Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - AFC-Style East versus West: Patriots/Chiefs Crossover - 5/11/2020

Episode Date: May 11, 2020

It’s AFC East/AFC West Divisional Crossover Week across the Locked On Podcast Network.  Joining host Mike D’Abate is Chris Clark of Locked On Chiefs to discuss both the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2020 NFL Draft report cards, their potential rosters and their impending matchup in Week Four of the upcoming 2020 NFL Season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. It is AFC West Crossover Week here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the

New England Patriots. Today's episode of Locked On Patriots is brought to you by Built Bar. Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get $10 off your first order. Patriots fans, I hope you had a great weekend. 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, your comments, and your feedback. Always welcomed and appreciated. And feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there wandering around through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Once again, folks, crossover week last week was so nice, we decided to do it twice.

And in sticking with our West Coast theme, we here at the Locked On Podcast Network thought it might be a good idea for you to get to know your AFC West counterparts. After all, this year's cross-divisional competition on the 2020 schedule resides in the AFC West. And what better way to kick things off here on this second consecutive crossover week than breaking down the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs? And to help me do just that, my colleague Chris Clark, host of the Locked On Chiefs podcast, will join me right here on the hot seat. We will discuss that highly productive and high-flying offense in Kansas City,

the formidable but often overshadowed defense that the Chiefs employ, and why KC might just be primed for a Super Bowl repeat. Last but not least, we will flip the script, and Chris will put me on the hot seat when it comes to all things our New England Patriots, including how Jarrett Stidham will fit in under center, how the team is moving forward without Tom Brady, and I might even be asked to look into my Belichickian crystal ball and prognosticate the Patriots' fate in the upcoming 2020 season.

So settle in, folks. An action-packed episode on tap to kick off the second consecutive crossover week here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And Chris Clark of Locked On Chiefs and I will do so in just a moment. But first, some news from the Nostalgia File hit the wire on Monday morning. And at long last, Patriots fans, a former Pats defensive lineman will finally receive his red jacket. That's right.

On Monday morning, the Patriots announced that Richard Seymour had been voted by fans as the 30th inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame. And it's hard to argue with this selection, folks. In my humble opinion, Patriots fans got this one right. I know there was a pretty big media push for Bill Parcells over the course of the last week, and there are still a lot of fans out there that have glowing memories of Mike Vrabel. To be honest, folks, I wouldn't have been disappointed with either of those selections. But, again, Richard Seymour deserved this honor.

Not only is he regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the Patriots, but he was also considered one of, if not the best defensive lineman in the NFL throughout the entirety of his career. If that doesn't gain you worthiness of Hall of Fame enshrinement, I don't know what does. He joined the team in 2001, the sixth overall choice by the Patriots, one of the most high profile draft picks in the Bill Belichick era. And again, some people consider him among the best players in NFL history to ever be

chosen as the sixth overall pick. His resume speaks for itself, folks. We all know about the three Super Bowls. Super Bowl 36, Super Bowl 38, Super Bowl 39. Three-time champion. According to Patriots.com, he joins Troy Brown in 2012, Teddy Bruschi in 2013, Ty Law in 2014, Willie McGinnis in 2015, Kevin Falk in 2016, and Matt Light in 2018 as the seventh player to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame as a three-time Super Bowl champion with the team. So Big C definitely checks the box when it comes to

winners. You want statistics? Well, Richard Seymour's got those too. Five All-Pro teams, seven Pro Bowls, and the impressive part, folks, is that he did so both as a 4-3 defensive tackle and a 3-4 defensive end. Something else that I don't think he gets enough credit for is he even played fullback on some short yardage and goal line situations. We were all so impressed, and rightfully so, that Alandon Roberts did so so well in 2019.

