Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Contenders in 2023? Bigger Problems in Passing Game or Special Teams?

Episode Date: February 15, 2023

With Super Bowl LVII still fresh in the minds of football fans everywhere, the prognosticators are wasting no time in setting their predictions for next season. The Patriots chances for contention are slim, by consensus. However, the outlook it not as bleak as it may seem. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Clare ‘ClazzyClare’ Cooper of Pats Propaganda and FPC Patriots. The duo discuss the Pats outlook for the upcoming season, while using some “Clare-Voyance” to determine their starting point for contention. Lastly, they provide their thoughts on the bigger problem facing the Pats in 2023: the passing offense or special teams?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!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.Built 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.Ultimate 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.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 ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So you're telling me there's a chance that the Patriots can contend in 2023? We'll find out by staying 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 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 follow Locked On Patriots on your preferred podcast platform. Today's episode brought to you by Ultimate Football GM. If you've ever dreamed of becoming an NFL GM and managing your football franchise, this is the game for you. To 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 code LOCKEDON, that's in all caps, folks, in the game store. So definitely check that out. Ultimate Football GM. And Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated.

Reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. That's fans. The Lombardi Trophy hasn't even found a new home technically yet. It hasn't gotten settled into its new home. And already the odds makers are on to 2023.

That's right. While the New England Patriots, your New England Patriots, are taking all the steps in the right direction, at least we hope they are, to right their offensive ship this season, really right the entire ship in New England, the Las Vegas odds makers are not that impressed with what they see from your New England Patriots right now, despite the hiring of new offensive

coordinator Bill O'Brien, the vote of confidence in quarterback Mike Jones by team owner Robert Kraft and several of his teammates. And also let's not forget that the Patriots are retaining the services of Gerard Mayo. That was a big concern heading into the offseason. Patriots coaching staff looking strong right now. But unfortunately, folks, the Patriots are predicted once again to regress in 2023. We're not necessarily buying that here on Locked On Patriots because we're going to tell you today why it might be smart to be optimistic about the New England Patriots. Not overly optimistic, but we think they're going to be a lot better than the prognosticators of

doom are saying. I say we because it is the midweek here, and that means we are joined each and every Wednesday, as we always are, by my good friend and columnist extraordinaire of PatsPropaganda.com, as well as a host of a Claire Perspective of Patriots podcast. Claire Classey, Claire Cooper is going to pop in here in just a moment, and we've got some fun activities planned, so stick around. I think you'll really enjoy what we have here on the show today. But the reason why Claire and I are hoping to paint a little more of a positive picture of what you see, rather than what you see in the national media is because the Patriots are taking strides to make improvements on the deficiencies that they had last year. Again,

the odds makers are not buying it. In fact, the odds of the Patriots winning Super Bowl 58 are the worst in the AFC East and among the long shots in the entire NFL. Fresh off their victory over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in Arizona, no one is really surprised that the Kansas City Chiefs have been installed as the early favorites to win next year's Super Bowl. That's going to take place February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium. Yeah, I know, Pats fans, you want this one. We all want to go to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, but the odds right now with the Patriots doing it are not great. I can't say that what we're going to tell you here on today's episode of Lockdown Patriots

is necessarily going to change that, but it might help you feel a little more optimistic than the picture that is painted, really, by the national media. And it's not a pretty one, no question about it. The Chiefs right now have six to one odds. They're followed by two more AFC teams, the Cincinnati Bengals, at 8.5-1, and the Buffalo Bills at 9-1. The Eagles, they're still the favorites in the NFC, 9-1. I think that's interesting.

