Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Beaten By Buffalo: Patriots Downed by Bills 38-9 — 12/29/2020

Episode Date: December 30, 2020

The Buffalo Bills throttled the New England Patriots in a 38-9 win on Monday Night Football at Gillette Stadium in Week 16. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com The duo discuss the problematic situation at quarterback, the questions surrounding the cornerback situation and how much ‘blame pie’ should be served to head coach Bill Belichick and the coaching staff.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetterHelpI want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/LockedOnDoorDashRight now, our listeners can get $5 off and zero delivery fees on their first order of $15 or more, when you download the DoorDash app and enter code LOCKEDON. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Tuesday, December 29th, 2020, and today we review the beat down your New England Patriots received at the hands of the Buffalo Bills 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.

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Watch it. Patriots Nation, thank you so much for joining me here today on this Patriots Bills Monday Night Football recap episode of the pod. 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

always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFBC. And while you're doing some Tuesday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Pats fans, the Buffalo Bills came into town last night on a mission and they certainly accomplished it.

The changing of the guard is complete atop the AFC East, at least for this year. Just one week after those Bills unseated your New England Patriots as AFC East division champions, Buffalo became the first AFC East team in two decades to sweep New England in a season series. A 38-9 victory last night at Gillette, and if I'm being honest, this one felt like it was over after the first possession.

Josh Allen showed why he's becoming one of the more elite quarterbacks in this league, passing for four touchdowns, going 27 of 36 passing for 320 yards. Allen now has 34 touchdown passes. That surpasses Jim Kelly to set a Bills franchise single season record. He also notched his A300 yard game, surpassing old friend and former Bills quarterback, of course you know him better as former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Drew had previously held the single season mark, with seven games either at or near 300 yards passing. Stephon Diggs was masterful in this one, nine catches for 145 yards, three receiving touchdowns,

that set a Bills single season record for receiving yards. And again folks, a memorable night for the Buffalo Bills, a very forgettable night for the New England Patriots, who again just had way too many problems moving the ball on offense. The Pats struggled to move the ball for most of the night, and really you could see the handwriting on the wall before this one even started when running back Damian Harris was declared inactive for this game about an hour before kickoff. Harris out for the second straight game with an ankle injury. Cam Newton did have a touchdown run, but was just 5 of 10 for 34 yards passing before being pulled in the third quarter for Jarrett Stidham. Cam's 34 passing yards are the fewest by a Patriots starting quarterback

since 1993. That being said, the running game did show some signs of life. Sonny Michelle ran the ball well when he had the opportunity. So did James White. Cam Newton himself ran the ball pretty effectively. And even J.J. Taylor got in on the action. Excellent run blocking by the offensive line. Really the only bright spot for the Patriots in this game. Because, if I'm being honest, the defense was equally as bad as the offense in this one. Buffalo had no trouble moving the ball. And they really took advantage of a depleted Patriots defense that was missing linebacker

Juwan Bentley and defensive tackle Lawrence Guy due to shoulder injuries. The middle part of that defense could be had, and Buffalo had it all night long. Especially in the passing game, Patriots were not able to put much pressure at all on Josh Allen. They allowed him a lot of time to be able to find open receivers. All in all, the Patriots allowed a season-worst 474 yards overall. Yikes. Not much was better in the secondary, where for the last couple of days here on the pod, we've been hyping up the matchup between J.C. Jackson and Stephon Diggs. Jackson played some solid coverage early

on, but then J.C. started jarring at Stephon Diggs a little bit, and when you get inside someone's ear, especially a wide receiver as talented as Stephon Diggs, they're going to exploit your weaknesses. And that's exactly what Diggs did. And as a whole, the Bills on both sides of the ball put a pillar to post beating of the New England Patriots to really accentuate the fact that this is now their division, at least for 2020. And to make matters worse, not only did the Patriots suffer a demoralizing loss on the field last night, but they also suffered the loss of a number of players, on which we will keep a sharp eye this week to find out their playing status for Sunday's game against the Jets.

