Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots - September 17, 2019: Pats D and AB with Murphy

Episode Date: September 17, 2019

There is never a dull moment in Foxboro and host Mike D’Abate welcomes back Locked On Patriots’ good friend Thomas Murphy of the One Patriots Place Podcast to offer his unfiltered takes on the Patriots’ Defense, their kicking game, and of course, the situation surrounding Antonio Brown.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

and hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to another edition of Locked On Patriots your daily home for news notes analysis and the occasional opinion on your Super Bowl their six-time Super Bowl champion the New England Patriots Locked On Patriots as always as a part of the Locked On podcast network today's show is brought to you in part by Mack Weldon and remember Mack Weldon is and remember, Mack Weldon is better than whatever you're wearing right now. So for 20% off of your first

order, visit MackWeldon.com and enter the promo code LOCKEDON. 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 M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C,

and be sure to follow Locked on Patriots on Twitter as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And once again, there is a great show on tap for you today, because Back by Popular Demand is not only my good friend, but a best buddy, if you will, of this show. And there might have been a slight pun intended there, but I'll leave that to your discretion to figure that out. Thomas Murphy is back today, and Murph always brings analysis and opinions the way only he can do it, and we have plenty to talk about today. Defense, special teams, Antonio Brown. Murph never takes any prisoners, and I always look forward to discussing this and more with

him today. Should be a great show, so sit tight and stay tuned. But first, I wanted to share some breaking news with you this morning, and according to Ian Rappaport of the NFL Network, tackle Isaiah Wynn's MRI did indeed reveal turf toe yesterday. Now, the injury isn't considered season-ending, but the Pats will be without him at least for a few weeks as he rehabs and gets back to being able to push off his foot. So in response, the Patriots did bring in Caleb Beninuk, who worked out for the team last week. Now, Beninuk has played in 35 career games. 22 of those were starts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick in 2016 out of UCLA.

Beninuk started all 16 games last season at right guard, but he was working at right tackle this season as well, so it will be interesting to see how the Patriots choose to use him. He's listed at 6'5", 305 pounds, so great size, but also has a good amount of athleticism and speed. He ran the 40 at a time of 4.98 for an offensive lineman. That's impressive. The pro football focus did, did however have him down for

eight penalties and at least partly responsible for 10 sacks so definitely we'll be working with Dante Skarnecchia without question uh that's a new look Pat's offensive line there so it'll be interesting to see how Beninuk comes in and is able to fit in with some of the new pieces that Skar has to work with definitely an important part of this team is protecting Tom Brady, keeping him upright. So keep a sharp eye on the offensive line this week, and we'll see how Beninick fits in. I'm going to bring in Murph in one moment,

but before I do, I do have a question for you. And yes, you. I'm talking to you listening out there. And that question is, is there anything better to watch than football? At the end of a hard week, it's great to sit down, take some time off, and watch some football. Game-winning touchdowns on two-minute drives, running back racing down the sidelines with no one to stop him. There's nothing else like the NFL, and there's no better way to make the games even more exciting than to bet on them. So do the smart thing.

Go to mybookie.ag. No one gives you more ways to win than they do. MyBookie's got the fastest payouts and better lines than any other sports book. Don't forget, where you're betting is just as important as who you're betting on, and mybookie.ag is the best in the business. Look, 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 MyBookie. If you're the kind of guy that likes to bet a little and win a lot, try a parlay. And if all 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.ag today. You play, you win, you get paid with MyBookie. You've heard me say so many times that there is never a dull moment in Foxborough, and for the past few days you've heard me discuss both the Patriots' prowess on the field,

but also some of the controversy off it and today I bring you some of the best candid analysis and opinion in the business I'm fortunate because this man is a good friend of mine and he also brings these opinions and analysis like only he can do it you know him as a featured columnist for diehardbostonsportsfans.com he is the co-host of sports Infusion and One Patriots Place podcasts, two of the greatest casts in the region. I definitely highly recommend both of them with every bit of sincerity that I have. He is my main green man,

the incomparable Thomas Murphy. Murph, welcome back to Locked On Patriots. Welcome back to your home away from home, my friend. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me here. A little breaking news. Eli Manning was just benched. Thank you very much for having me here today.

