Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Thursday: Patriots host Ravens on Sunday Night - 11/12/2020

Episode Date: November 12, 2020

It’s Crossover Thursday on the Locked On Podcast Network. Join hosts Mike D’Abate of Locked On Patriots and Kevin Oestreicher of Locked On Ravens as they preview this Sunday Night Football showdown between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Sunday, November 15, 2020.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!EchelonRight now, you can try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Go to EchelonFit.com/NFLAxonGet the TASER Pulse Plus, or TASER Strikelight, at Taser.com with promo code [NFL].Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. And once again, it's time to cross the streams 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. Lockdown 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 to become a member of the League of Football Watchers. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Pepsi, made for football watching. Patriots Nation, thank you for joining me here on the pod today. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there doing some Thursday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Folks, today is Thursday, November 12th, 2020. And because it's Thursday, that means it's Crossover Thursday.

Time to cross the streams once again here in Week 10 of the 2020 NFL season. And with your New England Patriots set to host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, Kevin Ostreicher, host of the Locked On Ravens podcast, will join me here in just a moment on the hot seat. Kevin and I will break down this matchup offensively and defensively from both teams' perspectives. And again, I am so honored to be a part of such a great team here at Locked On, some of the team's best local experts bringing you the latest news. And Kevin is truly among the best in the business when it comes to Ravens coverage.

We'll talk Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson, the Pats defense, the Ravens defense, John Harbaugh, Bill Belichick, and so much more. An action-packed agenda today on the pod, so sit tight and settle in, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy what Kevin Ostriker and I have in store for you here today on this Locked On Patriots, Locked On Ravens crossover Thursday. But first, some interesting news on your New England Patriots walking wounded. The Patriots have definitely been working through their share of injuries for the past

couple of weeks, and on Wednesday when the Patriots took the field, they had a number of players that were limited in practice. The good news is, there was not one Patriot yesterday that did not participate in some shape or form in practice. That meant Damian Harris, Nikhil Harry, Stephon Gilmore, and offensive lineman Jermaine Illuminor, who was placed on injured reserve three weeks ago. He returned to the practice field, and now the Patriots have 21 days to activate him from injured reserve or place him on the season-ending version of that.

The fact that Jermaine is back out on the practice field is definitely a good sign. Among the Patriots that were listed as limited yesterday also included tight end Ryan Izzo, offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, Joe Tooney, Shaq Mason. On the defensive side of the ball, Lawrence Guy was still limited. He's listed with a number of injuries, shoulder, elbow, and knee. Carl Davis was limited yesterday alongside Dietrich Wise, John Simon, Shaliqua Calhoun, Juwan Bentley, JC Jackson, Kyle Duggar, Cody Davis, and of course, the man of the week, the special teams player of the week in the AFC, Nick Folk, still listed with a back injury. Today, on Thursday, the Patriots once again took to the practice fields.

Cold, wet, windy day out there in Foxborough. Nikhil Harry, Damian Harris, Jermaine Illuminor all present again, which is a good sign for them. Players who were not spotted by the media in attendance on Thursday were Stephon Gilmore, Jonathan Jones, and practice squatters D'Angelo Ross and Jake DeLaGala. Now, Gilmore's absence is a little interesting, considering he was on the practice field on Wednesday. We're not sure at the time I'm recording this podcast whether it was for a personal reason or whether he may have re-aggravated that knee injury and the Patriots chose to hold

him out. The Patriots injury report on Thursday should shed more light as to why Stephon was not visible at practice. And of course, we will continue to monitor his injury as well as the health and well-being of all your New England Patriots. And we'll continue to bring you the very latest right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Another piece of news making its way around the NFL media wire on Thursday morning regarded

the Patriots upcoming opponent, the Baltimore Ravens. They announced through a statement on Thursday morning that one of their players had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and that the entire organization had now been placed in NFL's protocols. I know, folks, we've been down this road before, but the apparent silver lining in all this is that based on Baltimore's statement, the yet-to-be-named player that tested positive for COVID-19 was not found to have any high-risk contacts within the team. And quoting their own words, no other players or staff members will have to quarantine.

