Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Thursday: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets in Week Two — 9/16/2021

Episode Date: September 16, 2021

It’s Crossover Thursday heading into Week Two of the the 2021 NFL Season. Join hosts Mike D’Abate of Locked On Patriots and John Butchko of Locked On Jets as they preview this AFC East interdivisi...onal matchup between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, September 19th.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.ManscapedFellas, don’t gamble on shaving your balls with the wrong tools! Choose MANSCAPED™, Your Balls Will Thank You™! Get 20% off + free shipping with the code LOCKEDON at manscaped.com.RunYourPoolCheck ‘em out TODAY and get $10 off at RunYourPool.com and usepromo code LockedOn at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Thursday, September 16th, 2021, and it is Thursday, Crossover Thursday. Time to cross the streams with Lockdown Jets 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. And Locked On listeners, don't forget that the Locked On NFL Draft podcast relaunches September 20th with brand new hosts.
Starting point is 00:00:59 Eric Crocker brings the player scouting. Ryan Tracy brings the analytics. Follow the Locked On NFL Draft podcast on YouTube, the Odyssey app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation, and thank you for joining me here on this Crossover Thursday episode of the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated. I am also your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network,
Starting point is 00:01:30 your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much encouraged. So share that feedback. Send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at mdabatenfl and while you're out there doing some thursday traveling through that twitterverse please be
Starting point is 00:01:51 sure to follow the locked on patriots account as well at lo underscore patriots pats fans it is time to cross the streams here on crossover thursday one of the true staples here at the locked on podcast network and today we have a special treat. As the Patriots get set to take on the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, my good friend and colleague John Buchko, host of Locked On Jets, will be joining me here on the hot seat. And we will break down Sunday's matchup between these two AFC East Division rivals from a Pats perspective and from a Jets perspective.
Starting point is 00:02:24 Who are the players we should be keeping a sharp eye on? What are the matchups we're looking forward to? John and I will cover all of this and more when we cross the streams here in just a moment. But first, some injury news to share with you with regard to your New England Patriots. And for the second straight day, both offensive lineman Trent Brown with a calf injury and linebacker Kyle Van Noy with a throat injury did not participate in practice. As a result, their status for Sunday's game might be in jeopardy. We will continue to monitor both of their status on Friday here on Locked On Patriots. And of course, heading into the weekend, hopefully we'll have an update on either Trent Brown
Starting point is 00:03:01 or Kyle Van Noy. A couple of interesting additions to the Patriots injury report today. Tight end Jonu Smith listed with a hip injury. Kicker Quinn Nordeen listed with an abdomen injury. Now, neither player was listed on Wednesday's injury report. At this time, it's unclear whether either of them suffered the injuries during Wednesday's practice, but if I were you, Pats Nation, I'd already have my sharp eye on each of these injuries. As we saw last Sunday against the Dolphins, the Patriots are eager to utilize those two
Starting point is 00:03:30 tight end sets. They ran quite a few plays with 12-man personnel, and we expect that to continue this week. If Jonu was unable to go, Devin Asiasi was already in an active on Sunday against the Dolphins. He would have to be active alongside Hunter Henry. If not, Patriots won't be able to run that 12-man personnel, so this one is worth watching. The other side of this is Quinn Nordine now being listed with an abdomen injury. If he's unable to go and is inactive for the second straight week, that definitely means that
Starting point is 00:04:00 Nick Falk would need to be the roster elevation. Patriots can only elevate Nick one more time, meaning that after Sunday's game, they would either have to sign him to the 53-man roster, or they would have to keep him on the practice squad for the remainder of the season and possibly risk losing him to another team. So the Patriots Thursday injury report definitely had some notable items on there. And of course, we will continue to monitor the very latest when it comes to the health and well-being of your New England Patriots right here on Locked On Patriots and bring you the very latest tomorrow. But as for today, it is time to cross the streams.
Starting point is 00:04:37 Locked On Patriots, Locked On Jets, as I will be joined here in just a moment by John Buchko, host of the Locked On Jets podcast, when this Crossover Thursday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, when it comes to repairing or maintaining your vehicle, why would you spend 30%, 50%, even 100% more for the exact same auto parts at a chain store or a new car dealership? It's still possible to take pride in your ride and even save a little in the process. Visit my good friends at rockauto.com.
