Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Beasts of the East: Pats defeat Bills to Capture Division Title - 12/23/19

Episode Date: December 23, 2019

The New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 24-17 on Saturday and clinch their 11th straight AFC East title. Joining host Mike D’Abate on this Festivus Monday is fan favorite Thomas Murphy to recap Saturday’s action, Pats offense and air some Festivus Grievances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to your Monster Victory Monday episode of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions and your 2019 AFC East Division champions, the New England Patriots. Today's show is brought to you in part by Breaking Tea. If you're looking for last-minute fun sports gift ideas for the holidays, go to BreakingTea.com slash Locked On. Breaking Tea makes sports t-shirts surrounding teams' most passionate moments,

and they're great for all fans. Go to BreakingTea.com slash Locked On, and then feel free to search the site for great shirts and fun sports gifts. My name is Mike DeBate, and I am your host of Locked On Patriots, which of course is a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Please feel free to reach out to me and follow me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC, and be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter at LO underscore Patriots. It's December 23rd, folks, a victory Monday to kick off the holiday week here on Locked On Patriots, and December 23rd is a holiday in its own right, because you all know how big of a Seinfeld fan I am.

That's right, it's Festivus. And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, well, allow me to explain. Festivus is defined as a secular holiday celebrated on December 23rd, today, as an alternative to the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. Now, whether you're a fan of the show or not, most people believe that Festivus is a creation of Seinfeld, but it actually isn't. The concept of Festivus was actually created in 1966 by author Daniel O'Keefe of Reader's Digest, and O'Keefe would later say that he did it as a satirical way to commemorate his first date with his wife, Debra. It wasn't until 31 years later that Festivus entered pop culture,

and it was made the focus of the 1997 Seinfeld episode, The Strike. The co-writer of that episode was actually O'Keefe's son, Dan. So he was able to bring his father's creation into the American lexicon, and now it's become an iconic staple. And it's the day we're celebrating today. So for those of you that are not fans, I won't bore you with all of the details, but for those of you that are, get the pole out of the crawl space and prepare for the feats of strength. But this is Locked On Patriots, and don't worry folks, that's exactly what I will

be discussing today. Patriots football. And who better to talk Patriots football with during this holiday week than a man that I consider family. You guessed it folks, the green man is back. Thomas Murphy stops by to talk about the weekend that was here in Foxborough for your New England Patriots. And seeing that it's Festivus, I might even just ask him to air a grievance or two. But anyway, it's always a blast when Murph is here. I'm honored when he joins me here on the show. So settle in, folks, and I hope that you enjoy today's podcast. But first, I start by congratulating your 2019 AFC East Division champions, the New England Patriots.

They may have had a little tougher road to the goal this year, folks, but they came out on top yet again. Despite continuing to nurse that right elbow injury, Tom Brady passed for 271 yards and a touchdown. He sneaked for a third down conversion to set up another score, and he threw a pretty impressive downfield block on another scoring drive, and that helped the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 24-17 on Saturday and clinched their 11th straight AFC East title. And this one lived

up to the hype, folks. A great game in Foxborough on Saturday. The Bills struck first, and it was actually their only big play in the first 29 minutes of the game, and that's when Bills safety Jordan Poyer punched the ball out of Rex Burkhead's hands. Micah Hyde recovered it, returned it 31 yards to the New England 31, and that led to a Buffalo field goal and a 3-0 lead. But Brady and the Patriots quickly responded. They put together a 75-yard drive. Brady went 5-for-5 and hit Matt LaCosse for an 8-yard touchdown score, and that made it 7-3. That was Brady's 539th touchdown pass. That tied him with Peyton Manning for second behind Drew Brees.

It was Brady's first touchdown pass to LaCosse, who became the 76th different receiver to haul in a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. That extended what was already a record, and Tom Brady continues to compile the impressive stats, folks. And the Pats would go on to extend their lead to 10-3 in a 36-yard field goal by Nick Falk, but in the closing minutes of the first half, the Patriots would fail on a conversion attempt from fourth and inches. Therefore, the Bills took over on downs with 36 seconds left in the half.

