Subscribe to Locked on Bets wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fans, it might be the end of the 2020 season for our beloved football team in Foxborough, but it's a new calendar year and a chance to look ahead to the future,

but not before taking a deeper dive into one more game. And it's Monday, so you know what that means. What better way to kick off 2021 here on Locked On Patriots than by seeking the wisdom and counsel of your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, is back for his weekly appearance here and his first of 2021 here on Locked On Patriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murph.

Oh, my pleasure, bud. My pleasure. Nice to walk out on a high note. There weren't too many high notes this year. Yesterday was one. Somebody, you know, kind of asked me you know why why haven't they played this way all season well because we only play the jets twice that actually will lead me quite nicely into one of the questions that i'll ask of you today but it is nice to end on a high note and it's nice to begin a high note this obviously the first edition of locked on Patriots in 2021. And we start with the only guest that has his own embroidered guest chair and his own hashtag, folks.

So we start off on the right foot. Patriots ended on a right foot. Maybe that means good things coming for 2021. And we certainly hope that is the case. You're one of the most beloved guests we have here, bud. And I couldn't think of a better way to kick off the new year than seeking your green wisdom and counsel and uh you know murph we're just we're trying to put a positive spin here but we're just not used to wrapping up the season this soon here in new england uh covering bill's season and press conference this morning and it was a bit odd to say the least uh no playoff prep a lot of questions to be answered um and you know in true fashion hearing

bill talk about the offseason this early in january is just not something that is the norm here in new england but it is what it is and let's begin with yesterday's season finale in foxborough because you did mention it's nice to go out on a high note um the patriots obviously coming away with a 28 to 14 victory over the J-E-T-S, who are now without a head coach and a foregone conclusion. I think everyone saw that coming, Adam Gase and the Jets parting ways. Neither side was really playing for much of it. I'm sure Bill is very broken up.

Yes, I'm sure he is, although Bill was very effusive in his praise for Adam over the course of the last week or so. Yeah, I was being totally sarcastic there. Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, it's and, you know, Murph was against the Jets. I do understand that. And, you know, but we did see the Patriots click a bit yesterday in a way, like you said, from some people's descriptions. In a way, the Patriots simply

haven't done all season long they leaned on the rushing attack on offense had a few big plays from Cam Newton both as a passer and as a receiver uh defensive you know side didn't get ignored either JC Jackson logging a pretty big interception um you know that Jonathan Jones played well in the slot he got one as well uh Chase Winovich getting pressure. And the Pats really mustering up some second-half momentum, and we just haven't seen a whole lot of that. They did pull a little bit of trickery as well. I think they pulled some out of the year-end playbook for Josh McDaniels

with Sonny Michel getting a receiving touchdown, Devin Asiasi contributing with a receiving touchdown. That made our good friend Claire Cooper very happy yesterday, of course. But when you take a hindsight look at yesterday's game, did the Patriots show you anything that made you say, where have we seen this? Where has this been all season long? Or like you hinted at, was it just the product of their environment? A little bit of both. You can take some good away from this with Cam Newton. This is all the Patriots asked for. That's all they needed was 250 yards and a couple of scores every single week. The problem was that that did not happen. Um, I'm not sure

if he sees green the way I do, uh, he gets all happy and, uh, and, and things just go a little bit better. Um, but no, it was his best game in months. And, uh, and, and it's just a shame we didn't get more of it. He had 21 of 30, 240-something yards, and three touchdowns. And he decided, you know, it was a very nice day and a very nice surprise. And unfortunately, we didn't get more of that this year. Yeah, I agree. It is a shame that we didn't get more of that this year because it seemed like this was something that the Patriots could have done. You know, dialing up this type of game plan, playing solid against again against the team that, you know, is definitely not.

They were never going to be in contention or they were never going to be a very formidable opponent. But, you know, say what you will, the Jets played pretty decent the last couple of games of the season heading into this one. And all of a sudden it looked like New England had, you know, every opportunity to, to really come in and have themselves a game here against the Jets. And a lot of people had predicted that they would actually drop this one to New York because of the way they were playing Patriot. Yeah. Patriots definitely showed a little bit of metal and that proved that they still have some stuff left in the tank.

