Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots - September 11, 2019: Crossover Wednesday with Locked On Dolphins

Episode Date: September 11, 2019

With the New England Patriots set to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, host Mike D’Abate welcomes Travis Wingfield, host of Locked On Dolphins to preview this AFC East divisional matchup in South Beach.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

And hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to our crossover Wednesday edition of Lockdown Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Lockdown Patriots, as always, is a part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. I am your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover the Patriots for fullpresscoverage.com, which is where you can always find my written work. You can also reach out to me on Twitter at MDABATEFBC, and be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account on Twitter

while you're at it at LO underscore Patriots. Wednesday is always a big day for all of us across the Locked On Podcast Network, especially for the NFL shows. And today, as the Patriots prepare to take their talents to South Beach to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at 1 p.m., it's my pleasure to welcome in Travis Wingfield of Locked On Dolphins. And Travis puts out one of the best casts across our network and, in my humble opinion,

in any network. So I look forward to speaking with travis in a moment but first we start with news that broke yesterday afternoon and that is that the patriots are trading wide receiver demarius thomas in the division to the new york jets yes folks do not adjust your dial that is correct the patriots made a trade with the jets and it's for a 2021 2021 sixth round pick and sources tell espn's Adam Schefter that the Patriots trading Thomas to the Jets is actually the first deal between the two organizations since New England sent a package of picks, including a first rounder to New York in exchange for the rights to hire Bill Belichick as their

head coach in 2000. So big news that the Patriots were willing to trade Thomas within the division. Even bigger news that Bill Belichick was willing to trade Thomas within the division. Even bigger news that Bill Belichick was willing to do business with the Jets. That is really a surprise. But Thomas heading to the Meadowlands to join Adam Gase. There's definitely some familiarity there from their days with the Broncos. And it doesn't make a lot of it does make some sense that there would be some interest on that. So definitely something to keep an eye on when it comes to that. I will have some thoughts on tomorrow's edition of Locked On Patriots regarding Thomas's trade.

But today is all about the Dolphins. And I am about to welcome in Travis in just a moment. However, before I proceed with that, I wanted to take a minute to address all you guys out there. And ladies, you'll appreciate this too. Now, this is a topic that is often taboo, but always commands your attention. And that is performance in the bedroom. Guys, remember the days when you were always ready to go? Well, now you can increase your performance and get the extra confidence in bed. Listen, bluechew.com. That's blue like the color blue. Blue Chew brings you the first chewable with the same FDA-approved active ingredients as the competitors, so

you know they work. You can take them anytime, day or night, even on a full stomach. And since they're chewable, they work up to twice as fast as a pill, so you can be ready whenever the opportunity arises. Sports fans love using the word explosive, and Blue Chew is certainly that and more. Now, this isn't just for guys who can't perform. It's for any guy who wants extra function to enhance their performance in the bedroom. Blue Chew is prescribed online and shipped straight to your door in a discreet package.

So no in-person doctor's visit, no waiting in the pharmacy, and best of all, no more awkwardness. They're made in the USA, and since Blue Chew prepares and ships direct, they're cheaper than a pharmacy. Right now, we've got a special deal for our listeners. Visit bluechew.com and get your've got a special deal for our listeners. Visit bluechew.com and get your first shipment free when you use our special promo code MLB. Just pay $5 in shipping.

Again, that's B-L-U-E-C-H-E-W dot 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. Once again, the Dolphins will take on the Patriots, and the Patriots will welcome old friend Brian Flores back to the flay, even though they are playing this game down in South Beach. And here to break it all down for us today is the host of Locked on Dolphins.

Incredible Travis Wingfield joins me today. Travis, welcome to Locked on Patriots. Hey, thanks for having me, Mike. You mentioned the Patriots bringing their talents to South Beach. I don't know if you guys have to bring even half of the talent to South Beach to get a win, but hey, we're going to discuss it anyways. Well, you know what? It's always a house of horrors for the Patriots when they come down to Miami. Strange things happen down there.

I don't know if it's the humidity, whatever. But we'll get into that in a little bit, and I'll definitely pick your brain when it comes to why the Patriots seem to always have some difficulty down in Florida. However, we start with the unpleasant news for you, and I'll do like a Band-Aid. I'll rip this one right off, right from the get-go. 59 points is the most ever allowed by the Dolphins in a regular season game,

and Sunday was also the biggest regular season margin of defeat in team history. This might be a question that we need longer than the 20 to 30 minutes that we have allotted to answer, but I'll ask it anyway. What exactly happened on Sunday with the Baltimore Ravens, in your opinion? It was a Murphy's Law game. Anything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. And that's pretty much from the opening gun all the way through to the end. Even when the Patriots, not the Patriots, the Ravens kind of called the dogs off towards the

end. The Dolphins still couldn't execute offensively or defensively. Robert Griffin III had success. The Dolphins offense didn't do anything in that second half. They scored zero points in a game that was a 32 point margin at halftime. So it kind of gives you an idea of how the ineptitude just kind of snowballed and avalanched into one comprehensively futile effort. And it started with the coaching staff who this, the biggest thing I was looking forward to this season, Mike, in a season that I knew was going to be challenging was the coaching staff's ability to put the team in better positions than we saw in the past with Adam Gase, who week one in New York is already a disaster, and Matt Burke, who is no longer a defensive coordinator in the league.

