Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Thursday: Patriots vs. Bills, Part II — 12/24/2020

Episode Date: December 24, 2020

It’s a Christmas Eve Crossover Thursday on the Locked On Podcast Network. Join hosts Mike D’Abate of Locked On Patriots and Joe Marino of Locked On Bills as they preview this AFC East showdown between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Monday, December 28.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetterHelpI want you to start living a happier life today. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/LockedOn 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. It's Christmas Eve and 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. Locked On Patriots is presented today by Pepsi, made for football watching.

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Greetings, salutations, and happy holidays, Patriots Nation. Thank you so much for joining me here on this Christmas Eve crossover Thursday here on Locked On Patriots. 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 MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Christmas cruising through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Pats fans, I know most of you are gearing up for the holiday weekend,

and to help bring you into that holiday weekend, right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, we continue to bring you Crossover Thursday. And today, I have a special treat for you here on this Christmas Eve, because I get to cross the streams with one of my most valued friends and colleagues here at Locked On, host of the Locked On Bills podcast, and of course an amazing analyst for thedraftnetwork.com, Joe Marino joins me here on the hot seat, and we will break down Monday night's matchup between the Patriots and the Bills in Foxborough. Monday night's game is going to be the ultimate reversal of roles for these two teams. The Patriots, out of playoff contention, essentially playing out

the string, but they do have a slight chance to play spoiler, as we talked about here yesterday on the pod, and Joe and I will continue to dive into that concept a little deeper today. We'll also talk about how Buffalo is a much more formidable opponent this time around than when the Patriots faced them back in October. Josh Allen is playing the quarterback position at an elite level. The offensive weapons he has around him are not only numerous, but very productive. And last but certainly not least, that formidable Buffalo defense is getting healthy and rounding into shape at just the right time.

It sounds like a nearly insurmountable task, but one thing I've learned about covering a Bill Belichick coach team over the years, folks, never count them out of anything. Patriots are still playing for pride, they're playing at home, and they do have the talent on both sides of the ball to give Buffalo a game. So don't count them out just yet. I'll be honest, I'd be lying if I said I was confident or maybe even overly optimistic about their chances to take this one, but as the late great Yogi Berra once said, it ain't over till it's over. Maybe the

Pats can pull an upset here. But whether you're optimistic or pessimistic about the Pats' chances on Monday night, Joe Marino and I are here on this Crossover Thursday to take you through the holiday weekend and give you almost all you need to get you ready for game day on Monday. And I say almost, folks, because even though

Friday we will be off in observance of the Christmas holiday here on Locked on Patriots, I'll be back here bright and early on Monday morning to bring you your Monday Night Football pregame episode as the Pats get set to host the Bills. And if it's Monday, you know who's going to be joining me. That's right, the big green man himself, the Count of Murphy Fisto, my good friend Thomas Murphy joins me as we get you set for kickoff. And who knows, folks, Murph may even bring some of his keys along. So definitely stay locked into Locked On Patriots for that.

But as most of us are making last-minute holiday preparations, or maybe as you're listening to this, it is the holiday or slightly after it, the New England Patriots are still in the midst of a work week. And they were back on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Wednesday to start their on-field preparation for the upcoming battle against the Bills. And Wednesday's practice did not yield an injury report, giving that the two teams are going to play on Monday night. The first report is going to be issued on Thursday afternoon, Christmas Eve, so keep a sharp eye out for that.

The one thing that I can tell you from the pool reports of those reporters present is that only two players were not spotted at practice on Wednesday. One was cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who we pretty much know is already out for the season, going to undergo surgery to repair a partially torn quadriceps, and defensive tackle Carl Davis. But shortly after Wednesday's practice, the team announced officially that they were placing Gilmore on season-ending injured reserve, meaning that he'll no longer appear on any injury report for the rest of this week or next week against the Jets. But on Thursday, the Patriots took to the practice fields once again, and they also had two players absent.

Carl Davis was one of them, but the other is a player you all know and love, and one that I know a lot of you were hoping to see on the field again this year. And I'm talking about wide receiver Julian Edelman. Now, I'll preface this by saying that Julian's absence from the practice fields on Thursday doesn't mean that he won't be activated for Monday's game or might not be activated before the end of the year. But seeing how the Patriots are essentially playing out the string, I look at Julian's absence from the practice fields as a sign that not only will he not suit up on Monday