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Starting point is 00:05:52 RockAuto.com's prices are always reliably low, and they're the same for professionals and do-it-yourselfers just like you and me. Why spend up to twice as much for the same parts? Go to RockAuto.com right now and see all the parts available for your car or truck. Make sure to put Locked On in their How Did You Hear About Us box so they know we sent you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. RockAuto.com. Patriots fans and Jets fans, this Sunday, week two of the 2021 NFL season, the New York Jets will host the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, each trying to avoid the cellar of the AFC East.
Starting point is 00:06:31 It's Crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Podcast Network. My name is Mike DeBate, host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, and joining me today is my friend and colleague, John Buchko, host of Locked On Jets. John, it's always an honor, always a privilege to join you on the mic for these crossovers, bud. Mike, right back at you. I'm very excited to do our show today. Absolutely.
Starting point is 00:06:54 And, you know, John and I were talking a little offline and joking a little bit. We're kind of becoming accustomed to these last place spots down here. Let's hope this is not too much longer. I know up in here in New England, they're not too happy about, you know, cellar dwelling. And I know the Jets are eager to get back. And there's a lot of promise with these two teams, young teams, hungry teams.
Starting point is 00:07:16 And I think the potential to really do some great things coming here in the AFC East in the coming years for both franchises. So, John, let's kick things off today in the AFC East in the coming years for both franchises. So, John, let's kick things off today with the Jets. And they're coming off of a 19-14 loss against the Carolina Panthers. Probably a little bit of an emotional game for the Jets, of course, facing their former mate in Sam Darnold. It's the new era in New York. Robert Sala coming in as the new head coach.
Starting point is 00:07:43 New quarterback under center, a rookie quarterback, something we know very well up here in New York, Robert Sala coming in as the new head coach, new quarterback under center, a rookie quarterback, something we know very well up here in New England. Of course, Zach Wilson, the new quarterback for the Jets. And John, I thought Zach showed a great deal of promise in his NFL debut. A little bit of a lack of experience. I can definitely relate to that. But I think he maneuvered well uh tossed a couple of touchdown passes he was sacked six times through a pick but you can probably chalk some of that up to the offensive
Starting point is 00:08:11 line woes that the Jets have been having lately but Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots definitely acknowledge that this is still a very deep team with a lot of weapons on offense now and especially at the wide receiver position. They do have a little bit more at the disposal, and Zach can utilize that to help move the ball. That being said, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots defense have also been known to cause some problems for young quarterbacks in the past. So what are your impressions of Zach Wilson thus far, and what do you see about this Jets offense that should allow them to move the ball better against the Patriots this season? Well, I think in context, Zach Wilson's debut with the Jets was pretty good. It was not a perfect game, and there were a number of points where he looked like a rookie.
Starting point is 00:09:01 There were a couple of times where he got fooled by a front carolina was throwing at him and the jets ended up in the wrong protection there were a couple of times where he missed reads there were a couple of times he tried to force balls when he should had an easier throw in front of him there were times where he looked like a rookie and that's something you'd expect from a guy making his first nfl start but as you mentioned there were times where he looked like a rookie, and that's something you'd expect from a guy making his first NFL start. But as you mentioned, there were a number of promising throws that he made, and his offensive line did him no favors in that game. It was a really ugly performance by a lot of guys up front,
Starting point is 00:09:36 especially George Fant, the right tackle. And that is some cause for alarm for the Jets, because Fant is probably moving over to left tackle. Mekhi Becton got injured on a play that was actually Wilson's first touchdown pass in the NFL. He's on injured reserve. He's going to miss a few weeks. Fant is probably sliding over to left tackle. Morgan Moses will move in at right tackle.