But Brian Flores' game plan and in-game adjustments, they were horrendous. They had no plan to adjust to Lamar Jackson taking deep shots accurately and hitting those deep throws and exposing the Dolphins' defense and stretching them out. And they just had no real idea for how to stop that. Ian continued to go after this, this contained rush scheme to keep him in the pocket. He only ran the ball for like six yards. I think it was, and just continue to torch the dolphins in the passing game. And they continue to stay in that single high safety approach with two safeties coming down to support the running game, leaving basically a cover zero package and Jackson made

them pay time and time again. Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, from what I've seen from the game and studying the film and doing my research on the Dolphins this week, I think you hit the nail right on the head in so many points. And look, you know, Lamar Jackson is definitely a great talent at quarterback. There's no question about it. And the Dolphins will definitely face a formidable talent this week as well, despite the fact that the guy is 42 years old.

And I know people love to make a lot of the deal out of that, especially up here in New England. But there will definitely be a challenge when it comes to that. Sticking on the Dolphins defense, though, I wanted to ask you one question about the Dolphins being, you know, able to either allow touchdowns or be able to, you know, to defend in that way. The Dolphins allowed touchdowns on their first four defensive positions and six of their first seven. They surrendered 19 first downs on Baltimore's first 42 plays from scrimmage. With the Patriots coming to town, how do you see the Finns defense making adjustment to handle the Pats' high-powered offense and Tom Brady coming in here on Sunday well it's kind of a double-edged sword because I think the one thing you would point to

as far as how to generate more of a defensive effort from pressure and coverage on the back end would be to send extra rushers because that was not the game plan against Lamar Jackson they would sometimes bring the spy on a rush but like I said it was entirely futile and if you're going to blitz Tom Brady you're probably going to burned. So I don't see why that would be the case, but that seems to be the most reasonable idea for how to change the game plan compared to what they did. I know they're going to want to play man coverage, which is tough to do against Lamar Jackson, because if you play man coverage, you turn your back to the quarterback like Lamar, he's going to beat you with his legs. With Tom Brady, you play zone coverage.

He's going to pick that apart every single time, as we've seen time and time again when they go up against Pittsburgh and that zone coverage scheme they often run. So I think the Dolphins are going to try to run a lot of man defense. I'm really curious to see where Xavier Howard travels if he goes with Antonio Brown or Josh Gordon. They had to call on X to come down into the slot because Hollywood Brown was giving the Dolphins fits. He had two catches, two long touchdowns. I think it was like 130 yards for two scores. And then they finally kick Xavier Howard inside and he has the best

rep of any defender on the day covering Brown on a deep route. So I think that it'll be interesting to see where Xavier Howard lines up and how they get these linebackers more involved because Jerome Baker and Sam McGuaghan the two nickel backers that play the most were a train wreck on on Sunday and they were playing really well in camp and preseason so I'll be curious to see the roles they have in the game on Sunday against the Patriots yeah you definitely made two points that I'm glad that you made uh one which is the uh the ability of Tom Brady to be able to dissect a zone defense. And we've seen him do it so often, especially against the Steelers. And I was really surprised to see the Steelers play as much zone as they played on Sunday night,

knowing full well what Brady is able to do. And we saw him be able to take that apart. The other is on Zabian Howard, who has typically given the Patriots some fits over the course of the last couple of years. He's definitely been a guy that they have zeroed in on, and you know that Brady's going to be looking for him and probably trying to avoid his direction at all costs. So it will be interesting to see who they line up Howard on as well. It could be Gordon. It could be Brown.

It's amazing. Three weeks ago, I don't think anyone would probably have figured that in week two of the NFL season that we'd be talking about opposing defensive backs lining up to defend Patriots wide receivers, Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon. It just did not seem like it was possible, but that's where we are. That's who we are here in New England. And we'll see what happens on Sunday. Before I continue to grill Travis on the New England hot seat, I first have a question for you. Yes, you are listeners. If you found $100 on the street, would you pick it up or would you keep walking? Of course you'd take the money. So why do you keep picking winners and not

betting on them? That's why I go to my bookie. It's fast, it's easy, and they pay when you win. Let's face it, where you're betting is just as important as who you're betting on. I wouldn't be telling you guys to bet with them if they weren't the best. So do the smart thing. If you're going to bet this football season, bet with my bookie. Did you know that you could bet on games even after kickoff? If by the second half it looks like your bet is going to lose, you can always just take the other side.