And maybe that is a good sign heading into 2021. A lot of the eye-popping moments yesterday, Murph, I think were on the offensive side of the ball, simply because we saw a tight end finally catch a meaningful pass. We saw Sonny Michel with the receiving touchdown. We saw Jacoby Myers throw a touchdown pass to Cam Newton. A lot of this we saw Newton completing passes and actually looking like a formidable passer in this league. That was a lot of the eye-opener,

but I do think there were some standouts on defense yesterday as well. One that stood out to me is a kid that we've been talking about all year, and he's kind of been a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma when it comes to his prowess and his ability to be someone to really carry this defense. And that's Chase Winovich. The Patriots really struggled down the stretch to set the edge and be able to keep the run defense strong. One of the reasons why is that Winovich has really been kind of a tough fit as a three down player in Belichick's defense due to his struggle setting the edge in the running game. And that's been a concern. But I think yesterday proved that his skill as a pass rusher really gives the Patriots a long and hard decision to make over the offseason and say, you know what,

even if he does have difficulty setting the edge, we have to really coach him up in this area because his ability to change the complexity of that defense as a pass rusher, I think makes him someone that really the Patriots can build on in a lot of ways this offseason. Murph, when you look at Chase, do you see seedlings or really even more than seedlings? Is he ready to take that next step that we all thought he could take this year to be a real cornerstone in this defense as the Patriots move forward? Yeah, I see a sapling, you know, just to stick with your analogy there, not a seedling, a nice strapping sapling that in a few years, kids are going to be able to climb and hang off the branches of.

What Chase lacks is a knowledge of how to play the game at this level. It's growing, but he does. He gets a little too enthusiastic, let's put it that way, in his job description. And sometimes he doesn't understand that, you know, just because you can get someplace, you should get there. And it's come back to bite this team on many an occasion. But he had a good game yesterday. You know, he had two sacks and two tackles for loss. And it was a good day for him. And I see better things ahead. The issue with him was he hasn't had somebody to hold his hand along the way. He was just expected to go out there this year and be able to fill the role of some really fine ballplayers that were not on this roster this year, be it through free agency

or opting out. The big brother wasn't there. You're talking to somebody who was part of the big brother's program when he was a kid. And believe me, it was a real guiding force. And it's somebody that young players need. And he really has not had that this season. He's been asked to do more than he probably should. And any other year we would have been once again asking,

like we all were during his rookie season, why aren't we seeing him more? And this year, we understand why we weren't seeing him more, because there just was not that mentorship that a guy needs in his second season. Yeah, I think you absolutely hit the nail on the head. Look, bottom line, the Patriots definitely know that they have to rebuild or at least restock that front seven. I would love to see Lawrence Guy back here. Of course, Adam Butler, you want to see some of the formidable players

they had in the interior of that defensive line come back. I always try to put in a good word for dietrich wise jr i have an affinity for him as you know uh not sure what the future holds for dietrich uh you know with the patriots but uh thought he had a solid game yesterday he got into the uh you know the the uh the the passers face in a little bit and showed some some strength there but look i think finding an every down role for chase who i still believe is one of the most talented defenders they have on this roster, to me is an absolute must moving forward this season. And if that means bringing in veteran players

or maybe getting the return of a guy like Dante Hightower, who we don't know what the future holds for Dante right now. It's still way too early to determine whether or not he may make the decision to even play football in 2021. And if it does, will it be in a Patriots uniform? But having someone like that, even though it's a linebacker position, I think in a lot of ways it can really strengthen what Chase brings to the table. And if that means even maybe moving him to inside linebacker at times to get him used to being a part of the run defense, I think that's something that Chase could really benefit from. So yeah, a lot to like there and a lot to unpack.

And of course, we're only scratching the surface when it comes to the Patriots and their off season questions that we'll be talking about all offseason long here on Locked On Patriots. Chase Winovich showed me something yesterday, and it really cemented what I had kind of felt under the surface all year long, is that this guy needs to be an every-down role. He needs to have an every-down role for the New England Patriots defense. And I think that really is something that could be a priority for them in the offseason. There was a serious need to upgrade over the last two years the athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, and Bill did that with his pick of Winovich and Duggar in the last two drafts. Absolutely, and Kyle is another player I think they'll be leaning very heavily on as we head into 2021,

and with good reason. Kyle was very impressive as a rookie, and in my opinion, the sky's the limit with this kid. And we'll talk a lot more about Kyle Duggar throughout the offseason, folks. But Murph, we've talked a little bit about yesterday's matchup from an on-field standpoint, but the Patriots now face some very interesting questions in 2021, and it starts at the quarterback position like it always does, my friend. How can the New England Patriots use yesterday's game as a building block in the foundation for their 2021 season? Well, Murph and I will begin to discuss that point and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. I