That gave them one more chance before the break to score. Most people were thinking field goal. The Bills were not. Josh Allen connected on two passes before dropping one in on Dawson Knox for 33 yards. That was originally ruled a touchdown, but the replay showed that he was brought down at the one-yard line. Two plays later, tackle Deion Dawkins was wide open for the touchdown, and that sent it into the half tied 10-10.

In the second half, the Patriots struck first, this time on a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk. That was the team's first attempt for more than 50 yards all season. And just a side note here, I just want to give some kudos to Nick Folk for hitting a 51-yard field goal. Even when completely healthy, that's considered to be beyond his range. Folk is just a little under a month removed from appendectomy surgery, and his ability to connect from that distance should give Patriots fans a little bit of extra confidence when it comes to the kicking game, especially as they head to the playoffs.

But with the score being 13-10, Allen and the Bills would roar right back. He would connect with his top wide receiving target, John Brown, on his longest pass of the season, 53 yards for the touchdown, and the Bills were on top 17-13. But the Pats would not be denied this one at home, folks. Rex Burkhead rebounded from his opening drive fumble, and he grabbed a one-yard touchdown with 5 minutes and 11 seconds left to give New England the lead. Brady then connected with Julian Edelman,

who continues to play through injury, folks, showing tremendous toughness. Earlier in the half, he was actually in concussion protocol, but he came back out on the field and made his presence felt. Tom connected with Julian on the two-point conversion, and the Patriots took the lead 24-17. And that's how the scoreboard would stay in this one, folks. Josh Allen had an up-and-down game. He completed 13 of 26 passes, 208 yards.

He ran for 43, and in probably one of his more impressive moments of the night, he ran for a first down on 4th and 1 from the Patriots 30, and that was with about 3 minutes left. Allen looked to be stopped pretty quickly, but credit him, he used his legs and was able to fight for the first down. With a first and goal from the 8, he was stopped on a run though. He overthrew Dawson Knox in the end zone, and then was sacked by Adam Butler. Facing a 4th and goal from the 15 with just over 1 minute left,

he was forced out of the pocket. He threw the ball up for grabs into the end zone, and it was knocked down by J.C. Jackson. And at that point, victory formation was just a formality, and the New England Patriots would walk away with the victory. For Tom Brady, he continued his career dominance against Buffalo. He is now 32-3 against the Bills all time. As for the Bills, they fall to 0-6 against the Patriots since Sean McDermott has become head coach. But the story in this one is the Patriots clinching the 2019 AFC East title and extending their own record of 11 straight from 2009 to 2019. Since Robert Kraft took over the team 26 seasons ago, the Patriots have won 19 AFC East division

titles. It's their 17th under head coach Bill Belichick. It's just yet another example of the Patriots' divisional dominance throughout the years. However, the victory did not come without its share of concerns, and there are some injury concerns to keep an eye on this week, folks. Cornerback Jason McCourty, who missed last week's game, was active for this one, but he left the game after aggravating his groin injury offensive lineman marcus cannon left with an ankle injury and did not return julian edelman just continues to pile up the injuries he's already hampered by a shoulder we know about the situation with his knee and he entered concussion protocol in this game after a collision that led to an offensive pass

interference penalty against him he did go to the blue tent he was sent to the locker room but then shortly thereafter he returned and ended up scoring the Patriots' final two points of the night on the conversion in the fourth quarter. So again, be sure to keep a sharp eye on the injury reports this week, folks. A lot of banged up Patriots as we head toward the final game of the season, and that will happen this Sunday as the Patriots host the Miami Dolphins, and they will look to secure a first-round buy in the playoffs. And a week of rest is exactly what this team needs.

But Miami is a better team than the one that the Pats obliterated in Week 2, folks. And momentarily, I will be joined by Thomas Murphy, who will offer his thoughts on the Pats' victory over the Bills, whether we should be concerned about the Dolphins' visit to Foxborough on Sunday, and he will provide his big green Patriots grievance on this Festivus Monday. The holidays are a time to spend with family, and with it being Christmas week here on Locked On Patriots, this man is not just a guest, he is family.

And as Don Vito Corleone once said, a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. And today being Festivus, we might just allow him a Festivus grievance. He is a columnist extraordinaire for DieHardBostonSportsFans.com, along with another fellow member of the Lockdown Familia here, Steve Balistrieri. He compiles one half of the hosting tandem of the One Patriots Place podcast, which, next to Lockdown Patriots, is my favorite Pats podcast. He is my main green man, my brother Thomas Murphy.

