Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Coach’s Challenge? - Patriots 2020 Coaching Staff Outlook - 6/17/2020

Episode Date: June 17, 2020

To say that 2020 has been a challenging year is an understatement.  Perhaps no group in professional sports faces a greater number of challenges (both on-field and off-field) than the New England Patriots 2020 coaching staff. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy, as the duo evaluate the many challenges that the Pats’ coaches expect to face in 2020.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful and welcome to your Coach's Challenge Wednesday episode of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.

What's happening, Patriots Nation? It is Wednesday, June 17th, 2020. 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, your comments, and your feedback are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. And you can share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me

and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there roaming around through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, we are at the midway point in the work week, and to help you climb over that hump, there is an action-packed docket for you today on the pod. As you know, we've spent the better part of the last couple of weeks breaking down positional depth charts across the Patriots roster, talking a lot about the players on

the field and those who we know will not be on the field this year. And yeah, I'll get to my thoughts on Tom and his new threads in just a moment. But one of the biggest challenges that the Patriots face in the upcoming 2020 season isn't so much on the shoulders of the players, it's actually more on the shoulders of the coaching staff. And in my opinion, this is something that hasn't been talked about nearly enough. Let's face it, folks, it is not easy to be a coach in professional sports. It's certainly not easy to be one in the NFL.

And for all the armchair Vince Lombardis that you see out on social media that are convinced that they could take any team and turn them into a dynasty, it's a lot harder than it looks. In New England, no one can argue the fact that we have one of the best, the longest tenured head coach in the NFL, Bill Belichick. And for all in Patriots Nation that absolutely love Bill, after all, in Bill we trust, right? There is a select few out there that really are not Bill's biggest fans right now. You might be a little angry with him. You

might even go as far as to call yourself a Belichick hater. And I agree, within New England, that's very few and far between. Far be it for me to argue with you if you have a bit of an axe to grind when it comes to Bill. One thing that can't be argued is this guy is one of the greatest coaches in the history of professional sports. But even a coach as great as Bill Belichick faces some uncertainty this year, some additional challenges, maybe challenges he didn't even foresee. And this could make for a very interesting season in Foxborough, folks.

First, Bill has to bring together a locker room that has lost the indelible face of its franchise, the icon, the main event, the GOAT himself Tom Brady is no longer in New England. And in and of itself, the absence of someone with Brady's talent, his presence and his leadership ability is a tough task for any coach. So there's challenge number one. Then you add a little additional mud into that water when you take under account that his new quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, has taken so few professional regular season snaps that they can be counted on his fingers. He's also seen the departure of vocal

leaders in his locker room via free agency. Guys like Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Nate Ebner, Danny Shelton, and Daron Harmon, albeit the last one was via trade. Sounds like that task just got a lot taller, right? Well, as Colonel Slade said in Scent of a Woman, I'm just getting warmed up. Add into the mix that you've now lost two very valuable members of your coaching staff. Former wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator Joe Judge is now the head coach for the New York football Giants. Legendary offensive line coach Dante Skarnecchia has announced his retirement.

Now normally, just one of these losses would be enough to weaken a coaching staff. The Patriots have experienced the loss of both. And as talented as Bill and his Patriots coaching staff are, it's extreme wishful thinking to believe that at least one, if not both of these losses, will result in at least a little regression when it comes to the Patriots' prowess on the offensive line and on the special teams unit. But just when you thought the coaching staff has all the challenges it could possibly handle, sprinkle in what has been the year of 2020. And folks, to say it's been a tumultuous year is a gross understatement. Trying to conquer

worldwide calamities such as a global pandemic and social injustice and inequality reaches far beyond the football field. But both of these issues will have an impact on the product we see on the field this year. And Bill Belichick and the Patriots coaching staff have to deal with these issues as well. Granted, the other 31 NFL teams are in the same boat when it comes to navigating the troubled waters of a global pandemic and social injustice. But when you combine all of the other issues the Patriots coaching staff was going to face, 2020 is set to be an interesting year to say the least in Foxborough. So taking all of that under account, folks, it sounds like the Patriots coaching staff

is in need of some wisdom, and maybe some counsel. How about some green wisdom and counsel? Oh yeah, folks, you know it as well as I. Making his weekly appearance here on the Locked On Patriots podcast is my main man, Thomas, the Count of Murphy Fisto Murphy. And Murph and I will discuss the numerous challenges being faced by this coaching staff. How will they overcome key losses on the coaching staff? How will they be able to rebound on the field after key free agent departures?