against the Bills, but the Patriots may err on the side of caution and just choose to shut him down for the rest of the year. Julian was banged up so much last year, he really played through a lot of pain in training camp and earlier this year just to get out on the field. If there's a chance that he can really rest and come back at 100% next season, Patriots would probably be smart to have him do that. So again, if you're hoping to see Julian Edelman out on the field, I'm not trying to rain on your parade here, but I'm saying it looks unlikely, even though technically it's not impossible. As for the rest of the Patriots that are considered quote-unquote walking wounded,

not a whole lot on those guys right now. A lot more will be known once Thursday's injury report is released, and of course more reports throughout the weekend. Talking about players like Damian Harris, who sat out last Sunday's game against Miami, David Andrews, and Juwan Bentley, who were taken out of Sunday's game with injuries. Keep a sharp eye on the Patriots' injury reports throughout the holiday weekend. It's definitely not a definite, but the Patriots may in fact rule some of these players out prior to Monday morning.

And of course, I'll bring you the very latest on the Patriots' injury situation on Monday here on Locked on Patriots. But Pats fans, it's time to turn both our sharp eyes and all of our attention toward the Buffalo Bills and this Monday night matchup coming up at Gillette Stadium. So in that vein, it's time to cross the streams. And Joe Marino, host of the Locked on Bills podcast, will join me here on the hot seat in just a moment when this Locked On Crossover Thursday continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated.

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College football heads into bowl season, and there are some big matchups this weekend. The NFL regular season is finishing up, and that playoff picture is becoming clearer and clearer by the minute. There's only one place that has you covered, and one place we trust. BetOnline.ag. Sign up today for your free account at BetOnline.ag and use the promo code LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. Playoff odds may not be in the picture for our New England Patriots this year, folks, but the folks at BetOnline.ag are still laying lines on who might be the Patriots

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give you a hot tip that could earn you some extra cash. The new Locked on Bets podcast is hosted by Lee Sterling of ParamountSports.com. Lee is red hot to start the season, and he shares a lock of the day on every episode, so be sure to subscribe to Locked on Bets today, wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fans, Bills Mafia, my how the tables have turned. This Monday, the AFC East Division champion Buffalo Bills take their talents and their billboards to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots, who for the first time in 11 seasons will

not be a part of the playoff party in 2020. 8 p.m. December 28th, Monday night in week 16 of the 2020 NFL season. It's a Christmas Eve crossover Thursday here on the Lockdown Podcast Network. My name is Mike DeBate, host of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, and joining me is my friend and colleague Joe Marino, host of Locked On Bills. Joe, it's always my honor, always my privilege to join you on the mic for these crossovers.

Looking forward to this one here, Mike. And as you said, we're in different spots than we normally are. So it's going to be interesting to kind of have this conversation from really different vantage points for the first time in a you know a long long time absolutely it really is and i'm sure you've been looking forward to this especially over the course of the last couple of weeks where it looked painfully obvious that the patriots demise was kind of circling the drain i'm only kidding folks uh it is the ultimate role reversal here though this week buddy uh for the patriots and the bills uh buffalo has clinched the division title marching toward one of the top seeds in the afc and i say this with every bit of

sincerity boy do they deserve it a great year up in buffalo uh and playing some great football the patriots on the other hand six and eight they're playing out the string but there might just be some motivation to spoil the bill's hopes that the number two seed in light of this free fall that we're seeing in Pittsburgh, Buffalo's got a legitimate shot to be one of the top seeds in the conference this year. And I think they have the inside track on that, but it's not going to be easy for the Pats to spoil that

by any stretch of the imagination. Buffalo clearly is the better team in 2020. And Joe, the Bills owe a lot of that to the play of quarterback Josh Allen. The kid has really come into his own. He's enjoying a terrific year, completed 69% of his passes or almost 69% of his passes, 4,000 yards, 30 touchdowns, 9 interceptions. That's a great ratio and really elite numbers, dare I say, folks. His size, his mobility really has allowed him to manipulate the pocket better

than I've ever seen him do it. He's buying time for his receivers. And that group has been great as a result of Josh Allen's play. So Joe, in a nutshell, what has been the difference this year in Josh and how have you seen him emerge into one of the more elite quarterbacks in the NFL this year? You know, you can spread around the blame, if you will. I think there's plenty of people that deserve credit. Obviously, general manager Brandon Bean for the job he's done building up the infrastructure around Josh Allen to put him in position that he

can be the best version of himself and reach his ceiling this year. And that starts with bringing in Stefan Diggs and trading that first round pick for him. And Diggs has 111 catches through 14 games. That's a Bill's record, you know, with two games left to go. So Stefan Diggs being the true number one receiver has really made a big impact. But, you know, year three with Brian Dable, the offensive coordinator, I think that has mattered a lot for Josh Allen and his development and growth. You see so many young quarterbacks with, unfortunate, a lot of changes that offensive coordinator where, you know,

