Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots: Nothin’ But Love for Pats Quarterbacks?

Starting point is 00:00:00 as Paul McCartney would say, get Mac to where you once belonged. He's putting in the work to do just that. Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network,

Starting point is 00:00:20 your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. Thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also your first listen every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button, download, subscribe to, follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. And today's episode, folks, brought to you by our good friends over at FanDuel. Make every moment more.

Starting point is 00:01:10 Place your first $5 bet to get $150 in free bets. Win or lose. Visit FanDuel.com slash Locked on today to get started. Happy Valentine's Day, Patriots Nation. Thank you for spending some of your day here on Locked on Patriots with me. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me.

Starting point is 00:01:33 Let me know what's on your mind on the Burt app at MDABATENFL. And while you're showing some Valentine's Day love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked on Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, love is in the air. And unfortunately, not a lot of it was directed toward Jordan Wingland Patriots this year. 8-9 finish outside the playoffs. Watching the Kansas City Chiefs win yet another Super Bowl. Yeah, not a whole lot of love coming from Foxborough right now.

Starting point is 00:02:02 And that includes the quarterback position. But here on Locked On Patriots today, I'm going to let you know why it's okay to love both quarterbacks that are on your roster right now. That's right. I'm talking Mac Jones. I'm talking Daley Zappi. Mending defenses, bringing together, all about love here on this Valentine's Day. So stick around. I think you'll like what we have planned for you. But first, folks, it may not be too long before, oh yeah, gets replaced by Guten Tag.

Starting point is 00:02:32 Relax, folks. I'm not talking permanently, and this is not any information related to Matthew Slater. But the Pats are headed for Germany in 2023. That's right. Last month, we heard that new england patriots were among five teams selected by the nfl for next season's international series now along with the super bowl 57 champion kansas city chiefs i know folks it's a tough one to swallow but we got to give them their just do they were the best team they certainly deserve it uh but it is tough i'll be honest um but the patriots were one of two home teams designated to play a game in germany in 2023 and thanks to an nbc sports report from peter king on monday morning we now know that the probable host site hasn't been completely confirmed yet

Starting point is 00:03:17 the probable host site is going to be in frankfurt and this is going to be a fun time for the patriots in germany and and Peter's report was pretty detailed and I'm quoting directly now he says quote the NFL is working toward playing its two games in Germany on consecutive Sundays next November I'm told Kansas City and New England previously announced as those teams expect to play on Sunday in an eight-day span, and it's probable but not certain that both games will be in Frankfurt. Last year's successful Germany debut was at Alliance Arena in Munich. The Frankfurt Stadium is Deutsche Bank Park with a retractable roof, not bad, about four miles from the city center. It'll be pretty amazing to have Patrick Mahomes and Bill Belichick in Germany on back-to-back

Starting point is 00:04:05 NFL weekends that's Peter's report still think it's funny that Patrick Mahomes gets the call out Bill Belichick gets the Patriots call out coach is still the star on this team right now folks uh maybe not for much longer but for right now he deserves it um but that seems to be what's going on with the New England Patriots and the German game. And look, the seedlings for New England selection began to take place all the way back in 2021. We remember the NFL's global marketing initiative coming out. Patriots were one of four teams at that point to receive Germany as their international home marketing area. Kansas City Chiefs were one of them.

Starting point is 00:04:45 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers were the others. So shortly after the NFL's announcement in January, Patriots owner and CEO Robert Kraft, he got a little personal with the fan base and even got a little personal with the German fan base as well. And I thought it was a great statement. He says, quote, we're thrilled to be selected to play in Germany this year. We're undefeated in our three previous international games. A little more on that in a second. Thanks in part to outstanding support from our fans worldwide. We know that some of the most passionate fans reside in Germany, and we look forward to finally playing a game there.

