Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Thursday - Patriots vs, Broncos - 10/8/2020

Episode Date: October 8, 2020

It’s Crossover Thursday! Week Five of the 2020 NFL Season is nearly underway. Join hosts Mike D’Abate of Locked On Patriots and Cody Roark of Locked On Broncos as they preview this AFC showdown between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Sunday, October 11th.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 $10 off your first 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!NFL Game PassThis season, get football on your time with NFL Game Pass. See all the action from every game with full game replays.Go to nfl.com/gamepass to start your free trial today.  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 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. Today's episode of Locked on Patriots is presented by Pepsi. 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. 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. Pepsi, made for football watching. Patriots fans, thank you for joining me here on this Week 5 Crossover Thursday.

Today is October the 8th, 2020. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcastots 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 greatly appreciated. Share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me

and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some crosstown crossover Thursday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, in so many ways, it is hard to believe that today is the fifth crossover Thursday of the 2020 NFL season. This Sunday, your New England Patriots are set for an AFC showdown. October 11th is the date. 425 p.m. Eastern is the time. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts is the place.

The Patriots play host to the Denver Broncos. Or will they? Because a lot of that will be determined by the health of your New England Patriots. Regarding which, we did get some good news this morning, by the way, and I'll share that with you in just a moment. But as of the recording of this podcast, it's currently game on. And here on Crossover Thursday, we will proceed as follows. My good friend and colleague Cody Roark, host of Locked On Broncos, joins me here on the

hot seat today, and we will discuss anything and everything related to this matchup on Sunday. Much like your New England Patriots, the Denver Broncos head into this game with some questions at the quarterback position, and Cody will enlighten us on whether or not we should expect to see Broncos second-year quarterback Brett Rippon starting on Sunday, or if Drew Locke will finally be healthy enough to give it a go and reassume the starting quarterback position. We'll also talk about that Denver defense, which has been decimated by injury, but because of some of the great young talent they have stepping up, have still been able to play pretty well. Last but certainly not least, folks, we will flip the script and it will become a true crossover when Cody puts

me on the hot seat. And we will be talking the Patriots' health. Stephon Gilmore's positive COVID-19 test. And of course, which adjustments the Patriots might make in this game, considering that it's highly likely the Pats will be without not only their best offensive player, but also their best defensive player. So settle in, folks. An action-packed agenda on the pod today. Sharing the microphone with Cody is always a blast and always my privilege. Not only is he a phenomenal host of Locked On Broncos, but also one of the best and most

knowledgeable analysts when it comes to Broncos football. The wisdom in Council Meter is going to be off the charts today, and I for one cannot wait to share the microphone with my good friend Cody Rourke, host of Locked on Broncos, in just a moment. But first, I wanted to start off this pod today by bringing you a little good news that I alluded to earlier. And folks, considering the good news has been pretty hard to come by lately, I am happy to be able to confirm the report as first reported by the NFL Network's Ian Rappaport on Thursday morning that the latest round of tests administered on Wednesday

to your New England Patriots all came back negative. Very good news for the Patriots, especially considering that on Tuesday we received word that Bill Murray had tested positive. Yesterday, of course, the news that Stephon Gilmore had tested positive. Definitely a step in the right direction. Now the Patriots have three players on their COVID-19 reserve list. Bill Murray, Stephon Gilmore, and Cam Newton. Many media outlets continue to report on Wednesday evening that both Gilmore and Newton remain asymptomatic.

That could actually help them return sooner rather than later. One of the key surprising developments yesterday afternoon, and something that I didn't even know myself, is that asymptomatic players no longer need to sit out a minimum of five days under the NFL's newly revised coronavirus protocols. Apparently, now all you need is two negative tests within 24 hours in between. So, in the interest of that Lloyd Christmas, oh, you're telling me there's a chance type deal,

as long as both Gilmore and Newton remain asymptomatic and both return two negative tests within 24 hours of each other, they both have a shot to be cleared for this Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Don't get too far ahead here, folks. The chances of either happening are still very very slim even if both Newton and Gilmore had two tests that came back negative within a 24-hour period of each other they would still have to be cleared by both Patriots team physicians and the NFL team positions with the game being on Sunday just doesn't seem to be enough time especially with