The Eagles could have some major turnover on defense this year. They also had their coaching staff essentially, I don't want to say gutted, but they had it stripped of a couple of key components. So that's an interesting opportunity for, I think, maybe some NFC teams like the San Francisco 49ers, like the Dallas Cowboys to maybe sneak up a little bit here and say, hey, you know what? This team went to the max of what they could do. We're still knocking on the door here. We think we have a leg up on the competition. Keep your eye on the NFC folks next next year really going to be interesting but bottom line here's where the big

slap in the face to the patriots came uh miami dolphins they're ahead of them at 30 to 1 right now um you can understand that miami had a lot to build on if tuataka vailoa comes back healthy this year and has a full healthy season you have to like their chances with the offense and the defense that they show. That's a complete team there in Miami. The New York Jets 25-1 right now. That's a little tough to take. The Patriots trailing the Jets in Super Bowl odds. Yeah, you know it's like dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria. Things are automatically up on their ear um even considering the fact that you know the Patriots have beaten

the Jets I don't know what 14 times in a row yeah that's a tough one but again the odds makers are looking at the logistics they're looking at an eight and nine finish for the New England Patriots they're looking at them coming in at 50 to 1 that's what an 8 and 9 finish and contending right up until the final moment really of the regular season just not really a good picture not really a positive picture and there are only eight teams in the nfl that have worse odds according to the odds makers right now tom brady's old team the tampa bay buccane, they've plummeted. How the mighty have fallen without TB12 under center.

Tampa Bay 80-1. The two biggest long shots, really not a surprise here, the Arizona Cardinals and the Houston Texans, two teams that are in a lot of flux. Maybe some promise coming down the road, two, three years down the line, but for right now, it's going to be lean times in both of those cities.

They come in at 250 to one, but folks, are the Patriots really that far away? After all, this is an eight and nine team. We're not talking about a two and 15 team. And despite all of the coaching problems, and there were a lot of them, Matt Patricia, Joe Judge just did not work. Injuries to a lot of key players. That's a factor that a lot of teams have to contend with. The Patriots were not immune to that. They had to deal with their injuries as well. And player regressions in 2022, Mac Jones the most notable of those, this team was still in the hunt for a playoff spot until the last game of the season. And they had their chances to get several wins in games they ended up losing. Games just went the other way, unfortunately, for the Patriots.

The game against Cincinnati Bengals had their opportunities there without any question. Against the Las Vegas Raiders, they had their chances. Thanksgiving matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, I thought, was a winnable game for the Pats. These are all good teams that the Patriots took to the limit. So they're taking the steps to improve their standing in the 2023 season, already upgrading their coaching staff. Bill O'Brien coming in as the offensive coordinator. Adrian Clem coming in as the offensive line coach.

That helps to fix a lot of the problems. They're also relatively well-suited from a salary cap standpoint when it comes to free agency. Tip of the cap and a nod to the gods to my main man Miguel who is on top of all that we're overdue for a Miguel appearance here folks definitely stay tuned we definitely want to get Miguel back on the pod soon so he can enlighten us with all of his financial wisdom and counsel uh and help us uh gain clarity on exactly where the Patriots stand financially heading into free agency.

They also are projected to have up to 11 draft picks coming up in this upcoming draft. So the Patriots have the building blocks and the capital in place to make something happen, and maybe a little sooner rather than later. So if the national narrative might be a bit misdirected here today on Locked On Patriots, I won't only be making the argument that it might be, but I'll have the mystical magic of the midweek monarch. That's right, folks. The countess of clairvoyance, Claire Classey. Claire Cooper joins me here today on the pod, and we will be discussing the Patriots' chances for contention. And we're also going to take a look at two big concerns for the team.

New segment here on Locked On Patriots called This or That. And we're going to get into that in just a moment, as well as this. But much more to come here on Locked On Patriots, folks. Stay locked in as Claire Cooper joins me here in just a moment. But first, folks, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends at Ultimate Football GM. We're all sports fans, and we all love to compete. Well, now it's your turn to compete, but more on that later. If you've ever dreamed of being an NFL GM and managing your football franchise,

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That's LOCKEDON in all caps. So make sure to check it out today. To download the game, just visit ultimate-gm.com or look it up on the app stores. That's ultimate-gm.com. Ultimate Football GM. Start your dynasty today. Patriots fans, today on Locked On Patriots, we're taking a look ahead, not just to 2023, but beyond that.