Now, right now, the expectation is that the upcoming game versus the Patriots is not in danger of being postponed. Situation is definitely being monitored by the league, but unless additional people test positive, the Ravens are still expected to make the trip to New England. So for right now, folks, game on. I don't expect any interruptions in this, but once again, we'll continue to monitor it and bring you the very latest. So now that we've lingered through the logistics,

it's time to cross the streams here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And in just a moment, my good friend and colleague, Kevin Ostreicher, host of the Locked On Ravens podcast, will join me here on the hot seat, talking offense, defense, special teams, coaching, and so much more, here when this Locked On Crossover Thursday continues. But first, folks, we all know this football season has been different, and it's going to continue to be different. The good news is, Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day no matter how you watch

this season. Maybe the thrill of the tailgate and the roar of the crowd have been replaced by your favorite snacks by your side, comfortable clothes, comfortable chair, watching all the action right on your own television. But the most important thing that still makes your seat the best seat in the house is Pepsi, which 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. Go to madeforfootballwatching.com to check out the latest football watching content from Pepsi. Made for football watching. I don't know about you sports fans, but breaks in the action always make me hungry. I'm Mike DeBate, host of the

Locked On Patriots podcast. And folks, if there's one phrase that we've heard a lot of during 2020, it's quote-unquote, new normal. And some may embrace that phrase, some may find it annoying. But one thing most of us can agree on is that it's true. I'm sure that we can all relate to our classrooms, our workplaces,

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app in the App Store and enter code LOCKEDON. Don't forget, that's code LOCKEDON for $5 off your first order with DoorDash. Patriots Nation, Ravens flock. This Sunday night, the Baltimore Ravens will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots. 825 Gillette Stadium in the heart of southern Massachusetts. It is Crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Podcast Network. My name is Mike DeBate, host of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast. And joining me today is my friend and colleague, Kevin Ostreicher, host of Lockdown Ravens. Kevin, always an honor and a privilege to join you on the microphone for these crossovers

every Thursday. Absolutely, Mike. It's great the network does this to get us a little bit of an insider look at the opposing team. And this game on Sunday night I know it's one that I've had circled on my calendar Lamar Jackson Cam Newton I think it's going to be a good one yeah I do too I think this is going to be a better one than the records would indicate look the Ravens definitely right up there in the thick of an AFC title run uh definitely one of the

top teams in this conference the Patriots are used to being up there, my friend. Not so much this year, but showed a little sign of life on Monday night, and maybe that can carry over into making this a pretty formidable and interesting game on Sunday coming up. And again, Kevin, the Ravens at 6-2, they positioned themselves very well to at least make the playoffs for a third straight season. I think, again, they're one of the handful of top teams or elite teams in the conference right now. But if we're being honest, Baltimore hasn't been quite as potent running the ball as it

was last year. This is a team that's always predicated itself on being a absolute juggernaut when it comes to a ground attack. But it still remains tops in the league at over 170 yards per game. So even though they've come down, it's still down by their standards and their standards are still higher than everyone else's, which goes to show you just how good this team is at running the football. It starts with Lamar Jackson, obviously leading the team 469 yards on the ground, a 5.9 yard average running the football. Mark Ingram has been nursing an ankle injury that kept him out of the last two games.

Right now, his status for Sunday is uncertain, but Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, the rookie, have really come in and have more than picked up the slack in their absence. Edwards, by my count, has 328 yards, averaging 4.4 yards on the ground. Dobbins with 297 yards, averaging 5.4 yards on the ground. Dobbins with 297 yards, averaging 5.7 yards. So these guys have really helped to pick up the slack. Kevin, despite some of the setbacks that I described earlier, what makes this Ravens rushing attack so difficult to defend? Yeah, Mike, well, starting off, this has been a year of expectations for the Baltimore Ravens after what happened in 2019 with their offense, where they literally broke almost every single rushing record.

You know, even even won by those 1970 New England Patriots to a few of those. There has been a lot of expectations about what this offense was supposed to do going into this 2020 season. And in terms of Baltimore's rushing attack, you kind of mentioned it still in terms of statistical categories. They are currently leading the league in terms of total rushing guards, their third in yards per attempt with 5.1. I mean, the rushing offense, when you look at it from a statistical perspective, isn't doing that poorly, but I think it's what happens when you look at the film and you translate that over to, you know, what's going on in the football field. And the really key issue for Baltimore during this 2020 season so far has been the offensive line. And that goes with both the run and the pass. The Ravens lost Marshall Yonda, who was a first ballot Hall of Famer in my book, one of the best guards to ever do it.