Gilmore but I would say with Cam as well of, nothing is ever as it seems when it comes to this type of protocol with the NFL, so definitely continue to keep a sharp eye on the health reports for the New England Patriots over the course of the next couple of days. Those will be telltale as to who we will see suit up for Sunday's game and who we won't. Also, one good piece of news when it comes to the health and welfare of the Kansas City Chiefs, all of their tests came back negative on Wednesday as well. So right now, both teams taking that as a good sign, but I caution you, neither team is out of the woods yet. All you have to do is look at what the Tennessee Titans are going through right now, and you'll know that this situation is far from over. Don't forget that the Titans had their first COVID-19 case pop up on

September 24th. The second didn case pop up on September 24th. The second didn't pop up until two days later. The Titans then traveled to Minnesota on September 27th. The following day, eight more tests come back positive. As of today, they are up to 23 confirmed positive cases after three players caught the virus over the last two days. So while negative testing for both the Patriots and the Chiefs was good news today on Thursday, that news could change on Friday, on Saturday, and it still could affect the fate of this game coming up on Sunday. And speaking of Sunday,

the Patriots are preparing as if this game will be played as scheduled. Bill Belichick said Thursday morning on a conference call with the media, quote, We're preparing today like a normal Thursday. We'll see what the schedule is or isn't, but at this point, we're preparing today like a normal Thursday. We'll see what the schedule is or isn't, but at this point, we're preparing for a normal Thursday. Well, folks, this has been anything but normal for the New England Patriots this week. They've closed team facilities and have canceled practices both for Wednesday and Thursday.

All team meetings and conferences are being held virtually. Now, in a typical game week, the Patriots would practice Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and then hold a final walkthrough on Saturday. Of course, that wasn't possible this week. The earliest that the Patriots could convene at Gillette Stadium to practice would be Friday. Bill Belichick was asked about that as well, and he responded by saying, that's a great question. Those are all the questions that we're asking.

We're relying on the doctors and the people in that field to take everything under advisement. These aren't football decisions. These are medical decisions. Belichick also went on to say that he believes that the Patriots followed all protocols set forth by the league, and he is confident that the team has done everything it can to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But will that end up being enough to put a healthy team on the field on Sunday as the Patriots get set to host the Broncos? Well, that is just one of the questions Cody Rourke and I will tackle when this Crossover Thursday episode of Locked on Patriots and Locked on Broncos continues. But first, as tumultuous of a year as 2020 has been, getting from point A to point B is still essential.

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the status of Sunday's game might be in jeopardy, but should its fate be all systems go, we have you covered here on the Locked On Podcast Network because it is Crossover Thursday, and that means getting you ready for Sunday's Week 5 matchup between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, tentatively scheduled for this Sunday, October 11th or 25 PM Gillette stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts. I'm Mike debate of locked on Patriots.

And joining me is Cody Rourke host of locked on Broncos. Cody, always an honor and a privilege to join you on the mic. Love when we can get together on crossover Thursday. And we got together this off season. It was really fun talking football with you. Enjoy talking in our Slack chat that we have in our group DMs on Twitter. I love it. And obviously very excited to be able to talk about this matchup between two football teams,

one that is going through changes and the other one that's going through a rebuild in year number two. So very excited to break down the Sunday's matchup. And as you've mentioned to hopefully the contest can go on as scheduled. That's the plan right now. So hopefully all things continue forward in that direction. Absolutely. And of course the safety and health of both teams, always paramount,

always first and foremost, and always the biggest concern. And Cody, obviously the big news here in New England right now is the health of both Cam Newton and Stefan Gilmore, both players on the COVID-19 reserve list. And while we know that Gilmore is certainly out for Sunday's game, Newton's status is in doubt. And honestly, the status of the game is in doubt at this point, but at the time we're recording, it's still game on. And that's how we're going to approach this

today. Purely from an on-field perspective, this is a game that I've been looking forward to for quite a while. I've been a big fan of the Broncos roster. Injuries have taken their toll for certain, but Denver is coming off of a win, and with the talent on this Denver roster, plus catching the Pats at a little bit of a vulnerable time, this one could be a very interesting matchup on Sunday if played. So a good game on tap and I know both fan bases are going to be looking forward to this one. The biggest question entering the game from a Broncos perspective really is the same from the Patriots perspective. Who is going to be starting a quarterback? We're seeing that Drew Locke is practicing, obviously been out since suffering a shoulder injury early in his team's week two game against

