Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs Takeaways: Bailey Zappe, Marte Mapu, Bill Belichick and More

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

The New England Patriots lost for the sixth time in seven games, dropping their Week 15 matchup 21-17 to the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of DieHard Boston Sports to break down Bailey Zappe’s first-half success, second-half woes and the standout defensive performances of Christian Barmore and Marte Mapu. Finally, the duo discuss whether the Pats and coach Bill Belichick are past the “point of no return?”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-new-england-patriots/id1140512627?i=1000632782469 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!DoorDashGet 50% off up to $10 value when you spend $15 or more on your FIRST order, when you download the DoorDash app and enter code LOCKED23. Subject to change. Terms apply.PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL 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

In the immortal words of the Beatles, the New England Patriots long and winding road of a 2023 season is mercifully getting closer to its end. But is the real story in Foxborough just beginning? 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 is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

So subscribe, download, follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts to make sure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on X at

MDABATENFL. While you're out there showing some love to Locked On Patriots social media style, follow our account there as well at LO underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, today's episode brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last-minute tickets, lowest price, guaranteed.

And, of course, Patriots fans, we are joining you today here on a Tuesday instead of a Monday. A lot of wind, a lot of rain, a lot of havoc being wreaked in the Northeast right now. Unfortunately, it affected us here in the Locked On Studios on Monday, but we are back better than ever and ready to not only open the mailbag,

but also to break down the Patriots 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. And in what may prove to be the penultimate home game of Bill Belichick's 24-year coaching tenure, there is an awful lot to discuss. And here today to break it all down is the man that caused the frenzy in Foxborough on Sunday. If you heard, I knew you were trouble when you walked in blaring from the Gillette Stadium PA. No, it wasn't to welcome Taylor Swift to town.

It was to welcome my guest right here, the commercial himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy. Thank you for coming to me here today in friendship, as you always do, Don Murph. Oh, thank you, Michael. Thank you. Always a pleasure, whether we do it on Monday, Tuesday, Friday. here today in friendship as you always do don murph oh thank you michael thank you always a pleasure whether we do it on monday tuesday friday i'm always here when you need me man i'm always here when the door is open murph it's been greater than 24 hours now since the bats dropped their week 15 matchup to the kansas city chiefs on sunday patriots once again showing some first half promise jumping out to a 10-7 lead and then in a formula that's become all too familiar, the Patriots squandering that and faltering in the second half,

allowing 20 straight points to the defending champions at one point. They did tack on an additional touchdown in the closing moments of that game, but it made it look a little closer than it actually was, especially in the second half. Murph, you know we're all about silver linings. We're going to talk about silver linings a little more today. But if you want something to hang your hat on, Patriots fans, the Pats still hold now that number two spot in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers, 9-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Move the Patriots just one game back in the race for the number one overall pick. Still a long shot, but there's still a chance. Before we get into what

went right for the Patriots, I think everybody is still kind of chewing over what went wrong with the New England Patriots. And it really becomes the tale of second half invisibility. Maybe a tale of two halves, a tale of two Zappies. People are using whatever type of colloquialism they want to describe this game. But bottom line, Bailey Zappi has proven himself to be effective in the first half, and we're not seeing that same production in the second half. You and I both know it goes deeper than just the quarterback. And you're watching this game unfold.

What went wrong on offense on Sunday, my friend? They took their foot off the gas in the second half. and you're watching this game unfold. What went wrong on offense on Sunday, my friend? They took their foot off the gas in the second half. They let that zappy interception completely change the outlook on how they were going to play this game. That, along with the injuries along the offensive line. Now, Bill's been taken to task over this over the past two days now about what was going on but folks it's always been next man up here in new england but they've been on next man up since september and

now they're on next next next man up uh and and that that changed the way that Bill was calling this game. There was absolutely nothing to be had in the run game yesterday. Bailey looked fantastic, as we're talking about, in the first half. 17 of 19, 141 yards, a touchdown to Hunter Henry. Should have been two touchdowns to Hunter Henry. I'm not somebody who usually complains about officiating, but that was kind of bogus there. I didn't kind of agree with that. It should have at least been offsetting because Hunter got held in the end zone there too, as well as the penalty that brought it back. A missed field goal, that's seven points that was left on the table there in the first half of this game to begin with.

