Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Thursday: Patriots vs. 49ers - 10/22/2020

Episode Date: October 22, 2020

It’s Crossover Thursday on the Locked On Podcast Network. Join hosts Mike D’Abate of Locked On Patriots and Brian Peacock of Locked On 49ers as they preview this showdown between the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Sunday, October 25th.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.RomanGo to getroman.com/lockedon TODAY. If approved, you’ll get fifteen dollars off your first order of ED treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Locked On Patriots podcast, and it is 49ers Patriots crossover Thursday here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions,

the New England Patriots. Locked On Patriots is presented today by Pepsi, made for football watching. This football season will be different, and Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day, no matter how you watch this season. Pepsi is the refreshment you need to power through game day and become a member of the League of Football Watchers. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Pepsi, made for football watching.

Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Thank you so much for joining me here today as Locked On Patriots and Locked On 49ers cross the streams on this crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Podcast Network. 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 encouraged.

Feel free to share that feedback, good, bad, indifferent, any kind of feedback with me, any time, by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. 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. Pats fans, it is once again Crossover Thursday here on the pod. And as much fun as Cody Rourke of Locked On Broncos and I had sharing the microphone for not one but two weeks, the original and the sequel. It's time to write a new chapter.

And here today on the pod, Brian Peacock, host of the Locked On 49ers podcast, will join me here on the hot seat as we continue to take a deeper dive into the San Francisco 49ers. Old friend Jimmy Garoppolo. Remember him? Well, most of the local media around here won't let you forget. They still want to grind the axe that Bill Belichick pines for Jimmy Garoppolo. He made the biggest mistake of his life by trading him. Jimmy's always

been his favorite quarterback. He's the one he wants. Well, I don't put too much stock into all that, because since Jimmy was traded in late October of 2017, the Patriots went to back-to-back Super Bowls, brought home their sixth Lombardi trophy in one of them, and in the other, it wasn't exactly quarterback play that prevented them from winning that Super Bowl. But still, the narrative is out there, and Brian and I will discuss the synergy between Bill Belichick and Jimmy Garoppolo, but we will take a much deeper dive into what each team brings to the table both from an offensive standpoint and from a defensive standpoint. Brian provides phenomenal coverage of the San Francisco 49ers.

It's my honor and privilege to share the microphone with him today, and I am very sure that you'll walk away from today's podcast learning a lot more about the 49ers, and maybe even learning a thing or two about the Patriots that you didn't know either. So sit back and settle in, folks. Crossover Thursday between Locked On 49ers and Locked On Patriots is about to begin.

But first, for the second straight day, fingers crossed Patriots Nation, the Patriots once again took to the practice fields. And for the second straight day, they had nearly a full house. Bo Allen, Josh Uche, David Andrews, all back on the practice fields. They were, however, still missing three players. James Ferentz continues to be out. He is still on the COVID-19 reserve list. New practice squatter Carl Davis, also absent from Wednesday's practice.

And the third is running back James White. And James was listed on the Patriots injury report from Wednesday evening with a non-injury related absence. We're expecting that it's this non-injury related issue that caused his absence again on Thursday. At the time I'm recording this podcast, there was no further information on James' absence from the team.

However, there is no doubt that this has been a tough year on James and his family. And while we are glad to hear that it's non-injury related, myself and all of us here at Locked On Patriots definitely send our best wishes to James. Without a doubt, we hope to see Sweet Feet back on the practice field soon. But most importantly, we just hope all is as well as can be expected with himself and his family. One more injury-related piece of news regarding the New England Patriots. Wednesday evening, they made it official. Offensive lineman Jermaine Illuminor has been placed on injured reserve.

He will miss a minimum of three weeks. There were some erroneous reports that broke right around the time the Patriots announced this yesterday that it was season-ending IR. That has since been declared an invalid report. The hope is that Jermaine can return sooner rather than later, but he's definitely out a minimum of three weeks. Certainly wish him the best in his recovery. In his absence, the rookie Michael Onwenu, who has been phenomenal this year.

