Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots 2022 Report Card; Tom Brady, Bill Belichick Hit the Mic

Episode Date: February 7, 2023

While the New England Patriots have already begun the process of reconstructing their fractured coaching staff, the team is also taking an intricate look at their performance at each position, in hopes of devising an effective offseason strategy. Host Mike D’Abate provides his final 2022 grade report for the Patriots, as well as offering his thoughts on Tom Brady inviting Bill Belichick as the feature attraction on his podcast.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriots And follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BlueNileAt Blue Nile, you can find the perfect piece of jewelry for life’s special moments—or even create the custom engagement ring of her dreams! Right now, you can save up to fifty percent at BlueNile.com.BetterHelpThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at Betterhelp.com/LockedOn and get on your way to being your best self. LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFLBuilt BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.PrizePicksFirst time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDONUltimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.TurboTaxCome to TurboTax and don’t do your taxes. Visit TurboTax.com to learn more.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get startedFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG(CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat(CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They finished under 500. They missed the playoffs. So how can the Patriots receive a passing grade for 2022? 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, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful,

and 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, free and available on all platforms, including YouTube, so smash that subscribe button, download, subscribe to, and follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. This episode of Locked On is brought to you by Nissan. The only thing more exciting than the big game is the all-new,

all-electric 2023 Nissan Aria. There's only five days left to the Super Bowl. Aria, you ready? See what I did there? The Nissan Aria, the EV for people who love to drive. Learn more at NissanUSA.com. That's fans. Thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to join me here on the

Locked On Patriots podcast. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I also cover England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there doing, showing some love for that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. That's fans, it's been nearly a month since your New England Patriots dropped their season finale to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, January the 8th. And we've all had some time to digest the 2022 season in all of its trials,

all of its tribulations, and if we're being honest, there were some moments of triumph as well. But here today on the pod, we're going to take it a step further. We're going to issue the Locked on Patriots annual report card for the 2022 Pats, going position by position, grade by grade, and we're even going to cap it off with an overall final analysis. So having a little make the grade fun here on the pod on this Tuesday in just a bit. But first, not only are we a month removed from the season, but we're also almost a week removed from Tom Brady's retirement announcement.

And I know we said we were going to move on here on Locked On Patriots, but when Bill Belichick throws his opinion into the mix, well, you've got to give it its just due. And that's exactly what we're going to do to open the show today. For better or for worse, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, forever intertwined. That 20-year unprecedented run of success, just a real hard habit to break when it comes to Patriots fans, and really, I think, any NFL fan alike. But the dynamic duo, they were once again taking center stage together on Monday night when Brady welcomed Belichick as a guest for the first post-retirement edition of his very own podcast, Let's Go.

And this raised a few eyebrows in Patriots Nation because, as we all know, the narrative basically stated that these two didn't exactly end on the most amicable of terms, even though last year when the two teams played one another at Gillette Stadium, Brady and Belichick talked for in excess of 20 minutes, always say a lot of positive things about one another, but yet no. Dig, dig, dig. There's animosity. I'll get to that in just a second. But this was a star-studded guest list for Brady's first post-retirement episode. His mother, Galen, his father, Tom Sr., both joining him.

Long-time teammate and Patriots fan favorite, Rob Gronkowski. Ex-rival quarterbacks, Peyton Manning, Patrick Mahomes. Really a phenomenal listen from start to finish. I highly recommend checking it out. If you're a Pats fan or a Brady fan especially, you are really, really going to love this. But if I'm being honest, it's that reunion with Bill Belichick. That was clearly the night's feature attraction, and folks, it did not disappoint. Right off the bat, Bill Belichick putting to rest any doubt about who he believes is the greatest player to ever put on shoulder pads. Yeah, it's Tom Brady.

I'm quoting Bill Belichick directly here. Tom's had just a tremendous career, the greatest player, the greatest career, a great, great person. It was such an opportunity and an honor for me to coach Tom. I guess it's got to end at some point, but it's the greatest one ever. Congratulations, Tom. And I think we all share those sentiments, really, when it comes to Tom Brady and his indelible mark on the NFL. And look, there's no question about it.

These two guys have a ton of respect, a ton of history with each other. First NFL draft with the team, Bill Belichick right away off the bat drafts Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2020, excuse me, of the 2000 NFL draft. And in just the second season, he sticks with Brady. Even when starter Drew Bledsoe came back from injury, everybody's assuming Drew's going to get the ball when he's healthy. Bill Belichick saw something in Tom and continued to utilize that insight. And it really, it really began the stages of a dynasty and the Patriots began it that year

with a Superbowl championship, the first of six in franchise history. And Belichick mentioned that decision last night. He said it would quote, it was quote the smartest decision I ever made, maybe other than drafting him. And I think it's hard to argue that point. But as much as Bill

would love to be able to take credit for discovering Tom Brady, picking him out of obscurity and really kind of bringing him to the level that he was, I was most impressed by the fact that Bill Belichick actually provided insight on the fact that Tom Brady taught him almost as much, if not more, than he taught Brady. And I thought this was something that was really a lesson in humility for everyone that thinks that Bill Belichick is all about bravado and maybe even blind conceit. Listen to this podcast. You're going to get a much different opinion.

