Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Mid-Week Health Check - Dr, Jessica Flynn Talks COVID-19, Patriots Health - 9/30/2020

Episode Date: September 30, 2020

We knew that it would happen eventually. On Tuesday, we learned that the Tennessee Titans had yielded eight positive COVID-19 test results. Joining host Mike D’Abate today is Dr. Jessica Flynn of Boston Sports Journal and NBC Sports Boston. Dr. Flynn lends her expert opinion on the NFL’s COVID-19 testing procedures and what it will mean for the league moving forward. The duo also discuss the New England Patriots’ preparedness for the pandemic, and the health of center and team captain David Andrews.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get $10 off your first order.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!NFL Game PassThis season, get football on your time with NFL Game Pass. See all the action from every game with full game replays.Go to nfl.com/gamepass to start your free trial today. cbdMdRight now you can try the amazing duo of CBD Freeze and CBD Recover topicals and everything else cbdMd has to offer. They’re offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order at cbdmd.com when you use the promo code LOCKEDONNFL at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast, and it's time for a little midweek Pat's Health Check here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Listen up, Locked On listeners.

From the best-selling authors of the Daily Stoic comes the ultimate Stoicism guide to success, resilience, and virtue. To accept what you cannot control and adapt to what you can. A philosophy sports teams across the country are successfully adapting. Lives of the Stoics,

the art of living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius is available now wherever books are sold. Happy Hump Day, Patriots Nation, and welcome to your Wednesday, September 30th edition of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of Lockdown Patriots, which of course is a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. And of course, that phrase, your team every day, means your questions, your comments, your feedback are always welcomed and strongly encouraged.

Share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, week three of the 2020 NFL season is now officially in the books. Gone are the visions of silver and black as both of our sharp eyes turn squarely on the red, white, and gold of the defending Super Bowl champs. That's right, folks. The Pats are gonna Kansas City.

Kansas City, here they come. Because the winds are hard to come by, but New England's hoping to get one. Again, please rest well. I will not be making my living as a singer, but I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all humoring me. Anyway, back to business. And your New England Patriots are set to play

the second of three straight AFC West opponents this week. As indicated in my awful singing, the Patriots will travel to face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday, October 4th, 425 p.m. Eastern, the game to be brought to you on CBS. Of course, the Patriots are coming off of a 36-20 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at home. After this Sunday's game against the Chiefs, the Patriots will then come back home to Gillette to host the Denver Broncos. And the Chiefs define the word formidable opponent, folks.

Perfect record thus far on the 2020 season 3-0. They also rank higher than the Patriots, both in total offense and in total defense. The Chiefs are fifth in total offense in the NFL as opposed to the Patriots being ranked eighth, and in total defense, Kansas City ranks 11th while the Patriots are tied for 12th. So an interesting stat to remember there. Kansas City consistently gets praised for being a high-octane, high-powered offense,

but they also have a very formidable defense, and the Patriots are going to have their hands full on both sides of the ball. It will not be an easy matchup, and the Patriots are going to have their hands full on both sides of the ball. It will not be an easy matchup, and the Patriots are going to need every weapon in their arsenal to even think about competing with the Chiefs, let alone bringing home a victory. But don't misconstrue what I'm saying, folks.

Being victorious in Kansas City for your New England Patriots is definitely possible. And over the course of this Thursday and Friday here on the pod, we will be talking to some Chief experts, starting tomorrow with Crossover Thursday. And Chris Clark, host of Locked On Chiefs, will join me right here on the pod, and we'll break down anything and everything you need

to get you ready for Sunday afternoon's matchup. But as I alluded to just a few minutes ago, when I said the Patriots would need every weapon in their arsenal, for the Patriots, that means healthy contributors. And because this is the tumultuous year of 2020, and I don't say tumultuous tongue-in-cheek, folks, anyone who doesn't think this year has been tumultuous, just go back and take another look at last night's debate. Yeah, yikes.

