Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Flowers: New England Patriots Defense Dominates Playoffs | Drake Maye Update

Starting point is 00:00:00 I am tired of the excuses. We're going to give this Pat's defense its flowers for a dominant run to the Super Bowl. This is Lockedown Patriots. You are Locked-on Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcasts Network, your team every day. What's happening in? I am your host, Nick Cattos, born and raised in New England, been covering the paths for the past 16 years. also the co-host of the Greg Bedard Patriots podcast with Nick Cattels and a sports radio veteran. Welcome to Lockdown Patriots folks, part of the lockdown podcast network, now the number one sports podcast network, your team every day. On today's show in the third segment, this has truly been an unprecedented run by the pets.

Starting point is 00:00:53 In the second segment, the run game comes Super Bowl Sunday could be a one-man show. But first, put some respect on this. defense is named. Today's episode, like every crossover Thursday throughout the season, is brought to by prize picks. Download the prize picks at today. Use code lockdown NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Here we go again with the black or white media approach. It's either the Patriots defense has been dominant or the Patriots defense is fortunate. They either have dominated their competition. They've run through the Chargers, the Texans, the Broncos, or it's actually the fact that L.A.'s

Starting point is 00:01:40 offensive line was all banged up. Houston's offensive line wasn't very good and then lost Trent Brown for the game. They're starting right tackle. Oh, and Houston didn't have Nico Collins and Denver didn't have Bo Nix. We can have those conversations. We can talk about the teams the Patriots are playing and the guys that were missing. But both things can be true. We can actually sit here and say that the defense has been playing lights out and they've been fortunate when it comes to some of the injuries. I think both are true, but I want to focus on how awesome this Patriots defense has been and give them their flowers because they deserve them. Daniel Kloetz Fleming, a researcher for Good Morning Football, posted. Fewest points scored in the wildcard,

Starting point is 00:02:30 divisional and conference championship games en route to a Super Bowl of parents. Top of the list. 54 points, the 2025 Patriots. Second on that list, 61 points to 2000 Ravens. Third on the list, don't want to talk about it, the 07 Giants. Bill Barnwell of ESPN wrote, The Patriots are allowing just 0.72 points per drive in the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:02:55 Since 2000, the only team to play three postseason games, on their side of the bracket and allow fewer points per drive is the 2000 Ravens. And of course we know the 2000 Ravens go down as one of the best defenses we have ever seen. This Patriots defense is legit. I'm not telling you they're going to shut everybody down every single week, but they are absolutely legit. They are a talented football team on that side of the ball. Milton Williams is a monster.

Starting point is 00:03:31 It's why he got paid so much money last off season. He was a prized free agent. It wasn't just the Patriots chasing him down. Multiple teams wanted Milton Williams. And the Patriots gave him the bag for a reason, because he is really, really good. And he has been a monster throughout this postseason run. How about Caleban Chase on?

Starting point is 00:03:53 Yeah, I know Calvon Chase on wasn't always awesome in the NFL. I know that he was a subpass rusher before coming to the Patriots, but let's not forget. Calebon Chase on was a former first round pick. He's blossoming. He's showing his talent. He has found the right team, the right coaching staff. He had a good season with Vegas last year.

Starting point is 00:04:14 He has had a tremendous season this year. He's been great in the playoffs. You could argue he was the best defensive player on the field against the Broncos this past weekend. But he has talent. You don't get drafted in the first. round, well, most of the time, you don't get drafted in the first round unless you have legitimate talent. Christian Barmore, before the blood clot issues in 2024, he was seen as a top 10,

Starting point is 00:04:38 at least, if not top five, interior defensive line talent. He has the potential to be one of the best at his position. He's back healthy. He's been playing great football. Robert Spillane is the 12th ranked overall linebacker, according to pro football focus. And Robert Spillane has been ranked high via pro football focus prior to this season. Robert Spillane is good, if not really good at the game of football. Then you gets the cornerback position. Christian Gonzalez, second team all pro last year, pro bowler this year. Carlton Davis, legitimate number two cornerback, has been a number one cornerback several

Starting point is 00:05:18 stops before. Marcus Jones has been one of the best nickelbacks in football this year. That trio is a top-tier trio. of defensive backs. Craig Woodson has put together a very good rookie season, a terrific postseason. He's been improving all year long. Jalen Hawkins is a solid football player.

