Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots - October 14, 2019: Still Unbeaten, Now What?

Episode Date: October 14, 2019

The New England Patriots are off to their first 6-0 start since 2015. On this long-weekend episode of Locked On Patriots, host Mike D’Abate is joined by Hal Bent of Full Press Coverage to break down the offensive and defensive standouts, potential areas for improvement and who might soon be a fresh face in Foxboro.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thank you. This episode is brought to you in part by Peloton. And Peloton is offering a limited time offer. Get $100 off accessories when you purchase the Peloton bike. And get a great cardio workout at home. Go to OnePeloton.com and use promo code LOCKED to get started. I'm Mike DeBate and I am your host of Locked On Patriots, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter at L-O underscore Patriots. I hope that you are all enjoying the holiday weekend.

And for the first time since early September, there was no Patriots football on Sunday. I know, folks, the void was palpable. It was for me, too. But on the bright side, at least this mini-bye week could be enjoyed in celebratory fashion. And that's because your defending Super Bowl champions improved to a 6-0 record with a 35-14 victory over the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium on Thursday. And the Pats remain undefeated. They're only one of two teams that are without a loss in 2019. And there has been plenty

to talk about throughout the first six games of the season. Just as a little aside, you know who the other team that is not having a loss this season? Yep, that's right. Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers. They were victorious over the Los Angeles Rams yesterday, and also a big win for the Houston Texans, who put themselves in the mix for an AFC Conference title contention, beating the Kansas City Chiefs, who suddenly look mortal, folks. So we will be discussing those matchups coming up. However, we will be breaking down some of the hottest topics of conversation of the season so far for your New England Patriots starting today,

and that will be with my guest, Hal Hal Bent of Full Breast Coverage. Hal is a valued colleague of mine. He's one of the best at breaking down offensive and defensive strategy. Hal will be offering up his thoughts on the Patriots' standouts on offense and on defense, as well as what might be in store for the Pats roster this week. So a great holiday Monday, listen, coming your way today. Sit tight, and I hope that you will enjoy today's show. Now the Patriots might not have played yesterday, but fear not, Pats fans.

There's no reason to panic. No human sacrifice, no dogs and cats living together, and certainly no mass hysteria. As the team will be back in action one week from today when they travel to the Medellins to take on the New York Jets on Monday Night Football at MetLife Stadium. But there was plenty of action on the Week 6 NFL slate and we will start with those Jets who were victorious over the Dallas Cowboys

yesterday. Sam Darnold gave the Jets offense that had struggled big time in his absence a huge boost by throwing two touchdown passes in his return from mononucleosis. And the New York Jets held on to beat the Dallas Cowboys 24-22 on Sunday afternoon for their first win of the season. Now, the Jets led 21-9 in the fourth quarter.

Dak Prescott and that top-ranked Cowboys offense, they came storming back. And they had a chance to tie this in the closing moments, but the Cowboys tried an onside kick. Former Patriot Demarius Thomas recovered for the Jets. They hold on to improve to 1-4, and they won for the first time under Coach Adam Gaze. So this Monday night or next week, folks, is going to be a game. It's going to be unlike the 30-14 smackdown that the Patriots laid on the Jets on September 22nd. Their offense will be much improved with Sam Darnold.

He is the real deal, guys. I mean, he can effectively move the ball. He looked great today. And their defense, they came in ranked as the 10th ranked defense in DVOA. So I really think this is going to be an exciting game coming up in the Meadowlands. And this could be a really, really good one this week in Jersey. And the Pats will be tested. There's no question about it.

And we will be breaking this one down all week long here on Locked On, including our crossover this week with John Buchko of Locked On Jets. Enjoyed talking to John a couple of weeks ago when the Patriots played the Jets. It'll be a different story this time around. I think going to be much more competitive in the Meadowlands than it was in Foxborough. But today is about your New England Patriots, and I will be discussing the six-pack of games gone by with Al in just a moment. However, before I proceed with that,

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Again, that's B-L-U-E-C-H-E-W.com, promo code MLB, to try it for free. Blue Chew is the better, cheaper, faster choice, and we thank them for sponsoring the podcast. My guest today is someone I am so proud to call a colleague. He is one of the very best you will find anywhere at analyzing offensive and defensive strategy on a football field. He is a tremendous Patriots writer for platforms such as Musket Fire, a fan-sided, and bostonsportspage.com.