Starting point is 00:05:17 We know the fans will create an amazing atmosphere. We are sure it will be a memorable experience and one of the highlights of the 2023 season. True words were never spoken. Tampa Bay played the first regular season game in Germany last season in 2022 against the Seattle Seahawks. The Bucs came out on top, 69,811 fans at Alliance Arena in Munich. Tom Brady was impressed, and it takes a lot to impress Tom Brady. He'd been around for 23 years. His career seemed all done at all, but he was really impressed. I'm quoting Tom

Starting point is 00:05:51 directly. He said, that was one of the great football experiences I've ever had. That says a lot for 23 years in the league and for a regular season game. Yeah, no question about it. Patriots are psyched to be playing in Germany. I, for one, I'm looking forward to this. I always love the international aspect of the NFL. I know you all do too. There's a lot here to bite on too. And even though it's been designated as a Patriots home game, they have six potential opponents that they could possibly play. And it could come down to the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins, the Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles.

Starting point is 00:06:28 That could be an interesting one. The Washington Commanders or the New Orleans Saints. Those are all the possibilities of teams that the Patriots are supposed to host at Gillette Stadium. One of those teams will be playing their game in Munich, excuse me, in Frankfurt, along with the New England Patriots. The two remaining teams on the Patriots' home schedule, the Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills,

Starting point is 00:06:48 well, they're already going to be hosting international games, so you know it's probably not going to be them. This is going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait to see when the schedule comes out, how they schedule this one, what it's going to look like. We know now it's looking like it's going to be in November, so definitely right around Thanksgiving time. And the Patriots, as Robert Kraft alluded to, have very good luck playing international games. This is going to be the Patriots' first visit to Europe since 2012, when they defeated the then St. Louis Rams at London's legendary Wembley Stadium in Clare Country up there.

Starting point is 00:07:25 The club has played three games on international soil in total. 2012 was the last time they were there, but they also won their previous matchup in London in 2009 against Tampa Bay. And then they earned a victory over the then Oakland Raiders at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico during 2017. So the date and the time of their 2023 game, along with the identity of their opponent, not yet confirmed, but one thing is certain folks, this is going to be a fun time in Deutschland, but who will be taking the snaps for your new England Patriots in Germany? Well, the answer seems to be clear, but there are still a lot of doubters out there.

Starting point is 00:08:02 And Mac Jones is putting in the work to help clear some of that. And he's trying to do and make this year a little bit better than the last. Folks, we're going to be talking New England Patriots quarterbacks when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues in just a moment. Today's episode is brought to you by BetterHelp Therapy Online. Folks, we live in complex times, and whether it be emotional stress, or financial stress, or health-related stress, or just the social stresses that are bogged down by anxiety, trying therapy can help you unload that stress, and it can help you to move forward in gaining emotional healing. Unfortunately, life does not come with a user manual.

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Starting point is 00:09:14 And if things aren't clicking, you can easily switch to a new therapist anytime. It couldn't be simpler. So get unstuck with BetterHelp. Learn more and save 10% off of your first month at betterhelp.com slash locked on. That's betterhelp.com slash locked on. Patriots fans, once again, we are talking all things New England Patriots here on Locked On Patriots. And I thank you for spending part of your Valentine's Day or post-Valentine's Day morning here on the pod with me.

Starting point is 00:09:50 And in the grand scheme of things, folks, you look at the Patriots quarterback situation, and I know it's a controversial subject for a lot of people. Everyone has their own thoughts on how this position should be handled, whether it should be Mac Jones taking snaps under center or those that think that the rookie Bailey Zappi, well, not a rookie anymore, second year signal caller Bailey Zappi gets the nod, or whether the Patriots should be looking elsewhere, either in the draft or by free agency.

