Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Back to Basics: Patriots Look to Get Back On Course - 10/28/2020

Episode Date: October 28, 2020

The New England Patriots are going back to basics when it comes to making improvements on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Taylor Kyles of Pats Pulpit of SB Nation. The duo discuss the change in the Pats’ offensive output, what the team might do to correct it, and their defensive struggles, as well. Lastly, amidst the rumors surrounding the future of CB Stephon Gilmore in New England, Taylor lends his insight on what a Patriots defense without Gilmore might look like.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.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.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. 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 in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Q&A Wednesday here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Lockdown Patriots is presented today by Pepsi, made for football watching.

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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 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 doing some midweek Wednesday wandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots.

Folks, I know you're probably wondering, what do I mean by Q&A Wednesday? Well, after Sunday's game against the Niners, there's no question about it that the Patriots definitely have some issues. All of us here in Patriots Nation have questions about how the Patriots might be going about fixing those issues, both on offense and on defense, even in the coach's room. And to their credit, everyone in that Patriots organization knows they need to find the answers to those questions, and they need to find them sooner rather than later. This Sunday, the Patriots face a tall task and a tough divisional rival,

the AFC East leading Buffalo Bills. Yes, folks, I said it. The AFC East leading Buffalo Bills will be the Patriots' Week 8 opponent. 1 p.m., Orchard Park, New York. These two teams always put together some memorable moments, and I expect Sunday to be no less. So in the spirit of moving on, as we tried to do yesterday with Steve Balistrieri here on the hot seat, I will be joined by one of the best and

brightest in the business when it comes to on-field analysis. My good friend Taylor Kiles, whose great work you know from Pat's Pulpit of SB Nation, will be joining me here today on the hot seat, and we will talk about what the Patriots have been doing wrong on the field, what they need to do to correct those problems in order to steer the ship back in the right direction. And last but certainly not least, we will touch a little bit on what has been the news story of the day, and that is the fate of Stephon Gilmore as it relates to him remaining in a Patriots uniform. Now, according to reports on the Greg Hill Show this morning on WEI, Stephon's home

is apparently on the market for sale. And I know this conjures up a lot of memories of Tom Brady putting his home on the market, and he ended up in Tampa Bay. Folks, bottom line, Steve Balistrieri and I addressed this rumor yesterday. It's not a foregone conclusion, but it is a possibility. And while Taylor and I are not really that big into speculating about what the Patriots might do, why it's a good idea, why it's not, why all of a sudden Stephon is taking an active interest in the real estate game.

We're going to stick to the logistics on the field. What would the Patriots defense look like without arguably its best player stabilizing the secondary? Well, Taylor will give his thoughts and we will discuss why it might not be as scary as you think. Folks, all of these are some of the most pressing questions in Patriots Nation right now. And luckily for us here on Locked On Patriots, we have the man with the answers. In just a moment, Taylor Kyles will join me here on the hot seat and we will tackle all

of these tantalizing topics here on Q&A Wednesday. But first, a quick personnel update for your New England Patriots. They did return to the practice fields today at Gillette. Kind of a rainy and murky day out there today. But core special teamer Cody Davis practicing for the first time today after he had been placed on IR a few weeks ago. Cody now begins the process of trying to get back onto the active roster. Also, offensive lineman James Ferentz practiced today.

That indicates that he's been removed from the COVID-19 list. So good news for both Cody and James Ferentz practice today. That indicates that he's been removed from the COVID-19 list. So good news for both Cody and James Ferentz. Those that were not spotted today at practice included Nakheel Harry, who apparently is still in concussion protocol. Defensive tackle Carl Davis continues to be out. Defensive end Rashard Berry and tight end Jake Burt were not spotted on the field, both practice squatters. As for Joe Tooney and Justin Herron on the offensive line, we know both of these guys left Sunday's loss with ankle injuries. They both were present for the media portion of practice, but the Patriots will detail their level of participation later on the injury

report. It's expected that both players are at least going to be listed as limited, and their status for Sunday's game remains unknown at this time. Hopefully their absences are more precautionary than anything else, but we'll continue to monitor that, and I will bring you the very latest right here on Locked On Patriots. But getting players healthy and available is only part of the solution. There is still a lot logistically that needs to be fixed with this New England Patriots team. And again, folks, today we have the man with the answers. Taylor Kiles joins me in just a moment moment where we will talk about the potential fixes on

offense, some of the sputters on defense, and whether or not that defense would be decimated without arguably its best player in the lineup. This and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, the autumn season is upon us, and that means it's time to winterize your ride. Make sure that your vehicle is ready for the potentially harsh upcoming months by visiting my good friends at rockauto.com and make sure that you have everything you need to keep your vehicle looking and running at its absolute best. rockauto.com is a family business serving auto parts customers online for nearly 20 years.

