Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots February 3, 2019 - Super Bowl Tailgate

Episode Date: February 3, 2019

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And now, ladies and gentlemen, choosing to be interviewed by the TV, here are the American Football Conference champions, the New England Patriots. Here's Brady back. Firing in zone, touchdown! Patriots' David Patton made a great catch. And that's the guy they're going to work on. He's next for McLean. They didn't get him the first time. They got him that time. David Patton made a heck of a move, though.

He ever. And what a catch he made. And what a throw Tom Brady makes. Watch him. He starts out. Then he starts up. He was a little out and up. They threw him right to that second pylon.

Mark said the same thing. And now with no timeouts I think that the Patriots with this field position you have to just run the clock out. You have to play for overtime now. I don't think you want to force anything here. You don't want to do anything stupid because you have no timeouts and you're backed up And he gets out of bounds and they might be in Benataris range

Seconds left this this is amazing This is something and I would fit them as a as a coach and as an analyst I don't think they should have done. But they had the guts. They have a young quarterback. And they did it. They were backed up. They were inside their own 20. They had no timeouts left. And they're calling these plays.

And not only calling these plays, but making these plays. Right now, it would be a 53-yarder. Here comes the blitz. And here's Brady. He dumps it to Wiggins. Down to the 30. And now, no question about it they are in range but they gotta hurry maybe he can spike it right here and stop the clock that's

what he'll do he'll spike it here seven seconds they got Vinatieri in range I tell you what Tom Brady just did gives me goosebumps. Here comes one of greater importance if he makes it. And it's right there in the corner. Adam Vinatieri. No time on the clock and the Patriots have won Super Bowl 36 Unbelievable That's the way you should win a Super Bowl They win the game and they lost

Brady looking to throw it Touchdown Mike Frable What a job by Tom Brady. They cover his first and second. And there comes Mike Grable, his third receiver, from the other side. Grable coming across. Two Panthers bumped into each other, and Grable was able to break free.

A really long field goal to win the game. Boy, you have to wonder, is it in the cards again for Adam Finitieri, who has not had a sterling night here tonight. He's missed a 31-yard field goal. He's had a 36-yard attempt blocked. Brady looking at a third and three. Time thrown. Has his bat inside the 25-yard line. Deion Branch made the catch. And timeout is called with eight seconds on the clock.

There just cannot be any more pressure on a football player. How about that notation? The only misses Adam Finitieri has had in his career in doors are all here at Reliant Stadium. The Patriots looking for a second Super Bowl title in three years from 41 yards. Looks good! Stavros Stavros Stavros Perfect spot by Walter. The perfect kick by Vinatieri. The perfect kick when the kickoff is not what Carolina got from John Casey, John Casey, which gave the lead with a terrific field position to start this drive. Already four penalties tonight.

Called on the Patriots. This is the tenth play of the drive. And on first down from the 19, McNabb goes toward the end zone, and this one is picked off. Intercepted by Rodney Harrison. That's his third interception of this postseason. Absorb the block rather than going after the ball. Crable is in. Holstein is blocking for Dillon. Corey Dillon, touchdown New England.

Levins in motion on first down. McNam fires high and the pass is intercepted by Bruschi. Levins flashing across the middle. McNam was too high and Teddy Pruski one of the defensive leaders for the Patriots was there waiting for him down the middle of the field

and the pass is picked off by Harrison Rodney Harrison takes it in and nine seconds remain and the New England Patriots are on their way to solidifying their team as an NFL dynasty. Russell in the pocket. Russell for Carson. That's broken up again and is it but somehow did he wind up with a football?

