Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - MidWeek Mailbag - Patriots, Seahawks and Raiders - 9/23/2020

Episode Date: September 23, 2020

It is time to open the Mid-Week Locked On Patriots Mailbag. Host Mike D’Abate answers listeners’ questions on Week Two and Week Three of the 2020 NFL season for the New England Patriots. Topics include the biggest surprises of the Patriots’ season, the need for additional help at wide receiver and linebacker. and the strategy that the Patriots might employ as they prepare to battle the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.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. KeepsIf you’re ready to take action and prevent hair loss, go to Keeps.com/lockedonnfl to receive your first month of treatment for free. 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. It is Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020, and you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast where today it's time to open up the midweek mailbag for this week two, week three transition episode of your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Today's episode is brought to you in part by NFL Game Pass. This season, get football on your time with NFL Game Pass. See all the action from every game with full game replays. You can also replay an entire game and

catch all of the plays in just 45 minutes with condensed games. Go to NFL.com slash Game Pass to start your free trial today. NFL Game Pass, where football never stops. Happy Hump Day, Patriots Nation, and thank you for joining me here today on the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day.

And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and greatly appreciated, especially on days like today where we open up the midweek mailbag. But anytime, feel free to share that feedback by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, we are at the midway point during your work week, and that means only one thing. Still with an eye on week two, we now turn our attention to week three, the Seahawks' distant memory.

Next up on the docket are the Las Vegas Raiders. And if today's Wednesday, then you know tomorrow. Here on the pod is Crossover Thursday, and your boy Q, host of the Locked On Raiders podcast, will join me here in the hot seat, and we'll break down anything and everything related to this matchup from a Pats perspective and from a Raiders perspective. So stay tuned. An exciting show on tap for tomorrow. But today here on the pod, you're the star of the show

because we opened up the Locked On Patriots mailbag and yet again, you never cease to amaze me. Another great batch of questions from which I had to choose. And folks, you never make it easy. Your questions are always insightful, always thought-provoking. That's why midweek mailbag day here on Locked on Patriots is among my favorite days of being host of this podcast. This week, we're going to delve into some roster wish lists for the Patriots, what the biggest surprises have been both for the team and the NFL as a whole. We'll talk a little bit about the Patriots' performance on Sunday,

particularly at two positions, linebacker and running back. And last but certainly not least, an insightful question from a very good friend of the program on what the Patriots might do to help contain one of the Las Vegas Raiders' most prolific offensive weapons. So a fun and action-packed midweek mailbag episode on the docket today. Sit back, settle in, and in just a moment, the great questions from all of you phenomenal listeners of Locked On Patriots will take center stage. But before we officially open the Locked On Patriots mailbag today, I thought we'd start

off with a question that I tend to get a lot in passing, meaning the question isn't formally submitted for a mailbag episode, but it's a common question that many Patriots fans have. And that's, with the performance of Cam Newton for the past couple of games, are the Patriots finally ready to give this man a contract extension? I don't think there's any question that his performance early on has made him one of the best bargains the league has to offer. Don't forget, Cam is right now signed to a one-year contract with a base salary of $1.05 million. And while he has the ability to reach up to $7.5 million if he reaches all his

incentives, that is still a massive bargain considering the level at which Cam is playing right now. It may sound like a dodge of this question, but I still think it's way too early to determine exactly what the numbers might look like for a contract extension and when negotiations might actually begin for the Patriots. There is a great piece that's out there right now by Jeff Howe of The Athletic that prognosticates a lot of these details, and I highly recommend it. Jeff's piece is phenomenal, as usual, informative and insightful, and really delves into what these negotiations may look like, both from a time standpoint and from a financial standpoint.