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Patriots fans, my guest today is one of the best analysts in football media across the spectrum. His ability to break down film and explain it in a clear and concise manner makes him a favorite of mine and so many others on social media. You know his phenomenal work from Pat Spolpet of SB Nation and one of the best Twitter follows in sports media or really any media realm, if I may say so. He is my friend Taylor Kyles, and he joins me today here on Locked On Patriots. Taylor, welcome back to the pod, my friend. Thank you, brother. I missed you. So as always, it's great to be back. I'm blushing, as I always am, because your intros are just out of sight.

Obviously, I love you, too. You're one of my favorite followers, all that stuff. But yeah, I'm glad to be back, man. Thank you for having me. Anytime, anytime. It's always an uplifting time when you join me here on the pod and Taylor, we need some of that. We need some of that positivity, some of that strong energy that you bring to the table because after a promising start, our new England Patriots are sputtered to a two and four record. And dare I say, my friend, they might be making, they might be facing, I should say

a make or break game this weekend against the division leading buffalo bills that still sounds weird when i say that but it is the truth they are leading the division um the story of the week at least on offense has been cam newton and his struggles uh in weeks one and two can't look very comfortable in this offense we saw the zone zone reads, the RPOs being incorporated. It looked like he was really starting to put his own stamp on it. And then, obviously, the COVID diagnosis, missing time, practice time off the field, all of that came into focus. And for the past couple of weeks, it's been a different story.

We both know that in the Patriots system, everything is based on timing and quickness, quickness of both the receivers getting open and the quarterback getting rid of the ball. Earlier today, Josh McDaniels addressed the media and he acknowledged that the Patriots are going to be working on fundamentals and making Cam and his supporting cast, because let's face it, you know, the problems that are facing the Patriots offense aren't solely on Cam's shoulders. It's a group effort out there. But Josh wants to focus on fundamentals, make everyone more comfortable in this offense. Taylor, before we talk about what Cam and the Patriots are going to do to fix the problem and

some of what Josh might be incorporating this week in practice, just take a moment to take us through what have been the most glaring issues in your estimation and what do you believe has changed since the beginning of the season well i really think the cam being away is a much bigger factor in all this and we may like to admit because it really does seem like a confidence thing for me i'm going to try to stave off the cam stuff but i mean i know i've seen a lot of people that are critical of the run game because the patriots are a rushing team through and through like they're probably going to call a run play that's second and 12 and they're not going to a lot of people that are critical of the run game because the Patriots are a rushing team through and through. Like, they're probably going to call a run play that's second and 12, and they're not going to give it a second thought.

But I really, frankly, think that's a misdiagnosis. I think that we're seeing a passing game that is very brand new with a bunch of people that didn't have the offseason that you're usually allowed to have. You didn't have all that practice time. Obviously, Cam's progress was derailed because he went two weeks without playing, one week without even practicing. It wasn't one or two weeks, sir. I'm getting lost in the shuffle. But I think you're seeing what happens when you have an offense, like you said, with the Patriots, where timing is so important, chemistry is so important,

and really having trust in the entire unit, both your offensive line and your receivers, to get open, to keep you clean and all those things. So I think when you see them lead on the run game, for example, it's a reflection of, one, how they built the team. All their money is in their offensive line, really, and their best positional group outside of offensive line, and I would still say quarterback, is running backs. So I think that's just a more reliable way to go about things frankly the old line's been together for a long time it's a lot easier to

have a running game control the clock and manage the game that way than having to come out with an offense full of guys that other than Cam and Demir Bird these guys are playing together for the first time Cam has never thrown to Edelman or Nikhil Harry in previous years so there's still a lot that needs to be built there, and you're seeing that it's not as easy as we may like to think. But there's also things under the surface where, you know, Cam's mechanics recently haven't been good, and I think that's because he's been away.