Belichick, again, I'm quoting, we had a really good relationship, especially in the film room and taking football and all that that i'll always treasure and i learned so much from him this is belichick talking about brady now folks because no one sees the game better than tom brady no one sees it better than he saw it and i was so lucky for him to be able to lend his vision no other coach will get that experience it's incredible. Really high praise there from arguably the greatest coach of all time or the greatest quarterback of all time. And look, Bill is right. He's spot on here. The pairing was among the most successful of its kind

in professional sports. 285 regular season games, 41 postseason contests, a record-setting nine Super Bowl appearances, 219 times they were victorious together on the field. That's the most by any head coach quarterback combination in the history of the NFL. 17 AFC East titles, nine conference championships, six Super Bowl titles. I'm fairly confident, folks, you are not going to see that type of success replicated ever again in professional sports. These two were something special. And that's not to say that there's not other duos out there that can be special. They will be. And they'll be prolific in their own right and make their case to be the best in history.

But you're not going to see a run like that for two decades ever again. And just the way that the game is built and the way things are trending, I just don't think it's possible. And it makes what Bill Belichick and Tom Brady did all that much more fulfilling if you're a Patriots fan, but really all that much more awe-inspiring for, I think, everybody that sees it. It wasn't a big surprise to me that Brady was about to throw the effusive praise right back at Bill, and he certainly did that. Right away, thanking Coach Belichick for developing an amazing relationship. Credits, the moment he was drafted as really the beginning of what Humphrey Bogart would describe as a beautiful friendship. There's no question about it. These two definitely worked

well together. They understood one another, and they had a very similar view of what the game should be and how it should be played. That's something I think that really fueled this friendship and this relationship. And I say friendship because they weren't bosom buddies. They weren't personal friends, but they were football friends. They had a kinship on the football field, and sometimes those relationships are just as powerful. When you're trying to build a dynasty, it's probably the most important that you can forge. And these guys were right on the same page. To quote Brady, I had someone that really saw something in me that not a lot of other people did. He loves the sport. He loves teaching. He loves coaching. And he loves competing. and no one's done it better than him, and I think of what a blessing it was for me, there's no way I have the success I personally

had without him, and I'm very grateful for that, so a very gracious, a very contrite Tom Brady, Tom Brady, Tom Brady, coffee's kicking in folks, But in any case, you get the point. Tom Brady definitely being effusive in his praise for Bill Belichick and for good reasons. Again, there's a lot of success by this duo, but Brady's decision to leave New England prior to the start of the 2020 NFL season did raise some eyebrows in this area. There's no question about that. And it has become obvious that these two were at least amenable to the idea of parting ways, but Brady really went out of his way in this one to completely smash that uptake conspiracy theory to smithereens, and he did it with a velvet hammer regarding their mutual to outdo one another. And I think this is something

that consistently gets an awful lot of press. And I, for one reason, have never understood it. But I guess it sells. And that's why you're going to continue to see it. But Brady was very, very clear and very blunt in his assessment. And I'm quoting him directly now. From my standpoint, I think it's such a stupid conversation to say Brady versus Belichick. Because in my mind, that's not what partnerships are all about.

Coach couldn't play quarterback. I couldn't coach. In my view, I was just people always trying to pull us apart. I don't think we ever felt that with each other. We never were trying to pull each other apart. Actually, we were trying to go in the same direction. Very pointed, very deliberate comments by Tom Brady, really taking aim at a lot of the narrative that surrounded him

in the final few years that he was here in New England. This didn't just start after Brady announced that he was leaving in 2020. You started to hear this right along. It became a narrative that really kind of permeated everything about these two. Whenever you saw Brady and Belichick on the football field, there was always a story to be written. Did he look at them the wrong way? Is he giving him practice player of the week honors and all of that other

garbage, in my opinion, and I'm sorry to say it, that's what I believe it is, really kind of the periphery to what was the heart of their relationship, which was football. It was coming together and knowing what to do on the field and when it had to be done. And Brady, again, was not having any of it. He continued to take aim at some of those contrived and what I guess he feels to be sensationalized narratives surrounding that quote-unquote fractious relationship with

Bill Belichick. Brady's comments here, very pointed. Quote, I think when we were in New England for 20 years together, they get tired of writing the same story. And that's directed at us in the media. So once they write all the nice things, the championships in this, they just start going, well, this works. Let's start trying to divide them. And I'm sorry to say it, and this may offend some of my colleagues in the media, but I think Tom is spot on here. And I'm sorry to say it, and this may offend some of my colleagues in the media, but I think Tom is spot on here. And I include myself in that mix as well. I'm not absolved from all this. I've done it in the past, and I know a lot of my colleagues have as well.