Starting point is 00:10:19 But Mac Jones is not letting the noise affect him. He's wasting no time in preparing for 2023. And while all the collective attention of NFL fandom was focused on the Chiefs and the Eagles, Glendale, Arizona, Super Bowl 57, Mac was hard at work with a former NFL quarterback, no doubt, putting in the time that he needs to improve his strength and his conditioning. Now, that's right. Working with former NFL quarterback turned sports performance coach Nick Shimanek. This is going to be an interesting collaboration, folks, for Mac Jones and the Patriots because despite entering the season

Starting point is 00:10:55 on the heels of a very impressive rookie campaign, we all know that Mac just struggled to rekindle his previous success from 2022. Finished the season with 2,997 yards passing, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions. Patriots limping to an 8-9 record, and for the second time in three seasons, they failed to qualify for the playoffs. That's unacceptable for everyone, for Robert Kraft, for Bill Belichick, for Matt Jones. Most importantly, it's not acceptable to the fan base, and that means a lot to all those parties involved, and Shimanek is the right guy for Mac to be working with, and I'm

Starting point is 00:11:31 going to go over that in just a moment, but you can see by his recent Instagram post showing Mac, he's off to a great start. He's putting those last season woes behind him. You can see him working out, doing strength training, agility training, working with the weights. And it really is good to see Mack in the saddle doing what he needs to do and moving forward with some very intense workout regimen. This is not the first time that we've seen Mack do this. He also put in the work last year to try to improve both physically and mentally. He didn't only seek out measures to increase his velocity, but also methods to build upon his accuracy in various spots on the field. A lot of that was working with noted quarterback guru, optimization expert Tom House.

Starting point is 00:12:18 Word is that Mack did get an awful lot out of those sessions and really is looking to take the next step now in terms of being able to increase his physical prowess, increase his strength. He did that last year a little bit, incorporating a healthier diet, better sleep regimen, but he's clearly putting in that work this year. And it's good to see Mac making sure that he is building on a subpar season in 2022 and we all saw the discomfort that Mac had last year um just just a disaster situation under Matt Patricia and Joe judge and even though we all tried to talk our way through it some of us pinpointed it right from the beginning I wasn't one of them I was looking at it through rose-colored glasses I thought Mac and Matt and Joe get on the same page

Starting point is 00:13:04 and they would be able to do what we needed them to do as fans here in locked on Patriots land and also Patriots nation, the entire fan base, get this team to the playoffs and figure things out. It just never worked out like that for one way or another. And that disconnect, you saw what happened on the sidelines. I'm not making this up or there's no delusion here. You saw Mack verbalizing his frustrations in the direction of the coaches. A lot of what Mack had in terms of struggles was difficulty maintaining his presence in the pocket. He found himself under duress a lot more than he should have.

Starting point is 00:13:41 Some of that is on the protection of the offensive line. We've gone over that several times here on Locked On Patriots, but he also had insufficient time to operate. And some of that is also due to his physical problems that Mack had last year as well. Missed three games in October due to a severely high ankle sprain. That injury was a contributing factor in his periodic inability to evade aggressive defenders. And it makes you gun shy. It makes you a lot more apt to be cautious rather than throw caution to the wind. And you could see that when Mack was under pressure.

Starting point is 00:14:14 When he's not under pressure, Mack will take all the chances in the world. He's not afraid to do it. But when he's under pressure, he's a different quarterback and a different guy. And that really, I think, is the truth of a lot of quarterbacks in this league. Only the elite few rise above that. And it does take them a while. It even took Tom Brady a little while to get used to it. Once he did and he mastered it, there was nobody better.

Starting point is 00:14:35 But at the same time, you're also looking at difficulties that continue to plague Mac Jones. So after working with House a little bit last year, I think Mac realized that working with an ex quarterback, Les Shimanek was going to be exactly what he needed. And look, Shimanek is no, he's no stranger to a pro football field, or he's no stranger to overcoming adversity and playing at a high level, spent time with the LA chargers. He was an undrafted free agent by them in 2018, didn't make the team out of camp all of a sudden he comes in latches on to the practice squad with the washington

Starting point is 00:15:10 commanders but it just didn't work out for him in the nfl where he's best known is for some really standout performances when he was a senior at texas tech and he was a great quarterback for them at this point i'm really really impressed by what I saw from him in terms of the film that you can watch from him if you haven't had a chance to and you're watching this on YouTube look up Nick Shimanek look at his uh you know his prowess at Texas Tech pretty good year as his first year uh as a collegiate starter in 2017 led the Red Raiders to the Birmingham Bowl, played in all 13 games, started 12 of them, and he ranked among the most accurate passers in the country. That's

