Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Cam vs. Kyler: Talking Patriots-Cardinals Quarterbacks - 11/25/2020

Episode Date: November 25, 2020

Sunday’s matchup between the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals will feature two of the NFL’s most exciting quarterbacks. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Mark Schofield of USA Today’s Touchdown Wire. The pair discuss the similarities and differences between Patriots’ quarterback Cam Newton and Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray. They also give their takes on the potentially offensive strategies that we may see on Sunday.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! EchelonRight now, you can try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Go to EchelonFit.com/NFLBuilt 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.AxonGet the TASER Pulse Plus, or TASER Strikelight, at Taser.com with promo code [NFL]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast, and it is Thanksgiving Eve 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 Pepsi, made for football watching.

This football season will be different, and Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day, no matter how you watch this season. Pepsi is the refreshment you need to power through game day and become a member of the League of Football Watchers. These passionate fans are the real generational talent that Pepsi fuels. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Pepsi, made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Pepsi, made for football, watching. Greetings, salutations, and happy almost Turkey Day, Patriots Nation.

It is Wednesday, November 25th, 2020, the day before Thanksgiving, and I thank you for taking time out of your holiday commute or your holiday preparation to join me here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of Locked On Patriots, which, of course, is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, your team every day means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter

at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Folks, an abbreviated week here on the pod. Of course, tomorrow being Thanksgiving, we will be observing the Thanksgiving holiday. So Locked On Patriots is officially on a break on Thursday, but we will be back in a big way on Friday. Those of you who really love it when we cross the streams here on the Locked On Patriots is officially on a break on Thursday, but we will be back in a big way on Friday. Those of you who really love it when we cross the streams here on the Locked On Podcast Network,

fear not, because Crossover Thursday this week becomes Crossover Friday. Not one, but two of my esteemed colleagues, Bo Brack and Alex Clancy, will join me here on the hot seat to get you ready for game day on Sunday, when your New England Patriots host the Arizona Cardinals. 1 p.m. Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. NFL Sunday on Fox. An Arizona team coming in with a young, explosive defense.

A lot of great offensive players at the skill positions. And, of course, led by one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the game today, Kyler Murray. And even though we won't be crossing the streams until Friday here on the pod, today we're going to take a look at the quarterback battle. And folks, if we're taking a look at quarterbacks, you know who's joining us. It's Thanksgiving. It's time to be around your family.

So we welcome back the patriarch emeritus here on Locked On Patriots, my good friend, the skull man himself, Mark Schofield, will join me. And Mark and I will discuss the prowess of Kyler Murray and how a recent shoulder injury might affect how he plays or even if he plays on Sunday. Yeah, you heard me correctly. There is some question whether Kyler might be able to give it a go on Sunday, so definitely keep a sharp eye, keep a sharp ear on the coverage throughout the next couple of days. And of course, we will bring you the very latest on Kyler's status on Friday here on

Locked On Patriots. But Mark and I won't just be talking Kyler Murray, folks. Last I checked, the New England Patriots still have a pretty explosive quarterback of their own. Cam Newton continues to play better and look more and more comfortable in this offense. But the Houston Texans defense definitely gave him some problems with the blitz. Will that continue this weekend against Arizona? Well, luckily for us, Mark happens to be one of the best in the business

at breaking down these types of questions. So sit tight, settle in, as Mark Schofield and I hope to enhance your holiday just a bit by talking some quarterbacks in this Sunday matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and your New England Patriots. And on a personal note, please keep a sharp ear out for the conclusion of today's show. After all, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, and I am thankful for each and every one of you that take time out of your day to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.