Mike has been a player whose praises I've been singing since the day the Patriots drafted him earlier this year. He will fill in at right tackle, or at least that's what most of us believe will happen, and if that is the case, they're certainly in good hands in that department. So, now that we're getting a pretty good idea of the product that will be on the field on Sunday for the Patriots, how will they stack up against the San Francisco 49ers? As my good friend Brian Snow, a.k.a. the Snowman, said yesterday, this is a team that's been decimated by injuries but much like the New England Patriots that next man up their backups

have kept this team going at a pretty good clip and as a result the 49ers are still a 500 team and look to be on the verge of playing some very good football who should you be keeping your sharp eye on on Sunday when these two teams take the field? For a 49ers perspective on the answer to that question, Brian Peacock, host of Locked On 49ers, will join me here on the hot seat in just a moment as Week 7's Crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Podcast Network continues in just a moment. But first, the autumn season is upon us, and that means it's time to winterize your ride. Make sure that your vehicle is ready for the potentially harsh upcoming months by visiting my good friends at rockauto.com

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you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockauto.com. Hello to all you Patriots fans and Niners Nation. Sunday, the prodigal Pison returns when Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers travel to Foxborough to take on Cam Newton and the New England Patriots. 425 p.m. Eastern, 125 Pacific at Gillette Stadium. It's Crossover Thursday here on the Lockdown Podcast Network. My name is Mike DeBate, host of Locked On Patriots. And joining me today is Brian Peacock, host of Locked On 49ers. Brian, it's always my honor, always my privilege to join you on the mic for these crossovers.

Always a pleasure. We have so many great hosts here on the network. And I love talking to everybody, including you, Mike. It's always fun talking to you here, talking Niners Pats, or on the national show, what used to be Locked On NFL, where I talked to you multiple times, now the Peacock and Williamson podcast. So yes, always a pleasure.

And looking forward to this matchup. Week seven should be a good one. It will be a good one. And it's always my honor to share the microphone with you as well on the great shows that you do. You're absolutely right. We do.

We have a synergy here across the network, some great hosts. There's a good deal of synergy between these two fan bases as well. Don't forget, your quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, is still pretty beloved here in New England, and I'm sure we're going to talk about that love affair that the Patriots have with my paisan here today. But the narrative here in New England, surprisingly enough,

is indeed the return of Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian. You know, some people want to turn this into, did they make the right move trading Jimmy to keep Tom Brady? I don't put a whole lot of stock into those arguments when it comes to a logistical standpoint on the field. Because today here on the pod, we're going to talk business. And I'd be remiss if I didn't start with the obvious. That is injuries. And the 49ers have been decimated by them, particularly when it comes to both sides of the ball, if you really think about it. But I want to start on the defense. You lose Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas, both out for the year. That's enough to decimate any defense.

But then you add Dee Ford going on IR for a limited time with a neck injury. Those are major hits to the front line. The Patriots have had some success in running the ball, so that might be a matchup to watch. But if that wasn't enough, Richard Sherman and Quan Williams both go down on the secondary as well. But the Niners' defense has really stepped up, especially in the secondary, where guys like Emmanuel Mosley, he provided a huge boost when he returned last week against the Rams after missing a couple of games with a concussion. Jason Verrett, a player I know very well,

having covered the Chargers for a few years, he's enjoying some good health, which is good to see Jason healthy. He struggled with that all his career. He was very sharp against the Rams and gave the Niners, I think, a lot better options at corner with he and Mosley really starting to play well. The safeties, both Tartt and Ward, they're solid, they're physical. They can create matchup problems for the Patriots. Brian, how have Robert Sala and the Niners' defensive brain trust

kept it together for Frisco's defense? And what might they have in store for the Patriots on Sunday? Yeah, it's really been tough what the 49ers have gone through, but they have still been able to play, aside from one week against the Miami Dolphins, really solid defense considering on that side of the ball. And look, the 49ers had the luxury of losing three first-round talents on the offensive line, three first-round picks. Debatable whether or not Solomon Thomas has played to a first-round level.

It's not really actually that debatable. He has not played to a first-round level for the 49ers, but they still have two more first-round picks there ready to go in Eric Armstead and Javon Kinlaw. Not many teams have that ability. The thing they really lost, though, is the juice off the edge with Bosa and Ford, and we're really seeing that right now. The pass rush has suffered, especially on the outside outside Robert Sala bringing more blitzes to

try to make up for that which has put some stress on the back end of the defense and you mentioned Richard Sherman out as well slot corner K1 Williams pretty underrated around the league is really important to the team both of them out and it was just one too many injuries or two too many injuries when it came to that week five game against the Miami Dolphins. And they experimented with a player off the street getting a start in Brian Allen at cornerback. And it was such a massive difference seeing Emmanuel Mosley come back last week in week six and really solidified that cover group on the back end. So Verrett and Emmanuel Mosley are the starters and they're fine. The 49ers going to be OK there.