Pittsburgh. While there's a 50-50 chance that Locke will eventually be good to go, Vic Fangio has been hinting a lot that New England may have to be preparing for second year man Brett Rippon and we saw him a little bit last week perform very well. Cody, what insight can you provide on the Broncos quarterback situation and in your opinion who gets the nod here on sunday well i like how you mentioned both situations right now very similar for both teams because deborah's got to prepare for either camp newton uh brian hoyer or jared stidham or you know and then the new england patriots have to prepare for either drew lock

or brett rippin you know lock returned back to practice on Wednesday. He was on a limited basis. He just did position-specific drills, which meant that he was just throwing the football around. No team drills just yet, so it'll be interesting to see whether or not he returns in a capacity more than just limited today when the Broncos report to practice. Is he going to do more? And if he is not limited, he's obviously going to get some involvement

in the team drills. But as of right now, the Broncos are preparing. And the expectation is that Brett Rippon is going to be the starter for the Broncos on Sunday against the New England Patriots. And as you had alluded to, we got to see him a little bit against the New York Jets. And there was a lot of things he did really well in that matchup, particularly that the Broncos haven't really done so far this season. That's getting the ball out of his hands quickly, identifying where the blitz is coming from. And that was something that Jeff Driscoll could not do. The downside to Brett Rippon and what happened against the New York Jets was that inexperience. He threw it into

triple coverage at times. He tried to throw the ball away, but didn't throw it too far out of bounds. It was intercepted. Pierre Desir came away with two interceptions and he threw three total overall. So those are the things you got to clean up. And for Rippon, the preparation for him is, you know, he's been focused all week long as he's preparing to be the starter. Now, one thing he mentioned yesterday, Mike, he said that this is Drew Locke's team, but I'm preparing right now as if, if he's not able to go, I'm going to do whatever I can to step in there and help our team win the game. And that right there, I think is the ultimate sign of respect. And the Broncos do view Rippon as potentially the long-term backup for this

organization behind Locke. And that's great insight, Cody, especially when it comes to the differences and similarities in the quarterbacking styles of Drew Locke and, of course, Brett Rippon. Of course, Patriots fans will be keeping a very sharp eye, as I like to say, about which quarterback they'll be facing this weekend. But your insight does lead me quite nicely into my next question for you, my friend, and that concerns the weapons surrounding the quarterback, whether it be Rippon or whether it be Drew Locke. Melvin Gordon is definitely a solid running back. I have experience covering Melvin when I covered the Los Angeles Chargers a couple of years ago. He looks to be making himself at home in Denver. Problem is, Denver's been playing from behind a lot, so I don't think

they've been able to lean on him as much as they could. At least not yet, that is. At the receiver in the tight end position, they've got some talent here, although a couple of those talented pieces might end up being on the shelf this week, especially tight end Noah Fant, wide receiver KJ Hamler. Neither of them participated in Wednesday's practice. We'll continue to monitor as to whether or not they'll be able to give it a go. Jerry Judy and Tim Patrick have looked pretty good thus far. Cody, when you look at this Broncos offense, how do you see them looking to attack a Patriots defense that is still a pretty formidable unit,

even though they will be without the services of Stephon Gilmore this weekend? What types of strategy might they employ to try to get the best of this Bill Belichick coach defense? I think Bill Belichick's going to be well-prepared. I mean, the fact that he can pull defensive backs off the street, put them into the system, and they do a really good job, that's something that we saw from Bill Belichick's going to be well-prepared. I mean, the fact that he can pull defensive backs off the street, put them into the system, and they do a really good job, that's something that we saw from Bill Belichick. And the way that they adjusted, too, against a very talented receiving core.

Now, granted, they did have Gilmore out there against Kansas City. But overall, against the other weapons, I was impressed with how physical and just the way that they disguised coverage. You know, it was a big blow for the Broncos to lose Cortland Sutton to a torn ACL in Week 2. They lose Sutton, they lose Drew Locke in in week two and so now Jerry Judy moves up as the team's number one wide receiver Tim Patrick coming off of a big game on Thursday night football six catches 113 yards and one touchdown was a big weapon for Brett Rippon to connect with and then

you're going to also factor in Noah Fant is more than likely he hasn't been officially ruled out but Vic Fangio said he's a long shot he is not expected to play this week as well so both sides you know for the defense for the New England Patriots for the offensive weapons for Denver they are kind of struggling no KJ Handler as well so the wide receiving core is going to look a lot like Jerry Judy Tim Patrick you're going to see Deshaun Hamilton and you're going to see seventh round pick Tyree Cleveland get some more run and then the Broncos are protecting Fred Brown off the practice squad this week. He's going to be one of those players as well.