You can listen to him on the Sports Crunch podcast, and also he is one of the finest writers for FPC Patriots. He is also the co-host of FPC Patriots podcast. He is Hal Bent, and he joins me today. Hal, thank you so much for joining me, and welcome to Locked On Patriots. Mike, thank you. It's a pleasure to be with you and talking Patriots. I always have a great time.

Absolutely, my friend. And we always enjoy having you, and I always enjoy talking Patriots football with you. And Hal, it's been a great great season so far uh you know you listen to some and some will not have you believe that but it really has been when you can get through six games and still be undefeated and play as well as the patriots have especially on the defensive side of the ball there's no question about it but we'll start with the unpleasantries first and i say that tongue in cheek because this is still a team that's puttingek because this is still a team that's putting points up. This is still a team that's chugging away.

But some would have you believe that the Patriots' offense is not only anemic but not Super Bowl quality. Not going to mention names here. We'll just let that sit. But in any case, you do an amazing job week after week of breaking down offensive strategy and defensive, which we'll get to in a minute, but offensive strategy for full press coverage we'll get to in a minute, but offensive strategy for full press coverage and the FPC Patriots team.

In analyzing this offense and in taking a look at what this team is able to do and bring to the table, who have been your offensive standouts so far, and who do you think has been the catalyst of the Patriots' offensive performance thus far throughout the first six games of the season? So, yeah, so this season I'm looking at, you know, the boring answer is, you know, the offense runs through Tom Brady and Julian Edelman, and you can pile up all the stats you want, even that 42 Brady's, you want, even that 42, Brady's, you know, throwing for averaging 290 yards a game, 10 touchdowns, seven net yards per attempt, you know, Edelman bleeds the team, 38 receptions, 449 yards.

Those are the easy answers. Of course we know it's those two. They've been the catalysts of this offense for years. What we really saw last week on Thursday and really this season as well has been James White continuing to have that huge role in the offense, catching the ball out of the backfield. Teams know he's there. They know that Brady is looking for him. And time after time, he gets open. And especially the elusiveness after the catch to convert first downs. James White's really that little engine that could for the New England offense.

And you're starting to see that offensive strategy focusing more on White in the game planning just because he's a weapon that defenses cannot stop. Absolutely, and I'm glad that you mentioned White because White is always a guy that somehow always performs big, always comes up big in big games, but he tends to get lost in the shuffle in terms of players and guys that either the media or fans will mention right off the bat. And then once someone mentions him,

then you start to see the praise come his way. But White has been absolutely phenomenal, and there's no question about it. He really, really has been both catching the ball out of the backfield. We saw him run the ball effectively the other night against the Giants as well a little bit. You know, Sonny Michel, obviously, has gotten off to a slow start. He's looked a little bit better running the ball the last couple of games. There is no

question about that, but Edelman I think has shown such amazing toughness and such amazing skill to be able to do what he's done playing through what has to be excruciating pain. You mentioned that as well. You see him clutch his chest.

He grimaces every time he makes a reception. And Pat's fans' hearts obviously go out to him because you're looking at it and saying, how much can the guy take? But ultimately, he's done a tremendous job. And it's always interesting to me how people will criticize the offense if they don't put up blockbuster points and they're not perfect in every execution it's difficult and they've faced some decent defenses including a Giants defense that impressed me the other night at least for the first three quarters they look pretty gassed by the fourth quarter but they did look pretty solid in the the first you know three quarters so I

think it's going to be interesting to see and And again, the New York Jets, I opened the show by talking about them a little bit today. And I think this is going to be a very good test for the Patriots coming up on Monday night. We'll get to your opinion on that in a minute. But on the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots defense has been loaded by so many pundits and fans alike. and it's absolutely well-deserved. I mean, they're putting up historic numbers. They've been excellent in all three phases of defense, front seven, linebacking core, and, of course, the secondary. When you take a look at this defense and what they've been able to accomplish

through the first six games, not allowing an offensive touchdown pass for the first five games, really, when you think about it. It was in game five that they finally allowed one. Who has been the catalyst for the defensive side of the ball, and who have you looked at as your standouts here