Murph, welcome back to Locked On Patriots, buddy. Dude, thank you for having me. Nothing could thrill me more than spending this time here with you on a Sunday when there's no Patriots football and you just wander around the house saying, what do you mean there's no Patriots? I've got to watch other football? It's ugly out there too, man. It's ugly when you're watching other ball games. It really is, especially you take a look at the Saturday slate and how great those games were. Not just the Patriots game, but you take a look at the 49ers and you take a look at the Texans game earlier in the day.

It was such a great slate. And then you take a look at the Sunday slate and, yeah, there were some good games and then there were some real, you know, like, well, you know, make sure you raise your eyebrow a little bit. But, Murph, my pleasure. I mean, I can't think of any better place to be for the holiday. And, you know, before we share a Festivus grievance and indulge in some of the holiday

eggnog that we have here at Locked On Patriots, let's start with the 2019 AFC East Division Champions. And, you know, Murph, the Pats had quite a few bright spots on Saturday night, but one of the brightest spots to me was the reengaging of the Patriots offense. And Tom Brady completed passes to nine different players, four receivers, three running backs, two tight ends, Partridge in a pear tree, whole nine yards. He was all over the place.

But for the first time in a while, I think the Patriots looked like they were returning to that type of offense that they ran during the postseason so effectively last year. They were running the ball. They had Tom slice away at the defense in small yardage chunks. Until Saturday, it seemed like the Pats just didn't have that level of precision that's required to run that type of attack. But Julian Edelman and Rex Burkhead stepped up big. They proved to be really dangerous. Edelman was in single coverage. He said after the game, when he

saw that, he was licking his chops. Credit Josh McDaniels. When he saw the Bills' pass rush over committing, he deferred to Burkhead and the screen game, and it worked very, very well. And all the while, the Patriots hammered the ball with Sonny Michel. He had a big game yesterday, 21 carries, 96 yards. So Murph, in your expert, professional opinion, have the Pats finally figured this out? I believe they have. I had said two weeks ago that you were about to see an explosion, and over those two weeks, those things have happened. And Kiel Harry is getting much more involved in this offense.

Defenses are having to pay more attention to him and the talent that he has, and that's opening things up for other people throughout this offense. They're doing some interesting things with Edelman. He looked a lot healthier this week, and he was dragging a little more coverage around the field. They were doing it from the outside, from the inside, and Tom was looking to other places to go with the ball when he did see the double coverage on him.

And those people were open and in the spots that they were supposed to be. And when they paid attention to those things, Edelman was getting this single coverage, and we saw what happened there. Burkhead was was he he was he was he was good not great um i i still have a problem with with what happened on that first drive getting that ball punched out the way it did it really really ticked me off for the game and he had to really come back from that and shake that off. I think he did that pretty well. I agree with you. I think that Burkhead definitely had a rough beginning. Anytime you fumble the ball, naturally, and I know my Twitter timeline

and I'm sure your Twitter timeline were getting flooded with people saying, there goes Burkhead, doghouse, you fumbled the ball this late in the season and you get the ball knocked out in a Bill Belichick-run team, you're going to find yourself in the doldrums, you know, sooner rather than later. But you've got to give them credit. They actually did stay with him. I thought Rex did show a lot of determination, a lot of grit, and did come back nicely. But again, you have to take care of the football.

He has to hold on to that. That could have been a much more catastrophic play for the Patriots. They're very, very fortunate that they only surrendered three on that, and it didn't end up being seven right away. So I think it's definitely a tough moment, and I'm sure he was upset about it. But the fact of the matter is that he was able to bounce back. So I agree with you. Good, maybe not great, but I think there's definitely something there

and a matchup that we can probably see down the line in the playoffs. One thing I did want to mention, and you briefly touched on this, was the play of Nikhil Harry. He had four touches for 39 yards. You look at the stat line, you're not going to see anything that really jumps up off the page. He broke a few tackles. I thought he showed some good ability to shine through some contact and be able to be physical. But the one thing that I was really impressed with, I should say Saturday, was his use as a run blocker.