That's a huge loss. And Baltimore replaced him with a rookie who had played tackle in college and Tyree Phillips, a third round pick. That transition did not go very smoothly. And I think it showed on the football field. And then on top of it, the Ravens go ahead and lose Ronnie Stanley for the rest of the season in that Pittsburgh Steelers game. Stanley, the best tackle in my book. Again, someone who was absolutely amazing in run and pass blocking. But when you look at the running game, Mike, I think what is so hard to defend against the run game in Baltimore? And I think the Bravens have to get back to their bread and butter. And I think overall,

it's been a hard year for Greg Roman. Greg Roman has been, I think, at the forefront of a lot of the criticism that has been received in this running game. He's had a tough go of it, play calling wise. I think part of it is that Lamar Jackson, Greg Roman, the Ravens, they want to prove they can do it throwing the football, when in reality, I know they can do that, and a lot of other people do too. But the run game, I think, has to come first and foremost. The RPO is what they need to get back to.

They've kind of gone away from it. They went away from it and kind of transitioned back to it to an extent. But the RPO is so dangerous because you have Lamar Jackson, who you mentioned leads this team in rushing yards and is somebody who can really make a play out of anything. Even if he's down 10 yards in the backfield, he could make a play out of it. Now the RPO, I love it because it gives the Ravens so many different options. And Lamar Jackson, it's the same look, three different outcomes. And what you have is the Ravens in their RPO, that ball is snapped. He puts it in the belly of Mark Ingram or J.K. Dobbins or whoever. He can hand it off and he can run straight up the middle.

He can pull it and he can bootleg it around or he can pull it back and it could be a pass play. And that's where disciplined defense comes into play. The Patriots have to be extremely disciplined on the edges. If that edge guy crashes in on the middle run, Lamar Jackson will just take it and bootleg it around him. If the defensive end or outside linebacker, whoever's holding edge contain kind of stays in that edge contain, he'll just hand it off to the running back and that'll be one less guy to worry about and then i think baltimore is also missing their three tight end sets baltimore traded hayden hearst to the atlanta falcons in the offseason and they really have not replaced him and that's been tough because those three tight ends they each had i think

their own arsenal in the pass catching department and so you could run out of heavy formations you could also pass really effectively too. So the run game in general hasn't been what I think a lot of people were expecting from the Ravens, but still not bad. Yeah. And I think in a lot of ways, you make a lot of interesting points. The running game is definitely something that concerns Patriots fans without any question. You mentioned Lamar Jackson and his ability to run the RPO, I think better than anyone

in the NFL without question. And he's so adept at being able to do that extend plays with his legs. And then Baltimore's runners are so formidable in being able to attack an opponent's defensive line and really find areas to break through. The reason why it roars the Patriots so much is because their best run defender, Lawrence Guy, right now dealing with a lot of injuries. He missed the Jets game. His status for Sunday is uncertain. If he's out, it definitely weakens the Patriots' run defense. Juwan Bentley, who's their team's really only linebacker, their only true linebacker,

the rest of the guys that are playing this position right now are playing mostly at a hybrid, if you think about it, with the exception of two rookies in Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings. So right now, even if this Patriots defense is completely healthy, they're allowing 131 yards on the game on the ground. Um, you know, and that's something that the Patriots just can't afford to, uh, to continue to do. They ranked 25th in the league and believe it or not, that statistic actually went up in the jets game, believe it or not. So not. So it's definitely a tough task to be able to defend this team on the ground. And again, the Ravens are among the best, if not the best team in the league at being able to run the football. But the Ravens are not quite one-dimensional when

it comes to offense. They do have an aerial attack that can cause some difficulty. I know Lamar Jackson has struggled with passing this year, and that's been a little bit of an Achilles heel for them. But Marquise Brown, Hollywood Brown, is really emerging, I think, as his favorite target. He still has Mark Andrews. You mentioned the tight end sets, but Andrews is still a very good receiver for him. And I think Willie Sneed has played pretty well in the slot. What type of attack do you think the Ravens will look at with a secondary in New England that could be missing Stephon Gilmore this weekend of attack do you think the Ravens will look at with a secondary in New England that could be missing Stephon Gilmore this weekend? How do you think they'll attack this team through

the air? Yeah, Mike, I think that Baltimore, in order to get the most out of their passing game, which has been very subpar this season, they have to go to the no huddle up-tempo offense with their passing game. I think with this passing offense, there has been a struggle. The past concepts by Greg Roman have been very, very simple. Not a lot of deep stuff. I don't expect the Ravens to really go out there and just start slinging the football down the field. I think they should do more of it, but they just haven't done it this season.

