Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Crossover Wednesday with Locked On Bills - 12/18/19

Episode Date: December 18, 2019

It’s Crossover Wednesday! Join hosts Mike D’Abate of Locked On Patriots and Joe Marino of Locked On Bills as the duo preview Saturday’s matchup between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to your Crossover Wednesday episode of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Today's episode is brought to you in part by Casper. The original Casper mattress combines multiple supportive memory foams for a quality sleep surface with the right amounts of both sink and bounce. Get $100 towards select mattresses by visiting casper.com slash locked NFL and using locked NFL at checkout. Terms and conditions apply.

If you can't visit Casper right now, you can find this and all other offers from Locked On sponsors at lockedonpodcast.com slash offers. My name is Mike DeBate and I am your host of Locked On Patriots, which of course is a part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC, and be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter at LO underscore Patriots. Folks, as you know, Wednesday is always a big day for all of us across the Locked On Podcast Network, especially for the NFL shows. And that's because it is Crossover Wednesday. And as the Patriots prepare to host the Buffalo Bills on Saturday at 4.30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium, it's my pleasure to be joined today by Joe Marino of Locked On Bills.

And we will discuss this matchup from a Bills perspective and a Patriots perspective. And hopefully, we'll give both fan bases something to watch for in this one. So sit tight, folks, and the crossover will begin in just a moment. But first, we start with the news of the day, and yesterday evening it was announced that three members of your New England Patriots have been selected to the 2019 NFL Pro Bowl. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, linebacker Dante Hightower, and special teams captain Matthew Slater have been selected to represent New England in the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl. That game will take place Sunday, January 26th at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

Now, Gilmore's selection comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. He's headed to his third career Pro Bowl, second consecutive with the Patriots. Gilmore has started each and every one of New England's 14 games a cornerback this season. He's tied for the NFL lead with a career-high six interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, 18 passes defensed. He also has registered 44 tackles and one fumble recovery. And I've said several times on this program here, folks, I believe Stephon Gilmore is in the driver's seat for a nod for Defensive Player of the Year. His selection was a mere formality, very well deserved. Congratulations to Gilmore on this honor, and we certainly hope that the best is yet

to come in terms of the honors and the accolades that he will enjoy this season. But Gilmore will be joined by Dante Hightower, and he was named his second career Pro Bowl, his other selection coming in 2016. This season, Hightower has continued to be a key cog in the Patriots' prolific defense. He has 61 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 passes defensed, and 1 fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. Without question, he's a worthy selection, based on the statistics alone, but something that doesn't get quite the press I think it should

is simply his presence and leadership on that defense. Dante is so instrumental in making sure that everybody on that defense knows where they should be, knows where they need to go, and not only that, but also knows where the other players need to be and need to go at a given time. So many times we hear the term, quote unquote, quarterback of the defense, and this is really appropriate for Dante because he does direct traffic, he's so instrumental in their success, and those intangibles coupled with the stats definitely make him one of the great defensive players in this highly touted Patriots defense. So congratulations to Dante Hightower on his Pro Bowl selection.

And last but certainly not least, joining Dante Hightower and Stephon Gilmore in the Pro Bowl this year will be Matthew Slater. And again, folks, this is no surprise. This is a formality. This is his eighth career Pro Bowl selection as a special teams player. Slater's eighth Pro Bowl nod as a special teams player. That surpasses Steve Tasker, who did it in 1987. And then from 1990 to 1995 straight, that's the most special teams Pro Bowl honors in

NFL history. This season, Slater has been remarkable. Always in the right place at the right time. And that's not happenstance, folks. That is by design. So far in 2019, Slater leads the Patriots with 10 special teams tackles. 2019 is also the year where Matthew Slater finally found the end zone and scored a touchdown on September 29th against, you guessed it, folks, the Buffalo Bills, this Saturday's

opponent. So there's an interesting footnote you might want to file away as you're going through your news and notes in anticipation of Saturday's game. But ultimately, the Patriots will send three to the Pro Bowl this year. And of course, folks, all of these selections are very well deserved. But there were a couple of names on this Patriots roster that I was surprised to see left off of the list of Pro Bowl selections. And it begins with wide receiver Julian Edelman. And look, folks, I'm not going to mince words here. I think Edelman being left off of the Pro Bowl roster this year in 2019 is ridiculous.

Say nothing of the fact that Edelman has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the NFL year in and year out, and he hasn't even made a Pro Bowl yet. To me, this year is his most convincing case. He currently ranks second in the AFC in catches at 92, fourth in receiving yards at 1,019. He has six receiving touchdowns and even one passing touchdown. For most of the year, Julian has been playing through tremendous pain, whether it be the rib injury, whether it be his shoulder, or now the concern with his knee and a potential problem with his tendon. Despite all this, Julian is once again the most consistent receiver on this team.

