Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots' Coaching Decision: Mike Vrabel and Experience vs. Ben Johnson and Innovation?

Starting point is 00:00:00 When it comes to the New England Patriots coaching search, there are things being negotiated that'll solve all your problems and answer all your questions. But is a decision imminent? 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. Thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage

Starting point is 00:00:39 and hopefully your first listen each and every day. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country. Reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL. You can reach out to me where the skies are blue over on Blue Sky at MDABATENFL.BSKY.SOCIAL. And of course, if you're looking to show some love to Locked On Patriots social media style, follow our X account

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Starting point is 00:01:21 $5. Pats fans, the time for the talk is almost over. Or is it? Your New England Patriots have now completed their fourth interview for their vacant head coaching position. Patriots trying to find the 16th head coach in franchise history. They've already interviewed Byron Leftwich, Pep Hamilton. Mike Vrabel came in for an in-person interview in

Starting point is 00:01:45 Boston on Thursday, and virtually the Patriots conducted an interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Of course, that interview was virtual because Detroit right now finds themselves in the midst of a playoff run. That means the Patriots have now completed four, but here's the interesting thing, folks. No further interviews at this time have been scheduled. So what does that mean for the New England Patriots? Well, we're going to be discussing that point today right here on the pod. We're going to start by talking about whether or not the process is really complete.

Starting point is 00:02:21 Should the Patriots be eyeing at least one more candidate to help round out the search that they've been conducting throughout the past week? We're also going to switch gears and we're going to talk about the race that is dividing Patriots social media. Are you team Ben Johnson? Are you team Mike Vrabel? Yeah, a lot of social media battling going back and forth, but bottom line, whether it's Vrabel or whether it's Johnson, everyone can be in agreement that the Patriots are going to have to bring in solid, experienced assistants to be around either coach. Who are some of the names that the Patriots' potential next head coach should be open to? And lastly, we're going to take a bit of a break from the Patriots' coaching search,

Starting point is 00:02:59 and we're going to give some much-deserved congratulations to Patriots special teamer Brendan Schooler and cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who were each named as an All-Pro. What about their seasons gives Patriots fans hope for the future? All that today is going to be discussed and more. And the only man that can lend the wisdom, the counsel, and the reason, most importantly, folks, the reason that we need in Foxborough right now is my good friend and Patriots Paisan, columnist extraordinaire of Patsfans.com, co-host of Patriots 4th and 2, Steve Balistrieri. Thanks for joining me here today, Paisan. Welcome back to the pod, bud.

Starting point is 00:03:36 Always a pleasure, my friend. And, yeah, I mean, yeah, we kind of thought it would be a two-horse race. I mean, we really didn't see them going in a direction other than Vrabel or Johnson. Of course, they may be forced to if both of those guys decide to go elsewhere, although I'm kind of thinking there's one guy that's looking forward to coming in. Yeah, I would probably say that at this point in the negotiation, Steve, it's looking like it's decisively starting to lean one way. But look, bottom line, I don't think anything should be taken away from Ben Johnson. And having spoken with Matt Deary earlier this week of Locked On Lions

Starting point is 00:04:23 and getting that tangible insight, that insider insight that you can really find only here on the Locked On Podcast Network, folks, with the local experts who know their teams better than anyone. Matt had some very interesting things to tell me about Ben Johnson, and it got me excited about the possibility of him coming here and working with Drake May and being his offensive coordinator in addition to being his mentor and his head coach because Ben is someone that really loves to take the reins of an offense he loves to put his own stamp on it pour the foundation and then build on that foundation and build as strong a house as you'll find anywhere in the NFL that's exactly what he did in Detroit let's put it this way the Patriots had more problems putting points on the board last season than any other team in the NFL. You bring in Ben Johnson, those problems are probably going to disappear, and they're probably going to do that in short order. This past season, Detroit set a franchise record with 564 points.

