Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots - November 8, 2019: Friday, Football and Fox

Episode Date: November 8, 2019

The New England Patriots will not see gridiron action this weekend, but there is still plenty to talk about in Foxboro. To put a cap on the Pats bye-week, host Mike D’Abate welcomes in Tanya Ray Fox of FS1 to discuss some first half standouts, as well as a prediction on whether the best is still to come for Tom Brady and the Patriots in 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful and welcome to your finally Friday episode of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Today's episode is brought to you in part by DoorDash. Treat yourself to the meal you deserve and have your favorite restaurants come to you with DoorDash. Right now, our listeners can get $5 off their first order of $15 or more when you download the DoorDash app and enter promo code LOCKEDON. My name is Mike DeBate, and I am your host of Locked On Patriots, which of course is a part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at MDABATEFBC, and be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter at LO underscore Patriots. Well, folks, we've almost made it.

The bye week is nearly in the books, and New England Patriots football will soon be returning to your weekend routine. And there is a fun show on tap for you today. Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 joins me to provide her wisdom, counsel, and cleverness. And Tanya is one of the best in the business when it comes to blending substance and subtle sarcasm. I'm very much looking forward to speaking with my friend today as we discuss some Patriots football. So settle in. This should be a fun show, and I hope that you enjoy. But as the Patriots enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation, the collective eyes of all

of you out there in Patriots Nation are on Sunday, November 17th, 425 p.m. Lincoln Financial Field. Patriots will return to action and face the Philadelphia Eagles. And as I said yesterday here on Locked On Patriots, there is no love lost between these two organizations, mostly between the two fan bases. Eagles fans, they love to push Super Bowl 52 and that Philly special in the faces of all of us here in Pat's Nation. Patriots fans then just simply remind those Eagles fans that the Patriots possess six

championship rings to Philly's one. And folks, that just ruins Lane Johnson's fun, and you hate to see that. Lane just wants to have fun. And I just got the Cyndi Lauper song stuck in your head, didn't I? Well, to that I either say I'm sorry, or you're welcome. But I will save those salvos for next week, because we are still winding down the bye week here for the Patriots. And because your New England Patriots will not be in action on Sunday, you're probably, like me, just sitting there wondering, what am I going to do this weekend? Well, the good news is there's still some NFL football to watch,

including some games that have a direct impact on the Patriots. And I'll break down a few of those for you right now. It starts with a trio of games in the 1 o'clock time slot, and depending on where you live, check your local listings to see which of these will be airing in your area. And I'll start with those pesky Baltimore Ravens that ruined the Patriots' perfect season. They travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, and this will be Bengals quarterback Ryan Finley's first NFL start for them. That'll be challenging against the Ravens' defense that has vastly improved.

They played pretty well against Tom Brady in that New England offense, so you can imagine what they might do to a struggling Cincinnati offense. As for Cincinnati's defense, they've struggled mightily to stop the run all season long, and when you're facing a Baltimore Ravens team that employs a running back like Mark Ingram and a mobile quarterback like Lamar Jackson, that's a recipe for disaster, folks. Just one week ago, we saw firsthand what this Baltimore Ravens team can do, so I look for the Ravens to win this one pretty convincingly. And that affects the Patriots negatively because the more wins the

Ravens collect, the more pressure it puts on New England. Now at 8-1, the Patriots are still sitting atop the AFC. But a loss here and there against some teams that can present a challenge to New England only increases the chances that these two teams could be battling it out for the top spot in the AFC. And let's not forget, because of their victory last week, Baltimore would own the tiebreaker if the Patriots and the Ravens finished with identical records. So for the remainder of the season, at least as it sits right now, keep a sharp eye on the purple and black in Baltimore. That's a team that you want to watch. And the second game on the one o'clock slate that you might want to be watching is the Buffalo Bills taking on the Cleveland Browns.