And who better to take us into the future than not only the countess of class but today she is the countess of clairvoyance that's right claire clazy claire cooper of pat's propaganda and fpc patriots joins me thank you for taking the time out to join me on locked on patriots today from across the pound countess well where else would I be on a Wednesday, really? Well, we hope nowhere else. We love having you here. It really is our pleasure, our honor, to host the Countess of Class each and every Wednesday.

And we really need the clairvoyance today, Claire. There's no question about it, because the Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions, second time in four years. Great accomplishment. No question about it. There's sound in all three phases of the game. city chiefs are super bowl champions second time in four years great accomplishment no question about it uh there's sound in all three phases of the game well coached got the league's best quarterback dominant tight end wait have i heard this before but sounds really familiar doesn't it claire really yeah patriots fans that's right we've been there we've done that and for a lot longer than four years but you know that's topic for's a topic for another day. And I digress today. I'm not going to go that route.

The Chiefs are the team to beat right now, and it's definitely warranted. But it wasn't so long ago that the Patriots were the team to beat. Tom Brady, Robert Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, they're long gone. They're not walking back through that door. Patriots finished this season eight and nine missed the playoffs for the second time in three years but as long as Bill Belichick is on those sidelines Claire we know that the Patriots can't be counted out and in that vein we turn to you oh great one that's right folks you knew it was coming it is that time our very own famous sage and soothsayer. Don't laugh.

I'm going to get through this, Claire. I'm going to. I know you don't like it, but I'm going to do it anyway. The all-knowing, all-seeing, all-omniscient countess of clairvoyance here on Locked On Patriots. That's right, folks. It's time to read the tea leaves. And those tea leaves have been sealed. They've been kept in an ancient ceramic kettle.

Really nice kettle. You've got to check out the kettle sometimes, folks. On the shelf of NFL headquarters, right there, right next to the Super Bowl 57 script. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry. Who said that? I didn't say that.

I didn't say it. Nobody heard it. Nobody heard that. Sorry, folks. Please disavow all knowledge. Get the little men in black pen. We're all set. But all kidding aside, no one, not even the illustrious countess of clads herself

knows the count of contents of these tea leaves until now so countess you've been so patient i i now put the question to you how far are the new england patriots from contending for a super bowl crown well this is it how close are they to the next dynasty oh that's one for you because I know that that word's being thrown around like candy at the moment but we will discuss the Patriots as you said in regards to how you say how far away are they and I kind of would prefer to say how close are they because you know I think that it one it gives more positivity to it and and I do believe I do have positivity towards it I am often a glass half full kind of girl anyway but I think that when you look at the last couple of years

you you know they were close to the playoffs they They got in the playoffs in Mac's first year, I believe. So, you know, they're close to the playoffs and they have been. Now that they've got certain pieces in place that were very glaringly obvious were necessary in regards to an OC. And I know that we're hanging, you know, a lot of hats on Bill O'Brien being back, but from what we saw last season, it's difficult not to because of how sort of severely the offensive coaching let them down and that kind of thing and how it affected, had a ripple effect on the rest of the team.

And I mean, you only have to look on social media quickly to see sort of different reports and different comments of sort of how it was mentioned sort of in the locker room and things like that. You know, there's lots of hearsay and their say if you like in regards to how, you know, how it affected the team sort of from, from whichever level you, you know, you want to talk about it. So for me personally, I think's uh how close are they and I think they they could be close you know there was um I believe there was a poll out on Twitter now I know

