Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Fox on Friday: Remembering David Patten, Cam/Mac Thoughts and the 2021 New England Patriots — 9/3/2021

Episode Date: September 3, 2021

As the New England Patriots prepare for their season-opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, September 12, the questions surround the their decision at quarterback continue to linger. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Tanya Ray Fox of FS1, and the Almost Shameless Podcast. The duo discuss the pros and cons of starting Mac Jones over Cam Newton, provide their thoughts on the Pats upcoming season and share their memories of former Patriots wide receiver David Patten, who tragically passed away on Thursday.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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.NorthOneWith NorthOne, you’ll never pay overdraft or NSF fees again, saving you hundreds of dollars per month. To get started, visit apply.northone.com/locked.RunYourPoolCheck ‘em out TODAY and get $10 off at RunYourPool.com and use promo code LockedOn at checkout. 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. It is Friday, September 3rd, 2021, and it's time for a little Fox on Friday 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. And don't forget, Pats fans, the NFL season is about to begin and nobody covers it like

the Lockdown Podcast Network. August 30th through September 8th, Lockdown's ultimate season preview is taking you through every team and every division with the help of Odyssey's Ross Tucker and Jason LaConfora. Follow the Ultimate Season Preview 2021 feed on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation, and it is time to close the week in style here on the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated. I am also your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network,

your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much encouraged. So share that feedback. Send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there giving the weekend nod and saying how you doing to the Twitterverse,

please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, the holiday weekend is nearly upon us. And normally Fridays would be a great time to celebrate. Patriots season about to begin a week from this Sunday, September 12th. The Patriots open the season at home against the Miami Dolphins for 25 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. But we begin with a heavy heart today. And of course, we've all seen the deeply saddening news that former NFL wide receiver David Patton, who won three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots, was killed in a motorcycle crash on Thursday outside Columbia,

South Carolina. Patton leaves us way too soon at only 47 years of age, and he may have played for five teams over his 12-year NFL career, but he's best known for his four seasons with the Patriots from 2001 to 2004, played his college ball at Western Carolina, and was also a member of the Washington football team, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and of course, your New England Patriots. He earned three Super Bowl rings with the Pats, and he actually retired as a member of the team in 2010. And losing anyone at 47 years of age is a true tragedy. And of course, anyone that had the pleasure of watching David as a fan or covering him as a member of the Patriots,

most importantly, those who knew him personally, are feeling this tragedy very deeply today. David Patton was a great player on the field. He was a key member of those early dynasty days for the New England Patriots. On a football field, he just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. And that wasn't happenstance. That was by design. Especially in the 2001 season, David Patton was such a big part of what the Patriots did

offensively. Whenever Tom Brady seemed to need a big play, David Patton was usually on the receiving end of it. And David was also there for Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe when he came in and relieved Tom Brady in the 2001 AFC Championship game. Bledsoe found Patton three times on the very first drive of the game for him when he came in and relieved Tom Brady after suffering a lower leg injury. He also caught the only offensive touchdown of Super Bowl 36. An eight-yard pass from Tom Brady in which David

Patton made a back-diving catch. You're probably seeing that picture shared an awful lot throughout social media today, but the legacy that David Patton leaves behind goes far beyond the football field. In his post-playing career, David continued to inspire so many through his spiritual work and insight and his community service. Sam Gordon, whose management firm represented Patton, spoke to ESPN's Mike Reese earlier on Friday, and he mentioned that David's family and friends are obviously all very heartbroken by his death. But Gordon was very careful to convey the message that David Patton's legacy is going to go far beyond the football field.

And I thought this quote from Sam Gordon summed it up very well. And he says, if there is one thing I want people to know about David Patton, it's that as great a player as he was, if there is one thing I want people to know about David Patton, it's that as great a player as he was, he was a better man. And folks, that is truly the legacy that David Patton leaves behind. The world will greatly miss him, but the light that he provided will forever burn brightly. And Pats fans, joining me today to help remember the legacy of David Patton, as well as to discuss the various Patriots news stories throughout the week, is my good friend, Tonya Rae Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast. And anytime Tonya joins the show, it's always fun, informative, and today we will reflect