And last but certainly not least, as a coach himself, Murph will offer his advice on how the New England coaching staff might be best suited to tackle numerous pressing social issues of the day. Folks, an action-packed show on the docket for you today. Who better than Murph to help guide us through it as we both bring you a look inside the coaches' challenges that will be faced this year in Foxborough. But as a reminder, folks, the calendar does read June 17th, and that means that we are nearly halfway through the year. Impossible to believe, I know, but it's true, folks. If you squint just right, you might be able to see the 4th of July in your foresight. And even though our 4th celebrations might be a little bit different this year than in years past, it's still a cause for excitement. And that's because the official start of summer is almost here.

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RockAuto.com Patriots fans, the green wisdom and counsel of Thomas Murphy will join us in just a moment here on this Coach's Challenge episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. But first, on Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots announced their new veterans numbers as the team wraps up their virtual offseason with an eye toward training camp at the end of next

month. Now, the numbers that were assigned are for Patriots that came over via free agency or via trade. In other words, established veterans. Rookies remain numberless at this time. And in recent years, the team has given the rookies initial numbers starting at 50 and going upward, and that's usually for the first few weeks of training camp. If they follow that mode again this year, the rookies are likely to maintain those high numbers midway through training camp, and toward the end of training camp, the rookies will likely be assigned the numbers that they will wear in the upcoming 2020 season. But with that being said, let's take a look at the Patriots' new numbers for the new veterans. And we'll start with a familiar face that maintains a familiar number,

and that's quarterback Brian Hoyer. He will once again wear number 2 for your New England Patriots this year, and a new pair of wide receivers will be in the 10s and teens. Amir Bird, who's received quite a lot of publicity lately for the Patriots, will be wearing number 10, and Marquise Lee will be wearing number 13. We move to the defensive side of the ball, where a couple of safeties will be in the 20s. Former Charger Adrian Phillips will don number 21 and former Charger Cody Davis will end up wearing number 22. The fullback rises folks and he'll rise in the form of 45. Danny Vitale was awarded number 45 and that's the number he'll wear this

year in Foxborough. Moving back to the defensive side of the ball, former Jet linebacker Brandon Copeland will wear number 52. And rounding out the Patriots' new veterans is defensive tackle Bo Allen wearing number 94. So there you have it, folks. Your new Patriots with some new numbers. And if you notice, a couple of high-profile numbers in there that weren't assigned, namely 87 and 12. And folks, relax. I know as well as you do that 87 and 12 are unlikely

to be worn by any Patriot ever again. Certainly not number 12, but I think it's a safe bet that 87 will be safe as well. But I'm sure your Twitter timeline did catch a lot of number 12 yesterday. The problem was that number 12 wasn't in Patriot blue. It was in Buccaneer red. And relax, folks, I won't make another bad Bucking Hat joke. Well, okayer red. And relax, folks, I won't make another bad Buccan hat joke. Well, okay, I guess I just did, but I won't do it from this point further. It was just flat out difficult to see Tom Brady wearing another uniform, any other uniform. No knock to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but most of us here in New England still believe that Tom should still be wearing Patriot blue. And seeing all of the red Buccaneer jerseys all over my timeline yesterday

only made me want to see more images of Tom Brady wearing his number 12 in a Patriots uniform. And as I look through my old clippings, old photos, and of course my memorabilia collection, I realize that the most beautiful piece of Tom Brady memorabilia that I've seen in quite some time is one that's not in my collection. And I want to make it in my collection. And you should too. It comes to us courtesy of our friends at NykoSports.com. They have an amazing football commemorating the GOAT, Tom Brady, and his amazing 20-year