Starting point is 00:05:39 They have talent and that talent is showing out. It's not like you got a bunch of jags on that side of the football who are somehow some way playing way over their heads. That's not the point. The point is they have talented players on defense and those talented players are either meeting the expectations or they're exceeding some of the expectations

Starting point is 00:06:02 because of their overall potential. Number two, defensively they have all the elements. You can go through the talent as we just did, but when you look at the positions, when you look at the levels of defense, they have a challenging defensive line. This defensive line is going to absolutely put it to you between Milton Williams and Christian Bournemouth.

Starting point is 00:06:25 and Caleb on Chase on and the depth of their interior defensive line. Look at what they just did to the Denver O line. Now the Denver O line might have been, some would argue, might have been a wee bit overrated going into that game. But the Patriots handled that Broncos offensive line like it was a JV squad. That was a butt-whooping. If they can do that to the Denver offensive line, they can do that to most offensive. defensive lines. So don't talk to me about Trent Brown not playing for the Texans.

Starting point is 00:06:58 The Patriots defensive line was going to get after it with or without Trent Brown after watching that AFC championship game on the road. You have the cornerback talent where you can play man coverage. And we've seen that. We saw a lot of man coverage on Sunday against the Broncos. You have aggressive linebackers and aggressive safeties. In all of these different elements and all of this talent allows you to be multiple. And we've seen, especially in this postseason run, this dominant run from this defense, the ability to rush three guys, rush four guys, have five down linemen, simulated pressure, creeper pressure, playing man coverage in the defensive backfield, playing

Starting point is 00:07:44 zone in the defensive backfield. So you're talking about a defense that can be multiple. You're talking about a defense that at each level is going to challenge you. You're talking about a defense that frankly just has a good amount of talent. And then you mix all of that with what this coaching staff is doing. Zach Corr and Mike Vrable obviously got together during the biweek, self-scouted their defense, and said, we need to be uber aggressive. We need to blitz more.

Starting point is 00:08:17 And we also need to change the picture, so to speak. What you see pre-snap is not what you see post-snap. They have been more creative and they have been more aggressive this postseason and it has paid off big time. It has paid off to a Super Bowl of parents. And you're going to need Zach Corr. You're going to need Mike Vrable. You're going to need the talent.

Starting point is 00:08:42 You're going to need the different elements and the ability to be multiple against the Seattle Seahawks. But put some respect on this defense's name. They have been excellent this postseason. Enough with the excuses. Enough with the asterisks. All right. On Super Bowl Sunday, the Pat's run game will very likely be Ramandre Stevenson or busts. That's next.

Starting point is 00:09:07 This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Let's be real. Managing your finances can feel overwhelming between subscriptions you forgot about, bills that keep going up and trying to figure out where all your money actually goes each month, it's easy to feel like you're losing control. And who has time to track every transaction or hunt down hidden fees? That's where Rocket Money comes in. The personal finance app that helps you take control.

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Starting point is 00:11:27 Well, you can try the Everydayer Club, add free, Discord access, and more. Right now until the Super Bowl, subscribers can use code Super Bowl to get one month free of the Everydayer Club. Go to lockdown Patriots.supercast.com or check the link in the show notes to learn more. Don't forget if you're watching us on YouTube to like, comment, and subscribe as well when you like and when you comment, it helps us with the algorithm. And our subscriber goal is 9. thousand subs by the Super Bowl. That is a huge ask. But tell your friends, tell your family, tell your fellow Patriots fans about lockdown Patriots and subscribe, help us out. Remandre

Starting point is 00:12:04 Stevenson. It might be Remandre Stevenson or busts for this Patriots run game in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks. But before we get to that, we do have, as I'm recording this right now, we do have an update on Drake May. Evan Lazard just posted a few minutes ago, Drake May was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated injury report. The team's not practicing. Of course, they don't have a game this weekend. Their first practice of the week will be on Thursday, but they still, per NFL rules, have to release an estimated injury report.