when it comes to the Patriots' defense? You said it, Mike. It's so hard to choose because you can just go right up and down the line. I mean, they lead the league in sacks. You know, you look at the secondary that they have there, Stephon Gilmore, clearly the best cornerback in the NFL right now, pro football focus going into that Giants game,

heads Jonathan Jones and Jason McCourty on their rankings as the first and second ranked quarterbacks in the NFL going into that game and then you know last year's undrafted rookie free agent surprise JC Jackson I mean I've never seen a team four deep at the cornerback position with that much talent it's just amazing to watch them play and as as you said, go down the line. I love this linebacker group. I think one thing, if you look at the Patriots' defensive strategy, they've been in that 4-3 defense for the most part, playing in a nickel defense for, I mean, I think it goes,

I look back to when they brought in Mark Anderson in 2011 is when they really switched that defense over, and they've been in that. And this year, because of those strong linebackers, we're seeing Jamie Collins, who's revitalized his career. I mean, he talked about doing everything, passes defended, fumbles, sacks, interceptions. He's a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

Dante Hightower's got his quickness back. Kyle Van Noy, consistent, and especially in the pass rush, has been a huge contributor. And then Jawan Bentley and Alandon Roberts in the run game have been very, very stout. So you look at this team talk to bottom on defense, and it's hard to pick somebody and say, you know, who's the standout. But for the most unexpected standout, I have to go with Danny Shelton.

I mean, here's a guy who lasted through free agency. Nobody touched him. The Patriots have got him back on a one-year deal for, you know, chump change basically compared to what he was making in the past. He's got two sacks, four quarterback hits, 17 tackles in six games out of your nose tackle, including two for a lot. And you see that interior pressure that he brings.

He's just a wrecking ball in the middle of the defense. And, you know, he's shed a few pounds, and he's gotten that quickness back that made him a first-round pick for Cleveland all those years ago. So he's probably the most surprising defensive player on this strong, strong defense the Patriots have. Yeah, I agree with you on Shelton, and I'm glad that you mentioned him because his presence in the middle, especially when it comes to the front seven, flanked around guys like Adam Butler and on Lawrence Guy,

those guys have really done such an amazing job, especially with run stuffing. The Patriots' run defense has always been a concern, especially the last few years. That was always either their Achilles heel about not being able to stop the run. They had beefed up a little bit on the secondary, especially since the season where we had Darrell Revis and we had Brandon Browner.

The secondary started to become a little bit more of a formidable force in the Patriots' defense. But the front seven and stopping the run was always a difficulty. They've really done an amazing job with that this year. And I do like the fact that Shelton has dropped a little bit of weight. He has fit nicely into that role. And especially after him being a healthy scratch a few times last year. It didn't look like even in the offseason when the Patriots had released him,

he ended up coming back and really proving his worth, and he's been a tremendous stalwart on that defense, so I'm glad that you mentioned him. You touched briefly on the linebackers and Jamie Collins, and one thing that I did want to kind of follow up on with this was the play of guys like Collins and Hightower and even the rookie Chase Winovich coming in and playing such explosive defense within the linebacking core. Do you believe that this improved linebacking core this year has been one of the reasons why the front seven and the secondary have been so stout this year, or do you think it's really an effort on the secondary's part that has led to better play on the linebacking core?

No, I mean, you often hear Bill Belichick talk about, you know, one of the things he loves to lecture the media about is the pass rush and the coverage being in concert. And, you know, you can be aggressive in the secondary because you know you've got two and a half seconds and that's it and the pass rush is going to be there and you can tailor your game to that. And same on the front end, the pass rush knows, hey, you know, if we don't get to the quarterback, we've got these guys who are going to pick us up in the secondary as well. So we see that balance with the team. And like I said, a big part of that is the role of the –