But politics aside, we're talking NFL football, and health doesn't just refer to injuries any longer. Unfortunately, we are still square football, and health doesn't just refer to injuries any longer. Unfortunately, we are still squarely in the middle of a pandemic, and yesterday, we experienced what most of us had feared would happen all along. For the first time in this young 2020 season, an NFL team reported multiple positive COVID-19 tests. Four players and five personnel members of the Tennessee Titans have tested positive for COVID-19. That's the latest number reported per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network as of Wednesday morning. Those totals could still increase, and I'll get to that in a moment, but this is significant

for the NFL. Significant enough for the league to announce that they are postponing the Titans' next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled for Sunday, now they're saying it might take place on Monday, possibly even Tuesday. The biggest reason for the delay right now is because we simply don't know how many players might end up yielding a positive result. Were some of those positives false positives, or do we simply just not have the final count yet? Don't forget, the Titans are reporting that these positive tests came back on Monday, one day after they faced the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings so far have not yielded any positive tests yet. But remember, someone that contracts COVID-19 may not test positive for at least a few days after being exposed. That could indicate that some Vikings players that are testing negative now may test positive tomorrow or even Friday. That would also help to explain why Tennessee Titans players that tested positive on Monday

likely tested negative prior to Sunday's game against the Vikings. I know, folks, it's enough to make your head spin. If you're confused, you're not alone. My initials may be MD, but I'm as far from a medical expert as you'll find anywhere. Luckily for all of us, myself included here today on Locked On Patriots, my guest today is one of the nation's leading experts in the field of sports medicine. Dr. Jessica Flynn of Boston Sports Journal and NBC Sports Boston is back here today on Locked On Patriots to lend her wisdom and counsel on the NFL's latest challenge when

it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. What exactly happened with the testing procedures between last week and this week? How equipped is the NFL to be able to handle not only this test, but also prevent future outbreaks? And last but certainly not least, because this is Locked On Patriots, I'll ask Jess to give her opinion on exactly how your New England Patriots are doing when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19. And of course, while she's here, I might as well ask her about the most high-profile injury on the Patriots roster right now, and that is to center David Andrews. So settle in, folks.

Another action-packed agenda today here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And in just a moment, Dr. Jessica Flynn will join me for a little midweek health check when it comes to the NFL and your New England Patriots. But COVID-19 is not the only health-related issue to report today, especially when it comes to the Patriots folks, because it was a full house at Patriots practice on Wednesday as they prepare for their Sunday matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Making their triumphant returns to the practice field after spending the first three weeks of the regular season on injured reserve. We're running back Damian Harris and, wait for it, wide receiver. Who made that man a Gunnar Oshelski back on the practice fields today, as was James White,

who spent the last two weeks tending to familial responsibilities. It was great to see James back out on the practice field today. But this was the earliest that Harris and Oshelski could practice. The team now has 21 days to add them to the active roster, but I wouldn't go about putting Harris and Oshelski on your fantasy rosters just yet, folks. The fact that the Patriots had them out there practicing is an indication that they want to see exactly what they're capable of handling. Bill Belichick alluded to this in a conference call with the media on Wednesday morning. His exact words?

Quote, We'll see how it goes. The first step would be to practice a player that's on injured reserve, and then whether he would be active or not would depend on what happened during the course of the week. Sometimes those guys, they're not ready to play as soon as they start practicing. They need another week or two. So if we do that, it would just be based on that player's individual situation and how we can evaluate the guy during the time that we have to look at him, whether that's a

week, two weeks, three weeks, whatever it is. Unquote. Now, there's no question the return of both Harris and Oshelski is excellent news for the New England Patriots. You all know I'm glad to see the meme come back, but I'm glad to see the player come back even more. Gunner had a solid camp, really solidified his spot on the wide receiver depth chart. By all accounts, this year he's stronger, he's quicker, he's running routes much better, and I think he's going to be a welcome addition to this wide receiver core. Iris had a pretty good camp as well. In fact, you can make the argument that he was probably the highest praised of all of the running backs in camp this year. Showed prowess in running the ball in a gritty ground attack, and also was pretty adept at being able to catch the ball out of the backfield as well.