I think Butler hit it and it fell right back down to the ground. Unbelievable. That's exactly what happened, isn't it? Well, first goes for it. It's still not on the ground. It's still not on the ground. Well, look at that. Oh, my, I can't believe he didn't get up and get the end zone in time and then butler takes him out so he breaks up the

play but at the end of the day look at that does a juggling act amazing the ball to five now you Here he goes, beast mode! To the half yard line. Second and goal. Baldwin sets up on the left. Late clock at five. Pass is intercepted at the goal line by Malcolm Butler! Unreal! Malcolm Butler, who almost made the phenomenal play,

then wound up in Persia's arms. There are flags on the field for celebration. Amazing! celebration amazing here's Edelman broken up and the pass is no sign yet Edelman comes down with a football they're saying it's a catch and we'll get another look at this Alford knocked it up into the air and let's see who comes down with it oh that's a catch that's incredible Great Tom Brady had completed 10 in a row A second to go 319 Toss to White

He's in Patriots win the Super Bowl Brady has his fifth What a comeback! How does one become a fan? Is it generational? Passed down from fathers to daughters? Mothers to sons?

Is it regional influence? Or perhaps even international exposure? Is it a love of a certain player? Or even a certain coach? Whatever the reason, if you are listening today, odds are you are a New England Patriots fan. You've just heard moments from the past two decades that define your fandom. Define an organization. A dynasty. double over. Here in those moments transport you back in time, to a place and a memory, seared into your brain until the end of time. Where you were, who you were with, how you reacted, who you hugged,

who you kissed, the screams you made and even the tears you shed. Moments you will always cherish. Moments that will stay with you. Other moments are seared into your memory as well. Indelible just as those you heard a few minutes ago. The fridge the fridge barreling into the end zone desmond howard tyree manningham philly special and yet you are still here and so is this team so is this team that has meant so much to you over the years a team once viewed as laughing stocks and on the verge of moving away from a region that is now viewed as the evil empire. The ultimate Goliath. The concept of heroes becoming villains personified and playing out on sports biggest stage. A head coach viewed as cantankerous, short with the media, singularly focused on the next game and perhaps the greatest of all time. A quarterback once viewed as the ultimate underdog,

then perhaps the greatest ever at his position, and now perhaps once more as he walks down the final fairways of his career, that underdog again, pushing back the darkness and the villain that strikes us all, Father Time, still here. In a few short hours, new memories will be created. New stories will be told. Stories that you will again remember forever. Where you were, who you were with, and what those new moments meant to you. We believe in this team. We see that they are still here.

Yet we quietly acknowledge that they will not be here forever. And perhaps on this night, tonight, it changes. Perhaps the story comes full circle. But as we learn from those moments we just heard, and as we relive those memories yet again on another Sunday in February, we know full well that no matter what happens tonight, there will be goosebumps. Welcome to Super Bowl Sunday. This is Mark Schofield and and again, welcome to Super Bowl Sunday. Had a little fun putting that together for you. Hope that kind of helps you get ready for what we're going to see over the next couple of hours or so, whenever you're going to be listening to that. What we're going to do today, look, there's really not much left to say that hasn't been said about this game.

So I got a couple of calls and texts in on the Locked On Patriots phone line that I'm going to get to. And then it's time to shut up. It's time to let this game be played. And as you all know, I will be back later tonight breaking it all down for you. Before we dive in, a reminder to follow me on Twitter at Mark Schofield. Check out the work at places like InsideThePylon.com, where I've got a bunch of pregame content, as well as Pro Football Weekly, The Score, Matt Waldman's rookie scouting portfolio, Big Blue View, part of the SB Nation family of websites.

First text I want to get to comes in from the Locked On Patriots phone line. Hello, Mark. This is Daniel from SC. I'm a big fan of your show and follow you on Twitter and inside the pylon. You've made me a smarter fan. In the AFC Championship game, I thought it was a brilliant idea to have Jonathan Jones with a little Keon Crossan cover Tyreek Hill with safety help because he's one of the fastest cornerbacks on the team, along with body type. Could they do some of the same plan with Cooks in the Super Bowl? And first, Daniel, thanks so much for reaching out.