But for all you Patriots fans out there, here's the encouraging part. Cam spoke with Greg Hill on the Greg Hill Morning Show on WEI Radio in Boston yesterday. And he was asked about his salary, his contract, and what type of a motivational factor it was for him playing throughout the 2020 season. Cam answered this both with class and professionalism. And I think he's being 100% honest here. Newton responded to that question by saying, quote, Money at this particular point in my career is not important. Let's be honest. I've made my money, but for everything

I play this game for, I haven't received yet, and that's why I'm playing. So it's not about money. It's about respect, end quote. Now, folks, we all know at the end of the day, it is about money. Every athlete that is worth his salt, that plays at the level of a Cam Newton, is looking to be paid accordingly. So there's no question about it. Cam's going to be looking for a lot more than he's making right now. But it doesn't appear to be the primary motivational factor. Cam seems very happy here in New England, and his teammates, his coaches, and his employers, just happen to be one and the same there when you're talking about Bill Belichick, seem to be very happy with Cam in return.

Ultimately, we'll find out how happy the Patriots are when contract negotiations start, if in fact they start, and I truly believe they will. I think there's enough mutual respect and enough mutual like between both parties to at least see if something can be worked out. But something that makes me optimistic is Cam's embracing of the culture here in New England. He was also quoted yesterday as saying, I do admire and love the culture of the Patriots. It's been a place for me that's been therapeutic.

This is a place that's been challenging for my growth. It's making me better. It's been a place that's given me everything for my needs at this particular point in my life. Through it all, I'm going to let the cards shuffle the way they shuffle and do the things that I can control. Now, at the very least, that statement tells me at least two things. One, Cam is not going to forget that this is a business. He understands that contract negotiations can go either way.

He knows he has to hold up his end of the bargain and keep playing at a high level, and also expects the Patriots to hold up their end of the bargain and pay him accordingly for the level at which he's playing. But the other thing this tells me is that Cam's happiness with playing in New England shows that he's willing to consider playing here long term. That's great news for both sides. Cam believes he's in the right place to succeed, and the Patriots can now entertain the idea that they have a 31-year-old quarterback still playing at the very top of his game, capable of leading this team for quite some time.

And of course, Cam being the flamboyant and fun-loving superstar that he is, finished up his appearance on the Greg Hill Show yesterday by saying, in the fine tunes of my contract, since we're talking contracts, if I hit certain incentives, I will be able to dress all the coaches, including Bill Belichick. So that's something I'm looking forward to. And of course, Cam was being tongue-in-cheek, laughed as he said it. But if any

of you have seen the picture floating around of Bill Belichick and the attire he wore to this morning's media conference, you'll know that this man might be in need of some sartorial assistance. Me personally, I respect Bill taking a no-nonsense approach to his wardrobe. He's not focused on the holes in his shoulders of his cut-off hoodie. He's focused on one thing and one thing only, the Las Vegas Raiders. And this Sunday, Bill Belichick has the chance to erase that bad taste in his mouth after Sunday's loss. Cam Newton has the opportunity to take one more step toward an incredible comeback season, and maybe, just maybe, folks, helping to accelerate the desire on both sides of the table to come together and reach an agreement on an extension.

I'm just saying, we live in hope. And with that being said, Pats Nation, it's time to take the spotlight and put it squarely on you, the great listeners of Locked On Patriots, as we prepare to take a deep dive into the midweek mailbag here on this Wednesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. But first, as we prepare to enjoy week three of NFL action in 2020, we remind you that this season, get your football on your time with NFL Game Pass. You can catch every snap from every game with full game replays and see all of the plays in just 45 minutes with condensed games.

You can relive all the gutsy calls, the crazy catches, the wild comebacks, and the breakout stars from every game, every week. It's all the action, all the football you can handle, all in one place. And NFL Game Pass is the only place you can replay every game all season long. You'll also learn from the league's best players with over 40 NFL Game Pass film session episodes. Go inside the game from a player's perspective as they break down the game's concepts and techniques. Learn from the best like Deshaun Watson, Stephon Gilmore, Devontae Adams, and many more.

NFL Game Pass also provides access to the entire NFL Films archive. Go to NFL.com slash Game Pass to start your free trial today. NFL Game Pass, where football never stops. Patriots fans, once again, it is time to open the midweek mailbag here on Locked On Patriots as we transition from Week 2 against the Seahawks to Week 3's matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. And the questions that you all submitted this week were a combination of looking back in retrospect to the first two games of the season and also looking ahead to Sunday's

Week 3 matchup. As I said to open the pod today, they were insightful, thought-provoking, and without further ado, let's open up the midweek mailbag right here on Wednesday, September 23rd on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Taking it from the top, we start at the top, and I'm talking the salary cap top gun, the great and powerful Wizard of Benzahn, the Pats cap himself, Miguel Benzahn, kicks it off with a great question. And of course, you all know that Miguel can be found on Twitter at Pats cap. Miguel asks, Mike, what is your biggest surprise of the Patriots season so far?