on David Patton, but also talk about the Patriots' decision to go with Mac Jones as the starting quarterback and what may have led to Cam Newton's release. We'll also discuss the future prospects of the New England Patriots, including Tanya's thoughts on the Patriots' ability to contend for a division title, a conference title, and dare we even say a Super Bowl title in 2021. Folks, a full agenda on the docket today, much to talk about and to get to, so without much further ado, my good friend Tanya Rae Fox will join me here on the Locked On Patriots Hot seat to help closure week in style when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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Bet online, your online sportsbook experts. Patriots fans, we're about to take you into the holiday weekend here on Locked On Patriots. And there's always opportunities to get together, to see family, and to be able to spend time enjoying the unofficial end of summer on labor day weekend but it's also time for two blue check marks to help you close out the week in style here on the pod one of those check marks is very very well deserved and i'll give you a hint folks it's not me she's one of our favorites here on the pod someone that is the best

at providing spot-on insight with razor-sharp wit. You know her great work from platforms such as USA Today, NFL Network, NBC Sports Boston, and I'm just naming a few. She is currently providing amazing work for FS1, CLNS Media, and her podcast, The Almost Shameless Podcast, is sincerely and highly recommended by yours truly. The incomparable Tanya Rae Fox is back here on Locked on Patriots. Thank you so much for taking time out to join me today, my friend. Absolutely, Mike. And as per usual, great way to start off my weekend, a Friday morning.

You know, my first day off of the week, I have my coffee in hand. And like I said, like this is this is the way I like to kick it off. I can't say that there's a better way. You know, every couple of what is it like about once a month, every six weeks or so I get to do this. And it's an absolute best. So thank you for having me on. Absolutely. It's always my honor and always my pleasure. First of all, I love being able to talk football with you. It's always a blast to do that. Your insight is always one that I respect highly and that is always needed here on Locked On Patriots.

So it's always my honor and my privilege to have you on. And today is no exception. I wish we were starting the day under better circumstances, Tanya, but I'm sure you've seen the news, as all of us have here in Patriots Nation, the tragic passing of former Patriots wide receiver David Patton at the age of 47. This one hits hard for anybody that has followed the Patriots dynasty from inception. We can all remember some of the great memories that David provided on the field.

Not only in the AFC Championship game, catching Drew Bledsoe's touchdown pass, obviously, most importantly, catching Tom Brady's first touchdown pass in a Super Bowl, in Super Bowl 36. David was just all over the field. He was such an important part of that team and that early dynasty. I mentioned before we went on the air, we were talking about, you know, him having over a hundred yards receiving in the snowball, which a lot of people forget. Everybody remembers Vinatieri's kick, and they obviously should. It was a huge moment. They remember the tuck rule, but David Patton played an intricate role in that game in helping the Patriots to victory. Also, in Brady's first game, he was very integral in being able to move the chains and being able to kickstart the Patriots offense

under Tom Brady, a lot of great receptions. But David was truly a pillar of the community as well. After his playing days were done, David spent so much time in spiritual and community work, and he should be remembered for that as much, if not more, than what he did on the field. I know this one hits you hard as well. And I just don't want to put you on the spot in moments like this. But if you would just share with our listeners some of your favorite memories of David Patton and how you would like to see this great man remembered on a day where we're all, you know, looking at him with a heavy heart. Yeah, I absolutely and it's certainly not, you know not putting me on the spot. This is definitely one of those things where it catches you off guard because it's been so long since the David Patton era. I can't speak for people, everybody in there who was in different stages of their life from 2001 to 2004,

but I was young, and so these years of watching the team and falling in love with this team and realizing that I wanted to cover sports for the rest of my life and learning that that was the path I wanted, it really began with falling in love with the Patriots. You know, first watching really my first football game was the Patriots Green Bay Packers Super Bowl in 1997. And then, you know, a few years later, I was old enough to really be getting into football on my own and talking about it on my own. And that was the early dynasty. It just coincided with really formative years of my life. So the players on that team that were important, you know,

the Troy Brown and David Patton and Teddy Bruschi and Richard Seymour and all these guys that made up such a big part of that dynasty are really important to me. They, you know, they have this, I have this big nostalgic love for them. And as you said, David Patton was a really well-loved guy. And, you know, when people talk about Brady and his career and his receivers, David Patton often gets left out of that conversation because he was such a sort of, like like low-key workhorse in an era where the defense got all the credit for or most of the credit for the championships. But David Patton was maybe the perfect receiver for Tom Brady, for young Tom Brady. I hope we talk about it more in remembering him.

