Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Gilmore Tests Positive for COVID-19: Now What? - 10/7/2020

Episode Date: October 7, 2020

After starting quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19 last Friday night, the New England Patriots now have a second confirmed case within their 53-Man Roster. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore has also tested positive for COVID-19. What does that mean for the Patriots? Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com to discuss the impact of Gilmore’s positive test results on the Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs (New England’s Monday night opponent), and the NFL as a whole. The pair also prognosticate on which adjustments will be made on the field for the Pats’ upcoming matchup with the Denver Broncos on Sunday.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get $10 off your first order.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!NFL Game PassThis season, get football on your time with NFL Game Pass. See all the action from every game with full game replays.Go to nfl.com/gamepass to start your free trial today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Locked On Patriots podcast. And unfortunately, health concerns continue to be first and foremost 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. Locked On Patriots is presented today by Visa, who reminds you to help support your local

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Folks, I'm sorry to say, but it looks like the NFL's mandate to proceed with the New England Patriots Monday night matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in week four is now about to reap the wrath of its consequences. First, it was starting quarterback Cam Newton testing positive on COVID-19 last Friday. Yesterday, practice squatter Bill Murray tested positive for COVID-19. And today, the Patriots now have a third confirmed case. Friday. Yesterday, practice squatter Bill Murray tested positive for COVID-19, and today the Patriots now have a third confirmed case, their second on the 53-man roster. Their top offensive player in Cam Newton is already on the shelf with COVID, and now you can add their top defensive

player to that list. As first reported by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, cornerback Stephon Gilmore has also tested positive for COVID-19. He will be placed on the reserve COVID-19 list, joining both Cam Newton and Bill Murray on a list that no player wants to see his name become a part of. The Patriots acted swiftly in light of Gilmore's positive test. They decided to cancel their practice on Wednesday and on Thursday. Both sessions are going to be virtual. And as of right now, exactly how this might impact the team's plans to host the Denver

Broncos on Sunday is still anyone's guess. Folks, given the NFL's recent behavioral pattern, which I think has been both irresponsible and arrogant, they will almost certainly prefer to play this game on Sunday, even at the expense of further spread and infection. And I know that's hard to believe, but it's harder to ignore the evidence. Apparently, only an outbreak such as the likes we're seeing with the Tennessee Titans will be enough to force the hand of the league office. Again, if it were player safety that was the league's top concern, they wouldn't have felt

comfortable mandating that a team travel despite the tangible risk of players still yielding future positive test results. And we're seeing that this morning. And folks, I'm sorry to say, but there's probably more to come. Stephon Gilmore played 100% of the snaps on Monday night. That means he was in close contact with his teammates and with the Kansas City Chiefs offensive players. There's already a photo of him out there in the Twitterverse, embracing and talking

very closely to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Gilmore was in on coverage with players like Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelsey all night long. There's also the case of Monday's travel arrangements. Don't forget, the Patriots traveled to Kansas City in two separate planes, presumably to prevent the spread of a virus that apparently did not present enough of a threat to warrant a postponement by the league. But hey, game on, right?

Certainly seems to be the case at 345 Park Place. Anyone that's ever traveled via aircraft knows that if one person is sick within an airplane, there's a good chance that a majority of the people along with them are probably going to get the same thing. This is especially true of COVID. That's why the Patriots did take one precaution in having two separate planes, one with those that had close contact with Cam Newton earlier in the week and those that did not. Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported early on Wednesday morning that Stephon Gilmore was in fact on the plane with those players that did have close contact

with Cam earlier last week. So apparently, Stephon was on the plane with fewer members of the Patriots roster. However, you have to think that those players are now at much higher risk, having been exposed to both Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore to test positive. Folks, I know I sound a little angrier and snarkier than I usually do here on Locked On Patriots, but I just don't see a happily ever after ending here for the Pats, at least not in the short term. Too many players have potentially been exposed, too many players are potentially at risk, and I think as the week progresses, you're simply going to see more and more names added to the COVID reserve list. I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, hope that I'm wrong.