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And make sure to mention the Locked On Patriots podcast. Don't delay. Make this limited edition Tom Brady football yours today. Patriots fans, 2020 has been a challenging year, and it's been challenging for reasons that far eclipse the realm of professional sports. But seeing that we're locked on Patriots, our focus often narrows to Foxborough, and the Patriots are facing a challenging season in 2020. Much of our discussion here on the pod so far has been centered around positional battles and new faces, but the most prominent challenges might be the ones that the Patriots coaching staff is going to face, and maybe some helpful

hints might be of assistance to that coaching staff. Some keys, some monster keys, if you will. You see where I'm going with this one folks that's right to help us take a dive into the patriots coaching staff and its biggest concerns is your favorite in mine my benefactor in this business the count of murphy fisto the legendary thomas murphy is back for his weekly appearance right here on the lockdown patri On Patriots podcast. Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murph. Hey, man, it's a nice little hump day edition here. We're loving it, and we're talking coaching.

And there's nothing I love more than talking about coaching. Coaching keeps me involved in sports as a human being. It gives us something to say, yeah, I could still do that because we can't do much of anything else. And so, yeah, I've been coding for decades and decades now because I got old real quick. I got really old and really banged up. Luckily, I've been able to have some children that enjoy having me around and telling them how to do stuff properly. That's what it is because we all can't be George Foreman. We all can't go out there, or Tom Brady for that matter,

and go out there and be amazing in our 40s or 50s or whatever. So, yeah, no, no. Coaching is near and dear to my heart and something that I always enjoy talking about. Absolutely. And you were the perfect person to bring on today as you usually are, whatever the subject may be. I know Mark's got me covered folks, but the bottom line is, is you do bring such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to coaching, not just because you're a student of the game and not simply because you see things on the field that most of us mere mortals don't see.

It's the wisdom and counsel and the guidance that you bring as a coach. And we're going to get into that green wisdom and counsel as a coach a little bit later in today's episode. But Murph, let's start off with saying that we've spoken here a lot on Locked On Patriots about development, positional depth charts, rookies, new additions to the roster. But something that I think has really flown under the radar this year is the challenges that are going to be faced by the Patriots coaching staff.

There's more than a few, and they range from societal to medical to emotional and, of course, logistical on-the-field challenges. So if you don't mind let's start there if you will so many that i've shared the mic with here during the off season on the pod have echoed the point that you've made several times the loss of dante skarnecchia might end up being the most difficult loss the patriots have suffered this off season and that includes the loss of our former quarterback and his new threads i'll get back to that in a moment, folks. But even with the expected continuity of retaining guys like Cole Popovich and Carmen Brasillo on the offensive line, the Patriots are still missing Dante's experience. They're missing his insight,

and they're missing his guidance. Three things that I believe cannot be duplicated. Murph, in your opinion, what was it about Dante Skarniecki that made him so valuable to the success of this team, especially on offense? And do you believe the Patriots are equipped to handle such a loss heading into 2020? The biggest thing was respect. The fact that when you walked into a room, when he walked into a room, there was an immediate respect of his coaching abilities, the time that he's put in. And quite frankly, the men that he's made wealthy, that goes a long way when a young player comes into a situation. A lot of the times they feel, well, you know, who is this old man?

That's never been the case. And you would hope it isn't with most players, but you get the other side of the coin with some guys that are just looking at you like you're somebody who can't do the job anymore, so you're trying to tell me how to do it. That was never the case with him. He was respected at every room that he ever walked into. In coaching circles, he is somebody that is so envied and so beloved because of his style and his knowledge brought to the game, you can see it permeate throughout his coaching tree. The guys that have come from under him and gone on to other situations in other NFL cities or in the coaching ranks in the collegiate game. That was it.