Also, what is your biggest surprise of the NFL season so far? Miguel, this is a great question and a great way for me to be able to kick off this mailbag episode today. Obviously, if we're talking the Patriots, I don't see how anyone could not list Cam Newton as their biggest and most pleasant surprise of the 2020 season so far. The Patriots knew they were getting a good quarterback in Cam Newton, there's no question about it, but he did come with questions. Most of which surrounded his health, his throwing shoulder, his feet. Two areas that kept him out of action for much of the last two seasons. There's also the question of it taking 86 days for a team to finally sign him to a contract.

All of this added up to, does Cam really have it anymore? Are the Patriots taking a long shot gamble here? Will he physically be able to lead this team on the field? We even saw the occasional argument pop up of, how is his personality going to gel with Bill Belichick? Well folks, even though two games is a small sample size, I believe that Cam's play on the field has solved all the problems and answered the questions of much of Patriots Nation. In just two games, he's compiled 674 yards and five touchdowns. That includes both his prowess on the ground and throwing the football. And if anybody had any question marks about whether Cam could throw the ball or beat

you with his arm, he definitely answered that question on Sunday night. Throwing for 397 yards, including a 49-yard bomb to Julian Edelman, Cam looked as good and as comfortable throwing the football as I've ever seen him in his entire career. He's truly changed the complexity of this offense. You're seeing Josh McDaniels incorporate zone read options, even some RPOs into the offensive game plan. They're still utilizing play action to facilitate the running game. On the field, Cam has been a hand-in-glove fit. In the previous segment, I also talked about his leadership and how comfortable he seems to be here with his teammates, his coaching staff, just buying into the New England culture as a whole.

Virtually all of Cam's teammates, including a lot of longtime veterans here in New England, guys like Matthew Slater, Devin McCourty, David Andrews have all sung the praises of Cam Newton. They've called both his energy and his positivity, and please excuse the pun here, folks, I'm just quoting what they've been saying as, quote, infectious. As for the fan base, dare I say he's completely won them over, and that is not an easy thing to do when you're taking over for a quarterback that was as beloved and still beloved despite the attention-seeking dribble that you'll hear from the afternoon drive time attention-seeking machine in this region.

Cam Newton has been the perfect successor to Tom Brady, and I fully believe that Tom would still have been successful here in New England this year in 2020, but it's hard to argue with the evidence that Cam Newton seems like the perfect fit for this Patriots team at this point in time. To answer the second part of your question, Miguel, what was my biggest surprise in the NFL? Well, this one wasn't so pleasant. And I can't really say it's a complete shock because I have alluded to this several times, both here on Locked On Patriots and in several other appearances that I've made in other

media realms. And that's the rash of injuries that the NFL has endured so far in 2020. And conventional wisdom would say this is a result of one of two things. First, the elimination of OTAs, of minicamps, of preseason games. Some would say this did not give players an adequate opportunity to get into game shape, meaning that there was not enough high-intensity practice to get players sufficiently ready for a 16-game NFL season. There's a flip side to this as well. Some have argued that it's led to too much high-intensity practice.

Maybe some players trying to get in shape too much too soon, overcompensating in practice and then taking their toll out on their bodies. To be honest, it's really hard to say which side of the coin deserves more blame here. After all, each team has its own individual training staffs, their own individual training regiments. Some teams have weathered the storm pretty well so far. Others have been hit particularly hard. Two that come to mind off the top of my head, the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos. The Niners have been hit really hard.