And thanks for the kind words about the show and the work. And I think that's a great point, and it sort of gets to one of the differences with this team as opposed to last year's team, and I talked about it a little bit on Friday's show. The guys that they have in the secondary with, at the top, Stephon Gilmore and JC Jackson, give them the flexibility to then play matchup-based personnel groupings along the rest of the defensive secondary. And we saw that sort of in the difference between the AFC Divisional Round and then the AFC Championship game.

Because we talked about Jason McCourty, he saw a ton of snaps in the AFC divisional round, mostly in the slot. And then those snaps kind of reduced a bit because they had more snaps for Jonathan Jones going up against Tyreek Hill. I mean, where I think Jonathan Jones had about eight snaps, you know, that number jumped to about like 45 or so from the divisional round to the AFC championship game because they liked the matchup with him on Tyreek Hill better because of his speed and, as Daniel says, his body type. And you might see something similar. You might see him get more snaps than McCourty because they like his matchup with Cooks.

And then you've got, for example, you could put whether it's Gilmore on a Robert Woods, and then you trust JC Jackson on a Josh Reynolds. And then now with Cooks, you've got a Jonathan Jones with some dedicated safety help you know that might be sort of the matchup that they look to start with or they might go a different direction but again the talent they've assembled in the secondary is one of the reasons this is a better defense than the team that played in last year's Super Bowl and it's one of the reasons that I remain sort of confident about you know how this Super Bowl is going to play out as opposed to last year's because they've got the talent,

and now they can do more from a matchup perspective. So, again, Daniel, thanks so much for reaching out. Certainly appreciate that. And appreciate all your kind words about the show and the work. Hey, Mark, it's John. You know, last year I called, and I mentioned how special it was because of the kids And watching the same players with the kids

Well, from perspective, I was in high school When it was Pat's Rams Super Bowl with Brady and Belichick And now my son's in high school Pat's Rams Super Bowl, Brady and Belichick The great memories keep on coming This year for the Super Bowl feels a lot better, honestly. Last year, I felt like it was cross your fingers. I hope they can make enough stops. But this year, well, first of all, this year feels like house money, given that the offseason,

the start of the season, the victory over Buffalo in week 16 kind of felt like a funeral so this is kind of peak Belichick right like Randy Johnson aging he still has the fastball pulls it together at the end

so you know I think it'll be a coin flip but there's something about this year that just feels different. And as simplistic as that is, you know, that's how I feel. Also, I want to end this with an ode to the Slack channel. You guys have been awesome. I've really enjoyed being there. You know, every day you log in, there's more news,

there's a lot of funny stuff, there's great takes, learning stuff, and I really, really have enjoyed my time in the Slack channel. And if you haven't checked it out, yeah, you should. It's a lot of fun, and the guys there are great. So thanks. I hope we have a glorious victory edition Sunday night. And the best to you and your family. Take care. That right there, a great voicemail and message from John Lombaracus. I've talked about him a ton on this show.

Always coming in with some questions, some takes and stuff like that. And it's fantastic to hear from John. And he called in last year and some of the thoughts were similar, obviously. The longevity with which, as Patriots fans, we've been able to watch this team to the point where John says, you know, the first time they were in a Super Bowl against the Rams, he was in high school and now his son's in high school. And that's an incredible story. And again, the ability to watch games like this with the people you love makes it that much more special. John also mentions the Locked On Patriots Slack channel. There is still time to get in on that if

you want. I will be on the phone up until kickoff, so if you're looking for an invite to that, at Mark Schofield on Twitter, mark.schofield, at insidethepylon.com. You can call the Locked on Patriots phone line, 240- 670-6016. I'll get you an invite link as soon

as I get it, as soon as I can. But, you know, soon as I get it, as soon as I can. But, you know, John, I can't thank you enough for all the support you've shown me over the years, not just with this show, but with the pylon and even back to the days on Soch. You've always been, you know, one of the best Pats fans out there. So it's always a pleasure to interact with you on the Slack channel or, you know, via any other place we've done it. And I cannot thank you enough for the support you've shown over the years. And I hope all is well with you. And I hope you and your family and your loved ones get a great chance to watch a fantastic game here tonight.