The offensive line shuffling, I know that, you know, we mention it during games, and sometimes it's something people will throw into the conversation when you talk about the offense, but it can't be understated how difficult it is to go through an entire game where you have multiple offensive line combinations. You know, that's a chemistry standpoint. It's a huge area that we like to point out when we say that when Andrews,

Tooney, and Shaq Mason are together, it's like, oh, that's the big three. They've been together for so long. And the reason they're so good together is because they understand how each other works. They, you know, they can work together without communication. And when you have different guys lining up next to you every play, and you've got rookies like Justin Heron and Michael Onwainu, who's been playing very well for a rookie,

but when you get guys that are learning on the fly, you're going to have mistakes. It hasn't all been Cam. There've been times where the offensive line hasn't really been giving him the amount of time that he needs to let the ball go to guys like Tamir Bird, who's getting open a bunch. So, you know, I think it's fun to kind of harp on one thing and say this is a problem, but like anything in the NFL, it's not that easy. It's a lot more complicated than that,

and I think everybody's got a hand in the pot here. Perfectly said, and I could not agree with you more. Look, the more I look at footage from this weekend's game against the Niners, a couple of weeks ago against the Broncos, even going as far back to the game against the Raiders where we started to see some differences in Cam's game and some differences in the way this offense operates it really is a collective effort and you're going to see growing pains throughout the season I think all the COVID nonsense so I shouldn't say nonsense but I think all the COVID nonsense, so I shouldn't say nonsense, but I think all the COVID difficulty that the Patriots went through really did cause some difficulty for this team in terms of continuity, cohesiveness. They lost time on the practice field. That's something that can't be

overstated or understated enough. I think a lot of people really don't take the time to understand how much that means. Also, you mentioned the offensive line, and I think that was perfectly said. Not only were the offensive linemen playing in multiple line formations, you had players playing in unfamiliar positions. Joe Tooney started at center. Don't forget, prior to this season, hadn't started a game at center in his career. This is a second-team all-pro guard, and to have him put into the center position and expect him to be able to do exactly what David Andrews did is a tall order.

Having him back did provide some continuity a little bit this weekend, but that's going to continue to go forward. And I'm so glad that you mentioned both the line and also the time missed on the field, because I think a lot of people are rolling their eyes when it comes to those two. But those are very, very big factors in some of the offensive sputters that we've seen. So, yeah, understandably, I mean, when you look at the record, it's two and four. Patriots fans aren't used to that, you know, that result, and when you hear Belichick always say, you know, we got to get better, you are what your record says you are, you know, that's a really common football analogy and all those things.

I understand why the fan base is getting tense. This is their backs are against the wall in a way that we haven't really seen in the Belichick era, specifically with Tom Brady when he became the Tom Brady that everybody knows. So I get the hostility, even though I've had to distance myself from Twitter because of it. I don't love reading it all the time. But at the same time, just because things aren't going the way that you're used to as a Patriots fan

doesn't mean that, you know, everything about, you know, the way that we watch the game has to change. It doesn't mean that the Patriots have to throw out their entire system. This is a very, very difficult year. If you had any new quarterback coming in the new system with the amount of time they're supposed to have, you would understandably have hiccups. Cam actually acclimated to the offense, I thought, pretty quickly, all things considered. And after missing time, you know, you have the mental side. If you know guys are on the field, you know your team is missing you out there.

You know, like, we have to understand this is still a human game. These are people on the field. So I understand the frustration, but I just implore people to, even if this season doesn't turn out the way you want, understand that Cam is still a very good quarterback, an MVP caliber quarterback. He's in this system for the first time in his career. He's learning just like everybody else is. There's going to be growing pains. It may have a detrimental impact on this season, unfortunately, but, you know, I just want there to be an understanding that it's not this, you know, this one, it's not just Cam, as we've already said.