It was always a pleasure. The Daniel Jones era begins. The Daniel Jones era begins. The Giants have announced a new second string quarterback. I love that. And it looks like maybe that if Daniel Jones continues to play well, we might see him in another couple of weeks when the

Giants are scheduled to visit Foxborough. And that should always be interesting. So we'll definitely keep our eye on that. Thank you, Mark. Absolutely. He definitely is. Our mutual friend Pamela Michelle is probably excited as well, so it should be interesting to see what's going on with the New York football

giants down there in the Meadowlands, and we're actually going to get to the other tenants of the Meadowlands in a little bit today, those J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, coming to town on Sunday, but first, Murph, there's good and bad with the Patriots the last couple of weeks, but we'll start with the good.

You know, we're always all about positivity here at Locked On, and the Pats have looked dominant thus far. Offensively, they look solid. They're outscoring their opponents 76-3. That's amazing. But as impressive as the 76 points on offense is, I think the three allowed by the defense is even more impressive. You study this defense pretty closely. Stephon Gilmore, in my opinion, looks like he's either at

or near the top of the list of the best corners in the league. The edge rush looks solid. The defensive front looks great. And the linebackers, I think, might be one of the best units we've seen in Foxborough for a long time. So in your opinion, what do you think has really been the key to the defense looking so dominant thus far? Well, it's communication and familiarity. Those are the first two. This is a group that has worked together for a very long time now. People have brought up the fact that it is an aging group.

I don't agree with that. I think ballplayers are playing much longer careers now than they were when we were kids. And these are some guys that while the number next to their name might indicate something, they're not looking at focusing on the number of years that these guys have been in the league. And I think that's where the focus needs to be. The communication, especially in the defensive backfield, has been amazing. You have guys that know each other's moves, that can look at one another. You have the McCourty twins back there communicating telepathically, which is going to cost the Patriots a draft pick in the upcoming draft.

I'm positive of it. Everybody is clicking. Everybody pick in the upcoming draft. I'm positive of it. And it's just everybody is clicking. Everybody is on the same page at all times. The additions, well, first of all, the bring back of Jamie Collins, I think has worked out brilliantly to this point. You can't ask for any more out of a guy I believe that also the young guy Chase Winovich has fit in really well into his role and then over on the other side Michael Bennett

has quietly been Michael Bennett on the field and not Michael Bennett off the field that's really helped. Yeah definitely been Michael Bennett on the field and not Michael Bennett off the field. That's really helped. Yeah, definitely. I think you really make a good point. Bennett has been, I think, a great addition to this team, especially enduring the loss of Trey Flowers.

I think that's definitely helped to offset things. You mentioned the McCourty twins, and I really love the terminology of telepathically communicating. And there's, I think, definitely an element of truth to that as well. These guys are definitely there, you know, cut from the same cloth, literally. So in my opinion, I think that definitely helps. But you did mention the magic word, and that leads me into my next question, and that is Jamie Collins. And Collins looked great on Sunday. He looked great against the Steelers a couple of weeks ago, and I think we've really seen him emerge as a true star in the linebacking core. He returned the pick six for 69 yards, and of course, I know that stat probably made Rob Gronkowski chuckle a little bit, but

to top it all off, he also grabbed the running and running back the interception for the game ceiling interception and ran it right into the locker room, which I thought was pretty funny. But in your opinion, what's the difference in the Collins we're seeing now from the one we saw in his first tour of duty here? Because he looks so much more comfortable in this Patriots defense now. A full bank account. And you folks out there can chuckle about it, but this is really what it might actually be all about. Yeah, I think you're right.

When Jamie Collins was here as a young player, realizing that his next contract was coming up, that his second incarnation was going to happen, he was thinking about that and not about the team. Right now, he is all about the team. He is on page with everything that's going on. He is not off script. As I said before, he's somebody who had played his entire career. He came from a small school, played his entire career here in New England, and didn't realize what it was like outside.

He went to Cleveland, got paid, and got paid well, but he realized that, you know, wow, nice paycheck, but I'm here in Cleveland. Yeah, Cleveland. Okay, so he went, he did what he does, and he earned his money, he got paid, and Bill gave him a call and said, look, man, if you want to come back, we'd love to have you, but this is how we, you know, this is what we're expecting, and he has reached every single expectation. Also, something that nobody's talking about is the fact that he has really become a leader in this locker room and on the field, and it's been fantastic to watch.