This was a man that we aren't going to see again, and somebody that, quite frankly, I believe belongs in the Hall of Fame, and anybody that had ever played for him would wholeheartedly agree with me. Yeah, without any question. I really believe this loss is going to be a tough one, and look, that's no knock on Cole Popovich and Carmen Brasillo I think they're coming in no and I think providing some stability believe it or not to the offensive line I heard David Andrews say last week when he spoke to the media that you know Cole's been there for a while Carmen came in last year so everyone in the room mostly everyone in the room in that offensive line knows who these guys are they have a relationship they're familiar with them that definitely helps having guys like Carmen Brasillo and Cole Popovich there because they've been

around they know the system and there's continuity there Popovich has been in his face for the fifth season with the New England Patriots right now spent three years as a coaching assistant under Dante and a lot of that ability helped him to become an assistant running backs coach as well in 2019 which is something that I think is going to add to a lot of the synergy we'll see between the running game and the blocking of the offensive line obviously Brasillo that was his first year with New England last year but he was a coaching assistant under Dante So these guys know his mannerisms, but I come back to the fact that Dante's insight, his ability to coach his role as sort of a father figure to a lot of these players. And don't roll your eyes, folks. When I say that, that's a very important part of being a coach.

And Murph will tell you that, you know, better than anyone. There is that level of respect, that level of guidance that they're able to provide for you, knowing that these guys are there for you, not only on the field, but also emotionally, to give you that lift when you need it as well. To me, that's where they're going to miss Dante. He was one of the best in the game at being able to blend that. I'm not saying that he was buddy-buddy with these guys. He pushed his players and he pushed them hard, but he also knew the limits to which he could push them. And he knew how to motivate them in ways that you haven't seen anyone else be able to do on this offensive line. His players loved him. I've never heard a bad word said about Dante Skarniecki. And that should tell you something

right there, considering the longevity in this man's career. It's just unprecedented. So again, I think the Patriots do face a steep uphill battle, but at the same time, they have to move on. They have to do it. And speaking of moving on, my friend, in addition to losing a legendary coach like Dante Skarniecki, the Patriots have a lot of youth on this team this year. They have a new quarterback, younger faces on offense and defense, and let's face it, Murph, they have new expectations as well. But undertaking the challenge of coaching a team that is now without their primary captain, the iconic face of the franchise for the past two decades, that's really an enormous task. And we hear the rally cry all the time in Bill We Trust, but I think this year he's asking for a lot of trust, not only from the fan base,

but most importantly from his players. In your opinion, my friend, what can Bill and the coaching staff do to prepare this locker room for life without Tom Brady? For one, I know for a fact that, and Bill has already done this, I know he's already done this, is put a new chip on their shoulder, letting them know that this, you know, look at what the pundits are expecting of us this year. What they're saying out there, it's over. The dynasty's done.

You guys can't get it done without Tom Brady. Look how hard Tom Brady had to work last year and use that as a motivational coming together as a team. It's been done time and time again. I mean, I've done it myself when you lose the best player that you have because they stupidly went roller skating yesterday and broke a finger. And this is on a much grander scale, but that's going to be it. It is going to polarize this team into us against the world again, and nobody turns an us against the world again. And nobody turns an us against the world

scenario like Bill Belichick does. It is a very young team. But as you notice, the younger guys that they brought in, the people that we feel they're going to be dependent on, have had a year in the system. And they've known, they've been able to study under Tom Brady. The guys that were brought in this year, high in the draft, they were people that are on the defensive side of the ball, where Bill is going to have a more hands-on approach with them. He's going to be spending more time with them than he is with the offensive guys because he has so much trust in Ivan fears and with Josh McDaniels

and the staff on that side of the ball. The other guys have been here for a year with, you know, with, with a couple of exceptions of guys that were, that were picked in the third round that, that, you know, the tight ends that we're all depending on now. There are guys that have had their, you know, the tight ends that we're all depending on now. They're guys that have had their foot, their hand in the mud and know what's expected of them. It's going to be really difficult for the younger skilled players