Well, when it comes to Foxborough, Richard did it first, and he had a great amount of success with it. He did finish his career as a member of the Oakland Raiders in 2013, but he had some amazing statistics on his resume. 496 tackles, 57.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions. In my opinion, he takes his rightful spot in the Patriots Hall of Fame, and I believe it's only a foregone conclusion that eventually he'll take his rightful spot in the Patriots Hall of Fame, and I believe it's only a foregone conclusion that eventually he'll take his rightful spot

with a gold jacket in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. And as he usually does, Patriots owner Robert Kraft eloquently put into words a statement honoring this year's inductee, saying, quote, Richard Seymour laid the foundation for a defense that helped propel the Patriots to three Super Bowl championships in his first four seasons in the NFL. Richard was the consummate professional and leader, always accepting the roles he was assigned, putting team goals ahead of personal ones,

and in turn raising the game of everyone around him. Yet as great as he was as a player, he is a Hall of Fame caliber person as well. I couldn't be happier for Richard and the Seymour family, and I am looking forward to celebrating with them as Richard takes his rightful place in the Patriots Hall of Fame and very soon the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. And folks, I really couldn't have said it better myself.

I echo Mr. Kraft's statements. I am so happy for Richard and his family. It may be long overdue, and I know a lot of you have been saying that for quite a while, maybe even feeling a little bit bitter about the Hall of Fame and not having Richard enshrined sooner. But when you take a look at the Patriots dynasty, especially the early part of it,

and those that are now eligible, and contrasting that with the guys that are already in, like Troy Brown and Teddy Bruschi and Ty Law and Matt Light and Willie McGinnis, it's easy to see why there's a logjam and why it may take a little while for these guys to get in. But ultimately, most of the guys that deserve enshrinement, I believe, will get in eventually. In 2020, it's Richard Seymour, and it is so well-deserved.

I, for one, very much look forward to seeing Richard don his red jacket and take his rightful plates among the Patriots' greats. This is an event that I have the good fortune of covering each and every year, and it truly is a fun and fitting ceremony for fans and the enshrinees alike. This year will be special, and again, congratulations to Richard Seymour on becoming the 30th member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, and to me, it's only a matter of time before you're fitted for that gold jacket and another deserving enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

But what about the here and now? What will the 2020 Patriots do to carve out their own legacy in Patriots folklore? Well, one step in doing so during this upcoming season is to take on the defending Super Bowl champs. And in just a moment, Chris Clark of Locked On Chiefs and I will discuss the impending matchup between the Patriots and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. But first, folks, I don't need to remind you that as we continue to adjust to our new normal,

finding the energy to complete daily tasks lately is certainly not easy. And you know what else isn't easy? Finding a healthy, low-calorie treat that is just as delicious. Well, your search for a protein bar that gives you everything you need and everything you want is over, because Built Bar is that tasty treat that you've been looking for. So don't delay. Make it your go-to bar today. As I've said many times here, folks, I'll be honest, I wasn't a big fan of protein bars.

Always found them to be dry, waxy, that chalky aftertaste. Never looked forward to it. But that was until I tried Built Bar. Over the weekend, I tried the salted caramel chocolate, and folks, it is so good. 100% real chocolate, soft, easy to chew, and they're available in 16 amazing flavors like peanut butter brownie and banana nut bread, just to name a couple. But here's the best part. Built Bar is not only low calorie and low sugar, but it is also high protein and high fiber. And it is delicious. Built Bar has no crazy additives, half the calories of its most popular competitors, and get this, seven times fewer carbs, seven times fewer sugar grams, and more protein. You might ask yourself, how can it be that good for you and taste that good? Well, I can tell you folks, Built Bar is just that good.

Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON and get $10 off your first box. That's BuiltBar.com, B-U-I-L-T-B-A-R.com, and enter promo code LOCKEDON for $10 off your first box. You too can eat healthy while indulging in a delicious treat. So don't delay make built bar your go-to protein bar today. Chiefs kingdom Patriots nation. The two most recent teams to win a Superbowl in the NFL are set to do battle in 2020.

The New England Patriots are going to Kansas City to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. And while the Chiefs roster is locked and reloaded for a potential repeat, Patriots roster looks a little different, especially under center. But that doesn't necessarily mean that this matchup will be any less exciting and hard fought. It's always a great time when these two teams share the field of battle. And today, we kick off East meets West crossover week in the AFC. I am Mike DeBate, host of Locked On Patriots, and I am joined by Chris Clark, host of Locked On Chiefs. Chris, it is a pleasure to join you today on the microphone.