Whether he was lined up in the slot or on the outside, Harry really, I think he got physical with the defensive backs. He helped create space for the team's ground game. And the ground game was effective. It ended up finishing 35 carries for 143 yards by committee and a touchdown. So in that, you see something like that, and you see a guy really getting himself, mixing it up, playing in the majority of the game, not just being a skill position player, but really mixing it up and throwing a block or two.

I thought that was as big of a key as any to see what Tom Brady did for him, serving as the lead blocker when he had the 18-yard reverse. I thought that that was really a great moment for Harry and a really great moment for Brady, definitely a good clip at the very least. Do you believe that that type of a vote of confidence, meaning that Brady putting himself on the line like that to block for a rookie could be just what Harry needs to be the springboard for him being a reliable target for Tom in the playoffs? I do. I do. I think it speaks volumes to a youngster like Harry. And it goes to show

that Tom Brady, this is something that he's seen in meeting rooms and in practice now for weeks, that Brady is a leader. But when he goes out and he does something like that, it flips a switch in any young ball player. And I think you hit it right on the head. Yeah, I think so. You even heard Nikhil Harry say afterwards that he was humbled by that. He defined Tom Brady and said,

that's a true quarterback. That's what a quarterback does. He's not just back there to throw the pass or back there to point the finger at someone if they missed the tackle or they missed the tackle or they missed a route or anything like that. Putting himself on the line and keeping himself in the play after the ball leaves his hands is something that Tom Brady's always done. We can't always say that for some of these quote-unquote goat quarterbacks that are put in

his category. Tom has always consistently done that throughout his career, and I think that's something that maybe he doesn't get enough credit for, but it was great to see him mix it up yesterday. You know, 42 years old, he's still going to put his body on the line. He's still going to do it, even with a bum elbow, quote-unquote. And we'll get to that elbow in a little bit, believe me. But I think it speaks volumes. But I really was impressed with the way Harry was used as a run blocker yesterday. Shades of Rob Gronkowski, and I don't want to compare the two because I think, first of all, I think it's a disservice to Nikhil to be compared to someone as prolific as Rob this early on in his career, especially with the time he's missed.

But they play two different positions as well. He's not a tight end. Rob was a tight end. A tight end's part of, unless you play in Kansas City, excuse me, I'm sorry, it's part of your job description to block as a tight end. I shouldn't have said that. It's Festivus here, Murph.

I've got to let some of the grievances out a little bit. No, I'm kidding. But in any case, it is part of your job description as a tight end to block. Wide receiver, not so much. It tends to be more of a finesse position, but it was good to see Nikhil get in there and do that yesterday, and I think it could lead to some big things for the Patriots offense. We did mention Tom's elbow, and we saw it heavily wrapped after the game.

A pregame report from Mike Giardi, who you and I both know and we trust as much as anyone in the business. Mike's one of the great guys and one of the very accurate guys in the business. Advised that he might be suffering and probably is suffering from tennis elbow. And another mutual friend of ours, Dr. Jessica Flynn, who was my guest here just a couple weeks ago here on Locked On Patriots, chimed in with some of the issues that could be resulting from that. Tom looked pretty good yesterday. Is this just a matter of him being able to play through pretty much anything, or is this something that we should be concerned about down the line into the playoffs,

especially if they don't get that all-important first round bye? I am cautiously optimistic because of the man that Tom Brady has shown himself to be. He would right now have the record for consecutive starts by an active quarterback if it wasn't for that four-game vacation that he was handed and the fact that the league holds that against him in that book. This is a man that shows up to work every day, especially on Sunday. There's no way he's going to miss that, and it is. It's just going to be a pain management thing uh it is it is a very debilitating um condition to have uh but with the right treatment during the week which we all

know tom's getting both you know from the trainers and at tv12 i it's not something that i'm really going to worry about yeah this is the first time I've ever seen in 20 years Tom Brady with his elbow wrapped up in ice after the game. And it's something that he's going to have to manage. It's something that he will get over with in time. It's just, you know, it does. It makes the bye week all that more important for this entire team they really need this week off right now this team is really banged up and tom is no different and people you

have to realize this is a 42 year old man um when i was 42 years old uh i couldn't walk a flight of stairs without groaning and grumping even getting out of of bed. But Tom will get through it. The training staff will show him the way, and he'll be there every Sunday from now on. I do have to say that this was the best I've seen Tom Brady look since maybe week two, week three. He looked really good. I was shocked after Mike's report that he was able to come out and throw the ball as well as he did.