So some heartfelt gratitude is in order, and I certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to provide mine to all of you prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. But before I welcome Mark to the hot seat today, your New England Patriots once again hit the practice fields today on Wednesday, and it was an eventful one. Five players were absent on Wednesday, however, one prominent New England Patriot did return, and Claire, you're going to like this one. The session saw the return of rookie tight end Devin Asiasi. His return to the field definitely shows that the Patriots have designated him to return

off of injured reserve. The Patriots technically have a 21-day window to activate Devin, but it's definitely great to see him back out there on the field. And the tight end group definitely needs him. Ryan Izzo is doing all he can out there, but he's a man unto himself right now. Devin's return will definitely help the Patriots, and it is great to see him return to the practice field so quickly. As for those absent for the New England Patriots on Wednesday, it starts with left tackle Isaiah Wynn. As Steve Balistrieri and I talked about yesterday here on the pod, Wynn left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with an injury, did not return. Now there were reports on Wednesday morning that said that Wynn's injury might not have been serious.

It might have been a rolled muscle, perhaps a sprained MCL, and it wasn't expected to be season-ending or even expected to keep him out for an extended period of time. However, it's far too early right now to determine whether or not he'll be on the field on Sunday. The fact that he wasn't at practice on Wednesday, it's not a great sign, but it's also not a confirmation that he won't be out there for Sunday.

So, as I like to say, keep a sharp eye. Also absent from the practice fields on Wednesday were defensive tackle Carl Davis, defensive end Tayshaun Bauer, and practice squad tight end Jake Burt. Last but certainly not least in being absent from the practice fields on Wednesday was Patriots running back Rex Burkhead,

and Tuesday afternoon he took to social media to confirm that he will indeed be out for the remainder of the season. Rex posting the following tweet saying, quote, appreciate the support and all those who have reached out in the past couple of days. Look forward to coming back better than ever in 2021. And Rex's message yesterday pretty much confirmed what we had all feared all along. Once we all saw the type of shot that Burkhead took to his knee early in the third quarter of Sunday's game, he had to be carted off the field into the locker room, almost immediately ruled to be carted off the field, into the locker room,

almost immediately ruled out for the rest of the game. And the handwriting on the wall was even more visible when on Monday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick revealed that Rex had indeed not traveled back to New England with the rest of the team. As for Rex, myself and all of us here at Locked On Patriots wish him nothing but a speedy, complete, and as pain-free of a recovery as possible. The Patriots are definitely going to miss his leadership. They're going to miss his production on the field, but mostly they're just going to miss the man himself. I've said it before, I'll say it again, one of the best guys you'll meet in this business, and I for one can't wait to see Rex back on the field in 2021. Hopefully wearing a Patriots uniform, but regardless,

it'll just be great to see him back out there. He's one of those competitors you just can't help but root for. But with Rex out of the lineup for Sunday and beyond, does that mean that the Patriots might look to the passing game a bit more than they have in weeks past? It just so happens that the man that answers these questions best just happens to be my guest today. Mark Schofield of USA Today's Touchdown Wire joins me here on the Locked On Patriots hot seat when we continue in just a moment. But first, Locked On listeners,

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Patriots fans, thank you again for joining me here on this Thanksgiving Eve episode of Locked On Patriots. As a reminder, Locked On Patriots will be off for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. We are back in a big way on Friday, crossing the streams to go with your Thanksgiving leftovers. Alex Clancy of Locked On Cardinals joins me to get you ready for game day. So stay locked into Locked On Patriots for Crossover Friday, this Friday, November 27th, on Locked On Patriots. But today, we will be getting you ready for your Thanksgiving in the best way possible. A potential feast of quarterback play on the docket for Sunday.

And if we're talking quarterbacks, folks, you know what that means. No better time than Thanksgiving to welcome back the Patriarch Emeritus here at Locked On Patriots. You know, I thought about putting his Apollo Creed-like introduction on hold, but I just can't take sides against the family, especially on Thanksgiving. He is an amazing writer

and analyst for platforms such as Inside the Pylon, Big Blue View, Bleeding Green Nation, and Pat's pulpit of USA Today's Touchdown Wire, just to name a few. His podcast, The Scosho, appointment listening for Patriots fans. That's right, folks. Today, on Thanksgiving Eve, we bless the reins and welcome back my predecessor, my mentor, my very good friend, Mark Schofield.