You get those seven points, and we're talking about something different. Maybe we're talking about staying a little bit aggressive. When they changed the game plan, Bill was kind of putting it in the hands of his best players. Your best players right now are on defense, Michael. That's it. Plain and simple. The best players in this game are on defense. That all went into the toning back of the game plan in the second half, the more conservative take.

I didn't necessarily agree with it while I was there at Foxborough watching this game unfold. I was a little bit ticked off at times. I wanted them to step back and sling it. But they couldn't keep anybody out of Zappi's face in the second half. They just couldn't. It was the same. You go back to the Pittsburgh game, and they were able to hang on for a win. But I see his thinking. It's the same. You go back to the Pittsburgh game and they were able to hang on for a win.

But I see his thinking. It's smart thinking. It's still trying to win the game. It's just not trying to win the game the way some people have a huge axe to grind with Bill Belichick, you know, went to the airwaves about it. Yeah, we're going to get into Bill Belichick and his desire to win and his drive to win in just a moment, because I really think that deserves some attention. And our listeners believe that deserves some attention. The most popular mailbag question that we got this week, folks, was related to that very subject. So stick around. You're not going to want seeing, Murph, unfold over the course of the last couple of games is that Bailey is clearly acting as the better playmaker this season than Mac Jones was. For whatever reason, whether it's an inherent ability, whether it's just him seeing the

field better, whether it's just him exuding more confidence or being more relaxed, he's making more plays than Mac did, and no one can deny that. But also, where you're running into difficulty is when the pressure is turned up. And you mentioned this and hit the nail right on the head. Bailey right now is struggling mostly with his processing time. He's got to improve that if he wants to be an effective starter. He absorbed four sacks on Sunday, three of which came under duress. He was under pressure on 37.1% of his

drop backs. The Chiefs generated pressure on eight of their 14 blitzes. So while you can look at injuries along the offensive line all you want to, they definitely play a part, folks. There's no question about it. When you're without the likes of Cole Strange, Trent Brown, and then Connor McDermott goes down. Darian Lowe comes in. There's a lot of issues that you're going to see along that offensive line. But bottom line, if Bailey is going to improve, he has got to develop the skills before and after the snap. We're seeing this far too often, and we saw it far too often on Sunday, my friend.

Yeah, we really did. And when you're looking across the field at guys like Chris Jones, it makes it all the more difficult when that's the pressure that's happening. We talked on Friday about during the key in my I cut in my keys and we talked about it on Friday that that he, Bailey was going to have to be able to make quick reads or he was going to have to be able to make the hot read, see where the, that blitz was coming from and then throw the ball into that blitz, throw the, fill that spot where that backer or, or defensive back was coming from. And he just did not do that with enough consistency, with enough regularity. He actually called out the wrong mic on one occasion. And it was really telltale. This game gets really, really quick when the right defensive coordinator wants to come at you. And Bailey is just not capable of making that play or that read.

He's just not there yet. You mentioned his first half, and you mentioned the efficiency, 17 of 19, 141. Second half stats, five passes completed, 39 yards, one interception. Without question, an ill-advised throw. Willie Gay ran this back 24 yards to the new england eight yard line not a good decision by bailey and it comes back to it you have to be able to pick up the hot read you have to be able to think quickly on your feet we're not seeing that thinking done quickly enough and even a half a second can mean the difference between an interception right or it

can be the difference between a completion and maybe getting yardage beyond what you expected at the point of the catch develop those skills before and after the snap and you'll see a more solid quarterback because when bailey has the time and he's comfortable you see him complete some pretty nice passes that touchdown to hunter henry was great that was a corner route by hunter bailey read that all the way. He found his target, and that was a beautiful connection between two great plays, a great throw, and a great catch by Hunter Henry. And Bill Belichick said as much after the game. That's where you're seeing Bailey Zappi really accentuate the positive,

but the negatives just keep piling up, and unfortunately, they're piling up at the wrong time. So, unfortunately, New England now drops a 3-11, but there were some gleams of hope to be taken from the field on Sunday, and they all came, as Murph said, from the defensive side of the ball. Murph and I are going to talk about the defense and the silver linings that emerged when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast

continues to be a proud part of the Locked On Podcastots podcast continues. Proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked On listeners, we've all been there. You want tickets to the big game or your favorite musical artist, and you just can't find an easy and affordable way to do it? Well, you shouldn't have to worry when you're buying tickets to

