Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - And Their Opponents: Patriots 2020 Schedule Breakdown - 5/8/2020

Episode Date: May 8, 2020

In the words of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”  A new day has arrived in Foxboro, and the New England Patriots 2020 schedule has been set. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Tanya Ray Fox of FS1, as they discuss the Pats’ cross-divisional opponents, their chances for another AFC East division crown, and whether New England might consider the ‘tank.’ 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 finally Friday and we are finally on to 2020 as the NFL regular season schedules have been released, including that of your New England Patriots. And we will be breaking that down right 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, once again, proudly 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. 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 greatly 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 tiptoeing through that Twitterverse, please be sure to give the Lockdown Patriots account a follow as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, you know I love my quotes. And in the words of Roman philosopher Lucius Aeneas Seneca, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. And before you

think I'm too philosophical, yes, I know the semi-sonic song, and that's where the line comes from for most of you. But I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that Seneca had it first. Regardless, even though the memories will last a lifetime, presence of the tom brady era in new england folks is starting to shrink in the rearview mirror of patriots nation a new day has arrived in foxborough and amidst the uncertainty throughout the world resulting from the covid 19 pandemic the nfl once again brought you the only real-time content in town right now and on thursday evening the nfl released its plans for a full 17-week regular season schedule for 2020. And the NFL will officially kick off its 2020 season at 8.20pm

on Thursday, September 10th. The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the Houston Texans. And just three days later, folks, on Sunday, September 13th, your New England Patriots will start their quest for Lombardi Trophy number seven when they host the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Now again, folks, there were a lot of rumors swirling around that the Patriots might open against an NFC West opponent. That did not end up coming true. And instead, the Patriots host a familiar opponent in Brian Flores and the Miami Dolphins. And folks, don't scoff at this.

The Patriots might have a little revenge on the mind as Miami gets set to come to town. They'll be highly motivated for this one. Don't forget, Patriots were upset by those very Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in the final game of the 2019 regular season. That cost the Patriots a playoff bye. And you have to wonder if maybe, just maybe, had the Patriots got that bye, the postseason might have looked a lot different in a lot of different ways. But it played out the way it did, and the Patriots are on to 2020. Now, without question, they face a formidable schedule coming up. In addition to an October 4th meeting with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the Patriots have five primetime games in 2020.

That's right, folks. Even without Tom Brady under center, the NFL schedule makers still believe that the Patriots are going to be a top draw among viewers. Starts with a Sunday night game in week two against the Seattle Seahawks, an appearance on Monday night football against the New York Jets, they'll play a Thursday nighter in Los Angeles against the Rams, another Sunday night football date, this time with the Baltimore Ravens, and to top it all off, a post-Christmas Monday night contest with the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. And folks, in the coming days and weeks here on Locked On Patriots, we will break down the Patriots schedule game by game, matchup by matchup.

And we've actually already started to do that earlier this week with some of the NFC West divisional crossovers. If you love the crossovers as much as I do, we've got good news for you. Stay locked in to the end of today's podcast for details on next week's intra-divisional crossover plans, starting with Monday's show that might just have a little bit of a championship flavor to it. But fear not, folks.

The week is not over just yet. We have a 2020 NFL season scheduled to evaluate for your New England Patriots. And joining me here today on the pod to help me break it all down is my good friend Tanya Rae Fox of FS1. It's always my honor to welcome Tanya to Locked On Patriots. In my opinion, she's second to none when it comes to providing pinpoint accurate analysis with a candor and wit that only she can provide. And today here on Locked On Patriots, we'll leave no stone unturned.

We'll talk about the cross-divisional matchups that the Patriots have coming up on their schedule, including the return of my paisan to Foxborough, Jimmy Garoppolo, and the San Francisco 49ers. We'll discuss the Patriots' chances of repeating as AFC East champions in a division that is much improved from last year. And last but certainly not least, I will put Tanya on the hot seat and ask her about those rumors swirling around about the Patriots' plans to dive headfirst into the tank. Folks, I promise you, you will not want to miss this one, so settle in. An action-packed episode, and I hope that you enjoy what Tanya Ray Fox and I have in store for you today on the Locked on Patriots podcast.