that a lot of people put this individual kind of in the very inflammatory column when it comes to like radio shows and this that and the other and and I don't kind of see it so much over here because it's like Boston Sports Radio and stuff like this but there was there was a poll out there of um how many years away from sort of the you know the Super Bowl or the Patriots and I think less than five years was was the shortest amount and that's kind of what won out that was the highest percentage when I looked last um today on Wednesday and and I think that's fair I think less than five years I do believe is fair you know my humble opinion as a fan as a fan that tries to absorb as much knowledge as she can of the sport in the sort of the relatively short time that I've had chance to is that a few years I kind of give

it a few years because it feels like Mac is back at the beginning a lot because of what happened last season and he's now got sort of plenty of coaching staff around him. A lot of it is going to come down to what happens sort of during this offseason when it comes to draft and free agency, what they build around the quarterback, how they look at the roster, how they solidify, that sort of thing. It's going to take some pieces. And I know that we'll sort of maybe talk about that later and on other shows, of sort of what's really necessary in regards to surrounding Matt Jones with sort of what he needs kind of thing.

But I think looking at what they've done, the Patriots have seen what mistakes happened last season, and they're moving to correct that quite significantly. They did last season when they drafted plenty of speed, because the one thing that sort that fans were crying out for was youth and speed when it came to certain positions. And they started to tick those boxes last season. We saw the issues with the coaching and now it feels like they're looking to tick those boxes this season.

So it's building on from on. So they're looking at restacking theacking the the deck from from when they lost Tom Brady now I know it was several years out from him now and granted but there's they've gone through teething problems there was like you know the Cam Newton semi-era and then Mac Jones's second year blip and things like this so there's teething problems and there's there's always going to be when you're going for something so significant, as you mentioned, Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, you're going from something that was amazing to experience and to go through and to watch. And it's going to take some time to get from that back to something really successful. The times needed to adapt and evolve. And I think that's what we're're seeing we're seeing the involvement of the Patriots and I think that I don't believe with with someone like Bill Belichick as coach

and hopefully several years we've still got from him and you know the the the backstaff of if you want to call it or you know however you want to sort of brand Mr Craft and and the Craft family in regards to the ownership of it you know there's very sort of very football savvy, very clever, smart football, smart individuals that are looking to grow this future, to evolve, as I said. So for me personally, it's, I think we've got a couple of years. I think I'd give them a couple of years still before I think they're really back in contention. Now, if it happened in 2023, it'd be like, okay,

he just, you know, he sped it up a little bit and it's fine come on claire we want to hear they're right in the thick of it so we can that's what patriots fans want we want vegas that's what we're not i'm kidding no i'm kidding is it is it is it is it it will be a legion yeah legion stadium absolutely yeah see how beautiful would that be for the patriots to to go off to where the you know where the the old oc went kind of thing to to school that stadium when it comes to the super bowl so yeah i mean is it the last time the patriots played there it didn't end so well we don't talk about that.

That is one of those that shall not be mentioned now situations. Yeah, that's true. We don't talk about that. And what better way to erase that to go back and win the Super Bowl there. Very good. In all seriousness, I mean, if you said to me, do you believe that the Patriots have a chance of going to the Super Bowl this year? Personally, they have a chance because going to the Super Bowl this year. Personally, they have a chance because

they got so close to the playoffs. Now, how big a chance this season? I think there's still too much that they've got to evolve through to sort out, to get right, to build. So for me, Super Bowl 2023 feels a little bit soon, but

my fan opinion is it's coming in those next few years that they're going to get back up there will they be that dynasty of multiple Super Bowls probably not because you've got individuals like Tom Brady who are you know so significant and Matt Jones isn't Tom Brady he's a good quarterback let's hope he's a really good quarterback and I just think that you know give it a chance for the next few years and I think they're going to be up there in contention I really do I would definitely agree with you on that I think they are a team that is more I think closer to contention than a lot of people would have you believe and I think a lot of that

