Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Thursday - Patriots vs. Dolphins in Week 15 — 12/17/2020

Episode Date: December 17, 2020

It’s Crossover Thursday on the Locked On Podcast Network. Join hosts Mike D’Abate of Locked On Patriots and Kyle Crabbs of Locked On Dolphins as they preview this Sunday’s showdown between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL on Sunday, December 20, 2020.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.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.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/LockedOnSimpliSafeRight now, my listeners get a FREE home security camera, when you purchase a SimpliSafe system at SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnNFL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast, and welcome to 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. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which is brought to you today by Pepsi, made for football watching. This football season continues to 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.

Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. It is a snowy Thursday, December 17th, and because it's Thursday, that can only mean one thing. It is time to cross the streams here on Locked On Patriots, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. And because it's your team every day, folks, 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 Thursday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, it is week 15 of the 2020 NFL season.

Where does the time go? Feels like we just started and your New England Patriots are ready to wrap up the regular season. Perhaps wrap up their season as a whole. But right now, there is still a chance that the Pats make the playoffs. And until we're told otherwise, we're going to continue to roll with it. Of course, it's Thursday, and that means here today on the pod, it's time to cross the streams with Kyle Krabs of Locked On Dolphins. When it comes to Finns coverage, Kyle is second to none.

He's got you covered on Locked On Dolphins, and hopefully today here on the pod, we will lend some wisdom and counsel to each other's fan bases. We'll break this one down from an offensive standpoint, from a defensive standpoint, why this one is likely to be a much more hotly contested contest than the game we saw back in September. Again, crossing the streams is one of my favorite parts of being a Locked On host. And in just a moment, Kyle will join me here on the hot seat as we kick off yet another crossover Thursday here on Locked On Patriots, this time for your Week 15 matchup between

two AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins, and your New England Patriots. But before Kyle joins me here on the hot seat, a quick health check on your favorite football team in Foxborough, and we'll even take a look into the list of walking wounded for the Miami Dolphins as well. Wednesday saw the return of two key Patriots to the practice field, one of which we mentioned here yesterday, and that is wide receiver Julian Edelman. It's definitely great to see No. 11 back out on the practice fields for New England, but I caution you that even though Julian was out there practicing with the team, it

does not mean that he's a foregone conclusion to play in Sunday's game against Miami. The Patriots now have a 21-day window to activate Julian to the 53-man team. If they don't do that, that means Edelman will spend the remainder of the season on injured reserve. But he had some company returning to the field yesterday as well, and that's linebacker Shaliqua Calhoun. Same deal with Shaliqua. He's going to practice. The Patriots will evaluate him. If he's not activated within the 21-day window, he too will spend the remainder of the season

on injured reserve. My initial gut reaction to this is that Julian will probably not see action on Sunday. It's been a while. There's still some field rust, and I think he's going to want to get his legs back under him before he is activated. I also think there's a practical reason for it as well. If the Patriots lose on Sunday against Miami, they'll officially be eliminated from postseason contention. And at

that point, if you're Julian Edelman, do you really want to rush yourself back to play out the remaining string of two games? Any other player, I'd say it's a foregone conclusion that they wouldn't go. But Julian's a warrior. He loves being out on the field. And even if he's not playing for a playoff spot, I think he's going to be clamoring to get back on the field. So this one categorized as one on which I'm keeping my sharp eye. But Julian or Shaliqua Calhoun weren't the only Patriots with an injury history making news yesterday. The Pats, of course, issued their first injury and practice participation report for the week, and, as has been the case more often than not this season,

Patriots actually had a full house in this one. Perfect attendance for the Pats on the practice field. Can't say the same thing for the Miami Dolphins. They were missing two players, and they're actually two pretty key players for the Dolphins. The first is tight end Mike Gusecki, who is a solid player for this team. He's caught four touchdowns over Miami's last three games. That could be a little bit of a hit for the Dolphins' offense if Mike is unable to go in this one. Of course, the other player is safety Bobby McCain.

McCain having a solid year for the Finns, 40 tackles and an interception on the year. Of course, Gusecki out with a shoulder injury, McCain out with an ankle injury. These two are worth monitoring as the week goes on. But back to your New England Patriots, and even though they had perfect attendance on the practice fields on Wednesday, they again had more than a handful who were limited in their participation. Showing up on this list is running back James White with a foot injury, and this one surprised me a little bit. White's a new addition to the limited participation list, definitely one to keep an eye on.