But first, folks, as we continue to adjust to our new normal, finding the energy to complete daily tasks lately is not exactly easy. And judging from my waistline, neither is finding a healthy, low-calorie treat that is just as delicious. Well, I have good news for you because your search for a protein bar that gives you everything you need and everything you want is over. Built Bar is that tasty treat that you've been looking for. So don't delay, make it your go-to bar today. Folks, I'll be honest, I was never a big fan of protein bars. I kind of found them to be dry, waxy, and that chalky aftertaste usually made me pass on them more often than not.

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Well, all I can tell you folks is Bilt Bar is just that good. Go to BiltBar.com and use the promo code LOCKEDON and get $10 off your first box at BiltBar.com. That's B-U-I-L-T-B-A-R.com and promo code LOCKEDON for $10 off of your first box. Enjoy and eat healthy while indulging in a delicious treat. Again, don't delay. Make Built Bar your go-to bar today. Patriots fans, the 2020 NFL season schedule is set. And barring any COVID-19-related setbacks, of course, the NFL is planning

a full 17-game slate for all 32 NFL teams, including your New England Patriots. And to close out the week here on Locked On Patriots, we needed a guest that is the best at providing spot-on insight with razor-sharp wit. And folks, I'm happy to say that I am joined today by that guest that will help me break down the Patriots' upcoming 2020 schedule. You know her great work from platforms such as USA Today, NFL Network, and NBC Sports Boston, just to name a few. She is currently doing amazing work for FS1, and her podcast, The Almost Shameless Podcast, is a phenomenal listen. I wholeheartedly recommend it. In fact,

folks, the only thing missing from her impressive resume is that coveted Twitter verification. That's right, folks. My guest today needs to be verified on Twitter. The incomparable Tonya Rae Fox is back here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today, my friend. You know, every time, you know, we say this, but it's always true. I'm psyched to start my Friday morning this way. I genuinely, like, I text my mom whenever I'm going to be on the show, and she gets excited because she loves you. So it's great. It's just a nice little, it's always a good weekend kickoff. When I'm on the show, we're helping Patriots Nation get their weekend kicked off, and that makes me really happy. So thank you for having me on.

Oh, the pleasure. I feel like the Bobs from Office Space, Tanya. The pleasure is all on this side of the table, and it truly is. Please thank your mom for me. That is very, very sweet. Please wish her a very happy Mother's Day and tell her that she raised an amazing, amazing daughter. And it's always my honor to share the microphone with you. So by all means, I appreciate her support and thank her from the bottom of my heart.

And again, folks, it is the weekend. We kick it off right here on Locked On Patriots. So what better way to do that than to get the hashtag viral? It's Mother's Day weekend. Perfect opportunity to it. Hashtag verify TRF. It's the right thing. It's the right thing it's the just thing and twitter jack or whoever is managing that account right now it needs to happen um but tanya we live in

the new england foxborough bubble and the nfl schedule is indeed out came out yesterday evening and our new england patriots face an apparent gauntlet when it comes to the upcoming season. A strength of schedule of.537. That's good enough for first in the NFL. Yikes. Now, we've all reviewed the schedule. And obviously, the big-ticket games on the list. The Baltimore Ravens. The Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers coming back to town. Jimmy G making his return to Foxborough. The doubleheader in Los Angeles in your neck of the woods in California, and of course, the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, big time matchup there. Putting the division games aside for just a minute, Tanya, what do you believe to be the toughest among the tough tests that exist for the Patriots, and what is your early outlook on some of these games so I mean the first thing

that really catches my eye is just the that stretch of road games um the Chargers Rams and then at Miami uh week 13 14 and 15 just because that's it's just a weird time to have the three back-to-back road games. I, you know, that definitely makes me a little bit nervous for a young quarterback who hasn't been through that late November, early December stretch. I also, you know, let's be honest, they're going to go get their asses kicked in Kansas City. I know one ever wants to watch that happen. I actually love watching Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.