Between Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas experiencing season-ending injuries, to Jimmy Garoppolo, Raheem Mostert, each going down with injuries that could sideline them for a good period of time, San Francisco now is definitely going to have to pick up the pieces, and it won't be easy considering they're playing in a very tough division. The Broncos have also had some tough injury luck. They lost Von Miller during training camp, now Drew Locke is going to be out for two to six weeks with a shoulder injury, and of course wide receiver Cortland Sutton is now on season-ending injured reserve. Surprisingly enough, I haven't even mentioned some of the other marquee injuries the teams have faced. The New York Giants are going to be without Saquon Barkley at the running back position for the entire year. Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers suffers an ankle injury. That's expected to keep him out four to six weeks. Bruce Irvin of the Seattle Seahawks just on Sunday night football against your New England Patriots suffered a season-ending injury. So the volume of injuries that we've seen, particularly in week two,

combined with the high-profile nature of a lot of the players that have suffered them, is definitely the biggest surprise to me so far through two weeks in the NFL season. Whether or not this continues to be a trend is anyone's guess. If it does, the finger-pointing will continue. To be honest, you're already starting to see some of it, especially when it comes to the new turf at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands. A lot of 49ers players are describing this turf as, quote, sticky. I've even seen it referred to as trash.

It certainly is at least worth asking the question, considering the number of 49ers players that went down on Sunday. It will be interesting to me, at least worth asking the question considering the number of 49ers players that went down on Sunday. It will be interesting to me at least anyway to see if the NFL determines that this turf was in any way subpar, but even if it was, that wouldn't explain the injuries to the other players on other teams. Coaching staffs, training staffs will eventually have to be held accountable, unless week two ends up being the exception rather than the rule. Don't forget, week one in the NFL didn't see a huge rash of injury. I would expect that the league will definitely have its sharp eye on the injury wire on week three to see whether or not this trend continues or if it just happens to be a week of bad luck for a number of NFL teams. Bottom line, injuries remain a terrible part of

the game. No one ever wants to see a player injured regardless of the team they play on. Everyone that has suffered either season-ending injuries or tough injuries from which they need to come back, I wish them the very best and hope to see all of them back on the field as soon as possible. So Miguel, thank you for the great question to kick off the Midweek Mailbag episode here on the pod. But now that we've got the surprises out of the way, we'll play a little roster wish list when it comes to your New England Patriots. And this question comes courtesy of West Midlands in the UK and the Patriots fourth and two UK correspondent, as well as a special contributor for full press coverage Patriots.

That's right. Claire L. Cooper adds her wisdom and counsel to the Lockdown Patriots mailbag today, and she can be found on Twitter at KlazzyClaire. Two Z's, folks. And Claire wonders, there's so much chatter about what position we should add depth to. Wide receiver, tight end, fullback, etc. If we could just get one new guy, who would you choose and why?

Claire, this is an excellent question, and there are two ways to answer it. What do I believe the Patriots need most, and what do I believe they want most? We'll start with what I believe the Patriots need most, and what do I believe they want most? We'll start with what I believe the Patriots want the most, and by say Patriots, I mean me wanting the most. And last week here on the Mailbag episode, you heard me gush glowingly about Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson. Let me be clear on this though. The chances of the Patriots actually getting Allen Robinson to play wide receiver for them this year are slim to none. I was relatively unoptimistic about them getting him last week. I'm even less optimistic this week.

But if you're asking who's the player I would want the most, it's got to be Allen Robinson. I've always loved the fit that he could potentially have here in New England in this wide receiving core. He's the prototypical Patriots wide receiver. He's strong. He's smart. He can win down the field, whether it's on the inside or on the outside. He's the prototypical Patriots wide receiver. He's strong. He's smart. He can win down the field, whether it's on the inside or on the outside. He's got strong hands at the catch point, great catch radius, everything the Patriots could possibly want in a wide receiver. And let's face it, they could use at least one more body on this core. We heard a few rumors earlier this week about Marvin Jones with the Detroit Lions and whether or not the Patriots had inquired. I haven't been able to validate any of those claims from people that I've talked to,

and it doesn't mean the Pats haven't inquired. It doesn't mean they won't end up doing this deal, but right now, there really doesn't seem to be much behind it other than speculation. By all accounts, Robinson seems to have worked out his issues with the Chicago Bears, so it looks like he's staying put at least for the remainder of the season. Again, that doesn't mean a deal can't happen, just means that it's highly unlikely one will happen. Odell Beckham Jr. is another one. I just don't see this happening.

