Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley out; Week 2 Grades vs. Seahawks; Jets Next

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

The New England Patriots defense will presumably be without the services of their defensive team captain, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, for the remainder of the season. How will the Pats compensate for the loss of one of their top defensive players and one of their most respected leaders? Host Mike D’Abate welcomes Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com to discuss Bentley, grade the Pats Week 2 performance against the Seattle Seahawks and take an Leary look ahead at the Pats matchup with the New York Jets. #nfl #newenglandpatriots Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFm...Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-...And follow host Mike D’Abate on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest ne ws about the New England Patriots and talking with fans — @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Arena ClubRight now, you can get 10% off your first Slab Pack or card purchase by going to Arenaclub.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl.RobinhoodThe new gold standard is here with Robinhood Gold.  Sign up at robinhood.com/gold Terms apply, for product specific disclosures visit robinhood.com/gold. Investing involves risk. Rate may change. Gold membership is offered by Robinhood Gold, LLC.DoorDashUse promo code LOCKEDFALL24 for 50% off up to $10 value, when you spend $15+ on your first order. Limited time offer. Terms apply. Promo is not valid for orders containing alcohol.PrizePicksGo to https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL and use code lockedonmlb to win $50 instantly when you play $5. You don't even need to win to receive your $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game.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.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelNow through September 22nd, ALL FanDuel customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get a THREE WEEK free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Visit FANDUEL.COM 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)

New England Patriots linebacker Juwan Bentley suffers a season-ending injury. How big of a blow is this to the New England Patriots defense? 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.

Don't forget, Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day, but we are also free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button and download and follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you're getting the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Athlon Sports.

So reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on X at MDA, BAT, E NFL. While you're out there showing some love to lockdown Patriots, social media style,

please follow our account there as well at L O underscore Patriots. That's fans. Today's episode brought to you by fan duel. Now through September 22nd, all fan dual customers can get five, can bet $5 and get a three-week free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube.

Visit FanDuel.com to get started. And Pats fans, Pats still licking their wounds from a 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. Plenty to still break down when it comes to the Patriots loss, and we're going to do that right here today on Locked On Patriots. But the big news of the day coming on Monday evening, linebacker Juwan Bentley reportedly out for the remainder of the 2024 season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle. This was according to NFL Network's Ian Rappaport, since been confirmed by a number of different sources, including those close to Lockdown and Athlon Sports, have confirmed

that Juwan is indeed looking at a potential season-ending injury. Slight door open for him to return, but that would depend on a couple of different factors. A, it would have to mean the Patriots are in contention, and B, it would have to mean that all of his rehab was going along exactly as planned. And it is a big loss for the New England Patriots without question. And here today to lend his reasonable approach to an injury that right now has a lot of Patriots fans nervous, worried, is our good friend, our resident voice of reason, my Patriots Paisan, columnist extraordinaire of Patsfans.com,

as well as being the co-host of another amazing Patriots podcast, Patriots 4th and 2, alongside the great Derek Havens. He is my good buddy, Steve Balistrieri. Steve, welcome to Locked On, Patriots. Thank you for coming today of all days on what is not the easiest day of news for the New England Patriots. Thank you for coming today of all days on what is not the easiest day of news for the New England Patriots. No, that was a kick in the teeth last

night. I mean, they had the loss on Sunday that they had right in the palm of their hand a couple of different times and then they lose the football game and then they lose Bentley for the remainder of the season. I don't know how you could sugarcoat this one.

This is a, I think it's a huge loss for them. Yeah, enormous. And the New England Patriots right now will be scrambling to replace Juwan Bentley's production, not just on the field, folks, but in the locker room and on the field in terms of a play caller. Yeah, there's a lot to go through here, folks. Juwan Bentley is not only one of the Patriots' top linebackers, he's also one of the best locker room presence as a team captain.