Starting point is 00:12:42 And on this estimated injury report, Drake May limited with a right shoulder. Now, as I mentioned, yesterday's episode, the idea of Drake May being dinged up would not surprise me whatsoever. We saw the reaction, would not surprise me. The amount of football that he has played this year, as he mentioned on WEEEI during his interview, it should not surprise anybody. Now, as far as the severity, I'll go back to what I said on the podcast yesterday,

Starting point is 00:13:15 this idea of him throwing to Matt Collins off the flea flicker, best pass of the day. they called his number in the final meaningful offensive play against the Broncos where he kept the football. I don't think he would put himself in harm's way if this was a significant injury. He is not listed as a did not participate. He simply listed as limited. Phil Perry reported on Tuesday night that Drake May was dealing with a little bit of a shoulder deal before the game against the Broncos.

Starting point is 00:13:48 and, you know, the hit from Tala Noah, Hufanga, exacerbated it a little bit. But I'm not going to go too crazy. I mean, we're a week and a half away from the game. Drake May is limited. Nobody is saying this is any kind of significant injury. Sounds like he's going to be able to play through it. And that's what I would anticipate.

Starting point is 00:14:07 And again, if you go off what we saw against the Broncos, he made that throw. He ran with the football. He seemed like he was a willing participant. So we will keep an eye on that. But Drake May on the injury report, the estimated injury report, he is listed as limited with a right shoulder. All right, let's get to Ramandre Stevenson. It is going to be a steep, steep challenge against this Seahawks run defense.

Starting point is 00:14:37 They have been really spectacular all season long against the run. And what I'm wondering is, is this going to be Ramandre Stevenson or bust for the Patriots? Trayvion Henderson played only four snaps against the Broncos. We've spent a lot of time talking about a lot of great things that we saw against the Broncos in that game. And a lot of people are focused on the Broncos. Now we're focusing on the Seahawks and some of the bigger picture stuff. But I want to drill down on this. Trayvion Henderson only had four snaps against the Broncos.

Starting point is 00:15:09 He was, for all intents and purposes, M-I-A. And we talked about Trayvion Henderson, his performance against the Texans, the week prior. I did not think he was good. I actually thought he was borderline terrible against the Texans. And I'd say it's rather obvious that the Patriots coaching staff agrees with yours truly because they did not play Henderson much at all. Four snaps is nothing. I mean, they had 64 offensive snaps. It's not like they weren't in possession of the football. We know they ran the ball 29 times in the second half. We know that they had, you know, just a bunch of time of possession in that half.

Starting point is 00:15:53 So when you start to look at it, they possessed the ball a ton in the second half. They ran the ball a ton in the second half. And Trayvion Henderson still only had four snaps. That speaks volumes. And if you watch the Houston game, there wasn't much extra that he was getting on the ground. He was getting what was blocked that had been a problem the first couple months of the season. He got better as the season progressed, but then has taken a step back in the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:16:18 I mentioned this on multiple podcasts. It felt like to me watching Trayvion Henderson against the Chargers and the Texans, like he almost reverted back to his rookie form that we saw the first couple of months. Not the best vision, not getting extra yards when he could have, missing on some cutbacks. His past protection has been very up and down. and when you're looking at pass protection, do you really want Henderson out there in the Super Bowl? If you don't trust his pass protection, when you have a rookie left tackle,

Starting point is 00:16:52 who I give props to, Will Campbell played well against Nick Benito, as I mentioned, earlier in the week. But, you know, you still would like to make sure that the running back that's in pass pro is going to be able to help your rookie left tackle

Starting point is 00:17:07 or Morgan Moses on the right side, especially when your quarterback is dealing with a right shoulder issue, especially when that quarterback fumbled six times in the first two playoff games. It is a risky proposition putting Henderson out there and saying, yeah, we trust you through and through to protect the quarterback with what he's put on film.

Starting point is 00:17:28 Ramadre Stevenson against the Broncos had 60 of the 64 snaps. He played 60, Henderson played four. And yes, this could be as simple as the coaching staff saying to themselves, we need to make sure our best players are on the football field and the biggest game of the year, which stands to reason the Super Bowl is the biggest game of the year. And if Stevenson played 60 of the 64 snaps,

Starting point is 00:17:53 there's really not much of a reason to go into Super Bowl Sunday and say to yourself, we're going to flip the script and we're going to play Henderson 15 to 20 snaps. It's obvious that Ramandre Stevenson is on a heater. Ben Solac of ESPN wrote, no running back has a higher rate of 20 plus yard gains per touch than Stevenson. Since he came back from his injury, no running back has a higher rate of 20 plus yard gains per touch. Since the injury return 5.3 yards per carry versus only 3.3 expected yards per carry.

