Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Bill O’Brien from a ‘Bama Perspective: Right Choice for New England Patriots, Mac Jones?

Episode Date: January 28, 2023

The New England Patriots’ hiring of Bill O’Brien as their new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach has created a great deal of excitement throughout the fan base. However, his departure fr...om the University of Alabama has caused some excitement of its own from fans of the Crimson Tide. Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Luke Robinson of Locked On ‘Bama to provide his unique insight on O’Brien’s performance as Alabama’s OC and his potential working relationship with Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriots And follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFLBuilt BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.PrizePicksFirst time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDONUltimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get startedFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 We're excited in Foxborough, but how do the people in Alabama feel about the hiring of Bill O'Brien? Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. 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, and thank you once again for making locked on Patriots, a daily part of your new England Patriots coverage, and also your first listen every day. Remember locked on Patriots is free and available on all platforms,
Starting point is 00:00:54 including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button, download, subscribe to, and follow locked on Patriots, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm your host, Mike debate.
Starting point is 00:01:03 I cover your new England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there showing some love to that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. That's fans. Today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to and they help you do it faster.
Starting point is 00:01:29 So post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash LockedOnNFL. And no question about it, we're all excited about the hiring of Bill O'Brien here in New England, bringing the offense back nowhere to go but up from the debacle that happened last year. So the New England Patriots right now are definitely excited for Bill O'Brien's arrival. But there's some excitement on this hire from the Alabama perspective as well, and maybe not for the same reasons we're all excited. We're going to get that Bama perspective today when I welcome in my good friend and colleague, host of the Locked On Bama podcast, Luke Robinson.
Starting point is 00:02:06 And Luke and I are going to discuss what was it about Bill O'Brien in Alabama that made him a better fit in New England. We're also going to talk about the potential budding relationship between both he and Mac Jones. How can Mac be beneficial to Bill? And how can Bill be beneficial to Mac? This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship and Luke and I are going to discuss that today so sit tight since before I welcome
Starting point is 00:02:30 him in in just a moment but first the coaching staff continues to make headlines here in New England folks the Patriots coaching staff arriving in Las Vegas to begin preparations for coaching the West squad in next week's annual East-West Shrine Bowl. Now, interestingly enough, the assignments that these guys are drawing for the Shrine Bowl really continuing to provide some additional clarity on their potential roles for the Pat staff in the upcoming season, particularly Bill O'Brien and Joe Judge. Now, despite this having been public knowledge since Tuesday, the New England Patriots made it official yesterday.
Starting point is 00:03:08 They announced Bill O'Brien as their new offensive coordinator and their quarterbacks coach. Now, again, folks, we're bringing Bill O'Brien back into the fold. Second tour of duty here in New England. Obviously, we all know he previously served under Belichick from 2007 to 2011. Coached the quarterbacks, called the offensive plays. One official season as the offensive coordinator and did an amazing job with that offense, leading guys like Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, and of course, Tom Brady.