Starting point is 00:05:21 They averaged 33.2 per game. That includes 10 games of at least 30 points scored and six with at least 40. That is an offense that needs to be reckoned with every time you get out there on the field. You can understand why so many people are excited by the potential of Ben Johnson coming in. If you have craved offensive football, and we know Patriots fans have for quite some time, this is probably your guy. This is the guy that you want to see take this job. Oh, absolutely. And I'll be honest with you,

Starting point is 00:05:54 I'm very intrigued by the possibility of him coming here because I would love to see what he could work with with Drake May. You know, we know they need a lot of help on the offensive side of the ball besides him. But, you know, you pick up a left tackle, either in free agency or the draft. You pick up another one via the same route, right? You know, you either draft or, again, free agency where they have a ton of money, pick up a wide receiver or two, and all of a sudden the offense is starting

Starting point is 00:06:36 to look a lot better. And you put a guy like him, you know, back there pulling the strings, I think him working with Drake Mayne would be really intriguing to watch. And we're talking with Derek Havens, who I do the Pat's Fourth and Two podcast with. He was telling me that something I didn't know about Ben Johnson and that's that his philosophy stems from the Earhart Perkins system which the Patriots ran for I don't know how many years decades let's put it that way and so that would be a really intriguing thing to see how that type of offense might work with Drake May and some of the guys they have. Yeah, I'm glad that you mentioned that because getting a chance to talk to Matt Deary a

Starting point is 00:07:31 little bit offline before we went on the record on Locked On Patriots the other day, we talked a little bit about Ben's style and the type of offense that we can expect to see here in New England. Because as you know, Alex Van Pelt came in last year and wanted to run a very heavy outside zone centric offense one that was predicated on play action and the run to facilitate that the Earhart Perkins system is a little bit of a different animal but you can run it similarly if you have the personnel to do it and the innovative coach to make it work the thing that I loved hearing about Ben Johnson and the thing that really intrigued me most and maybe got me a little bit overly excited about the possibility of him coming here to be the head coach was his willingness to work with a quarterback and build an offense based on what

Starting point is 00:08:16 the quarterback does best. He did it with Jared Goff in Detroit. Sean McVay is generally considered a pretty solid offensive coach. A lot of people would consider him above average. Steve, I think there are more that would probably say he's better than above average, that he's very good at his job. But one thing that I think you can give Ben credit for was seeing the value in Jared Goff, where maybe Sean had lost sight of that and seeing the potential that he still had. Back in 2022, when Ben came in and took the reins of this offense and he knew Jared was going to be his quarterback, those two went off and essentially isolated themselves from the team, from everyone else for about three or

Starting point is 00:08:57 four days. And they just sat in a room and they worked over concepts, plays, strategies. Jared basically told Ben Johnson, this is what I love to do. This is what I'm good at. This is where I have my problems. And Ben was essentially a sponge. He looked at the situation, scouted what Jared told him, put it into practice on the field when he saw him work out, and then began to build the offense based on that. And he did this only in a matter of about three years.

Starting point is 00:09:25 So I understand that a lot of Patriots fans are looking for a quick fix right now. It would probably be a little bit more of a marathon rather than a sprint, but you're dealing with a guy that could potentially really revolutionize the way this team plays on offense. So at the time we're recording this, folks, keep in mind, no decision has been made yet by the Patriots. Now you may be listening to this when a decision has already been made. So turnabout is fair play, Steve. We're going to talk a little bit about Mike Vrabel now,

Starting point is 00:09:54 because apparently from sources that I've talked to the interview on Thursday went very well. He's vowed to come in and maybe write some of the wrongs that he had in Tennessee. The most egregious of which is probably choosing experienced coaches around him. Your impressions on Mike Vrabel and your reasoning as to why he continues to be the front runner for this position, according to most of our colleagues in the media. Well, I think there's, yeah, I think there's a couple of very good factors that are involved with that. One is I love the culture he brings. And the more I read about his time in Tennessee, you know,

Starting point is 00:10:35 the more I like that aspect of him taking over. He's a tough coach to play for, much like Bill. You know, Bill was hard on the players Vrabel was very hard on on his players in Tennessee but he also built that um that other side I think you could say to his personality he was very he was a very tough coach, but he cared about his people. And he showed that, you know, on a day-to-day basis. It's like, hey, you know, there's that person that's behind that number. And he was going to do whatever it takes to make sure that they all, you know, are put in the best position to succeed and you gotta love that and

Starting point is 00:11:27 so there's that aspect we know you know he was exist a successful coach i've been stuttering on that word all week you know but it you know you look back to his time in tennessee um he took him to an afc championship game and then won 11 games, won 12 games after that. Without a roster that you would say was loaded, okay? They never really had a great quarterback there. But, you know, people poo-poo his record there. But if you look at it, you know, the Titans weren't considered a juggernaut.