And every week that they've been able to put those guys out there, they've been solid. They're good up front. They have one of the best linebackers in the NFL in Fred Warner still. So despite all the injuries, the defense is still able to keep their head above water and have kept the 49ers in games. It's actually been the offense more often than not that has let the 49ers down in their three losses. And that's a very interesting point. I'm glad that you brought up a few things,

especially when it comes to some of the difficulties that San Francisco has had in the running game. Again, like I said, the New England Patriots have been very adept at running the football. It's been their most effective area of offense, and I'm sure we'll probably get into that in the next segment. But let's stay on that offense for a second in the 49ers, because obviously the defense was not the only unit that was hit hard by injuries this season for them. The offense is also missing some key players, especially when running the football. Tevin Coleman continues to be out. Raheem Mostert, we're hearing now he's likely headed to injured reserve.

Debo Samuel had been out for a good period of time. He came back. He looked fresh and looked solid in his return. And the Niners will have Debo in the lineup this weekend at the disposal of Jimmy Garoppolo, who, despite suffering a high ankle sprain, he had injury problems of his own and being benched two weeks ago, I think had a pretty nice bounce back game against the Los Angeles Rams. And look, Jimmy's completed 63.6% of his passes, 735 yards, seven touchdowns, two interceptions on the season, not only blockbuster numbers, but when you look at the time that he's missed and what he's had to go through, all of a sudden it looks a lot more impressive. He also has a pretty impressive offensive line that's providing him some good protection.

And he's got some talent at the wide receiver position, like we said, with Debo and a few others. And, of course, the game's best tight end, in my opinion, George Kittle. And we know a pretty good thing or two about good tight ends up here in New England. We watched one for a number of years wreak havoc on opposing defenses. And Kittle is really following along in those lines. Leads the team 30 catches, 380 yards, two touchdowns. He's also a tremendous blocker, which we love to see, because Rob Gronkowski was one of the best in the business at doing it

and his prime. Even though that aerial attack sounds pretty solid, Brian, I think that the Niners may still be better off trying to run the football on this defense. Do you think that I'm correct in assuming that the Niners are going to show the Pats a heavy dose of Jarek McKinnon and that San Francisco running attack this weekend? I think yes and no. If the 49ers play it again in Week 7 like we saw in Week 6,

which has been the most successful game plan for Kyle Shanahan coming into a game, the passing game was essentially the running game. And at least 100 yards of Jimmy Garoppolo's passing statistics were little shovel passes that were behind the line of scrimmage that were essentially run plays to Debo Samuel and Brandon Ayuk, the first round wide receiver. And they've got so many good runners after the catch. George Kittle even gets handed the ball. So Debo Samuel titled them the Yak Bros. So I think we're going to see a lot of the Yak Bros So there and Debo Samuel titled them the Yak bros.

So I think we're going to see a lot of the Yak bros this week and for the foreseeable future for the 49ers. And there's a couple of things that were clear about that game plan for Kyle Shanahan last week was he was trying to protect both the offensive line who have not played extremely well for the 49ers. So ball came out quickly, 2.3 seconds for Jimmy Garoppolo on average and protecting Jimmy himself in his high ankle sprain, because even with a couple of throws last week and

especially with two ugly interceptions in week five coming off that high ankle sprain, he can't drive off that back leg yet. And so I think that is something that Bill Belichick is going to be able to use to his advantage. So I mean, that's matchup number one, not even on the field, is the wizard, the offensive wizard that is Kyle Shanahan versus the defensive wizard that is Bill Belichick. And I'm interested if the 49ers try to come out in a similar game plan where the running game essentially is the passing game and vice versa. What that defensive scheme will look like for New England because Bill is so good at dialing things up for individual opponents. Very different every week. Absolutely. And, you know, I'm glad that you mentioned that because Bill is definitely a defensive guru.