Defensive end Tayshaun Bauer leaving in the first quarter with a neck injury. Josh Uche, the rookie linebacker, showing a lot of promise. He exited in the second quarter with a foot injury. Therese Hall, who actually played some pretty solid run defense. As for his pass defense, that's another story, but we can work on that. Therese, I think, has been a bright spot for the Patriots defense this year. He left in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Safety Devin McCourty, who was really playing solid defense in this contest,

he exited in the third quarter with a shoulder injury as well. A couple of injuries along the Patriots offensive line to keep an eye on. Both leaving this game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury as well. A couple of injuries along the Patriots' offensive line to keep an eye on. Both leaving this game in the third quarter. Right guard Shaq Mason with a foot injury. And David Andrews at center leaving with a calf injury. Last but certainly not least, linebacker Anfernee Jennings leaving in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury. And you have to wonder, with the Patriots not playing for a playoff spot,

at this point not even playing to salvage a 500 record on the season, you have to wonder whether some of these guys will get a chance to play on Sunday, or if based on the severity of any of these injuries, that they just close up shop and keep a sharp eye toward 2021. Bottom line folks, and definitely unfortunate for anyone in Patriots Nation, this is one that the Patriots would surely love to forget, and there is a lot to break down in this matchup, including the lackluster quarterback play not only from Cam Newton, but also Jarrett Stidham. This game also brought into sharp contrast

whether or not J.C. Jackson is going to be ready to assume that mantra of number one corner on this team. After his performance last night against Stephon Diggs, it looks like J.C. still has a lot to learn. I think he's got the potential, but he might not be ready for prime time quite just yet. But is this simply a player issue? Do the Patriots need to look inward at the coaching decisions being made? And I don't just mean play-calling, folks.

I mean personnel building. That means the offensive coaching staff, the defensive coaching staff, and the head man himself, Bill Belichick. Bottom line, folks, the Patriots have serious problems and they need serious people to solve them. And luckily for all of us here today on the pod, we have our resident voice of reason that will shed some light on what the Patriots must do to fix some of these issues heading into 2021.

My good friend, columnist extraordinaire for Patsfans.com, Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on the pod. And we'll talk Patriots quarterbacks. We'll talk Patriots cornerbacks. We'll discuss the problems on the coaching staff. And of course, in true Locked On Patriots fashion, we'll end on a high note, and we'll talk about how that running game

alongside the run blocking might be the foundation for the Patriots deciding to reload instead of rebuilding in 2021. So sit back and settle in, folks, as my good friend Steve Balistrieri will join me here on the hot seat in just a moment to break down all the action last night from Gillette as the Patriots fall to the Bills 38-9. But first, Pats Nation, I know it's been a tougher season than we're used to here in New England, and your enthusiasm for your New England Patriots might be waning just

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get daily picks and quick advice to make the smallest possible wagers. Subscribe to Locked on Bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag wherever you get your podcasts. But Pats fans today here on the pod, we get our weekly dose of reason and accountability. And to help me further break down last night's forgettable experience in Foxborough is my Patriots Paisan, an amazing columnist for Patsfans.com, one of only a handful of guests that occupies a weekly spot here on the Lockdown Patriots podcast. And when I say handful, I mean only one of two.

And, of course, one of the best guys in this or any business. My good friend Steve Balistrieri joins me here today. Welcome back to Lockdown Patriots, buddy. Hey, thanks for having me. Unfortunately, we're not talking about many positives this morning, are we? Yeah, not really. I mean, too few and far between to even think about. Just plain and simple, but it's just this was not pretty last night. The Patriots were soundly beaten on both sides of the ball.

Tons of low lights, like you said. But there was a bright spot. And seeing that we like to end on a high note, I think we'll save that for last. And we'll give our listeners a little something to feel positive about as they go about their day listening to this podcast. But it's probably not a surprise on where we're going to start. And that's the quarterback position. Cam Newton, 5 of 10 passing, 34 yards. Steve, we can't sugar coat this. That's flat out terrible. Uh, you can't expect to win in this league and expect to pass the ball like that and be able to win. There's no question about it. And Cam has been accountable. He's been, you know, very forthright, very

forthcoming with all of the information coming from him. And he's also, you know, expressed his desire to get better. And believe it or not, he did show some signs that there are plays to be made out there, especially on the opening drive. I thought this was clever play calling. They had him off guard. They executed it very well. Tamir Bird just makes the drop. And if he makes that catch, maybe we're looking at a different game.