Starting point is 00:12:04 They were just a really tough hard-nosed football team that made the best of their you know their roster around them um the other factor you know in his favor look he he was a integral part of three Super Bowl wins with the Patriots. He was considered an extremely smart football player, played on both sides of the ball, caught 11 touchdown passes from Tom Brady, besides being an outside linebacker. You know, Belichick always commented on how smart a football player he was.

Starting point is 00:12:42 And Vrabel was one of those kind of smart-alecky guys who could get under Bill's skin and get away with it. And that's his MO. Even in Tennessee, he's still that, he was that kind of guy. The fun thing about this is, you know, people saying, well, he's, you know, he's another Bill bill guy he's not really he never coached under bill he he made his bones coaching you know on his own now he played for bill for a number of years and i'm sure quite a few of those lessons that Bill, you know, was teaching, you know, sank in, right?

Starting point is 00:13:28 When you're winning three Super Bowls, there's a lot you can take away from that. And, you know, I think the Patriots would do well with either one of these guys. I kind of think that Vrabels is the frontrunner. I know the Crafts have, you know, a good relationship with him, and that will play a lot into this. But, you know, it's going to be interesting. I just hope whoever they don't choose doesn't go to the Jets. Yeah, I think a lot of ways.

Starting point is 00:14:01 Patriots fans right now are hoping that whoever does not end up in New England does not end up on the green side of the Meadowlands. But again, politics and sports make strange bedfellows, Steve, and you never, ever say never to any possibility. Yeah, this could end up being very interesting in terms of who gets the job and then where does the other one head? Vrabel obviously brings, again, a tremendous amount of pedigree, having been in this organization and having known a familiarity with the craps and knowing a familiarity with the fan base. But I think in a lot of ways, what is giving Mike maybe the leg up on the competition this time around, or at least keeping him very much in the forefront, is his willingness to acknowledge that he had a lot to

Starting point is 00:14:45 learn in his first stop in Tennessee. Whenever you're a first-time head coach, you're always looking to try to do everything you possibly can to put your own stamp on a team, which means that you may end up trying to do too much. You'll dabble in coaching the offense, coaching the defense, coaching the special teams, making sure that everything comes through you. That is a big part of being a coach, but there's also a time where you have to kind of let go of the reins a little bit. Let the horse run, so to speak, in that regard, and let the offense kind of take on its own shape. Let the defense take on its own shape and make sure that you're the one that's crafting the final product. I think Mike is much more amenable to that this time around.

Starting point is 00:15:25 That's why you're hearing some of the reports out there that he'll be willing and open to top tier, quote unquote, assistant coaches that may be able to come in here and help him this time around. Again, Steve, we talked about this. Whoever the coach is coming in, going to have to surround themselves with a very competent staff. Who should the Patriots be watching in that regard? Who should these coaches

Starting point is 00:15:48 be watching in that regard? Steve and I are going to discuss some names in just a moment when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast continues. A proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team, every day. This is a message from

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Starting point is 00:18:41 A lot of people are considering this a two-man race right now. As we sit here, both Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson have interviewed to be the Patriots' new head coach. But depending on who's offered and who accepts the job, who's going to be joining them on that bench? Well, here to discuss all of this and more today is our resident voice of reason, my Patriots' bison, Steve Balistrieri. Steve, we talked in the previous segment a lot about this two-man race between Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions, innovative offensive coordinator, brilliant offensive mind, and said yesterday here on the pod, he is a football savant. Mike is someone that can pretty much coach any area on the field. He's watched him coach the defensive backs. He's watched him get in there and actually take snaps with the linebackers.

Starting point is 00:19:37 He'll align with the offensive line and tell them where they need to be and when they need to step up for a block. This is something that I think the Patriots are looking for in this coach an experienced voice in that in that position that's going to be able to help lead this team back to respectability but you and i both know it's not going to be all the head coach's responsibility they're going to need competent coaches around them and that means a pretty robust staff so far everyone is still in. Only Gerard Mayo has been relieved of his duties. But I think it's a safe assumption that whoever is coming in to this staff is going to want to bring the majority of his own coaches in with him. So in that vein, my friend, when you look at both Ben Johnson,

Starting point is 00:20:20 you look at Mike Vrabel, is there anybody that you're eyeing right now that could be a fit on either staff, or do you really think it's more up to the individual coach right now as to what these staffs look like? Yeah, that's the next intriguing question, right? You know, we're looking at, okay, if they hire Vrabel, they hire Ben Johnson, who are going to be their coordinators? And I mean, I think that's a really good, good question to look at. A lot of people have been mentioning Josh McDaniel coming back as the offensive coordinator with Mike Vrabel.