We'll continue to monitor it and bring you the latest right here on Locked on Patriots, and of course, keep a sharp eye out for the Pats injury reports that'll be released on Thursday evening and then on Friday evening, bringing you right up to Sunday's kickoff. In addition to James White, the Patriots also had three new additions to the limited participation list. Wide receiver Dante Moncrief and offensive lineman Jermaine Illuminor and Justin Heron. Patriots are definitely going to need all hands on deck on the offensive line, and Illuminor and Heron are definitely key members of that O-line. Definitely hoping that at least one but both of these guys are able to go.

We'll know more as the week progresses. At the cornerback position, J.C. Jackson with a knee injury, Jonathan Jones with a neck injury continue to be listed as limited. Both players were active for Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Rams, so hopefully we'll see both J. both JC and Jonathan on the field when the Patriots take on the Dolphins this Sunday. As for those Dolphins, they had some notables on their limited participants list on Wednesday, and they'd include a couple of former Patriot linebackers, Alandon Roberts with a chest injury and Kyle Van Noy with a hip injury. This is

notable because both Van Noy and Roberts were inactive against the Kansas City Chiefs last week with the same injuries. Of course, knowing Kyle and Alandon like we know them from their days here in New England, they're going to want to do everything they can to go in this game. And while it's certainly possible that at least one of them or maybe even both have to sit for Sunday's game, my gut reaction is that both Alandon Roberts and Kyle Van Noy will be in the lineup when the Pats take on the Dolphins. Other notables that were limited in participation for Miami, wide receiver Joaquin Grant with a hamstring injury, running back Salvan Ahmed with a shoulder injury,

and wide receiver Devontae Parker, widely considered to be Miami's most potent offensive weapon, is limited with a hamstring injury. Parker is someone who's provided a formidable challenge to Pats cornerback Stefan Gilmore. That is definitely one of the matchups to watch this weekend. And if Parker isn't any way hampered, that may weaken Tua Tongavailoa's ability to move the ball through the air in Miami. But as always with any Wednesday injury report, folks, it's a little too early to determine

who might be active and inactive for Sunday's game. But that's not going to stop us here on the Locked On Podcast Network from crossing the streams and prognosticating on Sunday's matchup in South Beach. And in just a moment, Kyle Krabs, host of Locked On Dolphins, will join me to preview this Week 15 AFC East matchup between the Miami Dolphins and your New England Patriots. Locked On Dolphins, Locked On Patriots, crossing the streams when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked on listeners, breaks in the action always make me evaluate what I've accomplished and what still needs to be done.

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1 p.m. Eastern, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida. It's Crossover Thursday here on the Locked On Podcast Network. My name is Mike DeBate, host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, and joining me is my friend and colleague, Kyle Krabs, host of Locked On Dolphins. Kyle, always an honor, always a privilege to join you on the mic for these crossovers, bud. Yeah, it's been a while since you and I had a chance to talk. We obviously got things started to open the 2020 season and all of the wild and wackiness that we've seen this season.

And it's hard to believe how quickly it always seems to go every nfl season seems to go just a little bit faster than the previous one and this one is no exception yeah without any question it has been a while and you did mention way back in week one of the 2020 nfl season september 13th to be exact bud bud, the Patriots beating Miami in the season opener 21 to 11 at Gillette Stadium. Since that time, the fans of both of these teams have changed quite a bit. The Patriots find themselves in unfamiliar territory for New England, clinging to a slight playoff hope, the slightest of hopes, if I'm being honest, six and seven.

And the Dolphins, on the other hand, they're eight and five. They're one of the best turnaround stories in the nfl in contention not just for a playoff spot but even a division title at this point so kyle the impact of brian flores on this dolphins team is being felt all over south beach it's not a surprise to people in new england we knew all along the value that a guy like brian flores can bring to a franchise and and we're seeing that in Miami. But the players on the field are playing at a much higher level on both sides of the ball. In your estimation, what has been the key to the Dolphins' resurgence as they march toward what looks like an inevitable playoff berth?