But that still doesn't make amends for the shortcomings here at this position. just makes the drop. And if he makes that catch, maybe we're looking at a different game, but that still doesn't make amends for the shortcomings here at this position. Cam has shown that he can be elusive. I think we saw that last night, breaking some tackles, maybe making some shifty moves and breaking free from some of the pressure, but he just no longer has the physical tools to make off-balance throws easily. So he needs to get sharper with his footwork and with his execution, and we just haven't seen enough of that. And because of that last night, we got a chance to get a look at Jarrett Stidham, and I think now we're starting to see why the Patriots may not exactly be jumping at the opportunity to get Jarrett on the field. Albeit, I do understand

it's in mop-up time. He didn't have a chance to practice with the starters or practice as the number one but i'm not seeing a whole lot of elements here that shows that he is the guy that's going to be able to lead this team going forward uh he finishes the night four of 11 44 yards so that's not exactly a really great stat line and believe it or not that's enough to lead the patriots in passing, which is just unfathomable. Steve, how bad is the quarterback situation in New England right now? And how do you think the Patriots are going to address this in the offseason? Well, the quarterback situation is a complete mess.

When you have a net 56 yards passing in 2020's NFL, you have an issue. And, you know, for all the fans and media members that have been clamoring for Stidham to get in there because Cam skips the ball in front of receivers and stares them down, what did we see from Stidham? The exact same thing. He was staring down receivers. He was skipping the ball in front of them. You know, and again, you know, everyone's been questioning Belichick.

Well, why aren't they putting Stidham in? Well, I think you have your answer. They see this. He's not the answer. I think moving forward, they need to clean house. They need to decide, okay, we're going to bring in possibly a bridge quarterback for a year or two, and then we're going to have to go out and draft a young kid and pin our hopes that we draft the right one because neither one of these guys

is the answer. We saw that. It just all came home to roost last night. Yeah, it really did come home to roost last night. And shortly after the game, Peter Pekowski, who hosts Locked On today here on the Locked On Network, and I spoke a little bit about the Patriots' future plans, and we talked about what they need to do.

And, you know, it's not a clear-cut answer. It's not really a clear-cut decision that Bill Belichick and the Patriots' brain trust can make. We argued both sides. I argued that maybe it's time to look at the draft and maybe even try to move up from the number 15 position and try to draft one of these quarterbacks. I know Zach Wilson, a lot of people are very high on him right now.

Mack Jones out of Alabama. You know, Nick Saban, you know, tutelage. Maybe that is the answer. Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields seem to be out of their wheelhouse right now. They're projected to go one and two or at least close to that. But the other flip side to the coin is that you have a lot of these skill position players and maybe not enough firepower on offense around a young quarterback to make this a pretty quick reload instead of a full-on rebuild. And with Bill Belichick,

you know, on the closer side to 70 years of age rather than 60 years of age, you have to wonder how long he's going to want to stick around and retool. So do the Patriots go the short-term route with someone else? I've advocated several times here on the airwaves of locked on Patriots that they may be best served bringing back Cam Newton for one more year with maybe a little more firepower around him. The more you see on the field, it's getting tougher and tougher for me to make that argument. And I still think there is some shred of game left in Cam's arsenal. But the more you see, it's difficult.

And against a good Buffalo team last night, they definitely looked like they were having difficulty moving the ball on all cylinders. So we'll see what happens. It's going to be one of the more interesting off-seasons in New England I think we've seen in quite a while. And that includes last year when you lost, obviously, the greatest quarterback of all time.

But, Steve, the offense wasn't the only unit to have breakdowns last night. The defense was put on their heels as well. And the marquee matchup heading into this one was going to be Stephon Diggs. And whether or not J.C. Jackson could step up and be that number one shutdown corner that everyone is hoping that he could be. And this matchup ended up being pretty one-sided in the second half of it. But if you look at the first, J.C., I thought, had pretty solid coverage against Diggs, especially when it came to man coverage. But he started to get a bit mouthy with Stephon Diggs.