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Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order. Don't delay. Do it today. Use promo code LOCKEDON for 20% off at BiltBar.com. Pats fans, the 2020 season may be hindsight, but the coverage for your New England Patriots offseason is only just beginning here on the pod. Draft profiles, roster analysis, cap financials, and personnel questions with answers that you can only find here on Locked On Patriots. So be sure to stay here and locked into Locked On Patriots each and every weekday this offseason.

Locked On Patriots is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Folks, Thomas Murphy is here with us today on the pod. A hashtag Locked On Murph Monday to begin your new year of 2021. But we can always talk about the periphery with the New England Patriots all we want to. But the main question, as it was last year, is going to be who's going to be calling signals in New England in 2021. And we'll get to Cam in just a moment because this story continues to gain new wrinkles and new twists and turns. Even though I think the handwriting is clearly on the wall, there will still be some controversy and maybe even some questions surrounding it. But one thing about yesterday's

game that struck me is Cam was having a very good game. I think one of his better games over the course of the last half of the season, we did see him be able to break through and really show, I think, that he can still be a pretty decent quarterback in this league. Maybe not the fit that we all thought he was going to be in New England, but I think in a lot of ways he still has a lot to offer. And I'm a fan of the guy personally. I know you are as well. He's shown so much poise and class throughout the season that no matter where he's calling signals next year, I think we're all rooting for him to do well.

And I know I definitely am, and I saw you tweet something similar yesterday. But if the Patriots are in fact looking to move on from Cam, did it surprise you yesterday that we did not get a look at Jarrett Stidham, that quarterback and what does that say about the Patriots future plans or maybe even future prognostications for a guy like Jarrett under center as the quarterback of this team next year well let's get this out of the way early um yesterday might have been Cam Newton's final game as a starter in the NFL. I don't think what he's done this year will have anybody beating down his door. I do think he's going to want to keep playing, and I think he'll be more accepting of a backup role, which is something that he just was not ready to accept last year after he was let go. So there might be a job out there for him as a mentor, as a second stringer,

as a guy who can come in and just change the pace for a team. But yesterday really didn't shed any light on anything. Bill was not going to pull him from what could be his last game as a starter just to put Jared Stidham in there. He's seen enough of Jared Stidham to know what they have going forward. Why they didn't want to use him this year is a mystery that will die with Bill Belichick. He will never know. This man will never write a book and let you know why, you know,

the questions, the whys that we all have over the last 20 years. I don't see that happening. Or he might write the book, but he's still not going to answer those questions. But, no, I don't think Cam will be back here next year. And I'm not sure, I'm really not sure that Jarrett Stidham is the answer. There are guys out there. And there are a lot of stopgaps out there. There are guys that can come in here and show whatever youngster that Bill decides to bring in the way,

how to become a professional, how to go about your business. You know, Ryan Fitzpatrick is out there. I know. Let's just complete the entire gambit and get Ryan on every single AFC East roster before he decides to hang it up. Phillip Rivers is going to be a free agent this year. Then there's the trade route. I would love to see Jimmy Garoppolo come back here if something can get worked out there and his contract can get worked out. Marcus Mariota has shown that

with the right coaching and in the right situation that he can do it. And then there are the Gardner men's shoes of the world. And, you know, see what the Jets are going to do. Can we please stop people with Sam Darnold? Can we stop? I don't care what the Jets do. I don't want Sam Darnold here.

He's – no, no. He is broken. He is, he's, he's no, no, he, he, he is broken. He is, um, he is a wreck and I am not reclamating, uh, that project here. Uh, so no, there, but there are some, you know, interesting prospects in the draft that I expect to see, uh, Bill go after. I'm not sure that it's going to be in the first round. After yesterday, there was another thing that pissed me off with the talking heads that are very upset that the Patriots won yesterday because they are now picking 12th and not, you know, or 15th and not 12th. But there are guys out there that Bill's going to find that could come in here and do something significant within the next few years.

