Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Bye-Bye, Bye? - Patriots-Broncos Moved to October 18 - 10/12/2020

Episode Date: October 12, 2020

The New England Patriots Week Five matchup against the Denver Broncos has been postponed until Sunday, October 18th, in light of the latest Patriots’ positive COVID-19 test. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to discuss the impact of this latest development on both teams. The duo also discuss the Patriots plans at quarterback, and how an abbreviated bye week will affect the Patriots throughout the season.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.RomanGo to getroman.com/lockedon TODAY. If approved, you’ll get fifteen dollars off your first orderof ED treatment. 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 Locked On Patriots podcast, and we wave bye-bye to the bye week, that is, 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. Locked On Patriots is presented today by Visa.

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Visa, everywhere you want to be. Official partner of the NFL. Happy holiday Monday, Patriots Nation, on what would have been a game day Monday. However, just when we thought we were out, COVID-19 pulls us back in. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter

at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-B-C. And while you're out there making that Twitterverse an offer it can't refuse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Welcome back to all of you faithful out there, and a special warm welcome to all of our new listeners today. And if you have listened to Lockdown Patriots in the past, you know I love my quotes. Yes, most of them are movie quotes, a lot of them from the 80s, but really I love all kinds of quotes, historical quotes, literary quotes.

And yesterday morning, Sunday morning, I kept coming back to a quote from author H.L. Mencken that read, Now I think a lot of us can make the argument that this quote perfectly encapsulates exactly how the NFL has handled the COVID-19 crisis. And for the better part of the early morning on Sunday, it once again looked like the NFL was going to prove it to be true. Because after having returned three straight days of negative COVID-19 test results, a member of your New England Patriots had in fact tested positive, meaning that the game that was to be played tonight at Gillette Stadium was now in question. And Adam Schefter and Field Yates of ESPN were the first to report this story, said that the tests had been administered on Saturday and the positive results were learned by the Patriots first thing on Sunday. The team immediately closed their facilities at Gillette Stadium

and were awaiting word from the league on how to proceed. And for at least a little while, it looked like the NFL was going to proceed exactly how you would expect. Game on. And as unbelievable as that sounds, Schefter's initial reports indicated that the NFL was doing all it could to keep the game intact on Monday evening. But instead of embodying Mencken's quote once again, the NFL did not make the choice that was clear, simple, and wrong. They made the one that was clear, simple, and right, at least in one aspect, and I'll get to that in just a moment.

However, credit where credit is due, the NFL realized that it was ridiculous to play this game on Monday evening and made the decision to postpone it. And in their statement issued late Sunday morning, they said, quote, This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches, and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts, unquote. And although they didn't confirm it right away, there were rumors that were circulating that the game would be played a week from Sunday, October 18th, 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. Now, that was originally supposed to be the Patriots' bye week. Instead, both teams would now have their bye week moved to week five, which, if I'm being honest, was not particularly good news for the Patriots,

but it was even worse news for the Broncos. They practiced on the field all week long as if they were going to be playing on Monday night. All of a sudden, they hear, game canceled, your bye week's going to be moved up, and now instead of playing the Miami Dolphins next week, you'll simply play the New England Patriots. As you can imagine, neither side was happy. A lot of Broncos players, including running back Melvin Gordon, who took to social media, had some pretty harsh things to say about this, and members of your New England Patriots weren't exactly happy either.

That led to some initial speculation that the NFL might reconsider moving this game to Sunday, October 18th. Maybe they would create a Week 18 and play this toward the end of the season. That would have made a little more sense, but the NFL dug its heels in and confirmed that this game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos would take place on Sunday, October 18th, 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough to be broadcast on CBS. So that would be why I introduced today's show as Bye Bye Bye, as in Bye Week.

The Patriots' facilities remain closed until further notice. The team will continue to watch for daily results on COVID-19 testing. It should be noted that the remainder of the tests that came back from Saturday into Sunday were all negative with the exception of the one player. That player ended up being identified as defensive tackle Byron Cowart. And as a result, Cowart will join Cam Newton, Stephon Gilmore, and Bill Murray on the COVID-19 reserve list. So what does this all mean for your New England Patriots?