And that is a very, very slippery slope when you're dealing with a receiver that is that good. And the play that really sparked this exchange that back and forth and you saw it and you saw it on the other broadcast excellent coverage by jc jackson on a go route to digs i thought jc did a great job stayed square right at the line of scrimmage he jammed stefan once and then he get his hands back on digs after he tries to clear the jam so he didn't really give him an opportunity to shake it, looks back for the ball, and once he's in phase running with Diggs stride for stride down the sidelines, it really was, I thought, a great piece of film if you're trying to show what great press man coverage is, and I think J.C. Jackson played that perfectly. The problem is he let Stephon

Diggs know about it, and when you do that, you run the risk of incurring wrath. And next time up, sure enough, Stefan Diggs beats Jackson at the line in his release. But instead of J.C. playing the hands and trying to, you know, limit the damage, which is what Stefan Gilmore would have done in that situation, Jackson got a little greedy and he tried to undercut the route, tried to intercept the pass. Allen read it perfectly, made a nice throw. There's nobody behind JC. And then all of a sudden, you know, you get Stefan is off to the races and hits the end zone. And that led me to believe when you look at plays like that, that JC is on the cusp of being a number one corner in this league, but he's still a little bit too streaky. I think to have those keys handed to him just yet

Gilmore is someone who takes a more of a tempered approach he's just he's a more of a savvy veteran he's been there he's done that in your opinion bud do you think this solidifies the idea that now the Patriots are much better served by bringing back Stephon Gilmore or is this just JC Jackson running into a very difficult player am I overreacting here and thinking that JC needs more seasoning do you believe he's ready for that number one slot no not yet I don't believe he's ready yet I mean and you know it's not a one game thing when Gilmore was out earlier. Jackson was getting picked on a little bit in those games where he was out. So, you know, I don't think he's ready yet for that number one.

I know a lot of people think that Patriots have two number one corners. I don't think he's ready for that. I think he's an outstanding number two corner. But I don't think he's ready for that number one slot just yet. And, you know, that game last night on national television, you know, that might hurt. He's looking for a new contract and to get paid. And that's not going to do him a lot of favors, I think.

A lot of teams will watch that tape and think that, you know, maybe he isn't ready yet. Now, some of that comes hand-in-hand with the absolute total lack of pass rush last night, which they had no sacks, no quarterback hits, pretty much nothing. So that's awfully tough when you're a corner and you have to cover forever because, you know, eventually, and we saw it last night, guys are going to get open. And Josh Allen carved them up like a big fat turkey last night.

So part of that goes hand in hand. But, no, you know, I do believe that, you know, Jackson isn't quite ready for that. Not that he can't be. I'm not saying, you know, he's not going to be. I think that he can't be. I'm not saying he's not going to be. I think he can. I just, he's not ready yet. Yeah, I would agree with that.

And I think on an offshoot with that, with the secondary needing another corner that is savvy, that plays to limit the amount of damage after the play and not always go after and be that ball hawking. He's on the ball that's why he's been an interception machine this year but it's also why he's gotten himself into trouble and you saw that last night sometimes being a savvy corner is about giving up on the play itself to limit the amount of yards that a player is going to get after the catch that can be just as important to the tempo and the flow of a game than going after the ball and grabbing the interception. It's knowing that difference. And I just don't think Chasey is there yet. So completely agree with that assessment.

Staying on the defense for just a moment, Steve, and not to put you on the spot here, but it continues to look like the Patriots still struggle in the middle part of the field. And a lot of people have been saying lately that they're struggling on the middle part of the field because of the absence of Dante Hightower and what he brings to the middle part of that linebacking core and being essentially the quarterback of that defense. I think it's been more about limiting the interior of the defensive line and something that I don't think got enough press last night was Lawrence Guy being out of the lineup. This team just looks like it's a different aggression

at the defensive front when he's not in the lineup. How much of that contributed to the defensive output that we saw last night? Do you think that Guy's absence and maybe even a lack of a presence in the middle part of that linebacking core contributed just as much to some of the defensive breakdowns as J.C. just simply not being able to keep up with Stephon Diggs in the second half? Yeah, I mean, you look at the big picture. I mean, this has been an ongoing issue all year. And whenever Lawrence

Guy isn't in there, you know, obviously they lack a lot in the middle of the field. They were playing, you know, Perez Hall got the start, and I believe one of the guys, I think it was Riddick on the telecast last night, said, you know, he's not a guy you want in space, which he's not, but he does bring a load in the running game. And I think, you know, they have a couple of guys like that in Bentley and Hall, but it just limits what you can do in the middle of the field. And it just, it kind of, it's a snowball effect because, you know,

once they find that weakness, they're going to start exploiting it. And then when you move pieces to shore up that weakness, you're weakening yourself somewhere else. And they definitely missed Donta Hightower this year because he's very versatile. He's extremely physical and he's very smart. He knows that defense inside and out, and he recognizes concepts, what's going on around him.