Yeah, it was. And to me, I think it's a testament to who Brady is. And you hit the nail right on the head. I think it's just a matter of him showing up to work every day, knowing what has to be done, and going out and doing it, and making it look easy. And that's part of his greatness. That's part of how we've been fortunate to be able

not only to cover Tom and to be able to follow him, but also just as far from being a fan and taking a look at what he's brought to the game. It really is remarkable. You mentioned the bye week, and I will get to that importance. And if there are any impediments to the Patriots getting to that, in a

moment with Murph, we've gushed about the pass offense for a little bit, talked about the emergence of Nikhil Harry, talked a little bit about Julian Edelman, Rex Burkhead, but the defense once again proved why this is the NFL's best of the best, and in just a moment, Murph and I will discuss the defense,

and I will also allow my good friend the opportunity to air his festivus grievance when it comes to your New England Patriots. Once again, I am joined today by Thomas Murphy, and Murph, the Pats defense continues to come up big when needed, and yesterday was no different. The defensive front, to me, has really impressed, particularly Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler. I think they've helped to aid in the pass rush. I think they've made the run defense an asset instead of a liability. And coupled with the league's most productive secondary and a linebacking core that really was so effective in blitzing Josh Allen yesterday impressed me. And so many have said that a dual threat quarterback like Allen, that's their weakness.

That's this Patriots defense's team's weakness. Do you think Saturday's game was a statement game for this defense in proving that they can defend against these guys and maybe prove some of the doubters wrong? Or do you think it was just business as usual for an elite unit? Honestly, I think it was business as usual for an elite unit. Thank you. I think the aberration was the bad game, the game against Baltimore, when they were over-pursuing, where guys were not minding their gaps, when they were allowing the getting – when the defensive line was being pushed back behind the quarterback and he was able to find lanes to move in and run in.

That's the aberration. This is the defense that we see week in and week out, a group of professionals that know their job and do it well. I can't say that this was any kind of a statement because this defense has been making this statement all season long through to last year during the playoffs when it really came together and said that we are not going to be the Achilles heel. They looked around in the defensive meeting rooms and said,

it's on us. Right now, it's on us right now. It's on us and we've got to do our part. And they've done their part in all, but I consider one game this year, they had one bad game and everybody's writing this team off and saying, well, you can run on the Patriots. Well, they've shown time and time again that that's not the case.

They've shut down some of the best running backs in the NFL this year. And I think that they'll continue to do that deep into the playoffs. Yeah, I agree. I think it was definitely business as usual. And I think that a lot of people that were buying into the fact that, oh, the dual-threat quarterbacks, this is something that the Patriots can be exploited, I don't necessarily believe that they were exploited in any other game, like you said, than the Baltimore game. Yes, there were the two losses to Houston, to Kansas City.

I think a lot of that was more on offensive miscues and difficulties converting there than it really was about the defense, especially in the second half of that game. The defense had a little bit of a hiccup in the second quarter against Kansas City, but then I think straightened out and flew right pretty much for the rest of the game. So I do believe that they will carry this team deep into the playoffs, and that secondary continues to impress. I mean, Stephon Gilmore, people want to give him any flack about the blown coverage. That's the first time that's happened to him all year, and it took until week 16 for the guy to actually blow a tackle against a guy in John Brown who is not a pushover. That's a very formidable, formidable wide receiver. He's fast. He's

got great feet. He's very savvy and a real smart veteran. Give the guy a little bit of a break, and for the most part, Patriots fans are. I don't want to make it seem like everybody's hopping on him. No, the fans are not. You don't hear it from the fans. You hear it from the people looking for talking points, the people on the radio dials that need something to yak on about for six hours every day.