But if I'm being honest, at least from what I've seen, it's not looking good. If in fact there are further positive tests emerging, the league may not have a choice and they will have to cancel Sunday's game. Earlier this morning on Wednesday, Mike Killis of Nine News in Denver reported that he had spoken to a league official who said the game is currently on. They would monitor the situation, but they plan on playing. Well, as the old saying goes, we'll see about that. But it should be noted that Wednesday's report on Gilmore was from Tuesday's round of testing. Those results revealed Gilmore as the only player to test positive for the virus at this point. But remember, as we all learned from the Cam Newton positive testing,

there is an incubation period. The Patriots tested negative both on Saturday and on Sunday and even on Monday morning, and then you saw Murray's test pop up on Tuesday and Gilmore's on Wednesday. So just because no additional tests have come back positive up to this point, folks, it absolutely does not mean there still won't be. So it's very important that we all pay close attention to the Patriots' health reports over the course of the next couple of days. If more players start popping up on that COVID list, there is zero chance this game gets played on Sunday, no matter how bad the league wants to continue to play on. And even though the on-field impact of this is a far secondary concern for the New England

Patriots, they're going to be missing one of their most talented players out there on the field, clearly their most talented defender. Gilmore is coming off of a stellar performance against the Kansas City Chiefs. Even though his production has dipped a little bit in 2020, he is still at or near the top of the list of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. That means J.C. Jackson will likely have to ascend to the number one role, at least for the time being. You'll probably see Jason McCourty mixed in. You might even see Juwan Williams return to his traditional role at corner. You might even see someone like Miles Bryant get some snaps, or maybe even an elevation from someone like Mike Jackson from

the practice squad. Bottom line, on the field, this is the equivalent of what the Patriots went through on the offensive side of the ball when they lost Cam Newton. The fact that following the Broncos game, the Patriots have a bye week set in is definitely good news for all who may be trying to recover from this. And make no mistake about it, this is the most important concern for all parties involved. The health and welfare of all the Patriots players and staff members, as well as the health and welfare of all the Kansas City Chiefs staff members and players as well. Many of them spent a good amount of time in close contact with Stephon Gilmore

and other Patriots players on Monday night. All it takes is for them to bring this home, spread it, and all of a sudden you have two franchises now that are facing outbreaks similar to what we're seeing in Tennessee. I really pray that we're all wrong about this and that all works out as well as possible, but I would be remiss if I didn't say that the situation is not only concerning, but also, and very sadly I might add, this was completely avoidable. The league, in my opinion, acted with a veritable lack of humility, and now they're dealing with the consequences of this virus, and it might end up being more than they

had anticipated. As for Stefan himself, NFL Network's Mike Garofalo reported on Wednesday that he is currently asymptomatic, which is good news. For what it's worth, Cam Newton also continues to be asymptomatic, so continue to monitor this, folks. Being asymptomatic doesn't necessarily mean you're out of the woods. There are still protocols that have to be followed. If, in fact, Cam or even Stefan, for that matter, are asymptomatic, they would need to have two negative tests back-to-back in order to clear the COVID-19 list and then become active again. When it comes to Cam Newton, based on my understanding of where things stand, after reading a report yesterday from NFL Network's Ian Rappaport, I'd say it's unlikely that Cam gets cleared in time

to start on Sunday, if in fact this game is still played. Based on when Cam contracted the virus, and how long it would take to leave his system, I think it's a little far-fetched for him to get cleared in time for the game. It's possible, but I think it's not likely. Of course, with Stephon Gilmore, it's still important to remember that he's very early in his contraction of the virus. If Stephon does show any symptoms, he would not be eligible to be activated off of the reserve COVID-19 list until at least 10 days have passed since those symptoms first appeared and at least 72 hours since he last showed them. As with all returns, whether it be Newton or Gilmore, it would have to be approved by the Patriots team physicians and then NFL physicians again, fulfilling local guidelines and requirements.

So it's safe to say that the Patriots' upcoming schedule is very much in flux right now, given Gilmore's positive test and the potential for more to follow. Again, folks, here on Locked On Patriots, we'll continue to monitor the situation and do our very best to bring you the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough when it comes to the potential COVID-19 scare, as well as the Patriots' potential matchup with the Denver Broncos this weekend. And because what this entire situation needs is a little more reason, we have welcomed in our resident voice of reason. My good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com joins me here today and we'll talk

about the potential fallout of Stephon Gilmore's positive COVID test. We'll also turn a little bit of a sharp eye toward the Denver Broncos and what lessons learned from the Patriots 26-10 loss to the Chiefs could have and should have taught them to do better when they face the Broncos on Sunday. So sit tight Patriots fans and settle in. Plenty more to come here on the pod with Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But before we continue, Patriots fans, you've definitely heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. Six Super Bowl championships in the last 20 years in the modern NFL era?