to come in here this year and make the impact that we're going to try to make in how this system is going to run underneath Stidham. But I believe this coaching staff is able to do it. I think they have enough time in this system underneath Bill that he has the trust in them to say, this is what I want, go out and teach it. And the only drawback is how much time they're going to have to do it. Absolutely. That is such a good point and one that I will expand upon a little bit later in the show today. But you make such an interesting point is that this coaching staff is uniquely prepared. They're uniquely challenged when it comes to having to move on from someone

as iconic to a franchise as Tom Brady is to the New England Patriots. And look, folks, it was tough yesterday. It was tough on Murph. It was tough on me to see Tom Brady wearing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform. I tweeted out last night, all I could think of was the Godfather. And look how they massacred my boy. You know, I mean, it's tough. It really is.

You know, and then they keep retweeting it again this morning. And, you know, I tweeted out again, the Michael Corleone slamming his hand down on the desk and going, enough, we get it, folks. He's in Tampa Bay now. But at the same time, there's still a team that has to take snaps in Foxborough. They have to be ready. They have to be prepared. Bill Belichick is going to do all he can to make sure that his team is prepared.

And, again, you hear a lot of players that have played for him previously. Rodney Harrison spoke out earlier this week, just a couple of days ago, and our great mutual friend Steve Balistrieri articulated it perfectly in his column on Wednesday, saying that Rodney knows how to play that card. He's played it better than anybody. In fact, maybe you can make the argument that he overplayed it a little bit in the Patriots' third Super Bowl run, stating that no one gaveed it a little bit in the Patriots' third Super Bowl run, stating that no one gave them a chance. I think the Patriots might have been favored in that game, but I'm not going to go back that far against the first Super Bowl against the Eagles.

But again, they know how to take a personal slight or a professional slight in this case and make it personal. In a lot of ways, I think that's going to be something that will aid the Patriots this year. Maybe taking it a little personal and not saying it's strictly business will be the way to motivate and move on from a guy that was a motivator just by stepping on the field. You hear so many players in this locker room and players that are now playing with Tom in Tampa Bay stating that all the man has to do is walk into a room and you automatically feel the level just elevate the bar is raised just by Brady being there that's a challenge that the coaching staff is going to have to face this year and who better to do it than Bill Belichick I know there's a lot of fans up here that are still upset that Tom walked out the door and for whatever

blame pie you want to serve up to as the reason for Tom not being here anymore you have to admit that even though you may have a vendetta or you may have a little ill will towards Bill in this case he is probably the best coach in the country to be able to handle the loss of someone like Tom Brady and still move his team forward Murph I think we've both articulated pretty well that it's hard to move on from Tom let let's face it, but we have to do it. And folks, just because you move on doesn't mean you have to forget. And the best way to remember the glory days of the GOAT is with a breathtaking piece of Tom Brady memorabilia. I just can't help it, folks. I can't help but keep looking at the commemorative Tom Brady football saluting his amazing 20-year run with the Patriots, arguably the greatest 20-year run in the history of the NFL. Our friends at Nyko Sports

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the greatest piece of memorabilia in your collection ever. Don't delay. Make this Tom Brady football yours today. Folks, as host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, you know I'm always honored and humbled by your support. I always appreciate you standing behind me.

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please visit LockedOnPodcast.com slash Black Lives Matter. Patriots fans Thomas Murphy brings his weekly dose of wisdom, counsel, and class to Locked On Patriots fans Thomas Murphy brings his weekly dose of wisdom, counsel, and class to Locked On Patriots today. And Bud, we talked a little bit in the previous segment about the challenges the Patriots face with moving on from Tom Brady. But part of that is preparing the team for life with Jarrett Stidham as your quarterback. And as you mentioned before, this comes with its own set of challenges. Now, I have a lot of faith in Stid the Kid, but he isn't Tom Brady. And let's be honest, no one should expect him to be Tom Brady. But for as much talent as Jarrett