We get so focused on chasing the story. It's our job to do that. I want to be very clear on that. And I do believe that the vast majority do that job with integrity and nothing but the greatest of intentions. But there is an unsilent fringe that will always ignore and forsake common sense to go for the controversy. And that's where this profession can take you off the rails. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady parted ways in 2020 because they were both ready for a change. It doesn't mean they stopped

liking one another or respecting one another. And to me, that's what I really took away from this. Listening to these two guys at the top of their respective professions, going back and forth, effusive in their praise for one another, and really genuinely seeming to enjoy speaking with one another. There was nothing contrived about this there was nothing forced about this these two guys really seemed very happy to be on the opposite sides of the microphone sharing their story for everyone to hear and i'll give them credit neither neither side really shied away from admitting their disagreements but they were careful to push that narrative because it is the truth that there was a healthy respect that never ceased to exist between the both of them. Brady said it best, and I'll sum it up by saying, we didn't always agree, but we respected one another. I know he always respected me for the job that I did,

and I certainly did the same. And I think right now, folks, that is the greatest takeaway from this podcast appearance. There's going to be some that are going to continue to dig for the sarcasm. They're going to look for disingenuous subtext. They're going to be some that are going to continue to dig for the sarcasm. They're going to look for disingenuous subtext. They're going to run with it, and they're going to spend four hours a day talking about it. But I will say this, Brady and Belichick were crystal clear in their sentiments. They genuinely seemed content to me in their present direction.

And I think both of them look at their time together as being productive, successful, and above all, special. And each of them has that authentic appreciation for the other. After all, there are really no other duo, and I don't think there ever will be again, that enjoyed the level of success Tom Brady and Bill Belichick enjoyed together in New England. In those two decades, Brady and Belichick were the key elements in one of the longest running and one of the most successful dynasties in the history of American professional sports. Maybe more focus should be placed on appreciating that success rather than retroactively stirring the pot. Just my two cents on the matter. Again, folks,

I highly recommend checking this out if you haven't done so. Of course, make your Locked On Listens your first, second, third listen of the day, but this is definitely worth your time, and I encourage you to check it out. And with that thought, folks, it's almost grading time here on Locked On Patriots, and the 2022 Cats Report card is in. We're going to break it all down here in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. First, today's episode brought to you by our friends over at PrizePix. PrizePix is daily fantasy made easy. You pick two to six players and if they score more or less than their PrizePix projection, you can win up to 25 times your money on any entry.

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of your new England Patriots coverage today. And as the NFL universe sets its sights on Glendale, Arizona and Superbowl 57, you're in a England, Patriots continued to search for ways to improve upon what was a disappointing showing in 2022. Can't sugarcoat it, folks. Patriots did not live up to expectations. Yours, mine, or most importantly, really, their own. 6-4 record through the first 10 games gave a lot of us hope that this team could pull off a playoff run,

but New England dropped 5 out of its last seven, ending its campaign eight and nine. And in failing to qualify for the postseason, the team has now missed the postseason in just two of its past three years. And just the fourth time in 23 seasons under Bill Belichick's coaching tenure, definitely not something that he's looking forward

to continuing. He definitely wants to buck that trend, folks, without any question. So while the Patriots have already begun the process of reconstructing their fractured coaching staff, we've seen guys come in like Bill O'Brien, Will Lying, Adrian Clem now on board. This is going to be an interesting season on offense, but the team is also taking an intricate look at all of their performance at every position in the hopes of devising an effective offseason strategy. So in that vein, we're going to take a deep dive into the New England Patriots position by position. And we're going to issue our Lockdown Patriots annual report card for your 2022 New England Patriots. And let's start with the big boys.

We're going to start with the most marquee position in all of sports and that is the quarterback position and quarterbacks performed at a level that I thought was adequate but I can't give them glowing grades here. The quarterbacks got a C on the Lockdown On Patriots report card this year. And despite entering the season on the heels of an impressive rookie campaign, Mac Jones struggled, folks. He just struggled to rekindle his previous success in 2022, finishing the season with 2,997 yards passing, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions.

When pressured, and this is where Mac really, really had his difficulty ranked in the bottom 10 of the NFL quarterbacks in terms of completion percentage and positive plays. Now, a lot of that is going to be dropped on the doorstep of his coaching. I think the coaching deserves the lion's share of the blame for that, but you got to put a little bit of blame on the shoulders of Mac himself. And Mac will be the first to admit it. He's already working hard to correct these issues. And I truly feel that he'll be back and better than ever in 2023, especially with someone like Bill O'Brien that can coach to his strengths as opposed to coaching to his weaknesses.