There is no question that both of these guys will be on the active 53-man roster as soon as the Patriots decide they're ready, and as the league rules indicate, it will be within 21 days. Exactly who the roster casualties will be to get both Harris and Oshelvsky back on the active roster is still anyone's guess. Yesterday, Steve Balistrieri joined me here on the pod, and we talked a little bit about the potential roster moves that the Patriots would be making in the next few days or so. Right now, my instincts tell me that neither Harris nor Oshelvsky will be

active participants in this Sunday's game. It could happen, but I think it's highly unlikely. So that would mean in the very immediate future, the Patriots are not going to be forced to make any roster moves. They'll have their sharp eye on these guys. I'll have my sharp eye on the Patriots' transaction wire. And of course, here on Locked On Patriots, we'll continue to bring you the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough when it comes to the roster comings and goings of your New England Patriots.

One more side note on this subject, defensive tackle Bo Allen, who was also placed on injured reserve prior to the start of the season, not spotted at practice on Wednesday, indicating that either he's not ready to come off of IR just yet, or that the Patriots may be contemplating putting him on longer-term IR. Something as well to keep an eye on, and we'll continue to monitor Bo's status as well. So even on the practice fields on Wednesday, health takes center stage. And here on Locked On Patriots, it's about to take center stage once again when Dr. Jessica

Flynn joins me to provide her insight on COVID-19 and the health and well-being of your New England Patriots. But first, Locked On listeners, now more than ever, it's important to show support for your team and your community. Visa and the National Football League know that local businesses help your community move the ball down the field. Small businesses everywhere are overcoming challenges in these new times thanks to teammates like you and Visa. Because when everyone pitches in, everyone benefits. Being loyal to local businesses ignites growth and supports all of us and our communities

because they know that where you shop matters. Visa urges you to support local retailers who are making shopping safe and reliable. And remember, tap to pay with a contactless visa wherever you see the contactless symbol to help support your community. Visa, official partner of the NFL. Patriots fans, with COVID-19 still very much a reality across the country, including in professional sports, I am joined today by one of the nation's leading experts in the field of sports medicine. She is a sports medicine physician at Leahy Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. In addition, she provides sports injury analysis for Boston Sports Journal and sports injury commentary for NBC Sports Boston. It is always my honor to welcome Dr. Jessica Flynn back to the Locked On Patriots podcast.

Dr. Flynn, thank you for joining me today. Oh, thanks so much for having me back on. I'm really happy to be here. Absolutely. The pleasure is happy to be here. Absolutely. The pleasure is all mine as well. And, folks, I highly recommend checking out Jess's new podcast that she has now available through BSJ. Check out her Twitter account. One of the best listens you'll find anywhere.

I'm a fan, and I certainly encourage you to do so. She's doing a fine job with that and some of the greatest information you'll find in the world of sports and medicine and how it blends together. Again, really, really great stuff. So I'm proud to welcome you here and welcome you to the Potter and family as we like to call it here, you know, across the airwaves. It's a unique group that we've got going on. We're always happy to see new and great podcasts come in. Well, thanks so much. Anytime. My pleasure. And I mean that from the heart.

Jess, we knew it was going to happen eventually. And yesterday morning, we learned that the Tennessee Titans had yielded eight positive COVID test results. 24 hours after being swabbed Monday morning, three players and five staff received confirmed positive test results. And we saw that Tom Palacero of NFL Network reported early on Wednesday that an additional player tested positive, bringing the count to nine. Jess, you put together a phenomenal piece for Boston Sports Journal yesterday that outlines exactly what happened, how it happened, and what might be in store for the NFL in the coming days and weeks. Putting the future aside for just one moment, for the benefit of our listeners and myself as well, if you would be so kind as to walk us through how the testing procedure works and why the test results seem to be so confusing for so many yesterday, especially when it comes to the timing of the test showing either positive or negative results. Yeah, I mean, it's definitely complicated because the type of test that the NFL uses,

it takes a while for you to get results back. So the way that the NFL has set this up is for Sunday games, the protocol is to test athletes on Saturday morning before 8.30 a.m. So all the players playing Sunday and all the staff of all the teams playing Sunday gets their testing swab in the morning, and those results are available by the morning of game day. So they're usually available within 24 hours. After that test is done on Saturday morning, the athletes are not repeated.