Mark, thank you for joining me today, bud. Welcome back home. Oh, my mentor, my very good friend, Mark Schofield. Mark, thank you for joining me today, bud. Welcome back home. Oh, my friend, it's great to be with you on this Thanksgiving Eve, and it's always a blast to be back with you. Always great to get a chance to catch up with you. I feel like since you gave me sort of the Apollo Creed introduction there, I got to drop a Creed quote. So I will just say this. I know it's thanksgiving eve but there is no tomorrow there is no tomorrow there is no tomorrow i love it i absolutely i absolutely love it shades of rocky three right there and uh you know don't forget rocky could be rocky could be construed as a thanksgiving movie don't forget you know that him and adrian first date they went to the ice rink, you know, because I can't

sing or dance. You know, so I think we got a little bit going there. I like it. Rocky IV is probably a Christmas movie, right? Absolutely. The fight takes place on Christmas, yeah. Absolutely. Yep. I love it. We've delved

into Rocky, and that's great. And I think our listeners will appreciate it, too. But, Buddy, this matchup coming up with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday could feature some pretty impressive quarterback play. And I've been delving into some footage. My PFF and my football outsiders accounts are getting a workout this week. You know, it's quite possible I might be one of those guys like Steve Martin's boss in planes, trains, and automobiles, which if you watch through the credits, folks, you'll see a picture of his boss with a turkey platter in front of him,

and he's looking at ad copy. That might be me with all 22 footage tomorrow, and I know that's going to be you. No days off for you, my friend. But this one could come down to Cam Newton and Kyler Murray and who is able to best exploit the other's defense. And if you don't mind, bud, I think we'll start with the hometown boy. And that's Cam Newton. Conventional wisdom would tell you that the way to beat the Patriots is to stifle the run and force them into passing situations.

But Cam Newton in the past actually played through that pretty well on Sunday against the Texans. That's what Houston did. And for the most part, I was really impressed by what the way Cam handled that. Houston came at New England's base 21 personnel package, which they love to run. They put up four defensive linemen, didn't run their traditional four, three set. They put eight defenders in the box. And Josh, for all of the issues that people want to give him about the play calling on Sunday, he played 42 of New England's 66 offensive plays and 11 personnel, put three wide receivers on the field, and that allowed Cam to utilize the pass and hit his open

receivers. And believe it or not, Cam actually went eight for eight, 207 yards and a touchdown pass. That's all on passes beyond 10 yards in the air against the Texans. And he was actually, I thought, more successful on deep passes than on short throws but you're the quarterback whisperer again I use this term a lot but you see things us mere mortals don't see should this give Patriots fans hope that maybe the offense isn't so one-dimensional and that they can rely not just on the run but on the pass too as we head into the home stretch I think so you know I did a video that I put up on Twitter Monday evening on Cam's game, and I thought you saw elements of what could be

a more explosive downfield pass and attack than Patriots perhaps had, at least in the past couple of weeks. And it was more reminiscent of what we saw back in week two in that, you know, close loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the game that came down to the final play. And, yes, a lot of that might have been due to the Seattle defense and how porous that group has been this year.

But I do think you saw elements of what could be an 11-person L-passing offense. I think the touchdown to Damier Byrd was a masterful job by Josh McDaniels at realizing the teams are going to now do things to take away Jacoby Myers because if you look at that play three receivers to the right Myers is the inside receiver he runs the crossing route both the underneath defender and the free safety jump it and then you have the two switch post routes from the outside and Byrd is open over the middle and you know I highlighted that play in the video that I did. You know, a few hours later, Jacoby Myers addressed the media, and Mike Reese asked him about that play

and whether teams were doing some things to sort of try to take him away, and he pointed out that, yeah, you know, I'm seeing double coverage now, so I think, you know, McDaniels deserves some credit for putting Jacoby Myers in a position to not just be a weapon, but a decoy too. And so I think you did see on Sunday, even though they lost that game, the potential of what this offense could be. And so I think going down the stretch here, they don't have to be perhaps as one dimensional as they've been at times.