brings to the game, maybe even, dare I say, a little more mobility to the position, he doesn't have the GOAT savvy when it comes to getting rid of the ball. He just doesn't have Tom's quick decision-making ability just yet. That could mean an increase in turnovers, and that could lead to some questionable coaching decisions. It's not just limited to the offense though, Murph, because the Pats have a lot of youth and new faces on defense and special teams this year as well. That also includes a new special teams coordinator in Cameron Achord who's taking over for the departed Joe Judge. Murph, assuming you are Bill Belichick, you are Josh McDaniels, you're Gerard Mayo, you're a part of that incumbent Patriots coaching staff. How do you mold a young team into a winning team?

I lean on veterans. We've talked a great deal about this. There are veteran leaders all over this team, excuse me, that are going to be able to show these young players the way, the Patriot way, the professional way, the way that you need to act on a field and go about your business every single day from, you know, the McCourty twins to, you know, um to I almost said Gerard Mayo but you know Mayo Mayo has has a special connection with his with his players since he he was a player so um you know not so long ago that he's somebody that that's able to do that there are leaders on this team that this coaching staff is going to be able to lean on and be able to show these kids the way things are going to go and what's going to be expected of them when they show up at One Patriot Place every day. And that's rain, snow, sleet or hail. You have to be there and you've got to be ready to put in the work. And it's just, it's a special situation here. And you can understand why Bill gave the contracts he did to some of the older players to keep them under this umbrella for at least a couple more years to help pass that torch.

I believe that there are a lot of coaches that are on the field wearing numbers and that, you know, that's something that you can't say about a lot of ball clubs. I mean, you could throw out a person here or there, but the guys that Bill is going to be leaning on have been here their entire careers almost. And no, actually, yeah, they've all been here their entire careers and are the consummate professionals. And I think that's the way that things are going to run this season. Yeah, I agree with you.

I mean, one of the biggest parts in getting a young team to buy in is having secure leadership at the top. And look, just the name Bill Belichick, and I know we've sung his praises a lot today, folks, but just the name Bill Belichick commands respect. Whether you love the guy, whether you hate the guy, he's someone that automatically is going to get players to fall in line just because he is who he is. I liken that to guys like Greg Popovich and Phil Jackson in the NBA, someone like a Joe Torre or a Terry Francona in Major League Baseball. These guys automatically

just commanded respect because of who they were and the resume they brought to the table. Belichick maybe is probably on another level, even from those legendary names and being able to do that. But ultimately, it's going to be about the secondary coaches as well. Josh McDaniels carries a lot of cachet.

His name is a big-time name amongst a lot of players out there in the NFL. If you think that a lot of those guys there in the NFL. If you think that, yeah, if you think that a lot of those guys on offense, some of the younger players are not excited to come in and be able to play with Josh McDaniels and be able to learn from him. I don't know what to tell you folks. I mean, I think that maybe you haven't been paying much attention to this team. He's a great offensive mind. And I think a lot of guys are looking forward to maybe taking on a bigger role in a Josh McDaniels offense I look at Nikhil Harry I look at Jacoby Myers I look at Damian Harris even a guy like Sonny Michelle Murph I think these guys see the opportunity to grow now

where maybe they didn't have that before and I don't mean that as a knock to Tom Brady folks in the least but when you have a younger quarterback, younger core, these guys are going to be willing to grow, and I think you're going to see that a lot this year. You mentioned Mayo, and you mentioned Steve Belichick and guys like that on the defensive side of the ball, and there's a lot of youth on defense this year. Patriots brought in a lot of young players to kind of shoulder the load,

especially when it comes to the pass rush. You've got young guys like Joshua Uche coming in. Chase Winovich is entering his second year. I expect big things out of him. Prove-it years for guys like Dietrich Wise, who are nearing the end of their rookie deals, that all of a sudden are going to be asked to play a big role, or they might be jettisoned.