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my good friend, the legend himself, Thomas Murphy. And Murph, we talked a lot in the previous segment about the Patriots offensive lows, unable to get the running game going. The tale of two halves from Bailey Zappi, the injuries along the offensive line, they all add up to a dismal performance. Some might look at the Chiefs output of 27 points and say, well, the defense really didn't give them a whole lot to work with either, but that is an incomplete and poor way, I think, of assessing this game. I think this was a very good effort from the defense, and I think they

really did an amazing job of being able to marginally disrupt or at least contain a potentially explosive offense. Anytime you have Patrick Mahomes as your quarterback and Travis Kelsey as your wide receiver, regardless of the supporting cast around them, those two guys can make things happen against any team. And when you're holding them routinely and forcing them to exotic looks and putting Patrick Mahomes in a three-point stance at one point, you know you're doing your job. You know you're at least doing everything that you can to contain them. So on that basis, there were some defensive keys that were turned on Sunday, and I know there were some bright spots and things that brought a twinkle to your eye. What was your assessment of the defensive performance? What stood out to you on Sunday? The defensive performance was, I don't want to call it immaculate.

I wanted to see more pressure on Mahomes throughout the game. We didn't get that, even though the Patriots ended up getting a couple of sacks. He wasn't on his ass as much as I was hoping. But I've got to tip my cap to Christian Barmore. Christian Barmore was in the backfield so often, I thought he'd gotten traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. This man was making stops all along the line, no matter where it was. He was there. He was stout.

Give this man a 10-year extension right now. He's coming up on his fourth year in the league. He's available for an extension. You have all the cash in the world. I want to see five years and $75 million fully guaranteed put into this man's hand before he packs up his locker this season. He is finally healthy for the first time in his career as a professional. He has, you know, knock on wood, he has had a healthy season. And you've seen what he's been able to do with that going from training camp all the way through last week.

He's just been a juggernaut. He's one of the top five defensive tackles in the NFL right now. Pay him like now. Pay him like that. Let him know that he's, he's make him safe, make him content. Like I've said so many times about other guys on the offensive line, it's time to go over and do it on the defensive line. Don't string this out, make this kid happy and keep him in a Patriots uniform for the rest of his career. Yeah. So glad that you mentioned Barmore. Truly one of the defensive standouts. I think continuing to make a convincing case as the Patriots' best defensive player this season. Certainly the most improved player this season. And again,

you're seeing Christian Barmore healthy for the first time in a good long while. Finish this game with one sack, four quarterback pressures, the Pats defense with two run stuffs. I love watching Christian Barmore push the pocket, folks. This is what makes him the type of player that he is, but it's not just about that. He takes a stand against the run, always played with good leverage, even back to his days at Alabama. That was something that stood out and leapt off the page when it came to Christian Barmore's skill set. But what he's developed is additional strength and, again, additional health to take on the double teams. He locates the ball quickly.

Very good athleticism for a guy his size and very good range for someone for his size. He can cover a lot of ground. Do not let the physique fool you. This kid can definitely get after it. And another thing that I love watching, quick hands on this kid. It makes him effective both in stuffing the run and then when he has to challenge the passer. get after it and another thing that i love watching quick hands on this kid it makes effective both in stuffing the run and then when he has to challenge the passer when you look at all of these skills finally coming together it's no surprise that he's been a defensive standout so

once again he was a beast in this game i look for that to continue and that's right you might want to back up the truck on this one folks yeah he's worth it and he's worth every penny and the Patriots knew it when they got him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft if you had taken Christian Barmore with the 15th pick in that draft and you would grab Mack Jones in the second round would you feel much better about would you you know how would you feel about it yeah me I think it's a great idea why would I say it if anything was good but no all kidding aside folks um yeah i mean some fans some talking heads out there might feel a little bit better about the investment in jones saying you didn't waste the first round or you wasted a second rounder on him i happen to think that's a harsh reality but some believe it yeah