Absolutely. We might be sniffing a little bit of what Murph might be cooking when it comes to his festive grievance. But before we get to that, I do have one more question for you related to what's going on on the field in Foxborough. And I know it's early, my friend, but Sunday we saw the Miami Dolphins jump out to a big lead and then almost cough it up to the Cincinnati team that, with all due respect to my friend Joe Goodberry at Locked on Bengals, since

he's 1-14 for a reason, folks. And, you know, I never look past any team, and I know that the Patriots have to do their job, quote-unquote, which there's a whole other kelp of fish, but we'll let that sit. The Patriots have to go out and win Sunday no matter what. That's something that's important for them, and you know it's going to be important for them. But is there any possibility that this could be a trap game lurking, especially with Ryan Flores' familiarity with the Patriots' personnel,

or do you think the Patriots come out guns blazing, knowing they need that bye week, and saying we can't leave anything to chance, we have to get this one done? It's the latter. Yeah. Pardon me. I'm sorry. No, it's okay. It's the latter. There is no way that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and company are going to allow that to happen. There are too many leaders on this team to fall into a trap at this time during the year. It makes no difference what the score of the first game was when they went down there to Miami. This is a completely different team and I believe

a much better Miami Dolphins team even though they did have a slip up in the fourth quarter today. They are on page down there with Flo, Brian Flores, you know, old friend who does know this team very well. But I don't think that he doesn't have the horses to come up here and do that yet, not at this time. Even with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, it's simply not going to happen. Yeah, and I agree with you.

I think that I would, for one, be extremely shocked if that did happen and the Patriots didn't take care of their own business. I'll eat an elf on the shelf if that does. I'll eat the elf on the shelf. Bill had about two or three of them on the podium last night. I saw it. Yeah, there were a few of the guys. I think Lawrence Guy was one of the

guys that came in and started putting him on the podium. Bill, halfway through his press conference, I guess, noticed it. It was a funny moment in Foxborough yesterday. In any case, I do agree with you. I think that you have to be impressed with the way that

Miami has rallied around Brian Flores. I know we're both happy to see it. It's tough for Patriots guys to give Miami any type of kudos and say that you're kind of pulling for them just a little bit, but Brian Flores, he's one of them. It is. It really, it's hard. It really is hard. I'll be the first to admit it, but Flores is such a likable guy. He's such a stand-up and good guy that you want to see him succeed. And we were hoping that it wasn't a situation where he was just being thrown to the Lions to an 0-16 start and just being completely obliterated.

He really has gotten that team to play with him. And I think they're on the cusp of something big if they utilize the draft capital that they have and the cap space that they have to start bringing in players and to start building for the future. Maybe not this year. Definitely not this year. Maybe not this year coming up in 2020. that they have and the cap space that they have to start bringing in players and to start building for the future. Maybe not this year. Definitely not this year. Maybe not this year coming up in 2020, but maybe 2021, 2022, you might see the Miami Dolphins start to emerge as a force in the AFC East.

Last but not least, my good friend, I am going to give you the floor that you were born to occupy, my friend. And from Spygate to Deflategate to Brady being a system quarterback to the Patriots being in the league's pocket, we've had to deal and put up with a ton of jealousy and hatred from pretty much anybody that isn't a Patriots fan. So today's Festivus, and in that tradition, we want to bring out the angry green man for a moment.

What's your biggest grievance regarding the sludge-like takes that are hurled at the Pats each and every year, buddy? The people throwing this bile, this venom at the masses, I say, think they're stupid. You people aren't stupid. You're not. And it really ticks me off that they feed into this narrative in trying to create something that isn't there. Like I said, this is a very smart fan base. This is a fan base that gets past the headlines. And I'm just done with it. It's to the point now, anybody who follows me on Twitter will know every day that I will tweet out alternatives to listening to these people. And I hope that you tune into those alternatives instead of spinning the dial halfway up or all the way up, wherever it is on the AR or FM side.

I'm done with it. I'm done with the people that are making the decisions in this town because, quite frankly, I could put together a better radio station and radio lineup than any of them, and I would bury them in, like, two books with just friends and family, like I have here. But that's my grievance for this year. It's just another knock-, drag out, you know, situation where they don't allow Patriots fans to enjoy being Patriots fans. And I'm tired of it.