You know, the flip side to that is similar to Seattle. Houston's defense isn't that great either. And so they'll see some tougher defenses over the next couple of weeks. Started this week with Arizona. So the output and the production and the efficiency might not be the same, but the potential, I think, is there. Absolutely. And I'm so glad that you mentioned Arizona's defense

because that does lead me quite nicely into my next question and the secondary particularly with Arizona has been a bit inconsistent this season but there's definitely talent on the back end and that can cause problems for some pass heavy defenses especially if pass heavy offenses excuse me especially if the Patriots encounter some of the defensive looks that they saw against the Texans Patrick Peterson is not quite what he used to be but he's still very capable of making plays at if the Patriots encounter some of the defensive looks that they saw against the Texans. Patrick Peterson is not quite what he used to be, but he's still very capable of making plays at the cornerback position. Drake Kirkpatrick is a nice compliment to him as well. Byron Murphy is the nickelback, does a pretty good job there.

But the strength of that group to me is the safeties, especially Buda Baker, who's been very good this year. He likes to roam around that secondary. He's active on all three levels of the defense. So you have to always account for him and his whereabouts each and every time the snap takes place. And my guess so far is that I think we're going to see him up and around the line at that point. And I think Cam's going to have to be aware of him utilizing the blitz, meaning Baker utilizing the blitz. That's something that the Texans had success with last week and being able to catch Cam off guard a little bit. The Cardinals also

have some linebackers that can help them in the passing game as well. You mentioned this. Hassan Reddick is someone that's used as a primary rusher for them. And I think Isaiah Simmons is starting to emerge as a quality cover guy underneath that can give them some fits. Mark, I guess the question on everyone's mind is, can this Arizona defense cause similar issues for Cam when trying to pick up the blitz that we saw against the Texans? And how big of a problem is this going to be on Sunday? Yeah, I'm concerned about what Arizona and Vance Joseph can do schematically and conceptually.

And one of the interesting things that they've done this year, what Arizona and Vance Joseph can do schematically and conceptually. And one of the interesting things that they've done this year, and I've written and done a lot of video work on this, is they use a 0-6-5 defense, which means zero down linemen, six linebackers, five defensive backs. And now that sounds like something you'll use on just third and 20 or so, but they'll use it on third and four. They'll use it on third and five. They'll use it on second down situations.

And what they do with this personnel package is they put six guys on the line of scrimmage, most of whom are linebackers and defensive backs. Sometimes they'll put seven or eight guys on the line of scrimmage. Everybody's in that two-point stance. And so you don't know who's coming, who's going, if they're blitzing, Sometimes they'll put seven or eight guys on the line of scrimmage. Everybody's in that two-point stance. And so you don't know who's coming, who's going, if they're blitzing, if they're dropping into coverage. And I'm going to get super nerdy here,

but if you go back to the first time Arizona played Seattle, that game that went into overtime, they used this on three different plays to really confuse Russell Wilson. The first one, they showed that sort of blitz look, and they rushed two guys on the inside, and then Byron Murphy off one edge, Buda Baker off the other. The first time they did that, Buda Baker flushed Russell Wilson out. He had to throw it away. Then in overtime, they showed that same look.

Russell Wilson saw it pre-snap. He was worried about Buda Baker, so he adjusted the protection. He slid the protection towards Buda Baker. He had a running back aligned in the wing to that side. He shifted him into the backfield to give him a better angle to pick up Buda Baker. What happened? It's Byron Murphy on the other side who blitzes and gets a sack. So that's two plays. Then the third one, which is they show that same look. Russell Wilson's now thinking, I've really got to get this ball out of my hands quickly. What does Arizona do? They don't blitz at all. They pretty much drop eight into coverage. Wilson tries to throw a quick seam route to his tight end, and it's the guy you mentioned,

Isaiah Simmons, that long defensive weapon type player who gets into the passing lane, uses his length to make the interception and set up the game-winning field goal for Arizona. So these kinds of looks they've been using more and more. They've been getting Isaiah Simmons involved more and more. And these are going to cause a problem, particularly when you think to how that Houston game basically ended last Sunday, where Houston showed a similar type of look on that fourth down play, and they couldn't get it blocked up. You had a free runner at Cam Newton.