We all know him to be as such. And Kyle Shanahan is a wizard when it comes to what he does on the offensive side of the ball. You mentioned a couple of weeks ago and some of the blueprint that might be laid down. You have to wonder if maybe old friend of the family up here in New England, Brian Flores, who's coaching down in Miami, laid some of the blueprint a couple of Sundays ago and how the Patriots may look to defend Jimmy Garoppolo, how they might, the safety in the middle of the field is something that caused Jimmy to have to maybe pull it down a little and attack a one-on-one matchup. Some of the great coverage by the linebackers on the running backs verticals, I think, is

going to be something that's going to be key for this team in order to be able to control what looked like a much different and much more potent offense for the San Francisco 49ers last week. So always, always good stuff and always intriguing when a great offensive mind goes up against the great defensive mind. It's the ultimate chess match in the NFL. And I think we're in store for a pretty good one on Sunday. And Brian, I thank you because you provided a great amount of insight for my listeners

on Lockdown Patriots when it comes to the San Francisco 49ers. But 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 Brian Peacock of Locked On 49ers will take over the command and seek my wisdom and counsel, I say that tongue-in-cheek, folks, on all things New England Patriots when this Locked On Crossover Thursday continues. Locked On listeners, 2020 has been a different year, to say the least. And that includes this football

season. But fear not, Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day no matter how you watch this season. I know many of you are missing the live action, the thrill of the tailgate, maybe hanging out with your buddies, watching the game at a bar, but take it from me, watching the game from home can be the best seat in the house. Your snacks right by your side, comfortable chair or sofa, your comfortable clothes, watching it on your high def, high res television, and of course, Can be the best seat in the house. Your snacks right by your side. Comfortable chair or sofa. Your comfortable clothes. Watching it on your high def, high res television. And of course, Pepsi.

Because it's 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. That's Pepsi, made for football watching. Another Locked On Podcast Network crossover episode, Niners, Patriots in Week 7. I'm Brian Peacock, at BDPeacock on Twitter. Mike DeBate, host of Locked On Patriots, at seven. I'm Brian Peacock at BD Peacock on Twitter.

Mike debate host of locked on Patriots at M debate F P C. I have a ton of questions about this game before we get too much into the on-field X's and O's stuff here. Mike, there were some comments this week from Bill Belichick, who's usually very terse, doesn't like to speak a lot in postgame press conferences. He gave some long answers in his light is his eyes sort of lit up talking about a couple of 49ers players.

We'll get to Jimmy Garoppolo in a second, but how about this quote from Bill Belichick about Niners tight end George Kittle that we mentioned earlier. He said that Kittle is, quote, as good as anybody that I've coached or as good as anybody that we've played against. I have to imagine some Patriots fans ears perked up with that first bid, knowing that he coached Rob Gronkowski for quite a while in new England. Oh, they did. I can guarantee you the years definitely perked up. The eyes widened a little bit and the talk radio in the afternoon up here in

Boston definitely had some fodder, but I will point out he didn't say better. He just said as good. He didn't actually say better, but I digress, Brian. I know I'm splitting ears. Look, the praise that he threw toward George Kittle is definitely well-deserved. I mean, we talked a little bit about this in the previous segment, but he's one of those types of tight ends, that rare talent that simply does everything well on the football

field. He's a tremendous blocker, something that we saw Rob Gronkowski do so well up here for a number of years. He's great catching the ball out of the backfield. He's great in the open field. He's tough. He can get yards after the catch. He can even carry it out of the backfield. You made that point very eloquently just a few moments ago. So when Belichick does offer this type of praise for a player, he's known to talk up his opponents. I know people are going to say, well, oh, he says that about any team. He could be facing the Jets, and he'll say that they're a formidable team,

even though they're 0-5 right now. Belichick will always give his opponent respect, and they just do. But when he's overly effusive for praise, it usually means there's something about this player that catches his eye. We've heard him talk glowingly about guys in the past, like Ed Reed and, you know, especially going way back to guys. He's coached like Lawrence Taylor. There always is a gleam in his eye when he talks about these guys. I saw that when he talked about George Kittle and I can tell you, it's definitely coming from a place of sincerity.