Well, for one, it gives them a little more time to get healthy, and not just from a COVID-19 virus standpoint, also from an injury standpoint. Patriots had a number of players banged up, so maybe the additional rest might help. The additional rest time also may help the Denver Broncos. Even though their fans were in an uproar over this, it should be noted that quarterback Drew Locke, wide receiver KJ Hamler, tight end Noah Fant, none of these players were expected to play on Monday evening. Now with the additional rest, they may be able to get all three of them back. That would be a very good thing for the Denver offense. But I definitely can sympathize with the loss of their bye week and the schedule shuffling. It is difficult, especially after all the work that the Denver Broncos put in this week.

They're frustrated. They have a right to be. What I don't think they have a right to be is accusatory toward your New England Patriots. And I saw a lot of this on social media on Sunday, making outlandish and unfounded claims, by the way, that the Patriots were not following protocols or that Bill Belichick was falsifying positives to give Cam Newton a chance to get back on the field. Folks, as Patriots fans, this is nothing new. You've heard the same thing over and over again.

Something goes wrong, the immediate response is, Oh, the Patriots are cheating! We hear it over and over again. It's like a reflex. Almost like when the doctor hits your knee with that little mallet. Just like that. And even though it pains me to admit that some of that reputation is indeed self-inflicted, to accuse the Patriots of trying to circumvent the COVID-19 protocols is asinine and ridiculous. The Patriots have not only followed every protocol that the NFL has set forth,

they've even taken it upon themselves to close their facilities when they weren't required to do so and even flew to Kansas City under the decree of the NFL, mind you, in two separate planes to try to prevent the spread. If you want to hate on the Patriots franchise for being successful, fine, that's your prerogative to do so. But to accuse this franchise of trying to play games with this pandemic is idiotic and it shouldn't be tolerated. So pending any further COVID-19 news, and folks, at the time I'm recording this podcast,

still looks like we're all systems go. I guess we're back on to Denver. But how equipped are your New England Patriots in this present incarnation equipped to handle the shuffling of a bye week, which now includes a 12-game grind to end the season? What are the chances that either Cam Newton or Stephon Gilmore or both are on the field on Sunday? And if for any reason Cam can't go in this one, who will get the nod at quarterback?

Well, folks, these are questions I needed a little assistance in answering. And when I do need some wisdom and counsel, I go to the source of green wisdom and counsel. That's right, folks. The Green King of Sting himself is back here on the pod today. My main man, Thomas Murphy, joins me on the hot seat, and we will discuss how the adjusted bye week will affect your New England Patriots. We'll talk about the bye week being good for the health of both the Patriots and the Broncos, and we'll also spend a great deal of time talking about the quarterback position.

Folks, we all love to kick off the week in style here on Locked On Patriots when Murph joins me on the mic. And in just a moment, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself will lend us his wisdom, his counsel, and maybe even a monster key or two. More with Murph and myself when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But once again, Locked On listeners, Visa knows that local businesses are the heartbeat of our communities. Whether they're our corner stores, our coffee spots, or our favorite shops, local businesses have always been there for us. They remember our orders.

They call us by name, always giving back, making a difference, going that extra mile to support us and our community. And right now, more than ever, local businesses need our support. So now it's time for us to return the favor. The next time you go shopping, make the choice to shop at local businesses and look for the contactless symbol and tap to pay with a contactless Visa to help support your community. Because where and how you shop matters.

Visa, everywhere you want to be. Official partner of the nfl patriots fans it was to be game day for your new england patriots hosting the denver broncos this evening in foxborough but the hands of fate had a different plan and now we're into the bye week folks we all have opinions on this subject you have them i have them we all have them but what we need is a little bit of honesty, some green honesty. And here today to kick off the week in style is your favorite in mine, my benefactor in this business, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots.

Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murph. Oh, my pleasure, bud. My pleasure. I wish it was under different circumstances. I wish we were doing a game recap tonight or tomorrow night or a preview tomorrow, but we're not. Here we are, going over this debacle that is the 2020 NFL season. It truly is. It truly is, Murph.

I mean, we were all set to do a game preview. We had some amusing anecdotes. We were playing the Broncos, so we had some Jack Waltz clips already queued up. No, folks, I apologize. No, we did not. We did not. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

We did not. Yeah, we did. No, we didn't. Yeah, we did. No, we didn't. Yeah, we did. No, we didn't. Oh, oh. All right. Oh.