And I think a lot of these younger guys, and not to bash on Therese Hall, who I thought until he got hurt, played really well in the running game. He made a couple of really thumping hits out there, and that's his specialty. But they really need some pieces on the defensive line and interior linebacker yeah without question and i'm glad you mentioned teres hall because for all of the difficulties that he seems to have in past coverage run coverage i think is where he may find his

niche on this team and maybe maybe just might be playing his way into the 53-man roster for the 2021 incarnation of the patriots but like you said, there are some pieces that are missing, and it's going to be an offseason where the Patriots have to address that. It's not just the quarterback that needs help, folks. Patriots definitely need it in a lot of different areas, and we saw that last night basically getting dropped by the division champion Buffalo Bills. Steve, the Pats play on the field left a lot to be desired,

but it might not all be about the execution on the field. Should the coaching staff be shouldering more of the blame? Well, folks, Steve and I will discuss that in just a moment. And we also try to find the silver lining in a lot of dark clouds from last night's game. Believe it or not, folks, there actually was one, and we will talk about that and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

Pets fans, NFL analyst Brian Peacock and former NFL scout Matt Williamson host Locked On's Peacock and Williamson every Monday through Friday. Brian and Matt give you the national perspective around the NFL, covering the latest news and insight on every game, every team, and every move around the NFL. Get your picks, your previews, and much more every weekday with the Peacock and Williamson podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Folks, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com joins me here today on the pod and steve

the pats coaching staff continues to take a lot of heat for their lack of answers defensively and sometimes maybe questionable or maybe even lackluster play calling by josh mcdaniels on the offensive side of the ball um i think it might be a little bit hard to put all of the blame on their shoulders and i know fans are really clamoring for a change at both the coordinator positions. They're basically ready to hang Josh out to dry. And I've seen a lot of negativity thrown around by about Steve Belichick. But, you know, when you cycle through different coverages, pressure packages, especially on defense or cycle through different types of plays that might be able to spark some hope in this offense. It's hard to say that the execution leaves a lot to be desired

when maybe some of the personnel that you're dealing with might not be able to handle that. Now, granted, it has to be put on the feet of the coaches that are calling the plays because quite simply if you're calling plays that your personnel can't handle that's on you as a coach but there also is something to be said about the lack of personnel on both sides of the ball this year Steve when you look at the coaching strategy of this team how much blame for the Patriots struggle should be on the coaching staff and for all of the criticism that the coordinators get how much of it do you think belongs on Bill's shoulders well you know I've been critical of the coaching staff a lot this year because

I thought that at times they just didn't have the team ready to play but you know, looking at that game last night, I have a hard time coming up with the, the, you know, placing the blame on the coaching staff. I thought they actually, I thought they had a pretty good game plan. They came out, you know, initially they were running the ball. Well, Sony Michelle had a nice run. They were opening holes for them. And then they called that fake play where they sucked the defense in because that second i think it was a second and 13 where the bills just

i mean you know how they're very very aggressive on defense they just charged up to get sony michelle that play was wide open and for all that we talk about, Cam Newton's issues, there was nothing wrong with that pass. I mean, he put it, and actually, what, it hit Damian Bird in the face. So you can't fault that. I thought that was a tremendous play call

because it caught the Bills, you know, with their pants down early in the game. Now, would that have changed the game? No, because defensively they couldn't stop them. But at the Bills, you know, with their pants down early in the game. Now, would that have changed the game? No, because defensively they couldn't stop them. But at the same time, you know, it deflates your offensive personnel when you make a perfect play call and then it's just not, you know, it's not executed.

Last night I didn't have a problem with it. I thought Steve Belichick's calls, with the exception of one or two plays, you know, they were in position to make plays. They just didn't make them. I think that speaks something to, you know, the personnel that are involved there. Now, we know they were very shorthanded last night, and they got even more shorthanded during the game.