Starting point is 00:15:51 important because accuracy is something that Mac Jones was noted for coming out of college. Interesting to me that he's working with someone that is known as a pinpoint accurate passer. Not all about just physical fitness here, folks. There's a mental aspect, and there's also a visual aspect to what Mac Jones needed help with, and Shimanek can do it. He can definitely provide that. Completed 328 passes in his senior season, a 66.5 completion percentage, 3,963 yards, and 33 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions he can use his wheels too when he had the the opportunity to do it he rushed 59 times one of which resulted in a touchdown and look shimaneck realizes that he has knowledge to impart it may not have worked out playing wise on the field but

Starting point is 00:16:37 he's making some big contributions to the nfl game he's already worked with uh current patriots defensive tackle christ Barmore, worked a lot with Giants running back Saquon Barkley in his return from his injury. There's an extensive resume of guys that are lining up to work with him, and there's a reason for it. It's the attitude that he brings to his workouts and his mentorship and his tutelage. I'm quoting directly now from Nick Shimanek when he spoke with the website Simply Faster

Starting point is 00:17:07 a couple of years ago when he was first getting into training athletes as opposed to training himself on the field. And he says, quote, my time in the NFL was brief, but the impact it made on me was immense. Being a quarterback at the highest level requires peak physical conditioning

Starting point is 00:17:23 and an abundance of trust from your teammates. It's up to you to communicate and lead by example in a way that creates an instant buy-in. Folks, this is someone that shares Mac Jones's philosophy. It's why I believe Mac is still the best suited quarterback for this offense. You listen to all of the players that have played with him this year. They're all lining up to not only give Mac a vote of confidence but they're also lining up to really attest to the fact that this kid dealt with some very difficult adversity last year booing of the fans problems coming back from injury difficulty with the coaching staff but he did it and he maintained

Starting point is 00:18:02 the respect of all of the guys in that locker room not just his offensive teammates but even defensive guys have come to his aid guys like matthew judon who believe that he's going to be the best fit for this team moving forward they loved his enthusiasm maybe would have gone about it a little bit of a different way but they've gone out of their way to really praise him for what he's done devin mccourty is another one, probably one of the more potent opinions on Mac Jones comes from a guy that has seen it all and done it all in a team captain, a well-respected team captain like Devin McCourty. So when these guys are coming to MaxAid, you know that he's working with someone that has that communication and leadership by example that Nick Shimanek is going to help to really

Starting point is 00:18:46 cultivate. It's there, but he's going to bring even more out of it. And even though Shimanek is just a fitness trainer by trade, it goes a lot deeper than that in terms of what he does and what he provides to these players. Really understands and translate the mental toughness required for the position. That's something that will definitely make an impact on Mac Jones. It's why I'm glad to see these two working together. And even though Mac laid that solid foundation for building himself as a better quarterback, Shimanek's influence is going to really, I think it's going to really remind him that there's always work to be done, reminding him, meaning Mac Jones, folks.

Starting point is 00:19:23 And you can hear it. You can hear it when he speaks to the media again in that interview, that same interview, quoted again, and I'm quoting Nick Shimanek, don't put a limit on what you can do or be in this field or in any field for that matter. I'm constantly trying to learn, grow, evolve as a coach and as a husband and a father, regardless of the success early on in my career. Avoid a complacent mindset. Again, it's about perspective. It's about putting in the work and getting where you need to be. And here's where I think he really is going to take Mac

Starting point is 00:19:56 to that next level. I'm not going to speak for Mac. I'm not going to put words in his mouth, but he was a highly decorated rookie. Amazed the Pro Bowl, does the gritty. We're all really behind Mac here in Patriots Nation and looking forward to seeing him make that second year jump. It didn't happen. He had some adversity that he had to go through. I think it was a little too much adversity for any second year single caller to go through, which is why I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But you also have to put some on his shoulders.