He's ended up making a throw while he's, like, falling to the turf and passes incomplete because they couldn't get the protection set. They didn't know who was coming or going. So this combination with how New England struggled to handle that look from Houston and with what Arizona has been able to do with guys like Russell Wilson, this concerns me for Sunday. Yeah, without question. And I think it concerns a lot of Patriots nation. Look, there is some optimism that we can build on when it comes to what we saw offensively from the Patriots nation. Look, there is some optimism that we can build on when it comes to what we saw offensively from the Patriots, especially in the passing game. But this is a versatile defense

with a lot of young counterparts that can get after the quarterback, can really get into coverage. And I think you've articulated that quite nicely. So our sharp eye will definitely be on the field on Sunday to see how Cam is going to be able to handle this Arizona defense. But speaking of defense, the Patriots defense is going to have their hands full as well with a very young, exciting quarterback in Kyler Murray. And Mark, it's always a blast when you come back home. And I thank you for giving us that insight on the Patriots on Cam and what we might expect to see from the Patriots offense. But this one also has a share of questions at the quarterback position for the Arizona Cardinals. And of course, we will talk Arizona's exciting signal caller to bring it all home.

All this and at least one more total reference when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Lockdown listeners, the holiday season is a great time for you to indulge in your favorite tasty treats. Let's face it, we all have them, and it's a safe bet to say that over the course of the holidays, we'll be indulging in them. But one of my true favorites is not only incredibly delicious but it's also incredibly healthy. Tons of health benefits with all the great taste for which you could possibly ask. That's right everyone, I'm talking about our good friends at Built Bar and this holiday season they've truly outdone themselves. The next time you hear Bing Crosby croon, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, you're

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the Arizona Cardinals. And Mark, Kyler Murray is unquestionably one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the game today. He can use his legs as well as anyone in the league. But Murray completes better than 68% of his throws, which is something I don't think he gets enough credit for and 19 touchdowns through the air to go with 10 rushing scores but he did suffer a shoulder injury during Sunday's loss in Seattle he played through the discomfort throwing 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns so still an impressive output but he also had to apply heat to the injured area

every time he went to the sidelines we continued to see him kind of muddle through that as the game went on and just this morning on Wednesday morning Cardinals head coach Cliff Kingsbury I don't know if he was doing a little bit of posturing or what but he told the media that they will take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to Kyler's status this coming Sunday. That could mean that either Chris Strebler, the rookie, or Brett Hundley might be taking snaps under center in New England on Sunday. Again, my bet is that we're going to see Murray on the field, but you never really know for sure. Mark, in the event that Murray can't play, or even if he can, what type of look might we see from the Arizona Cardinals, and how might that shoulder injury really hamper Kyler

from doing what he does best? I mean, it's a concern if you're an Arizona Cardinals fan. Any time a quarterback has that sort of shoulder injury, it's going to cause problems for them, particularly on downfield throws and throws where they feel that they have to dial up velocity. Anytime you have to challenge windows over the middle of the field, anytime you have to push the ball towards the boundaries,

when you feel like you have to crank up the RPMs as a passer, you know, that's when you're going to see problems. That's when it's going to cause you discomfort. You know, simple check downs, screens, tunnels, all of which are things that this Arizona offense does on the regular, you know, those won't be painful. Those won't cause Murray problems. It's the deeper stuff that will.

And this has been an offense that has made some plays in the downfield pass again, the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins, a big reason why. And so I think depending on how that shoulder feels for him on Sunday, you might see either more downfield throws, you know, the number of frequency of which we're used to seeing from this Arizona offense this year, you might see fewer downfield throws. They might become more of a quick pass in game, in which case you're going to see a lot of design screens, design throws,

two receivers in space, trying to take advantage of the athleticism of guys after the catch and Andy Isabella and even DeAndre Hopkins. And so I think, you know, what we see from this offense conceptually is going to be in large part determined by how well Murray's shoulder feels. You know, if he's healthy, you're going to see an offense that is going to stretch you vertically. They're going to take some shot plays downfield. They love to run dagger concept, which