And Buffalo has continued to put together a solid season. They are your chief divisional rival, and the Patriots do have a late December matchup coming up with the Bills, so you always want to make sure you're keeping an eye on what they're doing in Buffalo. Back in September, the Buffalo Bills gave the Pats all they could handle, and make no mistake about it, folks, they can do it again. They're a better offensive team than people give them credit for, and they're very good on defense,

and they could make things interesting in the AFC playoff picture if they keep compiling wins. As for the Cleveland Browns, if you're a Patriots fan, you're hoping the Browns have it within them to pull an upset at home. But that's asking a lot from a Cleveland Browns team right now that looks like they're one step away from completely imploding. So you might want to keep an eye on this game. At the very least, it should be an entertaining one to watch.

And lastly, at the 1 o'clock time slot is one that most eyes will be on for a lot of reasons, and that is the Kansas City Chiefs traveling to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans. And by all accounts, Patrick Mahomes will be back under center taking snaps for the Chiefs in this one. And all eyes will be on Mahomes' knee and also his ankle. Let's not forget that he was hampered by an ankle injury before the dislocated kneecap. Coming off of their bye week, Mahomes should be rested and should look as close to 100% as possible.

However, if he's hampered in any way, this could be a tougher game for the Chiefs than a lot of people expect. And look, the last three times these teams have faced off, Tennessee's won all three matchups. That includes a playoff game. And they've done that by being the more physical team. I think that will continue on Sunday. That being said, Mahomes' return to the lineup should give Kansas City that boost that they've been missing. They played very well under Matt Moore,

but having their star back in the lineup should be a huge motivation for them to win this one. And again, if Kansas City wins this one, it does put more pressure on the Patriots. Starting with the Eagles game next week, the Patriots' toughest part of their schedule kicks off. If they experience difficulty in one, two, even three of those games, and at the same time Kansas City and Baltimore continue to compile wins, then things could get interesting atop the AFC. But folks, I wouldn't let panic set in just yet, and I'll explain why in just a moment. But first, there's still a couple of other games that you may want to watch this weekend Starting at the 4.25 time slot

And that is the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts The Colts could end up being a potential playoff matchup for the Patriots They're still in the thick of things when it comes to the ASC South Divisional title And also in the mix for a wild card This game should get the Colts back in the win column Because despite Miami's win last week The Colts are a vastly superior football team, and I look for them to take advantage of that. Also, it'll be interesting to see a couple of former Patriots taking snaps under center. Probably won't be Jacoby Brissett. He's still

being hampered by the sprained MCL. Most likely he'll sit, but old friend Brian Hoyer looks to be the starter, and Hoyer still has plenty of fans up here in New England. It'll be good to see him get the start in this one. And we've talked a lot about the AFC opponents, but what about some of the NFCs? Well, the Patriots do have the Dallas Cowboys coming up on their schedule. And the Cowboys are facing the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday evening at 8 p.m. This could be an opportunity to do a little recon work for all you Patriots fans, taking a look at what the Cowboys bring to the table and their new look defense with

old friend Michael Bennett. Bennett seems to be a pretty good addition to this Dallas defense, and it'll be interesting to see if he can come back to haunt the Patriots when these two teams play each other at Gillette Stadium on November 24th. And last but not least, the Monday nighter this week doesn't have much implications for the New England Patriots, but in my opinion, it's must-watch football, folks. And that is the Seattle Seahawks taking on the San Francisco 49ers. And the Niners remain the only unbeaten team in the league. Their defense has been outstanding so far this year, anchored by guys like Nick Bosa,

Dee Ford, and of course, Richard Sherman in the secondary. But they might be facing the best offense they've faced all season on Monday night in the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson is playing at an MVP caliber level. Right now, I believe he is the season MVP. And he's also going to be throwing to a new target. Old friend Josh Gordon suits up and plays his first game for the Seattle Seahawks. And while the circumstances of Gordon's release from New England still remain a bit of a mystery,