And the last time that we spoke, these two teams looked a little different, especially the New England Patriots. But this is our second crossover. And the last time, of course, these two teams met, Sunday, December 8th, week 14, 23-16 victory for the Chiefs. And in 2020, we don't have to wait quite as long for these two teams to lock horns. Week 4, October 4th, and a 425 p.m. start date at Arrowhead Stadium. Now, Chris, the Chiefs are once again poised to be a juggernaut. Obviously, we know the offensive prowess.

Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelsey, Sammy Watkins Watkins Damian Williams and believe it or not that's only the tip of the iceberg but Kansas City has a formidable defense as well under Steve Spagnuolo I was so impressed by what this team did last season the combination of Chris Jones and defensive end Frank Clark I think gave the Chiefs that edge that they were lacking maybe in 2018 and propelled them to a Super Bowl title this year. And of course, Chris Jones back via the franchise tag, and they really should be good this year, if not better on the defensive side of the ball. Now here in New England, we know a thing or two about title defenses, but I'm very impressed by what I see with Kansas City. And even though it's

not easy, I think they're in the driver's seat for the repeat this year. You know this team better than anybody. When you look at the way they've built their roster, what do you believe makes the Kansas City Chiefs so much more formidable this year to repeat? And are there any concerns that you have heading into 2020? Well, I think there's going to be several concerns that you're going to have. You still have a question at corner, and I think that's going to be something that it's going to be very hard for them to get figured out. You don't know what's going to happen with Brashad Breeland right now. He is going to be possibly serving a suspension at some point. We just don't know. So that's going to be a question mark at corner. And they weren't able

to draft somebody very high. So they have a couple of guys that they drafted later uh we'll see how those guys are able to transition and play in this defense but i think what you're looking at and it's still surreal to me to hear people talk about the super bowl champion kansas city chiefs but when you start looking at this team, they brought back just about everybody that they had last year. The only players that they didn't really bring back that was a starter is Stephen Wisniewski in the Super Bowl and Kendall Fuller in the Super Bowl. And, you know, you still had Juan Thornhill, who was hurt at the very last game of the season last year for Kansas City, who played fantastic as a rookie. I think he's going to be even better in his second year. And you mentioned all those guys on offense, and you didn't even get a chance to talk about McCall Hardman, who I think is going to take a big step

forward as well. And that's not even to mention the Chiefs first round draft pick and Clyde Edwards-Hilaire. When I look at this team, the bigger question to me is how much of a step forward is the defense going to take? Because you saw towards the end of the season, the defense started to clamp down. But the bigger question to me is, can they take a bigger step forward in year two? And I think they will. And I think that they're going to. I agree with you on that. And I actually really like the way that the Kansas City Chiefs have addressed trying to shore up that defense. Again, I love the move bringing back Chris Jones. I really think he's such a great fit with this

team. But I really love what this team did with the draft this year, Chris. Obviously, the Chiefs were the first team to draft a running back in the 2020 NFL draft. You mentioned Clyde Edwards Hilaire has the potential, I think, to be the steel of this draft. He's going to bolster an already dangerous Kansas City offense, and I think he's going to serve as a very nice dual threat back behind Damian Williams. And to me, he's the perfect type of back to complement Williams in an Andy Reid offense. But I think the champs got even stronger because of the draft, not just on the offensive side of the ball, but I really like what they did on the defensive side of the ball as well.

I love the pick of Willie Gay Jr. out of Mississippi State at the linebacker position. I think Kansas City had a little bit of a need there, and I love the way they addressed it. LeJarius Sneed coming out of Louisiana Tech I think is a very good addition as well. And defensive end Mike Dana out of Michigan in the fifth round, he might be one of those diamonds in the rough that I think could pay dividends for this team. And I also like TCU's Lucas Nying on the offensive line, giving Patrick Mahomes a little bit of depth on that offensive line.