Sit back and enjoy it, folks, because it's coming to an end. and we're never going to see anything like this ever again, ever. Absolutely. So eloquent and so well said, and very reserved, my friend, and I do appreciate that, especially here on Locked on Patriots, but it was a grievance that I think everyone shares, and I completely agree with you when it comes to being able to enjoy the moment. When you talk about these division championships, you talk about the fact that now they've only won three division championships before Kraft bought the team, and now you just take a look at the fact that they have 19 under Kraft,

17 under Belichick, 11 straight. They're adding to their own record. They keep rewriting the history books. Six Super Bowl titles, AFC crowns, MVPs for Tom Brady. It's been an amazing run. And, again, you will never see anything like this again in any professional sport. I don't think that there's any type of continuity that can be sustained for that long period of time.

These guys just have done an amazing job. So I agree with your Festivus grievance. I think it should be something that should be enjoyed. I always try to preach that and give that message to our listeners here at Locked On Patriots. Always try to look at the silver lining in everything. The sky's not going to fall, folks. The sun's going to come up tomorrow. And you know what?

Chances are if Bill Belichick is stoking the sidelines and Tom Brady's taking snaps under center, Patriots are going to fall, folks. The sun's going to come up tomorrow, and you know what? Chances are, if Bill Belichick is stoking the sidelines and Tom Brady's taking snaps under center, Patriots are going to be just fine. So I think that's a great way to segue into the Christmas break, my friend, and what can I say? You lend your wisdom and counsel like no other. That's why you're

familiar not just to me here at Locked On Patriots, but to me personally. I've thanked you several times during Thanksgiving week. It's Christmas week. I'm going to do it again. Sounds like a broken record. I don't care. You're one of the big reasons why I've had the success I've had in this business,

and I appreciate you as a friend. I appreciate you as a colleague. And every single time you come on here, you make this a better show. You make me a better man, and I can't thank you enough. I thank you for joining me today. Folks, follow the man on Twitter, at TeamMurf207. The columns, including the monster

keys, that's a must-read each and every week for game time. Continue to do that as long as the Patriots continue to play games. Never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with Murph and Steve. These guys are tremendous at what they do. Two great friends, two great men. And, buddy, thanks again. I wish you

and yours sincerely a very Merry Christmas, my good man. And the same to you, my friend. Truly humbled. Truly, I'm speechless. Thank you. Well, I mean every word of it. Thank you so much for coming on today. And we look forward to more Murph in 2021 and beyond

all set and ready to go. And you're always a favorite of ours, and you will continue to be. Thanks again, my friend. Anytime, buddy. And before I wrap things up here today, this is holiday week, folks. And whether you celebrate the spiritual or religious aspects of Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or if the holiday week is just a chance for you to celebrate the good fortune and love of friends and family, this is a time to reflect on your blessings, and I just wanted to take

a moment to thank each and every one of you for making Lockdown Patriots a part of your daily listening routine. Since taking over from my friend Mark Schofield on August 7th, I've been honored to be a part of your sources of information on the New England Patriots. You continue to make me feel so welcome with some of the great feedback I've been honored to be a part of your sources of information on the New England Patriots. You continue to make me feel so welcome with some of the great feedback I've received, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. I continue to be blessed

to be a part of the Locked On Podcast Network and the great team we have here, but to be given the chance to host a daily podcast of a team in the New England Patriots that I have covered and continue to cover, but also a team of which I've been a fan of all my life, that doesn't get a chance to happen to everyone. It's truly amazing,

and I'm truly grateful to have been given that chance. And last and certainly not least, I'm appreciative for all of you listeners out there. Each and every download, subscription, and kind message that I receive means so much to me, and your support makes this show and all of the great shows across the Locked On Podcast Network possible.

So whether you're a new listener or a longtime listener, I appreciate all of you very much, and I sincerely wish you and your families a very happy, healthy, and enjoyable holiday week. And as for me, I will be back later this week after a brief break for Christmas Eve and Christmas. And yes, folks, our crossover will still be a part of your week. I am looking forward to sharing the microphone with Travis Wingfield of Locked On Dolphins, so please keep a sharp eye out for the latest on our broadcast schedule. Continue to join me here on the Locked On Patriots podcast by subscribing via your preferred podcast provider.

Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. Thanks again to Thomas Murphy for his time and insight today. But most of all, I thank you again so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Happy holidays, everyone.