To me, I wouldn't just categorize this as a Pro Bowl snub. I'd characterize it as a shame because Julian definitely deserves this and should be a Pro Bowler. He should have been one long ago, but 2019 was definitely the year that should have happened for him. And look, Julian Edelman is not the only name that is missing from the Pro Bowl selection list. I was a bit surprised to see a guy like Kyle Van Noy left off.

He has three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown on his resume. In general, he's been a big play threat on the NFL's best defense. Staying on the defense, you can make the argument for a guy like J.C. Jackson. According to Pro Football Focus, J.C. Jackson has been targeted by opposing quarterbacks 47 times.

He surrendered just 22 catches for 226 yards with one touchdown. He also has five interceptions on the year. His passer rating against of 28.6 puts him among the best corners in the league, but again, he doesn't have the same name recognition and cachet as some of the other selections, but if you take a look purely at statistics, JC Jackson belongs in the conversation, folks. Another player you can make an argument for is Devin McCourty. Five interceptions this year at the safety position. He continues to be such an integral part of this defense. But lastly, one guy I really wanted to mention, and he's not going to get a whole lot of press

folks, but there are some of my colleagues in the media that are recognizing just how good of a season that he's had. Craig Bedard of Boston Sports Journal tweeted this out last night. Also, Bernd Buchmasser, who has been a guest here on Locked On Patriots, included this in his column for SB Nation, Pat's Pulpit, this morning. And that's the recognition of offensive lineman Joe Tooney. If we're being honest, there's a lot to complain about this year about the Patriots offensive line.

But Tooney really isn't one of them. He's been the lone consistent bright spot on this offensive line from start to finish. On the season, Tooney is credited with only allowing one sack and 16 total pressures. He's done this despite having to start two games alongside two different tackles and two different centers. He's looked very good as a run blocker and a pass protector this season. He actually ranks second in pass block win rate among guards. And again, he has been the lone consistent spot on this offensive line

that you don't need to worry about. Tooney's a free agent this year. The way he's played, he's positioning himself well for a pretty good payday. I think Patriots Nation is all hoping that it's here in New England, but regardless of where that is, it's going to be well-deserved, and a Pro Bowl nod for him would have been a nice cap to what's already been a tremendous 2019 season. But when you get right down to it, folks, Pro Bowl selections are immaterial for the New England Patriots because they're all about the Bills, about the Bills, no Pro Bowl.

Sorry for that one, folks. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But the Patriots are on to Buffalo, and they returned to the practice field yesterday. All eyes are on the injury report this week and with due cause. Now, we did have one non-participant yesterday. Cornerback Jonathan Jones continues to be hampered by the groin. Keep a very sharp eye. Jones is such a key part of this defense,

and he was very instrumental in keeping a lot of pressure on Josh Allen and keeping a lot of pressure on the Bills receivers. So if he's not able to go this week, that could be a huge loss for the New England Patriots. Also limited in yesterday's participation were wide receiver Julian Edelman with the knee and the shoulder. Now for those of you that are concerned about how Julian looked on the practice field yesterday, he was seen laughing. He was seen smiling. He didn't appear to be in excruciating pain.

But again, folks, that's Julian. He's not going to show that to you. We really don't know exactly what type of pressure he's putting on that knee or the severity of what's going on there. We can only hope and we hope for the best for Julian, who really is a warrior and continues to take the field each and every day when most players, quite frankly, probably wouldn't be out there. But three others for the Patriots were also limited in participation on Tuesday.

Linebacker Juwan Bentley with a knee injury. Cornerback Jason McCourty with a groin. This is another one to keep an eye on, especially if Jones is out. Patriots will need Jason McCourty and his savvy, his field presence, and his coverage. So keep a sharp eye on Jason McCourty. I will be doing so, and I will continue to bring you the very latest on his status, along with the status of Danny Shelton, who was the last limited participant Tuesday's practice listed with a shoulder.

To my understanding, it's not a serious injury, but it is on the report, so we'll continue to bring you the latest on any new developments. And it's almost crossover time, and I will be joined momentarily by Joe Marino of Locked On Bills. However, before I proceed with that, we at Locked On here are proud to say that this episode is sponsored by Blue Chew.

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Visit bluechew.com and get your first shipment free when you use our special promo code LO on just pay five dollars shipping again that's b-l-u-e-chew.com promo code locked on to try it for free bluechew is the better cheaper faster choice and we thank them for sponsoring today's podcast joe marino of Lockdown Bills joined now by Mike DeBate of Lockdown Patriots to talk about this very important AFC East game on Saturday. Mike, thanks for taking some time to talk about this with us. And I want to start by asking you about this Patriots offense. It feels different this year, and maybe that's something that I'm gathering kind of from the outside.