Starting point is 00:21:03 And I like that for a couple of different reasons. You know, we saw how Josh worked with Mac Jones in his rookie year. I mean, Mac had a very, very good rookie year when, you know, Josh was running the offense. And the fact that we know McDaniel is an outstanding offensive coordinator. Him and Vrabel supposedly are close. I don't know how close that is, but the other thing is that Josh wouldn't be going anywhere. As long as Vrabel was on the sideline, McDaniel would have a job because he's

Starting point is 00:21:46 not going to get offered another you know head coaching gig in the NFL and that's something to keep an eye on you know everyone loves these young guys these up-and-coming guys who come in but the better they are and you want them to succeed you, right? But then they get offered a head coaching job of their own, like Ben Johnson is right now. So that's something to keep an eye on. Now, you know, you and I were talking offline, and I think McDaniel could be a choice for Johnson as well, for the same reasons and the other that we were talking about,

Starting point is 00:22:23 that Johnson's philosophy originally stemmed from the Earhart Perkins, for the same reasons and the other that we were talking about that johnson's uh philosophy originally stemmed from the erhard perkins system which would make him you know him and ben johnson they probably speak the same language i'm sure there's you know twists in uh you know how they approach certain things but i think they they would be able to get along really quickly. Another guy to keep an eye on that has ties to Vrabel is the Jets interim offensive coordinator, Todd Downing. He worked with Vrabel in Tennessee. Maybe he brings him along.

Starting point is 00:23:01 I don't know. I mean, it's a really good question to have. Another name for a defensive coordinator for Vrabel could be Terrell Williams. You know, he's a coach with the Lions as well. And maybe, again, there could be some carryover if Johnson gets the job. So those are a couple of names to keep an eye on, right? Absolutely. And I think you're keeping an eye on some very good names.

Starting point is 00:23:32 Look, Josh is the hot name right now. And I'll come back to him in just a moment. Because if it is going to be Mike Vrabel, I think Josh McDaniels makes too much sense for it not to happen. And I think you hit on exactly why. Because Josh is someone that is probably a safe pick in this situation. He's not going to go anywhere. He's not going to be offered another position. He's not going to go elsewhere and be an OC. He's going to want to stay

Starting point is 00:23:56 in New England where his family is comfortable. So I think you can look at him and say, this is not a guy that's going to be poached by another staff anytime soon again we'll get back to josh and his style in a bit but i did want to mention another name that could be a possibility if in fact josh decides that he doesn't want to be on mike's staff or if ben johnson potentially gets the job and ben looks at maybe someone like a mcdaniels as another alpha coming into the room that he may not want to cede any type of major responsibilities to because of how well Josh is revered in this area it could be seen as a little bit of a power struggle and I'm not saying that Ben would do that but if you're the head coach you want to be the guy in the room you want to be the main man and sometimes when your

Starting point is 00:24:41 assistant's reputation precedes you that can cause some tension um that's just again my own thought process on this it's going to be up to those guys to work it out but one guy i'm really surprised hasn't gotten a lot more attention as a potential coordinator offensive coordinator in this league is a guy that spent some time here in new england and that's nick haley over in los angeles right now on the staff of Sean McVay. You mentioned the Earhart-Perkins system. Caley definitely proved that he can coach in that system when he coached the tight ends here under Josh McDaniels. Worked with guys like Rob Gronkowski, worked with guys like Dwayne Allen, I mean, Martellus Bennett. He's worked with some of the better tight ends in this league and guys that had versatile skill sets that needed to necessarily find their way in a system. Again, you want to run that Earhart-Perkins system. I think Cayley could be a very good fit. He loves to run that