I mean, you look at the Patriots statistically, and they're getting sacks and pressures on the quarterback from everywhere on that front seven. It's not like these teams where, you know, you're saying, well, you know, you've got one or two guys that get pressure, and that front seven. It's not like these teams where, you know, you're saying, well, you know, you've got one or two guys that get pressure and that's it. It's not a situation like that. It's, you know, seven, eight guys with sacks,

multiple sacks already through these games. And, you know, like I said, the strategy changing to include more time with linebackers on the field, again, it's where Bill Belichick is zigging, the strategy changing to include more time with linebackers on the field. Again, it's where Bill Belichick is zigging where the rest of the NFL is zagging. Everybody's bringing in these lighter linebackers, these, you know, hybrid safety linebackers, and Belichick's out there. He's got a couple of whompers out there, Hightower, Bentley, you know, Van Noy, these big, strong linebackers,

and they're making these opposing offenses one-dimensional, taking away the running game, and they contribute in the passing game as well. We've seen with Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy in coverage, and Jawan Bentley, underrated coverage linebacker as well. So, yeah, I think a lot of it is that linebacking group is keying the entire defense here and making the secondary stronger and making that pass rush stronger than it was in years past. Once again, I'm speaking to Hal Bent of Full Press Coverage and Full Press Patriots. Hal, you made some great points on the offense, on the defense.

I know that you had mentioned, especially in the linebacking court, guys like Van Noy and guys like Hightower and such an improvement there. And of course, the secondary, you mentioned J.C. Jackson, Stephon Gilmore. Definitely, there's so much to praise when it comes to this defense. The offense, I know I had said earlier that it was unpleasantries and that people had poked holes in the offense and tried to look for ways in which the Patriots' offense might not be as formidable as possible. And they've had some issues on special teams too,

especially with the kicking game. When you look at the Patriots squad, now six games into the season, ten remaining in the regular season, doesn't look like a team that's going to miss the playoffs, hopefully. It looks like a team that's definitely playoff bound. We always say hopefully. You know, we live in hope. Anything and everything can happen on a football field, Al,

so you never take anything for granted. But when you look at this team, especially in the next 10 games that they have to play they have some very formidable opponents coming up on their schedule i think it starts with the new york jets this week against uh you know a team on monday night football that they're going to have to play that is much improved from the time that they played them the last time but they still have teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, conference games against teams like the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs. These will be tough tests for the New England Patriots. As you look at this team as constituted right now, what improvements do you think they need

to make either on the offensive side of the ball, maybe on the defensive side of the ball too, or on special teams that's going to help them be able to play up and beat this level of competition they have coming as the season progresses. Yeah, I mean, great point on the special teams, Mike. The kicking game, even when Steven Dostowski was healthy, was a concern. And, you know, it's just something you're not used to in New England. You've had two of the most consistent kickers in NFL history back-to-back.

It, you know, becomes an afterthought, I think, in kicking games. So that's definitely something that we keep an eye on. I mean, I don't think there's any easy solutions out there. There's plenty of teams that have kicking issues, so Patriots just joined that bunch there. So how do you pick that up? I mean, number one, obviously, compared to the Patriots last year, we see the running game.

You mentioned Sonny Michel picking it up recently in the last game or two. We've seen a little more jump in his step, a little more improvement. I think getting Rex Burkhead back really helps that offense as well, just because he's such a strong runner and receiver, just gives the defense something else to think about, has those linebackers back on their heel, not knowing if the offense is running the ball or passing the ball. They certainly have tendencies based on Sonny Michel in the game

or James White as far as running or passing the ball there. And, you know, just getting Isaiah Winn back from injured reserve around the bye week as well would be something that would really help this offense. He looked very impressive early on, especially blocking as a lead blocker in the running game as well. As far as the passing game, I mean, right now, 10 days off, you just want Phil Dorsett's hamstring, Edelman's chest and rib area, Josh Gordon's knee, finger, whatever else is hurting on the poor guy,

just hoping they have time to get a little bit better here. And on the defensive side, I mean, just pray for good health over there right now. I mean, they're clicking on all three phases. I mean, if there's one other improvement I'd like to see is Michael Bennett start creating some havoc in his limited snaps and maybe forcing the defensive coaches and Bill Belichick to put him on the field more and more as the defensive coaches and Bill Belichick to put him on the field more and more as the season goes on and have that dynamic pass rusher added to this already

strong group. That's a great point on Bennett, and I'm actually really, really glad that you brought that up because that's going to lead me into my final question for you today. Before we go ahead and do that, though, I did want to just touch on a couple of the points that you today. Before we go ahead and do that, though, I did want to just touch on a couple of the points that you made. I agree with you when it comes to the passing game and it comes to having this layoff, being

able to get guys healthy. Philip Dorsett definitely has been a huge part of this offense. He was missed on Thursday night against the New York Giants. You definitely hope that he'll be okay. It looks like the injury is minor and that he should be ready to go for the Monday nighter against the Jets, but we all live in hope and make sure that's the case. Josh Gordon, the collective Patriots Nation's breath was being held