Starting point is 00:20:25 As an NFL quarterback, as a starter, you're the guy that needs to be looked to. You're the guy that needs to always have that composure, that leadership. You've seen some expatriates be very vocal about some of the antics you saw Mac engage in this year. Guys like Julian Edelman, Vince Wilfork, these guys are leaders too. They led by example. They know that the emotion that Mac shown early on needs to be curved. And they also understand that as a young quarterback, it's very easy to fall into that pitfall. Working with someone like Shimanek gives him the grounding. It gives him that gravitas that he's going to need to move past that and see past his emotions and be the type of quarterback that the Patriots need him to be. It looks like Mac is getting the message.

Starting point is 00:21:11 He commented on the Instagram post that Nick Shimanek put up and he put, quote, when I'll definitely make sure to quote this exactly, consistency and re-earn the respect through work that was next comment and you really it should fill you with a lot of um optimism when it comes to seeing that mac knowing that he did probably lose a little bit of momentum last year with the fan base with the national media media, with the local media, most importantly with himself. Ultimately, none of that matters with regard to his own opinion of himself. He knows that he has to re-earn the respect and he's putting in that work. Now, a lot of that's going to be Bill O'Brien coming back into the fold. Shemin X tutelage is going to help. Those expectations are going to be very high for Mac, but even though it's early to determine whether those new factors are going to translate to

Starting point is 00:22:08 the greater success he's seeking on the field, he's clearly demonstrating that work ethic to be the quarterback at the highest level. That's Sheminak's words, and Mack is definitely going to mirror those when he first steps on a football field in 2023. So with that being said, it would sound like Mac is the obvious choice to start, right? Well, not according to a significant portion of the Patriots fan base. And folks, those of you that are in that camp, I'm here to tell you, you make a good argument. That's right, folks.

Starting point is 00:22:39 You do make a good argument. I'll tell you why I'm not anti-zappy when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, we are sponsored today by our good friends over at Built. If you're looking for a delicious treat, but you don't want all the fat and calories, then you've got to try a Built Bar. If you're like me and you want to eat healthier, but don't want to compromise the taste, then man, I've got the thing for you. You've got to try a Bilt Bar. If you're like me and you want to eat healthier but don't want to compromise the taste, then man, I've got the thing for you. You've got to try Bilt. With Bilt,

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Starting point is 00:24:27 Patriots fans, thank you once again for spending a part of your Valentine's Day or post-Valentine's Day morning here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. I'm Mike DeBate. And while the NFL world prepared for the Super Bowl, we talked a little bit in the last segment about Mac Jones's preparation. He's hitting the field. He wasn't the only Patriots quarterback hitting the field. He wasn't the only youngster on the Patriots roster trying to better himself for the 2023 season. Two other young Patriots players were taking the time to get some practice in. 2022 rookies Bailey Zappi and Tyquan

Starting point is 00:25:04 Thornton had their moments in their rookie seasons, but it's clear after Saturday that these two want more. That's right. On Saturday, hitting the Patriots practice fields for a little battle back and forth. I shouldn't say battle. These two were, they're clearly on the same page, but they're battling to get better and to make sure that the Patriots have a better output than what we saw in 2022 on the field. Zappi posting on his Instagram story, a clip of him throwing a pass to Thornton. And again, it looks like it was at the Patriots practice facility.