I wish we had talked about it more before, but he was the absolute perfect receiver for a young Tom Brady who was a little bit stronger than people realized. He had a little bit more zip on his passes than people realized, and he just needed someone to be where they needed to be. He needed to know exactly where they were going to be so he could place the ball. And that was what David Patton was so damn good at. Such good hands.

And like you said, that touchdown pass in that AFC championship game. And there's all of these little moments that I'll never forget. And, yeah, I find myself getting, you know, a little bit emotional about it because, again, you just get reminded, like, you know, even seeing all the replays of that touchdown pass in the Super Bowl, the Rams Super Bowl, it's just like, God, those moments meant so, so much to me. And you want to think that you're going to appreciate these things before you lose people like this, but I guess this is the way of the world. And I hope that his family and the people who miss him the most are just find some

sort of modicum of relief and joy in knowing how much he meant to Patriots Nation. Yeah, absolutely. And you see the tributes that are pouring in now through social media, and we expect that to continue throughout the weekend, and rightfully so. And David was. He was such an integral part on that early dynasty. And I think you hit the nail on the head very perfectly, Tanya, when you said that he was really the perfect receiver for Tom Brady. Sure hands, going up, catching the quick pass that came off of either a screen

or came off of play action. He was someone that was always ready to receive the ball because he ran routes so well. You know, he continued. He had his first two years under the Brady Belichick regime. You know, he or I should say, yeah, the Brady Belichick regime. He was able to set career highs in 2001, 51 catches, 749 yards follows that up in 2002 with 61 catches for 824 yards. You started to see him emerge as a true force in this offense. And then of course, 2003 going on injured reserve,

he only played five of the first team's first six games that season, but he returned to start 11 of 16 in 2004 and continued to be a huge part. So from an on-field standpoint, we'll always have those memories. We'll always remember David fondly. But again, the man, the person was so much more than that. And the work that he did in the community, the spirituality that he showed in working with his church communities and whatnot was something that was so important to David. And that is truly going to be missed because that's the indelible part of what David Patton leaves behind. That spirit will always live on and will definitely miss him. But the example that he set in those

areas is something that no one will ever take away, and rightfully so. So condolences to he and his family, and I thank you for sharing your memories. It's never easy to begin these podcasts talking about something like this, but when you're talking about the legacy of a great man like David Patton, just the great memories come, and the smile comes to your face. Even though you're hurt, you still remember the good times. And that truly is the measure of a human being. Absolutely. Tanya, absolutely.

And, you know, Tanya, the business of the New England Patriots will indeed move on. And we move on here today on Locked On Patriots, talking about what is the story of the week. Maybe not the story of the day here today on Friday, folks, but the story of the week. Maybe not the story of the day here today on Friday, folks, but the story of the week, and that's the Patriots setting their 53-man roster, putting together a practice squad for the most part. 15 of 16 of those slots have been filled, but we're being honest, the big story that everyone is talking about still is the Patriots' decision to release Cam Newton from his contract and also, in the process, naming Mac Jones as the opening day starter

and the starter of this team moving forward. Tanya, we've both been vocal several times, both on this podcast and, of course, on yours almost shameless, when you graciously hosted me as your guest a few weeks ago. We were both of the ilk that the Patriots were probably better off utilizing Cam Newton's strengths, his experience, his savvy, at least early on, and continuing to ride that for as long as they could to give Mac as much of a chance to develop as possible. Well, for whatever reason, things have changed in Foxborough, and the Patriots now feel that Mack is the best guy for them to start the season as the starting quarterback and then continue on.

Basically, what I want to do today is just kind of get your thoughts on the subject, how you reacted to hearing that news, and what do you think happened between the times that Bill Belichick said Cam's our starter to Cam Newton is now on the outside looking in and Mac Jones is the guy of the future? Yeah, you know, absolutely no shots to any of the amazing reporting that's gone around this team. This is absolutely no one's fault, but there is still a real veil of uncertainty around exactly what happened. It seems like it's hard to kind of get the real story out of Foxborough right now, which, again, not the first time won't be the last. But, you know started the game and mac looked okay not great but you know not awful by any means he did pretty well all things considered the general consensus that evening and the next morning was it seems like

like bill's really going to start cam newton it looks like he's leading in this direction. It looks like Cam's the guy. And that had been, as you said, what Bill said repeatedly, the words Cam is our starter. McDaniels had reiterated that as recently as like the day before. So I'm not really sure what happened. There is obviously a lot of optimism regarding Cam's fit in the offense and his fit specifically with what Josh McDaniels does, which you and I talked about a little bit.