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And as Defense Counsel Kathy would say, we want answers, and we think we're entitled to them. And to help me break it all down, and maybe nudge us in the direction of those answers, is my Patriots Paisan. Patsfan.com's columnist extraordinaire, Steve Balistrieri, joins me today. Steve, welcome back to Locked on Patriots. Mike, thanks for having me. Always a pleasure to talk Patriots with you, my friend. Always my honor and my pleasure as well, Bud. And I wish we could start off on a very positive note even

though we're coming off of a loss on monday night patriots still took away a good amount of positives from that field but positive is the ultimate word here and it's not in a good way obviously the big news coming out of foxborough today cornerback stefan gilmore testing positive for covet 19 he becomes the third player on the team to test positive, joining defensive tackle Bill Murray, of course, the practice squatter, whose positive test was announced yesterday, and, of course, Cam Newton, who's tested positive on Friday. Steve, I said to open the show that the handwriting was on the wall for this.

The Patriots having to travel in two separate planes should have been the league's aha moment. Now we're starting to see these tests slowly start to come back positive, and both the Patriots and the Chiefs have legitimate health concerns. Bud, first, what was your reaction to this news regarding Stephon this morning? And in your opinion, what does this say about the NFL's decision not only to move forward with Monday's game, but also apparently its intention to still play on Sunday against the Broncos. Yeah, honestly, I wasn't surprised that, you know,

other Patriots are going to start coming up positive because, as we saw with Tennessee, you know, once you kind of open Pandora's box, it's coming and there's nothing you can do about it. I thought the NFL was foolhardy to force both teams to play this game, you know, for the sake of having a primetime matchup between two of your, you know, better teams in the NFL. It was the height of hypocrisy, and now they're going to pay the price for it, because this is only going to get worse. You put Gilmore, you know, who was probably already

contagious on an airplane with 20 other guys, and then they were in the locker room with other players, and then they were on the field, and we saw the pictures of him and Patrick Mahomes hugging after the game it's only the tip of the iceberg I'm afraid yeah it truly is and our good mutual friend Mike Giardi tweeted out a short time after this word broke on on Wednesday morning about Stephon's positive test players are worried about bringing this home to their families. You mentioned Patrick Mahomes. He has a young fiance with a baby on the way. This is not a good thing if you're looking at his potential to be infected and what that could mean for his family and his livelihood. You look at Stefan Gilmore. He has a young family as well at home. These players put a lot of trust in the NFL to do the right thing, to protect the players,

and to make sure that they were not putting them into harm's way. It's hard not to think that they're doing that very well right now, considering what we're seeing with Tennessee, what we're seeing in New England, and kind of the brazen operation with which they seem to be moving forward and saying, we're going to continue to play these games. Bottom line, and I did say this in the opening today, if tests continue to come back positive, they may not have much of a choice here. Their hand may be forced. They may not have the wherewithal to be able to play these games in good conscience.

But as of right now, it looks like all systems go and game on. And obviously, Steve, Stefan's health and well-being is of the first and foremost importance. There really isn't a close second when it comes to concerns in this matter. But Stephon's loss on the field will also be felt pretty significantly by this team. Again, assuming that they're going to play on Sunday, we know he's going to be out. They lost their most dynamic player on offense this weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Patriots paid the steep price of that on the field. We all saw that.

In your estimation, my friend, how might the Patriots look to fill that void, albeit temporarily, knowing that Stephon Gilmore is going to be out? It's going to be tough because now they've not only lost their best offensive player, now they've lost their best defensive player. And a defensive player of the year, I mean, the one thing that they're very deep on is in the secondary. So can they handle it for the short term? Yes.

They can shift people around. They have J.C. Jackson. They have Jonathan Jones. They have Jason McCourty, Joanne Williams. I mean, they have the bodies. Of course, Jonathan Jones in the slot. They have the bodies to do it for the short term. Of course, that's with the thought process that nobody else is going to get sick. Right.

And that's a big if at this point. It's truly a big if at this point. And look, the Patriots are very deep at corner. We've said that several times. One of the best depth positions on the roster, one of the strongest secondaries in the league. But these guys practice together. They play together.