Starting point is 00:18:32 He's getting 2 yards per carry more than what is expected from him. and he has a 24.5% missed tackle rate. Playing great football, man. Stevenson's playing great football. And it's not just his ability to run. Again, if we want to highlight the pass protection against Denver, he was awesome. Alex Singleton blitzes on the flea flicker.

Starting point is 00:18:57 Stevenson picks him up after flicking it back to Drake May. Fantastic block. If you look closely at the 28-yard scramble by Drake May, a lot has to do with Stevenson picking up Zach Allen on a stunt. So running the football effectively, protecting the quarterback effectively, biggest game of the year. You're not playing another one. You got 60 minutes to a championship.

Starting point is 00:19:21 You play your best players. And even if Terrell Jennings comes back, he hasn't played in a long time. I don't think he's going to get much run. I'm expecting Trayvion Henderson to be one of the primary kickoff returners. I think maybe a couple of touches to get him on the perimeter, maybe. And you will see possibly some pony formation where you got both backs in the formation. But I would be very surprised after the AFC championship game if the vast majority of snaps do not go to Stevenson. I think he is your horse.

Starting point is 00:19:59 And I think you are going to ride him in that game until he's about to drop. And so it'll be fascinating to see if or how much they sprinkle in Henderson. Very interesting. One mistake in this game. One mistake in this game can cost you a title. Who do you trust? Obviously, the staff did not trust Henderson enough to play him more than four snaps against the Broncos.

Starting point is 00:20:29 Unprecedented gets used too often. But in the case of the 2025 pats, it's unequivocally the truth. You've got the receipts coming up. This is Lockdown Patriots, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. If you've ever hired someone who looked good on paper but wasn't the right fit, you know how important that is. When you want candidates who truly match what you're looking for, trust indeed sponsored jobs. If you're hiring, indeed is all you need. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other sites.

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Starting point is 00:23:03 my goodness, can you believe this? How many games are they actually going to win? As many of you know, I had predicted nine and eight. I fell on my face, but do. But I will say I gave him a ceiling of 11 wins. Still fell on my face. But here we are. A stunning regular season, finding ways to win in the postseason.

Starting point is 00:23:22 And what we are seeing is an unprecedented run. Former Patriots running back Jonas Gray. Yeah, he's around. He posted on Twitter. A first year head coach, a quarterback in his second NFL season, straight to the Super Bowl. 2025 Patriots, that's the list. Drake May, youngest quarterback to reach a Super Bowl since Dan Marino. Evan Lazar posted, the Patriots become the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl a year after losing 13 plus games.

Starting point is 00:23:52 The first team in history. Daniel Rotman, scout the NFL. the Patriots are the first team in NFL history to beat three top five total defenses in the playoffs, Chargers 5th, Texans first, Broncos second. Pat's Unis posted, the Patriots are the first team in NFL history to make the Super Bowl in five consecutive decades, the 80s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. How in the world did we get here? How in the world has this team put together this unprecedented run? Let's start with complimentary football. It's old.

Starting point is 00:24:32 It's cliche, but it's true. Complimentary football. Drake May's regular season. Outstanding, I think he should be named the MVP. He helped carry the team throughout the regular season. So your explosive offense led by a very talented quarterback. Then you get to the postseason. You need to lean on your defense more.

Starting point is 00:24:55 And we just waxed poetic about them for a good 10 minutes in the first segment. and what they've done during this three-game run to get to the biggest game of the year. And then you've got special teams, Andy Boregallis being really good. Antonio Gibson returning a touchdown against Miami, which pretty much won that game for you. Marcus Jones and his return game and the impact that he has had, complimentary football. We heard it forever with Bill Belichick. Three phases.