when we saw him bent over backwards. I mean, that just looked like a really, really bad situation. It does look like he's avoided serious injury at this point I know he's probably hurting he's probably sore but it also looks like he may not have to miss significant time if any he might who knows he might even be you know ready to go on the Monday night game against the Jets but we'll eventually see and of course Julian Edelman Mr. Reliable you know just absolutely always in the right place at the right time it It's definitely not coincidental. It is by design and it's by skill that he is always in the right place at the right time. So getting back to Bennett and the point that you made on him,

I do believe, yes, that that is going to be something that I think fans are going to be looking for. He has been underutilized, especially in terms of what we thought he was going to bring to the table at defensive end. He's been mentioned in trade talks the last couple of days, and that's a little bit surprising, but when you take a look at the way the contract is structured and what that might mean for the Patriots in terms of being able to do that, because he might be unhappy with his role, if Bill Belichick is not willing to make any adjustments to that could he be used in a trade talk and that's the talk of the town right

now in New England what's the bigger talk of the town in New England right now is obviously the roster and what moves might be made and this little mini bye week is being seen as Bill Belichick's chance to evaluate the roster, look at what he's got, and possibly bring in some help, either at tight end or at wide receiver. Hal, we've heard the names. We've heard Tyler Afert. We've heard Stefan Diggs. We've heard A.J. Green. We've heard so many names bandied about. We've even heard possible return of Antonio Brown, which, with all due respect to my good friend Ian Glendon, our good friend Ian Glendon, I just don't see happening.

But, you know, I mean, who knows? I mean, stranger things have happened. You can't say anything and everything is possible in Foxborough and in the NFL, so nothing would shock me at this point. But when you look at this roster, who do you think the Patriots might look to in terms of being able to be brought in to help inject some life into this offense? Because defensively, they seem solid. I don't think they need to add pieces there. But offensively, do you see, or is there a defensive player that you might have your eye on? Yeah, defensively, not really. I mean, I think they're running smooth there.

If there's a key player injured in the next couple of weeks, I mean, that might open up some discussion there. And Bennett, like you talked about, that contract, obviously anybody that they're going to bring in with a big contract, they're going to have to free up space. I think last time I checked with our friend Miguel Benzon at Pat's Cap on Twitter, I think it was about $3.4 million in cap space is all they have.

So, you know, you're not bringing in Stefan Diggs for that. He's bringing in Eifert on that. So, you know, the Trent Williams talk on the offensive line, I just don't see those big high-money players coming in. It's just not a Bill Belichick thing to do. And you look at the roster and you say, you know, hopefully Isaiah Wynn will return, shore up the offensive line. Nikhil Harry could be practicing again very soon and could bring some of that athleticism to the receiving game. We saw a larger role for Jacoby Myers out of necessity.

I thought he acquitted himself very well Thursday night against the Giants. Some strong catches in tight windows, that's something that's going to endear him to Tom Brady as well. But I think the big position we're all talking about has been tight end. The loss of Gronk, obviously, has been huge. The loss of Dwayne Allen is something that really hasn't been talked about much. Matt Lacoste, first of all, can't even get on the field most of the time. And in his history, he's been a good but not great blocker. Ryan Izzo was the one that came in out of the draft last year out of Florida State, you know, as this high-level blocking tight end,

and he's really looked overmatched this season as a blocker. So, you know, Dwayne Allen's still out there. Whether he's healthy yet, I don't know. He was released by Miami with the injury designation. So, you know, that's a possibility of bringing back that blocking tight end to help out and give that running game a boost. You know, as far as trading for someone, you know, blocking tight ends, there's not a lot of great ones out there.

The name that I would think of is Indianapolis' Jack Doyle, probably one of the best blocking tight ends out there. He can catch the ball as well in a pinch. It's just why would Indianapolis trade him? He is in the last year of his contract. They do have Mo Alley-Cox behind him, but he is bringing a big cap hit. He would basically, I think, prorated over the rest of the season. He would pretty much eat up most of that $3.4 million.