They lost some people. But, you know, as difficult as it is at times with the coordinators, I don't find any fault with that last night. Yeah, and I think you make an interesting point about that in terms of the personnel that they've lost and also just the execution and things that can happen. And, look, this is a game of momentum in a lot of cases. I agree with you that ultimately the play to Bird would probably not have changed the game's outcome,

but it could have changed the complexity. That might have been a closer game because all of a sudden you put the Bills on their heels. Pats start playing with some confidence and maybe force a three and out, maybe catch the Bills a little off guard. The momentum can swing to your favor. So a lot of ways those moves and those executions that are not made can have a tendency to really have a damper effect on the game, and I think that's what you saw last night.

But there are a number of things that need to be addressed in the offseason, and while coaching, it seems to be an easy target, I think in a lot of ways you have to look at some of the way in which these plays are being executed and maybe that's an indictment on the coaching staff itself execution comes from practice and it comes from coaching and you know these players are pros they have to make the plays but you know maybe there's there's a balance of both there as well so but it wasn't easy to find that silver lining and we keep talking about it and I thought that'd be the perfect way to end today's conversation because we do like

to end on a high note. And we actually can do it legitimately. We're not really kind of digging deep and trying to make something good out of the bad. This was pretty good last night. And that's the Pats running game alongside the run blocking. I think it continues to be the best part of this team. And I don't really think it's an exaggeration to say that this was the only thing that the Patriots did really well last night,

save for the punting of Jake Bailey, which continues to be amazing. But New England managed to clear running holes for just about everybody that was touching the ball last night to run it, whether it be Cam Newton, Sonny Michelle, James White, even J.J. Taylor got a couple of nice rips, you know, up the middle or, you know, to the side. And a lot of that was because they just, they were running through big holes and that's good running from the backs, but they were really getting a lot cleared at the line of

scrimmage. Patriots finishing with 24 carries for 145 yards. And of course the one rushing touchdown by Cam Newton. Steve, as we look ahead to 2021 how can we expect the pats to keep the running game and the run blocking as the foundation for a 2021 reload yeah you know when when i'm looking at this i mean this this running game is really really good i mean the bills knew they were going to run, just like everybody does. But they still continued to run the ball effectively. You know, Sonny had 69 yards on just 10 carries.

J.J. Taylor, you know, he provides that little bit of a spark inside, you know, with the quickness and the speed, even though he's kind of diminutive out there. He averaged six yards a carry, you know, over six yards a carry, I believe. So, you know, when you're looking at it, if they even had, I don't even want to say a potent, but a complimentary passing game, this would be a very difficult offensive stop. But they just don't have it.

And I think, you know, with this offensive line, I think they have a really good, you know, core with this offensive line. They have a couple of really young guys that are playing very, very well. And I think they're set up to do that. I mean, you know, with Damian Harris and Taylor and Sony coming back next year, maybe Sony coming back. But, you know, there's a very good chance he does. I think they're set up pretty well, I mean, to continue this. They just need to obviously work on the other part of the offense.

But looking at the running game last night, they ran the ball effectively all night long. And, you know, the Bills knew they were going to run it, and they weren't able to really stop it completely. No, they truly weren't. They really and truly weren't. And when it comes to what the Patriots are able to do in terms of running the football effectively and hitting the holes, it really is a complementary piece between both the blocking of the offensive line and also, you know, being a savvy runner and being able to run through some of those holes. I tweeted out last night one of the big reasons why I think we've seen such a great resurgence of Sonny Michel being able to run the football and running with a little bit of authority is because he's running behind some great blocking and some great table setting by Jakob Johnson, who I thought has been great at the fullback position this year.

I really think he's done a very nice job of stepping in for someone like James Devlin, who really was a, I don't want to say an icon here, but I mean, he was an indelible part of what this team did offensively. And I think he played that fullback position so well. Danny Vitale was supposed to come in this year and shoulder some of that load. I thought Jakob came in as a second-year guy and come in this year and shoulder some of that load. I thought Jakob came in as a second-year guy and come in and do a great job with that. So hopefully the Pats will be able to keep some of that momentum. You mentioned the young players on this line playing well. Justin Harone has really been a great, nice surprise this year. Of course,