Starting point is 00:03:37 But this time around, O'Brien being charged with the duty of repairing what really had been a fractured offense and i say that probably a little bit more credit than it deserves but under the direction of judge and patricia that offense severely regressed there's no question about it showed a lot of promise in 2021 but among the nfl's bottom teams when it came to total yards when it came to points per game and when it came to total yards, when it came to points per game, and when it came to yards per game. So Bill O'Brien is definitely going to be charged with repairing that offense. And all smiles all around Foxborough right now. Both sides feel this is the proper hire. Bill Belichick, always a man of few words, folks, but he did have a few regarding the hiring of Bill
Starting point is 00:04:22 O'Brien saying, quote, I am looking forward to working with Bill again. He is an excellent coach and an asset to our staff. Bill O'Brien actually sat down with Patriots.com and had a few words of his own. I encourage you to check out Patriots.com, go to that website, and you'll be able to find Bill's interview in its entirety. But essentially, it comes down to the fact that he had several suitors there were options on the table but the option on the table in New England and coming back here a place he's always loved a place he's always felt like was home was just too much to pass up and the Patriots will be better for it and it sounds like Bill is going to have not only a hand in what the Patriots do game planning wise
Starting point is 00:05:02 but he actually might have a hand in how they're going to set up their staff Jeff Howe of the Athletic reported on Thursday that O'Brien will almost certainly be joined by other additions to the Patriots coaching staff meaning that he's going to have input in any potential hirings on the offensive side of the ball again these are reports but Jeff is as good as anyone in the business. If he's putting his name to it, I'm putting a lot of trust in it. And that could mean that University of Oregon coach Adrian Clem, who we discussed earlier this week here on Locked On Patriots,
Starting point is 00:05:39 might be inching closer to becoming the new offensive line coach for the Patriots. Watch that one in the coming days, maybe even over the weekend, folks. We'll continue to have more on that when we come back here on Monday with our main man Murph but O'Brien's immediate future right now that takes him to Las Vegas and he's still multiple weeks away from hitting the practice fields and really getting his hands dirty in Foxborough but for right now he's going to be serving in a supervisory role with the Patriots coaches at the Shrine Bowl. He's also going to be joined by someone that initially we thought might not be joining in.
Starting point is 00:06:12 Yeah, folks, I'm talking about Joe Judge. Initially, he wasn't on the Patriots list of coaching roster that was submitted to the East-West Shrine Bowl, but apparently, according to reports, he will be serving in an advisory role out in Las Vegas this week as the Shrine Bowl is set to kick off on February 2nd. Now, Joe is in an interesting situation right now. We all know the reports coming out from the Boston Herald. We dedicated an entire show to it yesterday here, Murph and I giving our opinions. If you haven't had an opportunity to check that out, folks, yet, definitely go back, take a listen. Just the information that came out of that report alone were really worth a listen. And definitely check out the report itself on the Boston Herald by Andrew Callahan and by Karen Garigi.
Starting point is 00:07:00 And great work by both of them. But we know that Joe's future is uncertain in Foxborough right now. Bill O'Brien was installed not just as the offensive coordinator, but also the quarterback's coach. That means Joe Judge is not going to be involved in the offense, or at least not in an intricate role in the offense. And though the move was expected, I think everyone understood exactly why this happened. Bill O'Brien needs to be Mac Jones' quarterback coach. He needs to be the offensive coordinator.
Starting point is 00:07:35 And Joe Judge apparently really needs to take a step back from the offense for so many reasons. But that doesn't necessarily leave a whole lot of clarity as to where Joe Judge is going to end up. He previously served as the team's special teams coordinator so you look at what he does there and that seems to be a logical fit but cam atcher the current special teams coordinator has not been relieved of his duties or has not had his duties lessened in any way by the team so this ought to be interesting to watch another potential spot if they did want to keep joe in the offense he did serve as the wide receivers coach in 2019 that job currently held by Troy Brown Ross Douglas is backing him up there so
Starting point is 00:08:11 apparently it looks likely the fact that he's on this staff that Joe Judge will be on the staff this year we're just unfortunately unsure what that means for him right now and where he'll be so even though his future is unclear on the moment, I would look at his inclusion on the Shrine Bowl staff as an indication that Joe Judge will ultimately remain with the Patriots in some capacity in 2023. And if it is on the special team side of it, this is a good thing for the New England Patriots. This is where Joe Judge shines. This is probably where he should have been all along. And I think it's going to be an opportunity for him to show that he's still a very good coach in this league, a very good knowledgeable coach in this league, and maybe even catch the eye of a potential other suitor.
Starting point is 00:08:54 So right now, Bill O'Brien's hiring is pushing all the right buttons in Foxborough, but he didn't necessarily push all the right buttons in Alabama. There were some that are a little happy to see Bill O'Brien go from Alabama. And we're going to talk about that in just a moment when I welcome in my good friend, Luke Robinson, the host of Locked On Bama. And he's going to tell us all about what Bill O'Brien meant to Alabama and why his pairing with Mac Jones might be a blessing in disguise for both sides. This episode of Lockdown Patriots podcast will continue in just a moment.