Yeah, I think the Dolphins' general manager Chris Greer deserves credit for some thrifty investments that have turned out to be very effective players for the Dolphins. Some some low bargain buys like a tight end Adam Shaheen, who they traded a conditional pick for some of the bargain contracts that they gave out in free agency. Ted Karras signed a one year prove-it deal for just a couple million dollars, and Emmanuel Agba was cheaper than a number of the Dolphins' free agent signings. Those kinds of additions this offseason and the areas in which the Dolphins chose to spend their time and resources, the offensive line, defensively, this is a top three scoring defense in the NFL this year a lot of complementary players the Dolphins their skill players are really tested right now as far as their depth and you're seeing

a player that they traded for just before the start of the season a rookie from the 2020 draft that the Raiders selected in the third round Limbo and Jr. has over 130 yards of offense in the last two games combined so it it's kind of a blend of some thrifty investments, high ceiling, low floor moves for the front office, and then Brian Flores and his staff continuing their trend of player development. And that's really been the name of the game for both years of the Brian Flores era.

Where does this team start in week one? And what caliber of football are they playing in weeks 15, and 17 and obviously the dolphins of 2019 starting oh and nine before finishing five and eleven and the dolphins of 2020 starting one and three now finding themselves at eight and five with three left to play absolutely solid execution low risk high reward players. Boy, it sounds really, really familiar. Right. And all kidding aside, I mean, it works. It's a formula that does sustain long-term success. And look, every Patriots fan grits their teeth a little bit when they say that they have to give

begrudging credit to the Miami Dolphins. But there's also a part of them that's proud as well, because Brian Flores is building that team down there in Miami. But you mentioned Chris Greer and deserves every bit of the credit he's getting, if not more, for building this types of roster. You mentioned guys like Ted Karras for years up here in New England. I watched them take in these players that not a lot of people knew about, including a player you're very familiar with in Kyle Van Noy, just making trades, making minimal signings that a lot of people would consider afterthoughts. And New England turns them into solid players. And we're seeing the same thing in Miami.

So who knows? Maybe the buddings of a pretty long and prosperous run in South Beach for the team that wears teal. And I think it would be a welcome sight for a lot of Dolphins fans. Kyle, Miami's offense is facing some questions heading into this week with, obviously, rookie Tua Tagovailoa, the projected starter. He's been very good since taking over for Ryan Fitzpatrick. But the Dolphins are right now cautiously optimistic that Myles Gaskin

and Matt Breda at the running back position can return off of the COVID-19 reserve list. Devontae Parker, Joaquin Grant, and Mike Gusecki are hoping to be ready in this one. Whether or not the defense can make life hard for him through the use of pre-snap disguises or strong fundamentals, and by him I mean Tua, that's exactly how the Patriots are able to confuse young quarterbacks. And even though Tua has been prolific, Bill Belichick has a reputation for making very good young quarterbacks

look rather pedestrian. He did it a couple weeks ago against Justin Herbert, who's arguably having one of the better rookie seasons in the league. So that being said, if the Finns are fully healthy, I think they're able to get plenty of talent onto the field to support their young quarterback. And I think we're looking at the potential of this Miami offense being much more formidable than they were in week one. However, if Bill Belichick does start to confuse Tua a little bit and you see some of those

difficulties in the pre-snap disguises and showing him exotic looks that maybe he hasn't seen too much of at an NFL level yet. How are the Dolphins equipped to be able to take it to the Patriots defense? Yeah, that's the number one question is who's going to be available to play. And they've gotten a little bit of good news. The Dolphins did activate Matt Burrito off the reserve COVID-19 list late on Wednesday. So that's a very recent transaction that's just happened. And the Dolphins, you look at who they were missing in the fourth quarter

against the Kansas City Chiefs. They ultimately lost the game by six points by outscoring Kansas City 17-3 in the fourth quarter. Their number one wide receiver, Devontae Parker, off the field. Number two wide receiver, Preston Williams, he's on injured reserve. Number three wide receiver, Jakeem Grant, he had a hamstring injury, wasn't on the field. Their top tight end was off. Mike Gusecki had the shoulder injury that he suffered early in the fourth quarter.