look at everyone from that 2018 class outside of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. They've all had multiple coordinators already. And so Josh Allen's been able to grow with Brian Dable. Jordan Palmer, his personal quarterbacks coach has done a wonderful job of helping correct some flaws. But as we want to point fingers and say, this person did this, and this person did this, and this is why Josh Allen has developed to the caliber that he has that the person who deserves the most credit is Josh Allen. He's worked extremely hard. And so often we want to go back and say, everyone was wrong about Josh. You're wrong. You didn't have it

right. Well, the reality was Josh Allen was a struggling quarterback at Wyoming who you watch him play and you see the size, you see the athleticism, you see the arm talent, but that's probably the end of the list. You saw very inconsistent results when it comes to accuracy, decision-making, processing, mechanics, and you gamble on that. You gamble and say, well, I think he can overcome these things and the physical traits can carry him and we'll bet on ourselves to bring this guy into the building. But at the end of the day, he wasn't a good college quarterback in the Mountain West. And when you look at those games against the Power Five, when he had a chance to play Oregon and Nebraska and Iowa, I mean, he was horrible.

And so it's hard to project a player, especially, you know, especially a quarterback to be a better professional than he was college player. But the Bills understood the skillset, but I think more importantly, they understood the person and the work ethic and how much he cared and how much he had natural intangibles and leadership traits. And, you know, he didn't want to let anyone down and, um, he's worked extremely hard with improving his accuracy and improving his mechanics and understanding the game better and making better decisions. And he deserves all the credit for getting better. You think about the playoff game to Houston last year, the bills lost in overtime. And, you know, I think we saw the best and worst of Josh Allen in that game.

And you could, you could look at that game and see some of the reckless tendencies of Josh Allen and think maybe the, the bills front office and coaches would say well yeah we really like josh but we got to reel them in we've got to uh we've got to try to coach some of that out of them but to their credit they didn't do that in fact all they did was say you know we want more we want to give you more opportunities we're gonna go get you stefan diggs and uh we're gonna let you throw the ball like 40 times a game and you're gonna sink or or swim. And, you know, the Bills have gambled on themselves. They've put themselves in positions to be right. And right now with him being, you know, the third best odds to be the NFL MVP here as we approach the last two games of the season, I think that speaks for itself. Yeah, very impressive accolades. And you know what? Well-deserved, Joe. I agree with you. And

he does deserve a lot of credit for putting in the work. You mentioned working hard and trying to perfect your craft. That's what the great ones do. And not to upset Bills fans, but I'd really watched one of the greatest in the NFL in the terms of history do it here for a better part of two decades in Tom Brady. The guy put the work in, was always the first guy in, the last guy to leave. I remember first off, you know, speaking to people that have covered the team early on in the dynasty days of how he would essentially flood the quarterback room with questions, really absorb everything he could from guys like Charlie Weiss and Bill Belichick, really trying to do his best to understand the game better and make himself better hearing a lot of the same things going on in Buffalo with Josh Allen so definitely

a lot of credit and credit is well deserved this year for what he's done Joe you mentioned Stefan Diggs and as the Bills hoped when they brought him in he's been one of the NFL's best wide receivers this season you mentioned his stat line, very impressive. And in my opinion, another big reason why the Bills offense has taken an enormous step forward this year. Slowing him down is a challenge for any team, but it might be even a bigger challenge for the Patriots this weekend because, as you know, Stephon Gilmore is out for the remainder of the season with a partially torn quadricep.

He's having surgery to repair that. And that means J.C. Jackson will likely get the primary matchup with Stefan Diggs. Now, J.C. is a former undrafted rookie, but he's been an interception machine this year for the New England Patriots and has really come into his own as a potential cornerback. One, not only on this team, but potentially on another team. There's a lot of offseason question marks for the Patriots, and I'm sure we'll get into that in a little bit but with Gilmore out conventional wisdom would say that's a matchup you want to try to test you want to try to go after the weakness but Jackson may not be a weakness here do you expect the Bills to

test JC Jackson in coverage by allowing Josh Allen to throw in Stefan's direction. You know, I, I am really fascinated by thinking about and learning what Bill Belichick is going to do defensively against the bills this time around, because Mike, I was really surprised by the plan when the teams met up in week eight and we had really, really, really windy conditions in Western New York. And even with that being the case, Bill Belichick went out there and played at least six defensive backs on all, but two snaps in the game, maybe six or seven defensive backs in a situation where you have 30 to 40 mile an hour wins. And it was almost like Bill Belichick said, well, if you want to run the ball, get all the rushing yards you want,