If he's putting that out there, he means every word he says. And then, obviously, the quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, former New England player that Bill drafted, that if you put a polygraph on Bill Belichick, maybe he would have kept Jimmy Garoppolo over Tom Brady. I don't know how true that is, but I don think this uh is ever going to be separated until you know maybe garoppolo signs a new long-term contract with the 49ers or something like that and there were rumors that i heard more recently in the offseason about if the 49ers say went with tom brady who was a free agent that bill belichick was interested in bringing jimmy garoppolo back which makes a ton

of sense niners didn't go that route, but the, the report I heard was that the, the Patriots were offering a first round pick. Is that a, is that a real thing that, that you heard as well? And do you think that we're going to hear the end of that? This is the end of us talking about Jimmy Garoppolo and the Patriots, because I have a feeling this is going to just ramp up again in the off season with a potential, um, uh, potential divorce and remarriage, I guess, for Jimmy Garoppolo and the New England Patriots. It's going to come. So let's get it out of the way now in the new week and just avoid it when it obviously

does come up in the offseason. Well, first, I did hear about the reports on the first round pick, although anyone that I've spoken to close to the team has never either confirmed that or kind of rolled their eyes. So I don't know if there's any validity to that. That might have been the rumor mill churning a little overextended or maybe a little bit too overeager or overanxious. But at the same time, it would make sense for these two sides to reunite someday simply because Jimmy knows the system well.

He played under arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. He looked up to and learned a lot from Tom Brady, but he He looked up to and learned a lot from Tom Brady, but he also looked up to and learned a lot from Bill Belichick. If there's anybody that knows Jimmy's strengths and weaknesses, it's going to be Bill, the guy that drafted him, the guy that crafted him, and that made him the quarterback that he is today. Is it going to happen? You know, your guess is as good as mine, my friend.

I think there's a lot of factors that would have to go into that. First of all, the San Francisco 49ers would have to decide that the contract they signed Jimmy to was too expensive, maybe a little too rich for their blood, not really getting their quite return on investment that they hoped for. They would have to make a decision to move on. Ultimately, this offseason, they had the chance to go with a guy like Tom Brady. They made the decision to stay with Jimmy, and I think it was the right one. At the same time, there would also have to be interest from the Patriots. That would assume that Cam Newton is not going to be back in New England. I know there are a lot of Patriots fans and media alike that

would love to see Cam sign an extension here. Word is that Cam would be motivated to listen to the New England Patriots if they came to him during the season. But there's a lot of factors that are involved. The Patriots usually don't sign contract extensions during the season. Their MO is to wait until the end of the year, and that could end up being problematic, especially if Cam decides he wants to test free agency right away. So a lot of stars would have to align, but from a logistical standpoint on the field, it would make some sense because there is a great deal of comfort between the two. But I think there's a lot of peripheral matters that would have to be worked out in order for that to come true. So my best guess is that it won't happen. I think you're going to see Jimmy probably stay in San Francisco. I think you're probably going to see Cam stay in New England.

But I swore right up until March 16th that Tom Brady was coming back to New England. So don't take my word as gospel, folks. Anything and everything can happen. Has Cam showed enough this far through six weeks for you to be pretty confident in saying that, you know what, this is a long-term thing with Cam and the Patriots? I would, and I know a lot of people are getting on him for his performance on Sunday. Look, a couple of things to remember when it comes to Cam Newton and how he played on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. He was on the COVID reserve list,

albeit they said he was asymptomatic, but he wasn't getting the same type of workouts or the same type of preparation for those two weeks that you would normally get. Cam had to essentially start and then stop and then start up again. He was playing behind a makeshift offensive line with a number of players playing out of position, guys that weren't providing the correct amount of protection that he would need in order to be able to complete some of those throws or tuck and run and make things happen with his legs. And the last thing is, is that his wide receivers are getting difficulty finding separation and they're getting difficulty executing. If all things worked for the New England Patriots the way they have in games where you've seen this offense look pretty potent, whether it be against the Miami Dolphins, the Las Vegas Raiders, I even throw the game against the Seattle Seahawks in there, even though it was a loss, that offense was very efficient in the closing moments and nearly pulled

out a victory. Obviously, the anomaly was the game where Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham basically created an offensive debacle in that one against the Kansas City Chiefs. But I think Cam has shown enough comfort. I think he's shown enough command. And I think he's shown enough in his physical ability to let people know he's healthy and he's still capable of playing at a high level. I think Sunday was just a bad game all the way around. A lot of eyes are going to be on how Cam plays, whether it's a win or whether it's a loss. If he comes through and keeps his team in the game, completes throws, makes plays, I think it's going to have everybody feeling much better about Cam Newton once again.