stems from the coaching changes that they've made I think a lot of that stems from a lot of that stems from the coaching changes that they've made. I think a lot of that stems from a lot of the problems that the Patriots experiencing in 2022 were really more logistical, fundamental, rather than a lack of talent at certain positions. Yeah, there are positions where they definitely need to upgrade. I would love to see them upgrade the offensive line. I think that's an area where they do need some young, new talent and maybe a couple of savvy veterans to come in and shore up that line. They could add a cornerback. They can add a wide receiver, maybe even a little bit of talent at running back. Those are the types of positions that I think the Patriots could use a little bit of an

upgrade or a facelift. But at the same time, they still have a solid core nucleus in place. I mentioned here yesterday on Locked On Patriots, I think that they have a very good quarterback situation with Mack Jones as the starter. Bailey Zappi, one of the better backup options in the league. And that counts for something, especially with injuries and things that can happen. When you know

that you can turn the ball over to a guy that is well-suited to lead your offense, you're in good shape there. So I think all these little building blocks will help the New England Patriots get to where they need to be, but I'm in firm agreement with you. I think if you're booking your trip to Las Vegas, you're probably going to be disappointed, Patriots fans.

Although, stranger things have happened. If there's a team that can pull it off in the way that they're coached and the attitude that they have and the work ethic that they bring to the table each and every day the patriots can rekindle a little bit of that old magic they have a good a shot as anybody they were almost in the playoffs last year and that was really with i think like a dumpster fire burning around them uh for a lot of that season with a lot of the difficulty they had with injury and coaching problems. So good stuff, Countess. Good stuff as well.

And I'm glad that you mentioned the steps back about Mac Jones. And I tried to articulate that a little bit yesterday. And I think you did a phenomenal job of really building on that. I remember a former supervisor that I used to work for when I worked in the private sector saying about steps back and then moving steps forward. He said it's important to always maintain a realistic goal when it comes to taking your step back forward, stepping back through those footsteps that you already left, because they're going to be bigger the next time you put your foot into that step. It's just the

nature of the way science works. You put your foot into a footstep, it expands. So the next time you're not blazing a trail anymore, you're your foot into a footstep it expands so the next time you're not blazing a trail anymore you're already going into an area and there's more land to climb out from when you take that next step forward that's a good analogy i think for mac jones it's going to be a little bit of a learning curve and a little bit of a building block but once he moves beyond it the trail that he's going to forge this time i think is going to be a lot stronger because of bill o'bBrien at the hole. So Claire, you're always, always hitting it out of the park with the clairvoyance.

We love the clairvoyance, but we're about to introduce a new segment here on Lockdown Patriots called This or That. Yeah, I'm just going to let the countess of class sort this out, and I'm going to let her dictate exactly how that's going to play out in just a moment when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode brought to you by our good friends over at the FanDuel Sportsbook. It's the midway point of the NBA season and now is the perfect time to download FanDuel,

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powered by full press coverage Patriots. And Claire, definitely one of the great listens folks, definitely smash that subscribe button if you haven't already done so. You can thank me later. You'll love it. We had some fun with a clairvoyance segment. We always do. I get a chance to channel my inner Johnny Carson, and I thank you for that.

But now we're going to introduce a new segment here on Locked On Patriots called This or That. And since we agree, Countess, that the Patriots are still at least a few years away from contending, that means that they have some work to do in Foxborough. And two of the areas in which the Patriots struggled most in 2022 were on special teams and on offense in the passing game. So here's where we start this or that. What's the bigger concern here, Claire? Now, not necessarily the bigger problem because we all know the big problems, well, they can have clear-cut solutions. But the concerning problem, that's where things get tricky here,

and that's where we need your wisdom and counsel, Countess. So I pose the question to you, Claire. What is the Patriots' bigger concern? Is it special teams, or is it the passing offense? See, I love how you try all these things with me. It's always me that ends up having to try all these different things. Because you're the only one that can handle it. I only give the workload to those that can carry it that is why i trust you counts okay come on i thought that was pretty good a little bit they saw that okay now i think a lot