When you look at the Chiefs draft hall, Chris, who do you believe is going to have the biggest impact on the team this year? Well, me personally, I think it's going to be Willie Gay Jr. I think that he has the opportunity to step in and fill a huge need for Kansas City. And don't take that to mean that Clyde Edwards-Hilaire is not going to make plays for Kansas City. I think he's going to. But one thing that Kansas City sorely lacked last year and really missed was a speedy linebacker that could go sideline to sideline and was able to tackle and be a good defender. They didn't have that in Reggie Ragland. Anthony Hitchens really hasn't been the answer.

I like what Damian Wilson brings, but I think he's been playing out of position a little bit. So I think that Willie Gates Jr. could really be a guy that steps in and is able to give Kansas City something that they haven't had on defense and will allow them to play a little bit more of the base, which should help them shore up their running game or their running defense a little bit. I do think that Clyde Edwards-Solaire is going to be somebody that Reed is going to take full advantage of in his offense. But I do think that Willie Gate Jr. is going to be the guy that's going to step forward and be one of the biggest guys in this draft class at least yeah and I agree I do agree with that and Willie Gate Jr. is someone that I had mocked to the Patriots a couple of times knowing

that the Pats needed some linebacker help he was a guy I kept a sharp eye on and when I saw that uh the the Chiefs had selected him in the second round it was one of the picks that I kind of shook my head and said yeah that, that makes a lot of sense. And that's going to pay some big dividends for Kansas City. So, again, I really like the way that they're putting together that team. You mentioned some of the concerns previously, especially about Brashad Breeland and some of the difficulties that he's going to have off the field and what that means for his time on the field. But at the same time, you also look at some of the moves that they've made, like you've said, and I think it does kind

of help to shore that up a little bit. Chris, it's a little early to get into the X's and O's of this particular game, seeing that we're not even sure what the final rosters are going to look like between both of these teams. But when I look at the Kansas City Chiefs, again, I see an offense that is just absolutely stacked from top to bottom. You mentioned Mecole Hardman earlier, and we talked a lot about him the last time you and I spoke on a crossover show when the Patriots played the Chiefs last year in 2019. You mentioned his ascent and what that's going to mean for this team. Is there someone under the radar right now that you look at? And it could be on the defensive side of the ball too.

I don't just mean to single out Kansas city's offense, but is there an under the radar player that you have your eye on that you believe is going to be a household name by the time the 2020 season really gets into its meaty part, for lack of a better term, as you head toward the playoffs. Well, I think when you look at Kansas City, one of the things that they have to hope for is that you're going to have a guy that's going to be closer to a household name, even though a lot of people are going to butcher his first name. And Shavarius Ward, I think they're looking at him as being a starting corner and maybe their number one corner going into the season.

And I think he played very well at the end of the year last year. So I think he's going to be a guy that's going to be taking a step forward this year. I think he's going to be playing even better than he did towards the end of the year. And from everything he's been saying that I've seen on Twitter and between him and Tyron Matthew talking back and forth, it sure looks like he is dialed in and he is all about trying to improve what he was from year three, I guess, really with in the NFL to year four and being able to be a guy that can be

coming in as a starter that you can count on weekend and week out and play a very important position at corner for Kansas City because they're going to need that, especially when you start looking at the depth that they have at that position. There really isn't much there right now, so there's a lot of question marks. There truly are, and every team going into the season will face question marks. The good thing about being a defending champion is those question marks tend to be a little bit more fewer and far between than some of the other teams. And again, in New England, we know all about offseason question marks. It's been a tumultuous offseason here in Foxborough. And Chris, you've provided a great amount of insight when it comes to the Chiefs

potential in 2020. But this wouldn't exactly be a true crossover unless we flip the script and you put me on the Foxborough hot seat. In just a moment, folks, Chris Clark of Locked On Chiefs and I will talk about that tumultuous offseason in Foxborough and what it means for the Patriots this season when this crossover episode of Locked On Patriots and Locked On Chiefs continues. All right, Mike, your turn on the hot seat. Let's go ahead and get down into the nitty gritty of this. Everybody wants to know, how are the New England Patriots going to do without Rob Gronkowski? I'm just kidding. Although that is going to be a question, is how that's going to work out. It actually is.