Looking at this roster on paper, can you tell me a little bit about some of the pass catchers that Cam Newton's throwing the ball to? I think everybody knows about Julian Edelman and actually Edelman throwing a couple of nice passes himself last week. Nikhil Harry, the first round pick from 2019. Then there's Demir bird, Jacoby Myers, a tight end.

Ryan is, so what, like what, what sort of how is this passing game manifested? Are these wide receivers and are they a tough cover for opposing defenses? Because it seems like an offense that right now doesn't have much of an identity aside from you know trying to run the ball in a pretty traditional Patriots offense but uh it's not an offense that where you look at it

on paper you say oh man the the Patriots are coming to town uh well it's really kind of a mixed bag I mean on paper I think this team is better than the names that jump out at it. Uh, meaning that I think there's more talent beyond just looking at the names, Nikhil, Harry, Demir, Burr, Jacoby Myers. These are capable receivers that can make plays and that can do some pretty nice things on the football field. The problem is they haven't done that this year, Brian. I mean, uh, Julian Edelman has looked like a shell of his former self. My best guess, and again, folks, I'm speculating, I'm not basing this on information from the team, but he's perennially listed every week after week with a knee injury on the report. I think he's lacking some of the boost getting off of the block, and I think that's hurting him, and I think it has hampered him. His snaps were dramatically reduced on Sunday, and I think that's one of the big reasons why. So it'll be interesting to see if they change how they're using Julian, or if you continue to see those snaps drop, it's an indication that he may indeed be hurting. The other thing is

Nikhil Harry, who's really been the most polarizing figure in New England this week. So many fans want to label this kid as a bust. And look, there hasn't been the route running Christmas that everyone had hoped for with Nikhil. He's not being utilized in that hybrid wide receiver tight end type role that a lot of people thought he would be. And in a lot of ways, there's a lack of speed, a lack of acceleration that a good ex wide receiver that he's called upon to be wouldn't need to put out on the field. Nikhil is going to have to show the Patriots brass something, and he's going to have to show it to them quick because even Bill Belichick's comments as of late have been hinting about practice.

You need to practice. We need to get better. We need to get fundamentals. We need to do our job the way we want them to do our job. Those are kind of pointed comments, and if you read between the lines, it would lead you to believe that maybe he's looking for more out of his supposed top option at the position. Someone like a Jacoby Myers is probably like an also ran maybe a third or fourth option.

Still a very good one. And I think there's flashes of talent there, but he needs to be utilized a little bit more, maybe given a little more responsibility. And you mentioned Ryan Izzo on the tight ends. This is the big anomaly when it comes to me and the Patriots. Ryan Izzo they're using as their top option. Their rookies have been invisible. You haven't seen any Devin Asiasi.

You haven't seen much of Dalton Keene. Dalton's had some injury issues, and I think they're grooming him to be more of a fullback, to be honest with you, rather than that traditional tight end, too. But Asiasi's been a big question mark to me, why they're not using him. He's been open. He hasn't been targeted by Cam Newton, it appears. The play calling is essentially ignoring him completely. That's something to keep an eye on.

He's a rookie, yes, but I think he's going to give you a little more explosiveness than what Izzo has been giving you. And that's not a knock to Ryan Izzo, but he's at best a third option at tight end. He's not a tight end one. He's being used as such, and because of that, it's really showing his lack of ability. So at the passing game, the Patriots, that is their Achilles heel, and that sounds very weird considering the last two decades under Tom Brady.