You know, a lot of people are high on Trey Lance. I'm not really high on him that much. Mack Jones at Alabama is a candidate. You know, Kyle Trask down in Florida is a candidate. I like a lot of what I've seen, the limited stuff I've seen. For those of you that don't know, I don't watch a lot of semi-pro football. I don't get into film study until the offseason to prep for the draft, and I'll have a better idea in a month or so as to

who I feel the Patriots should bring in in this draft, whether it's a first round pick or a third round pick and I'll be happy to share that right here with you all. Yeah, absolutely and of course there will be a lot of draft coverage coming your way very quickly here on Locked On Patriots because we turn our attention to 2021 and the Patriots' upcoming season without playoffs to look forward to, bud. And it just really just doesn't seem normal, but it is the normal this year. And it is what the Patriots have to face.

And it does lead me quite nicely into my final question for you today, buddy. And you hinted at this pretty well, but yesterday we heard numerous reports on a lot of different quarterbacks, one of which is one you mentioned, Jimmy Garoppolo. Maybe there might be some trouble in paradise there in San Fran right now with Jimmy, and maybe, who knows, if he's pried loose from Frisco, could a reunion be in store for the New England Patriots?

But that is a conversation for another day, folks. All that is pure speculation. But one thing that was issued yesterday that seemed like a report to me, I don't know, maybe I'm just scoffing here, but I really think that it seemed like a report. And Adam Schefter reporting before the game that Cam Newton and the New England Patriots were expected to part ways when free agency opens in 2021 and in a lot of ways i think it seemed like the inevitable i think a lot of people myself included had thought maybe cam might be the answer as a bridge quarterback for one year if you get somebody young in here and you can't find the guy maybe cam is your best option having played here for a year, to be able to direct traffic

until the Patriots are able to find that quarterback of the future. But for the majority of the game, it seemed like the Patriots had made their decision and that both of these sides were going to part ways. Shortly after the game, you started to see reports come out, smatterings Jeff Howell of The Athletic, a reporter that we both know well and we both trust implicitly with his sources evan lazar backed him up uh you know with that as well on clns media saying that bill had not made his decision yet that nothing was set in stone it was a fluid

situation and that can could end up finding his way back to foxborough next year bill of course was non-committal on that subject this morning he was asked about it basically said that it's too early he's not going to comment on any type of personnel issues um cam appeared on the greg hill show this morning on weei said that he had you know you know he knows what he did last year in terms of waiting to sign a contract and he won't make that mistake again murph it seems like a lot going back and forth on this train right now with Cam Newton staying in New England or leaving my take on this is that the report that came out last night seems to be a little bit more of what you'd see from an agent maybe maybe a lot of this is stuff that you see from an agent coming out, damage control, whatnot.

But I think the heart of this is that I do believe the Patriots and Cam Newton have decided to part ways. Do you believe we've seen the last of Cam here in New England? And if so, what does that mean for the Patriots heading into the 2020 offseason? Yeah, I do believe that we've seen the last of Cam. I think that Bill is not going to hang him out to dry. I think he loves the kid. And he came in here and did everything that he was asked and dealt with the media during the worst time in this franchise's

or the darkest time in this franchise's history over the past 20 years. You didn't even feel this bad when Brady went down with an ACL. You knew that he was going to come back and that he was going to be okay. But he came in here in an impossible situation, and he handled it fantastically, but no, I think we are going to see either a trade or a signing of a veteran or two. Um, and I believe that we are going to see a, uh, um, what would be here significant, um, uh, draft capital used to bring in a, who Bill believes can come in here and run his offense,

this offense, this bastardized Ron Earhart offense that has been so successful here for so long, a young, smart kid that, that can move, but is not somebody that you would quote-unquote call a mobile quarterback. It's going to be somebody in the 6'3", 6'5", dropback quarterback style, Zach Wilson out of BYU, somebody like that. It's going to be interesting, but no, we've seen the last of it. The quarterback room could be

completely wiped out before next year. Yeah, absolutely and I think in a lot of ways you're seeing a complete changing of the guard and who knows, maybe that includes the offensive coordinator as well. I'm not sure what the future holds for Josh. I've been saying for weeks he's going to San Diego. Yeah, but who could blame him? I mean, going over there to be able to call signals for a guy like Justin Herbert is a dream for a guy like Josh McDaniels, and maybe that's the fit that he's been looking for all along. It's an organization I know well, Bud. You know that from previous experience.