but if if nobody if bill had not taken jones, this place would have lost its collective mind. Everybody in this town came out, and when Mack Jones was taken in that draft at 15, they all said, Bill is now not running the draft, or he is taking input from other people. And right now, the narrative is right back to Bill can't draft. Well, is it Bill, or is it everybody else in the room? And once again, he took, um, he took Barmore in the second round. He was a first round talent who fell for some reason. And it's made me feel so much better about the whole Stefan to it thing from, uh, 20

years ago. I wanted to do it. I wanted to do it so bad. And he took Triscuit knees. Um, but you know, and, and just to go along with it, just wanted to it so bad. And he took Triscuit knees. But, you know, and just to go along with it, just to go along with that, you know, Bill can't draft. Well, yeah, I mean, you know, I'm going to bring up another defensive guy who had a fantastic game yesterday, and that's Marty Mapo. Absolutely.

I've been screaming for Marty Mapo to play more linebacker this entire year. I think he's been playing too far off the ball. He's the prototype for the 2020s, the end of the 2020s linebacker, and it showed yesterday on the field. Marte has aligned at linebacker, especially when you have either Kyle Duggar or Jabril Peppers in the slot. That's exactly where they love to deploy him. But what we want to see is the ball-hawking linebacker, the guy that draws a bead on the ball,

the one that we saw in college that really stood out from the rest and made him a third-round pick this year. You saw that. First and 10 with just over seven minutes in the second quarter, the game tied at seven. Marte really brilliantly baited Patrick Mahomes into making this throw, folks. Go back and watch it. That is not easy to do.

Patrick is not someone that falls for the banana in the tailpipe. He's big of the puppet show. He sees the strings. He knows when you're going to stunt. He knows when you're going to fake. He's someone that knows what you're going to do before you do it. And when you bait someone like that in, you've got to give a tip of the cap and that's exactly what you do here to marty mapu he read mahomes eyes all the way the minute patrick jumped on the deck down marty

jumped on it as well and it led to a big play for the new england patriots so it should have been a bigger play for the new england patriots but you can't take that away from marty he did his part and again it's the versatility and the penchant for finding the football especially from that So it should have been a bigger play for the New England Patriots, but you can't take that away from Marte. He did his part. And again, it's the versatility and the penchant for finding the football, especially from that second level of the defense, that really made him an exciting pick and I think is going to continue to make him a very exciting player for the Patriots in year two, year three. And once this kid develops those motor skills

that you need in the field to succeed, the intelligence and the football IQ is already off the charts. Yeah, this kid is something special. We've been talking about that since preseason. Absolutely. You know, when Marty was not able to play, he's another guy that missed a majority of camp. And preseason is just rounding into form midway through this year. But you saw it in the preseason when it was Mapo standing there next to Gerard Mayo with a clipboard, you know, against the Giants. And it was just – that's the way the kid is.

The kid eats, breathes, and lives football. I love him, and it was a great pick. Bill could have gone for an offensive tackle there, but we're not going to nitpick right now. Well, folks, I don't think anybody can argue with that. The Patriots absolutely need help along the offensive line, but I think the play of Marte Mapu, as you continue to see him develop, is going to make people feel a lot better about that pick.

I can already tell you that people are feeling better about it just a couple of days removed from watching his performance against the Chiefs than they did a few weeks ago. He needed a little time to settle in, folks. I think he's found it, and now you're going to start to see Marte, I think, come alive. So, folks, it just goes to show you that there are building blocks here. To move into 2024, it's not necessarily all is lost. Murph and I have talked about this. You don't need to destroy down to the foundation. There are building blocks there to build on. But the question is, Murph, who's going to be building on them?

Did the Patriots' 11th loss of the season finally seal the fate of Bill Belichick? Well, again, folks, it depends on who you ask. If you ask certain sources, they say the decision's been made since Germany. If you ask others, they say Bob decision's been made since Germany. If you ask others, they say Bob Kraft has not made his decision yet and there will be an evaluation at the end of the season. Murph and I are going to throw our hat into the ring here

and give you our take and our thoughts on the future of Bill Belichick on the very bench that he's done for more than 20 seasons. Stick around, folks. You are not going to want to miss this. One Patriot Podcast wraps up. Right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team.

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Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us today on LockedOn Patriots, making us your first listen each and every day. And we continue to break down the Patriots 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, dropping your beloved New England Patriots to 3-11, last place in the division, last place in the conference. But folks, silver linings always. We try to bring you the positives here. Number two in the NFL draft order right now.