Their top three running backs unavailable. And their starting left guard in Eric Flowers not on the field with an ankle injury. So really eye-opening to kind of see, first and foremost, the lack of depth that we anticipated Dolphins fans coming into this season because the Dolphins really didn't invest there. They thought it was more important to get the defense right, get the offensive line right. Rome wasn't built in a day is what I keep telling Dolphins fans on Locked On Dolphins. And when you have a roster that was as barren as what the Dolphins was to start 2019,

there's no way in hell you're going to get all those boxes checked in one offseason. So this was the risk the Dolphins ran, and you're starting to see the depth be tested, but you have to be encouraged if you are Miami to see how Tua Tungvaluwa, while throwing to wide receivers Antonio Callaway, Matt Collins, and Lin Bowden Jr. with tight ends Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe and DeAndre Washington, their fourth string running back as his best available running back, how he operated the no huddle offense in the fourth quarter. And they've had success each of the last two weeks with Tua running the no huddle offense.

So I think if they find themselves kind of in a pinch with personnel and matchups, they may try to counter and prevent New England from getting some of those exotic calls in by playing with a little bit of tempo and forcing New England to play a little bit more vanilla just by the speed and pace of which the Dolphins get their plays in. Good point. And speed and pace have been things that the Patriots defense has had difficulty handling over the course of the last few weeks. And we saw that with the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday night. Patriots were caught off guard an awful lot.

So maybe Miami takes a page out of that playbook and enact some of those plays in order to help Miami be able to move the ball effectively. But Kyle, Miami's offense, whatever they may lack in experience, the defensive unit is pretty experienced, and I think they balance off in that regard. They've really blossomed into an elite unit in this league. Of course, Patriots fans know very well the name Kyle Van Noy, and he's been a huge part of what this team has been able to do defensively. Hopefully he'll be able to go in this one.

And also the NFL interceptions leader in the secondary Sabian Howard, always solid at the corner they've played impressive football all year long including a four takeaway performance against the Chiefs last Sunday which even in a loss I thought was definitely one of Miami's more impressive showings all season long back in September Kyle, the Patriots had the advantage when it came to their running

game versus the Finns' run defense, mostly because of Cam Newton. Ran for 75 yards, incorporated a variety of zone reads, designed runs, and rushed for two touchdowns. Cam looked like he was off to a great start here in New England. And even though the Pats didn't pass a whole lot in that game, they were able to find some success when operating out of play action. Since that time, the Patriots haven't been able to quite recapture that magic. I hate to say that they've peaked in week one. They've had some pretty solid performances, but that may have been their best all-around offensive game, or arguably their best all-around offensive game. Now, the Finns' run defense does yield some yards.

They come into this one ranked 22nd in yards per game, 25th in yards per rush, but they do a great job of two things that really count. And again, I've watched Patriots teams do this for a number of years. They prevent long drives, and they keep their opponents out of the end zone. In the long run, that's all that matters. And Kyle, if the Patriots do remain committed to the run as their primary attack, in your estimation, what makes the Dolphins defense better equipped this time around to contain the Patriots on the ground? Yeah, I think there's some personnel changes that we've seen throughout the course of the season as some of, you know,

we talked a little bit earlier about player development and how that's been the MO for the Dolphins. And Zach Seeler, who was a waiver wire addition from the Baltimore Ravens last December, was not playing a very prominent role. He's more of a rotational guy caught behind Christian Wilkins and Devon Godchow up front. Well, Devon Godchow is on injured reserve and has not played in quite some time. And Seeler stepped into that role and quite frankly, made Devon Godchow an expendable player as has not played in quite some time, and Seeler stepped into that role and, quite frankly, made Devon Godchow an expendable player as an expiring contract this offseason. He's playing with much more splash plays and making more plays in the backfield

than Godchow has made in four years in Miami. He is a very impressive steal for the Dolphins, and a prospect that coming out of Ferris State is the kind of player you would expect the Dolphins to be able to get their hands on and have their coaching staff develop into a formidable starting defensive lineman in odd front looks and the other name is a Dolphins second round pick in the 2020 draft Raekwon Davis who is up to playing in the mid 330s with his weight he was a non-factor early on in the season. And if you look at, if you subscribe to Pro Football Focus

or you look at RunStuffs, there's all these different kinds of measures out there. And the Dolphins run a lot of bare and mint fronts that get Davis in one-on-one opportunities with opposing centers. And he is bullying opposing centers on a week-to-week basis and really controlling the A-gaps.