But obviously, that's not the question on everybody's mind. The question is, how does Bill Belichick move on from Tom Brady? You know, it's almost impossible to fathom having to move on from a player that's been the cornerstone of your franchise for 20 years. I mean, there are a lot of people, myself included, and I'm not going to get into the debate about the GOAT back and forth, that believe that he is the greatest to play the position. It's just simply impossible to replace that type of productivity and that type of football acumen. The guy they're going with in Jarrett Stidham, in my opinion, does have the ability to be a solid leader of this team. I've seen the leadership capability of this kid, the way his teammates respond to him, the way he's able to command respect out of his team in practice. Even during the preseason, you saw that a lot. He has the ability to grow with a young team

in New England. Now, the question mark right now with Jarrett Stidham is his decision-making, his ability to make the quick decision, the quick read that Tom Brady was so good at. They're going to struggle in that department this year, if I'm being very honest. That's something that is not going to be taught or learned overnight. It's something that Jared is going to have to embrace, and it's going to be something he's going to have to grow into. Now, can he do it? Absolutely.

I think the talent is there. And I think that without question, the drive and the desire and the football intelligence is there. But it's going to take a little while to do that. If the Patriots do shore up that offensive line, and I think it was very interesting that the Patriots chose to franchise Joe Tooney, the more I'm hearing from the team is that they want to do everything they can to keep Tooney in a Patriots uniform. That's a smart move, keeping that left side of the offensive line intact. Try to give Jarrett as much time as possible to be able to step up, make throws, and find his targets. If he doesn't have the time to be able to find his targets and he finds himself on the run or he finds himself under pressure more often than

not it's going to be a long season in new england but if he can find some time from that o-line he's got a shot to be a pretty good and pretty decent quarterback this year and may even turn some heads doing it to answer your question in a dime though chris it's probably more likely that the patriots are going to utilize a strong running game, have Jarrett step up, make throws when he needs to, use the intermediate parts of the field in order to be able to find his targets. A lot of people think he's going to shy away from Julian Edelman. I don't think he's going to shy away from Edelman,

but I think he may use him a little differently than we saw Tom Brady utilize him, where whenever he got into difficulty, meaning Brady, he looked to Edelman to be able to spark that offense. I don't necessarily think Jarrett's going to do that. The guys that I actually look for him to do that are going to be guys like Nikhil Harry and Jacoby Myers, guys that he knows he's going to be building with for a number of years. So I think they'll use those intermediate short passes to be able to move the ball down

the field, go with a strong running game, and again, rely on their defense to keep these teams in check. That's going to be the bread and butter of the New England Patriots this year, at least in my opinion. Well, and there's a lot of question marks when you start talking about this move and when you start talking about Tom Brady. I guess really the bigger question for me is not necessarily, can Stidham do this. It's how does New England move on and see Tom Brady play in another uniform? Because I think that's going to be a huge thing. It's very difficult.

And the more success that Tom has down in Tampa, the more difficult the hot seat here in New England is going to be for Bill. Now, don't misconstrue that, folks. I do not mean that Bill's job is in jeopardy. It's in no way in jeopardy. If anything, Belichick's job may be as secure as it's ever been here in New England because of the fact that they know they're going to need that football mind to bring this team forward toward more success in the future. At least that's what New England fans are hoping for. But it's difficult to move on from a guy that was the cornerstone, again, of your franchise for more than 20 years. Brady was such an ingrained part of this region, not just on the football field, but off the football field as well. Brady's corner was a huge part of Gillette Stadium, watching him run out of the tunnel, pump his fist and get

everybody going. This was such a part of the new england football experience and i know those things don't matter on the field but they do matter in the long run it is a part of the culture so that's going to be extremely difficult from a fan standpoint it's going to be a while before they're going to be able to feel a quote-unquote new normal which is a term we hear a lot of and i don't mean to equate the two, but on the field, it's going to be very difficult to embrace that new normal of seeing someone that's not wearing number 12 taking snaps under center. And again, if he has the amount of success that I believe he's going to have in Tampa this year, it's going to make it all the more difficult.