Cleveland is coming off of a big win. It looks like he and Baker Mayfield are starting to get on the same page. Unless he's completely unhappy or a malcontent in the locker room, I can't imagine Cleveland being so willing to give up on Odell Beckham Jr. just yet. As for the Patriots adding a wide receiver, Steve Balistrieri and I talked yesterday about this a little bit. I believe it's going to be more of an under-the-radar type signing, and don't forget, the Patriots also have Gunnar Ryszewski coming back off of IR hopefully very soon. Gunnar looked great in training camp and I believe has evolved into the type of receiver

that will help the Patriots, especially when it comes to route running and making those types of clutch receptions that we saw Danny Amendola make for so many years here in New England. I'm not saying Gunner is going to be equal to Danny Amendola, but think along those lines. That's how Gunner's going to be employed once he's healthy and back on the field. So again, I know I probably angered a lot of you by pouring some cold water on the rumors that the Patriots are going to bring in a big name wide receiver. I'm not saying it won't happen. I'm just saying I think it's highly unlikely at this point. But Claire, I do have a second part of my answer to your question, and it actually answers the first part of a question that was submitted by another listener, and that is ArmchairQB

at ArmchairQB4. And ArmchairQB asks, I think linebacker needs to be addressed before the wide receiver position is even mentioned. What do you think about the position? And as an offshoot to Claire's question, and as an answer to your question, ArmchairQB, I fully believe the linebacker position is the most important position that the Patriots need to address. The Patriots lost a lot of talent at the linebacker position in the offseason. Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Alandon Roberts all leaving via free agency. Dante Hightower opting out. That left Juwan Bentley as the lone veteran in that group. And you saw him struggle on Sunday because he was simply all alone, being asked to do things he

shouldn't be doing. I'll get into that a little bit more in the second segment. But it's clear that the Patriots need some help here. The problem is, there's not a whole lot available when it comes to edge rushers and linebackers out there in free agency right now. If the Patriots were looking to address the edge position, there are a couple of guys out there that do have former ties to the organization. Yufumba Kamalu, who spent a lot of time on the Patriots practice squad a couple of years ago, last year spent a great deal of time with the Baltimore Ravens. He's still out there available. Another guy out there right now is Jabal Sheard. He spent some time here in New England,

has played pretty effectively with the Indianapolis Colts lately. He's still out there available as well. As far as traditional linebackers, pretty slim pickings. A couple of names you might recognize that are on the free agency list right now, both former New Orleans Saints. The first is Manti Teo, who for all of the negativity surrounding his name, actually did play pretty well in New Orleans at the linebacker position. He would be a solid depth piece, nothing more. The other name that's out there is a name that's been out there for quite a while, and that's Nigel Bradham. Bradham has some pedigree, no question about it, but he's been out there on the street for quite a while. Some character issues have been raised about Bradham. You have to wonder if that's one of the reasons why he's still out there available, but at this

point, I just can't see the Patriots kicking the tires on any one of these guys, leading me to believe, Armchair QB, that the answer to the Patriots' problems at linebacker are currently on the roster. And in just a moment, folks, I will tackle the second part of Armchair QB's question, along with more of your great questions here on this midweek mailbag episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And we remind you that today's episode of Locked On Patriots is presented in part by MyBookie. Invest 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. Patriots fans, we continue to swim in the deep end of the midweek mailbag here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And in the previous segment, I combined the wisdom and counsel of my FPC cohort, Claire L. Cooper, along with that of Armchair QB.