It's going to be in the rotation here for the Denver Broncos. So really the weapons on the receiving end, you know, you have some inexperience, but you do have some guys that are capable of making big plays. I think the biggest wild card for Brett Rippon, he's got Melvin Gordon out of the backfield as a running back, and not only just that as a receiver, but the Broncos also get Phillip Lindsay back this week against the Patriots. He left week one against the Tennessee Titans after the second quarter, and he was out with turf toe. This is his first action back since week one. So he is back in full. He is fully healthy, fully ready to go. And the Broncos may utilize both him and Gordon on the

field at the same exact time. Interesting insight, and especially when it comes to the depth that the Broncos have on the wide receiver core, on the tight end core, and even at the running back position. You've talked about injuries. New England Patriots fans know all about injuries affecting your depth chart, but when you have that type of well to dip into, it's always a nice problem to have and definitely going to be a formidable opponent for the New England Patriots no matter what. Flipping over to the defensive side of the ball for the Denver Broncos, and of course we know about Von Miller, we know about Jarrell Casey, A.J.

Boye, all on injured reserve. These were all tough losses for a Broncos defense that was really on the cusp, I believe, of being one of the better units in the AFC this year. They've had to rely on their youth to get the job done on defense. And Bradley Chubb and Shelby Harris, I thought, have looked very good so far. The secondary, despite having veterans Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons at safety, it's been a bit of a work in progress. And I think they've been solid. But again, I think there's a little bit more to show there Michael Oje Mudja has been pretty good Assange Bassi are both projected to see extensive playing time on Sunday at the corner position Cody what can we expect to see from this Denver defense on Sunday in terms of stopping both the

run and defending against the pass I think you're going to see a change in the secondary you know you mentioned to us saying Bassey undrafted rookie free agent that made the 53-man roster, struggled against the New York Jets. And so the Broncos, they changed their formula up a little bit. They moved Bryce Callahan back into the nickel in the slot and immediately they had a lot of relief there. I imagine he's going to see a lot of coverage time on Julian Edelman there. And then Michael Ojemuda probably going to get some coverage time on Nik kill Harry on the outside. And then you can see Devante Bosby on the outside as well.

When the Broncos decided to go to their nickel package. And then there could be times depending on the formation that new England comes out in that they're going to rotate between their nickel and their dime base package. That's probably going to be what you're going to see for a majority of the game for Denver. And what it allows the Broncos to do when you have that coverage dynamic, because the Broncos could play more man with Callahan in the slot OJ Moody on the outside and Bosby on the outside they have

confident in those guys as cornerbacks and slot guys and they're confident with guys over the top like Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons and they play a too high safety look they roll down to either a cover one when they go man coverage or they roll down to a cover four and zone they do a lot of different variations they're going to be okay on that end but it's going to allow them to send more pressure as the Broncos did. And Vic Fanger's defense, not really known for sending too much pressure, usually a four-man rush and everyone drops back into coverage. The Broncos are expected to blitz off the nickel.

They're expected to blitz the inside linebackers, and they're trying to get different looks, whether it's Cam Newton at quarterback, whether it's Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham. They're going to find a way to try to get pressure on them. And I think for the Broncos in this game, you really have to come out. If Brian Hoyer's the quarterback or Jarrett Stidham. They're going to find a way to try to get pressure on them. And I think for the Broncos in this game, you really have to come out. If Brian Hoyer is the quarterback or Jarrett Stidham, I think the Broncos really have to focus their game plan on slowing down the rushing attack of James White, Damian Harris, and even Rex Burkhead.

I think they have a three-headed monster at the running back position with a running back by committee approach. If Cam Newton plays, well, you got to prepare for Cam Newton, the quarterback, the running back, and then three other running backs as well, because he can hurt you in so many different ways and he makes the offense much better. So I think that's how the Broncos are going to attack this game on Sunday. Yeah. And I completely agree with you. I think the Patriots are definitely going to look to utilize the run. We saw what happened when they looked to utilize a pass heavy offense on Monday night, especially if Cam Newton's not able to go in this game, folks.