All right. We're starting off off the rails today. But we really did. No, no, no. But you know what, buddy? It's 2020. Need I say more? It is 2020.

It is 2020. And New England not playing a game this weekend essentially moves the team's bye week from week six to this week week five that means that the team is going to end the regular season with 12 straight games murph this is not an ideal situation for the patriots beyond any stretch of the imagination but i'd be lying if i said it was an unprecedented one the team also had a bye after just four games in 2010. Also in 2015, the team also had a week four bye. So this is not exactly uncharted territory for the Patriots.

They've done this in the past. But this is a new team. It's a new quarterback, new identity, and a new year in 2020. Murph, the way this team is constituted, in your opinion, can this possibly work to their advantage, or is 12 straight just a little too much to handle at this point? No, I honestly think it does work to their advantage, and this will go to all the conspiracy theorists out there, more so than it would other teams, other teams that have had things change this week. The depth that they have at their power positions,

and I call their power positions their defensive backs and their running backs, definitely fits into being able to handle this better than other teams. Yeah, I agree. I think they are a little bit better equipped to handle this than other teams look bottom line the new england patriots did have some dings and dings when it came to their injuries as well it's not just all about covid folks i know that is the biggest concern as it should be and no one's arguing that it's not but this is a team that did have some guys on ir some players that will be eligible to come back at the end of this. So it's going to be interesting to see what will happen, how the Patriots will go ahead and make roster adjustments and be able to move forward.

But I think you're absolutely right on the money. And, you know, we'll see. Ultimately, we'll see what happens on the field. But I think the way this team is constituted, I do think they'll be able to handle that type of stretch down the line because of the way they play and because of, obviously, the way they're coached. I think, you know, anytime you employ Bill Belichick as your head coach and the coaching staff and the veteran leadership that this team has, it's definitely a good sign. Murph, lost in all the hoopla here regarding the Patriots' positive tests, and pretty much everyone outside of Patriots fans blaming them for causing

this outbreak by, quote-unquote, not following protocols, or you still have some ludicrous idiots out there that are accusing Bill Belichick of falsifying positives. Yeah, folks, check Twitter. These are actual takes by people. Yeah, people claiming to have

brain cells are actually putting this out there people named chris mortensen by any chance what say what 11 of 12 11 of 12 buddy 11 of 12 11 of 12 covid They were false. Oh, my God. Really? All right. Yai, yai, yai. No. That's it. Hey, you know what? You're not saying anything that's untrue. You know, it's 11-12.

It's out there. But this not just gives the Patriots a chance to get healthy, and I think this is being lost on a lot of people as well. This also gives the Broncos a chance to rest players like Noah Fant at the tight end position kj hamler wide receiver and most of all quarterback drew lock it gives him a few additional days to be ready for this one rest that shoulder get ready to go ahead and to take the field so these are players that are key to denver's offense and they're players that the patriots would not

have faced they squared off tonight against the Denver Broncos and Gillette. Murph, assuming both teams can suit up, a relatively healthy squad, do you still believe at the end of the day next Sunday that this is still advantage Patriots? Oh, of course. I'm not rewriting a single key. I won't. I'm not going to go back. I don't get paid enough to rewrite these things. But on top of that, no, I'm not going to go back and rewrite a single key, but it does help

Denver. I don't know what their players are bitching and moaning about. This only helps you. It's probably not going to help the Patriots much, except for the fact that Cam Newton may be back. Other than that, I'm really... Wait, that is kind of a lot of help, isn't it? Yeah, okay. They can go ahead and bitch if they want. But, no, it does help them a great deal. They are going to be able to get some of their weapons back,

weapons that the Patriots have had difficulty covering in the past. The Patriots have had serious problems covering tight ends in years past. They didn't last week. But other than that, yeah, we'll see what happens. But, no, I'm not going to rewrite my keys this week. I don't blame you, and I think the keys were pretty much right on. Look, bottom line, you did hit on it. Guys like Noah Fant, guys like K.J. Hamler, a speedy slot receiver,

a guy that can run routes well, get open. A tight end like Noah Fant, obviously, is a big target. These are players that the Patriots have had difficulty defending before. But we are talking about the Patriots possibly getting healthier as well. Stephon Gilmore sliding back in. Maybe Jawan Williams, Adrian Phillips. Guys like that get a little bit more experience being able to take snaps and be that tight end killer. Even Kyle Duggar at the safety position, maybe getting a shot to take him out and be able

to put the clamps on a guy like Noah Fant. Definitely not an easy task. He's a good player. Denver's got a very, I think, underrated offense. I think they've got a decent defense. They've been decimated by injuries a lot. But I think the reports of this being catastrophic for both sides may have been a little bit overblown.