I think it's really interesting from a football fan perspective to watch what they do. And there's something kind of wonderful about seeing Andy Reid at his peak with all of the, it's almost like we're seeing him finally crescendo. And he's a really like likable guy as it is. And that offense is just spectacular to watch. It just sucks when it's the Patriots going there and getting their asses kicked. And that's what's going to happen. So those are the things that stand out right when I look at it. I will say in regards to strength of schedule and just how difficult it is, a couple of things I always tell people to keep in mind is that luckily in the NFL every year, there's about four to, you know, four new playoff teams in each conference. It's kind of crazy. We forget that, that, that,

that there's that much turnover every year because it seems like the teams that are good stay good. And that's true. But the bottom half of the, the, the playoff field is always really interchanging. So the Patriots are obviously no longer going to be vying, vying for one, two, three seats, but they're going to be in a different level at least for this year. Cause we don't, you know, we know regardless of how good Jarrett Stidham

is, it's going to be an adjustment process. So that applies to the strength of schedule as well. Every time we look at it, we're like, oh, my God, they're playing all these playoff teams. There's all these teams with great records last year. And you go through the schedule and you try to look to see where the crack is and you can't do it because we don't know what these teams are going to look like and how they're going to be different from 2020.

Listen, the 49ers are going to be different than they were last year. You know, that team is different. Their defense is different. They have, you know, new wide receivers. There's a lot, you know, it's a great team, but we don't necessarily know exactly what they're going to look like. They get them at home. The Patriots still have a really good defense. I see that as a winnable game. I really do. I think

Belichick is going to bring his A game against Kyle Shanahan. There's games like that, that I see, okay, you know, right now it looks terrifying, but let's break it down and be a little bit more honest about our, about this with ourselves. You know, I don't know what Seattle is going to look like. That's a crazy game. Like a road game in Seattle and week two is like in prime time is kind of wild to me. I have no idea what that team is going to look like. They've looked different every year for the last three years. The only thing that you can count on is Russell Wilson. So, you know, there's that. And then there's the fact that, you know,

Miami is a completely different team than they were last year. The Jets and Buffalo seem to have gotten better. You know, so the division itself is so up in the air. And who is going to kind of rise to the top just remains to be seen. So I would say just pump the brakes just a little bit on being freaked out about the schedule if you are, just because it's almost never as hard as it looks before the season. And then the easiest schedule is almost never as easy as it looks before the season. Perfect point. And exactly the type of insight that I was looking for. And again, Tanya,

not only do I enjoy sharing the microphone because you're a good friend of mine, but because you bring that type of knowledge to determine a strength of schedule early on. And look, we all do it. We're partly doing it here today on Locked On Patriots, discerning whether or not the Patriots are going to be able to win this game, win that game. This one's in Seattle, hostile environment, difficult environment going into Kansas City. We've got San Francisco coming home. That could be a winnable game. We really don't know what this team is going to look like. It's going to depend a lot on how the Patriots are able to get through, how their rosters are going to look, and then again, how these other teams' rosters are going to look. Don't forget,

folks, we're sitting here in the early part of May. The rosters are not set yet. We don't know what this team is going to look like. There may be some veterans that are cut that Bill Belichick has his eye on that he said, look, you know what? This is a guy that could come in and really help us and really propel us to a lot of success this year. The final product of this roster has not been set yet. And that's true

across all 32 NFL teams, not just our New England Patriots. But again, Tanya brings the wisdom, the counsel and the level headed approach to say, you know what, folks, the future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Let's see how this all plays out. And again, of course, the big wildcard is the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these hostile environments like Kansas City and Seattle, there's a possibility these teams might be playing in empty arenas or pretty close to empty arenas. So that could change the complexity a little bit depending on how these teams look as well. So again, my friend, I thank you for at least talking some of our listeners off the ledge because that 537 strength of schedule is pretty