So a lot of the youth that the team has can work to its advantage, but it's going to come from the top, and it's going to come from veterans as well on the field. Guys like Stephon Gilmore, Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty, guys that have been here for a while that embody that Patriot way. They're going to be called upon to be, I think, on field coaches this year in a lot of ways. And the great thing about guys like that, of course, Dante Hightower. I don't want to miss him as well. He's a big part of that. Those guys are up for the challenge.

We've seen them do it. And I think they'll do it again this year in the absence of Tom Brady. No, and Murph, I think that leads me quite nicely into my last question for you today. And that is, we all know about the challenges being faced by so many in our country right now, whether it be social injustice or a global pandemic. These issues go far beyond the football field, as I said to open our segment today. But each of them will have an effect on the product we do see on the football field this year. Now, neither of us are experts in the field of medicine, nor are we cultural or legislative

voices that are capable of bringing about the change that we need to see solving the problems related to racial injustice and some of the difficulties that we face there. But the coaching staffs of all 32 NFL teams, including our New England Patriots, have to face these issues. And so far, from what I've heard from the Patriots, the players and the coaching staff tend to be on the same page. They seem to be content with the leadership they're getting and the cooperation they're receiving. Murph, you're a coach. You've said this several times. It's something you're passionate about.

And as a coach, you are called upon to be the logistical architect of what your team does on the field. But you're also called upon to lead, to set an example, and sometimes calm the storm. As a coach, what advice do you have for the Patriots coaching staff as they look to navigate these waters that are more trouble than any, which most of us have experienced in our lifetime? Yeah, this year more than any, it's going to be very difficult to ignore the noise. But more so than anything, it's going to be don't bring your noise to work, but also respect the feelings of the man next to you, the man that gets dressed next to you every single day, the man that you need to depend on. let them know there is no other sport in the world where you depend on somebody next to you the way it is in football.

It is one serious, cohesive machine. You don't get it in baseball or basketball or, you know, anything, even hockey. You don't depend on the person next to you the way that you do in football and take a look at the man next to you and how much you respect them and their struggles within life sports has always been a bastion of quality in a way that, and please don't misconstrue what I'm saying there, people. I know that there are serious issues in the NFL and in any locker room about that when you have to. But when you come in here, sports is the great equalizer. In the perfect world, in a world that I believe that Bill Belichick lives in, it is the best player, and then it is the next player up.

And I believe that that philosophy is really going to bring this Patriots team together. I would tell these guys, think of coming to work as your oasis, because this is your happy place. This is where you feel best in the world. I know it is for me. I feel no better anywhere or more comfortable anywhere than I do stepping onto a ball field, whether it's to coach or play or whatever. Keep that. Keep that in your heart. Make this a place where you can come and just let go of everything that is tearing you apart or eating away at you in the outside world. Keep this your Xanadu. Keep this your Nirvana. And go out there and just enjoy yourself, whether it's six hours of sweating on a practice field

or three hours cheering your teammates on on a Sunday afternoon or a Thursday night or a Monday night. Make this your place of refuge again. Don't forget that it always has been there for you. And in the long run, you'll be able to end up being a better person and just being able to enjoy your life for just a small amount of time during the day, you know, when you're not surrounded by your kids and your family. So well said, eloquently said. And again, that type of experience that you bring as a coach

helps you to be able to offer that type of wisdom and counsel and I know I always use wisdom and counsel sometimes as a punch line but I don't use that as a punch line today folks that is wisdom that is counsel it's great advice and I really feel for the coaches this year in the league not just in the Patriots locker room but all over the country we look at what the New England Patriots are doing to help combat racial injustice. And the one thing that fills me with pride when it comes to the New England Patriots, the team that I get the opportunity to cover for a living, is that they're recognizing that words are an important step.