You mentioned Marquise Brown. You mentioned Mark Andrews. Those guys are Lamar Jackson's two favorite targets. You hit the nail right on the head there. But outside of that, it's where do the guys step up? You mentioned Willie Sneed. He has been a force over the last two games. I've been really impressed with him. Miles Boykin got off to a very disappointing start, but he's kind of turned it on over the last two weeks as well. They also have speeds through Devin Duvernay and they're running backs.

They also are formidable pass catchers. So how do I expect this Ravens team to attack this Patriots defense through the air? I'd expect a lot of short intermediate concepts through the middle of the field. Lamar Jackson loves the middle of the field. I think that there's kind of been some discrepancy and some hate that has kind of been thrown his way about his ability to throw to the outside parts of the field and so the truth of the matter is he just doesn't like doing it as much as finding those tight ends in the middle of the field on a 10 yard out or a 10 yard slant you know you can run those out routes or you can run comebackers but Lamar Jackson and this Ravens passing offense they love they love the middle of the field and I would be shocked if that was not where the majority of Lamar Jackson's passes went.

And you mentioned kind of the struggles that Lamar Jackson has had. I do think he's pressing the issue a bit too much through the air. I think he's really looking to go out there, complete passes, and everybody should. But there are plays where he has a ton of green grass in front of him, and he will stay in that pocket and look to throw the football. I don't even know why, because he has so much green grass in front of him. You mentioned earlier, Mike, the ability for Lamar Jackson to extend plays. That just does not go in the run game.

It's also with the pass game. If that play breaks down, if there's no one open, he can, again, extend that play with his legs and even pick up eight, nine yards on a play where he might have taken a sack. So Baltimore, I think, will target the middle of the field. I expect Mark Andrews to be heavily targeted, but Nick Boyle, the other tight end has come on really well as a pass catcher. I think he could be an X factor here. Yeah. And I think you're absolutely right. And look, if we're the, and as the new England Patriots side of things, we're looking to look to break

down or actually lock down that middle part of the field. That's going to be very difficult. The Patriots personnel this year has not been very conducive to doing that. And I'm sure we'll get to that in the second segment, but obviously the Patriots want to try to hope to force Lamar Jackson into obvious passing situations. And that might be their best hope at being able to contain what is a very formidable offense. Kind of flip the script for a second here, Kevin, and I'm going to ask you a little bit about the Baltimore defense. And I'm a huge fan of the Ravens' defensive front.

I think Derek Wolfe, Brandon Williams, Calais Campbell, one of the best in the league, some of the best that you can get. Now, I know Campbell strained the calf muscle in the win over Indy on Sunday. He's likely to miss the Patriots game, although I haven't seen that official yet. Maybe you can correct me if I'm wrong on that. But I think this front does a great job of protecting the linebackers, LJ Fort, Chris Board, Malik Harrison, and a rookie that I really salivated over for a little while

about the Patriots possibly picking up in Patrick Queen. These guys have really done a great job of anchoring that defense for the Baltimore Ravens. By contrast, the Patriots running attack has been their best offensive asset, save for Cam Newton being able to run the ball, being almost like a Lamar Jackson light, if you will, being able to run with the RPOs, with the zone reads, but also being able to extend plays with his legs in the passing game. Like you said, the Patriots boast some pretty good runners at Damian Harris, Sonny Michelle, Rex Burkett, James White, even the undrafted rookie J.J. Taylor can get in on the action

at times. In your estimation, my friend, might we be looking at the most intriguing matchup of this game, meaning the Patriots running backs versus Baltimore's run defense? Yeah, Mike, I think so. It's one of the key matchups that Baltimore's defense has to win if they want to win the football game. And so far throughout the season, they certainly have done that. They've shut down teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers running the football. They shut down Cleveland's rushing attack in week one. You will not run. It's very unlikely, I should say, that you will run on this Ravens defense effectively.

I've been very impressed with the Ravens run defense now in terms of class Campbell that calf strain is definitely going to keep him out for multiple weeks there's honestly in my opinion no way he plays in this game whatsoever and honestly I don't think he plays even on Thanksgiving against Pittsburgh but with all that aside the Ravens have the depth and the versatility to sustain that loss and sustain a really good rushing attack through that loss. And, you know, with Claes Campbell, you can't fully replace that production, the ability for him to win one-on-one matchups. That's tough. But they have Derek Wolf, who has been one of the best run defenders in the league. They drafted two rookies in just a week out of Texas A&M and Project Washington out of Texas Tech. And Brandon Williams is still doing it to this day, one of the best run stuffers in

the entire NFL. And you mentioned it, Mike, it frees up the linebackers to go in there and do their thing. Patrick Queen has been phenomenal for Baltimore outside of the week three game against Kansas City. But I don't know how much you're expecting out of a rookie linebacker going up against that high octane Chiefs offense. Patrick Queen leads the team in tackles with 52. Baltimore also has a lot of hybrid looks that they use. They bring Chuck Clark up their safety in the box and use him as a dime linebacker.