Starting point is 00:09:31 But first, please remember that our show is presented today by LinkedIn Jobs. As a small business owner or hiring manager, you know that success in 2023 all depends on the team members you surround yourself with. That's why you have to check out LinkedIn Jobs. With LinkedIn Jobs, you can hire qualified candidates more efficiently by matching open roles with people who have the skills, the values to help you experience and achieve your goals. LinkedIn Jobs helps you quickly attract qualified candidates to your open jobs with targeting tools. They go beyond resume data by using insights from your job post, your company, and their 875 million member profiles
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Starting point is 00:10:46 job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making LockedOn Patriots your first listen of the day, and the hiring of Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator folks has brought some optimism back here to us in Patriots Nation.
Starting point is 00:11:04 The offense is back. Everyone is excited, but it's important to remember that it's been a little while since Bill has stepped on a pro football field to do his coaching. For the past couple of seasons, he's been the OC for the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide, and under head coach and very well-known Belichick associate Nick Saban. There's been some interesting opinions coming out of Alabama regarding Bill O'Brien and here today to lend that very interesting and very relevant perspective to the O'Brien reunion in Foxborough is my esteemed colleague here on the Lockdown Podcast Network, the co-host of Lockdown Bama, Luke Robinson joins me today.
Starting point is 00:11:44 And Luke, they were celebrating in Bama this week as well about the hiring of Bill O'Brien here in New England. But you got a little insight to give us all here in Foxborough that it might be for different reasons than we were celebrating here in New England. What was Bill O'Brien like down in Alabama as offensive coordinator? You know, first of all, thanks for having me. Secondly, yeah, I think O'Brien, look, he got a really bad rap here. He just did. And I think it's warranted at the same time. I don't think it was as bad as some Alabama fans believe. And I'm including myself, I'm going to have a hard time appreciating the Bill O'Brien
Starting point is 00:12:26 era at Alabama. But at the same time, I think it's win-win because I do think he's more of a pro-style guy. He's, you know, look, he was not in the public eye very much around here. Not that, you know, coordinators always are, but he was not not when he was even caught on camera during a football game, an Alabama football game, he seemed so emotionless. You know, he seemed very NFL-esque. Again, the college game is very different. I'm certainly more of a college guy. You know, you were more of a pro guy, I understand. But the college game is just different. And, you know, whether it's bad or good is up to you. But I feel like O'Brien is more of a pro guy, more of a business-oriented guy.
Starting point is 00:13:12 Now, you could make the case that Nick Saban is that way too. But I think Nick Saban has an appreciation for the college game that is not seen by the general public. It's seen by Alabama fans, not necessarily by the general public. But I do think it's win-win in this situation. I think Bill O'Brien's very good at what he does. I just don't think what he
Starting point is 00:13:33 was doing was suited necessarily for what Alabama needed this year. And by that, I mean, in my opinion, and a lot of people disagree with me, I think Bryce Young's the best player in Alabama history. That's a huge statement. Alabama's had a lot of big-time players. I think he's awesome. I think he should be the number one pick, and I think he's going to be fantastic at the next level despite any size problems people recognize. He's just special. Bill O'Brien had him for two years.