of people will expect me to say oh it, it'll be the passing offense, because we've discussed probably at nauseam now the concern of the offensive line. And, you know, and a lot of people want that, you know, wide receiver one and the offensive weapon. However, for me personally, they've brought in an O-line coach and that does not fix everything. Granted, it doesn't. However, it really stacks up my confidence when they've got a play caller and an offensive line coach as two separate individuals. Not only two separate individuals,

two separate individuals who are both experienced in their fields. Wow, folks. Can you believe it? But I know this is it. Rocket science, it's not. But no more cheap shots at Manny P. That was nice.

For me, the sneaky... Thank you. Thank you. I do try. I do try. But the thing that's kind of like a sneaky under the radar concern now for me is the special teams because they had kind of a poor performance for the last couple of years, as you mentioned.

The coaching under... Oh, I always pronounce his name wrong. I'm going to let you pronounce it because I usually get it the wrong way around. Cameron, it's not a chord. Atcher. Atcher, that's it. I always do it wrong. It's that one name that just like stays incorrect in my mind. Unfortunately, as great as the guy may be under him the the special teams was not

sort of performing the way that you expect a patriot special teams to perform because it was always one of those strengths it was always that sneaky thing that the Patriots seems seemed to have over the rest of the NFL they had this real strength when it comes to special teams and that was although yes they had Tom Brady and the Gronkowski and all that kind of stuff but it kind of always came back down to the special teams was that sneaky good thing that other teams didn't seem to have and the Patriots seems to have and it they just I just kind of got wiped out the last two years and it's very unfortunate and I'm surprised that it kind of happened over two years and that Belichick kind of let that happen but that's a conversation for another day, really.

So for me, when I looked at the free agency list as well, and this is what really gets me, and I hope I'm not really concerning people, but excuse my note, but the dudes that are going out for free agency when it comes to special teams is you've got the punter in Pallardi. You've got the kicker, Quinn Nordean. He's on free agency.

You've also got Cody Davis, who, yeah, I know that he's kind of, he's one of those silent sort of, I wouldn't say weapons, but he's been on the team for a while. And I think that for someone like that, I think the fact that we don't hear his name significantly is what's important because that means he's doing his job properly. It's one of those kind of reverse things that I think works out and also um I think I mentioned a couple of episodes ago something that concerned me was Joe Cardone as a free agent as well now just because they're free agents doesn't mean they're going to get let go obviously

however that's a lot of holes to fill and it's a lot of you of contracts to sort of make sure that they sign and things like that. And Nick Folk, for the amount that he's worshipped, and I think he should be because he's fantastic. He came in and he sort of, he picked up that scepter and just sorted it all out when it came to the kicking game. And he had big shoes to fill when he came in kind of off like the bat of Gostkowski and stuff like that. You know, he's, I hate to say he's getting on in age i hate this when all these guys are younger than like we are generally and stuff like that but he is and he's had injury and he's had time out of injury so he isn't going to be kicking forever and as much as a lot of people don't like to kind of put onus on kicking the kicking game is really important and and we've seen that when it's been unsuccessful in certain

teams so special teams for me is this kind of off-season concern of I hope that it doesn't need to have bells and whistles it doesn't need to sort of throw a party and and announce its success or anything like that but I really think that the special teams need to be kept an eye on and they need to make sure that they do what's right because it only takes a small piece of special teams to sort of really screw up a game in a way that you wouldn't necessarily expect because you look at it as it's just special teams he's just a long staffer he's just a punter and I just think that that kind of I don't want to say disrespect because that's maybe really too strong a word but it's sometimes it is a disrespect to