It was always the strength of this team, even when the running game was clicking on all cylinders. Absolutely, and I totally agree with you about Julian Edelman. Definitely some age showing there with him. He doesn't look like the same explosive guy out of the slot that we've seen for so many years. And Nikhil Harry was never explosive. That was he I was definitely lower on Nikhil Harry. I was surprised he was a first round guy just because he looked sluggish in college to me and everything was sort of jump balls. So I'm not surprised that that's how things have turned out with him. And actually, there more name what about gunner olzuski are we talking

about the next julian edelman there well i love i love me some gunner roshelski anybody that looks at his uh everybody that looks at my uh twitter timeline will show that every time his name is called on a football field i love to tweet out the space balls meme where dark helmets leaning over to colonel sanders and he says who made that man a gunner? That's kind of been my claim to fame when it comes to gunner. As a matter of fact, I think he may have even liked one of those posts, which shows that he saw it, which is a good thing. But he's come into camp. He came into camp this year and has come into the Patriots offense having a little bit more explosiveness. He's quick. He's cutting into his routes much better.

He's still a factor in the return game. I would look for him to be a little bit more of an option than they've used so far. It kind of surprises me a little that they haven't. I don't know if teams have noticed he's been blanketed a lot. They're putting guys on him, which is a sign that they want to take him away. But he may end up being a very similar type role to Julian Edelman. To be honest with you, Brian, I think he reminds me more of a Danny Amendola than a Julian. Julian had the ability to really get out, cut, play outside, has the ability to do either, but he's better in the slot, whereas Danny Amendola could really do it equally both.

He could play in the slot. He can play on the outside. I think Gunnar reminds me a little bit more of maybe a Wes Welker or even a danny amandola at this point but they may have something special in this kid i for one hope so because he's one of the hardest workers i've seen on the team this year and i hope that gets rewarded it's olshevsky is that correct olshevsky yep that's good i want to get that right okay uh similar question about some of the names on the on the patriots defense real quick before we make our predictions mike Mike, on this week seven matchup. And Kyle Shanahan likes to put stress on opposing linebacker groups and with the outside zone running scheme and try to get outside, try to use those cutback lanes, leaking out fullbacks and tight ends.

And of course, you know, targeting George Kittle a ton in the passing game. John Simon, I like Chase Winovich as an outside pass rusher coming off the edge and in an odd front there. Jawan Bentley, some names that 49ers fans might not be super familiar with. Are they a group that is up to that challenge? I think they are up to the challenge. The defense has been playing quite solid. As a matter of fact, I think you can make the argument

that their defense may have had their best game against the Kansas City Chiefs in a loss. If they had a little bit of a better offensive output, I think the Patriots could have given the Chiefs a game in that one because of the prowess of their defense. And that is surprising considering the guys they've lost. Kyle Van Nooy, Jamie Collins, like you mentioned, Landon Roberts, these guys all gone by a free agency. They trade away their third safety, which the Patriots love to employ that third safety on the field at all times in Daron Harmon. Well, in order to be able to quell that, they bring in a guy like Adrian Phillips, who's really been that Swiss Army knife player

that I was very happy to see coming in here. Again, I covered the Chargers for a few years, so I knew what Adrian could do. And I was immediately excited to see him come in and play in a Bill Belichick defense. And he's been as advertised, he leads the team in tackles. He's been that strong safety, really a kind of replacement for Patrick Chung. He's also seen time playing that hybrid linebacker role. He's even come back in and covered tight ends at times. So he's been excellent. The Patriots, I think, have gotten very solid play out of Juwan Bentley, especially in this last game against the Denver Broncos. One of the big reasons why the Broncos weren't able to

run as freely as it looked with Philip Lindsay getting some pretty good breaks was because Juwan Bentley was so good at being able to move into the middle of the field and stop the run. Those are things that Dante Hightower did so well. And without Dante in this lineup, it was difficult for him to step into that role. He's been good. And the edge rush has been much better. You mentioned Chase Winovich, unsung heroes like Dietrich Wise, who's had a very big year in getting after the quarterback. He's been much better. Lawrence Guy has been one of the better interior defensive linemen in the AFC this year at being able to stop the run and even get after the passer. So there's still a lot of talent on this Patriots defense,

and the schemes that they run and the plays that are designed to stop is really a testament to Bill Belichick, Gerard Mayo, Stephen Belichick, and that defensive coaching staff because they've really done a great job with a lot of key members missing in that defense. It's going to be fun. I can't wait for that matchup, specifically Niners 0 against Bill Belichick's Patriots defense, and we'll see where Stephon Gilmore lines up. He might follow Debo Samuel, or if they just play it straight up,

but there should be a lot of man coverage, and I don't know how often the Niners offense is going to test those corners, but we've got to get to our predictions here for week seven. Mike, I have a hard time believing that Bill Belichick is going to lose three games in a row on a two game skid. Currently, one of these teams, Niners coming in at three and three Patriots at two and three. One of these teams will have a losing record after this game is over.