Yeah, it could get dicey for the New England Patriots, and I'm sure Cody is going to grill me about that in just a moment. Cody, you provided a great amount of insight when it comes to the Broncos, especially from my listeners of Locked On Patriots, an eye-opener, some great information, but this wouldn't exactly be a true crossover unless we flip the script and you put me on the hot seat. In just a moment, folks, my friend and colleague, Cody Rourke of Locked On Broncos will take This wouldn't exactly be a true crossover unless we flip the script and you put me on the hot seat. In just a moment, folks, my friend and colleague Cody Rourke of Lockdown Broncos will take over the command and seek my wisdom and counsel, I say that tongue-in-cheek, folks, on all things New England Patriots. This and more when this Lockdown Crossover Thursday continues.

But first, I don't know about you Lockdown listeners, but breaks in the action always make me evaluate what I've accomplished so far and what still stands in my way to get things done. Sometimes that motivation is all you need to get you by. But if we're being honest, most of the time you need a little extra energy. And when I need that assistance to be my best self, I turn to the same group that brought us the world's fastest growing protein bar for the most effective and the most incredibly tasty energy gel you'll find anywhere. That's right, folks. Built Go makes you the best you at whatever you do. Whether it's a mental or a physical wall preventing you from getting things done,

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So why delay? Do it today. Visit BuiltGo.com and use promo code LOCKED and you'll get 30% off your next order. That's B-U-I-L-T-G-O.com and use promo code L-O-C-K-E-D for 30% off at BuiltGo.com. Let's go! We're here for Crossover Thursday, Lockdown Broncos against Lockdown Patriots. Cody Rourke here, Lockdown Broncos. Talk with Mike DeBate of Lockdown Patriots. A lot of great insight from Mike that we're about to get to. If you're a Broncos fan, you're going to learn a lot about the New England Patriots,

probably more so than you ever have. And that's due to Mike's extensive knowledge of what's going on down there in Foxborough. You know, Mike, and I hate to dominate the conversation in terms of COVID talk, but, you know, the last two weeks, week and a half, the Patriots have been dealing with the impact of COVID. How does the latest with Stephon Gilmore affect the Patriots game plan defensively? Who could step up in his place if the game does happen? Obviously, he's going to be out. What are the Patriots options

behind Gilmore? Because he is coming off of a Defensive Player of the Year award. He is arguably one of the best cornerbacks in the National Football League. This is a tremendous loss for the New England Patriots. Yeah, without any question. I mean, you're losing the heart and soul of your defense. And Stephon Gilmore is coming off of a very stellar game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He sputtered a little bit out of the gate. I think Stephon has been showing a little bit of hesitation in some of that physicality that he's been known for as a corner. Still able to cover without any question. A lot of people pointed to a couple of weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks when they talked about, oh, busted or blown coverage. Absolutely not. If you take a

look at that game, he was always within a yard of DK Metcalf, was right there with him. I think it was a little bit out-physicaled in that game, and that's one of the reasons why Metcalf was able to win so many battles. We saw the return of a physical, more stable Stefan Gilmore last week, and it really paid dividends for the Patriots on the field. Not only was he able to blanket Sammy Watkins, but he also assisted in coverage with Tyreek Hill. He assisted in coverage with Travis Kelsey, all different types of formations. Stefan was right in the middle of it. When you take him out of the equation, it definitely weakens the Patriots' ability to be strong on the secondary. I look for J.C. Jackson,

the corner, to step up, be the number one option. You'll see him most likely in man coverage. You'll see him against the Denver Broncos' top wide receivers. You mentioned Jerry Judy earlier, Tim Patrick. These guys might see JC Jackson in coverage. I think on the other side of him, you're probably going to see maybe Jason McCourty step up. Maybe Jawan Williams comes back over, plays his true position of cornerback rather than the hybrid safety tight end killer that he's been playing. You may see him pull back over, which means that in that third safety role, Kyle Duggar or even Adrian Phillips may be back in that role if the Patriots decide to go that route. But I do think that you will see the corners struggle. I hate to say this, but I really think you're going to see them struggle a little bit without Stephon Gilmore in the lineup. Jackson will be solid, but you're going to need solid coverage from guys like Jason McCourty, from a guy like Juwan Williams, maybe even someone like an undrafted rookie,

Miles Bryant, who has been on this team now for a few weeks. He's been able to play some of the more speedy receivers in practice. You might see him step up and be able to take on some of that role as well. Maybe even an elevation of a guy like Mike Jackson, the bencher out of the Detroit Lions, who was with the Patriots earlier this year, was cut. Now he's back on the practice squad. He may be elevated for this week's action. Patriots are going to need all hands on deck in the secondary, but it's still their strongest unit.