I think everyone in New England is just hoping the best for Josh, personally and even professionally. So if you're still a fan of Josh Gordon, and I know a lot of you are, and rightfully so, should be fun to watch Josh's Seattle debut and also how he fits into the Seattle offense with Russell Wilson. And last but not least, who can forget who's taking snaps under center in San Francisco? That's right. Old friend and my paisan, Jimmy Garoppolo. Jimmy started the season a little bit sluggish, but he's looked a lot better as the

weeks have gone on. Looks to be healing and getting more comfortable with the ACL injury he suffered last year. So Monday Night Football going to be a fun one. Highly recommend checking this game out. But enough about the other teams. You're a New England Patriots fan. You want to hear about your New England Patriots. Well, good news, folks. I'll be welcoming in Tanya Ray Fox in just a moment. Tanya and I will put a wrap on the Ravens game, going to pick her brain a little bit about what she feels have been the highlights of the 2019 season so far. And of course, I'll be asking her to gaze into that Belichickian crystal ball I love to reference all the time to give her prediction as to what she sees happening in the second half of 2019.

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You play, you win, you get paid with MyBookie. few people in any realm of today's media whether it be sports media social media really any media combined spot on insight with razor sharp width and my guest today you know her great work from platforms such as usa today n NFL Network, NBC Sports Boston. She's currently doing amazing work for FS1. And along with Courtney Fallon is one half of the coasting tandem of Fox and Fallon podcast. And if I have anything to say about it, she is soon to be Twitter verified. She is the incomparable Tanya Rae Fox. Welcome to Locked On Patriots, my friend.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Mike, I have to say your introduction skills are second to none. I feel like a king. Well, you should, first of all. And second of all, thank you. I only speak the truth. Believe me when I tell you. And it's always well deserved. It's always my honor to speak with people that I admire so much in this business that we share called sports media. It's always my honor to speak with people that I admire so much in this business that we share called sports media. It's always a pleasure of mine. So, again, like I said, well-deserved and nothing I said was untrue. So and we do have to get that hashtag viral, that hashtag verified TRF. I can't think of anyone that deserves it more.

That blue checkmark needs to be yours, my friend. And we'll help you get there here on Lockdown Patriots. Oh, I mean, I know you're like, you're leading the charge. It's the, it's so funny. Cause I think about it and I'm like, is the chase better than, you know, what if I get the mark and it's not what I, everything I wanted, but it's really about the friends you made along the way, as you tried to get the check mark. And that's, you know,

that's what's most important to me. So I appreciate all your wonderful compliments. I feel the same way toward you. I'm so excited to talk about the Patriots on a Friday morning. Definitely. And the feeling is definitely mutual. Hey, look, if the Patriots overcame a 28 to three deficit in the Super Bowl, we can get you Twitter verified.

So we'll continue to fight the good fight. Absolutely. Tanya, the Patriots have had themselves a pretty good, but some will have you believe that we'll never win a game again. And I know we always go back and forth on some of the sarcasm that surrounds the New England Patriots, but this is a team right now. You know, they're stewing over that loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, but I've been saying here on locked on all week that the sky is far from falling here in New

England. Now that we've had a chance to take a deeper look at this Ravens game, do you believe that Sunday exposed some serious problems for the Patriots, or do you think they'll continue to adjust as they usually do under Bill Belichick? I think it was a little bit of both. I would never categorize as any of what happened as serious problems. They were a little bit undisciplined. Obviously, the penalties and

things like that. Those are game killers, especially in games like that, when you're playing such a dynamic athletic team. But I don't, you know, I certainly, I think that you always need games like that to learn about who you are and where your, and where your, you know, where your improvements need to be made it it's they played a lot of crappy teams I'm not one of those people who thinks that because you played crappy teams you automatically aren't as great of a team as everybody thinks you are it's not like you're looking down and saying like you know that the historic defense that they put up is historic for a reason people have played plenty of crappy teams to start seven games of a year and not done what they did. It's impressive, but you need really

good competition to challenge you. We do this even in our own careers and in our own lives, you know, you get complacent or you start to lose your edge because you can only rise to the occasion when you're asked to. So that's what this team is gonna work on in the back half of the season, which is what they always do. So I don't, I guess that's kind of where I stand, which is like, it's kind of a healthy loss. Like I didn't see anything that super concerned me