It's a lot of different factors and very human circumstantial things that are affecting their ability to be as successful as we're used to. Yeah, without question. And I think it was well said. And I'm glad that you made that statement and that sentiment because it really is a team effort. And thanks to your insight, we have a little bit of a better handle i think now on what at least i do from terms of what the patriots need to do and you've hit on conceptually a little bit what josh and the patriots brain trust might be looking to do but we have a buffalo bills defense coming in this week and uh that buffalo bills defense has not been lighting the

world ablaze the way everyone thought they were. But there's still a lot of great playmakers on that team. And they're still capable of making plays. If you're Cam Newton, Josh McDaniels, Jed Fish, whoever would be on the Patriots offensive brain trust this week, what fixes might you be looking for in the short term right now to see a different looking offense against Buffalo this weekend? I don't even honestly think it's a big schematic thing. I don't think, you know, I've seen, and I mean, as much as we would love the use of motion and I know last year,

the second time they faced off against the bills, we did see them use more motion with Nikhil Harry and the offense definitely was a little more diverse because they have so many fast playmakers where if, if someone like the linebackers on the bills see, you know, conventional power all the time, they're going to key in on it. They're going to attack the line of scrimmage faster, and that's how you get negative plays. So they're definitely, it would help to throw in some misdirection, things like that in the run game, kind of cover up your core concepts. But frankly, McDaniels has been doing a pretty good job of that. It's hard to tell because of

what the result has been on offense, but I've actually been tracking the plays all year by formation, by play concept, all those things. And you can see that what he was showing the first three and four weeks of the season, he's starting to build on them in a way that it's not so easy for the defense to understand what's happening pre-snap just based on where they're looking. He's starting to incorporate more things. I mentioned last week that they hadn't used Haas-Juke all season. Last week was the first time they did it, used it a couple times. Obviously, it didn't go as well, and I think we can kind of see why, because Edelman isn't as explosive as he used to be, where you get Edelman on the linebacker, it's easy money every time. We saw Fred Warner was suffocating him, and eventually it actually, I think,

Juk was what led to an interception when he targeted Julian Edelman. So offense is definitely still finding itself. But overall, I really think that it's more about Cam making sure that his fundamentals and his lower body mechanics are sound because he made some impressive throws. There were some where he was driving it downfield to Jacoby Myers during the two-minute drill last week where at first I honestly did think he was injured because he was short-arming these passes, and it was happening consecutive weeks. And I'm thinking, he's got a really strong arm, and his mechanics had been so good.

What is really happening? But then when I went back and watched, it is his mechanics. He's not planting his foot and then opening up afterwards. So sometimes these throws are just all arm, and the accuracy goes out the window. And it's something that it seemed like Jed Fish was really harping on with Cam and trying to help him improve clearly he's had a setback so he's gonna have to improve there and be able to make those timing throws that he's fully capable of making and also when it comes to him making his reads I know people

are saying sometimes he's late on throws the ones that I've noticed mostly were just him going to the next read in his progression, like the throw to Edelman where people think that he was behind. You know, there were a few instances like that where when you look, he's actually reading a different part of the field based on the coverage the defense was in, and then he just had to come to whomever he came to late, and then, you know, the defense was able to rally just because of the speed of the NFL. So I hesitate to say that there's going to be some huge shift because I feel like when we expect the Patriots to make some, you know,

big change to their offense or defense, it doesn't happen. There's really just one small thing they needed to tweak, and then the whole machine is operating well. So if I think we see Cam's mechanics line up the way they're supposed to, then he can start making plays to guys like Demir Bird, who's getting open consistently both deep and intermediate. I think right now he's the way they're supposed to. Then he can start making plays to guys like Demir Bird, who's getting open consistently, both deep and intermediate. I think right now he's the best separator they have. Jacoby Myers, who's probably going to end up getting more playing time

because he was the only person Cam wanted to throw to last week, and for good reason. We've mentioned it, I think. I know last year I definitely brought it up. I haven't had as many chances this year. But Jacoby is a very good route runner, not a great athlete, but he understands how to get open by attacking cornerbacks' blind spots, forcing them into uncomfortable positions.

And even when he doesn't get open, we saw last week, he's fantastic making contested catches. Those are the kind of things that this offense can do. They can move the chain. They may not be, you know, the explosive offenses we were used to seeing with Brady, but this is still an offense that can go down the field, pass in a complimentary way, and when they need to, because they have plenty of guys that are getting open.

It's just like we've been saying, guys need to do their job. The offensive line needs to be more consistent and execute run-blocking assignments effectively, make sure that backs have running lanes, make sure that Cam has places to step up and doesn't have to make subtle adjustments that completely blow his first read at times. You know, again, a lot of little things that they should be doing on a week-to-week basis, they simply aren't.