But what are you seeing from this offense, and does it have that same different feel that I'm experiencing from the outside looking in? Well, Joe, first of all, it's great to be back with you on the crossover. And the last time that we did a crossover like this, we hoped that we would be in this position. In late December, in an opportunity to have both teams be playing a meaningful game with divisional implications and here we are so that's great always a pleasure to join you on the microphone when it comes to the Patriots offense it does have a different feel there's no question about it the Patriots offense is no longer the prolific juggernaut that has been the Patriots offense the last few seasons look a lot of that is due to the absence of Rob Gronkowski.

I don't think anybody can downplay exactly how much Rob meant to this offense when it comes to not only being a prolific pass catcher, but also a blocker. He was so adept at being able to block. The Patriots have missed that, and that really has slowed them a little bit. But that being said, there's still offensive weapons on this team, and I think a lot of people are writing the epitaph of the Patriots offense, stating that it's anemic, it can't move the football. There's talent on this side of the ball.

I always like to come back to the Mark Twain quote, reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. Well, I think reports of the Patriots offense being dead are greatly exaggerated, but look, the offensive line has had its struggles this year. Losing David Andrews as your center is never an easy thing to get over. They've had to endure the loss now of Ted Karras for a game when he went down with a knee injury. Marshall Newhouse went in for Isaiah Wynn, who's been injured a good part of the season. He's had his difficulties in this offense. So the offensive line has not been providing Tom Brady with a lot of time

and a lot of protection to be able to play his game. His pass catchers, not been the same crew that he's used to. He started off this season with Josh Gordon, Antonio Brown. Julian Edelman was supposed to be in the slot. Nakheel Harry was actually being stashed on IR. I think the intention was always for him to return, but this was a different offensive unit than what we're seeing right now. Look, the Patriots can move the football.

We've seen them over the course of the last couple of games in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs and Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals be able to put together schemes that show that they can move the ball their execution has been poor and there's been some reasons for that Tom Brady is definitely being hampered by the elbow and his throwing arm there's no question about it he has not been the same players since that injury popped up Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal had a very interesting article today

and did explain a little bit about some of the difficulties that he's had. And just to give you a couple of statistics that might lend some credence to that, before the elbow injury, Tom Brady had an average of 281.8 passing yards per game. He had a 64.8 completion percentage, which is a little bit below what we're used to seeing for Brady, but still very good. After the elbow injury or the elbow injury was announced, I should say he's averaging 203.3 yards per game and a 50.3 completion percentage. So I don't think it's a huge factor, but it is definitely hampering him. So execution needs to be better on the Patriots offense. I think if a lot of these guys start making paths,

start catching passes, some of the routes get run correctly, that'll open up and free up Tom Brady to be able to play his game and maybe not have to favor the shoulder or the, the elbow I should say as much, but yeah, it does have a little bit of a different feel, no question about it,

but there've been a lot of reasons for that. Yeah. And I mean, I'll look, the Patriots are 11-3. They lead the AFC East and Tom Brady's their quarterback and Bill Belichick's their coach. To me,

I'm going to be the last guy in the world that writes off this New England Patriots team or Tom Brady or anything like that. They're having a great season. It's just, there has been an acclimation period to a lot of turnover and injuries like you mentioned there. one thing that hasn't been inconsistent at all this year is the defense it's been exceptional uh probably the best defense in football in a lot of ways it's

statistically ranked as the best in football i still think there's been some evolution there the scheme has evolved throughout the course of the season is what's different about this patriots defense since the last time we saw him play well I think when they began the season and the Patriots started to move into their strength they noticed that the 3-4 scheme with the zero blitzes are where the defense shines they let the linebackers have their freedom to get after the passer that allows the secondary to play lockdown defense and they've done that the linebackers have been very good in coverage and the uh the secondary has been excellent in terms of covering the ball when they want to show to play lockdown defense, and they've done that. The linebackers have been very good in coverage, and the secondary has been excellent in terms of covering the ball.

When they want to show the zero blitz, that's when they drop a linebacker back into coverage, and it basically allows the passer not to have any room to be able to throw the football. That's where the Patriots are at their best. However, that did present some problems, and we actually saw this a little bit the last time the Patriots played the Bills. Credit the Buffalo Bills.