Starting point is 00:14:00 We didn't win a national championship. Now, he didn't have Jerry Judy. He didn't have Henry Ruggs. He didn't have Devontae Smith. He didn't have Jalen Waddell. He didn't have Irv Smith to throw to. But he had enough talent to win a national championship either one of these years. And the biggest problem with O'Brien is not necessarily the statistics, because when you look at the stats, Alabama put up a lot of points and put up a lot of yards and they did it in the toughest conference in the country. But it's the, when we needed a really big play, for instance, when we needed an offense coordinator really to step up, Tennessee game, a lot of Patriots fans probably saw this, the Alabama-Tennessee game, third most watched game of the year. Alabama drives down. They're in field goal
Starting point is 00:14:45 range, but it's on the cusp. Time's running down. Instead of running the ball to make Tennessee at least waste their timeouts, Alabama throws three straight passes. They're all incomplete. The second one should have been caught by Jameer Gibbs, but it wasn't. It's a risk whenever you do that. Because it wasn't caught and because's a risk whenever you do that. And because it wouldn't caught and because the time stopped all those, each one of those scenarios, it gave Tennessee time to come down and kick the game winning field goal when we missed our long field goal attempt. So I just feel like it would have been the smart move. And yes, it's very, it would have been very standard and not outside the box thinking, but I think sometimes doing what's standard is what's right.
Starting point is 00:15:27 Bill O'Brien did things like that that made Alabama fans very upset. But overall, I think he's a really good coach. He's just better suited for the pros. Yeah, I think a lot of people would agree with that, and I think that's why there's such optimism of bringing Bill O'Brien back here into what I like to call the Foxborough fold. I mean, there's no question about it. Fans are definitely excited, and they look at the output from last year, Luke, here in Foxborough.
Starting point is 00:15:52 Seventh worst in total yards were the New England Patriots, 22nd in points per game, 26th in yards per game. So bringing Bill O'Brien back into the fold, when you look at some of the prowess and the success that he had coaching guys like Rob Gronkowski Aaron Hernandez uh coaching Tom Brady for a number of years up here and putting up the type of points this offense was capable of putting up I don't think fans are delusional enough to think that we're going to immediately return to those days you had some pretty heavy hitters some definite surefire Hall of Famers in the conversation. But there is enough talent here to be able to build upon what the Patriots did last year. So I think in a lot of ways, that is comforting information for New England. And I happen to agree with you on Bill. There's definitely a business mind when it comes to
Starting point is 00:16:41 his approach. There definitely is a more pro approach that he takes, not just to the coaching that he has on the field, but also the manner in which he interacts with his players. And I think that's what's going to be much needed here in New England because we're hearing a lot of reports out of Foxborough recently that there's been a lot of disconnect between the players and the coaches, some of which was because of communication and maybe a lack of discipline
Starting point is 00:17:06 at times, and then over-disciplining when it wasn't even appropriate. So I think Bill O'Brien sets those expectations up front, and I think that's what's going to help New England in the locker room this year. Let me add something really quickly, if you don't mind. I don't mean to cut you off. Oh, please do. But, you know, it just dawned on me bill o'brien is going from the alabama situation new england situation and i think they're incredibly similar um i'm i don't know how new england fans feel but i think matt
Starting point is 00:17:36 jones is a very good quarterback he set some records at alabama now he had a lot of weapons he had you know he look he he you got some uh privilege at alabama okay but he had a lot of weapons. Look, you got some privilege at Alabama, okay? But he's a very good quarterback. I think you guys will learn to love him, and I think once he gets some more weapons and they get a competent offensive coordinator, I think you will really like him a lot. But Bill O'Brien is going to a situation where he leaves
Starting point is 00:18:00 what I think is a fantastic quarterback, going to a fantastic quarterback. But in both situations, you lack the stars that some of the other quarterbacks have had in the past at those two situations. Alabama doesn't have, like I said, the Judy, the Devontae Smith, and even at running back. New England is a very platoon-oriented running back system. Damian Harris is great.