But again, the Patriots have to reinvent themselves a little bit here. Win with a strong defense, make the running themselves a little bit here win with a strong defense make the running game a little bit more of a focal point in your offense try to shore up that offensive line you see a lot of depth there and maybe switch it up a little bit when it comes to some of the offensive skill position weapons that Jarrett Stidham will use and that may help him to be able to forge his own identity but I'm'm not going to mince words here. It's going to be tough, Chris. Well, it's definitely going to be tough. And then you start talking about what Sidham is going to struggle with,

and you're talking about smaller windows and quicker decision-making than he has to make. I'm more curious. Don't get me wrong. I think that he's going to have to make quick decisions because I don't think he's going to have the time to throw that he's used to having. But I think the NFL windows are going to be a big thing for him too. I mean, that's from his level of play to where he's going to be playing now.

And he's backing or he is the quarterback now of the New England Patriots who have been a perennial powerhouse in the NFL for years. That's a lot of pressure to put on a young kid. Absolutely, without question. And it is a lot of pressure. The one thing that I can tell you about the people that I've spoken with that are close to the team and those that have been close to Jared's progression is that this kid is not very flappable. He is someone that's able to shake off some bad decisions. He's able to shake off some bad plays and he can leave those things in the past. It may sound cliche, but it is an important part of being an NFL quarterback to be able to move on from a mistake very quickly and get yourself back into the game, get your head back into the game. He's taking over from one of the guys that was so good at doing that.

Patrick Mahomes is one of the best in the game at being able to do that something i don't think he gives enough it gets enough credit for patrick is an incredibly smart incredibly um dedicated quarterback and so tuned into his craft that if he does make a mistake which he doesn't make many by the way folks but except for his two in the super great well it's true that is true and len look and then he was able to bounce back from that and still lead his team when he needed to and come up big that's an intangible that needs to be cultivated it has to be in you yes you can own that that skill and you can sharpen it uh with repetition with practice but if that's in you and that's intrinsically in you i think that really gives you an opportunity to be a special player in this league i'm in no way saying that Stidham is going to be what Brady was or what Patrick is, but at the same time, that type of drive and that type

of confidence in yourself is something that will serve him well. So it's a lot of pressure to put on. Only time will tell if he's going to be able to shoulder that load, but the feeling in New England is that he can handle it. And coming from a coach that is not very big on giving his players an awful lot of praise, the word is that Bill has been very impressed by what he's seen with Jarrett so far. So only time will tell, but I'm willing to trust the hoodie on this one. He's got a plan, and with his track record, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt in this case. Fair enough. I do have to kind of put you on the hot seat, though.

I have to ask this question. I think I would be remiss if I didn't. With what you're seeing right now, and obviously there's been no practices, you're not able to see any kind of reports on how rookies are picking up things because they just don't have that ability to be in the stadium and be in the facilities to learn things. But just based on your draft class and the schedule as it has been released, what is your feel for what the Patriots are going to be looking at in the AFC East and record-wise for this season?

Record-wise for the season, I would say a realistic expectation for patriots fans is probably eight and eight nine and seven uh i would i would personally say nine and seven looking at their schedule um because i do believe they're going to have some success in the afc east i know a lot of people are looking at it and already handing buffalo the division crown and i really like the way buffalo is constituted by the way i think that's going to be their toughest test in the division um but at the same time these two teams know each other so well the patriots are still returning a lot of their core guys like stefan gilmore devon mccourty uh dante hightower matthew slater julian edelman uh these are guys that have been you know say what you will sony michelle james white there's still a lot of familiarity that these guys have with the opposition.

So in that respect, I do believe that they're going to be able to get wins when they need to. Maybe I'm being optimistic by saying 9-7. I think 8-8 wouldn't shock me. I don't believe that they're going to have a losing season. I don't believe it's the makeup of this team to do that. I do know one thing. If there is going to be a losing season in New England, it's not going to be because they're tanking.

I've heard that argument several times. The way this roster is put together is just there is no way that's what they're doing. So regardless of what their final record is, they're not going to tank. But I think, again, it's realistic to believe that the Patriots are going to be able to rely on defense to maybe win some games that on paper they probably shouldn't. But there are games that we're going into where I'm already penciling in a loss. I hope I'm not spoiler alert here, folks, but this is one of them. I look at the way the defending champions are just constituted from top to bottom. And it's tough to think that a guy like Stidham and a young offense trying to find its way is going to be able to hang with the Kansas City defense. And then you're talking about an offense that can really make even the best of defenses look mediocre or even pretty sick when it comes to the prowess that they have on the field.