But at the end of the day, there was definitely either a through line throughout the season where Bill Belichick was always sort of a little bit less than honest with people about his thought processes as the quarterback battle went on or something happened. And he made it clear in his press conference, his most recent, you know, sort of comments to the media that vaccination status doesn't seem to be a huge issue for him. Not that he said he was anti-vaccination or anything, but he did make it clear that in his view that there, that vaccination wasn't sort of a cure-all for, you know, issues during COVID.

Agree to disagree in terms of the importance of vaccination. He definitely downplayed it. I don't necessarily agree with the way he downplayed vaccination, but that's not what this conversation is about. It's about whether or not we think that Cam Newton's availability via vaccination was going to be a problem for Belichick, which I thought it might be. And I was okay with that. I was okay with the idea that Max got the start because it's a competitive advantage to have a vaccinated starting quarterback. And it's honestly the morally, it's a moral thing to do, to say like we want, you know,

we want to have a guy out there who's the safest player for people to be around. So I was okay with that if that was the case. It doesn't appear to seem like it, but that's necessarily what it was. So it leads everybody back to that idea of he changed his mind, or his mind had always been changed, that he wanted Mac to be the starter and Cam didn't want to be the backup and asked to be released. Which begs the question, where was the communication breakdown here? Because this is an incredibly cheap quarterback you have,

a guy who would automatically become the best backup in the league if you keep him on your roster, and you just let him go. And this isn't Belichick's first rodeo with Cam. He brought Cam back specifically because they have the kind of relationship that they do and the kind of communication they do. And, you know, I got to be honest, Mike, I don't have a ton of clarity here.

It does, it is a little bit confusing to me because all of the innocent explanations, or not innocent, but the more obvious explanations for what happened, they all have caveats and can sort of be broken down into like, well, that's why this doesn't make any sense. So I'm left just sort of with the realization that I think something went on behind the scenes for Belichick where he said, listen, it's time we just rip the bandaid off and just go all in on Mac. What the catalyst was, I have no idea.

Yeah, and I think that's something that we may never really know for absolute certainty what exactly was the final catalyst to push this over the edge. I will say this in Mac's favor. When I've had the opportunity to view him in practice, and I had the opportunity to view him in practice a lot this offseason and this preseason, watching him come together, especially in joint practices against the Giants, Mac continued to show improvement each and every day on the field.

He continued to show a command in this offense that I haven't seen in a rookie quarterback in quite some time. Now, that's not to say that he's going to be the most prolific rookie of all time or that he's going to lead the Patriots to great heights or a Super Bowl in his first year. I think those are unrealistic expectations. And anybody that takes a temperate approach at what the Patriots are going to do this year would probably agree with that. But for all of the talk that the Patriots were going to revamp their offense or redesign their offense to suit Cam Newton's strengths, to be honest, Tanya, the Patriots

never really did that. They all, they continue to operate under that timing based system that was predicated on, you know, vertical routes that were completed by quick, accurate throws. You know, the quarterback processing the play very quickly and getting the ball out of his hands very quickly. I thought Cam did a much better job of operating in that offense this year as opposed to last. He looked more comfortable. His shoulder was stronger.

His footwork seemed to be more crisp. He seemed to grasp the concept of this offense a little bit better. But that being said, Mack just fits that mold so well. And I think those three days that Cam missed in between with the five-day cadence period did provide Mac Jones with the opportunity to show this Patriots team what he can do, especially in a joint practice setting with the New York Giants. He was very impressive in that Wednesday practice. Really, I think, made some great strides there. So in a lot of ways, I think it was that moment that essentially won Mac Jones the job.