Starting point is 00:25:33 up-tempo, no-huddle style, control the time of possession, run the ball, use the passing game to get into the end zone. And I think that's what Ben Johnson's strong point is. I think that could be the beginning of a very beautiful friendship. So if you're looking for two young coaches to start to build, it's going to be Ben Johnson, folks. Keep an eye on Nick Haley. I would keep an eye on Nick anyway, even if he doesn't take the job here in New England. I think that pairing could be very interesting on an NFL staff,

Starting point is 00:26:01 no matter where it happens to be. But the only thing I worry about with Josh, and I want to pick your brain on this a little bit as well, is Josh's style has a tendency to be a little abrasive. He's rubbed some people the wrong way in Denver, in Las Vegas, even here in New England. But as an OC, he's been able to really maximize the talent. He's working one-on-one with a quarterback. His with brady is something that will never be duplicated uh josh mcdaniels and tom brady were um you know co-maestros in a beautiful symphony for as long as those two uh were running the offense up here in new england

Starting point is 00:26:36 but did a very good job with jimmy garoppolo did a very good job i thought thought, with Mack Jones' rookie season. So in that regard, with that type of abrasive style, do you worry that it could be different from what Drake May has been used to this year with Alex Van Pelt, who tends to use more of the velvet hammer when he's working with a young quarterback? Would that worry you at all, knowing already that Vrabel is going to be the type of no-nonsense coach that the Patriots need at the helm? Do you think you may need someone maybe with a little bit softer of an approach to handle the offense and handle their young quarterback? Well, I think that's a legitimate question. I mean, you know, we know when Josh was the head coach in both places, he had that reputation and, you know, it was well-deserved.

Starting point is 00:27:30 I mean, it's been documented. I think as a coordinator, he was a little bit different. You know, I know him and Brady were just in a lockstep from day one. But, you know, when I saw how he worked with Mac Jones, and again, I mean, you know, he didn't treat Mac the way we've heard how he treated some other players in his coaching career. You know, I thought, again, you know i i like the analogy he used a velvet hammer i think that was the approach he took um you know with mac jones being a rookie

Starting point is 00:28:14 i think which rick may be in pretty much the same way our obviously drake his father along but he's shown you know he can take hard coaching. He's not worried about that. And the kid is very mature for his age. I mean, he takes responsibility. I think him and McDaniels would get along famously. Could be wrong there because we don't know. We're not in the room with them. But I think those two would get along famously because McDaniels is another guy.

Starting point is 00:28:46 You know, he plays to people's strengths. You know, he knows what they do very well. He knows what they don't do very well. And he sticks with what they do, you know, to give them the best chance to succeed. So, you know, it is a legitimate question, but I don't think that would be an issue with Drake. Steve, another name that could be a possibility for the Patriots finding out very late on Friday afternoon

Starting point is 00:29:15 that the Miami Dolphins have parted ways with passing game coordinator and former Patriot, Wes Welker. That could be one to watch, folks. Wes has kind of started to ingratiate himself back into good graces here in New England. Could Mike Vrabel bring him in? Reportedly, there's still a relationship between those two as well. All different kinds of combinations and permutations, but Steve, I don't want to take leave of this subject before we talk about the defense because obviously this team finished the season number 30 overall in DVOA on defense.

Starting point is 00:29:45 That can't happen again. Demarcus Covington is still in his position right now, but you and I both have talked offline, and I think it's going to be very tough for him to maintain that position this year. Maybe he stays on staff, but I don't think you're going to see him be the D.C. Are there any names right now that you're watching, whether it be Vrabel, whether it be Johnson, whether it be both? The Patriots fans should be keeping a sharp eye on when it comes to the defensive side of the ball yeah i mean you know i defensive coordinator i you know i would

Starting point is 00:30:16 think if it's vrabel he's bringing his guy you know he's going to bring a guy probably from the Titan side with him. And again, you know, I mentioned that one player, one coach, you know, from Detroit that, you know, if it's Johnson, maybe he brings him along. So I don't know. I mean, that's a question, you know, I don't know enough about what each guy is thinking about team philosophy yet. I mean, you know, we know the Patriots have interviewed them, but we haven't heard these guys speak yet. So it's going to be interesting, you know, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, you know,