And, you know, that's – and again, it comes back to Indianapolis, who's in a dogfight right now with Houston and the AFC South, a team that runs a lot of two tight end sets, be willing to give up that kind of player. So I'm not really looking at anybody flashy, but I'm looking at, you know, somebody that can come in and give that running game a little bit of a boost. And once that running game gets going, as we saw in the playoffs last year, that opens up a lot for this Patriots offense.

Yeah, it truly does. And I agree with you on Doyle and on the Colts. I think that right now, and that's really true of a lot of teams, is they would have to be a team that is looking for either salary riddance or they're out of it and they're looking to unload some players and be able to maybe bring some draft picks in and try to build from there. Indianapolis is neither one of those teams. They definitely don't need to shed cap. They've got plenty of space under the cap, and they're actually doing pretty well with managing that. They're also right now in the thick of a playoff spot as well, and they're competing for not only a divisional title, but a playoff spot as well. So that's going to be a big key. You mentioned Trent Williams. I know a lot of Patriots fans are hoping he would be the answer to some of their offensive line woes. Washington continues to dig their heels in and say they will not trade him. And right now it looks highly unlikely that

they would even think about moving him as opposed to actually moving him. Emmanuel Sanders had an injury yesterday in the Broncos game. He was mentioned as a possibility. That looks even dimmer now. So it will be interesting to see what the Patriots do over the course of the next couple of days. I do think before the trade deadline happens, this team will make a move somewhere. I agree with you. I think it's probably more likely at the tight end position, not at the wide receiver position, because Myers did show some flashes of being able to be a productive wide receiver. You mentioned the catches, the impressive catches that he made.

What impressed me more than anything about Myers the other night is his field presence and his field awareness, turning his head around, catching where the ball is, knowing where to put it and how to cradle it and how to catch it so that way he could protect it and move forward and know that he had room in front of him. That's something that's very, very difficult to teach, especially for an undrafted rookie. That's very unusual, and it shows why the Patriots had so much, I guess the word I'm trying to use is so much faith in him to be able to do what he needed to do. So that'll always be interesting, and we'll see.

But as always, you know, the Patriots probably have their eye on someone we haven't even thought of, and it could end up being very interesting. That's how it usually is. Yeah, exactly. It could be very interesting, and when the deal is done and you look at it and you go, wow, I didn't see that coming at all. But that's why Bill Belichick is who he is, And that's why the Patriots organization are who they are. They just know how to get the job done all the time. Hal, I can't thank you enough for coming on today. I really,

really appreciate your wisdom, your counsel. I appreciate you so much as a colleague. But most of all, I just, you know, I'm such a fan of the analysis and the work that you do. For the benefit of all of our listeners, please let everyone know where they can find you on social media and where they can find your great work in addition to FullPressCoverage.com. Oh, certainly, Mike. So first, look for me at FullPressCcoverage.com. I'm always there. You'll find me as well when I fill in for Mike on game day at the FPC underscore Patriots Twitter account as well. Fan-sided, I'm with musketfire.com. On Twitter, I'm at halbent01.

Stop by and say hi. I'm always happy to talk Patriots as well. And anywhere else on Sports Crunch podcast as well with my good friend David, who is nice enough to have me on there to talk about all things NFL. And anything that I do can be found on my website, which is bostonsportpage.com. I'm out there. I'm easy to find. I'm lurking in the Facebook Patriots groups as well. Come on and say hi anytime. As you can hear, I can't shut up about the Patriots. You do an amazing job. Like I said, it's an honor for me to call you a colleague,

but I'm a fan regardless. And again, today you've proven your Patriots knowledge is certainly second to none as far as I'm concerned, my friend. And thank you so much for joining me today. And as for me, I will be back tomorrow to bring you the latest Pat's news, notes, and analysis. And we continue to look ahead to the October 21st Monday night matchup with the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

As always, please join us each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Subscribe and listen via your favorite podcast provider. And we're also very excited about the launch of our newest sports channel covering the NHL. As you know by listening to this show, we feature local experts covering the biggest news, and now we're covering the ice daily with hockey podcasts. And for all of you fans of the Spoked Bee, I encourage you to check out Locked On Bruins with host Ian McLaren.

And no matter your favorite NHL team, you can find that NHL team on our website, www.lockedonpodcast.com slash NHL. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots. I thank Hal Bent for his wisdom and counsel today and for joining me on the show. And thank you so much for listening. Have a great day, everyone.