Obviously, no one wants to lose their bye week. I don't think anybody wanted them to, either side. But there are still positives that can be drawn from this. And I think that we'll know, we'll see. We'll see what happens. This is the business we've chosen, Murph. This is the hand that we've been dealt. And we're going to continue to move forward as the league dictates because we all know it's all about 345 Park Avenue and the decrees that they will bring down.

And, you know, ultimately we're all just foot soldiers in this battle. It's all slavery to the almighty dollar, no matter what you think out there, folks. This is ESPN, CBS, Fox, and the NFL Network are the great and powerful Oz behind the curtain. And money rules all. and everything else be damned as long as they get their TV revenue and the TV revenue guys are happy, then that's what's going to happen. They're the great dictators. Right. Absolutely. So we'll see, folks. We live in hope and we live in faith.

And sometimes those things tend to coincide. Sometimes they don't. But we'll find out next Sunday. Murph, most are assuming that the extra time that are between now and Sunday's game will mean that Cam Newton will surely be back in time for this one. And it's very possible, but it's not a certainty. So what does that mean for the Patriots? Well, Patriots fans, in just a moment, Murph and I will discuss that very scenario. And Murph may even lend us one of his monster keys in the process. This and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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two of their most valuable players back in time to take on the Broncos obviously they're Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore that's given that they don't develop any further COVID-19 symptoms in the coming hours or days they could be cleared to return to the field next Sunday but in Cam's case especially we're seeing now that he's been asymptomatic, yet he hasn't been able to test negative two days in a row or two times within the 24-hour period separation that is required by the league in order to get him cleared to then be going before the teams of physicians in order to get cleared to get on the field. So obviously it would be good news for the Patriots from a personnel perspective to try to get Cam and Stefan back on the field at the same time. That's best case scenario. However, if in fact they don't, that would likely mean that either Brian Hoyer or Jared Stidham would have to suit up and be the quarterback in this game, which is still a possibility

folks for this Sunday. Murph, I thought your keys were eloquent last week, and I think they hold true again this week. You did make the argument that if Stidham is under center, the key to his success in this incarnation of the Patriots, very eloquently put, by the way, my friend, I really love the way you worded this, with the running game established,

a good play action will open up or level for crossers and slants i completely completely agree with you but i'm going to ask you to take that monster key to the next level explain to us what this offense might look like if in fact jared stidham is going to be leading it. Well, I do believe that, as I said, a good play action. We all saw last week that Mr. Hoyer is not good at play actioning. He's just not. It's just, you know, I don't know what it is, if it's age or whatever. He's terrible at it.

He's terrible at setting up play action. And that kind of kills what you want to do in the passing game when you have this kind of running attack. With Stidham, Stidham is a completely different animal. We've seen him run it in practice. We've seen him do it in college, and he's a fantastic play action passer. He works off of the running game really, really well, and with the plethora of running backs, the hydra, if you will,

that is at Bill Belichick's disposal, the way he can run different guys out there and do different things with this grouping, play action is going to be huge, and I do. The soft underbelly of this Denver defense is their linebacking core right now and i believe that that running those those slants those those quick crossers those pick plays are going to move the chains and move them quickly and and quietly and i say that in a way um that it's going to keep the

opposing offenses off the field with with short passing game, moving the chains without stopping the clock and keeping things happening. There's more than one way to shorten a game, and it's not always with the running attack. But using this running attack to set up the passing attack is paramount for going forward, no matter who's under center. Agreed. Absolutely agreed. Big surprise there.

But, I mean, of course, I agree with the key. Loved it. And I wanted to get this injected into our show today because I completely agree with you. And look, I think it's actually true, even if Cam Newton is the quarterback. I think utilizing the running game, opening up play action, maybe the most effective way to attack that Denver defense, which also has been decimated by injury.