And it's very hard to believe that at least one more player in that secondary is not somehow going to test positive for this. I truly hope that's not the case. Maybe the level of the virus within Stephon's system did not make him symptomatic, did not make him contagious for the time being. I tend to agree with you a little bit more. I think it's very difficult to believe that that is indeed the case, but who knows at this point? We live in hope, but on the field, they will definitely miss Stephon's production

coming off of a very stellar game, I thought, on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was, you know, blanketing guys like Sammy Watkins all night long. Tyreek Hilley helped out with on the coverage. Again, these are guys that are going to have to be worried about their safety. Now, it's amazing, you know, that this continues to mushroom and continues to, you know, snowball into something that is very, very concerning for all involved, because we're not just talking about time being missed on the field. We're talking about player health. We're talking about the health of all of their families surrounding them and it's just a bad situation but on the field they will definitely miss him and I agree with you I think that a combination of guys like Jason McCourty stepping up Juwan Williams maybe returning to his original position at corner for at least a game is definitely a

possibility JC Jackson will likely be the number one option if the Patriots do in fact play the Broncos on Sunday. So a lot to absorb most of all Stephon's health and the health of all the Patriots players involved, as well as the Chiefs players. But on the field, it's definitely going to be interesting. And Steve, we've talked a lot about Stephon Gilmore today and the impact of his positive test. Rightfully so. It's the biggest story in New England right now. But the Patriots still do have some logistical cleanup from their 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday. Steve, you recently published your report card for the Patriots regarding that game. Always a must-read, folks, and I highly recommend checking it out.

But in just a moment, I will seek the wisdom and counsel of our resident voice of reason when the Locked on Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins us here today on Locked on Patriots. And Steve, the Pats are still sifting through the aftermath of their loss to the defending champions on Monday. And while the team is reeling from health-related news today, and rightfully so, they still have to put the pieces back together and try to get back into the win column. You published your grade report for patsfans.com earlier today. And as expected, the quarterback grades were not great.

No argument there. The running backs were praised. And again, no argument there. I thought the running backs were the bright spot of the Patriots offense if they had one on Monday. But one area in which I think you were spot on is a position that I wanted to discuss today a little bit and one that's been significantly underused. And Claire Cooper in West Midlands of the UK, listen up. This one's for you, Claire. Tight ends have been almost invisible in the passing game for the Patriots. You gave them a C-.

That's not exactly a Dean Wormer 0.0, but it's not a glowing grade by any stretch. Ryan Izzo really needed Rockets shoes to haul in a couple of those throws that went his way on Monday. Not his fault, but he's seldom being targeted, even when Cam Newton is in the lineup. Devin Asiasi has been almost invisible in the passing game, and Dalton Keene has been a scratch more often than not. Steven, in your opinion, is this because of a lack of talent at the position, a lack of experience, or do you think there's another reason why the Patriots have been so hesitant to utilize the tight end spot especially in the passing attack yeah I think it's lack of experience even Izzo who's been on the team a couple of years never really played a whole ton

until this year and now he's been thrust into the starting position, you know, and I think the game plans need to change. They need to start getting these younger guys more involved. We saw last week against the Raiders, you know, Asiasi was wide open down the field, and Cam, that's when he threw his interception, trying to force the ball into a tight window. I think it needs to change. I'm not going to dock Izzo, as I said in my grades,

because there was a couple of throws there where he would have had to be about eight and a half feet tall and still had to leap for the ball. It was that far thrown over his head. But we all know he's limited in the passing game. The reason they ended up with a C-minus was because Izzo, I think he blocks very well. And I thought that showed itself, you know, in the game against Kansas City.

And you have to give him credit for that. But, you know, we all know he's limited in the passing game. And I really think it's time to take the shackles off the rookie and see what he can do. Now, that being said, we're not at the practices. We're not seeing what's going on at practice. But they drafted this kid for a reason, and it's time they start utilizing him. Yeah, agreed.

And Asiasi came in with a lot of pedigree, a lot of expectation. People were really loving what they saw in him in practice. He expected him to be able to contribute a little more than he has. He's been in the blocking game, but virtually invisible when it comes to the passing game. And I agree with you. I think it's time to take the training wheels off and see what's there with this kid, especially knowing that Cam Newton is very adept at being able to throw to tight ends. We saw him utilize Greg Olson so well in the Carolina offense. A bit surprising to me that he hasn't been in there, but I think the