Next, we get some thoughts from Ricky via the Locked On Patriots Slack channel. I have gone back and forth on this game, and in my playoff predictions, I had LA win in the Super Bowl, but over at Kansas City with Gurley as the MVP. I'm not as confident as I was in the last two years, but I think White and Gronkowski have big games, and New England finds a way to win 34-30 to get that last Super Bowl for Brady and Belichick.

But I will go with James White for MVP because, like you said a while back, they have got to get him involved Super Bowl for Brady and Belichick. But I will go with James White for MVP because, like you said a while back, they have got to get him involved in the offense again. I do think this is the last time they get here, and we need to cherish that. If Gronkowski and McCourty do decide to hand it up, then they deserve their rightful place as all-time Patriots. This organization has spoiled us with success and great playoff memories despite some of the heartaches for Pats fans in New York like myself.

So here's my question for you, and you can give the Brady answer to this. Over the last two decades, what is your favorite Patriot playoff memory and why? And it's a fantastic insight from Ricky. I thank him for chiming in and he's right. Look, this might be the last time, so I do think we have to cherish it. As far as my favorite memory, specifically, I guess, a Brady memory, there are so many. There's the spike against the Rams in Super Bowl 36 when he just sort of caught the ball after spiking it calmly like it was just another day at the park. But yet, he had just done what John Madden said gave him goosebumps. There's the throw to Deion Branch late on that third and three against the Panthers to set up that field goal to beat Carolina. There's the touchdowns he threw in that game,

the touchdowns he delivered against the Eagles in that victory, some of the big throws he made in that game. There's obviously the two comebacks, the comeback against the Seahawks, comeback against Atlanta, that overtime drive and some of the throws he ripped on that drive against the Falcons were incredible. But there's a throw that sticks with me. From the divisional round game against the Ravens the year they beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, that throw he made to Brandon LaFell on the left sideline on that go route to win that game.

And it's kind of a personal one in a sense, because that was a year that we started inside the pylon. That was my first year doing something other than being a lawyer. And I remember being more invested in that game than perhaps any other in Patriots history, because there was a sort of professional element on the line in that we started ITP as a Patriots site. And thinking, look, if they get bounced from the playoffs, what am I going to do? And almost feeling like if the Patriots lose,

it sort of throws out the window everything I've sort of banked this second career on. Now, obviously, things have gone on in a different direction, and they may very well still have. But with the Patriots needing to win that game to get more Pats content out for the next couple of weeks and then obviously winning the Super Bowl, it carried us right into draft season

and sort of set us up for what was to come for both ITP and then myself. And that might be a little bit of a selfish one, but that throw is seared into my brain for that reason. But it's also seared into my brain because it was vintage Brady. The way he moved the free safety, the placement on the vertical route, the manipulation, the anticipation, all of the sort of non-negotiables that I just talked about in a piece

over at Matt Waldman's Rookie Scouting Portfolio, mattwaldmanrsp.com, that you need to play the position, those non-negotiables that Brady still shows. Whatever you want to say about him being in decline or going off a cliff or having arm talent issues and a lack of velocity, he still has those non-negotiables, and he displays them at an almost elite level on almost every snap. And so that play, like so many, sticks with me. So there you have it, folks.

That is it. That is our Sunday morning tailgate edition, Super Bowl edition of Locked On Patriots. I will be back later tonight, hopefully with a glorious victory edition of the Locked On Patriots podcast. But if the Patriots do lose, if they drop their second Super Bowl in a row,

you know that I will be back here no matter what to break it all down for you with a melancholy and the infinite sadness installment of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Either way, I will be here. I hope you have a fantastic time watching the game. I hope you enjoyed the show today as well as throughout the season.

Good luck today. Godspeed. And I will see you on the other side.