They love bringing both safeties in the box and blitzing. This Baltimore team blitzes like no other. Don Martindale, one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, in my opinion. The Patriots runners are no joke either. You mentioned it with Damian Harris and Cam Newton and his running self as well, and also Rex Burkhead and a few others you mentioned. But this is a very intriguing matchup to me, Mike, and I think that if Baltimore's defense can really stifle that Patriots rushing attack and make them a one-dimensional offense because they're just not getting anything on the ground. It'll be tough for them to move the football with the elite secondary that is getting Marlon Humphrey back this week.

Also, just signed Tremont Williams, who was a top-10 cornerback last season, according to PFF, so take that as you will. But also, with Jimmy Smith out there in that secondary, it's going to be tough. But I will say, this Patriots offense has to protect the football. Baltimore has forced a turnover in, I don't even know, it's at least 19 games now in straight games. They get defensive touchdowns. They lead the league in forced fumbles in defensive touchdowns. This defense, they will strip the ball at any play. Anywhere you are on the field, this Baltimore defense is going for the football. That comes up on film. The play style is contagious. Marlon Humphrey started it with his,

what we call it, a fruit punch here in Baltimore. We've seen Marcus Peters force fumbles. We've seen Deshaun Elliott do it. The Ravens will be going after that football, and you better protect it if you want to win the football game because they'll be coming for it without question and i think you said it perfectly look there's a lot to like about what the ravens are able to do uh and and be able to stop the uh not only the passing attack but the running attack for the patriots as well and the patriots have struggled through the year they've been a little bit better on the run the run but uh baltimore's defense is definitely adept at being able to stop both kevin I wouldn't be doing my job unless I asked you one more final question. And this being a Patriots-Ravens

crossover, you know where I'm going with this. I have to ask a question about special teams. It's in the blood of Belichickian New England Patriots fans. You have arguably the best special teams player in the league kicking for you in Baltimore, and that's Justin Tucker. Without question, he's the league's best kicker, in my opinion, maybe the best special teamer of all. Missed just one kick all year, and that's a 61-yarder that he pushed wide right against Cincinnati back in Week 5. Otherwise, he's been perfect on his 41 attempts. does having a kicker as adept and as reliable as Justin Tucker change the complexity of what the Baltimore Ravens are able to do offensively and defensively, knowing that you always have that ace in the hole? Yeah, I'll start by saying I wish Justin Tucker would play well into his 60s

because I love what he does for this Baltimore Ravens team. And you mentioned it, Mike, having a kicker who is as good as Justin Tucker, he rarely misses kicks. And as somebody who has just been automatic throughout his entire career, it does change what Baltimore can do both on offense and on defense. I mean, you start Baltimore's offense,

even if they get to the 30-yard line, 35-yard line, sometimes even the 40-yard line, they can trot them out there for kicks that long. They can run a different offense inside the opponent's 50 because they know at the very least they're going to get three points out of it. Now, at the end of the day, you want seven, but what the Ravens can do with Justin Tucker is different from, I think, a lot of NFL teams because then you look at the defensive impact and you're probably thinking, well, what does Justin Tucker have an impact on a defense?

I don't think that it's true. Justin Tucker does have an impact on the Ravens defense because they can trust their defense just a tiny bit more because they have a kicker like Justin Tucker, who if the Ravens give up, let's say, I don't know, a 60 yard touchdown drive or a 70 yard touchdown drive. This team knows that they, again, can drive down the football field. The Ravens can be a little bit more aggressive in their defensive scheme, and I think that's what we've seen throughout this season. Because, again, obviously what I say is I would love if each possession for the defense ended in a kick,