the position because they aren't seeing the way that a wide receiver is seen and stuff like this because they're not sparkly they don't put those numbers on the board but but when we don't have good in those positions other things seem to crumble and I think it's really important that they get those building blocks in place as much as it is like the o-line and things like that as we've talked about plenty on this on this show so I won't go into obviously now but yeah for me my biggest concern if you're giving me a this or that is the special teams I'm sort of keeping my fingers crossed and keeping my eyes open that they get these guys signed off at free agency or re-signed or you know they really look into maintaining nick folk maybe drafting a kicker that's kind of the successor that sort of thing and there's

gonna be people up in arms because drafting a kicker and people hate it but you know i mean come on folks you know when we don't have a good kicker, when you don't get those field goals, when you don't get those extra points, things can fall apart and you can lose a game by that extra point. And if you've got a kicker who's competent and you've got a kicker who's working well, it really is sometimes the key to success. So for me, as much as it's probably not really going to be liked by some, some of the Patriots fans is special teams. I kind of got a bit of a soft spot for special teams now, because I like the champion punters and kickers. And I mean, we've got Jake Bailey with his sort of contract issue.

So is he really coming back? When you look at the names and you look at the positions on special teams, it's actually way more dire than maybe we went into the offseason thinking sorry folks just added a massive negative i do apologize but he asked me this or that which one i was more concerned with so he asked me in the negative so i did ask the question uh and i'm in firm agreement with you a firm agreement with you because i think that if you're looking at a more concerning problem for the New England Patriots, it's got to be special teams. Look, the passing game had its hiccups last year. There's no question about it.

I know a lot of our fans out there watching on YouTube, listening to Locked On, wherever you're listening from right now, are saying, Oh, the passing game was terrible last year. They couldn't find the end zone. They couldn't do this. A lot of that is true. Most of that was scheme, folks. Most of that was scheme exactly and and this is why i'm not concerned i'm so worried is because it can be sorted it's the special teams that i don't feel like is going to get sorted the passing game is going to get sorted it's something that they're going to

address and they've already started to address as we aforementioned in the you know in the previous segment really it's it's it's going to be kind of addressed so that i think that's one of the main reasons why special teams is even more up there with the concern is because we haven't seen anything yet that that means they're going to address it and that's kind of why i'm worried about it sorry i apologize no. Don't apologize. I think you're absolutely right. When you look at the offensive line, a lot of that was just basically ill-prepared, I think in a lot of ways. And I think the other factor was injury. That was, you know, somewhat of a factor as well, but then unfortunately you can't control that. That's not anyone's fault. No one on the line, no one on the coaching staff, that just happens the um uh the coaching staff that just happens but where the coaching staff i think will help is more discipline you're going to see a lot more

uh focus on eliminating costly penalties and there were a lot of those last year for the patriots on the o-line adrian clem coming in runs a very tight ship the job that he did in oregon really kind of scheming that run blocking system that allowed their team to work so well is something that I think the Patriots are really going to absorb and they're really, really going to enjoy. But he's also a very good coordinator when it comes to passing protection as well. And I think you're going to see that. Bill O'Brien coming in, I think, right off the bat, upgrades your passing schemes. His vision, his ability to put people in place is really going to speak volumes on the field, and you're going to see an immediate impact right away.

So in terms of a problem, yes, the Patriots do have to fix that passing game, but I think they've already gone a large step in doing that. But special teams, I mean, there were quite a few special team snafus last year without any question. I don't want to make it seem like it was all doom and gloom. Marcus Jones is a bright spot on that unit. He can break. He's a good kick returner, good pass returner, good punt returner, and good kick returner. Excuse me.