They were the ones that exposed it, I think. And that was holes in the running game and being able to stop the run in the run defense. Frank Gore ran for big yardage against the Buffalo Bills. So in a lot of ways, what that did was woke the Patriots up to make them realize that they needed to solidify the front seven and maybe play a hybrid 4-3 at times, even though 3-4 is where their bread and butter is and where they're most comfortable. Definitely after the Ravens game, after Mark Ingram and of course Lamar Jackson gashed them for big yardage, the Patriots realized that the front seven needed to be more formidable,

and they've done that. I want to credit Danny Shelton as the nose tackle position. Lawrence Guy in the guard position has been amazing. He has really stepped up his game. He's become a much more formidable run stopper. Adam Butler has done a great job, and that's allowed even a linebacker like Landon Roberts to come in and be a very good

run stopper for this team. The Patriots have shored up their run defense and have proved that they can switch back and forth and play a little bit of a hybrid 4-3 as opposed to a 3-4. That's what's made them so formidable, and that's what's given them another dimension, I think, in the last couple of games that you've seen, and that's going to help to sustain them. The defense is clearly the strength of this team, and they continue to evolve. But to me, that's been the key to their evolution.

Mike, the special teams have been something we have to talk about. In my opinion, it's, it's been a really interesting year for them in new England. The field goal kicking has been an adventure, obviously with Gus Kowski being injured and some other guys coming in and struggling those types of things. But I mean, this is a big story in the 2019 new England Patriots is the special teams. They're blocking punts. They're covering kicks. They're doing some really interesting stuff. That's been the difference in winning games. I mean, we can arguably say that punt block return for a touchdown against Buffalo

was the decisive play in that game early this year. Tell us about these Patriots special teams and what makes them so unique. Well, it sounds so elementary when I say this this but they place such a premium on it and that's why the patriots are constantly among the league leaders in special teams coverage in special teams productivity look it all starts with joe judge who is the special teams coach for the new england patriots he's tremendous at being able to get these guys to play as a cohesive unit you see a lot of every down players playing special teams, a lot more on the New England Patriots side than you see in most other NFL teams.

They get guys to buy into it. Guys like Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, you see them in special teams coverage. You normally wouldn't see that in a lot of other NFL cities. So this is something that is definitely a big part of what they do. Bill Belichick endorses it. Judge does a great job of coaching them. But the guy I really want to give a lot of credit to is their captain, Matthew Slater. Slater, to me, is one of the best special teamers I've ever seen in NFL history.

He's always in the right place at the right time. That's by design. That's not by happenstance. He knows exactly where he needs to be. You see punts down within the five-yard line or kick returns or things that need to be done. He's always there to make the play, and he's usually right in the middle of it. If he's not the one making the play, he's the one allowing the play to happen. But there are a lot

of guys on this team that are great in coverage. Justin Bethel has been a huge pickup for the Patriots special teams from the Baltimore Ravens this year. He's been very good for them. Nate Ebner continues to be a special team stalwart. He was a free agent a couple of years ago, and Patriots fans were worried they were going to lose him. He's not a household name, but he's a name that Patriots fans know well and definitely is a big part of the special teams unit. And last but not least, I want to give a lot of credit to the rookie Jake Bailey and his leg. He's been amazing coming in from a guy in Ryan Allen, who you could make the argument that Ryan Allen could have been the Super Bowl MVP last year against the Rams. That's how good he was at punting the football. Bailey has come in and done a tremendous job.

He's got a great power in his leg. The hang time is tremendous. And his accuracy and pinpoint location has been great. So, really, just well coached, well captained, and always in the right place at the right time. And again, it's not by design. Again, it's by design. It's not by happenstance.

This team always makes it happen. That's why special teams are such a big part of what you see in New England. All right, Mike, for this last question, I want to kind of combine the last two talking points that we've kind of talked about going into this recording and i think you can put yourself in this viewpoint that everyone's kind of sick of the patriots right and everyone's rooting for their demise and they want for tom brady to be cooked i mean especially the audience that you're listening you're speaking to right now bills fans right we we've had it with the Patriots so with that with that in mind

are we getting close I mean we've talked about some of this the downfall of the offense and you know Tom Brady is aging and you know they're playing elite defense they're playing elite special teams but are we kind of getting to the point now where you're noticing enough differences about this team right now compared to previous years? And kind of taking that a step further, like what is your overall confidence level in the Patriots in relationship to competing for the AFC this year? Well, I mean, in terms of the confidence level in competing, look, bottom line, the Patriots are facing stiff competition this year. I don't think it's necessarily because this team is on the decline. I think necessarily it means a lot of teams are on the incline.