so a field goal or a punt, no touchdowns allowed. But if here and there there's a touchdown allowed, Baltimore's confident they can get those points back, whether it be with three field goals. And at the end of the day, you want to hold the offense, the opposing offense to no points. But I do think that having Justin Tucker substantially changes what Baltimore does on both sides of the ball. Absolutely. So well said. And I'm so glad that you broke down the way a kicker can help to improve or at least marginally affect how you're able to play defense. I've heard Bill Belichick talk about that so many times here in New England about the value of surefire points and having a kicker that good and knowing that you can rely

on him each time he takes the field is definitely an asset. And the Baltimore Ravens are certainly fortunate to have Justin Tucker kicking for them. Kevin, you've provided a tremendous amount of insight when it comes to the Baltimore Ravens. Can't thank you enough from a Patriots perspective for that. 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, Kevin Ostreicher of Lockdown Ravens, will

take over the command and seek my insight on all things New England Patriots. More on this Sunday night showdown between the Patriots and the Ravens when this Lockdown Crossover Thursday continues. Lockdown listeners, breaks in the action always make me evaluate what I've accomplished and what still needs to be done. And no matter how much remains on your to-do list, you need the energy to accomplish your goals. Break through your wall, if you will. For me, whenever I need that little extra energy, I go without hesitation to the same great group that brought us the world's fastest-growing protein bar to their next great product combining energy gel and collagen protein, Built Go. Whether it's a mental wall or a physical wall, I break through it with Built Go every day. There

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visit builtgo.com and use promo code locked to get 20 off your next order remember use promo code locked for 20 off at builtgo.com that's b-u-i-l-t-g-o.com promo code lockedCKED. Let's go! Locked on Ravens, locked on Patriots. We are back with another segment of this crossover Thursday, and this is going to be a good one. Ravens and Patriots Sunday night at Gillette Stadium. And Mike, we just talked about the team I cover in the Baltimore Ravens and what they should be able to do, what they could do against this New England Patriots team.

But Mike, I now want your is in the spirit of this crossover here of the New England Patriots and your opinion on just how the season has gone so far and what to expect from New England in this game against the Ravens. And Mike, I have to start off with this New England Patriots team and ask about Cam Newton and just how the whole Cam Newton experience has gone for the New England Patriots team and ask about Cam Newton and just how the whole Cam Newton experience has gone for the New England Patriots this year. Now, I know that going into the year before Newton was in the picture, this was widely believed to be Jared Stidham's team.

And then the Patriots make the move that I think a lot of people wanted to see for a long time, bringing in Cam Newton on a one-year bargain deal, in my opinion. And Newton so far, I think has been decent. Now, the numbers wouldn't say so. Two touchdowns to seven interceptions through the air. He has 350 yards on the ground and a touchdown. So the stats don't necessarily support him being good, but I think he's provided a really different skill set than New England Patriots have had in recent years at that position. So, Mike, how has the Cam Newton experience been for New England so far in 2020? And it's been kind of an up and down experience so far, believe it or not, Kevin.

I think the first two weeks, maybe the first three weeks, if you want to really get into the Patriots' first game against Miami, the loss to Seattle, and then rebounding with a game against Las Vegas. It's been kind of a, that was pretty much, you know, very well received by New England Patriots fans, and it should be. Cam looked very comfortable in this offense. He was utilizing the zone reads. Every once in a while, he'd throw an RPO in there. And then also, he was looking pretty decent about being able to find targets open on the field. So much so to the point where people were talking about a comeback player of the year.

The Patriots were at one point ranked in the top 10 of the teams in the league. It looked like they were chucking along and really making a push for another playoff run. Then all of a sudden, Cam gets derailed by a positive COVID-19 test, and he was on the shelf for a couple of weeks. There were delays that prevented him

from being able to get back on the field, And I think it affected him a little bit. And that's not to say the virus affected him a little bit because there's no evidence that the virus was in any way responsible for it. I think it was more his mechanics. I think it was more his rhythm. Cam tends to be a player that is so good at repetition, muscle memory, things of that nature that allow him to be the quarterback that he is. I think it disrupted his timing. And I think in a lot of ways, you saw him struggle for the first couple of games back where he wasn't finding open receivers. He wasn't looking at the field the way he normally does.