So that change really happened once the Dolphins hit the bye week and came out and played the Los Angeles Rams in week eight. And from that point on, Raekwon Davis has been a really impressive player in the middle. So having those two players having much more prominent roles in addition to Emmanuel Ogba and Shaq Lawson and Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts, who had a really rough start to the season as well, but has had some better flashes as far as plugging in between the tackles. He's also questionable for this game he missed last week with a chest injury, but Miami's hopeful he will play. He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. Those kinds of players all adding up to a much different personnel group to play the

run than what New England saw in week one. Absolutely. And some great information, folks, when it comes to the fins, Kyle is as good as it comes with providing spot on analysis and insight that you'll find only on Locked On Dolphins. Can't recommend that listen highly enough. And all of our Locked On listeners, we're just scratching the surface when it comes to our prognostication

on this Sunday's matchup in South Beach. But in just a moment, Kyle Krabs and I will flip the script and he will place me on the New England Patriots' hot seat. We keep our friends close and our enemies closer when this Patriots-Dolphins crossover Thursday continues. Locked on listeners, this football season continues to be different, and Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day,

no matter how you watch this season. I know that so many of you miss the roar of the crowd, the thrill of the tailgate, the ability to be present in stadium and watch your favorite football team perform live. But it definitely does not mean that you can't still have the best seat in the house. Your favorite comfortable sofa or chair. The bird's eye view from your high-res television.

Your favorite snacks right by your side. And of course, Pepsi, which is the refreshment you need to power through game day and become a member of the League of Football Watchers. These passionate fans are the real generational talent that Pepsi fuels. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Go to madeforfootballwatching.com to check out the latest football watching content from Pepsi.

Made for football. Watch it. Locked on, listeners. The wait is almost over. The 2020-2021 NBA season is almost here, and the Locked on NBA podcast will get you ready with a special week of shows beginning December 14th. Get previews of every team, division by division, from all 30 of our Locked on local NBA experts, plus waiver wire editions from Locked on Fantasy Basketball,

rookies to watch from Chad Ford, and predictions on each division from rejecting the screen. Subscribe to Locked On NBA wherever you get your podcasts. Kyle Krabs and Mike DeBate continuing this Locked On crossover series. Locked On Dolphins and Locked On Patriots ahead of the Week 15 clash between these two familiar foes, Miami Dolphins and locked on Patriots ahead of the week 15 clash between these two familiar foes Miami Dolphins New England Patriots AFC East rivalry dynamics Mike of this game are a little bit different than what we've been experienced to in years past and I can't tell

you the last time the Dolphins were playing a home game against New England in December having the better record of the two teams. So my first question for you is everybody kind of anticipated this was going to be a transitional year for New England. What is the temperature around the team at this point in time as far as how big are the changes going to be this offseason? How big could the roster overhaul be? How different could this team look in 2021 or is the feeling kind of well we lost a lot of guys to opt outs we may need to go a different direction at quarterback and improve the skill players but the core of the team is that something that they

feel is salvageable at this point yeah this may sound like a cop-out kyle but i think virtue was going to lie a little bit in the middle when it comes to that. Look, the Patriots' roster is going to look a little bit different than it does right now. There's no question about it. Patriots right now are projected anywhere, depending on your source, between $67 million and $70 million in available cap space. That's unheard of in a Bill Belichick regime. That may be one of the highest cap totals in terms of space that the Patriots have had available in quite some time. So how will they look to utilize that? Will they chop the bargain basement like they usually do and bring in people that may not be the sexy names out there, but they're able to work within Bill Belichick's system? I think you'll see a lot of

that. But I also anticipate maybe a free agent splash or two, maybe kind of getting back into bringing in a marquee name to kind of drum up a little bit of support within the fan base and also anchor a position. In terms of the core itself, I think there is some belief within the organization that there have been losses that the Patriots just did not expect to sustain this year, mostly to Dante Hightower, Brandon Bolden, Marcus Cannon, Patrick Chung. All of those opt-outs definitely hit the Patriots at very