daunting and it opened my eyes last night as well but again it's about playing the games on the field and you know tanya that leads me into quite nicely my next question and that is regarding the afc east and we know as well as anyone the patriots have been saddled with a caveat when it comes to the AFC East. We hear it all the time. Oh, they win the division because it's an easy division. And quite honestly, that makes me kind of sick. I think it's a lazy argument because I don't believe there is such a thing as an easy divisional game. These teams know each other so well from year to year that divisional games to me just take on an inherent level of difficulty. But since Tom Brady left, there are a lot of people that are ready to just hand away the division title.

Even I have to admit, though, that teams like Buffalo, Miami, even the Jets, they've improved over the offseason. So it's going to be a tough battle for the AFC East this year. In your estimation, do you believe that the division is now up for grabs for the highest bidder? Or like the great Ric Flair once said, is it still a matter of to be the man, you gotta beat the man? I think it's a little bit more of the latter and not in a way that, you know, I'm certainly not trying to be like Twitter hot takey or anything like that. It's just when a team has run a division for two decades and the largest change is that they've moved on from a 43-year-old quarterback, I feel

like there's still so much, like there's still so much of what makes the Patriots a successful organization still in place there. It didn't go away overnight because Tom Brady went to Tampa Bay. Now, I am not naive enough to think that it doesn't change the dynamics of playing the Patriots and the competencies teams will have against them that they just haven't before. Specifically Buffalo, who I think probably has the highest ceiling this year. Like Brady was a mental block for them, you know, and that's a huge hurdle that they're going to have out of their way. And they've got a really talented team, excellent coaching, and they've made the playoffs a couple times in the last few years.

Like, they're, you know, they're definitely something to worry about. And while I don't think the Jets are there quite yet, I do, I just kind of like Sam Darnold. I think that there's something about him and the way he approaches the game and his, he's very uh i don't know if you've watched a lot of like interviews with him or any of the stuff where he's just kind of sat down and talked about his career but he's he's got a really good approach to being a pro and he understands um the nature of the early development in in the nfl he doesn't

get down by the fact that it's been a couple, it doesn't have been a, you know, a tough road so far. I like his attitude. And, you know, so it's like every single team in the AFC has a really bright future right now. And by far, the Patriots are the ones with, to me right now, with the most question marks. So for me to say, oh, well, it's definitely, you know, the Patriots it's over.

It's no longer their division is kind of wild because we, again, we don't really know what Bill is looking to do this season and how he's like looking to build the next, like he's so secretive. We don't know what he's, what his vision is for this year or the next five years. But until it's, until another team steps up and says, we're going to win 11 games this season, we're going to win this division, how the hell are we supposed to hand the trophy? Like, we don't even know which one of these three teams to pick.

Like, I think it's probably the Bills. But there's an argument to be made for any one of these teams. We can't crown a winner not the Patriots. It's like you can't say, like, not the Patriots is going to win the ASC East. So until you have somebody you can tell me is definitely going to supplant them, you know, like you said, until you beat the man, they're still the kings of the ASC East, in my opinion. Seldom wrong right again, my friend.

Look, I don't think too many people are going to argue that this may be the toughest row that the Patriots have had to the division title in quite some time. I don't think all of that is just because the Patriots lost Tom Brady or because they've lost a couple of key free agents. I think it's more about the fact that the teams in the division just got better. Whether it be through the draft, whether it be via free agency, whether it be coaching additions, they're just better equipped. But look, at the end of the day, the Patriots are still the reigning AFC East division champions. Their of leadership is still intact the last I checked Bill Belichick is still the head coach Josh McDaniels is still running the offense they

still have high quality leadership guys in that locker room like Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater and for everyone out there that wants to write this team off for being unable to make plays on the field we don't know what Jarrett Stidham's going to look like under center. We don't know if some of these rookies that they've brought in are going to be able to carry the load. It's all a big unknown. But you know what else is a big unknown? How the other teams in the division are going to match up.