If you're the kind of guy that likes to bet a little and win a lot, try a parlay. If all of your picks come through, you'll multiply your winnings. And no matter how you bet, the NFL season is the best time of year. Join now and MyBookie will double your first deposit. Use promo code LOCKEDON to activate the offer. That's promo code LOCKEDON. Visit MyBookie today.

You play. You win. You get paid. Once again, I'm speaking with Travis Wingfield, host of Locked On Dolphins. And Travis, there's a great deal of speculation surrounding Josh Rosen and when we might see him taking snaps for the Dolphins. Now, you've alluded to the fact that the offensive line had a very rough game. And I'm probably putting that mildly on Sunday, but they did. They had their troubles for sure.

And in fact, I mean, we saw Jesse Davis line up at left tackle, which is definitely not his natural position. And there are a few new faces on that line as well. I don't believe we'll see Rosen thrown to the wolves on Sunday, but in your opinion, is there a chance that we could see him sooner rather than later relieving Ryan Fitzpatrick? Well, you made a good point alluding to the offensive line help or lack thereof that he has because the Dolphins did bring in a whole brand new right side of the offensive line. And then they moved Jesse Davis to the left side, like you mentioned, and he just doesn't have the quickness and kick slide to really compete with the speed that comes off that left edge in the National Football League. On the right side, Danny Isidore is brand new. Julianne Davenport is brand new. And I actually made a thread back when the Dolphins played the Texans last year on Twitter showing the

inefficiencies and the weaknesses of Julianne Davenport. And of course, now the curse comes back around a year later and he's wearing the aqua and orange, but those guys just got beaten to a pulp and you actually watch that game and I'm sure you've watched a little bit of the replay in the tape Mike and Ryan Fitzpatrick actually played a pretty good game especially when you consider the circumstances that he was surrounded by and going through training camp in the preseason everything that Josh Rosen did was late he was the last guy onto the field every single day and he was the last guy to complete passes when it came to some of those timing drills and the timing reps you want to

get in, whether you're throwing on air or against coverage. And he just seems to kind of, if you have a two, a two, a two part read to half the field, you have to check the one thing first. And if that's not there, you then know to go to the second read. And it seems like with Josh Rosen, he peaks that first read, sees it's not there. Then he has to come back and confirm the second parts there rather than just trust his eyes. And that beat late always gets him under pressure. It disrupts the timing of the route. It puts the accuracy of the football on the wrong shoulder, on the wrong hip. Everything just kind of goes out of whack because he is that beat late. And we saw that on Sunday against the Ravens when he did come in for mop-up duty.

He went one for three with five yards and threw an interception in the game. So I think that if Josh Rosen's going to play under Brian Flores and Chad O'Shea, he's going to have to show them major improvement in the way he reads the game and the cerebral approach because right now he is miles behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is the only guy that gives us a chance

to evaluate this offense in a season that's essentially an extended preseason. right now he is miles behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is the only guy that gives us a chance to evaluate this offense in a season that's essentially an extended preseason. So you can get a look at Josh Rosen, he can ruin the entire offense, or you can keep Fitzpatrick out there and get a look at what you have at receiver, running back, and on the offensive line. That's a great point, and I'm so glad that you brought that up because I think the national narrative on Rosen is really, I think, a little bit seen, possibly even a little bit romanticized, I think, at times. And I was always a fan of Fitzpatrick's work and what he was able to do. Look, I've seen him several times, as have you, do damage against AFC East opponents. He knows the division very well. And that's something I

think the Patriots fans need to remember, that there is familiarity with Fitzpatrick and the Patriots. Traditionally, he's had some pretty decent games against New England. He's had some times where he struggled, but he has had decent games against this team. So it's not a situation where he's coming in feeling intimidated by the Patriots mystique. He's seen this team. He's been at the puppet show and seen the strings as an analogy I like to use. And I think you may see a little bit of that this week as well. Now, alluding to that fact and the familiarity that I just mentioned, the Patriots have always had difficulty playing in Miami. And again, I mentioned the humidity earlier in the show. I don't know if it's the lure of

South Beach. I have no idea what's going on, but whatever it may be, it's been a house of horrors for the Pats. Again, to use that analogy that's been a house of horrors for the Pats again to use that analogy that's been used so often up here in the New England media this week but I can't think of a better way to put it it really has been a difficult situation and of course the Miami Miracle last year was certainly something that sticks in the minds of Patriots fans all over it's been one of the few Achilles heels during the Patriots and Bill Belichick era of Belichick and Brady. So that combined with the familiarity that Brian Flores and Chad O'Shea have with this team, could there be a trap game lurking here beneath the surface?