They're an important first part. Lending your voice, lending your support is so important. But they realize there's still a long way to go to reach the type of utopia, the nirvana that you mentioned. There's still a ways to go on that. The Patriots get it. Bill Belichick gets it. Sounds like the players in the locker room get it. And when you can unite behind that type of a force, good things can happen. So I hope that that continues. I hope the players continue to see that as we all work together to be the change we want to see in the world. From a pandemic standpoint, I feel for them as well, because now we're looking at a whole situation where you always worried about the possibility of players going down, whether it be knee injury, shoulder injuries, serious injury that could happen on the football field. Illness is always a problem as well. But now we're facing a pandemic where this illness is much more rampant than anything

we've seen in the last few years. And all of a sudden, you're facing the possibilities. And our mutual friend, Dr. Jessica Flynn, joined me on Friday on Locked On Patriots and said, fans really need to be aware of the fact that a lot of their favorite players may end up having to miss significant time this year because of a positive COVID-19 test. That's a, I think, a challenge in and of itself for a coaching staff. And it'll be interesting to see how teams are able to weather the storm.

The Patriots are great at having next man up. Do they combat that by saying, well, this year we might not be able to take the chance on younger, unproven rookies, undrafted free agents that we have in the past? Do we need savvy veterans, as many of them in this locker room as possible, to step into roles that they may need to step into, whether we expected it or not? It's all up for grabs. It's all up for discussion. And your guess, my friend, is as good

as mine. And at this point, I think we have to play the wait and see game when it comes to the Patriots, but they always seem to have the next man up. So until it's proven otherwise, I'm willing to give this team the benefit of the doubt, bud. I agree. And I couldn't, I couldn't agree more. Fantastic. Fantastic analogy. I hit one side of the coin, you hit the other. And thanks again for having me on, Michael. Oh, are you kidding me? It's always, always my pleasure.

But you lend, again, your wisdom and counsel today quite literally, but you do it like no other. That's why you are family here at the Locked On Patriots podcast. You're family to me. There's no question about it. But you've become a fan favorite for our listeners, and these are the reasons why. I can't thank you enough for joining me today, folks. You know, you should already be following the man, but for any of our new listeners, and I know we have a couple. I actually appeared earlier this morning on 92.9 The Ticket, ESPN Radio up in maine and my friends wayne harvey and the guys that run that show assured me that we'd get a few new listeners uh today as a result of my appearance so for those of you that are unaware of where to

follow this great man great people great great people uh gave you a shout out on that show my friend this morning and well deserved as always but uh if we have oh you're welcome you're very welcome if we do have some newbies listening uh follow the count of murphy fisto on twitter at team murph 207 the columns including his monster keys they're always point click and learn material and of course all of murph's work is proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com. Also, folks, never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with Murph and our great mutual friend, Steve Balistrieri. My friend, thank you so much once again. I'm always honored, always humbled by your presence.

Always my pleasure to be here, Michael. Always. You know, I can't wait till next week. Absolutely. We look forward to having you back for your weekly appearance here on Locked on Murph, right here on the Locked on Patriots podcast. Have a great

day, my friend. And so, Patriots fans, we tie a bow on the Coaches Challenge Wednesday episode of the Locked on Patriots podcast. I have no doubt that Murph's insight, as it always does, left you a little wiser, a little more insightful, and hopefully a lot more energized. But if that green wisdom and counsel left you needing just a little more energy, may I suggest indulging in one of my favorite energizing treats, Bilt Bar.

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Go to BuiltBar.com today and use promo code LOCKEDON to get $10 off your first box. That's B-U-I-L-T-B-A-R.com, and use promo code LOCKEDON for $10 off your first box. Again, do not delay. Make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar today. And as for me, folks, I will be back tomorrow to continue to bring you the latest news, notes, and analysis from Foxborough. Make sure that you do not miss an episode of Locked on Patriots by subscribing to us on Apple Podcasts, following us on Spotify,

and don't forget that you can always listen to Locked on Patriots right on your very own smart device. How do you do that? Quite simple. Simply ask it to play the latest episode of Locked on Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now tell your smart device to play the most recent episode of Draft Dudes. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his wisdom, his counsel, and his appearance today. But most importantly, I thank all of you for listening

today and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world, and have a great day, everyone.