Michael Wainu, I think you can make an argument that he might have been in line for a Pro Bowl selection. And I don't think that's stretching the imagination. I'm not going to sit there and lament the fact that he didn't get the nod this year. But I think if he did, the argument could have been made that he was well deserving of that. Obviously, the big question for the Patriots is Joe Tooney. How will that play out? And right now, it's hard to believe that the Patriots are going to be able to shell out for the type of contract he's likely to command. So how do they weather that storm, and how do they address that? But if they can, and they have adequate pieces to be able to put

a line together without Tooney, this could be something they can hang their hat on for the future. Steve, what can I say? I really appreciate you coming on today, always lending your wisdom and counsel. We needed that type of level-headed thought process and that type of level-headed analysis, especially on a day like today. Yeah, I know the, you know, I'm not going to talk bad about my erstwhile partner, Mr. Pozzonovante, you know, who must have tweeted after every play last night. But, you know, as I always say, I have a sentimental weakness when it comes to my children, you know. I spoil them, as you can see,

because sometimes he talks when he should listen. Unbelievable. I love it You know, Mr. Balistrieri, my no is final I wish you could do business well in your new business I know you do very well Just as your interests don't conflict with mine So yeah, that's it And take the potted plant over there, He doesn't want to see it at all. Johnny Fontaine never gets that movie, does he, buddy?

No, he doesn't. And I can't look ridiculous. Thank you for the dinner and a very pleasant evening. So I guess it's time to wrap up because Mr. Belichick is a man who insists on hearing bad news immediately oh buddy uh what can i say steve thank you so much for joining me today buddy um please let us know what we can expect from the great pen the great voice of steve balistrieri in the coming week as we close out not only the 2020 season but also the calendar year of 2020. What can we look forward to in the next coming days and weeks from you, my friend?

Well, the biggest thing that we're all looking forward to is the end of 2020, I think, this year. You know, this has been a trying year in more ways than one. I know the Patriots won't, you know, look fondly back on this year at all. But, you know, as we speak, I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm re-watching this fiasco and writing my report card for the week. And it's, as you can imagine, it's not going to be very pleasant for most of the position. And then I'm going to look at the Jets, and believe it or not, I think, you know, this last game on Sunday,

I think you have to say the Jets probably would be favored. It's hard not to imagine that they won't be. You know, I mean, they're coming in, they're playing shockingly good football over the last couple of weeks. I think a lot of people were not expecting that. You know, there's going to be the chatter out there about whether or not the Patriots might be better off losing this game. I don't know if the word tank is in Bill Belichick's arsenal.

I still don't believe that. I never will. I said right from the beginning they weren't tanking. I don't think they are, and I don't even think they will in this last game. But it's hard to imagine that the J jets aren't at least going to come in and be a team. If they're not favored, then maybe, uh, you know, give them a, uh, a game and a real run for their money. And something that I don't think any of us would have called, uh, earlier in the season, but, um, there is still one game left and you know what, bud, uh, in true tried and true form, we will have you back here next week

to break it all down and talk about what the offseason purely holds because at that point, it'll be all about the offseason, and 2020 will be a distant memory. And I think I speak for all of Pat's nation when I say good riddance to this year, and I think I really speak for our entire nation when I say good riddance to this year for a lot of reasons, a lot of which have nothing to do with football. Buddy, what can I say? Thank you.

Stay safe. Stay well. A pre-very happy new year to you and yours. And we look forward to talking with you in 2021. Yes, I look forward to that as well. Because, you know, in the words of Mr. Mo Green, I'm going to make another Godfather reference here. You know, hey, Mr. Belichick, first of all, you're all done. The Belichick family doesn't have that kind of muscle anymore.

The Jets are coming in here and you're getting chased out of New England by Adam Gase and the other Jets. And you know what? It gives me an opportunity to end on this steve you're my older brother and i love you but don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again especially the jets thanks buddy i can't wait to talk football with you again next week stay safe and stay well have a great week bud bud. You too, man. Thanks again for having me. Anytime.

And so, Patriots Nation, two down and two to go on this abbreviated short holiday week here on Locked On Patriots. But don't let that fool you because there is still a ton to break down when it comes to the Patriots' loss to the Buffalo Bills and what it means for their future, both on the field and in the boardroom. And don't forget that your New England Patri means for their future, both on the field and in the boardroom. And don't forget that your New England Patriots also have one remaining game on the schedule, and Locked On Patriots still has you covered with a special New Year's Eve crossover Thursday

where I will be crossing the streams with John Buchko, host of Locked On Jets. So to be sure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight,

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