It's been well documented how long it's been since the Patriots were under 500 after five weeks, since basically the beginning of the Tom Brady era. But I'll let you go first. Mike, what sort of a prediction do you have here? New England favored by two points. Looks like some money is coming in on the 49ers, and the line is moving that way a little bit, over under 43.5. We talked about this a little bit yesterday on the show here,

that it's almost like you can't make it low enough. You got to go under here with this. I don't expect a ton of points on offense between these two teams. Patriots favored by two. This is an interesting one for me. Yeah, this is an interesting one for me as well. And look, I think you hit the nail on the head before when you said that the 49ers will run the football, but they're also looking to utilize play actionaction short passes and be able to probably put a little bit of pressure on that Patriots defense. The Patriots' front seven has been decimated by injuries of their own. They've had Byron Cowart on the COVID-19 list.

They've had Bo Allen, who hasn't played all year, basically, as the nose tackle. That's a very key position for the New England Patriots, both in pass protection to open up the rest of their players to be able to do that, and of course, for stopping the run. There's no question about it. Bowe returned to practice on Wednesday. It'll be very interesting to see as we progress here Thursday into Friday whether or not he's going to be made available for this game.

If he does, that shores up the Patriots' defense. On offense, I sincerely look for Cam Newton to try to make things happen a little bit more, try to get his receivers involved, but he's going to rely heavily on the running game as well. And San Francisco has been pretty good at being able to defend. So I think this is going to be a close one. I don't look for a very high scoring game, uh, back against the wall. I'm going to go New England on this one by a field goal, 24 to 21 in a hard fought game at Gillette on Sunday. Just covering the number there.

That's funny. I have the Niners by a field goal as well. And I think it's sort of a pick them game, which is why I would definitely take the points for the Niners in this game. I love the momentum. The 49ers have coming out of the game last week. They're traveling to the East coast, but it is a 1.25 p.m. Pacific time start, so normal start time for body clocks for those 49ers players.

So I don't know how much of a home field advantage it'll be for the Patriots in this game to give them any extra points. And yeah, 24-17, 23-20, something like that is what I see being a final score in this game. I think the 49ers can make enough plays on offense, and I think their defense is stout enough right now and playing at a high enough level, getting those cornerbacks and those starters in place there were so important for the 49ers last week.

I think they can hold up against the Patriots offense. The one caveat being Cam Newton as a runner. The 49ers defense has not been good in the Kyle Shanahan, Robert Sala era of corralling athletic quarterbacks. That might be the thing in the end. If it's a close game, extending drives, Cam Newton with his legs might be the thing that kills the 49ers if they aren't able to win this game. Very good point. Very, very good point. And again, it might help to tip the scales in the favor of the New England Patriots.

Or does Jimmy G have one up his sleeve to beat the master? Can Daniel's son beat Miyagi this Sunday? That's going to be the big key. Is it going to be wax on, wax off here in Gillette Stadium on Sunday? I know we're all looking forward to it. Brian, always a blast joining you on the microphone. And this is going to be a fun one. I know we're both looking forward to watching this one.

Absolutely looking forward to it, Mike. Thanks for the chat. And I'll chat with you again, hopefully on the national show, the Peacock and Williamson program. Have you on there sometime soon as well to talk Pats. Very, very much looking forward to it, my friend. Thank you so much for joining me today. And so Patriots Nation, four down and one to go in your work week,

getting you ready for the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers Sunday at 425 p.m. Eastern, Foxborough, Massachusetts, Gillette Stadium. Definitely looking forward to this matchup. And like I said earlier, the prodigal paisan returning, Jimmy Garoppolo leading the 49ers into face Cam Newton and the Pats. And tomorrow here on the pod, we'll be taking one last look at this matchup before Sunday's kickoff. And of course, I will be providing my game notebook and even give my prediction as well.

So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, make sure to download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us or subscribe to us on platforms such as Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my friend and colleague, Brian Peacock of Locked On 49ers, for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's Crossover Thursday episode, but most of all, I thank you all so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a daily part

of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.