either on offense or defense. I mean, you know, health issues always come up. They work through them. I think that while Brady definitely struggles, especially when that offensive line's not doing well in those like first halves before they tighten it up there he also still makes some incredible throws that throw like they just bend my mind and so his accuracy is still there in terms of you know it's just it's just more about like whether or not he's able to

be comfortable in that pocket but when he is he looks like the old Brady to me. So, yeah, I'm actually really glad that they have this to learn from. Yeah, I agree with you. I think that a loss sometimes of this magnitude going into a bye week, and I said magnitude, but not really. I'd say it more tongue-in-cheek because I think in a lot of ways what losses like this do is they continue to motivate for the upcoming season. As no one is better at being able to take a moment like this and use it as a teaching moment than Bill Belichick.

And even Tom Brady. He's been around for so many years. You know that he's studying film. He's preparing his guys to be able to move forward and correct the wrongs that we saw. There are a couple of things I think that the Patriots need to be concerned about. One is the run defense a little bit, and I've spoken about this earlier this week, and their ability to stop that run pass option, those RPOs that gave them so many difficulties against the Ravens. The good thing, and I think you hit the nail right on the head when you said this, Tanya, is this is a good teaching moment. It's a healthy loss because I think they've taken what

might be their biggest problem. What might be their, their toughest punch to take in seeing an offense that's run by a guy like Lamar Jackson, who is able to masquerade a lot of what he does and give the Patriots some fits. I think they've seen that now and they're working on correcting it. So I would like to think so. And I share your assessment. I think the Patriots now are going to move forward and be a better team as a result of that. So now that we've put a lid on last Sunday night, the bye week always provides, I think, a great opportunity to look back at the season so far. And again, a pretty good one. The Pats defense is putting up historically great numbers.

The offense you've talked about a little bit isn't as high powered as it's been in years past, but they're still putting up a great deal of points. The team certainly has provided some great highlights. As a Patriots fan, we know you're on the West Coast, Tanya, but Boston is still in your heart. What have you been seeing in some of the great moments that the Patriots have had? What stood out to you and putting you on the spot who do you feel has been the team's first half MVP so obviously the defense has been the standout every in every single game and I and I would say also in the Ravens game there even in the Ravens game there were times where I was seeing them do things whether it was schematically or just athletically, that really impressed me.

So, you know, it's as much as I love the offensive players on this team, and I actually think that in the back half of the season, the offense is going to be the focal point. You know, like that's going to be where we really see whether or not this team is capable of winning a Super Bowl is how they progress through week 17. What has really most impressed me is what the linebackers have done in the first eight games. And I know that we have some worries and concerns about some of the run defense and maybe they're like they're, you know, those tackles on the quick running backs and what they saw with Nick Chubb and Lamar Jackson.

But we know that the secondary is elite. You know, we know that Devin McCourty is having a career season and Stephon Gilmar is probably, if not the best cornerback in the league, easily top three, right? We know what JC Jackson and these guys are doing. But the linebackers are doing something that I haven't seen basically any other team in the league do. The way that they play, the way that they can drop into coverage, what Dante Hightower can do as a

tackler, and what Jamie Collins has done this season after coming back from Cleveland is honestly like that's what I find so much joy in watching every week as I learn more and more about just the schematics and everything that they're doing. You know, I'm like, I'm reading Doug Farrar's book and I'm really starting to like get into exactly how this team is using personnel. And it really, really impresses me. So that's a long way to say, I think for me, the first half MVP is Jamie Collins and she's just been extraordinary. Yeah, I completely agree with you on Collins

being in that mix. I actually gave out what I call my mid-season medallions earlier this week on Wednesday, and I had selected Stephon Gilmore as my team MVP, but I think Collins is right there. He was a medalist as far as I was concerned, simply because of the dynamic that he provides

this linebacking core. His athleticism has been great. He looks more comfortable now than he ever did in a Patriots system. And I think that speaks to his maturity and the player that he's become. I think he's changed the complexity of that linebacking core and made them so much more formidable. So I do agree with you in that circumstance.