Starting point is 00:09:56 Now Moses is a good backup tackle. But you never like to have to shuffle your offensive line this early in the season. Continuity and chemistry are really important. And that's's something that the jets really struggled with in preseason because elijah vera tucker the rookie left guard missed time but wilson despite the issues the jets had up front really began to heat up in the second half of this game he led them on a couple of scoring drives and he showed the playmaking ability and the arm talent that showed why he went second overall in the draft. There were a couple of plays early, actually, where he evaded pressure. There was one where he dropped, he threw an absolutely incredible ball to Elijah Moore. Moore probably should have had it on a
Starting point is 00:10:41 deep ball. His first touchdown pass was a great play. He evaded pressure and found Corey Davis. There were a couple of plays in the fourth quarter where he hit impressive passes, again, displayed that arm talent. And I think you have to like the fact that he shook off that rough start, that he shook off the hits that he took because the offensive line wasn't doing a good enough job protecting him. Again, it wasn't a perfect performance. But there was a lot to like from this game.
Starting point is 00:11:08 And you said something that's kind of unusual for the Jets. And it's true. This is a deep receiving group. They probably will be getting back. They're hoping to get back Jamison Crowder in this game. He missed the first game because he was on the COVID list. Keelan Cole, who was a free agent signing, also missed the first game. Jets are hoping to get him back this week.
Starting point is 00:11:28 You have Corey Davis, who they brought in in free agency from Tennessee. He had a couple touchdowns in the first game. And beyond that, you could just tell from even going back to training camp, he and Zach Wilson had developed some really good chemistry. You can tell Wilson trusts him. He's in sync with the routes Davis is running. And you also have Elijah Moore, who admittedly had a rough first game. He missed the entire preseason with an injury. But prior
Starting point is 00:11:56 to that injury he suffered in training camp, he was turning heads. He was really impressing people. So for once, when it comes to the Jets, there's no shortage of weapons in the passing game for the quarterback to throw to. Yeah, without any question. And look, you know, these wide receivers that the Jets are employing are making an impression and they're also raising the eyebrow of Bill Belichick. We had a chance to talk to Bill Wednesday morning prior to practice did the media. And Bill mentioned the prowess of this wide receiver, Corey, specifically mentioned guys like Crowder and Cole providing that spark to help
Starting point is 00:12:33 this wide receiving core in New York alongside someone like Corey Davis, who had a very good game coming up last Sunday. So this is really, I think, an opportunity for the Jets to be able to utilize their talent around their quarterback and make some plays. But ultimately, John, I think you make a great point. It really is going to be about the protection that Zach Wilson is going to be able to get to help minimize some of those rookie mistakes. I'm sure we're going to talk about that on the Patriots side of the ball in just a little bit because the Pats did have similar problems when it came to protecting Mac Jones and doing what they needed to do to make sure that he is kept upright and given the time that he needs to make his throws. So all in all,
Starting point is 00:13:17 I think offensive prowess and promise for the Jets could be the story of the year for them. And who knows, maybe it continues into this week against New England. But I'm going to flip the script a little bit, John, and I'm going to talk about the defensive side of the ball because the Jets still have a formidable front seven. They are very much capable of making life difficult for Mac Jones and the Patriots offense. Without starting right tackle Trent Brown,
Starting point is 00:13:43 and it's looking iffy that he's going to be ready for this game. He hasn't officially been ruled out, but he did not participate in Wednesday's practice. And it's not really a good sign for him going forward. Although he looks like he's avoided serious injury, there's still a chance that he may have to miss this game coming up on Sunday. So if that's the case, we know that Robert Sala is going to be enacting some of what we saw him do in San Francisco. And we saw a little bit of that this Sunday. Again, Bill Belichick mentioned that the Jets are running that Seattle three defense with a four-man
Starting point is 00:14:16 defensive line, incorporating some defensive principles more commonly seen in those three-man lines. And they do that very well. But I was also pretty impressed with the young secondary of the Jets. I thought they played a pretty good game on Sunday against this Carolina Panthers team. Looking at what the Patriots do well in terms of moving the ball, meaning those quick, accurate throws, vertical routes, the short passing game, maybe utilizing 12-man personnel, how does this Jets defense combat what Mac Jones and Josh McDaniels want to try to enact on Sunday? Well, I think the key when the Patriots have the ball
Starting point is 00:14:54 is how effectively the Jets can tackle in space because there's a lot of inexperience in the secondary. And as you mentioned, Mike, they held up reasonably well in the first game heading into the season the safety tandem of marcus may and lamarcus joiner was one of the strengths of this defense now the jets lost joiner in the carolina game and in fact they lost him for the entire season he played you know he played a couple plays in the first game now he's done sheldrick redwine replaced him and maybe the one hiccup the secondary had in the first game, now he's done. Sheldrick Redwine replaced him, and maybe the one hiccup the secondary had in the first game was he got lost on a long touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Robbie Anderson.