But he did make some adequate improvements in the latter part of the season, held on to the job, solidified his status as the team starter for the remainder of the season held on to the job solidified his status as the team starter for the remainder of the campaign second year alabama product did missed four to six weeks with a high ankle sprain and that definitely was a contributing factor to some of his difficulties you've got to give bailey zappy credit he came in and played very well in his absence during jones's absence zappy performed very well completing 65% of 92 passes, 781 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. I think Bailey performed well enough to let people understand that if he has to make a spot start or be your starter for an extended period of time,

this kid can handle it. He can handle the pressure, and he can definitely make the throws down the field. I think a lot of the success that he had was a little bit contributed to maybe some less complicated play calling and also his ability to play through what was quote-unquote the unknown factor. Bailey Zappi had the advantage of not being game planned for in this game. When the Chicago Bears had an opportunity to take a look at him on that Monday night matchup where Mack was essentially booed off the field, Bailey struggled. And he struggled, I think, against the defense that was preparing to see him rather than Mack Jones. And I think that's something that a lot of people can take away from this season. That is in no way diminishing what Bailey did. As a matter of fact, this performance is probably the reason why I went with grading the Patriots at a C. Brian Hoyer, just unfortunately

a bad luck season, a few snaps in, suffers a head injury, season-ending injured reserve. We're not sure what the future holds for Brian right now, but if the Patriots are running into 2023 with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi at the helm. I think they're doing pretty well. Two solid options for the Patriots quarterbacks right now. So I give them a C, but I like this group to be the most improved group. And I believe it will be when all is said and done. And we're running down these rates next year on lockdown Patriots for 2023. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Even though a C grade is hardly sunshine and rainbows even though a c-grade is hardly sunshine and rainbows

the offensive line had its difficulty as well and i was really really contemplating giving these guys a below passing grade but i ultimately went with a c- for the offensive line uh this was the team's most maligned unit throughout the season and there was a lot of reason for that they didn't maintain a whole lot of continuity they really didn't maintain a whole lot of continuity. They really didn't maintain a whole lot of competence. And some of that was due to injury. Isaiah Wynn missing eight games while dealing with a foot injury. Most people feel that he's played his final snap here in New England. I think that's probably a mutually beneficial thing if both of these sides move on. But again, we're talking about last year. That left guys like Yannicka Just, Connor McDermott,

who was acquired midseason. They had to carry the load at right tackle. I think they did an adequate job, but the Patriots need an upgrade there if they want to protect Mac Jones and keep him upright. Trent Brown, an uncharacteristically bad season in New England. Nine penalties really contributed to a lot of the struggles that the Patriots had

on the end of the line. Cole Strange, I thought, had a solid rookie season. There were some growing pains here and there, especially toward the end of the season, but I thought when he was playing his game alongside David Andrews, who I thought Andrews played very well in the center position, I think it was a good move for the Patriots to draft Cole, and I like what he's going to bring to the table. So I thought he had a solid season. The reason why the Patriots to draft Cole, and I like what he's going to bring to the table. So I thought he had a solid season. The reason why the Patriots get a C- here, folks, is really because of Michael Wainu,

just the line's best, most consistent contributor at right guard, only allowing one sack, took 99% of the team's offensive snaps. Brilliant performance by Mike. He's going to continue to be one of their better linemen. And again, with Adrian Clemm coming in a new voice a competent voice that knows how to speak to offensive linemen knows how to coach them up i think billy yates did a tremendous job with these guys keeping them in line but he's going to benefit as well meaning billy from having adrian clem there so again another unit that i think will be improved we'll see the patriots have to

address this in free agency and I would love to see them address it in the draft. And if you missed yesterday's episode, we did a mock draft episode. Murph and I, we have our eye on some offensive linemen. So you may want to check that one out after you've listened to this show, of course. Moving right along, and forgive me, Countess of Clas herself, but we're going to talk a little tight endage right now because they are a positional grouping and the tight ends it was hard for me to give them any

higher than a c i think i was a little generous here because i think hunter henry did still establish himself as someone that could be an effective weapon out of play action i just don't think he was coached uh or schemed or play properly, and I'll get into that in a minute. But I was one of those, and I know Claire was as well. We had anticipated that the Patriots were going to go into this season, incorporating that two tight end set, that 12-man personnel into their offense a lot more than they did in their first season together, meaning Hunter Henry and John U. Smith. Well, they ultimately failed to do so.