Starting point is 00:25:36 Thornton's Instagram page showed him driving to Gillette Stadium on the same day. So kind of putting two and two together here, but Taekwon adding the caption dreams to reality. These guys definitely realize that their dream of playing in the NFL in 2022 is a big moment, but there's a lot of work to still be done if they want to continue to cultivate what I think is the beginning of two bright careers. I love seeing this. I love seeing Zappy and Thornton working together. I'll tell you why. I've been told here on the pod that I'm anti-Zappi and I'm a little too pro-Mac. I haven't hit the fact that I believe that Mac still has the ability to be a solid starting quarterback in New England here for

Starting point is 00:26:17 many years to come, but I'm not anti-Zappi in the least. And I'll let you know why I feel that way I think Zappi could make a solid starter as well I just don't think it's just yet and I'll tell you why Zappi became the darling of the fan base playing in four games in relief from Mac during his ankle injury last season now let's not forget that Zappi was third on the depth chart when Mac went down he was actually behind Brian Hoyer who suffered a head injury in week four against the Green Bay Packers. Hoyer was on season-ending injured reserve. Zappi came in, played very well, started two games, led the Patriots to wins in both of those games. All of a sudden, we started to hear the Zappi chants across Gillette Stadium, and rightfully so. Biscuit came in, and he played well. Very poised, showed a competitive spirit. That impressed the fans. It impressed the media. It even impressed his coaching staff, especially during the past week four loss to the Green Bay Packers. Probably didn't think he was going to play meaningful minutes. And he did come in and I thought he did a great job in a hostile environment in Lambeau

Starting point is 00:27:27 and took it to really, I think, you know, one of the great quarterbacks of our time in Aaron Rodgers. And really, I think what was a very good Green Bay defense and he showed the ability to do that. So why not? Why not show the kids some love? He's got a strong logistical fit here in New England, great offensive style in terms of fit here, quick release, accurate in the short and intermediate

Starting point is 00:27:52 areas of the field, just like Mac Jones. He moves well in the pocket. You might even say that I think he may move even a little bit better in the pocket than Mac does. Demonstrated a lot of confidence, a lot of competitiveness, in pressure situations. And there are still moments where he looked like he could really navigate this offense very well. But there were other moments where he looked the part of a rookie that's still finding his identity as a pro quarterback. And we saw that in the last game he played in 2022. The Monday night loss to the Chicago Bears, the same game where Mac Jones got booed off the field and Zappi came in to relieve him. Started out great. The rookie led his team, two consecutive starring drives on the first two possessions. The Zappi chance raining down from Gillette Stadium.

Starting point is 00:28:42 All of us that were covering this game just looked around and went, can you believe this? It's just, it's unreal. Zappi just comes in. This kid has got the touch. He's got the magic. And the New England Patriots jumped out to a 14-10 lead in the second quarter in that game. But Zappi and the Patriots offense, they just couldn't muster another point after that.

Starting point is 00:29:02 And his early success gave way to a lot of the same struggles that doomed Mac Jones earlier in the first half. Struggles recognizing the pressure that led to a couple of poor decisions with the football that resulted in a couple of turnovers. And he also had some difficulty in finishing the drives. He ended up finishing that game 14 of 22, 185 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions in that game. Ultimately, Bailey finished the season completing 65 of 92 passes, 781 yards, five touchdowns, three picks, 70.7 completion percentage. That is not bad for a rookie quarterback thrust into action in very limited sample size pretty good numbers uh for

Starting point is 00:29:45 the kid and uh there's no question that he can put up big numbers he did it at western kentucky had one of the better seasons senior season statistical seasons in 2021 set fbs single season records with 62 passing touchdowns 5,967. Yeah, a lot of mileage on that young arm, but he showed that he can do it and he doesn't seem to be any worse for the wear. So in that regard, you can see what the Patriots see in Bailey Zappi. I can see what the Patriots fans see in Bailey Zappi, but Bill O'Brien coming back to New England tells me that the Pats are buying into Mack as being their starter out of the gate. Now, for those of you that are going to clamor for Bailey, that does not mean that the Patriots are not going to change their mind.