Are Miami's rookies and free agent acquisitions guys that we know well, somebody like Ted Karras or Kyle Van Noy, how are they going to come in and acclimate to the Dolphins right away? Albeit those guys probably will do a better job because Brian Flores is there, but it's still an unknown. You look at the Jets. Will they come together as a cohesive unit this year? There was a lot of bad blood between Adam Gase and Le'Veon Bell last year.

I haven't heard of too many peace offerings between those two, so that's worth keeping an eye on. And then you mentioned the Buffalo Bills. On paper, they look like the team to beat, but will Josh Allen be able to get a synergy going with a guy like Stephon Diggs? Their defense is pretty stout, but you never know from year to year. So again, with the leadership that the Patriots still have intact, I still like their chances.

And that's why I stand behind it. To be the man, you got to beat the man. And I think the division road still goes through Foxborough, like you said. No, I just want to make another point that you said. You made the perfect point, which is that the leadership on the Patriots is still there. Like, everybody that really, really knows that system outside of Tom Brady, they're still there, you know. And so that's another thing that we have to remember is when we look at this, those guys, Devin McCourty, Matt Slater, Dante Hightower, they're all still New England Patriots.

So if someone wants to come in and take it over, they're going to have to take it from them. Agreed, as usual. And you know what? It may end up being the fact that the only thing that we can truly rely on in 2020 is that it's going to be one of the more interesting years we've seen in the NFL in quite some time. And that's for a lot of reasons, most of which really have nothing to do with football,

but on the field, I think it's going to be an interesting year. Tanya, we've talked about the Patriots' schedule, but as Bill Parcells used to say, you're only as good as how you play on the field. So taking that under advisement, in just a moment, Tanya Ray Fox and I will discuss the new-look Patriots roster, and my good friend will tell you, as only she can, whether she believes that the Patriots might dive headfirst into the tank. As in the Trevor tank. We will do so when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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That's at T-H-E-A-L-K-A-J-O-S-H-I. All one word and a donation of four meals per post up to 10,000 meals will go to Feeding America. So guys and gals, buy the henna artist today at your favorite bookseller, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Walmart, Costco, and Target, and make mom the ultimate winner in your family. Patriots fans, I'm honored as always to be joined today by Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast. And Tanya, the Patriots roster has undergone some overhaul since the 29th season ended unceremoniously in January. And the team has had some key defensive departures like Kyle Vannoy, Daron Harmon, Jamie Collins. They've also had some significant special teams departures like Nate Ebner, Steven Kostowski at the kicker position. They've even had some coaching losses like Joe Judge and Dante Skarnecchia. And oh yeah, Tom Brady just happens to be down in Tampa now

alongside Rob Gronkowski. So that means that Jarrett Stidham in particular has some major shoes to fill. And depending on who you talk to, the Patriots are either in good shape or they are completely doomed. As you look at the 2020 Patriots roster, what concerns you the most and what makes you the most optimistic about the future in Foxborough? All right, well, I'll start with what concerns me the most. And I would say what concerns me the most is the, well, there's the questions at the quarterback position. Obviously we, there's something weird going on with the Jarrett Sittem thing, which is that we are basically being told by the greatest coach of all time,

that this is the guy he wants to ride with. And the last time he told us, this was the guy he wanted to ride with. It was the greatest quarterback of all time. So we don't have any leverage to question what Belichick is doing we also don't have any like NFL film to indicate that Jarrett Stidham is currently poised to be the future of an NFL team which is we just this day and age with so much access to film and our ability to break down, you know, players ourselves, it's just, it's rare that we have this many questions about a player that's going to take the reins of a premier NFL organization. So it's, I'd be crazy to say that I'm not concerned about that. Number one, you know, that that's just, that's the biggest question