As a matter of fact, they even did it less. In 2021, shared the field for 18.6%. In 2022, that dropped to 18%. So not a whole lot of tight endage out on the field this year. Henry, I thought, established himself a more statistically productive of the duo, finishing 41 catches, 509 yards, two two touchdowns and Smith was periodically phased into the passing game but he was still used primarily as a blocker 245 yards on 27 catches but here's the thing about Johnnie Smith for everyone that wants to write him off as a bad signing he still showed ability to extend plays and get yards that will be productive for the Patriots in the open field. He averaged 9.1 yards per catch. That is not a shabby average for a guy

that was so heavily underutilized as John O'Smith. For someone like a Bill O'Brien who loves running the 12 personnel, loves using two tight ends that can be prolific pass catchers out in the field, I think that's going to increase. I think Hunter Henry and John O'Smith both hang around this year, and I look for them to have a pretty good year under Bill O'Brien. So I may be the eternal optimist, folks, but unfortunately this season just was not a good one for the tight endage in New England. And I did grade them a C, maybe a little over generous,

but I think a lot of their problems stem from play calling rather than production. And that's why I went with that total. Same thing with the wide receivers moving right along the wide receivers got a seat for me as well. They were one of the most maligned positional groupings on the team. And I really can't figure out why, because I think these guys did as well as they could under the circumstances that they had. Jacoby Myers, brilliant season, led all receivers, 804 yards, six touchdowns, really establishing himself as the top pass catcher in this team. Always a guy that had short hands, and you could rely on him. And Mac Jones did rely on him very heavily.

Whenever he needed a completion, he was the guy that you went to. Devontae Parker, some people may look at him as saying he underachieved this season, but 47 passes, three of which went for touchdowns, I thought he showed a great ability to be able to be that contested catch weapon that can make the catch downfield. Not going to give you a whole lot of yards after the catch, but he'll be able to get to the point of attack and make catches for big yards. Patriots have to utilize him better, I think, in 2023. Mack's got to work on finding him a little bit more. I thought he forced the ball to Devontae, especially in the early part of the

season, and I think both sides suffered as a result of that. I think they'll clean that up a little bit. Tyquan Thornton, one of the bigger upsides for anybody on the team right now. This kid has blazing speed. I love his chance to be their next big vertical threat. He'll improve in the second year that he's with the team. And I really hope that the Patriots decide to use Kendrick Bourne a little bit more than they did this year. Kendrick's not asking for a trade. He's not going to be cut. He's not going to be jettisoned. He's on a very reasonable deal. To to me the only reason why they would jettison him is if there is any type of negativity between both sides i don't think that exists right now so if kendrick bourne is in the fold i look for him to be able to do that productive season oh i shouldn't say lack of a productive season

but a productive month of December. This is where he showed what he can do. 162 yards, 12 catches, one touchdown in that month alone. If you can replicate that, all of a sudden you're looking pretty good as an option that the Patriots can use as either a fourth receiver or maybe even a fifth. But at this point, you've got to get him on the field a little bit more. Patriots were not scoring well, and that is one of the big reasons why. So it's not really looking good for the offense right now, is it, folks?

But we will end on a high note for the offense, because you know I like to end on high notes here on Lockdown Patriots. And of course, I'm talking about the running backs. The running backs get a B here. A lot of people may argue that they deserve to be plus, but they did sputter a little bit down the stretch, which is why I didn't go for the full B plus here. But when Damian Harris went down, a lot of people were wondering what was going to happen to the running back core. Six of their 17 games, Damian missed, and it became the Ramondre Stevenson show. And boy, has he established himself as the alpha running back on this team. 1,040 yards, first 1,000-yard rusher for the New England Patriots

since LeGarrette Brunt did it a few years ago. Five touchdowns, five yards per carry, also caught 69 passes for 421 yards and one touchdown. He was one of the Patriots' leading receivers as a backfield option. Talk about a kid that can do it all. He can do it all, and he will continue to do it all, but the Patriots need to get him some help. I thought Ramondre looked burnt out toward the end of the season. There were rumors that he was maybe a little bit more injured than he led on to the team. And as a result, his production dropped

a little bit. If they can keep him healthy and give him the proper rest and the proper support he needs, the sky's the limit for Ramondre Stevenson. Loved what I saw from him this year. It won't be a fluke, folks. This kid is the real deal. Damian Harris, I thought, with what he had to work with and the amount of time and the injuries he fought through, still did a pretty good job. 462 yards, three touchdowns. I'm not sure what the future holds for Damian here in New England, but if he's amenable to coming back on a reasonable deal, I can totally see the Patriots coming in and making him an offer and keeping him in Foxborough because he is the perfect complement

to what Ramondre Stevenson does. If he's comfortable being the 1A or the 2 option here, I think the Patriots might be on to something in terms of having one of the better running back cores in this league. And I say that with the emergence of rookies, Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris, minimal time for these guys, but they did flash their promise, showed what they can do with another full off season, training camp, mini camp, working with these guys. I can definitely see both Harris and Strong taking on larger roles this year.