They're not tested again on game day. They're not tested again until Monday when they return to their facilities. Now, when they're tested on Monday, remember those results won't be available until Tuesday. And I know, I mean, if you can follow this timeline, I know it's hard, you know, to listen to it. But I think the important lesson maybe that the NFL will learn from this is that these teams were sort of blind to their athletes COVID status really from Saturday after the tests were done because you know you could test an athlete an hour after the test is done and they could suddenly turn positive right so after those swabs were done on Saturday morning they did not have the results of a repeat test until Tuesday

morning so that's a lot of days for those athletes to be grouped together in the facility and really for the team to have no knowledge. So I would expect to start to see some game day testing, at least to try to fill that gap. And I think that's excellent insight, exactly what we were looking for. And I think you explained that very succinctly. It definitely puts a lot more in perspective. And now that we know what happened, Jess, and you just alluded to this in your final sentence, but I'm going to ask you to expound upon that a little bit more. Now that we know what's going on, what types of repercussions might be felt throughout the NFL as a result of these positive tests? And in your opinion, is the NFL properly equipped to

handle not only this incident, but also to help prevent more cases like this throughout the season? I know you said you mentioned game day testing. Is there anything else the NFL can do to help combat this becoming a major problem or even, dare I say, an outbreak? I think the NFL has done an outstanding job. And I was, you know, very opinionated about, you know, about having a league, a sports league come back during a pandemic. And I have to say, while they have used quite a bit of resources to do this, they've done an excellent job. I mean, we've had very few cases until now. But this is something that the NFL expected all along. They knew this was going to happen eventually.

And so I'm certain that it's something that they've planned for. And I think the most important thing that they could do going forward is to continue to be flexible and be willing to pivot, be willing to do something like add a game day test or, you know, cancel games this weekend because of things like player safety. and be willing to pivot, be willing to do something like add a game day test or, you know, cancel games this weekend because of things like player safety, not just for COVID but also injury-wise. You know, if these players can't get into their facilities all week, that's not a great position to put them in, you know, going forward.

And then, you know, obviously trying to contain an outbreak like this within one team and not continue to spread it throughout the league. I think when you start to get – you see here it's just an outbreak on one team, but it's really affecting four teams in the NFL. And that web is very complicated, you know, as the season goes on. And so it's something that, you know, I think continuing their mitigation strategies and really having the players continue to be responsible for, you know, their own exposures is really important.

Yeah, absolutely. Player safety is always the most paramount concern. And we all, I think, were curious and maybe even a little bit outspoken and vocal about the NFL's preparedness to be able to combat this. I think they have done a great job as well. I share your sentiment and it's nice to hear an expert opinion support that. It's nice to be able to say it from afar and say, yeah, they're doing a great job. They've done well here. They've done well there, but it's nice to hear that type of opinion from a medical perspective that it

seems to be working. So hopefully cooler heads will prevail. The NFL will be able to keep a lid on this. Hopefully that the players that have tested positive will make a full recovery. Everything will be OK and it won't lead to more problems down the line. But ultimately, you know, the jury is still out on that and we'll see. I think the next few hours, the next few days are going to be very telltale when it comes to that. And we'll continue to monitor that and keep our sharp eye on it. Can I just add one thing?

I mean, I think it's important to remember, you know, that the Vikings, you should not expect to see any positive tests from them until later this week, you know, tests on Thursday or Friday. So that while we're every day really excited to see negative tests, that's something we kind of have to keep in mind that no one would anticipate from an exposure on a Sunday that anyone would have positive tests yet. That's going to take much longer. So it's really the test result news, you know, late this week into early next week that will be most important for that.

That is a great point to make. And I'm so glad that you made that, that just because the negative tests are coming back on Tuesday, on Wednesday morning, we may not be able to see the full implication or the full impact that all of this has had for another couple of days, simply because of the way the testing is and simply because of the, you know, the alert systems and how we're going to receive that information. So, Jess, again, thank you for that true wisdom and counsel on this subject. Folks, this type of information can only be relayed by an expert. And Jess, you're certainly the best of the best in that department. It's always our honor to have you here on Locked On Patriots.