And the audience that I'm speaking to, your team is on the incline, folks. The Buffalo Bills are playing as good a football as anybody in the NFL right now. And there's no question about it. If you're the New England Patriots, you're looking at this game with a very sharp eye and a very nervous stomach. Because this Bills team is capable of matching you defense for defense and their offense is playing very well right now. So I look at this one as a real true test. This has a very big playoff feel. There's a lot of playoff implications to this one. And I, for one, I'm very impressed with this Bill's team. I have been right along and I think this is going to be a great game on Saturday. But that being said,

you talk about what's different with the Patriots this year. I alluded to earlier about the fact that Rob Gronkowski was not in the lineup. And obviously, that is a big difference. And with the blocking that he brought to the table, with the pass-catching ability that he brought to the table, and just the presence, knowing that a guy like Rob Gronkowski was out there, it drove defenses crazy because they weren't sure how they were going to be able to cover him. They don't have to worry about that anymore. Matt Lacoste, Ryan Izzo, Benjamin Watson, who I do like as a tight end

and I think he's played admirably this year, none of them have that savvy or that presence over Rob Gronkowski. So right then and there, that changes the complexity of the way teams prepare against the Patriots. A lot of people want Tom Brady to be washed up. They want him to be done. They want him to be completely old, over the hill, and just fold up shop and head out. I still think there's some stuff left in the tank when it comes to Tom Brady. The reason why I say that is because his arm strength is still very good. If you look at some of the zip that he has on his passes, he can still

complete them. A lot of the completion problems that he you look at some of the zip that he has on his passes, he can still complete them. A lot of the completion problems that he's having is because of the timing that he's getting with the offensive line. It's some to do with inexperience and the pass catchers that he has. And it's also a lot to do with the fact that there are a lot of drops. The Patriots lead the league in dropped passes. And a lot of these passes are passes that are costing them points. So there's a lot that has to come together in order for the Patriots to do that.

The difference with the Patriots is you usually see them figure this out by late December. They still seem to be searching for answers a little bit later in the season than they normally do. I will say this, though. The Patriots did drop two in December last year to non-playoff teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers and in the Miami Dolphins. They went on to figure it out. They went on to win a Super Bowl. Now, am I saying that's going to happen again this year? I think they face a lot stiffer competition.

I think the Baltimore Ravens are much better than the competition that they faced last year. I think the Buffalo Bills are much better than the competition that they faced last year. And the Kansas City Chiefs are slowly starting to figure things out as well. So I'm still confident that they're right there in the mix with those four teams. But in terms of confidence level and saying, book your ticket to Miami, I think there's a little bit of a different feel around the Patriots. And I think there's still a little bit of apprehension on behalf of Patriots fans that are objectively looking at it to say this

team is a shoo-in for a Super Bowl. I don't think that's the case this year. I think they're facing better competition, and I think it's going to show in the playoffs. Okay, well, Joe Marino of Locked On Bills and Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots, we've been talking about the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots, and we've been talking a lot about what the Patriots are going to be able to do and what they're not going to be able to do this year. However, it's my turn to put Joe on the hot seat and talk about one of the best teams in the league this year, folks. And I know in Buffalo, you haven't been able to say that for a little while, but you know what?

You guys have earned it. Joe, the Buffalo Bills are playoff bound and seemingly all year long, they've kind of been flying under the radar of the predictions for teams that can compete for a conference title. You know, I think that's a mistake because they've proven, at least to me, that this team is definitely for real and they should be taken as a serious contender. Now, the last time these two teams met in Orchard Park, the Bills and the Patriots fought a defensive slugfest. But I look at this team right now as a team that's playing much better on offense. And that's really due to an increased level of play by quarterback Josh Allen. Joe, take us through the evolution of Josh Allen's season and how he has arrived at playing as well as any signal caller in the league right now.

Well, I think Josh Allen has done a very good job of evolving throughout the course of this season, as he's done throughout the course of his career to this point. And the last time the Patriots saw Josh Allen, he threw three interceptions and I think he lost a fumble as well. And what Josh has done since then, he threw three interceptions in that game against the Patriots. In the next 10 games, he threw three interceptions. And that's been a testament to his ability to learn and develop and understand that he can't play hero ball. I really do think that Patriots game was a moment that Josh just didn't meet. And he felt like he had to do way too much to win the football game. And ultimately, what was the final score?

16 to 10. The Bills threw four interceptions, lost a fumbleumble and had a punt block for a touchdown return for a touchdown and lost by six and had multiple chances in the fourth quarter to win the game against the Patriots when they were playing, you know, elite defense and those types of things. So what Josh has been able to do is value the football, not put it into harm's way and,

and blend that with being able to still be aggressive and do some of those things that makes him a dynamic football player with his physical gifts, whether that's running with the football or extending a play and hitting a throw on the run or uncorking a ball down the field. Now his deep accuracy is still a work in progress, but Josh Allen has done a much better job of being one 11th of the football team, as opposed to trying to be 10 11ths of it and really putting too much on his shoulders. When the remainder of team is plenty good enough where you don't have to go and be a hero.