Each of them had a touchdown last year as rookies, so they're going to look to build upon that. And with that, the offensive grades are in, folks. What did you agree with? The quarterbacks with a C, the offensive line with a C-, tight ends with a C, wide receivers with a C, and of course course the running backs with a B. We are breaking down all of that today here on Locked On Patriots, but if offense gets the glamour, then defense wins championships.

And in just a moment, that defense will be put under the microscope, and we finish things off with a special team's grade and the overall season grade for your New England Patriots. But first, folks, today's podcast brought to you in part by the good folks over at Bilt. If you're looking for a delicious treat but don't want all of the fat and calories, then you've got to try a Bilt Bar. When you don't want a compromised taste but you still want the food that's good for you and it's healthy, I do have the thing for you, and it's Bilt. You've got to try Bilt, because with Bilt, healthy is actually tasty. What makes Bilt so good is basically the fact that, I don't know

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segment it just was not pretty for the offense a whole whole lot of Cs and a B mixed in, but not all terrible. There were flashes of some promise, but that isn't the case for the defense. I thought the defense had a very good season. I know a lot of you agree with that, but was it enough to keep the Pats above the pass-fail line for the season? Well, let's not delay any longer. Let's take a look, and we're going to start with the defensive line, who I thought had a much better season in 2022 than they did in their 2021 counterpart. Even though they may have failed to live up to a lot of lofty expectations, this is a

unit that improved, especially when it comes to defending the run. Love what I saw out of Christian Barmore, Devon Godchow, Lawrence Guy. This Patriots defensive line should have a little bit of a new look in 2023, but I think the core of it is going to remain the same. You've got a lot of good rotational depth pieces to pick up, or I should say a lot of areas where they can improve there, but the core, once again, I think is something that is going to stay pretty constant, at least for the upcoming season, and think is something that is going to stay pretty constant at least for the upcoming season and a lot of that is really due to the stellar play and the increased role that someone like Dietrich Wise took on emerged as really a key contributor on the pass rush he had career highs this year both in tackles with 59 and sacks with seven and a half again one of the

real presence on the edge that I think is something that the Patriots can really hang their hat on for 2023. A lot was made out of the linebackers, and we'll get to them in a moment. But without the defensive line setting the table up front, a lot of their success would not have been had. So a lot of improvement from guys like Godchow and Guy. Farmore had the tough luck with the injury in the mid part of the season but when he was in the lineup he was taking on double teams and that really frees up so much of the edge

rushers to be able to do what they do dietrich wise took advantage of that and of course guys like matthew judan and josh uche were monsters this year because of it so great job by the defensive line i also want to give a little bit of love to guys like Carl Davis, Daniel Aquale, solid depth in defending the run as well as participating in the pass rush. Carl is an unrestricted free agent. We're going to see what's going to happen with him this year in the offseason. Aquale coming up as well. We're going to also take a look in subsequent days as to what is going to happen with these two on defense when it comes to either being brought back or when it comes to either being brought back or when it comes to leaving Foxborough.

But for the 2022 season, they deserve some pretty good accolades. So overall, I grade the defensive line with a B. What do you think? Drop us a line, let us know. Too generous, just right, or am I not being generous enough? Maybe they deserved a little bit more.

That's the beauty of this. We always love to hear your feedback the linebackers folks what can you say about the linebackers phenomenal phenomenal performance um but for again some minor sputters here and there these guys could have easily earned an a because matthew judon once again supplying the athleticism the aggression to the Patriots' pass rush in 2022. Their lone Pro Bowl selection in the season, which, again, I think maybe you could have made the argument for one or two more guys. But 15 and a half sacks, that's his career high. Josh Uche right there on his heels. This is another kid that is really doing a tremendous job coming into his own.

He had 11 and a half sacks, becoming really a potent weapon in the pass rush. And with these two at the top of the heap, meaning Judon and Uche, Patriots have a really bright future here. But it wasn't just the pass rush that made the linebackers special this year. Jelani Tavai, I thought, had a very good season as a role player, both against the run and against the pass.

Juwan Bentley is that solid presence in the middle. It's directing traffic, taking on a lot of what Dante Hightower used to do. Juwan is doing a great job there as well. So I love what I saw from the veterans. Anthony Jennings is someone I'd love to see utilized a little bit more, but I thought when he was in there, he showed that he can be a solid option as a depth piece in this linebacking core, especially on the weak side. He was impressive in some of the limited action. I just don't think he got enough of it on the field. I went with a B-plus here, largely in part because I thought Mack Wilson underperformed.