At one point, he was almost ignoring the right side of the field completely. He was short-arming throws. And a lot of people wondered whether or not is this why Cam Newton was on the shelf for so long? Did the Patriots just not think that there was something wrong here, or are we looking at maybe the decline of Cam Newton? The last couple of weeks, he's been much better, which leads me to believe that it might have been just a blip in the radar screen and that things will continue to progress well here under Cam Newton. Over the past two weeks, he's completed 42 of 60 passes, 448 yards through the year. Hasn't thrown a touchdown pass, but he also hasn't thrown an interception either in the last couple of weeks, which is good because he was throwing some picks and really losing

the football and obviously had the big fumble against Buffalo. But at the same time, he's also carried the football 19 times for 70 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. So he's trying to spread out the wealth a little bit. One of the big things that I've noticed with Cam the last couple of weeks is he's handling the blitzes better. He's got better timing with his throws. He's also using strong eye manipulation and body language to move the coverage away from

his intended targets. These are things that Cam didn't do in the couple of weeks where he was struggling, and I've noticed his improvement there. So overall, I would say the Cam Newton experiment or his fit in New England has been a pretty good one. I think he's done the best he can with a marginally decent supporting cast. I'm not going to sit there and say these guys are all pro bowlers, but I don't think they're as terrible as people make them out to be. Definitely has some bright spots, one of them being Jacoby Myers,

who obviously 12 catches for 169 yards the other night. Really, you know, his coming out party in terms of being a formidable wide receiver in this league. I think Jacoby's name is going to be heard a lot on Sunday night, and he's been utilizing the running backs pretty well too. So if Cam can continue to get production or protection, I should say from a very good offensive line, that's been a big key to Cam's success as well is the protection he's getting from the offensive line. If he can do that and continue to get rid of the ball pretty quickly when he gets it, then I think this offense will continue to improve week after week.

Yeah, Mike, and let's kind of stay with those pass catchers and the weapons that Cam Newton has, because I am personally a huge fan of Jacoby Myers and what he's been able to do, especially, I mean, his coming out party against the Jets on Monday night. I mean, what a game that was for him. But a thorn in the Raven's side for so many years was Julian Edelman. And with Edelman now out of the fold on IR with an injury, was having a decent but not spectacular year with 315 yards on 21 receptions. How has his absence changed this Patriots passing attack? And what can the Ravens do to potentially slow it down if it gets going?

Well, Julian's loss hasn't done much in the stat sheet department and a lot of people up especially up here in new england incorrectly uh equate that with oh well they're not missing anything with julian out of the lineup now they're missing a lot with julian out of the lineup maybe he wasn't lighting up the stat sheet it's because he was injured that he wasn't lighting up the stat sheet but this is still a kid that is as tough as they come uh he's savvy he draws defenders away. Even if he's being used as a decoy at that point, it still draws defenders away.

People are still respectful of what Julian can do in the open field. We saw him have a tremendous game just a few weeks ago where he was, you know, we're receiving over a hundred yards and really, really putting up some solid numbers. Obviously as the knee continued to bother him, he continued to bother him, he continued to be less of a factor in the offense.

So the Patriots are missing that. They're missing that reliable number one target, the type of receiver that everyone zeroes in on. You mentioned Jacoby Myers coming out, Party. Well, I'm sure the Baltimore Ravens saw that footage just like everyone else did. They're going to be zeroing in on Jacoby Myers. They'll be doubling him him trying to take him away from uh from um cam newton what that means is the patriots are going to have to find other receivers to take on some of the load it's interesting that isaiah ford now is practicing

with the team he's able to he was after the trade cleared covid protocol we're not sure if he's going to get the nod to go this weekend but if it's possible that he is out there, look for him to possibly be a target. The guys that I would look for if I'm Baltimore are going to be Demir Bird. He's got a relationship with Cam. They played together in Carolina. Bird is a speedster. We saw him hook up for a nice 31-yard reception the other night against the Jets. That's a combination that could be utilized pretty well by Cam Newton.

The other is Gunnar Roshelski. I think a lot of people have forgotten that this kid had a very strong training camp. He's one of the fastest kids that I've seen that's able to get out of the break. He reminds me of a younger Danny Amendola in the way he's able to break and can get on the outside and also make plays in the slot. So look for Gunnar to possibly be an option this weekend as well. But ultimately, with Julian out of the lineup, it does slow the ability for the Patriots to be able to utilize

their offensive weapons through the air. One of the things that I look for them to utilize is maybe pass catchers out of the backfield. And they do have two very good ones in Rex Burkhead and in James White. I look for a pretty heavy dose of those guys this weekend as well. If the Patriots want to try to utilize yards after the catch, those two guys are some of the best at being able to do that. Yeah, absolutely. And flipping over to the defensive side of the ball here, Mike, I want to talk a bit about the Patriots' pass rush, because from a pure numbers perspective,

you don't really see a ton of sack numbers on the board for this team. Chase Bonavich, who I love, leads this team with two and a half sacks. You then have guys with two and Shalit Calhoun, and then you have a bunch with one and a half, Juwan Bentley and Dietrich Wise Jr. and even Derek Rivers.