Now, with regard to the vaccine, you know, Bill Belichick will say all he wants to know. It didn't have an effect. But when you're a starting quarterback of an NFL team and there is any type of doubt as to whether or not your availability is going to be something that the team can absolutely count on each and every week, barring injury, that's a distraction that I think maybe Bill did not want to go into the season with. So in that regard, I do think it factored in. I don't think it was the major factor. I don't think it was the deciding factor in cutting Cam loose, but that did have some sort of an effect. And in regards to your point on him being a very inexpensive backup and one of the most prolific

backups in the league, you're absolutely right. But if you're going to start a rookie, especially someone like Mac Jones, who's coming in with a lot of expectations and for whatever reason he has those expectations, maybe, you know, the media that puts those on him and maybe the fans. Regardless, those are high expectations. You're coming in here to succeed a legend in Tom Brady. Even though Cam took the ball last year, you're still looked at. And that number 10 is going to be in the shadow of number 12 until he proves he can out, you know, maneuver or really make the team his own. He's not going to

eclipse tom there's no question about it but you know that's going to always loom large what could also loom large is having a quarterback with an impressive resume like cam newton looking over his shoulder not that cam's going to do it like that he's not going to be um you know in uh you know anybody's face in terms of saying here i am i'm I'm going to take your job, but it does loom large. And lastly, I think Cam Newton at 32 years of age is still proven that he can be an effective quarterback in this league. Maybe there's an element of him that doesn't want to be a backup that wants to go into a situation where he knows he has a decent chance to start. So a lot, a lot to digest. The one thing that still gets me, though, is I would see, it's just hard to see Belichick as someone

who doesn't want their rookie to have the pressure of really playing every game, knowing that there's a suitable backup behind him. Right now, there's just no other option. If, if Mac doesn't, you know, if Mac struggles this season and it's just, it's just as a little, it's a little un-Belichickian to, to refuse depth or, you know, to not have that next man up mentality, even at the quarterback position, he was drafting quarterbacks and had,

I mean, he had Garoppolo up Brady's butt for a little while there just to see what happened. I mean, this is, you know, and so there's that, and there's also, Mike, I don't know, you tell me, if he had, if Mack had really made those strides in that Giants practice, which by all accounts

he did, and I fully believe the reporting on that from you and from the other beat reporters, why start Cam in that preseason game against the Giants starters when you have a few opportunities to get Mac really meaningful reps against first team starters? Yeah, I mean, that's definitely a fair point. And to your point, I think in a lot of ways, there is still a competition that's going on. I don't necessarily think that it tipped the scales or made the final decision there, but it did, I should say, tip the scales in Mac's favor and Mac's performance in that game against the Giants, I think probably showed that he can get the job done against some of the ones that

he was in there with. But he did take a good amount of snaps against the ones on Wednesday as well. So again, a lot of opportunities for both quarterbacks at this point. Cam obviously coming in with the greater resume, and they knew what Cam could do. I think they wanted to see what Mac was capable of. And in a lot of ways, I think that the Patriots just made a decision that they felt was going to be best for the football team. And folks, there's no question about it. Tonya Rae Fox and I have had our opinions shared very prominently on this subject. But there's future implications for the New England Patriots as well, starting with Sunday's game a week from Sunday, September 12th, against the Miami Dolphins, the season opener at Gillette Stadium

in Foxborough, Massachusetts. What type of impact is this going to have on the Patriots for that game, and what impact might it have on the Patriots of the future? And, of course, we'll get Tanya's thoughts on what the full outlook of the full Patriots roster means for the team in New England this season. More with Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, Bilt Bar, the most delicious, healthy protein bar you've ever tried, has so many delicious flavors.

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Visit Bilt.com and use promo code LOCKED15 to get 15% off your next order. That's promo code LOCKED15 for 15% off at Bilt.com. Pats fans, Tonya Rae Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast joins me here to close the week in style on Locked On Patriots. And Tonya, we always have a lot to talk about. Obviously, starting the podcast today, talking about the tragic energy that he brings to the table each and every day, just the work ethic and him being such a great teammate. I went on record on Tuesday here on Locked On Patriots by saying that I don't think the Patriots could have asked anything more from Cam Newton than what he gave to them, both

on the field, in the locker room, and in terms of leadership abilities. He really was second to none. And I'll always have the utmost respect for him for the way he handled the situation and came in really, you know, tasked with succeeding a legend. And I don't think anyone could have done it with the class and the proficiency that Cam Newton did. But that being said, the Mac Jones era has begun here in New England. And because the Mac Jones era has begun here in New England, it's now time for us to look at what this team may look like under Mac Jones. When you look at this team from top to bottom, especially the offense, they're going to be facing a tough task right off the bat. Tanya, they're facing a defense that's led by a player, by a former coach, I should say,