Yeah, he truly has, and he does look so much more comfortable. I think you're definitely on to something in terms of the financial security that he has now as opposed to when he was on his rookie deal trying to make an impact, maybe overcompensating a little bit at times. We've heard that term freelancing kind of be thrown around throughout the Patriots beat in his first tour of duty. And even when he came back, some people were still bringing that up. But he looks like a guy that's very much secure in the player that he is. Even something as simple as him being referred to now as Jamie Collins Sr.,

I think that is something that is kind of a little bit of an eyebrow raiser when it comes to fans knowing that he realizes his place now, and I think that's something that has really, really grounded him. It's given him that gravitas that he needs to be able to move forward, and the results are amazing, and he really, really has been a very, very key component of this defense. Again, I think in all phases of defense, whether it be the defensive line, the edge, the secondary, and the linebacking core, I think they're just clicking on all cylinders right now. This could be a special defense this year in New England. It will be interesting to see how they match up with some

of the real prolific offenses in this league. I know you're looking forward to that, and I'm looking forward to that as well. But switching gears very briefly, Murph, the kicking game is making some copy lately through the Pat's Beat, and it's unfortunately for the wrong reasons. People are pointing to a thorn in the Patriots' side. This might be it right now. Steven Kostowski mixed two extra points and a 48-yard field goal attempt on Sunday.

Some have speculated that this could be psychological. Others are pointing to his mechanics. And there are those that are saying that it's the result of a bad holding job by the rookie punter Jake Bailey. And we have discussed this in the past. You've been very vocal about this. And I know you're a student of the kicking game as well, having played long snapper and having been in that situation. Based on what you've seen, what do you believe is the issue with

Gostowski right now? Do you think that this is a combination of all three? Do you think it's simply holding, or do you think it's something that he can work on and improve? If not, could this be a potential problem brewing here for the Patriots? Well, yeah, it could be a potential problem, but I don't think it will be. A lot of people have been talking, as you brought up, about the difficulties that he's had in Miami and the fact that, well, we're out of Miami now. You look down the road and the big game is in Miami this year.

Hard Rock Cafe is trash. The field is trash there. And if you are a kicker, if you have an issue with the turf that is underneath your feet, and we all saw it last week, people with guys out there replacing the divots at separate times during this game, and there was a lot more of it going on during commercial breaks that they weren't focusing on, you can understand what's happening. I'm not saying that things have to be perfect. We've seen Gostkowski kick in less than perfect

conditions, but when the turf underneath you, it moves just a little bit. It can push something, you know, a few inches or a foot to either way. I am not as worried as everybody else is about Gostkowski. I think that they will get this down. And yes, it does. We did talk about this at the beginning of the season when Bailey was given the punter's job that he's going to have to hold. I didn't know how much experience he had at it at the time, but it does. It's an entire team endeavor. It's not just on the kicker. And I think Ghost is going to be just fine going forward. Those melodious tones you are certain to recognize belong to my good friend Thomas Murphy.

And hearing his wisdom and counsel when it comes to defense and special teams is always, always informative, and I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am, and I'm sure you are. But as Vincent LaGuardia Gambini would say, I still have use for this guy, and we are going to talk some jets as the Pats get set to face New York in Foxborough this Sunday, and of course we're going to get Murph's take on Antonio Brown. I know you all are very anxious to hear that, as am I.

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it started with his antics in Oakland his arrival in New England but then most seriously the allegations levied against him last week and just when we thought we were out he pulled us back in and Sports Illustrated's Robert Klemko published a scathing piece on Brown, which I'm sure that you've at least seen, if not read in its entirety. And it definitely, it alleges further history of sexual assault and what, you know, looks like, in my opinion, a severe lack of fiscal responsibility. My question to you is, taking the league's investigation and discretion to discipline Brown out of this for a moment, do you believe that the Pats could reach a point where they say enough is enough? Because he looked great out there on the field on Sunday, but do you think there is a chance that they may reach a breaking point with him if information like this continues to come out?

No, I don't. I think they went out and they signed this man knowing full well who he was. Maybe not all of these allegations that are going on, but they knew the lack of maturity. They did their vetting. This is a man who's done Facebook Live shows from the freaking locker room, for God's sake. Great point. They knew what they were getting into this is not something

that's that's new um that there are a few things honestly you brought up fiscal responsibility i i i could care less if the man pays his bills it's somebody else's job to go out there and do that i care about what he does on the field and how he performs for this team, what he does in the locker room, what he does in the meeting rooms. That will be a breaking point. What happens here will be a breaking point, not what's happened in the past or anything else that's coming out. Once a single story comes out, you know there are things going up going on i don't know if this caterer that didn't get paid you know put on a a terrible um buffet i i don't i don't know if if the the prime rib was overdone i don't know if if something was burned or under the fish was

undercooked you know i i where where is you know where's that that person's accountability? I don't know. And when it comes to I don't know, I wait for everything to hash out and see how things are going to work. Yes, there was interviews happening in New York yesterday and today. But what is the league gonna do the the man is eligible to play in the nfl um the patriots got him on a on a fantastic deal it makes this team better and until he does something that's going to uh shed the patriots in a bad light something that he does