grade is well worth it. I think that Izzo, again, is limited, but I think he's done as well as he can with what he can bring to the field. But Patriots are going to need more out of that position, especially if they want to diversify this offense. Lastly, my friend, the league seems determined to get this game in on Sunday. And for some sources, at the end of the day, they may not have a choice, like I said earlier. But some sources are indicating that the league is digging its heels in. And unless we see more positives pop up, which is definitely possible, this one might end up being a go. If they do go on Sunday, the Patriots definitely had some strengths and weaknesses to work on this week

at practice. And because of all of this, that practice and those meetings are mostly going to be virtual, at least for the short term. Steve, what from Monday's loss to the Chiefs, pulling on what you saw in the grades that you handed out earlier today in your column, do you believe to be the greatest strength for the Pats heading into this game and the biggest weakness into this potential matchup with the Broncos? Well, I think the biggest strength is the offensive line, which on Monday was very patchwork. They had three guys who weren't the normal starters in there in the running game offensively. I think you have to lean on that, and I think they will moving forward. I think the secondary, as we already said, is a big strength of this team

and the defense as a whole. They really need to work on their quarterbacks. Obviously, those guys, and to be fair, I mean, they didn't get any practice time last week, but they need to put the extra time in this week. I really think we're going to see Jarrett Stidham as the starter this week. I think they should go that way. He needs to buckle down. He needs to make his decisions quicker. He needs to get the ball out quicker. He needs to start hitting

open receivers. We saw not only Hoyer miss, but Stidham's second interception, the first which wasn't his fault, but the second one was because Damian Bird was wide open, and a better throw, that's a touchdown. Instead, it's a pick. So they really need to work on that. I think that is imperative this week. Well said.

Absolutely well said. And again, folks, we're running on the assumption that this will be played on Sunday. Right now, all systems seem to be go, but a lot can change between now and that period of time. So we continue to keep our sharp eye. But one thing you should have your sharp eye on is steve's grades column uh absolute must read uh his recap of the game was also excellent as well always proudly found on patsfans.com buddy what can i say thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me today here on the pod lending your wisdom and counsel with stefan

gilmore and a little bit more about what we might see from the Patriots on the field. In addition to the great work that you do for patsfans.com or have submitted already, what can we look forward to from the great pen of Steve Balistrieri in the coming days leading up to the Patriots bye week coming up in a couple of weeks? Well, one of the things I was working on before all this broke with Gilmore this morning was the fact that the, you know, the last three draft classes for Bill Belichick are really starting to bear fruit. And Bill, who always gets a lot of grief about his drafting.

If you look at those last three draft classes, there's a lot of guys right now that are playing valuable roles for this team. And that's what I was writing about. But right now, I think the COVID is the big story, and that would kind of get lost in the wash. So we'll see how it all plays out. Just when you think you're out, COVID pulls you back in. And unfortunately, folks, we are knee-deep in this pandemic still and a lot of concern regarding the health of the New England Patriots, really

all over the NFL, the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs. We see all of these teams now having some difficulty and you just hope that they're able to weather through it and everybody gets through it as well as possible. Most of all, yourself, my friend. We always hope that you stay safe, stay well. I say that to everybody here on Locked On Patriots, but it takes on more significance with each passing day. What can I say? Once again, thank you so much for joining me here on today's pod. Take care, and we look forward to

talking football next week with you, if there are games to talk about at this point when it comes to the Patriots with the bye week on the horizon, but we always look forward to it. And so, Patriots fans, we put a lid on this hump day episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Once again, at the time this podcast was recorded, plans were still fully enacted for the Patriots to play the Broncos on Sunday. And in light of that fact, tomorrow here on the pod will be crossover Thursday. Cody Roark, host of Locked On Broncos, will join me here on the pod will be crossover Thursday. Cody Roark, host of Lockdown Broncos, will join me here on the hot seat.

And we will discuss this potential matchup between the Patriots and the Broncos from an offensive standpoint, from a defensive standpoint, and folks, most of all, from a health standpoint. The Patriots have COVID concerns. The Denver Broncos have had some injury concerns. So be sure to tune in tomorrow as Cody and I will provide you with the very latest on this potential contest between the Pats and the Broncos at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. concerns. So be sure to tune in tomorrow as Cody and I will provide you with the very latest on this potential contest between the Pats and the Broncos at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. And to

make sure that you do not miss this or any second of the action here on the pod, make sure to download Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe to us on Google Podcasts. No matter where you get your podcasts, just make sure you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank my friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com for his time, his insight,

and his appearance on today's pod, but most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, please, folks, stay safe, stay well. Always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.