that knows these players very well in Brian Flores. How much of, how much pressure is there going to be on Mac to succeed right off the bat, knowing that this team has the capability of stringing together some wins. If they falter early, things could get ugly in Foxborough. How do you think Mac is situated to handle this kind of pressure? Well, the good thing about Mac and something that I definitely underestimated about him, you know, even during the draft process, I was very vocal about not wanting them to draft Mack

just because of the physical limitations I saw. But I'm also not precious. I'm perfectly happy to be wrong. And something that I've noticed about Mack is that he just is genuinely not – if he is under pressure, he doesn't show it, and he doesn't seem to get super rattled. Now, that has been in preseason and training camp. In a real game against a real NFL defense and a coach like Brian Flores,

who is so familiar with what the Patriots and Josh McDaniels do, that is a totally different ballgame, quite literally. And, you know, there's a ton of pressure on Mac to be able to handle it because they're going to play that team again later. You know, and this is a team that they're going to continue to face. And Brian Flores is a coach they're going to continue to face. And let's face it, he is not the only former Patriots coach in the league. You know, he's not the only former Patriots player coaching him.

I mean, there's just a lot of people who understand what Belichick and Josh McDaniels do from inside the locker room and from outside as well. That's what happens when you have a team that's been together with the same coach for 20 years. You have to stay on, you know, you have to stay fresh. So, you know, I don't, you know, Matt's going to feel pressure. There's no way around that. And he has to step up to the, he has to rise to the occasion early.

Like, he's being asked, there's a lot being asked of him. And even if he falters early, I'm not going to lose faith in him. It's a matter of whether or not we, they, as you said, can recover from it. Because it's a long season. They have those build games sort of stacked at the back end of the season. It's just a – they've got the Brady game three weeks later in Gillette. Like, any sort of mental hit he takes early will be a problem. And so I – but I don't put it on Mac as much as at this point

I put it on Josh McDaniels, you know, Josh is really familiar with what Brian Flores can do. And with their, the people that they've got on personnel wise on their defense. And it's important that, you know, again, I, we put this pressure on Josh in the past and I feel like he really dropped the ball last season. I give him a pass because of COVID and being without Tom Brady and all of a sudden you've got Cam Newton.

It's a totally different thing. But it's on Josh to really take advantage of some different opportunities with the personnel they have this year and giving Mac as much of a safety blanket as he possibly can and then watching how Mack executes that within Josh's play calling and in his offensive system in that game. Because there is no two ways around it. That defense is coming for Mack.

They're coming at that offensive line. Those cornerbacks are going to be tough. Our guy, Jason McCourty on that team, coaching him up. It's a real problem and and Max can only do so much with what Josh McDaniels gives him as a rookie and that's what I'll be really looking for good point very very good point in terms of and I'm glad you mentioned Jason McCourty because now that we're going to start getting amped up into Dolphins week here J-Mac is someone that can definitely give a lot of insight

as to what Josh McDaniels likes to do offensively, the tendencies that he has. He's played on these teams, not just with Cam Newton last year, but he's played with Tom Brady. And a lot of media, a lot of fans are drawing comparisons between the way Mac handles this offense to the way Tom handles this offense. Again, they're not completely like-for-like players, far from it, but there are similarities in the way these guys operate. So I think it's going to be interesting to see how Mac is going to be able to counteract that. What type of tricks

he has in his rookie bag of tricks right now that's going to give him the ability to do it. One thing I will say that gives me a little bit of solace when it comes to Mac starting the season and being the guy under center now is you hear so many of the defensive backs go out of their way to praise him. We talked to JC Jackson yesterday. We talked to Jalen Mills in the past, and they've detected a readiness in Mac Jones that they say is something they haven't seen in too many rookie quarterbacks and things that will surprise players throughout the league about how ready this guy really is to be able to dissect the defense. Some of that is posturing. I do recognize that.

But for them to go out of their way and even say these things when they're not prodded or not questioned is something that is worth at least keeping a sharp eye on, folks. So, Tanya, I always appreciate your insight because you always give us things to look for that. Maybe some of the rose colored glasses that we might be looking at Mac Jones with now needs to be kind of brought back down to earth a little bit. And you've been very complimentary in a style as well. So I think it's going to be interesting and to see how the Patriots come out and really attack this season right off the bat, to me, I think there's going to be a lot that Patriots fans are really going to enjoy watching, and maybe some things that might be of a concern initially as well.