here um they're going to keep rolling him out there. And I don't have an issue. And I had an issue with him coming here to begin with. Let's get this straight, folks. This was not something that I stumped for. It wasn't something that I said. I don't think this team needs him to get back to an AFC title or to the Superbowl, but it's, it's, it's,

it's a nice blade to have in your, in your Swiss army knife. That's for sure. And we saw that on Sunday. Yeah. I mean, in terms of what he's bringing to the table on the field, there's no question about it. The Patriots, he's fitting very well into this offense. He looked very comfortable with Tom Brady on Sunday, despite only had a few days to really kind of develop a synergy with him and learn the playbook.

By all accounts, he was a very good soldier last week in Foxborough. He stayed up until 10 p.m., according to some reports, working with Brady and then working with Jared Stidham afterwards, catching passes and learning the playbook. So there's definitely a motivation here. Got the key to TB12. Absolutely. We saw him do the, again, Facebook, Instagram, I think was.

Jimmy Garoppolo didn't have a key to TB12, just saying. Absolutely, but Antonio Brown was there, so we saw that. But, you know, that's a conversation for another day, and we'll save that as such. You did mention that you believe the Patriots will keep rolling him out there, and I happen to agree with you. I think they absolutely will. I don't think there's anything that could possibly come out from a social or a logistical standpoint that would keep him off the field. But there is that element of the league possibly revisiting the commissioner's exempt list. And I'm not going to really harp on that because we all know that's a possibility.

It's a possibility each and every week. My question to you is, if you're the Patriots, do you have to start game planning each and every week for a game plan that includes Antonio Brown or one that doesn't because they're not sure what the league is going to do? Or is this offense potent enough to be able to have a singular game plan and then plug in Brown if he's indeed active each and every week? It is, and that's one of the beautiful things about bringing him here. He wasn't somebody that they had to change a game plan for.

He's somebody who fits into this system, can play inside, can play outside. All he has to do is learn the routes, learn his tree, know where he's supposed to be, know where he's supposed to turn. And that's it. It's all on him. If he's not doing it, then Julian Edelman will happily do it or somebody else will happily run that route and pump up your fantasy stats for that weekend.

This is not something... If the Patriots know this can all end tomorrow, they knew it before they signed him, just because he may not fit in. He may come in here and they may say, no, we're releasing you. That's it. It's only $9 million. It means nothing to Robert Kraft. So this is a scenario that they were well aware of simply because they know that he might not have fit in here.

And he still might not, but they're prepared for it. This team is deep enough at the wide receiver position to be able to do that. We have rookies that are sitting on the IR that should not be sitting on the IR, in my, you know, humble, unhumble opinion, that can come in and do these same things, not at the level, quite frankly, Antonio Brown is the best wide receiver in football. But the Patriots are still going to be putting up these numbers. I have no doubt in my mind that Philip Dorsett or, for God's sakes, Gunner,

could go out there and get a first down when Tom Brady needs it. Absolutely. And what better way to be able to do that than to make that man a gunner? You know, I love that. I love it. I'll keep using it. I'll keep beating it until it's done. People still like it, and until people stop telling me to use that meme,

I'm doing it. So in any case, when it comes to the action on the field, and I do happen to agree with you about Brown, and I think it is a testament to the Patriots' depth that they could be able to sustain a loss of a guy that really is one of the most prolific wide receivers in the game and not miss too much of a beat simply because they have guys that just step up and know their role, do their job,

and do it well on the field. You saw Dorsett make a great catch. He didn't have the most prolific game on Sunday, but I thought he was instrumental in the Patriots being able to establish their offensive game plan. He was. He truly was. And Edelman quietly just going about doing his business, workmanlike, getting those catches for, I think, 51 yards receiving,

which is not a scoreboard light-up, but it still allows the team to advance the field. It's 2007. It really is. It really is. You can have the one guy that's going to have the big game, but you don't know who it's going to be from week to week. Anybody can step in on any given Sunday and contribute and make this.

And this is one of the things that Brown had coming in here. He was needed everywhere he was, and they knew it. The Steelers knew that they needed him. He knew that the Raiders needed him. The Patriots don't need you. They don't. You're here to come here and win and get on page. If not, we'll move on and somebody else will do it. It will. It's still even with Antonio Brown, it'll be the next man up. Yeah. And in Foxborough, that is the

mantra we hear all the time. And really, they do it week by week, year by year, and it just always seems to work. And actually, that leads me into my final question for you today, and that is next man up is definitely something that I think the New England Patriots opponents this week are desperately in need of, and that is the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. We saw them really kind of get it handed to them last night on Monday Night Football without any question. Sam Donald is out with Mono, obviously. Trevor Simeon, just a gruesome injury last night. And really, your heart goes out to him. Thoughts and prayers go to him because that is a very tough injury to come back from.