And I think you make an excellent point when it comes to that. So it's always fun to look back, Tanya, and the past is the past. And my friend, in just a moment, we will gaze into what I like to call that Belichickian crystal ball. And we leave the past behind and look to the future at what the second half of the season just might look like. And again, I've been having a blast talking with Tanya Ray Fox of FS1 today, and we've taken a retrospective look at the Pats' 2019 season, but there's a lot of football still to be played. Seven games remain on the Pats' schedule. Tanya, when you look at the AFC right now, the Ravens are a clear-cut challenger to the

Patriots. The Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes back back will be in the mix as well. But who else do you see emerging from the pool of contenders that could be an obstacle for the Pats come playoff time? Outside of the Ravens and the Chiefs? Yes, outside of the Ravens and the Chiefs. So including them into the mix as well, if you'd like. But really, aside from those two teams, which everybody pretty much figures are going to be contenders to the Patriots, who else do you see as being a potential problem? Or is there no one else that would be a potential problem other than those two teams? Well, I think, I mean, between those two teams, I definitely think the Ravens are the bigger problem.

It's really, really, really hard for me to take the Chiefs defense seriously. And I know that that offense is fast and super dynamic, but it's just incredibly hard to watch that defense week in, week out, and see them getting into the playoffs and tightening it up to the point where they're legitimately Super Bowl contenders. And the Ravens are one of those teams where they do really well against

you in the regular season and you think oh Belichick will be able to diagnose this and figure some things out when they get to the playoffs but that's the team that's probably the least afraid to play in Gillette and definitely the most ready to just throw everything at the wall to try to beat you uh I still think in a rematch the patriots would be um the favorite but they're to me it's just like it's it maybe it's recency bias it's just hard to see outside of that but in that vein i do think that the texans i know that their defense is flawed as well but deshaun watson and what he can do he's sort of like if you take some of the best parts of Lamar Jackson as a runner and like just a mobile guy and you take the dynamic of Patrick Mahomes as a passer and put it into a player all in one. Deshaun Watson's like super, super talented and has already given the Patriots fits in the past.

I think there's this weird part of my brain that's broken by the Texans. Like every year, I think like you can't be, you can't blow it again. Like you can't continue to blow having the opportunity to be a great team every year. And I start to give them the benefit of the doubt and they make me look stupid. So I can't believe I'm doing this again. But I just, when I look at Deshaun Watson, it's hard for me to imagine,

like I would want to see how the Patriots could handle him because he can also throw the ball on a dime, you know, he's just a really good athlete. And I do think that their coaching staff has gotten a little bit better in terms of handling how they move through the season and not going too hard too early. They've started to protect Deshaun, which was like a huge issue in the first couple of games. And of course last season. So in that, and that's really the only division that like you can kind of look to. So I think that's where my head's at. Yeah. I agree with you on the Houston Texans. I think they're definitely a formidable opponent. Obviously their

defense takes the hit with the loss of JJ Watt. And you have to be sympathetic toward that situation when it comes to Watt being able to stay on the field and what he's meant to that team. So it will make the Patriots path in that regard a little bit easier because don't forget these two teams see each other down the line in the regular season. So we will get a chance to see the Houston Texans up close and personal. But Watson is, to me, I think one of those quarterbacks that has to worry you. He has the ability to extend plays with his legs. He has that Lamar Jackson-like burst where he can take off, run with the ball, and cause problems. I think he's a better pure passer than Jackson as well.

That's not a knock to Lamar Jackson. I just think Watson's had a few more seasons of seasoning under him. And I think that will come out in few more seasons of seasoning under him. And I think that will come out in the wash when these two teams play. So I think the Houston Texans can present a challenge to the Patriots, maybe in that game. I don't necessarily know if I look at them as a playoff challenger, because I think that the other Ravens and the chiefs are that much more advanced from this team, but you make an interesting point on the chiefs as well. That defense is going to be suspect and you need to see more of what we've seen flashes of their run defense improving.