Starting point is 00:25:24 Right? Yeah. Three phases. and the Patriots have shown at different times throughout this season, regular season, postseason, they've shown the ability to succeed in all three phases. Then you look at the trenches. Again, it's old, it's cliche, but it's true. You've got to win up front.

Starting point is 00:25:46 If you can win up front consistently, you have a great chance to win football games, especially when you have the type of talent that you have with Drake May, Ramandre Stevenson, the defense. defense. And the fact is, the Patriots in the trenches are so much better this season than they were in 2024. And it was a top priority for Mike Vrable. He's been talking about it since day one, making sure that you can protect the quarterback, making sure that you can get after the quarterback. Aside from the effort and finish, he talked about the big boys up front. And he mentioned the beginning of the playoffs, right? Big dogs. The big dogs show up in January. And when you can win in the

Starting point is 00:26:26 trenches, it means an awful lot. The offensive line went from awful last year to top notch and pass protection, according to the past pro composite rankings from Ben Baldwin, the computer cowboy. They were ranked towards the top pretty much the entire second half of the season, if not longer than that. They've been better with the running game over the past month, month and a half than they were the first couple months of the season. The defensive line, again, we talked about it a lot in the first segment today.

Starting point is 00:26:58 But, you know, the defensive line with Milton Williams, when Milton Williams is healthy, they have the ability to push the pocket from the inside. They have the ability to draw double teams. As Milton Williams says all the time, you've got to pick one. You're either doubling Milton Williams or you're doubling Christian Barmore. It's pick your poison because the other guy is likely going to get loose. So when you've got two guys on the inside that can draw doubles that can, you know, just dent the pocket and pressure the quarterback from the inside, the idea that this defensive line is, again, when Milton Williams is out there, they just are great against the run. So they shut the run game down.

Starting point is 00:27:40 They can get to your quarterback. And then on the other side, they're much better at protecting the quarterback this year than they were in 2024. And again, if you look at the metrics, they're pretty darn good protecting the quarterback. And then you also have to obviously mention the coaching staff. I mean, this has been a master class from the coaching staff. Mike Vrable, I think I'm going to do a longer segment on him at some point before the Super Bowl. He's been tremendous on so many different levels. I mean, he's just a terrific head coach.

Starting point is 00:28:10 I had said before they hired, before the Patriots hired, Mike Vrable, that I consider him a top 10 coach in the NFL. and I think he's making the argument that he's a top five guy this year. I mean, he has been excellent. The offensive line staff, Doug Marone, Jason Hotailing, Robert Coogler, three offensive line coaches. It's creative. It's different. It's worked.

Starting point is 00:28:30 They've done a good job, especially considering two rookies on the left side. Four new guys on that offensive line. Only dude that came back was Michael Wenow. Josh McDaniels and his work with Drake May and his work with this offense and getting the most out of this offense to go along with Thomas Brown and Todd Downing, who have done a really good job. How about Zach Corp?

Starting point is 00:28:52 Not even supposed to be the defensive coordinator, not supposed to be the defensive play caller. Here he is. Having a tremendous postseason. Zach Corr's been great. And you have Jeremy Springer on special teams. Special teams taking a little bit of a step back compared to last year, but they have still been more good than bad.

Starting point is 00:29:13 And you look at this staff overall, and what you see is an ability to adjust, an ability to keep the team focused. Watching this season, watching this unprecedented run has been an awesome experience. I feel like you go back to 2001. You go back to the 2007 perfect season that was, of course, ruined. But you look at those two years, you look at this year, some of the most fun, probably the most fun I've had watching the NFL and watching the Patriots. It's been great. and hopefully they finish the job against the Seahawks. That wraps up this edition of Lockdown Patriots.

Starting point is 00:29:49 Thank you for making us your first listen for being an everydayer. Reach out to me on Twitter at Nick C. Radio. And don't forget to throw a comment in on the YouTube channel, hit that like button for us and subscribe. If you're looking for a gift for someone, make it easy. Check out the Everydayer Club. Add free episodes of this show, exclusive Discord server access, and more. And don't forget until the Super Bowl, subscribers can use code Super Bowl to get one. month free of the everydayer club. Subscriptions can be gifted through

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Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Flowers: New England Patriots Defense Dominates Playoffs | Drake Maye Update

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