The questions related to the Patriots' wants and needs. And I expressed my opinion that in a perfect world, I would love to see Allen Robinson come to New England and play wide receiver for the Patriots. That being said, I don't think it's likely to happen. But I also used Claire's question as a way to address the first part of the question asked by ArmchairQB, and that was whether I believed the linebacker position was the most important need for the

Patriots. I advise that that was indeed the case. The Patriots do need to address the linebacker situation. And I'll go into greater detail to answer the second part of your question, ArmchairQB, which was, why were Uche, meaning Josh Uche, and Jennings, Anthony Jennings, inactive? Did New England want to have more defensive backs on the roster last week against Seattle? Well, to answer your question on this, ArmchairQB, Josh Uche was inactive last week due to an ankle injury. According to what Bill Belichick has said, Uche continues to fight through it. They're hopeful he'll be able to go this week, but at the time I'm recording this podcast, Wednesday's injury report has yet

to be released, and there's not a whole lot of direction as to the status of Uche for this coming weekend. As for Jennings, he actually was not inactive on Sunday. He may well have been, he only played 2% of the Patriots' snaps, but technically he was dressed and an active participant in Sunday's game. Now, I do think the Patriots enacted snaps, but technically he was dressed and an active participant in Sunday's game. Now, I do think the Patriots enacted a strategy to have the edge rushers try to put pressure on Russell Wilson, have a good amount of stock in the defensive backfield, and try to prevent Russell Wilson from being able to beat them with his arm. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don't think the Patriots did as poor of a job at that as many people are saying.

They ran into a great quarterback who played a great game on Sunday. That being said, I do believe the defensive backfield does have to tighten up and limit yards after the catch. One of the strategies they employed on Sunday that didn't work out so well was conceding many of those short throws to cover up the big plays that Russell Wilson was capable of. Derek Carr likes to air the ball out as well when it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders, so the Patriots need to do a better job of making adjustments to limit the yards after the catch,

starting this week. As for the linebacking position, Juwan Bentley had a rough one out there on Sunday, but again, I don't think all of the criticism he's getting is particularly fair. Bentley had little to no help alongside him pretty much all game. He was being asked to cover wide receivers in the low area, and most middle linebackers shouldn't be asked to do that. That's not their job. I've been a very big proponent of Adrian Phillips being that hybrid linebacker that the Patriots love to employ. I still am a big believer in Adrian's fit in this system, and I think he's going to be a solid player, but he doesn't have the size to provide that type of help that Juwan Bentley is going to need. In that regard, Armchair QB, I think the Patriots turn to two players that are already on their

roster. Two rookies, one being Josh Uche, the other being cash me in side linebacker Malawiah. Uche was a healthy scratch in Week 1, largely in part to matchup issues. That wouldn't have been the case with Seattle. I think the Patriots had high hopes for Uche in this game, hoping that he could come in at some speed and versatility and strength at the linebacker position. He suffered an ankle injury early on in the week, never recovered, and had to sit out the game. But when Josh Uche is healthy, he's quick enough to drop into coverage, and he's explosive enough to win battles off of the edge. That's something you didn't see in the Patriots' linebacker core on Sunday, and I believe that when he's healthy, Usha can have that added dimension to make this defense that much more

formidable. And if Usha is adding the strength, then Malawiah is adding the speed. Let's not forget that one of the big reasons why the Patriots chose to pick him up in the sixth round of the draft is that he ran the 40-yard dash at a 4.53. The Patriots knew from his time at the University of Wyoming that he was going to be a pretty good pass rusher. In training camp, he showed that added ability to be able to be a pretty good run stuffer. So I look for him to help out Juwan Bentley this week as well, alongside Ushe if he's healthy. And if these three guys can pull together, it might help to quell some of the concerns we have at the linebacker position. So great questions there by both Claire and the

armchair QB. But the questions regarding the Patriots' performance were not limited to that of the defense. There were also some questions on offense, particularly about the Patriots' prolific running game. And the first comes to us courtesy of Belfast Patriots fan, at Belfast Pats fan. And the question reads, what happened to the run game that looked so promising in week one?