But Mike, this Ravens offensive line has struggled in pass protection to an extent. So what would you expect out of this Patriots pass rush on Sunday night? Well, I think the Patriots pass rush, and we talked about this a little bit earlier on when we were talking about what the Patriots might do to try to contain Lamar Jackson. I think ultimately the Patriots will want to get Jackson in obvious passing situations. And you said it yourself, he hasn't handled that quite well this year. He's been sacked 21 times, and many are coming when he's trying to extend plays and just can't find his receivers.

The loss of Ronnie Stanley obviously is going to be something that the Patriots' pass rush is going to be exploiting, or at least try to exploit. New England hasn't been able to impact the quarterback on a consistent basis all year. The secondary has struggled against teams. They even struggled against the Jets the other night. So it's going to be important for New England's secondary to stick with the receivers as Jackson looks to create. That's a matchup that I think the Patriots have to win, even though it's secondary. And we're talking about what the Patriots need to do defensively.

I think that sets the tone for the entire front seven. It sets the tone for the linebackers. It allows the linebackers to set up and to be able to try to be able to take care of the run. It also allows the front seven to be able to get into position. One thing that the Patriots have had a very difficult time doing is stopping the run. We talked about the Baltimore Ravens run attack and how it's one of the best, if not the best in the league. Again, I think the Patriots need to be very stout up front. Someone who took on a pretty big role for the Pats over the weekend against the New York Jets, believe it or not, was their newly acquired defensive tackle, who is Carl Davis. Davis is coming fresh off of the practice squad for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jets attempted to run a lot of outside zone, which has been New England's kryptonite when it comes to their defense. And Davis had the ability to hold up inside against the double team. That allows guys like a Chase Winovich, who you mentioned, and others like a Dietrich Wise Jr., some of those free roaming players to freely flow to the ball and i think if the patriots can do that then they have a chance to neutralize some of what baltimore does well offensively but if they don't have the ability to do that and the patriots can't get consistent pressure or try to keep lamar in the pocket and force him into obvious passing situations. Going to be a long night in Foxborough on Sunday.

Yeah, absolutely, Mike. I think with this Patriots defense, they do have to get Baltimore into obvious passing situations. And Baltimore on the year has been one of the worst first down teams in terms of offense. It's usually what people like to call the three yard run on first and 10. It gets them into second and seven and then if they don't get into either a third and short or pick up a first down it sometimes does lead to trouble for the Baltimore offense so I think a key for this Patriots defense as you mentioned Mike is to get them into key third down situations that are you

know third and eight third and seven even third and six if you can do that you have the potential to slow down this Ravens offense by a big margin. But if Baltimore ends up picking chunk yards after chunk yards up through the air on the ground, wherever they get it, it might be a long night for the New England Patriots. But, Mike, this has been a pleasure. I'm really excited for this game. And honestly, I think it's going to be a very good one. And it could stack up to be one of the best of the week. I think so as well.

I think a lot well. I think a lot of people are sleeping on this game. Again, the records about Baltimore coming in at six and two Patriots kind of stumbling in at three and five, but again, starting to play a little bit better. Like the Patriots were used to seeing, I think this has the potential to be a pretty good game on Sunday. It usually is when these two teams take the field, a lot of history between the Pats and the Ravens. A lot of great games. It comes right down to the wire. Will we see one on Sunday?

Anybody's guess, but we're hoping for it. Absolutely. It's going to be a good one. I know both teams want this game quite a bit, but that's all we have for you on our crossover. From Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots, I'm Kevin Ostreicher of Locked On Ravens, and we'll see you next time. And so, Patriots fans, it's nearly time to walk you into the weekend here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, but there is still one pod to go before Sunday night's matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. I'll be back here tomorrow to continue to bring you the latest news notes and analysis

from Foxborough. You'll hear my notes, analysis, and prediction on Sunday's game, and I'll also be joined by a special guest that will provide analysis you definitely do not want to miss. So, to ensure that you don't miss a second of the action, please be sure to download the Locked On Patriots podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and subscribe to us 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, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank my friend and colleague, Kevin Ostreicher, host of the Locked On Ravens podcast, for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's Crossover Thursday episode. 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, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.