And I look for a lot of help from the safety position. Devin McCourty, definitely from Adrian Phillips. These two guys are the elder statesmen back there, and they're going to need to show off their savvy. I'm intrigued to see how Bill Belichick is going to get the guys to rally. Obviously, it's been an odd week for them too. You have a Monday night game originally planning to play on Sunday. You have to go to Monday, and all of a sudden with the COVID thing, the facility shuts down. Everything has to move to a virtual standpoint. So really not a lot of on-field practice and preparation, wondering how that's going to impact New England as well.

But there's a lot of ambiguity right now surrounding the status of Cam Newton. What are your thoughts on whether or not he will play? And if he does not play, how does New England move forward with guys like Hoyer or Stidham, considering what we saw from them on Monday Night Football? Well, there are still a lot of protocols that have to be founded in order for Cam to be able to be cleared. Unfortunately, right now, the way the protocols are set up, he would have to test negatively two times in a row and then be cleared by both the physicians from the New England

Patriots and the NFL. The time restraint right now being Wednesday with this being a Sunday game seems to be working against the Patriots' favor. So it's possible, but I would say it's unlikely that Cam suits up in this game. And that means either Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham. My gut reaction is that the Patriots will go with Stidham in this case. I think the only reason why they didn't go with Jarrett on Monday is because of the Bright Lights Big City feel of going into Kansas city, the defending super bowl champions,

it being Jarrett's first meaningful start in the NFL first meaningful minutes that he would play. It almost felt like they were throwing him into the lion's den. Brian Hoyer is more of the veteran presence, the steady veteran hand that would be able to guide the Patriots. Obviously, if anyone watched the game on Monday, they know that wasn't the case. Hoyer looked out of place at times.

His play was erratic, terrible field management. I don't see the Patriots going that route. Stidham had his mistakes as well. He's certainly not flawless. He threw a couple of picks, one definitely on him in the end zone. The other sailed just through the fingertips of Julian Edelman I don't really put that on Jared I think that was really more on Julian he needed to snag that but Jared did show ability to be able to attack the defense a little bit more aggression

and also a little bit more temperament in the pocket I think that's the route that the Patriots will go so ultimately I see Jared Stidham starting in this role. If that is the case, don't be a bit surprised to see some of the Cam Newton playbook eke its way onto the field on Sunday. That may cause a lot of you to roll your eyes or maybe even raise an eyebrow, but Jarrett Stidham is very capable of tucking and running. He can utilize the zone option reads and the RPOs that were a staple of what we were seeing in the first three weeks with Cam Newton. Not going to be as much. He won't be able to run it as efficiently or as

often as Cam can do it, but he can dial it up every now and then. The kid does have some wheels under him and he also has an arm that he can use as well. So ultimately the Patriots will be at a disadvantage without Cam Newton on the field, regardless of whether it's Brian Hoyer or Jared Stidham. But I look for Stidham to be able to go in this one. And I think he'll give them a little bit more of a fighting chance than Hoyer would. I think his mobility too gives him a better opportunity than Hoyer because Hoyer is just not really the guy you can expect to roll out and throw. He's more of the guy to stand in the pocket. With Stidham, we saw a couple of times where he was rolling out and throwing. That plays place to his strength I think it plays to what Josh McDaniels Bill Bilicek want to do

I want to shift my thoughts here too because it's just been an observation of mine I've seen just studying the NFL studying the Patriots this season a lot of the talk was how do they you know replace Tom Brady well I think that they're a better football team right now than they were a Tom Brady last year and it's something you and I were talking about before the show but despite not having players like Patrick Chung or Dante Hightower in 2020, the Patriots' defense remains as the strong suit of the team, not to mention the strong running game that they have, but defensively, they're still aggressive. They're still stingy. What has been the biggest difference on the field this year without those guys through four games for the defense?