And what do you see as the fix for it against the Raiders? Building off of that a little bit came a question from a good friend of our program. And that is Joel from Hull, hyphen Pats number one, found on Twitter at Joel Shapiro 20. And Joel asked, since the Patriots were successful employing a fast paced offense, do you think we can expect more of this? As far as a no huddle offense, when can we can expect more of this? As far as a no-huddle offense, when can we expect to see this happen? Great questions both, and Belfast, I'll start with yours. After the Week 1 victory against the Miami Dolphins, the vast majority of Patriots

nation started to acknowledge that the Patriots were a pretty prolific running team. In fact, right here on the pod, I even dubbed them the New England Transit Authority. But a lot of that was due to the prolific running style of quarterback Cam Newton. Josh McDaniel's incorporation of zone option reads into this offense gave it another dimension when it comes to the quarterback being able to extend plays with his legs. It was aesthetically pleasing, it was exciting, and we all as Patriots fans wanted to see more of it. But beyond Cam being able to run the football, there really wasn't a whole lot else to get excited for when it came to the Patriots running attack. That continued on Sunday night

against the Seahawks. I think that has more to do with the players that haven't been on the field, as opposed to the players that have been on the field. Obviously, the loss of Damian Harris has affected this team. He had a great training camp, and it's obvious that they're missing his dual threat ability to be that ground and pound back, along with the ability to maybe catch passes out of the backfield. Speaking of catching passes out of the backfield, Sunday night against the Seahawks, they were without the backbone of this running back core. Obviously, James White was not out there on Sunday, and with due cause. But on the field, the Patriots definitely missed his productivity. James is not just a great catcher of the ball out of the backfield on third down,

he also can run the ball effectively when needed. The way the Seattle Seahawks defense is predicated, I believe that James White was going to be a big part of what the Patriots wanted to do offensively on Sunday. Because of that, in his absence, Rex Burkhead stepped up and I think did an admirable job. But having only one of those guys, meaning Burkhead and White, is a lot different than having both of them at their disposal. And we expect White will be able to return for Sunday. We don't know for sure yet.

But I think the Patriots running back core will look a lot more formidable having both James White and Rex Burkhead out there at the same time. J.J. Taylor is being used sparingly, and that really shouldn't be a surprise to a lot of folks. I know he's exciting, and I know he brings a lot of youth and shiftiness to the position, but the Patriots simply don't use rookie running backs all that often. He was used a little bit more than I expected him to be against the Dolphins a couple of weeks ago, but again, Miami's run defense is not exactly stout.

Teams that are very good at defending against the run will probably find a solution for J.J. Taylor pretty quickly, so that's why I think he'll only continue to be used sparingly. Notice the guy whose name I haven't mentioned, and that's Sonny Michel. For those of you that have listened to Locked On Patriots in the past, you know that I'm a pretty big proponent of Sonny. I believe he's still going to be the feature back on this team. I thought a lot of the problems that he had last year were due to a porous offensive line and injury

concerns that simply prevented him from hitting the holes hard and finding the seams to be able to break for big yardage. So far in 2020, he hasn't bounced back the way I'd hoped he would. The offensive line protection has been solid this year, so you can't use that as an excuse. For whatever reason, Sony just hasn't been making the reads to hit the holes and breaking for the type of yardage the Patriots need him to provide, especially the last couple of games with the absence of James White on Sunday and two weeks ago the absence of Damian Harris. Sonny Michel needs to step up, and so far in the first couple of games, he's yet to do that. The encouraging thing that I'm seeing on Sonny, though, is that he is hitting the holes with a lot more force and a lot more strength than

he has in years past. So as much as the Twitterverse is going to tell you this kid's just not tough, take a look at some of the film on him and you will see that he is running with a little bit more of a purpose and a little bit more strength. He's just not having the success. That's on Sony. He needs to clean it up. But the fact that he doesn't look apprehensive when running the football is a good sign and that's why I believe that Sony will right the ship sooner rather than later. Joel, to answer your question on the fast-paced offense, I do believe it's sustainable, and I think it will continue again this week against the Las Vegas Raiders, and I think it will continue throughout the season.