Even more so for Cam. I'm sorry. I know he's playing well. I know he is hitting a lot of open receivers. But if you look at his history, he is not the most accurate passer on the planet. And I do believe Stidham is a more accurate passer. That does not mean that Jared Stidham is a more accurate passer. That does not mean that Jared Stidham is a better quarterback than Cam Newton. Do not send me hate mail, people. That's not what

I'm saying. I'm just saying he is a more accurate passer. Yeah, and I think that is a valid point. I think it's an accurate point. And as well, you're also looking at a possibility of Cam missing a couple of weeks in a row, getting back the swing of things maybe a little bit more effective and maybe a little bit more uh palatable for cam to run an offense in a fashion that allows him to utilize the running game to open up play action and be able to settle back in as well so you know we'll see at this point i know we keep saying we'll see a lot, but it feels like you have to preface every sentence. That's the motto of 2020. We'll see. It is.

It's true. It really, really is. It really is. Well, you know what? We'll see again because I think what we're going to do is end on a note of Belichickian crystal ball gazing today. I don't know. Maybe it's the bye week. Maybe it's just the fact that this is a question I would have asked you during an official bi-week. But since we're kind of on an unofficial bi-week right now, we'll close today with this question. Cecil Newton, Cam's father, recently went on to talk about Cam's future in New England. He gave a little bit of an update on his health. Bridget Condon of ABC 11 interviewed him recently,

and he did give him a little bit of, he did give a little information on Cam's health and well-being. But he also dropped a pretty interesting tidbit when it came to Cam's future. Ultimately, kind of taking the Tom Brady route, you know, it's not our decision whether he resigns with the Patriots. It's up to Cam. It's up to the Patriots themselves. But his quote was read exactly. The Patriots are growing on on him as i'm sure he's growing on the patriots i do see some success it

depends on what happens this year as to whether that opportunity to be re-signed but that's not in our decision making unquote murph put on the the karnak turban for just one moment. You're looking into that Belichickian crystal ball. How likely do you believe it is that we see a Cam Newton extension before the end of this season? Zero. No, there won't be an extension before the end of the season. I understand that Cam is enjoying his time here. After being in Camp Xanadu for most of his life, where you just get by and you're allowed to do whatever you want to do and go wherever you want to go and say whatever you want to say,

he's the kid that got sent to military school and loved it. The structure is something that he enjoys, I believe. He sees that doing things in a certain way, for the lack of a better term, the Patriot way, is the way to success. And this is the only thing. He's had personal success, but he hasn't had team-wide success. You can go back to getting to a Super Bowl,

but lots of guys have gotten to Super Bowls. Few win, and even fewer win multiple ones. But no, I really don't see an extension happening during the season. I think Cam's agent won't let that happen unless the Patriots blow him away with something. And I don't think that's in the cards. I don't think that's the type of GM that Bill is. happen unless the Patriots blow him away with something. And I don't think that's in the cards. I don't think that's the type of GM that Bill is, that he's just going to say, yeah, man, I really loved you.

Here's $30 million a year for the next six years, and I'm going to guarantee 90% of the contract. I just don't see that happening. The more likely scenario is that he goes to free agency, sees what's out there, and Bill comes back and says, yeah, that's nice. I really like you. Here's a franchise tag. And now let's work something out. I'm so glad that you mentioned the franchise tag because I think that's being lost among so many narrators that you're hearing.

It really is. Cam Newton, that was not a part of his deal there is no restriction from the Patriots placing the franchise tag on him they could very well do that and at the end of the day it may be what's good for business it may not be personal it might be strictly business by my count that's three godfather references today I think we're I think we're doing pretty good we're almost meeting our quota but uh not too shabby at all. No, all kidding aside, I really think that you hit the nail right on the head. It's just not the way the Patriots do business to

offer large types of contracts like that during the regular season. Yes, there have been some exceptions to the rule, folks. It's not that they've never done it before, but it's mostly unprecedented for the Pats, and especially with a situation such as the one they're facing with the quarterback situation with Cam. I don't see it either. I really don't.