vulnerable and very difficult circumstances. So I think in a lot of ways, what they're looking at is those types of opt-outs, maybe a couple of those players coming back in, providing veteran leadership to a lot of the young players that have stepped up in their absence. Somebody like a Juwan Bentley is still a very talented middle linebacker. He struggled at times this year, but one of the things that he may benefit from is having a guy like Dante Hightower come back in and mentor him. There's some question about whether Dante will be back in New England next year. I, for one, certainly hope he will be. He's one of the heart and souls of that defense. Another young guy that could benefit from having a veteran on his side next year and being able to absorb some of what I like to call on my show wisdom and counsel is Kyle Duggar at the safety position, benefiting from having a guy like Patrick Chung around to show him the ropes,

help him become the tight end eraser that the Patriots hope he can be. On the offensive side of the ball, the big wild card is going to be the quarterback. What's going to happen? Are the Patriots going to look at the lack of quote-unquote weapons around Cam Newton and say that with a better supporting cast, with a full year, a full training camp, can Cam come in and be the type of quarterback that we saw in week one and we've seen flashes of throughout the season? There's still a lot of question marks on that. it's going to depend on how cam finishes the season can he be a strong presence even if the patriots are out of contention for the afc east or even an

afc playoff spot can he still lead this team and carry them to at least maybe one or two victories down the stretch and give the fan base a little bit to hope for. If not, do we see Jarrett Stidham come in and see what the kid can do? I think the Patriots are going to stick with Cam for the rest of the year, and I think that's the smart decision. But if you do see Jarrett come in and he struggles, then the Patriots have a true question mark when it comes to the quarterback position in the 2020 offseason heading into 2021. And based on that, then the roster could look a lot different.

Mike, one of the areas that really seems to have been a tale of two seasons for New England is the first seven games of the season versus the last six that have been played. Turnovers. Turnovers, New England had 15 in their first seven games and just three in their last six. Two and five in those first seven and four and three in their last six, two and five in those first seven and four and two in the last six. What has the team been doing differently to avoid some of the costly turnovers and shooting themselves in the foot? A lot of what they've been doing is different protection schemes to be able to prevent Cam Newton from having to scramble, read pre-snap,

pick up the blitz a little bit better. These have been problems for the New England Patriots in turning the football over. Cam had had difficulty reading the pre-snap. He had difficulty picking up the blitz. And based on that, he was holding onto the ball too long. It was leading to long sacks in the backfield, putting Patriots into a third and long situation that just wasn't sustainable to be able to continue drives. He was also getting confused at times, and that was leading him to throw the ball into coverage and having himself picked off on numerous occasions.

Patriots have been able to tighten that up a little bit. They did regress a little on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams, who came in with a very sound and solid defensive plan. I credit that more to the Rams prowess than with a very sound and solid defensive plan. I credit that more to the Rams prowess than the Patriots kind of giving it away. I think they just ran into a very good defense and a juggernaut that night that was not going to be denied. But at the same time, you look at how the Patriots have played over the course of the last stretch and they are much better in being able to do that.

They're playing more sound fundamentally. And on defense, they're also getting after the quarterback a little bit more. They're being a little bit more aggressive. And that's led to them holding on to the football a little bit more and allowing the defense to be able to make plays to try to go after the ball themselves. Mike, one of the questions for the Dolphins coming into this game is the health and availability of some of the skill players. New England is a team that also has a number of players on injured reserve or questionable

for this football game. And I know, I believe I saw Julian Edelman was back at practice on Wednesday. So can you just kind of talk to Dolphins fans about the potential impact that missing starters could have in this football game between the offensive line and the skilled players for New England coming into this game. Absolutely. And look, we'll start with Julian Edelman. And look, Julian's been out since week six. Really, since week two, Julian has not been the same player. That knee injury continued to hamper him. He ended up having to have a surgical procedure on it.

And he's been actually on the covet 19 reserve list for a period just recently came off and returned to practice on wednesday um if julian is able to go uh there's still going to be some field rust so i wouldn't expect him to be the same type of prolific receiver that we've seen in weeks past that being said if there's anybody that can pull off a surprise performance it's jul Julian Edelman. I've seen him do a lot more with less in terms of health a number of times throughout his career. This kid is as tough as they come. At one point last year, he was facing a rib injury, he was facing a knee injury, and he was facing a shoulder injury.