But this is Locked On Patriots. And in just a moment, folks, Dr. Jessica Flynn and I will provide some insight on how the Patriots have handled the attempted containment of COVID thus far. And we might even ask her about a couple of significant injuries to some key Patriots players. This and more when the Locked on Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, renowned sports medicine physician Dr. Jessica Flynn joins me here today on Locked On Patriots.

And Jess, we talked in the previous segment about the NFL's response to the latest COVID-19 crisis and how they might look to contain the spread of COVID-19 throughout the league in subsequent weeks. But because this is Locked On Patriots, I thought it might be a good time to give a little Patriots progress report on how they're doing when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID. Outwardly, the Patriots have seemingly been compliant with the league regulations when it comes to preparedness for COVID-19, meaning they appear to be following protocol. Gillette Stadium has a lot more plexiglass than ever before. Social distancing is pretty much in force. We see Bill Belichick rocking the masks on the

sidelines, doing a little bit better in that department than his peers that are kind of being fined by the league right now. But there are always things that the medical eye can see that us mere mortals do not. Jess, purely from your observations of the Patriots when it relates to COVID, I guess first, is it possible to determine how the Patriots are doing in that department? And if so, how are they doing? You know, I think it's hard, right? Because we don't really have access to the team like in previous years, but obviously their numbers are quite good. They haven't had any cases. They also are living in an area where the numbers are relatively low. You know, we're lucky to live in a state that has taken this really seriously

and kept the population numbers low since training camp started. I think another interesting wrinkle is that you have two players on the Patriots whose wives happen to be physicians. So I'm sure that as a little, you know, extra layer of incentive and sort of awareness in the locker room that might not already be there. You know, if you judge that by my husband and my kids, they are definitely very vocal about their friends wearing masks and social distancing. So I just think that that is interesting.

But the Pats have an incredible medical staff. I mean, the whole organization is dedicated to excellence. So, you know, I expect that they're handling it very well. Absolutely. And one of those players that you mentioned whose wife is a physician, Matthew Slater, special teams captain, one of the heart and soul members of that New England Patriots team. So you have to think that if it's coming from Slater, it's coming from a position that everybody is listening.

He's like the EF Hutton of that locker room. If he's talking, the ears are cupped, everyone's listening, and hopefully they're adhering to that. And it seems to be working well for the Patriots. I know it's a tough position to put you in to say, oh, the Pats are doing a good job or they're not doing a good job. You're absolutely right. We don't have the same access that we've had to the team in years past. But again, to hear a medical opinion on that does fill us with a little bit of pride and definitely a lot of optimism. So thank you for giving your

opinion on the Patriots. And Jess, unfortunately, COVID is not the only medical issue that plagues NFL teams or that plagues the Patriots every single year injuries continue to be a problem we're seeing that throughout the NFL some teams have a rash of injuries just take a look at the walking wounded list of the San Francisco 49ers and you'll know that some teams are hit harder than others but the Patriots like all teams are dealing with injuries as well. Julian Edelman has been a little bit banged up. We've seen him pop up on the injury report. Fans are always concerned when they see that.

We've seen guys placed on IR, Bo Allen, Damian Harris, who might be eligible to come off of IR very shortly. Of course, now one of the bigger names that's on that injury, you know, reserve list is David Andrews. And we know last week from Jake Lazor's report that he broke a knuckle, had surgery, tried to give it a go for the Las Vegas game, eventually placed on injured reserve. Now, we saw David with the brace on his thumb up to his wrist. We know that he tried to take snaps with his other hand. It just didn't work out.