but we don't want you to beat us in the passing game. And it was a very different game script for the Bills compared to everything they've done before and after quite honestly, because I think it was just a situation where Belichick said, here's all the DBs, run the ball and the bills obliged. And it wound up working out for Buffalo, but you know,

obviously at the end of the game, the Patriots certainly had their chance to win it. The fumble by Cam Newton was, was prohibitive to that being the case, but it worked from that perspective. And so, you know, when we start talking about digs versus Jackson, I'm fascinated to see what the defensive game plan is and what that means for the Bills and how they're going to attack New England. I mean, you go back to that week eight game, Stefan Diggs was targeted seven times in coverage against JC Jackson, and he had five catches for 84 yards. And obviously JC Jackson did have an interception when he was

guarding Stefan Diggs. So, you know, I would say that Diggs had a fair amount of success in that earlier matchup, even with the conditions where Belichick invited the Bills to run the football. So we'll see how the game plans evolve, but I don't think, I don't think the Bills offensively look at anything and say, we have to attack this guy or don't have to attack this guy. I think they're going to run their plays, and they're going to go through the progressions, and they're going to go to the places that the defense gives them. And I think we've kind of learned that about this team

as they take on a new identity every week. And I'm anxious to see what Belichick does defensively because that's going to dictate the type of offense and matchups that the Bills want to to run on Sunday on Monday night yeah that's a good point you as well as I am curious as to how Bill is going to play this one because look the Patriots defense has always predicated itself on having strong suits they may have been weak against the run at times but always with a lockdown secondary or they may have had a subsequent secondary but they were always stout up front and were able to stop the run this year the Patriots have shown cracks in the foundation in both areas

and I say that with a lot of respect for the secondary which has still had a largely good season but there have been times where they've looked suspect as well and when Gilmore was not in the lineup earlier this year being out with a knee injury they looked like they were really struggling and I wonder if those days have returned here to New England on Monday night not in the lineup earlier this year, being out with a knee injury, they looked like they were really struggling. And I wonder if those days have returned here to New England on Monday night, especially with a very formidable Buffalo passing game. But they can run the ball as well. We remember what Zach Moss and Devin Singletary did to the Patriots

the last time these two teams played. Could it be a repeat of that? Your guess is as good as mine, my friend, but this Bills team can run the football and they can pass it, and that's a lethal combination for the patriots to have to endure uh last but certainly not least uh the bill's defense um especially their run defense joe they've had an up and down year but in recent weeks things have been much better up front for them uh over the last couple of months or really over the last month the bills have been very good

against the run and that's led to a bit of resurgence for the entire defense i think matt milano's return to the linebacking core has been one of the reasons why buffalo just seems to be playing with more confidence with him in the lineup and when the run defense is doing its job the bill's secondary can really go to work on the patriots pass catchers, which haven't exactly been that prolific this year, if I'm being very honest. This Buffalo secondary is a lot healthier than it was during the first meeting. Tredavious White, Levi Wallace, Teron Johnson,

definitely as formidable of a corner team as you can get in the NFL. Then you've got Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde in the safety position. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Patriots. In your opinion, Joe, is the Buffalo defense peaking at the right time in all ways? And how far might it carry them in the postseason? I think that's exactly the right way to put it.

They are peaking at the right time. And early this season, they struggled mightily. And we were all wondering what happened to this Bills defense because it was in the top three in 2018 and 2019. And then all of a sudden they couldn't play anymore. And I think initially we underrated some of the continuity issues on defense, where you look at the defensive line in particular, the bills like to rotate defensive linemen a ton and gone from last year's unit was Shaq Lawson and Jordan Phillips and uh you know you you also have Starla Tulale who opted out of the season you don't have him available Lorenzo Alexander's not here Kevin Johnson's not here and you're introducing a lot

of new pieces especially up front on the defensive line bringing in Mario Addison and Quentin Jefferson and Vernon Butler and AJ Epinesa and you're reinserting Harrison Phillips back into the lineup after he missed a season. And then, you know, early in the year, Tremaine Edmonds and Matt Milano are injured. And it was just a lot of injuries, a lot of new pieces, a lot of trying to figure things out, a lot of wondering why the Bills were struggling so much on defense. And you kind of felt like the team was reeling a little bit and they didn't have a lot of confidence, but they were still winning because of their offense. And I think as the season has moved along, the team has gotten healthy. They figured out how to use their personnel more favorably and really dating back to about week seven.