Before I let you go today, my friend, Mac Jones and Cam Newton, the whole quarterback situation, was not the only story in New England this week. That set their 53-man roster, setting the practice squad, and there's a lot of improvement on a lot of different areas on this team. Putting the quarterback aside, what are you going to be watching for in the first couple of weeks of the season in terms of the Patriots' improvements, where they may still need a little bit of a tweak,

and what's your overall outlook for the Pats as they get ready to start the 2021 season? Ever since they've, you know, since Mac is now the starter, my focus and looking at the team and what they need to do this season has led me to the defense. And I, you know, I put out some stats earlier this week and it's something I've really been trying to dig a little deeper on, which is, you know, what, how rookies succeed in their first year and under what conditions,

right? You know, where did they come from? How much college experience did they have entering their rookie season? And if they did win and make the playoffs, did they win a game? And if they did, you know, under what circumstances? And really, the answer here, it comes down to two things. If you've got a rookie who played prolifically in college, they can come into the league and lead an above average team to a playoff appearance. They're not going to, they usually don't win games. Rookie quarterbacks just don't win games. Ben Roethlisberger and Mark Sanchez are really the guys that when they had one playoff game as rookies that we can, you know, kind of look to,

right? But the guys who come in and have top one, two, three, four defenses, those are the guys who are most likely set up to win a playoff game. Andy Dalton had a top four defense when he went, when he got to the playoffs as a rookie, Mark Sanchez had the best defense in the league. We remember that Ben Roethlisberger had the like second or third best defense in the league when he made the playoffs in his rookie year and then went on to win the Super Bowl.

That is going to be the most important thing to this team. There's no question about it. If a defense – and I'm not saying the defense has to be good. I'm saying the defense has to be elite for this team to make the playoffs. And if they want to win a game, it's even more important, you know, a playoff game. So that is where all my focus is. And the defense has improved, in my opinion, over last year overall,

and they were good last year, really good. The problem is they cannot be elite without Stephon Gilmore. And I know they're going to be without him early on anyway, but for order them – I cannot stress this enough. In order for them to make a real run and if that's what people want out of the season if they're hoping which it's okay to hope that they are able to make the playoffs with a rookie quarterback it is not unprecedented it's just hard but if they're going to do it they have got to be elite and in my opinion they have got to plug

that hole at hole at cornerback because they've shored up a lot of the defensive line. The linebackers look good. The young linebackers look good. I love what Josh Uche looks like. Matt Judon has been a perfect fit. Like, there's all these pieces coming together, but those cornerbacks are the final piece to the puzzle in terms of building

a defense that could be top, you know, four or five in the league. And, you know, we know the offensive line is good. Mack is not going to be – he's not going to light things up like Robert Griffin III or anything like that. He's going to be a system quarterback. So I think they have the offense that's going to give him the chance to do that. I'm not particularly worried about the offense because they're not going to be what gets this team to the playoffs if that's what they're looking to do, which it is because Bill Belichick spent $150 million in the offseason. That's what they're

trying to do. So that is, if you are listening to me right now, if you have never liked a single thing I've ever said, please listen to me right now. This defense has to be great. I agree with you wholeheartedly. And look, for all of the excitement that's surrounding Matt Jones right now, this is going to be an offense that is predicated, yes, on the vertical throws, like I said, you know, completing quick, accurate, getting the ball out on time, finding the receiver in stride. That's going to be a big part of their passing offense. But they are going to run the ball. There's no question about it.

Damian Harris is capable of doing that. You look at James White, still one of the best third down backs and pass catching backs out of the backfield in the game. From Andre Stevenson taking huge steps. I don't believe he's going to be a red shirt. I think he becomes a huge part of this offense. J.J. Taylor, Brandon Bolden, they've got runners that are capable of doing that. They've got the 12-man

personnel in John O. Smith and Hunter Henry, provided these guys are healthy folks. That 12-man personnel coming out of play action is going to open up a lot of doors. So the offense will be efficient, and they'll put points on the board more so than they did in 2020 because they have more at their disposal. But this defense is what is going to carry this team this year, particularly that front seven. And Tanya, I can tell you from personal experience and having watched this front seven come together in training camp, in joint practices, and in the preseason, I think they have the capabilities to be that elite defense that you're talking about. This is a team now that is capable of stopping the run. They're capable of setting the edge, which will facilitate them to stop the run.