You've got a great defense. You've got a good supporting cast on offense. Now go play your part and you'll see the results. And I think he's done a really good job of, of growing throughout the course of the year, improving upon his weaknesses and, and blending being aggressive, but also taking care of the football. Now, the passing efficiency over the last couple of games has taken a dip

over against Baltimore and Pittsburgh, two great defenses, and where the Bills, I don't think they were nearly as efficient as they could have been passing the football, whether that was struggling to handle the blitz that Baltimore sent or against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, a lot of drop passes. So we need to see some of that clean up and become a more efficient passing offense. But Josh has just done a good job of blending, making plays, but not turning the ball over. Excellent point.

And staying on that for a moment, you mentioned picking up the blitz and the fact that the passer efficiency has dropped the last couple of games. We talked earlier on when we were talking about the Patriots and the Bills and we were talking about how the Patriots' defense is a pure 3-4. They love to drop their linebackers and get the linebackers to get after the passer and to be able to rush the passer and put pressure. They love showing that zero blitz and they love to employ the zero blitz. How will Josh Allen on Sunday be able to counteract what is a very stingy Patriots defense?

Well, hopefully he's learned a lot of lessons from the Ravens game. They blitzed Josh 30 times. I think he had 38 dropbacks and 30 blitzes from the Ravens defense. And Buffalo had a lot of chances to compete in that game and even win it. But the reality was they weren't consistent on offense because the bills struggled with that blitz. And particularly Josh Allen, just not necessarily being in the right places with his eyes when the blitz

came in, it wasn't that Baltimore was disguising their blitzes. They were coming and Josh's eyes weren't in the right places. Brian Dable had plenty of answers for Josh against Baltimore against that zero blitzes they were coming and josh's eyes weren't in the right places brian dable had plenty of answers for josh against baltimore against that zero blitz uh and and josh just wasn't going to those places and a couple times they they tried to loosen up that blitz by taking a deep shot and josh had options down the field and he just missed him and so the big the big step is all right you've seen this type of a defense that's going to be unrelenting i'm i'm sure bill belichick is going to know about that baltimore tape and he's going to be unrelenting

with his defensive plan in terms of going after josh allen now it's time to see how much he's matured grown and how much he can apply that information that he learned from being coached through that baltimore game into this new england game and that's going to come from knowing where his answers are finding them and getting it to him accurately. And, you know, once, once things you're forced to speed up your process, that's where bad habits and old habits that you've corrected can start to come out where your foot feet aren't set and you're not as accurate with your passes and you're rushing your decisions and your arm angles aren't what they're supposed to be. And so it's a big test, I think, but what's been exciting about Josh is how he has taken things

that he's been challenged with throughout the course of the year and quickly turning that around. And so this is that next big moment for him. Can you handle an aggressive defense better than you did two weeks ago? And we're going to find out on Saturday, and that's going to be probably a very decisive component of this game. Absolutely. And speaking of aggressive defenses, we'll flip the script for a minute

and we'll start on the other side of the ball once more. And the Bills defense is a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. They came the closest to containing Lamar Jackson just two weeks ago when they faced the Baltimore Ravens, did the Buffalo Bills. And the last time these two teams faced off, they held Tom Brady to 18 of 39 throwing for 150 yards and an interception. So not one of his best games, and this is before any type of elbow problems or some of the issues that he's had with the wide receiving core and some of the drops you've seen. What makes this defense specifically so tough on opposing quarterbacks, Joe?

You know, speaking specifically of how this defense has performed against Brady. I mean, really over the last two years, they've done a good job facing Tom and it's, it's weird. It's weird to see because I mean, I have so much respect and admiration for Tom Brady and people just can't figure him out. And, you know, I, I, I thought maybe there was going to be some of that happening, and it hasn't happened yet. And what this defense does so well, and it doesn't give you any pre-snap reads. I mean, that's really what it comes down to. And that's where Tom Brady, I think that's where he gains a lot of his advantages

because of how smart he is and how he's seen every look that you could possibly give him, and he knows where the leverage is going to be, and he's on the same page with his targets, he throws the app the football accurately he makes playing quarterback look extremely easy but yet nobody can replicate what he's able to do and what the bills do is it's not that they just don't give you any pre-snap reads it's that they give you false pre-snap reads you may send a guy in motion and that slot quarterback may carry that guy all the way across the field. And 99 out of a hundred times, that's a tip for man coverage. And guess what? It's not man coverage. They're going to bracket it with zone and they're going to blitz that nickel corner that carried that slot receiver across the field. I mean, it is an amazing job of, of not giving any pre-snap