The Bills defense really started to shift and get back to their ways. And I think over the last three, four games, they're really peaking and playing good ball. And I think even back early in the season when we were frustrated about those struggles, it was always nice to say, well, they're still winning, and we know that they haven't played their best football yet. And they always say, you're going to remember November, and December really matters, and you really want to play good football in January, right? So it was always that silver lining that we know that this team can play defense. These coaches, these players have been a part of good defense in the past.

And as much as we like to talk about regression to the mean, right. When somebody is over-performing, everyone says, well, eventually they have to come down to earth. What we don't do Mike enough is, is when somebody's struggling and they normally don't, we don't talk about the Ascension to the mean, right? So there had to be a path to get better because it wasn't justified for them to perform as poorly as they have. So I think that they are peaking at the right time and that's exciting. You asked the question, you know, how far can it take them in the post-season? And I think you look at this Bills seem offensively and defensively,

and I don't want to get ahead of where they are in their life cycle, but I don't think that there's a team that the bills can't play with in the NFL right now. I think, you know, the, the darling of the league is the Kansas city chiefs. And that's obviously a very daunting opponent. And, you know, I'm not going to predict the bills to beat the chiefss but you know I think after that you you you feel comfortable that you can hang with and score with and play with anyone out there so the Bills are in a good spot it's it's a weird spot because they really haven't been here in a long long long time but this team is peaking at the right times and I do think that does really start with the defense because the offense has been fairly consistent all year long. Yeah, very good point. And don't tell our good friends over at Locked On Chiefs.

But I'm liking the Bills chances in that matchup. And that's very tough for a Patriots guy to say. But I really love the way this team is constituted. They're peaking at the right time. Big things possibly in Buffalo. So get the tables ready, Bills Mafia. You never know. This could be a big season for them. But locked on listeners on both sides of the coin,

we're just scratching the surface when it comes to our prognostication on this Monday matchup in Foxborough. In just a moment, Joe Marino and I flip the script, and he will place me on the hot seat. We keep our friends close and our enemies closer when this Patriots-Bills crossover Thursday right here on the Locked On Podcast Network continues. Joe Marino of Locked On Bills joined by Mike DeBate, the outstanding host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast. And it's my turn to ask Mr. Mike DeBate some questions about this New England Patriots football team, which is in an interesting spot. One that's really unfamiliar. You know, you think about 11

straight AFC East champions, uh, championships, uh, not going to be the case this year. There's no playoffs this year. There's no Tom Brady in the building. What's the vibe, Mike? I mean, how are people feeling? How are the fans responding to a down year? And what's just the overall vibe when it comes to this Patriots team? If you're a Ghostbusters fan, Joe, then you'll know Peter Finkman said it best. Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. No, I'm kidding, folks. It's not quite that bad, but it's definitely a role reversal for New England. Look, you can't undergo the type of success that the Patriots organization has had

over the course of the last two decades without feeling a letdown when there's still football to be played in this season, but you're essentially not playing for anything, even in the years where the Patriots were not division bound or did not win the division following their first Super Bowl title back in 2001 and 2002. They missed the following year, but they were within an eyelash of making the playoffs. Even the quote unquote Matt Castle year in 2008, when Tom Brady went down with the injury, they were still close to making the playoffs. This is a little bit of a different animal for most recent Patriots fans. So I think they're weathering through it. Okay. A lot of fans are frustrated, obviously, calling for the head of Bill Belichick,

calling for the head of Cam Newton, saying that this team needs to be blown up, torn down, break the bank, back up the Brinks truck, sign every available free agent. I've heard thousands of rumors and thousands of theories out there that really, whether you say they hold water or not, is really up to you and up to your your discretion but bottom line I think Patriots fans recognize that this team was going to take a step back when they lost Tom Brady you can't lose someone of that magnitude and not expect it to affect your team on the field the way it has couple that in with the fact that the Patriots were very much hurt by opt outs more

than any other team in the NFL. Some very significant players when it comes to leadership, when it comes to mentoring three in particular, Dante Hightower, Patrick Chung, Brandon Bolden, these guys are salt of the earth when it comes to helping young players develop. And the Patriots didn't have any either one of those three in the the lineup or in the locker room this year they've tried to mentor from afar but it's much different uh you know you don't have that on-field tutelage that you're used to seeing Patriots have a number of rookies uh some departures that they never really quite filled well um and I'm not just talking about the quarterback position I'm talking about the linebacking core um I'm talking about the uh the middle and the interior of that defensive line. Losing guys like Danny Shelton and Kyle