mark. You know, I also, I have to say, you mentioned some of the coaching losses. I don't particularly worry about not having Joe Judge there. Like, I like Joe Judge, you know, what he did with special teams on it. You know, the Patriots have always had a really great unit and he's a very good coach. I think he's immensely replaceable in Belichick's system

um losing Skarnickia sucks like we know what it looks like when he's gone he was gone for a little bit there before he retired I mean yeah he was still he was still consulting but like it's that that's a massive loss you know um but on the flip side this offensive line that they have right now especially if david andrews comes back healthy and is able to play is not a tanking offensive line you know so this is this is a group of guys that have already been artist garnecchia's system they they've been coached by him the principles are all there every single one of these guys has been through that regimen. That's who I'm going to have in front of him.

I'm excited about that. I'm excited to see if this is the year that Isaiah Wynn can kind of, like, get himself into the fold. You know, so I would say, you know, just to wrap it up, I'm freaked out about the quarterback position. But when I look at the sort of system around him and the people that are there to support him, the offensive line, Julian Edelman, you know, like, how could you ask for something better to come into than these guys who've spent the last few years of their career

or their entire career playing with Tom Brady, you know, like there's just something that torch has been passed. The sit-in was there behind Tom Brady. So that's my, you know, that's my roundabout way of saying like, you know, there's, there's the pessimism there, but there's also a reason to think that, you know, maybe the greatest coach of all time knows what he's doing I I have such a hard time answering these questions because you know I there's been so few times where Belichick has gotten it really wrong and the last time he had to replace Tom Brady at quarterback you know Matt Castle had a very

good season and they went 11 and 5 it's like I don't even I can't even point to a time where they had to replace Brady and they really super struggled I mean even when Brady was gone in the for those four games in 2016 like he he basically started running the offense through the running backs, and that worked. He just always finds something, and that makes me excited. It's so hard for me to be pessimistic, and that's fine. I'm happy to be proven wrong. I'm happy for it to end up being there. It's 7-9, and they look like shit.

That's fine. But right now, there is no evidence that he can't pull something off. Absolutely, and that leads me quite nicely into my last question, but certainly not my least question, Tanya. And that is the schedule release last night has once again brought the quote unquote tank for Trevor, the lose for Lawrence people out of their lair. And these are people, not just fans, by the way, colleagues in the media that are looking at this Patriots schedule, my friend, and saying, it's too tough. We're on to 2021. But you and I know Bill Belichick,

as you stated. And in my opinion, it just goes against every fiber of his being to intentionally lose games. It really goes against every fiber of his being to even be resigned to that fact. He's not the type to, quote unquote, get nothing and like it, like Judd Smales likes to say from Caddyshack. I think he wants to win, and I think that's exactly what he's trying to do. But you bring a level of intellect and candor to these types of discussions that is, to me, unmatched in this business. So I ask you, Tanya, in your opinion, are the Patriots preparing to enter the tank in 2020? No, they're not preparing to enter the tank in 2020? No, they're not preparing to enter the tank. And I mean, in the past, I have cited, yeah, I have cited the same kind of idea about Bill

Belichick. It's just not in his nature. We know that. It's kind of bizarre to me that there's so many people willing to overlook that. But let's set that aside for a second and say, regardless of what we know about Bill Belichick and his competitiveness, let's just look at the facts here. He has the defensive player of the year on this roster. If you're going to tank, this would have been a nice time to get rid of that player and get as much as you could possibly get for Stephon Gilmore. Still on the roster. Re-signed Devin McCourty and Matt Slater,

both of whom are perennial pro bowlers, could have easily gone somewhere else. Still on the roster. Dante Hightower, still on the roster. The entire offensive line together, if they're all playing at their best, is a top 10 offensive line in the league, still on the roster. They've got a number one first-round draft pick at wide receiver

that we're pretty sure is going to have a breakout season this season. Everyone that I respect that's watched Nikhil Harry and understands what he was able to do and the minimal amount of work he was able to do last season is a really good like can be a number one receiver in this league on the roster i you've got sony michelle still there james white still there brandon bolt like what are we this isn't a new team like he's not gotten rid of anybody he got rid of the people we know he always gets rid of. Overpaid linebackers and pass rushers.