They have so many weapons to be able to do it at their disposal, not just with Lawrence Guy coming back and anchoring the middle part, but Devon Godchild being in the middle of that defense is such an important part of what this team likes to do. That dedicated nose tackle that can be that run stuffer and that anchoring force. Now you add Henry Anderson into the mix. Now you're getting an improved Dietrich Wise Jr. You're looking at someone in Chase Winovich that has steps to take. He has got to funnel those run plays in through the middle,

had difficulty doing that, I think because he didn't have a whole lot of help on his side last year. I think he has that this year, and that will make him capable. Then you go back and you take a look at the linebackers, and now Dante Hightower is back. Kyle Van Nooy is back in this defense. That 3-4 that they love to play in 2019 will be even more formidable with a guy like Matt Judon added into the mix. There's so much that can be, you know, there's so much to like about this defense. I haven't even mentioned guys like Christian Barmore and Ronnie Perkins as rookies and the contributions they'll make. Josh Boucher about to make that next step. He looks like a young, dynamic pass rusher in the making.

So that's going to be the difference. The Achilles heel is the defensive backfield, particularly outside corner right now Tanya you articulated that perfectly that's going to be a concern for me until Stefan comes back so is it going to be Jawan Williams that steps up is it going to be Sean Wade that steps up I think Jalen Mills may be ready to play a bigger role there but ultimately that if there's a concern on the defense right now that is it and it could be a big one because i mean the secondary needs to step up and play with the

same fervor that the front seven what a difference from a year ago uh when we talked about the secondary as the strength of this team the defensive front may be being a little bit weak when it came to the patriots desires so what can, my friend? I thank you for taking time out, especially on the West Coast, for coming and joining me today on a big day for Patriots Nation and lending your wisdom and counsel and expert analysis the way only you can.

Before I let you go, please let all of our listeners know where they can find you, your great work, and what you have coming up on the horizon from the great voice and the great pen of Tanya Ray Fox. All right. Well, yeah, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram at Tanya Ray Fox. And the podcast feed is at Shameless PRS. I do, I've been doing my podcast weekly,

and that is going up on Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to podcasts. It also goes out on YouTube. CLNS puts together the, you know, I do it on video. And so there's video of the podcast itself and a new episode drops tomorrow. So both on podcast and on YouTube, however you prefer to listen and or watch, that's coming out. And there'll be a little bit more stuff for me Patriots-wise throughout the season with CLNS both on Shameless, Almost Shameless and with other

shows just doing more of that coverage with CLNS and on Twitter and all that stuff. The content just keeps ramping up. Just keep an eye out for it. I'm always tweeting and putting it out there for everybody to find. It's super easy. Follow me and you'll be able to always keep up. So just keep an eye out for it. I'm always tweeting in and putting it out there for everybody to find. It's super easy. And so follow me and you'll be able to always keep up. Absolutely. And folks, I tell you, as a personal fan of Tanya's work,

it's always informative coverage that you can count on, to be honest. And that's something that I admire so much about you, my friend. And I always thank you for coming on and lending your wisdom, your counsel, and your insight and your opinions here on Locked On Patriots. And I look to continue to talk with you throughout the season regarding the Patriots' progress and what we see from this team in the future.

But in the meantime, please stay safe, stay well, and we look forward to having you back here on Locked On Patriots again very soon. Thanks so much for joining me today. Thank you, Mike. It was my pleasure, and I look forward to talking with you again. Absolutely. Pleasure is all mine, as always.

And so, Patriots fans, we put a bow on the week that was here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And now it's time to turn our attention to the Miami Dolphins and the week one season opener a week from this coming Sunday, September 12, 2021, 425 p.m. The Pats take on the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And here on Locked on Patriots, we'll have you covered for all the news notes and analysis you could possibly need. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download, subscribe to,

and follow the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, the Odyssey app, Google podcasts, Apple podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts, just make sure that you are staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate.

I thank my good friend, Tanya Ray Fox for her time, her insight, and her appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until next week, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great weekend, everyone.