Starting point is 00:15:35 But heading into the season, the big question mark was the corner group because it's a bunch of first- and second-year players, and these are all late-round picks. So not only do you lack players with an NFL track record, you lack players with a big time draft pedigree where you think that these are high upside guys. But I think this is part of the plan for the Jets. And when you look at the way they built their roster, they spent a lot of money this offseason trying to build the defensive line. Now they lost Carl Lawson and they were counting on him a lot. He's probably the one player on the defense that they don't have a replacement for.
Starting point is 00:16:11 I think the reason they went so young and so inexperienced in the defensive backfield, especially at corner, is they're just going to play to prevent the big play. They want to keep things in front of them and they want to rally to the ball. They're going to be they're willing to give up the short completions if they can get up, make tackles, impose their will, deliver big hits. They did it pretty well against Carolina. In fact, one-third of Sam Darnold's completions in this game went for five yards or less. So they were kind of baiting Sam Darnold into checking it down, and they were rallying to the football. And even though they gave
Starting point is 00:16:45 Up a lot of yardage. They held Carolina to 19 points So I think it's gonna come down to you know, can the Jets tackle in space? They did it very effectively There were not many missed tackles against care at Carolina I think some of the guys on New England present present a different challenge if they can Break through and get the big plays Jets could be in some trouble in this game. Whereas if the Jets continue to tackle effectively, maybe they can hold New England in check on offense. Yeah, and I think that's a good analysis and very detailed analysis, especially for my listeners, for the New England Patriots and locked on Patriots. When you look at this Jets, you know, secondary,
Starting point is 00:17:25 there are, you know, some name recognition issues, I'm sure with some of our listeners. But, you know, they do have a good amount of opportunity, I think, to be able to to utilize what they do well. And I'm I was impressed with what I saw from them. But again, what you look at is a young team that may have some difficulty, you know, down the line. So Bryce Paul, Brandon Echols, Michael Carter serving in the nickel. Maybe this gives them the opportunity to be able to make some coverage and make some plays. And if the Jets front can cause some confusion or get pressure on Mac Jones, that could end up being a little bit of a longer day for the Patriots than
Starting point is 00:18:05 most fans up here in New England would want to have. So great insight on the Jets, John, as always, and we appreciate that. You've provided a great amount of insight when it comes to the New York Jets, but this wouldn't exactly be a true crossover unless we flip the script and you put me on the hot seat. In just a moment, folks, my friend and colleague, John Buchko of Locked On Jets, will take over the command and seek my wisdom and counsel on all things New England Patriots. More Pat's Jets talk when this Locked On Crossover Thursday continues.
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Starting point is 00:19:23 don't wait to take advantage of all the amazing offers available for the 2021 season. Bet online, the fastest and easiest way to bet all of your favorite sports. Bet online, your online sportsbook experts. Crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Podcast Network. I'm John from Locked On Jets, along with Mike from Locked On Patriots, here to preview Week 2 NFL action. It will be the Jets and the Patriots playing their annual game at MetLife Stadium. It is the Jets' home opener.
Starting point is 00:19:58 Both teams 0-1, looking to avoid an 0-2 start. Now, Mike, we talked about Zach Wilson when you asked me about the Jets. Of course, both teams have rookie quarterbacks making their second NFL start. What can you tell us about Mac Jones in his debut against Miami? Well, much like you said about Zach Wilson, John, Mac Jones, I thought, had a solid debut. I thought he had a great game by any quarterback standards, but especially by a rookie quarterback standards when you look at the way in which he was able to stand up under pressure. If you look at Jones' overall stat line from Sunday's game, it's not going to leap off the page.
Starting point is 00:20:40 He completed 29 of 39,1 yards one touchdown that ultimately is not going to be anything that's going to cause any type of statistician to go wow that's an impressive stat line he's not going to get a you have a day from uh the nfl on that but at the same time when you look at the fact that he was 14 of 18 for 129 yards against the Blitz, 9 of 12 for 89 yards on third down, 7 of 10 with a touchdown went under pressure. That's something that's impressive for any quarterback, let alone a rookie. Patriots kept it simple. They used checkdowns, used the shallow crossers, made it easier for him.