Van Noy and Landon Roberts and Jamie Collins have really hurt this team. So there's been a lot of reasons for the Patriots' struggles. The vibe right now is that we're looking ahead to 2021 and seeing what the future can bring. But this is going to be a very telltale offseason for Bill and for a lot of the Patriots' brain trust because there's a lot of eyes on them this year. The offseason ahead for the Patriots is fascinating to me. What do you think here, Mike? I mean, how much longer do we think Bill Belichick's

going to be running the ship here? What's next for this team? They have a lot of cap space. I think they're in the top four when it comes to available cap space to bring in some new talent they're going to be picking fairly high in the draft um but at the same time you kind of look at this from two you know both sides of the coin here first that uh you do get some significant players coming back off and opt out you do have cap space i mean you try, to quickly reassemble this team and see what can happen and try to get back to having a chance? Or is this that opportunity for a very hard reset,

maybe moving on from some players, maybe trading up in the draft for a quarterback or just doing something here to, to bring in, you know, new faces and young talent to start replenishing this thing. Like what direction do you see this going? As we look ahead to what's a really unusual off season coming up for the Patriots? Well, it's going to think, I think Joe, it's going to take a lot of determination as to what the Patriots choose to do with the quarterback position. I think that's going to be telltale. And I know that sounds obvious, but it really does make a lot of sense. First of all, with regard to Bill Belichick, I don't see him going anywhere anytime soon. does make a lot of sense. First of all, with regard to Bill

Belichick, I don't see him going anywhere anytime soon. I know a lot of people have speculated that Bill is ready to walk out the door. We've been hearing that for years. This goes back to when they lost their first Super Bowl to the Giants. The thought was that he was going to follow them out the door and he was going to head there as soon as Coughlin decided to retire. So we've heard all the rumors about Bill, but everything that I've seen about the way he's prepared this year and the way he's going forward is that he's still here for the foreseeable future. Now, am I talking 10 years from now? Absolutely not. But at least the next few, I still see Bill Belichick stalking the sidelines in Foxborough. With regard to the cap space that you mentioned, yeah, any projection that you see has the Patriots

anywhere from 60 to $70 million in cap space available at the very least that could increase depending on what the cap looks like after the 2020 season and all the COVID, you know, parameters are straightened out. They may end up having even more at that disposal. So do the Patriots look to the draft to rebuild the quarterback position? Do they go with what they have? Are they going to use Cam as a bridge quarterback for yet another season? My guest on Locked on Patriots yesterday, Sarah Marshall, and I discussed this, and we talked about whether or not Cam may actually be the best bridge to the future if the Patriots

can't find the guy this year. And in the draft, it's going to be tough for them to find the guy. They can do it, but the highest-graded quarterbacks right now that are coming out, and you know this better than anybody, I'm talking to one of the gurus here, obviously Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, they're the gems of this, but Zach Wilson is playing at a high level. We saw him light the world on fire a couple of nights ago for BYU.

Mac Jones is another possibility from Alabama Kyle Trask out of Florida even Sam Howell of UNC we've been talking about these players where the Patriots are designed to pick as of right now they may not have the option or the ability to get any one of those guys and if they can't then you're looking at maybe a trade or maybe free agency and bringing in a new quarterback depending on who's available is Dak going to be available do you look at maybe Matt Stafford or Matt Ryan are they priable away from their current teams do you go with basically a run-of-the-mill veteran quarterback or do you look at Jarrett Stidham and give him a hard look this year

do we see him maybe this weekend or against the Jets in another week there's a lot of question marks for New England right now but ultimately their off season is going to determine how this rebuild moves forward if they're able to get the guy they've identified right off the bat and it may not be a name the fans even want or know right now then Bill Belichick will kick this into high gear and he'll do it quickly. If they're not able to, and they do decide to bring Cam back for another year or go with a veteran option as a bridge quarterback, then I think you're looking at a longer sustained rebuild. And then it may take a few years to get back in. So it really is going to be an interesting off season and the Patriots could play it either way. It's just too early to tell

right now. And you know this better than anybody. Bill Belichick is not a guy that's known to tip his hand. He's not going to open up his playbook to the media and let everyone know what he's thinking. He's going to keep it very close to the vest. And by all indications, that's exactly what's happening in New England right now. Mike, it hasn't been all bad in New England this year. And I want to focus on some of the positives that have come out of this season. And I think for me, I look at this team and I see a lot of young players that look to be building blocks for this team moving forward, whether that's Michael on when you, on the offensive line or Jacoby Myers at wide receiver, Kyle Duggar has been, you know, really effective as the season moves along at safety. Josh Uche looks like a good player.