Starting point is 00:18:23 We loved him at Alabama. He's really good. But he's sort of like your 1A or 1B or 1C running back up there. And Alabama had sort of the same thing. Jameer Gibbs was very good, but he didn't even crack 1,000 yards this year. And I feel like – and the offensive line was shaky at Alabama this year, at least by Alabama standards. And I think the offensive line in New England was a little bit shaky. So he's going into somewhat of a similar situation and
Starting point is 00:18:49 leaving one tradition rich program to go into another tradition rich program. It's kind of interesting, the similarities here. It really is. And if there's anybody that is well suited to be able to handle that type of transition, knowing what we know about Bill O'Brien's experience here in Foxborough when he first started out uh going to penn state for a couple of years revitalizing that program after it was essentially laid in ruins uh going to the houston texans and still bringing that team to national prominence they were still a playoff contending team i know there was some acrimony toward the end of his tenure there but then going to Alabama and being able I think to maybe reset that pro level prowess that he needed to and I think doing a fairly good job in the
Starting point is 00:19:30 process so it definitely gives Patriots fans a lot of optimism I'm glad that you mentioned Mac Jones Luke because you've covered Mac for a number of years in Alabama got some complimentary things to say about him I've been one of Mac's staunchest supporters here in the region. So upcoming up next, folks, it's going to be very interesting. I'm going to test the brain of Luke Robinson a little bit, and we're going to talk a little bit about whether Bill O'Brien and Mac Jones pairing in Foxborough can lead to big things. He's tipped his hand a little already, but we're going to take a deeper dive into it when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, I want to talk to you a little already, but we're going to take a deeper dive into it when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.
Starting point is 00:20:06 But first, folks, I want to talk to you a little bit about our sponsor today. This show is sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook, and the NFL playoffs, folks, are in full swing. And we're really excited about our new sports betting partner for Locked On because they're the number one sportsbook in America. That's right, FanDuel. And if you're new to FanDuel, that's even better because they have so many features that make betting on sports fun and easy. New customers join today and get started with $150 in free bets
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Starting point is 00:20:54 All on an app that's safe, secure, super easy to use so football fans don't miss out. Place your first $5 bet to get $150 in free bets. Win or lose at Fanduel.com slash Locked On. Make every moment more with Fanduel, official sportsbook partner of the NFL. Patriots fans, Luke Robinson, co-host of Locked On Bama, joins me here today
Starting point is 00:21:20 talking all things Bill O'Brien. We're all excited about a hire in New England but Luke has given us some very intricate details on exactly what to expect from Bill the offensive coordinator don't forget the last couple of seasons he's been down with Nick Saban in Alabama coordinating their offense and Bill I think one of the reasons like excuse me look I think one of the got Bill on the brain Luke I think one of the reasons why um everybody is so excited about bill's hair here in new england is we're hearing about the reuniting of he and matt jones now you and i both know that they kind of interlapped with each other
Starting point is 00:21:56 in alabama it wasn't a like for like comparison where matt played under bill for a number of years or at least one season. These two guys worked with each other to really kind of help Bill get acclimated into the Alabama offense. And I think it speaks volumes about Mack Jones's understanding, his intelligence level, and his ability to impart knowledge. Things that I think Mack wanted to do this past year with the current coaching staff that was in place, but wasn't able to do this past year with the current coaching staff that was in place but wasn't able to do it when you look at what mac and when you look at what mac and bill are going to be able to do together i i think that in this regard you're probably the best person to speak to regarding this because you've not only covered bill o'brien as offensive coordinator. You covered Mac Jones from start to finish in Alabama.
Starting point is 00:22:46 What kind of pairing can we expect from this duo in New England this year? How good can they make each other? I think they're in a match made in heaven, really. Mac Jones, first of all, can't say enough good things about him. This is a guy that in the day and age of a transfer portal where if somebody gets taken out for a play, they're a threat to leave. Mack Jones hung around Alabama the entire time, and he bided his time. He waited for his opportunity, and when he got it, he was awesome.
Starting point is 00:23:17 I mean, if it weren't for Jalen Waddell getting hurt against Tennessee in 2020, I think Mack Jones probably would have won the Heisman versus Devontae Smith. Both of them were certainly deserving, but I think Matt Jones probably would have won the Heisman versus Devontae Smith. Both of them were certainly deserving, but I think Matt Jones probably would have won it. Now, I think Matt Jones is also, because he's been at one university that long under some really great coaches, maybe the greatest college coach of all time, he's been around some other fantastic players who are already NFL stars,
Starting point is 00:23:44 and he's been in some crucial situations. I think he's got just an incredible amount of experience that you just can't buy. And Bill O'Brien, as you mentioned, this is a guy that went to Penn State when they were at their lowest point. In my opinion, they were unjustly punished. Certainly, the people that were involved needed to be punished as severely as they possibly could, but the university took it on the chin when they really didn't need to. But Bill O'Brien went there and he was only there two years, but he won the Bear Brought Award one of those years, even though they didn't go to a national championship game or anything. So that tells you what people thought of his job.