So there's a lot for Patriots fans to digest here, Murph. There's no question about it. It's an unfamiliar place for a lot of Patriots fans that never experienced this type of a losing season before you and I have we've been there we remember the 1 in 15 days we remember the blackout days where you could not see this team play because it's really well that empty um things have not regressed to that level yet and some fans are worried that we might be headed there unless a change at the top is made well Murph I think we can both agree this team is not just one coaching change or one quarterback change away from magically becoming a contender with this is not going to be fixed

with one move there are a lot of moves that need to be made there's a lot of building that needs to be made to return this team to glory the question is is the main guy making the decisions right now the guy to continue making those decisions and folks that was our mailbag question of the week and credited to almost every every day or all our valued everydayers out there i think we got 18 of this question and we just couldn't word it in one way or another. And we just couldn't pick one. So it's an amalgamation. Great job out there, guys. Exactly.

And four others trying basically to convince that there were other coaches out there that were so well suited. So this is the question on everybody's mind right now. And here it is. Are Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots past the point of no return? Murph, did this 11th loss of the season for the New England Patriots finally seal his fate in New England? No, it did not. The decision, in my estimation, I am not taking anybody to task here

that has reported it in any other way. I'm sure their sources are valid and vetted and they've given good information in the past. But maybe those guys were given the wrong information. Maybe they weren't in the room. Maybe, you know, I don't think that the decision has been made. I think it would be a mistake to move on from Bill Belichick. If you do, if you move on from Bill Belichick, chances are your offensive coordinator is still going to be Bill O'Brien. All right. The, these are two fine defensive-minded coaches. They are not Bill Belichick.

Bill Belichick is probably the greatest defensive mind that I have ever come across in football. So if you're going to keep everything else intact and you're going to bring in a lesser defensive minded coach, what's the upside? What's going on? Mike and I have talked about this before. He's the understudy. He is the Padawan.

All right. And the Padawan is not, has not become the master yet. There is only one Darth. Okay. And it's Darth Belichick. Right. There is only one Darth, and it's Darth Belichick. For the fourth time in the 20-plus years that he's been here, he has built a juggernaut of a defense. Add Christian Gonzalez and add Asudan to this defense,

and it's a top-five defense. It's already an amazing defense. They already did a fantastic job against some of the better they had a couple of hiccups a couple of blowouts along the way but this is a this is a an above average defense this is a close to a top 10 defense right now so what's that change going to do it's just it's just change for the change sake of change that it's it's that's moronic thinking all right that's the thinking that got Cleveland into so much trouble just to circle all the way back around to

Belichick again. That got Cleveland. It's kept the Jets down. It's kept Miami down for 20 plus years along with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. This constant chasing of the next head coach, this constant chasing of the quarterback instead of building up everything else around them, is the reason for mediocrity in this league. It is the yellow brick road to top 10 pick after top 10 pick. Look, folks, here's the bottom line when it comes to Bill Belichick, and I've said this several times. All well and good to say his time has come to an end. You have to make sure that the guy coming in to replace him is the right guy. This is not a stopgap hire. This is not a temporary hire. This is not a

changing of the guard hire until the better guy comes along. You need to have that type of coach that you believe can lead this team back to prominence walking in a door the day after bill belichick walks out right that's not the hire that you're going to have it doesn't make any sense to change for the sake of changing other than just to say we wanted them out we're tired of one word press conference answers and we want a changing of the guard because we want it that is not the way things work in this town, and it shouldn't be. And Robert Kraft knows that better than anybody. He's going to have his finger on the pulse of Pets Nation,

but he's also going to make the best decision he can make for his business. This team is a business to Robert Kraft. He runs it as such. It's worked for him since the day he walked through the door in 1994, and it's going to continue to for as long as he has the team and once he hands the reins over to Jonathan as well. This circles all the way back around to the narrative that has been spewed by everyone with a pen, with a keypad, or with a microphone in this town all year long.

It has been nothing but a Bill, let's go get Bill revenge tour, kicking a man while he's down. This comes, the issues on this team come down to execution. All right, you want to tell me that the Patriots need a new wide receivers coach? I'm on board. You want to tell me that they need a, a, um, a, uh, uh, an offensive line coach. Okay. We're not sure what's going on with Adrian Clem, but you know, health would help out a lot, a lot there also. I'm okay with it. Want a new, want a new tight ends coach. Sure.