And I don't say that as a knock to Mack because I think that there was an intention to play as hard and as well as he possibly could. I think he ran into maybe a little bit of difficulty in terms of how the Patriots offense was shaping up. He did show some signs of being that guy, that sideline to sideline athletic linebacker that the Patriots thought they were bringing in here. I just thought he had difficulty truly assimilating into the patriots um system so because of that i saw the patriots linebacking corps maybe falling just a bit short of expectations in that area which is why i went with a b plus uh it might be a little hard on the linebackers right now but ultimately i mean this was a group that i thought was maybe

the best in all of uh the team well one of the best i'll get to that in just a moment because we're not done yet we've talked about the front seven we are going into the cornerbacks folks and this was a tough one for me because the cornerbacks a lot of people would look at and say jalen mills was injured for the better part of the season they still had difficulty covering some of these speedy wide receivers, and they got torched by a couple of big-time receivers at various points throughout the season. Justin Jefferson obviously had a big game against them on Thanksgiving. Stefan Diggs is still a problem, but ultimately, I thought they played a lot better than they really should have played considering their personnel. They had a lot of injuries to deal with.

Jalen Mills missed seven games due to a groin injury this year. And Jonathan Jones takes on the duties of being the top perimeter corner. After being the team's slot weapon for a number of years, I thought he did a very good job. He tied for the team lead in interceptions with four alongside Devin McCourty, who we'll talk about in just a minute, folks. And then you have the contributions of the rookies. And Jack Jones, for his off-field issues aside and the difficulties that right now they're having with the grievance

or the suspension, things of that nature, Jack is someone that I think sounds motivated to come back in and prove his worth to this team. And look, he flashed at times and showed some of that ball hawking ability that the Patriots saw from him at Arizona State. That's the guy they wanted. As long as he's on the same page with his coaching staff and with the team scheme, then I think he's going to be fine. And I think he can actually be a very solid player here in New England. I love what I saw from Jack Jones early on. And what's not to love about what you saw from Marcus Jones?

You could talk about him in every category, folks. He was a star wide receiver for a period there. He is truly the special team specialist. Now we'll get to him in just a minute in that regard. But I thought he showed enough prowess to still be considered a cornerback option on this team. Snagged a pair of interceptions. Jack did too, by the way. I want to give him credit for the pair of interceptions he was able to get.

But these two kids, these two guys, these rookies have the ability to really be something special here in New England. So like what I saw out of that, Miles Bryant, you've got to give him credit for consistency. 17 games, 61% of the Pats defensive snaps primarily out of the slot. Yeah, there were coverage issues there, folks. But when you look at the season as a whole and what he had to shoulder, it's really hard to come down hard on Miles Bryant. I think in a lot of ways he did the best job he could. And, you know, I mean, ultimately you have to judge by what you see on the field, which is one of the big reasons why I was not overly impressed or overly uh you know um for lack of a better term i wasn't uh you know giving him a whole lot of accolades for uh for that point but um i thought miles did a serviceable job and one

of the reasons why i had him graded as such so the cornerbacks get a c plus here but we're not done grading the secondary just yet, folks, because the safeties are up. And this is a group that, again, I think you maybe could have gone with an A here, but for a little regression that we saw from Adrian Phillips and maybe a little bit of underutilization of Jabril Peppers. But this is a unit that I thought was stacked from top to bottom, and they really played well and were truly the force in that secondary.

Can't say enough about Kyle Duggar. New England stand out at the position, no question about it. Two interception returns, one fumble recovery, all went for touchdowns. That's something that you're just not seeing anywhere else, and Kyle is also one of the most IQ football players on the planet. This is a guy you have to keep in Patriot Blue, folks. I'm not saying that lightly. This is probably my must-re-sign on the roster right now.

Keep him in Foxborough because what he brings to the table and the intangibles that he brings to the table are things that you're not going to be able to replicate elsewhere. Love what I saw from Kyle Duggar. Monster season from him. Devin McCourty will still continue to be one of replicate elsewhere. Love what I saw from Kyle Duggar, monster season from him. Devin McCourty will still continue to be one of my favorites, folks, and I say this till I'm blue in the face. He is still proving there's a lot left in the tank at free safety. If he decides to walk away and retire this year, more power to him. He's earned every right to do it, and I will

wish him nothing but the best, and he's entitled to do that. But don't let it be said that he's walking away or limping away from a game because he can't play it anymore. Still played extremely well. 71 total tackles, eight passes defense, four interceptions, again, tied for the team lead, one fumble recovery, and just in the right place at the right time. And there's not much more I can say about adrian excuse me about um about devon uh other than to say um if this is his swan song i'm certainly going to miss him in new england but ultimately if he does come back the patriots are in great shape adrian phillips once again