You can definitely run the ball on the Kansas city chiefs. And I look for that to continue. So, and the Ravens are the Ravens. I think they are the, the legitimate challenger to the Patriots at this point. But as always, Tanya,

we looked at the, the schedule and they play the games on the field, not on paper. So I think you've made some interesting points, but we'll all see what happens. We're all keeping a sharp eye on what this team can do and how the Patriots will react. Finally, my friend, and again, I thank you for coming on here today, but I couldn't let you go without getting your take on one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. You didn't think you were going to get out of here without us talking about Brady. No, no, no, no.

Tanya, I don't know if you've heard, but Tom Brady's 42 years old. And I don't know if you've heard this, but you know, it's, I mean, you know, no one talks about it. No one ever. That is shocking news. Yeah, it is. You know, he looks so good. You would have no, you have no idea the amount of investigative journalism I've had to do the last couple of weeks to find out Tom Brady's age because it's so unpublicized. And obviously, you know, my friend on the other end of the microphone is really the master of quick wit. You didn't think I was not going to miss an opportunity to drop one of my pearls of sarcasm. I had to do it. You had to do it, yes.asm. I had to do it, but in any case, absolutely, I had to do it. But in any case, all kidding aside,

the window for Brady's days of contending for titles, it does slightly close a bit more with each passing week and his supporting cast that the offensive skill position has really been a rollercoaster ride this season. We all know the names that have scrambled around the roster this year. And knowing that Tom is so motivated by that quote unquote next one, do you buy into some of maybe these hot take narratives that say this group of tight ends, running backs and receivers are simply not enough? Or do you think Brady has enough of that magic left in the tank to take this team to a Super Bowl title this year? I mean, obviously, it's so easy to look at them and say that right now because the offense hasn't been carrying the team. But to me, of course it's enough.

Brady's never had a group that wasn't enough for him. Even, you know, go back to the 2006 AFC Championship game when he's throwing to Reshae Caldwell and these guys, and they almost won that game and ended up in the Super Bowl. They would have won, by the way, because it was against Rex Grossman and the Bears. So, you know, some of his worst receiving cores and the least talented groups he's had, he's made it deep into the playoffs. This group, when healthy, really, it's got some dynamic options there. So let's really break it down real quick. The fact of the matter is, the biggest difference from last season's offense to this one, which by the way, everyone thought last season's offense wasn't good enough to win a title either. They said it

all season long, all season long on my network, on ESPN, everywhere. That was all anybody talked about was that they just didn't have enough. So let's see what's so different from last season that won the Super Bowl. It's basically Rob Gronkowski. Okay. Josh Gordon, we, they, they, the Patriots had them for a couple of games. You know, Josh Gordon had a good run run there but they couldn't rely on him you know that that wasn't that ended up sort of fizzling out I think that it's easy to forget that that was not a real he was not a reliable part of the entire narrative last season so you're basically missing Rob Gronkowski's blocking and you're the the offensive line has gotten worse. We know this. However, Isaiah Wynn, maybe he comes back and is healthy. That'll

be a huge boost. And I've seen every single game, I've watched that offensive line struggle early on and tighten up as the game goes on, which means that they're going to tighten up as the season goes on. So now you have James White, who we know is reliable, regardless of whether they don't use him for three games. Sonny Michel looked a lot better the last couple of games. He's been able to start to find a rhythm. And again, we have the history of watching Sonny start to develop a rhythm over a season and break out when people think that he's probably not capable of doing it.

Rex Burkhead's getting healthy, which is great. We've seen, obviously, what Mohamed Sanu can do when people are sort of trying to cover Julian Edelman and he's pulling defenders so that Sanu can get his shots, right? And then, you know, I... Listen, Ben Watson can catch a ball or two every game. That is enough for me. I just don't see where the panic is.