Look, bottom line with Cam, I do agree with you. And it gives me no great pleasure to say that, folks. From day one, from the day that Cam arrived here, I've been in his corner. And I still say that, you know, the Patriots may be able that there are worse options out there for them if they decided that they, you know, were not able to get their quarterback, quote-unquote, of the future, that young gun that's going to be able to lead this franchise back to prominence, that for stopgap options, maybe Cam might be in the mix for that. much as maybe we didn't want to highlight that this year there really was a clash in terms of how this team moves forward on offense and what cam brings to the table but he had a great stat line yesterday and if this was his swan song in new england um 21 of 30 242 yards three touchdowns 11 carries on the ground 79 yards and of course that one sweet reception from jacoby myers for 19 yards in the touchdown

uh he went out with class here and that's exactly what he's conducted himself with all season long so best of luck to cam newton who knows but maybe a uh jacoby myers could be the only quarterback that we're talking about next year it could be that's a possibility and you know you hey look pretty good dropping back and throwing he did he did i know a lot of people are speculating on cam's future who knows maybe a backup role in washington with old head coach ron rivera might be in the mix you know who knows we're speculating at this point we're spitballing but yeah bottom line uh you know it's uh i think cam was was the right quarterback for this team this year despite the problems that they've had.

I don't think anybody could have come in and handled a situation of replacing a legend in Tom Brady the way Cam did. Accountability with the media, accessible, but not just that, handling himself with class in the locker room and really endearing himself to his teammates. Not an easy task.

Cam made it look easy, and that's part of his greatness. So, Buddy, what can I say? I mean, kicking off the year with you in this fashion is really, truly an honor. It always is for me. But I couldn't think of any better way to kick off the year, and it just happened to be on a Monday. So, you know, we'll always, always appreciate you coming back. And we look forward to many more Murph Mondays here on Locked On Patriots in 2021.

Folks, you should already be following this man, but for any of our new listeners, follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself on Twitter, at TeamMurf207. Do not miss any of Murph's great written work. The Monster Keys for games, well, they might be taking a little bit of hiatus for a little while, but you can't take the columnist out of this guy, and when he does, it must read material always proudly found on diehard boston sports fans.com and of course never miss an episode of one Patriots place with Murph and our great mutual friend

Steve Balistrieri and of course two Patriots place which I have a hunch is gonna stick around for a little while with Murph Steve and another good friend of the program, the Countess of Clas herself, Claire L. Cooper. Bud, what can I say? Thank you for joining me today. Stay safe. Stay well. A very happy new year. And we look forward to talking football with you again next week.

Always my pleasure, Bud. Always here for you. And thank you for having me back and giving me this hashtag and, of course, this amazing chair. Always, buddy, always. That chair is embroidered. It's got your name on it. The hashtag is always something that is well-deserved. We love you here on the pod.

I love talking football with you. The listeners love it. So you know what? We're going to keep doing it again in 2021, and I can't think of a better person to join. Thank you so much, bud. Enjoy the talking football with you again. So you know what? We're going to keep doing it again in 2021, and I can't think of a better person to join. Thank you so much, bud. Enjoy the talking football with you again next week here on Locked on Patriots. I'll be here.

And so, Patriots Nation, the new year has officially kicked off. We've broken down our last Patriots game for the 2020 NFL season, but our coverage and our analysis of your favorite football team in Foxborough has just begun here on Locked on Patriots game for the 2020 NFL season, but our coverage and our analysis of your favorite football team in Foxborough has just begun here on Locked on Patriots. Tomorrow is Tuesday, and on Tuesdays, we welcome our resident voice of reason, Steve Balistrieri, to the pod, where we will continue to break down the Patriots' 28-14 victory over the New York Jets. As Murph and I hinted today, Cam Newton wasn't the only standout in Sunday's game. Some New England Patriots had very big games, and it might lead to big things for them on

the field in 2021. Steve and I break all of that down and much more. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts, just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for helping me to kick off the new year in style, and

of course, for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.