Starting point is 00:30:34 We remember Mack's rookie here. Bill Belichick declared right after the draft, Cam Newton is our starter. Mack had a great camp. He gets the starting job. Cam Newton found himself on the cutting room floor as the Patriots were ready to take the field for the regular season for the first time in 2021. So things can change in the blink of an eye. But even though Mack is coming in as the presumed starter this season, Zappi seems to be intent on making it a competition

Starting point is 00:31:00 during the offseason. And I think what tells me that is the fact that he's working with Taequann Thornton. This is a really smart move for Bailey Zappi. You showcase your arm strength by throwing passes to the team's best deep threat. That's the way you do it. That's the way you showcase what you've got. Taequann was a highly touted prospect as well. Based on his electric speed at the NFL Combine last year, Patriots saw him and knew that this was the guy they wanted to bring into the fold. He flashed his talent during moments of

Starting point is 00:31:31 the season last year, but he was stuck competing for targets. There was a pretty extensive block of players in front of him where he was competing with minutes. Also had the situation where he had the fractured clavicle that put him on injured reserve to begin the season that didn't help him out at all but these two rookies are developing strong rapport and that's a good thing no matter how you slice it just in my humble opinion Mac Jones is still the best steward for this offense if they can get meaning the Patriots a strong supporting cast of playmakers around him, well, then Jones is going to be able to create plays by leading his receivers under the defense,

Starting point is 00:32:11 releasing the ball quickly, and delivering it accurately. This is what the Patriots drafted him for. This is the type of offense he runs well. He did it very well at Alabama. He did it fairly well under Josh McDaniels under a little bit of an abridged form of this offense. I think he's going to do it under Bill O'Brien, and that's why I like Mack to bounce back and have a very good season in 2023. When he does this and he plays this game, it gives his playmakers the space they need to catch and run with the football. Bill O'Brien loves to scheme up plays where receivers and pass catchers are getting yards at the catch. And look, this is not going to help

Starting point is 00:32:50 just Mac be able to play his game. It's going to help put points on the board. It's going to help to keep him ahead of the blitz. It's going to help to keep him out of duress. This is something Bailey Zappi can do as well, but I think the Patriots offense is going to be better under Mac Jones doing this simply because of the experience that he has and his ability and his leadership and the camaraderie that he's built up with all of those guys in the locker room. That being said, folks, if Mac Jones sputters, you definitely have a very solid backup in Bailey Zappi. I think the Patriots have one of the NFL's better backup

Starting point is 00:33:26 options in Bailey on the bench. Once again, I am certainly by any means not Bailey Zappi or anti-Bailey Zappi. There's a lot to like with this kid, and I see it in the fan base, and I don't blame anybody that believes that this kid has the stuff to be able to lead this team, and I necessarily don't blame some of the fan base that is a little skeptical about Mac Jones' ability this year. But I can tell you by him working with guys like Nick Shimanek, taking what he learned from Tom House last year and bringing that support that he's going to get from his coaching staff, most notably Bill O'Brien, and also all of the players in that locker room, lead

Starting point is 00:34:04 me to believe that Mac's going to be just fine this year. Is it going to lead to contending for a division title, conference title, Super Bowl title? The jury's way out on that one, folks. Way too early to determine, but I think it spells good things for the New England Patriots in 2023. And let's hope that the love that we can spread around with all of these players extends to the quarterback room as well. Any new England Patriots fan worth his salt should be rooting for both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi to have good years in the upcoming season.

Starting point is 00:34:37 Patriots fans. I thank you for spending time today here on locked on Patriots and continuing to make locked on Patriots, a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. We'll be back on Wednesday here when the illustrious Countess of Clash herself, the legendary Claire Classey, Claire Cooper, will

Starting point is 00:34:53 join me here, and we'll be talking a little this or that. Yeah, that's right, folks. You're going to have to tune in to decipher what I mean by that, but in the meantime, please continue to stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world, and thank you once

Starting point is 00:35:10 again for smashing that subscribe button on YouTube for Locked On Patriots and also downloading, subscribing to, and following Locked On Patriots on your preferred podcast provider. I'm Mike DeBate. Once again, folks, be the change you wish to see in the world.

Starting point is 00:35:26 A happy Valentine's Day to all of you out there, and have a great day, everyone.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots: Nothin’ But Love for Pats Quarterbacks?

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