Starting point is 00:31:04 of what's going to be the philosophy and who they're going to bring in. And I like the idea of the Patriots bringing in Wes Welker as well. Yeah, absolutely. Steve, I agree with you. I think Terrell Williams is definitely a possibility for both guys. I actually like him as a D.C. candidate with Ben Johnson, maybe a little bit more than Mike Vrabel, because of the relationship they definitely have on the Lions staff. But I can see Vrabel dabbling into that as well. Another name to watch if you're Mike Vrabel, Zach Kor, who is a defensive assistant right now with the New York Giants,

Starting point is 00:31:43 spent three years in Tennessee. So this could be another possibility, another name to watch, folks. A lot is going to be determined on who accepts this job, and whoever accepts this job is going to be getting a couple of all pros to coach next year. That's right, folks. We're going to take a little break from all of this extensive coaching search talk to get some much-deserved laurels to Brendan Schooler, Patriots special teamer, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

Starting point is 00:32:10 We're going to talk about the value of these players and how each of them will be such key parts when it comes to building this team back to respectability. We're going to talk about that and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. Locked On listeners, from big upsets to game-winning drives, the NFL playoffs are better with FanDuel.

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Starting point is 00:33:22 again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots. At present, the Patriots coaching, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots. At present, the Patriots coaching staff interviews appear to be done, and now we wait. Will it be Mike Vrabel? Will it be Ben Johnson? Looks to be a two-man race between those two, but as we always say here on Locked on Patriots, anything and everything is possible in Foxborough. In the meantime, I am proud to welcome my good friend, Steve Balistrieri,

Starting point is 00:33:51 my Patriots bison here today to talk about all the ups and downs, the ins and outs of the Patriots coaching search. Steve, we've talked Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, potential assistants. We've gone pretty deep into the Patriots coaching search, but I thought it would be fun and I thought it would be a good way to bring Patriots Nation together, who continues to be so divided right now. You've got Team Ben. You've got Team Rabel. Who's going against who? I think we can all agree that two Patriots players this year that had themselves very good seasons were handsomely rewarded for that effort this year. And that was the votes of the Associated all pro team they were released on friday

Starting point is 00:34:27 january 10th two new england patriots getting the honor special teamer brendan schooler getting the first team nod and cornerback christian gonzalez getting a second team nod steve we talk a lot about gonzo we're going to get to him in just a moment but brendan is a first teamer he's also a pro bowler i wanted to sing his praises a little bit when you look but brendan is a first teamer he's also a pro bowler i wanted to sing his praises a little bit when you look at brendan schooler what about him leaps off the page to you how deserving of this honor is he and how big of a role do you see him playing in the patriots uh attempt to return to respectability oh i think uh what you, what he brings to the table right off the charts. I mean, I think he's, you know, one of the top two or three gunners in the league.

Starting point is 00:35:14 You know, he learned from the best there ever was with Matthew Slater. And I loved the interaction that the Patriots had filmed with those two on the field the other day. You know, you could see there's a deep connection there. I love what he brings to the field. He goes at it 100 miles an hour on every snap, just like Slater did. But he does it with, you know, he's always under control. He's a big-time playmaker. And, you know, I love the fact that they actually put together the longhorn

Starting point is 00:36:01 package for him on defense where he was able to step in and play, you know, as a quarterback spy against a couple of teams, he ended up with, you know, a couple of big plays in that. I think the sky's the limit for this guy. As long as he stays healthy,

Starting point is 00:36:17 I think he's going to be one of your top special teams guys in the entire league year after year. No question about it. Brendan is absolutely following in the footsteps of his predecessor and his mentor, Matthew Slater. You know the degree and the reverence with which I hold Matthew Slater up at the top when it comes to the Patriots Pantheon, and there are a lot of reasons for that. But getting back to school, or you've got to give him all the credit in the world. It's not easy to come in and to replace a legend. But Brendan has done it. 86.5% of the snaps played on special teams.

Starting point is 00:36:51 He was in there in the kicking game, really playing a huge role. Nine tackles. That led special teams for the third consecutive year. That was always an area where Matthew shined. And since Brendan has walked through the doors here in Foxborough, he's taken on that mantra, and I think he's done a phenomenal job. I also love the fact that this guy had 50 downs on defense. And you mentioned the pair of sacks.