Starting point is 00:21:20 But at the same time, he kept the chains moving. And that's something that i i was very impressed with his poise his ability to stay calm his ability to motivate and ultimately i think that's what's going to lead to his success more often than not here in new england that combination of being able to run the patriots offense the way they want it run which is the vertical based quick you know passes completed hitting the targets in stride where only the receiver can get it. That's the type of offense that the Patriots love to run under Josh McDaniels and Mac Jones does it very well. So again, there were times where he looked like a rookie. His first snap was nearly a fumble and really just something that he needed to get those
Starting point is 00:22:04 rookie jitters out of. There were times where there were a few misreads and missed a couple of open targets, but ultimately I thought he did a nice job of navigating the offense, and I look for improvement in him each week as he gains a little bit more comfort in the Patriots offense. Now, Mike, much like the Jets, the Patriots imported a number of targets for their rookie quarterback to throw the ball to this offseason. What's the hierarchy in the New England passing game right now? Who's the go-to guy? Who's the second target? And from there on? Well, if you look at the reps and you look at the statistics on Sunday, you probably look at it and say Nelson Aguilar, because five catches, 72 yards, a touchdown.
Starting point is 00:22:48 He looked to be very much in sync with Mac Jones. That's a positive. But if I'm talking the most reliable wide receiver and the one that I think Mac will zero in on when he gets into trouble, it's going to be Jacoby Myers. He's definitely the chain mover when it comes to getting the bulk of the catches, being a reliable target, someone with surefire hands, and that type of receiver that Mack can go to when he's in trouble. He had six catches for 44 yards on Sunday, ran a lot of shallow crossers, had a drop in the red zone, but Jacoby overall is someone that he can count on, meaning Mack, and I think he'll be able to utilize him maybe even more effectively this week than he did last week. The other thing that you look at when it comes to Mack Jones targets is the 12-man personnel utilizing the two new tight ends that the Patriots have at their disposal,
Starting point is 00:23:36 and that is Jonu Smith and Hunter Henry. Smith and Henry did not go over the top in terms of production. They only hooked you know, hooked up seven times for a little over 70 yards, but at the same time, they were on the field for 32 snaps together when the Patriots ran 12-man personnel. So when you look at what they're able to do and how they want to do it, I look for that to increase. Don't forget, Mac Jones, John O'Smith, Hunter Henry, all newbies when it comes to the Patriots offense, as Nelson Aguilar was. These guys are starting to not only feel each other out as new teammates, but also a new system under Josh McDaniels. As they get more experience, you're going to see a lot more of that. And I look for the Patriots to utilize 12-man
Starting point is 00:24:20 personnel even more this week. How good is the offensive line in New England this season? In theory, I think this has the potential to be a top five offensive line when healthy, but on Sunday, they weren't healthy. Losing Trent Brown at right tackle is a huge hole for this team. We saw Justin Heron come in and try to quell some of the difficulties that they had. He was not able to do it. Justin is a good depth piece. He's a solid number three tackle. But when he's called upon to be in an every down roll the way he was on Sunday, unfortunately,
Starting point is 00:24:57 it's just something that I think was really a little bit over his head. He was benched in the third quarter after being flagged for a holding call and allowing a tackle for a loss on a running play. All of this on a promising drive that should have gotten the Patriots seven points. They had to settle for a field goal, and it really is because of some of his miscues. So if the Patriots don't have Brown this Sunday, that's an area that I know the Jets defense is going to want to exploit. If the Patriots want to go in a different direction and try someone new with that role, if Brown is out, they could go to Yasser Durant, the offensive lineman that they just picked up
Starting point is 00:25:37 from the Kansas City Chiefs. He's very sizable, similar in size to Trent Brown, 6'7", 330 pounds. He held up pretty well. Could you briefly take us through the New England defense? Tell us what they do well, what they maybe struggle with a little bit more? Oh, absolutely. In terms of what the Patriots do well on defense, they do a great job of being able to set up and be able to set the edge and stop the run. And that is completely opposite from what the Patriots did one year ago. This is a team that finished 26th in the league last year at stopping the run. And you know that kept Bill Belichick up at night. He was not happy about that. There's no question about it. So when you look at what the Patriots do well defensively, that's something that is a little bit of a difficult um it is a it is a little bit of a