Well, one of the pleasant surprises for the Patriots defense this year has been the emergence of the linebacking core and really the front seven in the edge rush. I have to give a tremendous amount of credit to second year edge rusher Chase Winovich. He's been phenomenal for the New England Patriots this year. Chase is just always in the right place at the right time. That's not by happenstance, folks. That's by design. He studies the playbook. He knows where he needs to be on the field. He has an unstoppable motor. Everyone that I talk to when they draft this kid out of Michigan said,

this kid won't stop. He will just keep going. He's not, he's like an energizer bunny. And really he has been in that, in the middle part of that field. You're seeing him getting after the passer. He's acting, you know, very solid off the line. He's getting to blocks. He's getting his assignments, and he's playing his role as a sign. That's something that Bill Belichick absolutely

loves. One of the big reasons why I think he took a chance on fellow edge rushers Josh Uche and Anthony Jennings in the draft this year. These guys play their assignments as a sign. That's such a hallmark of a Bill Belichick defense. It sounds simple, but it's something that's so easy to veer off of when you try to either go off script or you try to freelance or do your own thing. A lot of times that won't work. We saw that happen with Chandler Jones in a lot of situations with the New England Patriots. And obviously Chandler's gone on to a great career in the NFL post-New England, but it really stunted, I think, his development and his growth here in New England.

Jamie Collins, even in his first tour of duty, all the talent in the world. But when you start to freelance a little bit, you find yourself out of place in the Bill Belichick system. Chase has been phenomenal and he, it looks like he's here to stay and can be a very significant factor for the Patriots this year. Also, that interior of the offensive, of the defensive line, excuse me, has been phenomenal. Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler, cannot say enough about the stability that these guys have provided to the interior of the defensive line. Stuffing the run, always being there for, you know, for pass defense.

And it's allowed edge rushers like Dietrich Wise Jr., even a Derek Rivers, people that really have struggled to find their niche in this system before, be able to thrive. You're seeing guys like that be able to get open, get after the quarterback. Wise seems to be able to punch his card each and every week for a pretty big play. And that's something we haven't seen out of Dietrich

in a couple of years. So I think the emergence of the edge rush the emergence of the pass rush and the interior of that defensive line has been the difference this year because they've lost a lot in the linebacking core Juwan Bentley's been solid but he's struggled at times it's a lot to be able to put on your shoulders having to fill in for a guy like Dante Hightower. He's done an admirable job, but that contribution that they've gotten from the edge rush and from the interior of the defensive line, to me, has been the difference in this defense this year. Obviously, if you're a Broncos fan, you just got a ton of insight

as to what to expect from this New England Patriots team, the players, the personnel, the culture down there in Foxborough, and as Bill Belichick would say, do your job. You look at the defense, they do that. You look at the offense, they had their first offensive penalty of the year against Kansas City. That is a disciplined football team. And regardless if Cam Newton is out and Stephon Gilmore is out, if that is the case in this matchup, the Broncos are still going to be facing a very, very strong and very dangerous football team, in my opinion, with New England. So obviously, I want to thank Mike DeBate of Lockdown Patriots for breaking it down

here with me here. Cody Rourke on the Lockdown Podcast Network's Crossover Thursday, Lockdown Broncos and Lockdown Patriots breaking it down. You guys can follow Mike on Twitter at MDebateFPC as well. And Mike, thank you so much for jumping on here. And if you're a Patriots fan, I love talking football. I love seeing what's going on down there as well. And Mike, thank you so much for jumping on here. And if you're a Patriots fan, you know, I love talking football. I love seeing what's going on down there as well. So Mike, thank you so much for hopping in on to the Lockdown Podcast Network Crossover Thursday. We will have kickoff 2.25 PM Mountain Time, 4.25 PM Eastern Time for those on the East Coast.

This is Cody Work, host of Lockdown Broncos, and Mike DeBate of Lockdown Patriots. We'll see you on Sunday for kickoff. And so, Patriots fans, we are almost through your work week. However, here on Lockdown Patriots, we're not quite done getting you ready for Sunday's game against the Broncos just yet. As always, tomorrow is game preview day here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, and I will be joined here on the pod tomorrow by a very special guest. Have to tune in tomorrow to see who

it is, folks, to bring you all the notes and analysis you'll need for Sunday afternoon's game. I will also continue to monitor the Patriots' health situation and bring you the latest news from Foxborough. And last but certainly not least, I will provide my game prediction for Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and the Broncos.

So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, be sure to download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe or follow us on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher. No matter what you do, just make sure you're staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank Cody Rourke for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's Crossover Thursday. But most of all, I thank you 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, always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.