I understand it would be nice to have someone stretch the field a little bit. But, you know, Dorsett always has his moments. Like, he can kind of do whatever Brady needs him to do. And I haven't even mentioned the fact that they have a first-round wide receiver waiting in the wings. And I know that there's a lot of concern about whether Brady trusts him or not. But the fact of the matter is, at some point's going to get on the field and we don't that that's a that's a unknown commodity at this point I'm really excited to see what they do for the next

half of the season yeah I agree with you and I think you've made some great great points first of all I think you delivered the soundbite of the week Tanya and I appreciate that and I. And I may, I may actually lift that and use it with your permission. And that is Tom Brady has never had a wide receiver core or a collection of skill position players that have never been enough for him. I think that speaks to his brilliance. I think that speaks to how great he's been for the past 20 years. And I think that so adequately sums up exactly what's on the mind and heart of every Patriots fan. And I think you articulated that perfectly. So major kudos on that one because I think that was brilliantly said.

The other points that you brought up that I really want to emphasize were the return of Isaiah Wynn to the offensive line. And I think that's going to make a huge difference here. He is a natural left tackle. People forget that Marshall Newhouse, who's been getting a lot of negative press up here, is not a natural left tackle. He's not actually a natural starter, believe it or not. He's more of a depth piece. He's been called upon to play out of

position. He's more comfortable on the right side. He's moved over to the left, done a, I want to say an adequate job, maybe even a little bit less than that. But with Wynn's return, that will help. You just hope for good health for Isaiah Wynn because that's been his real downfall, and that's been the knock on him is being able to stay healthy and on the field. And Nikhil Harry, I've had the opportunity to watch him up close and personal in training camp, mini camp, and seeing the workouts and what this kid can do. We've all seen the film on him from Arizona State. He can play, and he is very good at being able to go up, get contested catches, make some tough plays down the field, and that could give a new dimension to

this Patriots offense. Because make no mistake about it, I think this kid is ready. He can't be counted on to be their number one option, and he's not going to be, not as long as you have Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and even Philip Dorsett on this core of receivers. But Nikhil Harry can go up and make a couple of eye-opening plays for you. I think he can give you similar production, maybe even more than what Josh Gordon was giving. So again, this is the reason why we have you on, Tanya. It's great to always get a great perspective from someone that does a lot of national analysis and not just in the cocoon that I find myself in here in New England often. It's good to be able to see that and to see that these things are visible far across the country over on the West Coast. So once again, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time out today to join me here on Locked on Patriots. It's my honor. And it's always my privilege, my friend, before I let you go, I'm sure all of our listeners already do, but just in case they

don't, please take a moment to let everyone know where they can find your great work and where they can follow you on social media and help get time verified. Oh my gosh. Yes. Um, it's at Tanya Ray Fox on Twitter. Very easy. Just my full name. And that's where I mostly am. It's lit. That's linked to my Fox and Fallon podcast. You'll see that tagged there. You'll see my Instagram is linked there as well. I try to keep it very easy for everybody. One-stop shop. You can find everything you need. So at Tanya Ray Fox and Mike, thank you so much for having me on. It was a pleasure to talk to you. This is honestly like, I can't think of a better way to spend my Friday morning than to wake up, drink my cold

brew and talk to you about the Patriots. I genuinely had a blast. Oh, I did too. Absolutely. And it won't be the last time that you'll be on the hot seat here on Locked On Patriots, I can assure you I would love to have you back sometime and I thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me always a pleasure, my friend enjoy the second half of the season and we'll continue to go back and forth on Twitter

keep an eye on both of our Twitter feeds Tanya and I always have some good back and forths and some good conversations, and that will continue into the second half of 2019, I'm sure. Absolutely. Thank you so much, Mike, and we will be talking soon. Go Patriots. Thank you, my friend.

Likewise, and best of luck, and enjoy the second half, and continue great work in all of your endeavors. You make us proud up here in Boston, Tanya. Oh, thank you so much. I feel the same. Thank you. Thank you, my friend.

Have a great day. Bye, Mike. And as for me, I will be back on Monday to say bye-bye to the bye week, and I will start to look ahead to the Patriots matchup on Sunday, November 17th versus the Philadelphia Eagles. As always, please be sure to join me each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Subscribe and listen to Locked On Patriots

via your preferred podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots. I thank Tanya Rae Fox for her appearance today, but most of all, I thank you so much for listening. Have a great day and a great weekend, everyone.