I mean, obviously, J.C. Jackson and John Jones. When you kind of take inventory here and you think about, you know, what was useful for this year to move forward and build with and kind of get the Patriots back, what are some of the biggest things that come to mind for you? Yeah, I mean, they've had a good amount of bright spots on both sides of the ball, including in special teams, which Matthew Slater, despite his age and getting up there and long in the tooth and football years, continues to be the gold standard on special teams. And he's really anchored that unit this year. But Jake Bailey is the punter. I mean, a lot of people talk about him as the potential Patriots MVP in terms of hang time, distance, leg strength. He's been phenomenal in pinning opponents inside the 10 on a consistent basis.

There's not something that's easy to do. The Patriots definitely play special teams as an equal, sometimes even more important element than offense and defense, and it shows why they continue to be among the league's best in that department. On defense, you mentioned a lot of rookies a lot of young players uh that are rounding into their own uh ushe to me has a huge upside he's being used right now as a situational pass rusher i for one in the final two games of the season would like to see him unleashed a little bit more maybe utilizing some run packages see what the kid can

do because if he's able to help set the run alongside a guy like chase winovich that allows you or set the edge i should say that allows you to be able to play better run defense and that's something that patriots have really struggled they lack that veteran presence in the middle of the interior of that defensive line and it's really spelled some difficulties and really disasters the last couple of games against the los angeles rams and most recently on sunday against the mi Angeles Rams and most recently on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins so they have to shore that up but those are the bright spots on defense that I like Kyle Duggar has been outstanding he's definitely the strong safety of this team for the future you pair him alongside a guy like Adrian Phillips who's done a great job coming in here

from Los Angeles over 100 tackles the first Patriot to do that since 2004, and Rodney Harrison did it. So bright spots, not only the young players, but some veterans they brought in have played well also. And Adam Butler and Lawrence Guy have been great in that interior of the defensive line as well. On the offensive side of the ball, the Patriots definitely have some talent at the running back position. Damian Harris has been excellent. Everything is advertised, if not more, really has emerged as

the number one option for this team on the ground. He runs with power. He can run with speed. He can be a finesse runner if you want, but he's the type of back that can put his head down and get you yardage when you really need him to grind it out. Sonny Michel has developed into a nice compliment, and I would love to see a full season of these two guys healthy being able to run the ball in tandem sony had a very good game against uh miami and if damian for any reason doesn't go on monday night against the bills i look for sony to be a big part of that as well in the past catching department the patriots have definitely suffered a little bit but jacoby my is a true player. He's emerged in the slot. Nikhil Harry is the pariah of Patriots Nation right now.

People are fed up. They want to see more from him. I think there is a little bit of spark there to hang on to. I think he can go up and make contested catches. I still think there's something to hold on to with Nikhil, but he's going to have to show it quickly. Otherwise, they're going to start circling the wagons on him pretty soon. So bright spots, you know, in different areas for the Patriots, but a good young core and a good young nucleus to build around is what fans can hang

their hat on in Foxborough. Last one I have for you, Mike, is kind of building off something you said earlier in our discussion. The Patriots still have football to play this year, and so do the Bills. The Bills have very meaningful games here with their quest to be the number two seed, which I think is something they should really, really strive to get. That way you really avoid that date with the Chiefs until the AFC Championship game. So you have a team that is trying to be a top seed. You have a team that's trying to play spoiler top seed. You have a team that's trying to try and to play spoiler. What are your expectations for this football game? I mean, it's,

it's the first game since the Patriots have been officially eliminated from the post season. Just what high level thoughts come to mind when you think about the game actually being played on Monday night. I would love to say that the Patriots are going to be able to show what they're made of, come out and be able to show what they're made of, come out and be able to give the Bills a game and maybe even spoil some of their hopes for that second seed.

But if I'm being honest, Joe, I just don't see it happening. I think the Bills are clearly the better team on both sides of the ball. Look, I mentioned earlier that the linebacking core of the Buffalo Bills has seems to be rejuvenated with Matt Milano back in and the guys really playing well around him the Patriots right now are predicated on running the football that's where their offense is at its best for all of the struggles that Cam Newton has had throwing the ball they can run effectively when he's using those patterns utilizing the zone reads maybe even an RPO taking it himself or handing off to guys like Damian Harris or Sonny Michel. Buffalo's run defense lately has been much better at stacking

the box and forcing teams to throw the football. That's where the Patriots start to fall apart. And I think Buffalo is going to do that on Monday. And for that reason, I don't see the running game being as prevalent as it was earlier in the season, maybe even earlier when these two teams met the first time around. That means that the Patriots are going to have to pass in order to be effective. And we went through that talented group of secondary, you know, past catcher, you know, past defenders that the Bills have. And it's simply just a pick your poison when it comes to that, whether it's Newton or whether we see the kid, Jared Stidham get a couple of reps, the Patriots are going to struggle to throw the football on this team.