He's also arguably their best communicator out there on the field. Juwan suffered the injury on a run play with 335 remaining in the first quarter stayed in for another play then exited the game and initial reports were that maybe the Patriots had dodged a bullet here that maybe Juwan had suffered a shoulder injury he would be okay a lot of optimism and then of course Ian Rappaport of NFL Network reporting on Monday evening that it was in fact a torn pec and he will be out for the remainder of the season. This is already an issue now for the New England Patriots. The middle of that defense is highly compromised without the presence of Juwan Bentley. 12 tackles and a half

sack this season already really had developed into that type of three down player that the Patriots always love to employ. Steve, from a logistical standpoint, first, we saw Raekwon McMillan play 41 defensive snaps in relief of Juwan Bentley on Sunday. In addition to Raekwon McMillan, Jelani Tavai taking over as the top off-ball linebacker. He ended up playing 69 of a possible 70 snaps in that role. So the Patriots right now are going to look to fill this role at the linebacker position before we get into what it means for the patriots communication and the loss of a team captain just logistically at the linebacker position how big of a loss is this for the new england patriots oh i think it's huge um you know

like you said um bentley i mean he's a big downhill thumper in the running game during this season I mean but he's been doing this for years and and the bottom line is you know you just can't replace a guy like that because guys like him you know they're not really drafting guys like that anymore. These big, you know, linebackers that go over 250. Everybody is the smaller, quicker guy. But Bentley, as you said, he's developed into a three-down linebacker now. And, you know, that kind of a player just – plus he's the communicator. He wears the green dot.

He makes sure everyone's lined up correctly. He knows what the calls are. So he can change stuff at the line, which is always a big thing, you know, during the game. I mean, there's that chess match going on between all the teams. And that guy in the middle is so important. And you just can't replace him. Raekwon McMillan is a guy that we've always liked.

It's never been about ability with him. It's just availability. And with his injury history, you know, we have to keep an eye on him as well. Because, you know, he played a lot on Sunday after Bentley got hurt. And can he hold up? Because that's something else they need to look at. So it's especially right in the middle of that defense where the run stuffing comes in.

And they still did a great job of stuffing the run against the Seahawks. They had issues with passing game, which I'm sure we'll get into. But they shut down the Bengals, and they did a really good job of shutting down Seattle's running game. Granted, Kenneth Walker wasn't in there, but it doesn't matter. You play the guys that you play. So no one's going to be feeling sorry for New England without Bentley there. No, without any question. And look, I mean, you talked about having to replicate what he does well on the field. Juwan is a tremendous tackler. He has a

nose for the football, always seems to be in the right place, right time because of his preparedness, because of the way he understands the game and his ability to facilitate for all of his teammates around him. This is a big loss for the Pats without any question. But the other thing that I think the Patriots are facing that's very difficult to replicate when it comes to Juwan is his durability on the field. This is a guy who does not come off the field. Routinely, you see him listed among guys that are taking 100% of the snaps on defense. Kyle Duggar, Christian Gonzalez, Jabril Peppers, that's their core on the field. The guys that are always there, making sure everyone is where they need to be, always contributing on every down, on every play. It's not going to be easy to replicate that with the guys they have in this locker room. Talented players.

You mentioned Raekwon McMillan. His biggest issue has been availability. Can the Patriots count on him to be a stabilizing presence when he's had his own injury history for the past few seasons? And you don't know if he's going to be able to make it through a full 17-game slate without suffering the injury bug. Sione Takitaki is somebody that I know Patriots fans are mentioning. I know his name's being mentioned a lot in the media. He's not going to be eligible to come off of the injury list until week five, but he's someone that has played a leadership role in elliot wolf teams before uh wolf has sung

his phrases uh mentioned him as a potential leader takitaki is also someone that has said that he believes that he is in the right fit for himself because of the fact that elliot is at the helm of the team that he's now playing for that could be a name to watch but no matter how you slice it steve this is a very difficult task for the new england patriots now to replicate what he does on the field in the locker room it's just as difficult if not more difficult because you mentioned the communication ability the fact that he is now going to have to relinquish that green dot, most likely to Kyle Duggar. Duggar did the majority of the communicating slash play calling slash traffic directing on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Gerard Mayo, when we spoke to him in the media on Tuesday, had a great deal of confidence in Kyle, said he did it a lot last season. This is something he's used to. He's a great communicator. He's a smart player. Bill Belichick in years past had said that Kyle was one of the smartest defensive players he has ever coached. Are the Patriots in just as good of hands without Juwan Bentley in this role, but with Kyle Duggar in this role? What should Patriots fans expect from Kyle moving forward? You know, I just worry because Duggar has taken over that Devin McCourty-type leadership role in the secondary. So, you know, he's been making sure that everyone is lined up in the secondary, and they got their calls right,