Now, if you're talking after the season or going to free agency and the probability of getting a deal done to keep Cam here long term, yeah, I'm optimistic about that. I'm not 100% certain about it, but I'm probably more optimistic than not that they could get something done. But during the season, before the end of the season, I just don't see anything like that happening. But again, buddy, we'll see. It's 2020 and everything could be turned up on its area. Everything could be turned up on its end and we wouldn't know which way to go anyway, because let's face it, have we really since March of 2020? We probably haven't. None of us have. The guys could sit down and split a spicy Italian

from Subway and just say, yeah, let's get something done. Absolutely. I'll do a team-friendly thing for you and like you said, let's see. But don't hold your breath. Do you think Cam will wear the cut-off suit with the sleeves cut off? And like you said, let's see. But don't hold your breath. Don't hold your breath, people.

Do you think Cam will wear the cutoff suit with the sleeves cut off like Bill did? Maybe they'll both have the press conference with those suits on. There you go. Well, you know, if Bill cuts off Cam's sleeves, then Cam gets to cut off Bill's slacks and put it into shorts. Because that sounds like an outfit that Cam would come up with. Yeah, you've got to love it. You've got to love it, yeah. Bill needs some sartorial help. There's no question about it.

But, hey, who knows? Maybe it's your thing. If it is, more power to him. Maybe he's grown on Bill like he's grown on us. I mean, I don't know about you, but, you know, the kid has, I say kid, he's 30-something years old, has grown on me. I like the way he's come to work every day. I like the things that I'm hearing. And, you know, surprisingly enough, the only time I guess he left the building early, he got sick. So, you know, maybe he'll rededicate himself

to staying in the building and not wandering off anywhere. No, absolutely. He really has. I've been calling him the breath of fresh air that made some of us expected, but I think that everybody was hoping for, and he has truly exceeded expectations

when it comes to how he's fit in the locker room, how he's fit amongst his teammates, with his coaching staff, and of course on the field, he's been excellent. So we'll hope for a great season, and who knows, maybe there will be more to come, maybe there won't be, but for the time being, we're enjoying the ride. Much like I do every single week when you stop by here, buddy, I always enjoy the ride as much as I possibly can, because your wisdom and counsel is like no other.

You are familia here on Locked On Patriots. I say it every week, folks, but it's absolutely true. Folks, you should already be following this man. But for the benefit of some of our new listeners, please follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, on Twitter at TeamMurph207. Do not miss Murph's Monster Keys. You heard one of them today.

That's just a small snippet of what you can expect each and every week when it comes to analysis spot on point click learn be better football fans as a result of it always proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com never miss an episode of one Patriots place my personal favorite Patriots podcast, with Murph and our great mutual friend Steve Balistrieri. My good man, what can I say? Thank you again. Honored and humbled, as always, by your presence. If you don't mind, man, I want to plug one more.

During the season, Steve and I, over the past couple of years, have done two shows, one usually on Tuesday, and then we do a pregame show on Friday. And the one and only Klazzy Claire has joined us, and she will be sticking around for each and every Friday show this year. So don't forget to check out Two Patriots Place every Friday.

I love it. Two Patriots Place on Friday. And you know what, folks? Remember that name, Klaise Clare. You might just hear that a little bit more on Locked on Patriots coming up very soon. That's what you call a teaser in this business, folks. So keep a sharp eye out for that. But I'm so glad that you were able to plug that.

Definitely one and two Patriots Place. Definitely great listens. And I, for one, could not recommend either highly enough. Buddy, stay safe, stay well. We look forward to talking football with you again next week. Hopefully it's to break down a game this time, but no, in any case, we

always, always welcome you with open arms. We always will. This is home for you, bud. Thank you, my friend. Thank you. Always great to be here, and I'll always be here for you. And likewise, my friend. Thank you. Always great to be here and I'll always be here for you. And likewise, my friend. Have a great day. And so Patriots fans, we get ready to tie a bow on your holiday Monday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And even though Murph and I had plenty to say about this now week six contest

coming up between your New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. I know you all still have a ton of questions when it comes to COVID-19 protocol and what it means for the Patriots, both from an individual player perspective and for the team as a whole. Well, fortunately, our great friend and resident medical expert, Dr. Jessica Flynn, has graciously offered to grace our airwaves tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots. And as always, she will provide a wealth of medical knowledge when it comes to everything and anything COVID-19 related. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts.

Whether it be Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, whatever you do, make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy 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

making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage until tomorrow stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.