That's who he got rid of. That's what he always does. Nothing has changed here. He drafted a kicker. If you are rebuilding, do you draft a kicker? None of this makes any sense. So, yes, that is my answer. The idea that they're taking

is take Belichick out of the equation, take the fact that he's never given us one single instance in which he doesn't play to his highest capacity. Let's just leave that out of the equation. This would be the worst general managing in the history of the NFL if this is a team you're trying to tank with.

Could not have said it better, my friend. And that is why I always enjoy sharing the microphone with you here on Locked On Patriots. Tanya, I would love to believe that you're not a stranger to any of our listeners, but just in case we have a few newbies, where can they find you on social media? Where can they always find your great work? The floor is yours, my friend. Well, I am on Twitter and Instagram at Pioneer Race Fox. My podcast is Shameless TRS on Twitter and Instagram as well. The podcast has been kind of silent the last couple of weeks because I'm actually in the middle of trying to transition into working with video elements and making it a little more dynamic and throwing some more of those video segments on Twitter.

It's like a ton of work. Anybody who does at-home podcasting and, like, you know, does all this work knows it's such a huge pain. And working from home, my, you know, my MacBook Pro is getting used a lot for actual work by my fiance. So, you know, it's been difficult to work around. But Shameless CRF has not gone anywhere. Catch up on all the current episodes and get ready for some new stuff coming that way as well. So, and then go on to iTunes and Spotify and subscribe to Almost Shameless podcast. Absolutely.

And again, I could not recommend the work that Tanya does highly enough. Almost Shameless is a tremendous listen. Anything she does on the FS1 platform and on her independent platforms is always highly recommended. And I support it without any hesitation. My friend, thank you so much. Once again, have a great weekend. Again, please wish your mom a very happy Mother's Day for me and you stay safe, stay well. And we look forward to having you back on Lockdown Patriots. It's always a blast when we share the microphone. Thanks again. Thank you, Mike. It was awesome. And I'll definitely let her know, although she will hear you because she'll be like your first listen today. So I know she'll be excited. Shout out to Andrea. We love her. And yeah, I will talk to you soon.

Thank you so much, Mike. And with that, Patriots fans, we put a bow on the week that was here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. NFC Crossover Week was a blast. And I want to thank my colleagues, Brian Peacock of Locked On 49ers, Corbin Smith of Locked On Seahawks, Bear Motter of Locked On Rams, and of course, Alex Clancy of Locked On Cardinals for all of their insight throughout the week and for giving us an inside look at some of our NFC West counterparts coming up on the 2020 NFL schedule.

But that Western flavor on the Pat's schedule for the upcoming season isn't just relegated to the NFC. That's right, this season your New England Patriots will be playing all four teams in the AFC West. That includes the Las Vegas Raiders, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Denver Broncos, and of course,

the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. And that's exactly how we'll be kicking off next week here on the Locked On Patriots podcast as Chris Clark, host of Locked On Chiefs, will join me here on the hot seat to break down this week four matchup coming up on Sunday, October 4th at 425 p.m. from Arrowhead Stadium.

So again, folks, if you love these crossover shows like I do, you want to make sure that you do not miss an episode. The best way to do that is to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. And don't forget, you can always listen to Locked On Patriots each and every day right on your smart device. How do you do that? Very simple.

All you have to do is ask it to play the most recent 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 my friend Tanya Rae Fox for her time, her insight, and her 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, a very happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate this weekend, including a very special shout out to my mom who is, was, and always will be my hero.

And last but certainly not least, have a great weekend everyone.