tips and disguising coverage. And then you just have a really talented group and you have great coaches and that's how you play great defense. And it's, it's been exciting to see this unit. They've had some, some issues defending the run at times this year. There was a stretch there against the Miami dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins where the bills just could not stop the run. That's gotten better. But you know, it's one of those deals

where if you're gonna try to find some chinks in the armor you're probably gonna want to have a run heavy attack your your formula to beating buffalo isn't throwing the football 40 times right exactly and building off of that a little bit in terms of how the patriots may try to neutralize that buffalo defense which is a much easier test than much easier said than done. My friend, do you believe that if the New England Patriots try to establish the run against this Bill's defense, do you think that's something that could end up counteracting what the Patriots are able to do on offense?

Or is that probably their wisest course of action to be able to do it? Well, I think if I was coming up with a game plan against Buffalo, I would come up with a lot of diverse run schemes. You know, I'd look at that Philadelphia Eagles game and see how Buffalo got gashed in the run game because of Philadelphia's run scheme is so multiple with its inside-outside zone, with power concepts. They pull guards.

They have longer pulls for their center. They just do so many different things. I'd throw so many different bodies at the Bills, you know, front seven, and force them to really guess on where their gaps are going to be and create multiple gaps on either side of the formation and really try to fool them a little bit and force them to show that they can go and stop your run game because their secondary is really good.

Their back seven is so good. Their concepts are so good. They're so prepared. They know where to be. They don't really give up much through the air. Your best bet is going to be to try to wear them down, and I think where the Bills' defense has been vulnerable is when they do have to face a little bit of adversity,

where they give up a big play and they're not really able to, you know, kind of tighten up and stop the bleeding. You know, they tend to wilt in those situations. So, you know, I'd go after them. I'd try to wear them down, and I'd try to make them prove that they can stop the run and then, you know, take your shots based off of that. Yeah, I think the Patriots' run offense this year has been probably pedestrian at best. Sonny Michel has struggled to find holes. He struggled to hit the holes a little bit harder.

He's had some bursts and showed some promise, but he has not quite had the same production that he's had in his rookie season. James White is commanding players to be on him. He usually either has a safety or a defensive back on him at all times. So when he gets the ball, he's very productive. But the problem is he's not getting open as much as he usually does because teams are doubling on Julian Edelman. They're putting a defensive back and that's creating problems. One guy that the Patriots might look to utilize this weekend is Rex Burkhead. Burkhead has the ability to get some burst out of the backfield,

make some yards after the catch, and he's got the ability to get some burst out of the backfield make some yards after the catch and he's got the ability to power run through a line if he's mismatched on a linebacker that is a mismatch for a defense and I think that's something the Patriots could look to exploit but I appreciate the insight on that because the Patriots running game has been their Achilles heel on offense even though the passing game has not been as prolific as it has been in the past. I think that might end up being their best bet. And that leads me very nicely into my final question for you tonight, my friend. And that is the Bills definitely still have more than a puncher's chance at the AFC division. I know there's a lot that would have to break their way, but they could still end up winning

this division. But at the very least, they're in the postseason. When you look at this team objectively what do you believe their ceiling is for 2019 ah tough question you know because i try to be level-headed about it um yeah i mean first thing it would require some some good fortune uh but the bills have a chance of the afc east that would require them to win on saturday and beat the jets on week 17 and then of course the the patriots would need to lose to the miami dolphins right that seems unlikely but they're going to play the game right and yeah you got to find out but absolutely brian flores is the coach of the miami dolphins we've known belichick

disciples to be able to give him some difficulty. So I know Patriots fans are throwing stuff against the wall right now. And Bill's fans are probably like, who is this guy? We like this guy. No, I'm just being realistic. And honestly, I mean, there's a chance. And anytime there's a chance, you have to give it its due and you have to give it its attention. So that's simply all I'm doing. Continue, my friend. Well, when it comes to the grander scheme of the AFC, I mean, the Bills are most likely going to be the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs, which puts them facing on the road in the wildcard round, either Houston or Tennessee, the winner of the AFC South. Neither one of those opponents scare me, Mike.

I mean, let's be completely honest. I don't think that's me being a homer or anything like that. I think the Bills can reasonably go win against either one of those teams on the road. And the Bills have been a great road team. They're 6-1 on the road this year. I mean, that's very impressive. And so when you think about the best teams in the AFC, we know who they are. They're Baltimore and New England.