So, yeah, I think that's it. Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just going to say, I think that's a great point. I do think that it's going to be, when you start looking at this specific game, I think the big question mark is, I know the Patriots defense is going to be good. That's not going to be something I'm questioning. My question is, is Kansas City's offense is probably going to put up 20, 25, maybe even 30 points. Can New England's offense do the same? And I just don't see it. But obviously we don't know anything really about

either of these teams right now because no training camp, no nothing at this point. Absolutely. And again, that is the big wild card. You don't know what these teams are going to look like. Again, we don't really know what the final rosters are going to be. There might be surprise cuts from other teams and guys come in and all of a sudden, sometimes those types of signings, those under the radar signings can give a team a little bit of a shot in the arm to be able to maybe even be better than we thought they were going to be prior to the season beginning. So there's so many factors that can be involved.

But again, Chris, I agree with you. I look at the fact that the Patriots defense is probably going to be able to hold Patrick and the Kansas City offense to between 25 and 30. It's amazing when you talk about how good an offense is. We're holding them between 25 and 30 is considered a good game. That's how much respect that we have up here for the chiefs offense but uh again defensively that chiefs defense is a lot better than they get credit for they're overshadowed by the offense i understand

that but at the same time i think they deserve their just due and their credit as well and i just don't see the pats being able to put up those kind of points but they will will win some games this year, folks, where that defense is able to shut down an offense, maybe with a younger quarterback, maybe with a little more inexperience on offense. And that defense can carry them to some wins. That's why maybe I'm a little over-optimistic about their season. But ultimately, yeah, I think this is going to be an interesting game in Arrowhead. And I'm just hoping for a pretty decent fight at this point. Well, yeah, and I think if it was a little bit later in the season,

it might help the Patriots a little bit more, but I think early in the season, it's going to be a little bit harder for one, for them to get their feet under them and be ready, but also when you start talking about playing in early October, you're still probably talking about pretty decent temperatures, and I think that's going to really help the Chiefs offense, you're still probably talking about pretty decent temperatures, and I think that's going to really help the Chiefs' offense when you're talking about all the speed that they'll have on the field. Right. Absolutely. I couldn't agree more, and it will work to their advantage, as it should. Yeah. Well, thank you, Mike. I really appreciate it. It was really fun talking to you today. Oh, it was a blast, Chris. Always have a lot of fun joining you on the microphone. These two teams always have a good game. So who knows? Maybe we will be surprised by the outcome of this game and it may be closer than we both imagined. But I look forward to doing the official crossover with you when this game happens in early October.

Sounds good. I'm looking forward to it. Thank you. Have a great day, Chris. Thanks for joining me today. And with that, Patriots fans, one down and three to go on AFC West Crossover Week here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. It was my honor to share the microphone today with Chris Clark of Locked On Chiefs. Chris is one of the best in the business when it comes to breaking down all things regarding the defending Super Bowl champions. And I know he gave myself and all of you out there a ton of insight, especially when it comes to the Patriots' impending matchup on Sunday, October 4th,

tentatively scheduled, of course, folks, when the Pats and the Chiefs are scheduled to do battle at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. But tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots, it's next man up. And no, folks, that doesn't mean we're on to Cincinnati. We're actually on to Mile High and the Denver Broncos. And that means I have the good fortune of being joined by my good friend and colleague, Cody Rourke of Locked On Broncos. And we'll talk about that Denver draft haul, how John Elway continues to build a contending

team in the West, and whether he feels that Drew Locke is a shoe-in as the next great Broncos quarterback. That's right, folks. All this and more tomorrow right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. So be sure to never miss an episode. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. And remember that you can always listen

to Locked On Patriots right on your smart device. And it's so easy to do that. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now tell your smart device to play the most recent episode of Locked On NFL.

Once again, I am Mike DeBate. I thank Chris Clark of Locked On Chiefs for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, and have a great day, everyone.