Starting point is 00:24:20 Then he goes to Houston. He wins four AFC South titles in his tenure there. Yeah, he gets canned after an 0-4 start his last season, but the NFL is brutal. That's what happens. If Bill Belichick starts 0-4 next year, I wouldn't be planting any rose bushes. I mean, that's just the way the NFL is. So I think both of these guys, and then, of course, Bill O'Brien comes to Alabama. He's at least in a national championship game. He's in some monster games. He's learning under Nick Saban, too.
Starting point is 00:24:49 And he knows what it's like to have face pressure. And so I think both these guys have been through the ringer. And when you're in the NFL, I think that's the most important thing, because just about every game is a three-point contest, right? I mean, you have some blowouts occasionally. But for the most part, every single NFL game is designed to be a one-score contest to increase the drama. And so when you have been through the ringer,
Starting point is 00:25:11 when you have all this experience and you know what it's like, these two guys putting their heads together is just awesome. Yeah, I think it absolutely is. And look, for all of the discussion surrounding the Patriots wanting to change their offense when Tom Brady left or even when Josh McDaniels left after last year the Patriots personnel the way they've built this team is still a timing-based scheme vertical routes completions quick accurate throws that's what they're predicated on spread the offense out this is something that I think
Starting point is 00:25:42 Bill O'Brien is going to bring back to this team, and I think that's where Mac Jones can thrive. The Patriots tried to incorporate a little more zone read, a lot more outside zone into their offense last year, and it just fell flat for a number of reasons. I don't think they were properly stocked at the positions they needed to be to incorporate that. You mentioned the running backs, guys like Damian Harris and Ramonday Stephenson who are excellent runners, but not necessarily constituted to that type of Kyle
Starting point is 00:26:10 Shanahan Sean McVay west coast hybrid type that we're seeing a lot of in the NFL the offensive line certainly wasn't equipped to be able to deal with it they weren't coached properly and it showed on the field Mack on the other, I think is going to benefit greatly from having someone like a Bill O'Brien on this staff because that's where Mack is at his best and where I've seen him at his best in Alabama, creating plays, leading his receivers under the defense, getting rid of the ball quickly, delivering it accurately
Starting point is 00:26:39 where only his receiver can get it. That gives the playmakers the space that they need to catch and run with the football and yards after the catch is very big with a bill o'brien offense it's somewhere where matt can shine as well so to me that's where this really becomes the match made in heaven like you said i i think there's a lot of excitement coming out of that and i'm looking forward to seeing it i mean there's no question about it. I think Patriots fans will be able to as well. We talked about Bill O'Brien and the influence that Mac Jones,
Starting point is 00:27:10 that he will have on Mac Jones. But in terms of what Mac can provide to Bill for what the Patriots have done the last couple of years, this is something that he's done before. Do you believe that he's equipped to do this again? How much of an asset can Mac Jones be to Bill O'Brien? I certainly think he can be an asset in the sense that now they've both come from Alabama. They both can relate to the pressure of that. And I think Mac Jones is probably coming to
Starting point is 00:27:40 Bill O'Brien and maybe he can make him feel more wanted. I mean, because Mac Jones is probably coming to whoever they hired as office coordinator. It happens to be Bill O'Brien. I bet Mac Jones goes to that guy and goes, help. Just help. I need help. You know, you think about – and when you feel wanted, I think you work harder.