He can return passes too, folks. He's done it all. This guy can pretty much do anything on the field um i i love what i see from marcus jones i also love what i see from brendan schooler as well i think this kid is a solid core special teamer uh rookie really really good in terms of being able to be on the field a couple of fumble recoveries on punt returns this year shows that he's in the right place at the right time he has the instincts to succeed here but the kicking game was unreliable this year and i think that's a a really new development for the patriots nick folks still had a solid season five missed field goals three extra points missed so there are moments where he's going to look at that and say all right well

these are difficult circumstances to overcome um then you also look at the difficulty that jake bailey had uh the world the league's worst punting at 41.7 yards and net punting at 35.9 um as a result patriots opponents had the best starting field percentage at the 28-yard line in the league. The Patriots also allowed 18 points surrendered on special teams. That was the most in the NFL. You know that doesn't sit well with Bill Belichick because he places such a premium on the special teams unit being a cohesive and sharp and precise unit. It certainly wasn't that this year. So the Patriots have their work cut out for them.

And if Matthew Slater retires, then you really have to make, because then you're looking at someone because then you're looking at someone who is the field director on the field, trying to get these guys to play well, doing what he can to keep them in line. Ultimately it falls the

responsibility falls on the coach but matthew is such a big part of what they do out there and the patriots are going to miss that wisdom in council as well but still holding out hope that he doesn't claire i would love to see one more year of matt slater i think everyone in patriots nation would but we'll see we'll see what the football gods have in store for us but thank you for indulging me and playing this or that claire truly and i mean this from the bottom of my heart you are the world's greatest sport when it comes to trying out new things here on lockdown patriots and you always knock it out of the park so folks if you like this or that segment drop us a line in the

comments let us know something we'd love to continue claire is obviously great at it so why not right folks keep it going but in all in all fairness uh it's always my honor and always my privilege to share the microphone with you here each and every wednesday before i let you go claire please let everyone know where they can interact with you and let us know what we can expect in the coming days and well weeks from the great pen the great voice of claire clazy claire cooper our esteemed countess of clairvoyance well thank you very much michael and i'm glad you gave me the opportunity i very much appreciate it because i kind of wanted to give a quick shout out everybody next week so we are now wednesday the 15th of february so next week will be the eclair perspective two-year anniversary so yes you've

been putting up with me for two years on eclair perspective thank you so much and i want to thank everybody obviously who's listening who listens to the podcast for their support what i am asking you guys to do is i want to make this anniversary episode a mailbag edition so i want to hear from you so i want to hear from all my listeners it doesn't necessarily have to be patriots it can be patriots nfl related as well if you want because we are in the off season so there's only so many topics when it comes to the patriots so patriots nfl and or other other questions as well are welcome within reason it's a reasonable family show so you know keeping it cleanish so do appreciate so if you can get in touch at classy claire so it's at c-l-a-z-z-Y-C-L-A-R-E. There will be a tweet coming out the weekend

sort of asking for questions. So if you check out on social media and find them on there. But yeah, I'm asking for your questions. So by next Tuesday, I want to have heard from all of you, please, with your questions for me to fill up my mailbag edition of A Claire Perspective.

Definitely, folks. Do not miss the opportunity. Let Claire know what's on your mind and absorb the wisdom and counsel the way only she can provide it. She provides us with a little bit of that wisdom and counsel here each and every week, but definitely check out A Claire Perspective

and participate in that mailbag episode. You know, Claire, speaking of mailbags, I think you've inspired me a little bit here on Locked On Patriots. Maybe, just maybe, we can bring back the midweek mail bag. You know who our guest is each and every Wednesday. That's right.

The Monarch of Midweek. Yet another name for you, Claire. How do you like that? See? We're not only giving you business, we're also providing you with a new moniker. Love it. Absolutely love it. All kidding aside, folks, participate. I take offense to that. No, I'm kidding folks participate i gotta take offense to that no i'm kidding i don't take offense to that it is exhausting being on here but you're up to the challenge and we're going to continue to invite you back because we love having you here folks thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to make

locked on patriots a daily part of your new england patriots coverage and also your first listen every day remember locked on patriots free 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. So smash that subscribe button on YouTube, download, subscribe to follow Locked on Patriots on your favorite podcast platform. On behalf of the illustrious Claire, classy Claire Cooper, I'm Mike DeBate.

Continue, folks, to stay safe and stay well. Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.