Starting point is 00:37:15 Collected those against a couple of pretty good quarterbacks, folks, in Caleb Williams and against Tua Tagovailoa. So if you want to talk about a longhorn package that allows you to be able to be a weapon in that regard. Got to give a lot of credit to Brendan. I do believe that the sky is indeed the limit for him as well. Speaking of the sky's the limit, Steve, the Patriots clearly have themselves a keeper at the cornerback position. Started 16 games for the Patriots this year 59 tackles 11 pass breakups two interceptions and maybe his highlight of the season returning a fumble from 63 yards out for his first career touchdown Steve I can keep going with all of the accolades on the field of why Christian Gonzalez

Starting point is 00:37:57 is a top level corner but you have that reason that allows you to see things us mere mortals don't see what about the intangibles that Christian brings to the table that allows you to see things us mere mortals don't see what about the intangibles that christian brings to the table that lead you to believe this is the guy upon which we're going to build our defense well just the trust they they show in him for such a young player you know they they you know almost weekly put him against the best wide receiver your opponents has, and they don't often give him help over the top. You know, I think he would have gotten a lot, a lot more recognition had the overall Patriots record been different. Not that it affected his game whatsoever because i mean you you look at the

Starting point is 00:38:47 numbers he was putting up every week when faced against you know the opponent's top wide receiver they were outstanding and i think if the patriots had won some more football games people would have uh been recognizing that a little more and And I kind of get it. I mean, when a team goes 4-13, you know, you're not looking at a defensive player on that team saying, oh, this guy is, you know, so good. Steve, obviously, I know you joined me in giving a tip of the cap to Christian Gonzalez and to Brendan Schooler, who will be their next head coach here in New England.

Starting point is 00:39:25 That really is the only question surrounding these gentlemen, because the sky is the limit when it comes to them both. But once again, things continue to be interesting here in New England, and we will continue to monitor the coaching search for the New England Patriots as it enters its first weekend. Yeah, that's right. It's hard to believe that all of this has happened within the course of one week. Steve, it's been a long week here in New England, but it's been an exciting one. You've been here every step of the way. You helped us open this week with the fresh news that Gerard Mayo had been relieved of his duties right after Sunday's game. Here you are again, helping us to

Starting point is 00:39:59 wrap up what we believe is a wrap on the coaching search and providing some final wisdom and counsel for all of us to take into the weekend. Again, folks, keep a sharp eye on Locked On Patriots. We're going to continue to monitor the Patriots situation throughout the weekend. Is anything imminent? Your guess is as good as ours, but if it happens, we'll bring it to you right here on Locked

Starting point is 00:40:19 On Patriots. But in the meantime, my friend, what can I say? Thank you for being a valued friend to Locked On Patriots and for lending all of the wisdom friend, what can I say? Thank you for being a valued friend to Lockdown Patriots and for lending all of the wisdom, counsel and reason the way only you can. As we said to open the show, Steve, there are things being negotiated that will answer all your questions, solve all your problems.

Starting point is 00:40:36 But that's all Steve and I can tell you about our business right now, folks. All we can say is that it will be interesting. And as soon as word breaks, we will bring it to you right here on Locked On Patriots. But in the meantime, Bud, I want to give you one more thanks, one more tip of the cap for dropping by the pod and for doing all you did for us this week. And folks, most importantly, I want to thank each and every one of you

Starting point is 00:40:58 for joining us here on Locked On Patriots. All of you everydayers have provided such amazing support for Locked On Patriots. I personally cannot thank you enough for that. Thank you for making us a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. We have several first-time listeners and now casual listeners that are starting to come back into the fold.

Starting point is 00:41:18 This is a great time to stay locked into Locked On Patriots, folks, because the best is yet to come. Exciting guests lined up for next week. A lot more interaction with you, the fans. The bring back of Mock Draft Monday. The bring back of the midweek mailbag. And so much more.

Starting point is 00:41:35 So stay locked in to Locked On Patriots. You're not going to want to miss a single second of the action. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate. And on behalf of Steve Balistrieri, I wish you all the opportunity to stay safe, to stay well, to be the change you wish to see in the world. And, of course, our thoughts are with all of our friends over on the West Coast right now fighting unspeakable tragedy, unspeakable loss. Our hearts are with you. Our support is with you. And we continue to wish for everyone's safety and for this positive outcome to what has been a horrific situation.

Starting point is 00:42:05 If you're able to do so, folks, try to have yourselves a great weekend. Enjoy, and we'll see you back here again on Monday, Unlocked on Patriots.

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