Starting point is 00:27:58 And I think that's across all ages, all demographics, whatever. And I think that Bill O'Brien probably got to the point in Alabama where he was feeling a little unwanted. I mean, I can't speak for him. That's never been public or anything. I'm just guessing because, I mean, you're not immune to seeing what's on message boards, what's on Twitter. And I think Matt Jones is probably going to go, hey, look, I need help.
Starting point is 00:28:20 And, you know, from Matt's perspective, I know that there's some times where you threw some crucial interceptions. You know, there was the Buffalo game. I think that was last year where it was so cold. He threw for about five yards or whatever it was. I know there's some people that Mac has his detractors, but think about this. If he had T Higgins and Jamar chase, how much better would he look? You know what I mean? And I know that's so obvious to say, but Joe Burrow is awesome.
Starting point is 00:28:47 I love me some Joe Burrow. He's a great player, even though he played at LSU. But if he doesn't have Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins, if he's got the Patriots receivers, I bet you you may see a role reversal in terms of where the teams are. So, you know, I just feel like the Patriots need some help. They need it from a competent offensive coordinator, which I think they're getting in Bill O'Brien,
Starting point is 00:29:10 and they need some more powerful weapons. Yeah, without question. I'm so glad that you mentioned that because we're seeing Patriots Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers, guys like Ty Law, who is a pro football Hall of Famer, Julian Edelman, who is revered in New England, you know, as one of the great slot receivers in this franchise's history, maybe even in NFL history, talking about getting some weapons around Mac Jones, being able to game plan for people that make you need to game plan.
Starting point is 00:29:38 That's something New England does not have right now. New England is not someone, is not a team that opposing defenses are looking at and saying, wow, that guy on the receiving core, we have to prevent him from beating us. They've got a lot of great complimentary receivers. I think they've got a very good from start to finish core of wide receivers. But if you get that one guy in there that can really change the complexity of it, it's something that I think could be a big for the New England Patriots. And ultimately, you know, Bill O'Brien's scheme is going to help to, I think, attract maybe people that want to come and play and see what Mack can really do because I think you're going to see him unleashed for the first time in his pro career to date.
Starting point is 00:30:16 I think Josh McDaniels did a very admirable job of trying to do that in his first year while being respectful of his rookie season. Mack needed the growth last year, and he didn't get it. He's going to get it this year in Bill O'Brien. He wanted tough coaching. He's got it in Bill O'Brien. And I think it's going to lead to some good things on the field for the Patriots. Luke, what can I say?
Starting point is 00:30:36 I thank you for taking time out of your Friday to join me here on Locked On Patriots. The insight that you provided is definitely spot on and it's always appreciated and we'd love to have you back on because there's a lot of Bama flavor still in that locker room here in New England. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where they can catch you each and every day on Locked on Bama and the great work that you do for the Locked on Podcast Network.
Starting point is 00:31:00 Yeah, please do go check us out Locked on Bama anywhere you get your podcast especially on YouTube and please do subscribe.immy stein and i would appreciate it absolutely luke and jimmy do a phenomenal job i'm a huge fan a subscriber long time check them out on youtube wherever you get your podcasts again there is so much synergy between these two entities the university of alabama and the new england patriots the Belichick Saban connection, the Mack Jones connection, the Bill O'Brien connection. Now we've got it all.
Starting point is 00:31:28 And hopefully we'll continue to have that Damian Harris connection as well. One of my favorite guys to cover here in New England. And I'd love to see him stick around. But Luke, bottom line, we'd love to have you back shortly. So thank you very much for taking time out of your schedule to join me here today. And folks, thank you for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots, as you do each and every day. Now that you've made us your first
Starting point is 00:31:49 listen, please make your second listen our good friends over at Locked On NFL. All the news you need regarding the Shield, all in a convenient package, and definitely check them out wherever you get your podcasts. On behalf of Luke Robinson, my colleague at Locked On Podcast Network, and the host
Starting point is 00:32:06 of Locked On Bama, I'm Mike DeBate. Stay safe. Stay well. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.

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