is that sort of seam from the inside receiver, dig from the outside receiver. It's a great way to beat zone coverage looks, but we do know that the Patriots love to run man. They might have to do some different things. You might see a lot of mesh crossing routes underneath, which is a route concept that the New England Patriots have struggled

to defend, historically speaking. So what we see on Sunday is probably going to be determined in large part by how Kyler Murray should feel Sunday morning. Yeah, and I think in a lot of ways that will be the determining factor, and it could make for a more interesting game than we thought on Sunday, assuming he does give it a go and again I think we're kind of trending in that direction but you never really know for sure folks so you know definitely keep a sharp eye on the injury reports throughout the week but you hit on this very nicely uh Kyler does have a tendency to get a little loose with the ball at times he's thrown eight interceptions this year and I think you've already alluded to this in a lot of ways but I'm going to ask you to expound

upon it just a little bit. To me this is where the Patriots secondary has to take advantage. We have to start seeing that ball hawking secondary that the Patriots have employed for a number of years now. They had a pretty rough outing in Houston and I think the Patriots can find a way to take the ball away with J.C. Jackson, Stephon Gilmore. He's locked horns with Hopkins in the past, so these two are very familiar with one another. I think that Jonathan Jones should see a lot of Christian Kirk, while the safeties, I think, are going to be able to handle Larry Fitzgerald underneath. But the key is getting some pressure on Murray. And regardless of the coverage that you see in the field, I think that has to improve mostly.

If he's hampered at all, do the Patriots have enough in this coverage unit to put pressure on him, maybe force him into making some of those errant throws and taking away some of those weapons that he has on offense? I mean, Mike, I think on paper they do. I think the issue has sort of been this season that they've faced some really good quarterbacks that have found ways to make throws even when the coverage was good. I mean, a prime example of that was early in that game against Houston last week on that seam road up the left side from Deshaun Watson and Brandon Cooks. You know, they ran a little rub concept,

but the Patriots defense was in a sense ready for it because J.C. Jackson was playing off. And so when he saw Stephon Gilmore get picked, he jumped the rope. And it was just a perfect throw and a perfect ball by Deshaun Watson. You know, they're getting, you know, a lot of people have said, look, there are problems with the defense right now, but I do think part of that is they're playing quarterbacks that are playing extremely well, you know?

And so Murray is another in a lot of quarterbacks that, you know, is sort of built to beat what the Patriots do historically. This was something that a lot of people, myself included, feared about this schedule because when you saw guys, not just Patrick Mahomes, but guys like Josh Allen and Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson, it's that athletic quarterback that poses you problems with how they can extend plays with their legs and then also poses you problems with what they can do

when they put the ball where they want to put it. And so that's going to be, I think, another problem, especially with Murray's full guard. They've got talent, obviously, in the secondary. They can play the matchups, and I think the way you outlined them is going to be exactly how they're going to look to play these matchups in man coverage situations. The problem is, you know, the athletic quarterback, they can break contain, they can extend plays,

and when you're forced sometimes to cover four, five, six seconds into the down, guys are going to break down, you're going to break open, and that's when you get those scrambled plays that have given the Patriots fits over the years. Yeah, and I think you're absolutely right on that, and look, this may end up being a more explosive game than people realize. Cam and Kyler, when they're both cooking, so to speak uh these guys can put on quite a show um there have been some limitations with cam this year uh there might be some limitations with kyler when it comes to his health and the status of his shoulder but

ultimately i think it'll be a fun game to watch on sunday and patriots are in again must win category if they want to try to keep any type of slim, slim playoff hopes alive. I know it's a pipe dream, folks, but technically there is still a chance. And hopefully Mark has outlined quite nicely what you might expect to see from both quarterbacks on the field this coming Sunday. Buddy, what can I say? On Thanksgiving, it really gives you the opportunity to reflect on those people that mean the most to you in your life, people that you're thankful to work with, people that you're thankful to call colleagues, and then just people that you're thankful for in general. You fall into that category, my friend. Whether or not we were colleagues or whether or not we were compatriots in Patriots coverage, I'd be a fan regardless.