Luke Falk looks like he's going to come in here as the third-string quarterback and now try to lead his team into a very hostile place for the Jets to play and that is Foxborough, Massachusetts. We thought the Patriots ran up the score on the Dolphins. You know Bill Belichick's love or lack thereof loss for the Jets. What can Patriots fans expect? Because I know you haven't published your keys yet, which people absolutely wait for it to the end of the week. You want keys to the game. This man is the guy that you want to read. I highly recommend it.

He is seldom wrong, usually right. So I highly recommend those on a plug that I am more than happy to endorse. But just briefly, Murph, what can the Patriots expect? Is this going to be scorched earth, or might this be a situation where the game might be a little closer than people were thinking? Yeah, I went out yesterday and called my broker and had him invest in a body bags company because that's going to be needed this weekend. What the Patriots are about to do, you think what Odell Beckham Jr. did last night was spectacular.

Wait until you see what happens this coming weekend. The shock of last night's attack that they benched Jermaine Johnson. I'm very interested in seeing how that plays out this week in their preparation, their short week to come in here, which the Jets fans are already saying is a conspiracy against them to send them up here after a short week. But, oh, well. I'm very interested to see how that happens.

But Tom Brady is going to pick this team apart. The middle of their field is just decimated right now. It's going to get ugly. It really is. I expect this team to use Rex Burkhead a great deal this week. I think Sonny Michel, with the fumble that he had last weekend, is going to see less of a role. I think we're going to see more of Burkhead coming up this week,

and we're going to pound it. He's a lot more versatile than Sony is. I've been a little surprised at Sony's lack of use in the passing game. It was something that was brought up and talked about a great deal during OTAs, during camp, that he was going to be used in that way. And we haven't seen it yet. But I think this week is going to be more Rex Burkhead. We'll see more James White this week.

Just to exploit the middle of the field where the Jets are really weak. I think they do have two good corners. Like I said, I was surprised that Johnson was benched, and I can't wait to see what happens there. It's going to be vintage, you know, find the weak spot, but there's at least six weak links in this chain for Tom to, you know, drill at all day long for the offensive coordinators to game plan for. It's going to be a beautiful thing for a Patriot.

Yeah, absolutely. Just go out and make plans. Go take your wife antiquing. You know, go to the county fair. There are county fairs all over the place now. Please, do your heart a favor and go find something else to do with your wife because I know there are Jet fans that are going to be listening to this show. Absolutely.

And you know what? You heard it here first. Murph's prediction, like Tommy and the Karate Kid, get him a body bag. That's what we're going to be saying on Sunday, according to Murph. And we'll see what my opinion is later in the week as well. But Murph, what can I say? Thank you so much for joining me today. Again, these are certain things that I've been definitely looking forward to discussing with you. And you always bring it like no one else can. Very quickly, can you just please let our listeners know if they don't know already, because most of them love you, they love

you more than you love me, I'm sure. Please let everyone know, listening for the first time, where they can find you on social media and where they can read your great work, listen to your great work, including those keys, folks. I can't stress it enough. Definitely check those out at the end of the week.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Too kind, bud. Folks, you can read me at Diehard Boston Sports RealSportsFans.com. You can follow me on social media at TeamERF207. That's Twitter. I don't do SnapFace or anything like that. I'm very Bill Natt manner. Also, you can listen to me on One Patriot's Place

and on the Sports Infusion every week. Thank you, Michael. Thank you so much for having me here. It's always a blast talking to you, buddy, and I will see you soon. The pleasure is all mine, my friend. And again, like I said, definitely read, absorb, all of the wisdom and counsel that Murph has to offer.

I can't recommend it highly enough. I love it when he joins me here at the headlocked on Patriots, and I love actually joining he and Steve on One Patriots Place, he and Pamela on Sports Infusion from time to time, and again, I always read anything and everything that the man puts out. So, Murph, thanks again. Enjoy the game on Sunday, and as for me, I will be back again tomorrow to begin breaking down the Patriots' Week 3 matchup with those Jets in Foxborough on Sunday.

And stay tuned for this week's crossover with the host of Locked on Jets as well, John Buchko of that team. And I will tell you what to watch for in this one. So keep a sharp eye out for that. 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. Have a great day, everybody.