Starting point is 00:26:29 difference I should say in what the Patriots did last year as to what they do uh you know this year short-yarded situations um those are the types of areas where they may struggle a little bit but ultimately if the Patriots are able to keep the run in front of them and get the edge set, they should be able to get after the quarterback. And that's something that I know they'll try to do with a young quarterback like Zach Wilson the way they've done it in the past. I'm interested to learn what the expectations are in New England this season for the Jets. They're at the beginning of their rebuild. They're, I think, trying to show improvement week to week to some extent the record matters but ultimately there are other factors at play that i think will
Starting point is 00:27:11 determine whether or not this season is a success the patriots of course coming off a seven to nine season they made a lot of moves in the off season of course they brought in a rookie quarterback and i have to mention it, that guy down in Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl last season. What do you think constitutes a successful year for New England? Do they need to make a deep playoff run? Is it making the playoffs, a winning record, developing Mac Jones? In your view, what would you say the Patriots need to do for 2021
Starting point is 00:27:42 to be remembered as a year that where they had success? Well, we'll start with my expectations first, because I think they're probably a little different than that of the fan base. My expectation for this season is developing Mac Jones, making sure that he is comfortable being the quarterback of the New England Patriots for several years to come and giving him the opportunity to look at as comfortable and be as proficient as we believe he can be here in New England. Again, like I've said before, this is a kid that runs the Patriots offense exactly the way the Patriots want it run. That timing-based offense based on vertical routes, delivering the ball quickly, accurately,
Starting point is 00:28:21 and only where the receiver can get it. A lot of the new faces that the Patriots brought in, both on offense and on defense, John, were brought in for multiple years. They didn't sign a lot of these guys to one-year contracts. There's a long-term approach here that Bill Belichick is taking. That being said, they want to have early success. And I think a successful season for the Patriots is making the playoffs, eliminating that losing season feeling that they had in 2020 last year. But at the same time, you have to be realistic. And you look at what this team did on Sunday and some of the other powerhouses right now
Starting point is 00:28:55 in the AFC and across into the NFC as well. And the Patriots are still a cut below that. So while a lot of fans are still keeping, you know, 16 and one dreams alive, I think that's extremely unlikely. And most of the level headed fans will tell you that. But I think their expectations may be for the Patriots to make a deep run into the playoffs. Not sure that's in the cards for them this year, but I do think at least a winning record and hopefully a playoff berth are things that they can aspire towards. Well, Mike, I frequently say to our NFC hosts, it's always tough because I only get to chat with them once every four years.
Starting point is 00:29:34 I love the fact that we get to chat twice a year, and I look forward to doing this again a little bit later when the Jets head up to Foxborough. Absolutely. I look forward to it. It's always one of my favorite crossovers of the year, and it's great that we get a chance to do two of them. The honor and privilege is all mine. Have a great time this weekend watching the game, and we look forward to breaking the next one down already when these two teams hook up again later in the 2021 season. And just like that, Patriots fans,
Starting point is 00:30:03 it is almost time to end your work week, but not before closing out the week in style here on Locked On Patriots. An intriguing matchup between two highly touted rookie quarterbacks, Mac Jones on the Patriots, Zach Wilson for the Jets. If we're going to talk rookie quarterbacks and quarterback prowess, you probably can guess who my guest tomorrow is going to be. That's right, folks. The host emeritus here on Locked On Patriots, my good friend Mark Schofield, drops by.
Starting point is 00:30:31 And we'll be talking Mac Jones. We'll be talking Zach Wilson. What each of these quarterbacks will do well on Sunday, and what opposing defenses will need to do to keep either one in check as these two teams face off in what will be an all-important divisional matchup this Sunday in the Meadowlands. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download, subscribe to, and follow the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, the Odyssey
Starting point is 00:30:58 app, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my friend and colleague, John Buchko, host of the Locked On Jets podcast, for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to
Starting point is 00:31:31 see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.

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