Any one of those would have kept anyone else out or on the sidelines for a number of weeks. Julian, at one point, was playing through all three of those. So he's no stranger of playing through pain. Wouldn't shock me to see him go in this one. But again, it's way too early to tell. In terms of injuries that could be significant for the Patriots, Damian Harris left the game on Thursday night, did not return to the game. He was at practice on Wednesday, and he continues to be monitored. If he's hampered at all, that really slows the Patriots' running

attack. That makes it that much easier for the Dolphins to defend and be able to stop runners like Cam Newton. And then at that point, if Sonny Michel is your primary runner, it gives them the opportunity to focus in on Sonny and contain him. On the defensive side of the ball, two injuries I'm watching particularly close. Cornerback J.C. Jackson has been nursing a little bit of a knee injury. He had some difficulties against the L.A. Chargers. He did end up suiting up in the game against Los Angeles, against the Rams. But he didn't look to be hampered too much. But that continues to be an issue.

And from week to week, things can always change. So that's when I have my eye on. And also slot corner, Jonathan Jones with a neck injury. He's been a little bit hampered as of late. He did end up going in the game against the Rams as well, but did look like he was nursing it and favoring it a little. So two definite injuries in the secondary for the Patriots, which is one of the strong suits of their defense to keep a sharp eye on this week. Last one for you, Mike. We've joked a little earlier about how there's some familiarities in the blueprints of both of these teams as far as a team building perspective. But I also think it's pretty prominent when you look at the offensive success of both teams has been hit or miss and up and down and inconsistent,

but defensively creating turnovers, being opportunistic and also on special teams. Both of these teams are thriving. They're very good in penalties and not beating themselves. They're highly disciplined, play stout defense. They create turnovers and find ways to win games with special teams play as frequently as any team in the NFL. So if this game is going to break one way or another based on a special teams play, my question for you is who is the player that the Dolphins should be most dialed in on containing on the kicking teams to make sure that the Dolphins are not the victim of a deciding play on special teams? Well, with the Patriots, it really is kind of a pick your poison. I mean, do you go after and try to limit the amount of punts that Jake Bailey can put up? He's been one of the Patriots star players this year. In fact, a lot of people are making the argument that he may be their MVP career high 71 yard punt last week

against the Rams. He's been amazing in pinning teams down inside the 10 and really giving them the opportunity to have long drives. And that's something that the Patriots have thrived on for a number of years and they have great punter to be able to do it in terms of explosive players that can make things happen with the ball in their hands on return units, Gunnar Ryszewski looks like he's really rounding into the type of player that can really make things difficult on special teams' defenses units because he's just one of those players that is very explosive. He's got a very quick read. He's very fast in his step, and he knows how to read opposing special teams' coverage.

And let's not forget about Nick Fole quietly having one of his best seasons in a year that most people didn't even expect him to be a Patriot. He's been one of the most consistent players on this team all year long and deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Patriots in games with a leg that has shown not only consistency, but also some distance that a lot of people didn't know he had. Dolphins fans and Patriots fans, you know what to do. but also some distance that a lot of people didn't know he had. shows across the sports world can also fill that void for you. As far as us two, we have a matchup on Sunday to continue preparing for. Mike, best of luck to you and New England.

And hopefully one of us can have an enjoyable Victory Monday podcast awaiting their fans after the weekend is up. Absolutely, Kyle. You know what? Best of luck to the Dolphins as well. Always a pleasure to do these crossovers. And we knew that we would eventually get to this point in the season. But now that we are here, it really is remarkable considering where we started as opposed to

where we are right now. And I mean that across the NFL for so many reasons. Enjoy the game this weekend. I know we'll be going back and forth throughout. And yeah, we'll see who gets a victory Monday, this coming Monday. And so, Patriots fans, we are almost through your work week. But Locked On Patriots is not ready to wrap up the week that was just yet, because tomorrow here on the pod, we will be previewing, from a Patriots perspective, this Sunday's Week 15 matchup between the

Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots. And of course, I'll be opening up my Sharp Eye notebook, providing my notes and analysis on Sunday's game, and give my game prediction as well. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to and follow the Locked on Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate.

I thank my colleague Kyle Krabs of Locked On Dolphins for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.