Josh McDaniels loves the fact that he can now incorporate the zone reads, the RPOs into this offense, and have Cam Newton extend plays with his legs and gun the ball downfield. We have seen that Cam is more than capable of winning games with his arm. As for the no huddle, I know it's something that Tom Brady ran to perfection around here. The no huddle makes for an exciting, fast-paced drive. It's a very heart-pounding way to end a game, and I do believe the Patriots will employ it. But I think it's going to be employed slowly. As great as Cam Newton has looked, he's still learning the playbook. We even heard several Patriots captains say that on the plane on the way back from Seattle, Cam's head was buried in the New England

Patriots playbook. You have to learn all of your strengths and weaknesses on a team before you can employ a no-huddle at the drop of a hat. Tom Brady's nearly two decades worth of experience in running the no-huddle up here in New England made it a big part of the Patriots game plan. Also, don't forget that these guys did not have the same conditioning regimen that they've had in years past. No OTAs, no mini camps, an abbreviated preseason without the opportunity to get into shape. Players are still doing that. As they continue to get into game shape and season shape, then you'll see more no huddle come from this team. Till then, I think the Patriots keep it at their disposal in that in-case-of-emergency

break-glass type of deal, but again, I warn you, that's just my opinion. So Belfast and Joel, thank you for the great questions. And they also happen to lead me quite nicely into the last question here on this midweek mailbag episode of Locked On Patriots, and it comes courtesy from a great columnist and podcast host for Pat's Pulpit of SB Nation, my good friend Pat Lane, who can be found on Twitter at PLane underscore Pats. And Pat, I want to thank you for asking the question that I hoped would be asked, because in my opinion,

there is no better way to focus our entire attention on the Las Vegas Raiders than to ask the question that I think everyone was asking themselves after watching the Silver and Black take care of business and defeat the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football just two nights ago. Pat asked the question, Who do you think will take Darren Waller, meaning the prolific tight end of the Las Vegas Raiders? Will it be Gilmore?

Will it be Juwan Williams? Or will it be Kyle Duggar? Pat, in years past, the answer to this question would be easy. It would be Patrick Chung. He's covered tight ends. He's great at covering tight ends. And he is the type of player that would be able to at least give some problems to Darren Waller. And look, Waller is a tremendous talent. Had over 100 receiving yards against the New Orleans defense and looked pretty solid in his relationship with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. But Chung is definitely not going to be there on Sunday, so who does that leave? Well, if Sunday was any indication, it looks like the Patriots will be using either the rookie Kyle Duggar or the second-year corner

turned safety in Juwan Williams. Duggar was one of the bright spots for the Patriots on defense on Sunday. He did play that third safety role behind Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips. He did line up in the safety hybrid, but also as a deep deal defender, he was in coverage, split out wide, and also played some time in the slot. What surprised me about Duggar this past week is that he got the Greg Olson assignment throughout the second and the third quarter. I was a little bit surprised on that because I thought Juwan Williams looked very good against Mike Gusecki the previous week against the Dolphins. Because I think both of these guys are capable of providing pretty good coverage against

a tight end like Darren Waller, I think you're going to see them trade off on this assignment. I think Williams gets the majority of the snaps here, simply because of his size and the strength with which he plays the position. That being said, don't be a bit surprised to see Kyle Duggar receive maybe an equal amount of snaps, or maybe even more than Jawan Williams, if we see him employed the type of way the Patriots let him loose on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. It's not completely out of the question that the Patriots might put Stephon Gilmore on Waller, especially because I think J.C. Jackson is going to draw the coverage of Henry Ruggs III,

but at the end of the day, I think the Patriots go more traditional here, and I think they stick with the combination of Duggar and Williams on Waller, and I think that will at least help to contain him somewhat, but make no mistake about it, I think that may be the toughest matchup the defense faces when you look at the Las Vegas Raiders and this game coming up on Sunday. So Pat, thank you for your great question and for helping us transition to all Raiders all the time from now until kickoff on Sunday. And that starts with tomorrow's crossover episode

right here on Locked On Patriots, where myself and your boy Q, host of the Locked On Raiders podcast, will break down anything and everything related to strategy when it comes to the Patriots-Raiders matchup in week three of the 2020 NFL season. So to ensure that you do not miss a single episode,

download Locked on Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. Subscribe to us on Google Podcasts. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Just make sure you're staying locked into Locked on Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank you all so much for listening, and a special thanks to all of you who submitted your great questions for today's midweek mailbag episode.

Most of all, I thank you for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.