And if they continue to not do those things, it's going to be a lot like last year where the situation was, oh, Brady is, you know, holding the Patriots offense back. Clearly that wasn't it. That was another situation where it's a lot of small things that add up when people aren't doing their jobs. So if we get the consistency back, I really think we're going to see the Patriots offense that we expected. They're just they got to get some kind of momentum. Taylor, amazing, amazing stuff. And I'm feeling more optimistic.

I don't know about all of you listening out there, but you should be, because I think you've lent that type of spark that we need to get the confidence back in Patriots nation, especially with a formidable opponent coming up this weekend. My friend, we've yet to delve into the defensive side of the ball, and they didn't exactly have a great game on Sunday either. For all the lumps the offense is taking, the defense looked a little bit porous as well. Was it just a bad matchup against the 49ers folks or were the Patriots somewhat exposed? And lastly, I will put Taylor Kyles on somewhat of a hot seat and ask him what a Patriots secondary might look like without arguably its best player. Find this out and more when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues.

That's fans again. I am joined by Taylor Kyles and Taylor. The Pats offense is getting its share of criticism this week without any question and you eloquently i believe provided your insight on how the patriots might make some adjustments both in the short term and in the long term but the defense might be in need of some tweaking as well um on sunday especially the defensive line was continuously overmatched uh the linebackers were either late on their assignments or they were getting stopped by the Niners offensive blockers.

And the secondary looked subpar when it came to both tackling and communication. And that's a little bit of a surprise. This is usually a very good communicative unit. All in all, the defense really isn't designed to stop an offense like the Niners. That's an offense with size and one that likes to overpower at the point of attack. So I guess you can attribute some of that to a bad matchup. But in your estimation, do you see anything that worried you about this Patriots defense, especially knowing that this weekend's opponent is Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills

with a lot of weapons and a quarterback that can extend plays with his legs? I wouldn't say so because I think familiarity is kind of underrated in terms of how it affects players on the field. The 49ers scheme is not one that you see a lot because the run game is so multiple. They get receivers involved more than, I don't know the numbers, but I'm sure it's at a much higher clip than any other team in the league currently. The way they design blocking angles, small things that Kyle Shanahan does in his offense creates so many opportunities. For one, I know that the broadcast team during the game was mentioning how much the 49ers were getting the ball outside.

And everyone's saying, well, why is Juwan Bentley playing? Why is Anthony Jennings playing? And while absolutely they're not sideline to sideline guys who you really want chasing in space a lot because they don't have ideal change of direction ability, a lot of what I saw was the 49ers just scheming players into space. But a lot of it was getting guys like Debo Samuel in the flat and then having a quick play fake that had the defensive backs who were supposed to be coming up and covering. They were kind of forced to be on their heels because they're not sure if it's run, is it pass, who's going to get the ball. And creating that amount of hesitation is something I don't think the Patriots are used

to. They're used to being a fast, aggressive defense. And I think you see sometimes, like we saw against the Ravens, when they're forced to play on their heels because they're not sure what's happening, like any defense in this league, it's going to be a long game. And you saw it snowball and it just turned into a lot of points on the board that we're not used to seeing in a fashion that we're not used to seeing. But I think if these teams were to face each other again,

I think it would be very different. One, I think Kyle Duggar being inactive may have been a mistake. I think they could have used some of his explosive athleticism and tackling ability and space and things like that. Because admittedly, yes, Juwan Bentley and Anthony Jennings were put in tough positions. i would put more of the you know blame on them if there had to be any blame assigned on the fact that bentley wasn't doing as great of a job as you're usually used to seeing getting up blocks making tackles although it's also very important to note that he

was kind of forced in the situation just because of either pursuit or blocking where he was forced to make arm tackles which isn't you don't really want to be doing that anyway. So really I think a lot of it I would chalk up to everything that the 49ers do that you're not used to seeing on a regular basis. But against the Bills, the Bills haven't really changed much. They're very familiar with their system, with their personnel. They don't see Stephon Diggs a lot. But Stephon Gilmore did a very good job against him when they faced off a