Want a new special teams coach. I'm all about it. All in this point at this point it's not cutting off the head is not going to fix this problem no okay i mean you look at the argument in favor of getting rid of bill and you say okay well you know what personnel issues he's the one that drafts the guys he's the ones that bring the guys in it's his fault that the personnel is where it is so if you're going to say it's personnel and you're going to say it's coaching, then that means it's time for a change. People will say, oh, well, okay, well, you know, he didn't draft the quarterback. He didn't draft the right one. He can't draft offensive players. Don't put them anywhere near wide receivers. The lack of a better term, folks, if you think that quarterback play is one of the reasons why Bill Belichick has not been effective this year,

you're in the top two pick. Even if you want to go against the grain and go against Murph's wishes and you want to bring in Caleb Williams or you want to bring in Drake May or you want to bring in Jaden Daniels, let's see what Bill Belichick can do with those guys under center. Picking a quarterback in the NFL is not an exact science. It really isn't. You know, I mean, you can look at these guys coming out of college and make the assumption they're going to be the guy for the future not everybody pans out don't forget just a couple of years ago in 2021 everybody was assuming trevor lawrence is going to be a franchise quarterback he's looking like the real deal in jacksonville but they're sputtering at times too trey lance justin fields these guys were supposed to be the next generation of

great quarterbacks. Neither one is doing what they were supposed to do. And obviously Mac Jones has had his struggles as well. So for every hit, there's always a miss to compare it to. Bill Belichick is not the only one to miss in the draft. If he hits on it this time, folks, and you take that defensive prowess and you pair that, then I want to see people make the argument about personnel. And when it comes to quitting on the team, go into that locker room, talk to those players. Not one of those players has quit on Bill Belichick. If he hasn't lost the team, then he hasn't lost the franchise. And I think that's something that fans, fans media and everyone attached to this story right

now need to remember otherwise if you forget it you do so at your own peril because they'll go somewhere next year he'll succeed and then the narrative is going to be we let him go too early and then where do you look murph you're going to look to the owner's box because there's nowhere left to point the blaming finger that's where it's going to be focused. Last time the Patriots picked this high, they took Gerard Mayo at number 10. And that was in 2010. Give them a chance to do something with this pick and this draft and see what happens. And yeah, run it back.

Give them another year on this contract so these players know who they're coming here to play for for the next couple of years, because you have to, you have to have that, that person out front that these guys are going to want to come play for because it's more than money. Right. You know, regardless of what you were thinking is what people out there say. And yeah, you just take the most, you don't, you don't.

From a line, Robert Kraft will make the decision and he will not allow sentimentality to cloud his judgment, but he's not going to allow fan sentiment to cloud his judgment either. He's going to make the best decision he can make for his football team, which, again, folks, is a business. Robert Kraft is an excellent businessman. He's an excellent owner for one reason. He knows that decisions that need to be made at the top level of this magnitude need to be right, and they have to be right the moment he makes them. That's why I don't believe he has made the decision yet, and I think he will when the

season has concluded, when all the evidence is in, because that's the best way to make a decision. Knee-jerk always leads to big-time problems. Murph, what can I say bud thanks so much for coming back today to join me here on Lockdown Patriots before I let you go my friend please let everyone know where they can find you and where they can absorb your great work oh of course you can check me out on zitter at teamworth207 you can check out all my writing now at diehardbostonsportsfans.com it It's good to be home. I've got a nice little piece up there this morning about how the Red Sox are still doing

it wrong. All right. They're still doing it wrong. People go out there and check that one out. Give a, give a point and a click on that one. And, uh, and looking forward to, uh, to, um, writing some, some better articles about, about the Red Sox in the, in the coming days. Absolutely folks. And we all look forward

to some positive news coming out of Fenway and any news, good, bad, or indifferent that comes out of there. If it comes from the pen or the voice of Thomas Murphy, you know you're getting the best in the business. So once again, Murph, thank you so much for joining me here today. And folks, thank you all for taking time out of

your busy schedules to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. On behalf of Thomas Murphy, I am Mike DeBate reminding you to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Locked On Patriots.