So I'm thankful for you in a lot of different ways. You're a good man. You're always there for the handoff when I need you and I greatly greatly appreciate it please let our listeners know over this Thanksgiving break where they can find you of course on the bird app but most of all what they can look forward to in the coming days from the astounding pen

of Mark Schofield well Mike similar to what you just said, extremely thankful for you, your friendship, the work that you do, the way you cover this team, this sport. You can do such a great job day in and day out. I couldn't be prouder of everything you're doing. It's tremendous to see the way you've taken the show,

made it your own, and just crush it every single day. And I do consider you a true friend. I've told many people you're one of the true gentlemen and scholars in this industry, one of the best. And I'm just so thankful to have you as somebody that I can consider a friend. As for me, people can follow me, like you said, on the Bird app, at Mark Schofield. You can look for something on that 065 package over at Pat's Pulpit a little later this week.

As I said, I've written about it a lot, but I'll put something together on it so people can see it. But the easiest way to follow the work is on Twitter, at Mark Schofield. Absolutely. And I couldn't echo those sentiments more. They were very deeply touching and I'm greatly appreciative of that. And I assure you the feeling is definitely mutual, my friend. Of course, the Toto poster always on the wall here in the Locked On Patriot Studios. And I'm greatly appreciative of that. And I assure you the feeling is definitely mutual, my friend. Of course, the Toto poster always on the wall here in the Locked On Patriot Studios.

I'm going to put up some Christmas decorations over the top of it. Maybe a little holly, maybe a little lights. But we don't touch the poster, folks. That stays. It is absolutely a fixture. And I, for one, could not be more happy to look at it each and every day. But all kidding aside, buddy, thank you so much for joining me today. Have a great Thanksgiving to you and yours stay safe stay well and you know we're going to have you back here at least one more time before the end of this 2020 season to break down some patriots coverage and who knows maybe we'll still be talking about a potential playoff run it's

possible but hey we'll we'll talk in playoffs until they tell us we can't. That's the way we do it. Absolutely, absolutely. And then it's on to the draft. I would say on to Cincinnati, but I don't think the draft is going to be in Cincinnati this year. Who knows what's going to happen with the draft? We may have another virtual one under our belts here,

but all kidding aside. But thank you so much. Take care and have a wonderful holiday. You too, my friend. And just like that, Patriots fans, it is just about time to take you all into your Thanksgiving holiday. But I just wanted to take a moment before signing off today to thank each and every one of you for making Locked On Patriots

a part of your daily listening routine and also a part of your daily New England Patriots coverage. Since taking over for my guest today and my good friend Mark Schofield, it's really become my honor to bring you your daily dose of news notes and analysis and opinions and the occasional bad joke or impersonation here and there. But bottom line, we've had quite the Patriots journey together. Don't forget, I started off in the Tom Brady era and we've transitioned now into the Cam Newton era.

And that type of transition isn't exactly easy, but you have all made me feel so welcomed with some of the great feedback that I've received. And for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really am blessed to be a part of the Locked On Podcast Network and to be hosting a daily podcast of a team in the New England Patriots that I've covered, I will continue to cover, but also a team of which I've been a fan of all my life. That doesn't get to happen to everyone, and I'm truly grateful to have been given that opportunity.

So on this Thanksgiving, I tell you that I'm thankful for all of you listeners out there. Each download, each subscription, and every kind message that I receive means so much to me, and your support makes this show and all of the great shows across our network possible. So whether you're a new listener or a long-time listener this show and all of the great shows across our network possible. So whether you're a new listener or a long-time listener, I appreciate all of you very much, and I sincerely wish you and your

families a very happy, healthy, and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. And don't forget, Locked On Patriots will be back on Friday for Crossover Friday when I cross the streams with Bo Brack and Alex Clancy of Locked On Cardinals to get you ready for game day.

So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to and follow the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Mark Schofield for his time, his insight and his appearance on today's pod.

But most of all, I thank you all so much for listening and again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until Friday, stay safe, stay well, always continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and a very happy Thanksgiving.