couple years ago, I believe, when the Vikings came to Foxborough, so I don't expect that to be a huge challenge for Stephon, although Diggs is a very good player, or Gilmore, sorry, wow, two Stephons, that's pretty funny, actually, but I don't expect there to be a huge amount of difficulty with the Bills offense relative to the 49ers. The Bills are a fantastic team. I hate to say it, but I really like Josh Allen. I love the kid. He seems like an awesome dude, first and foremost, and he's so talented, and I feel like he's finally starting to pick it up and get it together and become a legitimate playmaker, not just someone they need to build around because of his deficiencies, but someone who can actually take advantage of those things. So I'm not writing off the Bills in any way, but I also think the 49ers' performance isn't something where you really want

to wave the white flag and be like, oh, the defense is screwed because that is not an easy offense to face off against, especially when it's out of division. They're not going to play the 49ers again for another four years unless they end up meeting in the Super Bowl, you know, if some craziness ends up happening. So, again, bottom line, I wouldn't panic. 49ers were a very good team.

We show you a lot of things that you're not used to seeing, and it takes a while for a defense to adjust, and the Patriots were just late on the ball. Perfectly said, as I've said so many times today. But, really, you have been so spot on when it comes to the analysis, especially when you give a little bit more insight on why the Niners were such a bad matchup for the Patriots. That's something I keep hearing a lot this week is, oh, well, they're exposed now that

they can't stop the jet sweep. They can't stop this. It's more about the personnel of the Niners. And I'm so glad that you let that be a determining factor or at least a differentiating factor in explaining why the Patriots were so inept or at least it looked like they were inept on Sunday against the Niners because of the personnel that they employ not so much because they can't stop the concept we've seen Patriots teams in the past that really just could not stop the run no matter who was running even last year they had difficulty

stopping the run I think there's you know definitely a little bit more uh to it than that and you've given us some uh again some positivity but uh there is one little negative nugget hanging out there when it comes to patriots nation and i think we'll end on that note today my friend and i'm sure you've seen and we've all seen and we've heard the rumors about stephan gilmore being on the move um His house apparently is on the market. And again, everyone is a real estate analyst now. I like to keep in mind, everybody, that it is a seller's market out there right now. I'm just saying. I'm not saying that it means anything, but it could. You never know. I don't like to get into speculative talk. Whatever will be, will be. Bill Belichick and the Patriots Brain Trust are going to do what they feel is best for the football team. But in terms of hypotheticals on the field, it's a little bit of a different story.

Taylor, walk us through, for those of us that are interested, and I know my listeners would be because I get this question often, about what Patriots defense might look like without Stephon Gilmore on the field. Yeah, well, luckily, they're loaded at cornerback. I think that if Stephon were to leave, not just because of how good he's been, but I think JC has a skill set that's closer to Gilmore's, and that he can match up, I think, with more receivers, and that he's fast enough to cover downfield,

but he's also big and physical enough to be on the line of scrimmage, getting guys' faces. I don't think he has the same change of direction ability. If Gilmore were to leave, there'd definitely be a drop-off, because Gilmore has some of the best feet in the league, which allow him to be very patient, kind of feel guys' body language, and then respond to that. While JC has good foot quickness, he's a really good athlete.

Stephon is just elite. Like, he's six feet tall, 200 pounds, and runs a 4.3. He doesn't make any sense. So understand that there is going to be – there would be absolutely a drop-off. And you also don't get teams really targeting JC Jackson very often when you do it's usually when he has to line up against quicker guys who can beat him off the line like Cole Beasley. Cole Beasley had a pretty good game against him last year hopefully they don't see each other too much this week although I expect that to be mostly John Jones but so yeah JC Jackson sliding into that number one cornerback

position taking on based on the game plan, either the number one receiver on the other side, or if it's a better matchup for him, the number two, and then you bracket the number one John Jones, his role isn't going to change. He's their slot guy is their safety. They're do it all kind of cover the speedsters cover the slot and just use your athleticism, make plays in space. I think where you'd start to see maybe more of a rotation would be Jason McCourty

and Jawan Williams. I think maybe we'd see more of Jawan Williams getting a faceoff against bigger receivers that we usually see Stephon cover, because I think JC would be relegated to more of the role of if there's an athletic guy who's big, but he's not like a monster, you know, he's just a well-rounded threat, that's JC's guy. Usually Gilmore gets more of those types where there's not just one thing they do well, there's a couple.