So if you can't put points up consistently against the defense that, like you said, is peaking at the right time, that's a recipe for a disaster on the defensive side of the ball. I think the bills are going to try to take a page out of what they did the last time. And this run defense is porous. I think you're going to see Devin Singletary. think you're going to see zach maas run the ball effectively uh the patriots just don't seem to have an answer for that right now they lack that veteran presence in the middle of the interior uh of the defensive line the bills will attack that and that's going

to be able to allow josh allen to test the secondary down the field and the last time these two teams played one another we mentioned the matchup between Diggs and Jackson. Jackson was matched up on Diggs, and Diggs had a strong game. And it caught six passes, 92 yards, just one too many weapons. And if, in fact, J.C. is able to shut down Stephon Diggs, you've got Cole Beasley, you've got Gabriel Davis, you've got John Brown. I mean, there's just, there's a lot of weapons that Josh has at his disposal.

So I'd be lying if I said it was optimistic. I think the Patriots will hang around. They'll make it a game based on pride and the fact that they're playing at home. But I see the bills coming out on top on Monday. That would be something. The bills have struggled so much against new England for so long. And for them to get the season sweep, it's unfathomable from my side of things, Mike. So I'm looking forward to the game, and I really appreciate this conversation like I do every time you and I get an opportunity to hook up for a podcast recording. So wishing you and your family a very wonderful holiday. And I'm looking forward to this game on Monday night. Absolutely. Couldn't have said it better myself. Always a pleasure to join you on the microphone. My best wishes to you and yours for a very happy holiday

and everyone listening out there in Bill's Mafia impacts nation. Happy holidays. Stay safe. Stay well. Enjoy the game on Monday night and enjoy this rivalry because it's good to have it back, and it's good for there to be some, you know, good-natured animosity between both sides. We love it, and it makes Joe's and my job a lot more exciting, I assure you. Have a happy holidays, folks. And just like that, Patriots fans, welcome to your holiday weekend, and even though your New England Patriots won't be playing until Monday night, if you're looking for a Sunday pregame show that talks about every game and every team in depth, then be sure to check out the Locked On NFL Sunday show live

every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Eastern. No sketches, no celebrity cameos, no fluff. Just football every Sunday morning with hosts Cody Rourke and Ross Jackson. Follow and subscribe to Locked On Live on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube. And don't forget to turn on notifications to be notified when the show goes live every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Eastern. And before I wrap things up here today and put a lid on this holiday week here on Locked

On Patriots, I know many of you are preparing to celebrate either the spiritual or religious aspects of Christmas. Maybe earlier or later in this month you celebrated the feasts of Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, or if the holiday week is simply a time for you to celebrate the good fortune and love of friends and family, I encourage you at some point this weekend to reflect upon and be grateful for your blessings. 2020 has been such a tumultuous year for so many of us, and it's true that some have had it harder than others. And the harder you've had it, the more difficult it can be to find the silver linings through the clouds. But sometimes even the smallest blessings can give you hope.

And I just wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for making Locked On Patriots a part of your daily listening routine. If listening to this podcast helped play even a small role in helping you get through this tumultuous year, then that truly is one of the greatest blessings that I can be thankful for this holiday season. I often receive some heartfelt feedback, and I can't tell you what that means to me. I really thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. It really is an honor to be a part of this great team here at Locked On, and I continue to be blessed to be a part of the Locked On Podcast Network,

and as I said during Thanksgiving, to be hosting a daily podcast of a team in the New England Patriots that I've not only covered and will continue to cover, but also of a team that I've been a fan of my whole life. That doesn't get to happen to everyone, and I remain truly grateful and become more grateful by the day to have been given that choice.

So again, thank you to each and every one of you out there that take time out of your schedule to download and listen to Locked On Patriots. It means so much to me, and your support makes this show and all the great shows here on the Locked On Podcast Network possible. So whether you're a first-time listener, a relatively new listener, or a long-time listener, I appreciate each and every one of you very much, and I sincerely wish you and your families a happy, healthy, and enjoyable holiday week.

And don't forget that Locked On Patriots will be back bright and early on Monday morning to get you ready for kickoff as Murph and I preview Patriots' bills coming up on Monday Night Football. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts. No matter where you get your podcasts, just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate.

I thank my good friend Joe Marino, host of Locked On Bills, for joining me here today on this Christmas Eve crossover Thursday. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until Monday, Pats fans, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, a great weekend, and happy holidays, everyone.