I don't want to kill your segment here, but no. I mean, this team is just so bad, Mike. And I don't even know if it's necessarily because it's intentional or just the way things turned out. But you talk about the roster turnover this team had just in the last week alone. They turned over 26% of the roster one week before the season started. That does not happen anywhere. And it kind of takes away all the advantages the Dolphins have in their home field in Miami because you talk about the Patriots struggling down here.

It is December almost every single year except 2014, the season opener when no Sean Marino punched the Patriots in the mouth and got that victory on opening day. But it's always in December and that heat advantage tends to be one of the things they rely on, especially since they renovated the stadium and put a canopy over the top of it. They are 16-7 now at home since they renovated the stadium and put a canopy over the top of it. They are 16 and seven now at home since they had the renovations at hard rock stadium. But the things this team wants to do line up and run the ball, milk the clock and play good defense. That's it might work in some games this year,

but it's not going to work against a Patriots offense. Like you mentioned that has firepower at every single position. One of the best offensive lines in the league, the greatest quarterback of all time. And now a defense that in my opinion, Mike, I'm sure you would agree to this, some extent to this, is this Patriots defense is one of the best you guys have had in a long time. I don't see any way the Dolphins are even competitive in this game, and that's why I'd say three touchdowns spread at this point. Yeah, and well, I will put your mind at ease. You definitely did not ruin my segment.

You definitely earned the hearts of all of my listeners when you said no. That's exactly what they wanted to hear. Selfishly, it's kind of exactly what I wanted to hear as well. But I'm glad we heard you say that and absorbed some of your Southern wisdom and counsel on this as well. And I agree with you. I really think it's going to be difficult for the Dolphins to pull this one out unless the Patriots just come in and somehow forget how to play football, which in a Bill Belichick coach team, I don't see happening. But there are a number of things that I think the Patriots are doing well this year. And you hit the nail right on the head. And I do completely agree with you.

This is one of the most complete defenses that the Patriots have employed in quite some time, whether it be the defensive line, whether it be the edge rush, whether it be the linebackers to the secondary and the cornerbacks in the safety position, they are really loaded at all of these positions and are clicking on all cylinders. So much credit to Bill Belichick, Gerard Mayo, and also Stephen Belichick and the remainder of the Patriots defensive coaching staff for doing a tremendous job. They really are leading this team down the primrose path, so to speak, and I think it's going to lead to some success down the road in the later part of the season and possibly into the winter, maybe even January and February with this team.

It always seems like we're talking Pats football right about that time. Travis, thank you so much for joining me today. Before I let you go, just very quickly, I just wanted you to give your prediction on the game. And if you feel comfortable, I never put my guess on the spot to do it, but if you feel comfortable, how about a final score? Yeah, you bet. No problem. I think that the Dolphins maybe will have a better script planned and maybe a better beginning to this game than we saw with the Ravens. So maybe they hang in there for a few possessions, but I think that things eventually get rolling for the Patriots and they wind up pulling away late in this game especially when you consider the

fact that they can run the ball with that three four-headed monster they have back in that back field and just line up and run it down the Dolphins undersized linebacker unit run it down their throats milk them away and kind of beat them with their own game plan and the taste of their own medicine. I'll say it winds up being 41 to let's give the dolphins 14. Okay. Excellent. And you heard it from him. He is Travis Wingfield. He is host of the locked on podcast of the Miami dolphins locked on dolphins.

Again, one of the best podcasts on our network. And again, as I said on any Travis, before I let you go today, just tell the audience where they can find you and where they can follow your great work. Yeah, no problem, Mike. Thanks for having me on again. I'm Travis Wingfield. It's at Wingfield NFL. You can find my written work at LockedOnDolphins.com

and of course, the daily Locked On Dolphins podcast Monday through Friday, every day on the Locked On Podcast Network. Excellent. And as for me, I will be back tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots, where I will have the latest on the Pats roster moves. How did Antonio Brown look in practice today? Today's Wednesday. He's taking the field for the first time. We do have that news tomorrow,

and I continue to look ahead to the Pats week two matchup with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, September 15th in Miami. As always, make sure to join me each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast and subscribe to Locked On Patriots via your favorite podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. I thank you so much for listening today. And on a somber note, on behalf of Locked On Patriots, our thoughts are with all Americans today as we commemorate the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Our country will never forget, and the victims and their families affected by this tragedy

will forever be in our hearts.