So it's not such an easy matchup. But, you know, if you got a really tall guy who doesn't have great agility, he's really just go up and get it like a Mike Williams type. I think those are the game plans where it's like, all right, Jawan, that's your guy, just be big. And then Jason McCourty, like he's been on early downs. And then based on the personnel, I think he's been rotating more. So really, I think if there would be any change,

you would just see maybe more JC Jackson on early downs and a more consistent role. Then see Jawan Williams get some action. I don't think there would be, just because the Patriots really don't double team people very often. Usually it's based more on situation, or they'll play a certain coverage based on the route concept.

So I know there's the idea that Gilmore is the only guy who's covering on an island. Those guys are usually covering on an island unless there's a specific concept they're trying to take away. So I want that to be, you know, clear. So it's not like, oh no, they lost their Island guy. JC's on an Island a lot. You know, I don't think that's going to be different for him,

but in terms of the matchups, like at the catch point, how much you can disrupt guys with your athleticism and things like that, there's going to be physical differences between the two. But I think this would still be a top-notch secondary. It's not like they lose Gilmore and I think there's a huge target on their backs or anything like that. It would just be an adjustment where they keep their personnel that they have and they just see what happens throughout the year.

Hard to speculate because, you know, Juwan Williams hasn't been in a full-time role yet so I don't want to get too deep into what that could be like but I definitely think it would just result in seeing more JC and Jason on the field together yeah great point and especially with JC Jackson everyone assumes that he would be the guy to take over in that mantra and I assume that that would be the case and based on your explanation I think that is pretty clear. But Juwan Williams, again, you mentioned not a lot of experience. A lot of what we've seen from Juwan lately has been lining up in that hybrid safety type role, not necessarily in a traditional corner role. So all great stuff, my friend.

And I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your busy schedule, giving us the uplift we need here heading into Bills week and a divisional matchup that is at this point let's face it it could be make or break if you fall the two and five especially with a loss in the division could be a difficult road ahead for the New England Patriots but I think we're up for it and I think you're going to see a different team this week my friend before I let you go please let all of our listeners know where they can find you where they can always follow your great work and what you have coming up on the horizon from the great mind and the pen of Taylor Giles. Well, I'm always on my Twitter at TKYLES39. That's where most of my stuff is. I'm actually working on a website. I don't want to give too much away because it's still a little ways off,

but I'm basically trying to take Game Pass's blueprint, but make it more specific for Patriots fans so they can get a better understanding of how, you know, plays work in terms of formations, personnel, play concepts, and seeing how the team mixes those things so they can be more informed when they come up with their takes and everything. I'm going to hold off on the name so that you have to have me on again. Maybe that'll work. I don't know, but I'm trying it. But yeah, so that you have to have me on again maybe that'll work i don't know but i'm trying it but uh yeah so that's you know if you just want something to get excited about during this beautiful covet season and um yeah i'm working on something to hopefully uh distract some some of you past fans out there well that sounds amazing and you know i never need an excuse to have you on we love having you on all the time i planned on it definitely now i have

even more of a reason definitely Definitely, folks, keep a sharp eye on social media and what this man has going because anytime he puts his name to something, it's always going to be quality work because he's quality and the work he does shows it. Bud, I can't thank you enough. Continue to stay safe, stay well,

and we look forward to talking football again with you. Hopefully the next time we have you on, we're talking about a lot more positives than negatives. And hopefully the Patriots right the ship pretty quickly. But thanks so much for joining me today here. Thank you, brother. Always great to have you on. Stay happy, healthy, you and the fam, all you out there.

Be smart, wear your masks, be good people. And can't wait to talk to you again, pal. Thank you. Absolutely, buddy. Take care. Thanks as always. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. I mean, is there a better phrase to describe your favorite football team in Foxborough? Six Super Bowl titles

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Well, folks, all I can tell you is Built Bar is just that good. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order. Don't delay. Do it today. And so, Patriots fans, just like that, we are more than halfway through your work week. And if today was Q&A Wednesday, that can mean only one thing. Tomorrow, in honor of Halloween coming up on Saturday, we cross the streams tomorrow in honor of the Ghostbusters for Crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Podcast Network. Joe Marino of Locked On Bills joins me on the hot seat

where we will discuss offensive and defensive strategy for both teams. So, to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, make sure to download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and follow us on platforms such as Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, 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 Taylor Kyles for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.