And the Bills have played them both. And they were both one-score games where the Bills had multiple chances in both of those games to tie or win it. You'll go back to the New England game. I've already said it. Five turnovers and a blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown. The Bills lose 16-10, and they don't have their starting quarterback in the fourth quarter. I know Josh wasn't playing well in that New England game,

but I'd sure like to see what happens if he plays in the fourth quarter and not Matt Barkley. He was actually getting some momentum going in the third quarter before he got injured and had to leave the game with a concussion. And then they play Baltimore, and Bill's defense plays lights out. And, you know, to me, they had their chances on offense. They just didn't have the answers against the Blitz, and they didn't hit any of the deep throws that they had.

I mean, if a couple things go their way, they're going to have a chance to beat the Ravens. And so if those are the two best teams in the AFC, the Bills have proven they can play with them. And now maybe that's the next step for this team. Maybe that's a step that we see next year where, OK, the Bills have they beaten the opponents they're supposed to beat. They've beaten some good football teams in the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans. All right. Now they can beat the elite teams, Baltimore, the New Englands of the world? Next year, the AFC East, we play the NFC West, so we'll get to play Seattle and San Francisco and those teams.

So that's the next step for me in this Bills evolution of a team. Can you beat the elite teams? And they've got a chance to do it on Saturday. I think they match up, but I want to see them do it before I start saying, oh, yeah, the Bills have a real chance to go deep because they've proven they can beat those teams. The reality is everything I just said is all well and good, but they didn't win those games. And that's significant. And so until the Bills prove that, I'm not going to sit here and expect them to win games like this,

but I don't think it's a matchup problem. I don't think it's a talent problem. It's not a scheme or coaching problem. They just have to learn how to win those very, very big, meaningful games against top competition. Absolutely. And I think that's a level-headed approach. And I think that's an honest approach. And if I'm being honest on my end for the New England Patriots, you look at the teams that they beat. Yes, their record is 11 and three. They're doing very well. However, you take a look at what the three losses equate to, and you take a look and you see Baltimore you see Houston and you see Kansas City

and those are formidable teams those are teams in the top echelon in the NFL right now especially in the in the AFC so again you have to be battle tested you have to be able to prove that you can do it on the grandest stage now granted the track record for the New England Patriots over the last 20 years is impeccable when it comes to performing on the biggest stage but every year is different 2019 is not 2018 it's not 2000 it's not 2007 none of those previous seasons factor in it's what you can do this year so I think this is going to be a good test for both teams I think they're both elite playing at an elite level especially on defense and I think both of these teams are capable of deep playoff runs. If in fact things break their way and some of the issues that they've been

having with either execution or with just getting over some of the issues that they've had to overcome with injury or with, when it comes to play calling and scheming, I think all that falls into place. These two teams could be on a collision course for another meeting in the playoffs. And boy, wouldn't that be something? New England and Buffalo meeting in the playoffs would be a happening. It would be huge and it would be a lot of fun.

But the one thing we can guarantee, Joe, and I think the one thing we'll agree on, a team wearing red, white, and blue is going to win the game on Sunday. It's not Saturday, excuse me. Keep saying Sunday, but it's Saturday. It's an early game this week. Mike, nothing would bring me greater joy than getting to do one more crossover episode with you in January, talking about a Bills Patriots playoff game. Oh, it would be huge. And it would be great. I know Pat's fans would love it.

I know Bills fans would love it. The tables would be out and ready to go. They've even got lit on fire in a playoff game. You never know what an atmosphere, but not, in all kidding and all that stuff aside, it would be great to be able to share the microphone with you one more time here on the Locked On Podcast Network on Crossover Wednesday. It'd be great. I would love it. You know, Mike, the one thing the Bills still have

is four consecutive AFC championships. And if they could get in the way of New England tying that record, that would mean a lot to the Bills mafia. But always a good time talking with you, Mike, and looking forward to this game on Saturday. Absolutely. Myself as well, my friend. Thank you so much for the time tonight.

And this was great. Enjoy the game Saturday. And I hope you have enjoyed today's Crossover Wednesday episode here with Locked On Patriots and Locked On Bills. I will be back tomorrow to continue to bring you the latest news, notes, and analysis from Foxborough and Patriots Nation. As always, please be sure

to join me each and every day on the Locked On Podcast Network via your preferred podcast provider. And if you're a Spotify listener, use Spotify Rep to show us your top Locked On Podcast for the year. Take a screenshot, head to Twitter, and tag us at LockedOnLive and at LockedOnPatriots, and we will share and retweet.

For Joe Marino of Locked On Bills, I'm Mike DeBate. Thank you so much for listening today and staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Have a great day, everyone.