But we continue to hear positive things about his injury just based on what we do know do you believe that Patriots fans can expect to see David back on the field after the Patriots bye week in mid-October when he's eligible to return yes I do I've also heard that that same optimism. But when it comes down to it, it really depends what type of fracture he had. So he broke what's being called the knuckle of the thumb. And the thumb is obviously very important, not just for holding a football and snapping a football, but also just for everyday life, things like buttoning a coat, grabbing coffee in the morning. You really need

your thumb. And so it is something that we're a little bit more aggressive with surgically. And it's funny, when I saw Andrew's come back in the cast, you know, when he was participating in warm ups last week, I looked at it and said, Wait a minute, he totally had surgery, you know, and sure enough, Jake laser's report came out. So, you know, these types of things, if it's a stable fracture that doesn't involve the joint, it definitely is something he could come back and maybe even be able to snap with that hand when he's eligible to come off IR, maybe three to four weeks, you know, total. But, you know, if it does involve the joint and it's a little bit more unstable and something that the surgeons are a little bit

more concerned about him long-term, being able to have good grip and stability of that thumb, then it may be the case where he comes back in a splint, but he's snapping the ball with the other hand still. So that's going to be just something we have to wait and see, sort of how he looks in practice when he comes off of IR. Great insight, and definitely some positive news on David Andrews, who is a true heart and soul member. Much like I said about Matthew Slater, you talk about the anchor of that offensive line. He's the center, he's the main cog, but he's also the captain.

He's the guy that everyone looks up to. And with all respect to guys like Joe Tooney, who I thought played a phenomenal game on Sunday against the Raiders, coming in, starting his first game ever in an NFL uniform at the center position, thought he played well. A lot of love to the Michigan rookie, Michael Onwainu, who's really making a lot of headlines this week. In fact, he was listed among the NFL's top players, I believe I saw,

in several tweets. He was very highly graded by Pro Football Focus this week. In fact, he was listed among the NFL's top players. I believe I saw in several tweets. He was very highly graded by pro football focus this week for his performance. The Patriots do have that next man up mentality and they're always ready for any contingency, but it will be nice to see a guy like David Andrews back on the field because he's definitely a stabilizing force when it comes to the Patriots offense, their running game, and of course, keeping Cam Newton healthy. That's important. We need that here in New England. We've had enough injuries. We've had enough disheartening departures throughout the offseason. We want to see Cam healthy and do well. And a big part of that is an offensive line that can protect him. Jess, what can I say? I thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me here today on the pod. Lend some wisdom, counsel, and expert professional opinion on COVID-19.

And also give us a little Patriots injury update as well. We always appreciate it. Folks, the name of the podcast is Sidelined with Doc Flynn. Catch it wherever you get your podcasts. I absolutely encourage you to subscribe and download one of the better podcasts that you'll find out there that does blend the area of sports and medicine, not just the NFL. Jess covers it all. For the benefit of our listeners, Jess, please let everyone know where they can find you on social media and additionally where they can continue to find your great work each and every day. Well, thanks again so much for having me on and for your kind words.

The podcast has been a blast, so I hope you go enjoy it. You can find me. I have a new Twitter handle. On Twitter, I am at DocFlynn underscore NFL. So you can find me there. I also write for Boston Sports Journal. I just had an article go up about the COVID outbreak, the NFL. So check that out.

It's open even to non-subscribers. You can kind of see what BSJ is all about. And thanks again. I hope to come back. I love talking to you. Absolutely. And we love having you here. It's always my honor, my privilege to be able to talk football and medicine with you. I happen to know a little bit about football, but my initials may be MD. I am about as green as you could possibly get when it comes to medical analysis. So you're the expert in the field, and I always defer to you, and it's my pleasure and honor to do so. Jess, my best to you and the family. Stay safe, stay well.

We look forward to having you back here on Locked On, Patriots, hopefully to talk more positives than negatives. But we know you're always ready to speak on all matters. So thank you again, and have a great week. You too. Thanks. And so Patriots fans, we are now more than halfway through your work week, which means tomorrow is Thursday as in crossover Thursday here on the

Locked On Podcast Network. And as I said to open the pod today, Chris Clark, host of Locked On Chiefs will join as I said to open the pod today, Chris Clark, host of Locked On Chiefs, will join me as we prepare you for Sunday afternoon's marquee matchup in Kansas City between the defending Super Bowl champs and your New England Patriots. So to ensure that you do not miss a single episode, download us wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to us on Google Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. Subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on Apple Podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank Dr. Jessica Flynn for her time, her insight,

and her appearance on today's pod, but most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.