serving as the team's hybrid linebacker safety you know i love adrian the guy does it all he's all over the field a little bit of a statistical regression this year, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't one of the more valued defenders. You saw him take on a numerous amount of roles. I look for that to continue in 2023, especially if the Patriots are going to be missing McCourty. They're going to need that veteran leadership. Adrian Phillips can provide it. And Jabril Peppers, even though he is a free agent, I would love to see him brought back uh really kind of assume that role as the backfield enforcer and I thought he played it very well um ultimately the Patriots safety group was one of the strongest positional groups in 2022 I grade

them as a B plus and I think that uh you can make the argument that maybe if there's a positional grouping other than the linebackers that deserve the A, you might be able to give it to the safeties. Folks, we've almost arrived at that time where we're about to give our overall grade, but the special teams deserve a little attention, but maybe they don't deserve that much attention at all. Special teams were not among the great units for the New England Patriots this year. And it really pains me to say that as someone that is always interested and always enamored by what this team can do on special teams. Nick Fulk, certainly one of the

better, more reliable point scorers for the Patriots. He still turned in a solid season, 32 of 37 field goals. But I think the big story out of special teams this year is going to be the future of matthew slater he's still an 11-time team captain 12-time team captain excuse me 84 of their special team snaps earning 13 tackles again like mccourty if matthew was going to opt for retirement it would create a massive void in that unit there's no question about it and they need that type of leadership to step up it's going to be interesting to see where they will go this year and how they will be able to do it i thought brendan schooler did a great job of coming in as

a rookie adding a lot to the coverage teams um joe cardona going down with an injury the long snapper position is something that I think the Patriots definitely need to look at in terms of bringing Joe back. I'm not making the insinuation that they need to go elsewhere, but hopefully they'll be able to get him back under contract because he's simply one of the best at what he does. And you can't mention special teams without giving more love to my guy, Marcus Jones. Just loved what he did to the team this year. Among the league leaders in both kick and punt return categories, earned well-deserved honors from the Associated Press

and the Pro Football Writers of America. The sky's the limit. The future is bright for this kid, and he's going to continue to go on and on. So because of that, the special teams unit gets a C plus from, excuse me, a C minus from me. I may be a little harsh depending on, because I thought Falk did a pretty decent job, but the punting was subpar. And I thought the coverage tackling was not as good as it usually is. Marcus Jones was really the standout with Nick Falk being right at his heels. So they get a C minus from me in this, but it's something where I think this is one of the

units that really, really needs a lot of work in the offseason. And that brings us very quite nicely to our final analysis. And ultimately, folks, the Patriots' season fell short of expectation. Their offense displayed a lot of regression under Matt Patricia. Mack Jones didn't play up to his potential. And because of that, the Patriots finished with the seventh worst in total yards while scoring only 21.4 points per game. Both of the coaches have been reassigned.

They've got new blood in there. The Patriots are going to need to be better on offense without question. But their defense, I think, is what keeps this team respectable and above water and really kept them in contention for a playoff spot right down to the final game of the season and that's something that is hard to grade a team as a failure if you're in contention for the playoffs right through the last game of the season that's defense was brilliant as a collective unit seven defensive touchdowns 30 takeaways that was second only to the Dallas Cowboys who had 33 and consistently ranking among the NFL's top teams in total defense, total yards allowed and yards yielded per offensive play.

So when you look at the Patriots overall this year, folks, I am grading your New England Patriots in an overall grade of a C plus. Might be a little generous in terms of some of the individual grades I've given to positions, but I think the Patriots defense and I think the promise that they're showing on offense, even if it wasn't executed on the field this year, gives a lot of optimism for the Patriots. And I think that's why this team deserves a C plus. And like I said, ultimately, even though you finish below 500 and fail to qualify for the postseason, when you control your own fate to clinch a playoff game in the final game of the year, you're doing something right.

Maybe not a whole lot, but you're doing something. And that is at least worth a little bit more than what you'll see from just the team. So the New England Patriots grades are in, folks. What did we miss here on Locked On Patriots? What would you have liked to seen? Let us know your grades. You can drop us a line on Twitter at LO underscore Patriots, or you can drop me a line on Twitter at MDABATENFL.

And of course, comment in the YouTube section or the comment section on YouTube below. And we'd love to hear what you have to say regarding your grades for the 2022 section on YouTube below. And we'd love to hear what you have to say regarding your grades for the 2022 New England Patriots. Folks, thank you so much for taking time out to join me here on Locked On Patriots today and make us your first listen of the day. Now that you've done so, make your second listen, our good friends over at Locked On NFL,

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tomorrow on Locked On Patriots as the Countess of Clas herself, Ms. Claire Clasie Claire Cooper, joins me as she does each and every Wednesday. Until then, continue to stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.