although they blew a big one coverage. And I'm sure we'll get into that too, you know, on Sunday. But, you know, he already has that on his plate, and I worry that it's going to slow down his play because now he's not just looking at the secondary guys. He's looking at everybody on the defense, making sure they're lined up correctly, the call is correct, and everyone's in the position they need to, you know, to be in. So I just worry about that if it's

too much on his plate where, you know, now it's going to slow down his play where normally, you know, he's flying around the field at the snap. That's just something. It might be nothing. I know, as you said, Belichick always raved about his football IQ and, you know, his smarts. And I'm sure that's not going to change. But, you know, you're losing a lot with Bentley. I mean, you can't, you know, you can't underestimate this. I mean, it's no surprise to me that the guy they had breaking it down in the locker room after the win last week, somebody had to take,

well, first it was Bruschi, and then it went to Slater, and that guy that breaks it down. So I don't know, but we'll see. But I just think that it's a huge loss for them. And, I mean, this is a loss in so many ways for the Patriots. It's a loss at the position. And now you're also dealing with the fact that the Patriots no longer have Matthew Judon at the linebacker position. And that's a loss that

they're dealing with. And they're trying to find ways to navigate through. All right, I'll be expected. They're starting the season, not expecting Matthew Judon to be there. He's playing on another team, played last night in Monday Night Football for the Atlanta Falcons. And at the same time, they expected Juwan Bentley to be there and expected him to be their rock at the position. He's no longer there. This is also a defense that's trying to deal with the loss of Christian Barmore, who is not expected to suit up this season. That's another leadership type of anchor player that you look to

to always make plays and to be there and to be a solid presence puts a lot of pressure on a lot of guys. I think the Patriots are going to need a big-time effort from their fellow defensive captains. You're going to see guys like Dietrich Wise Jr., I think, take on more of an active role. Jabril Peppers is going to have to step it up a little bit. I think you're going to see veterans like Jelani Tavai and even Jonathan Jones take more of an active effort in trying to help mitigate the loss of Juwan Bentley because he is a guy that really takes on so much of those responsibilities. And to me, I don't think there's anybody on this team one-on-one that can replicate that. So what you have to do is you have to create a team that's essentially going

to bring you what Juwan Bentley was bringing you, a loss in every sense of the word. And the Patriots are going to have a tough time filling that void, but make no mistake about it, folks. They will have to. And in short order, because in just a couple of days, Patriots are going to be taking their talents to the green side of the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

They're going to be taking on the New York Jets, who are also one-on-one and would love to leapfrog the Patriots in the standings and try to nip at the heels of the division-leading Buffalo Bills. We're going to talk about what the Patriots need to improve, but you can't get to your next destination until you find out how you got to your present situation in the first place. And the way to do that situation in the first place. And the way to do that is when the professor provides his grades. We're going to grade your New England Patriots performance, offense, defense, special teams, and overall, 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, football is finally back. And the only thing more important than cheering on your favorite team on game

day is making sure that your game day table is well stocked. Why root for your team on an empty stomach? With delivery powered by DoorDash, you can order your favorite game day food, snacks, and drinks without missing a play. So don't delay. All of your game day must-haves just in time for kickoff through DoorDash. Use the promo code LOCKEDFALL24, that's L-O-C-K-E-D-F-A-L-L-24, for 50% off up to a $10 value when you

spend $15 or more on your first order. It's a limited time offer and terms apply. Promo is not valid for orders containing alcohol. DoorDash, your door to game day greatness. Your door to more. Download the DoorDash app now to order your game day favorites. Must be 21 plus to order alcohol. Drink responsibly.

Alcohol available only in select markets. Listen up, Lockdown listeners. You've heard us talk a lot about FanDuel, America's number one sports book. But listen up, because you're going to love this. We have something a little different for you. Now, through September 22nd, all FanDuel customers can bet $5

and get a three-week free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Then, with a YouTube TV base plan, you'll be able to watch every regular season Sunday afternoon out-of-market game. All you need is a Google account and a current form of payment, and you can cancel at any time. And if that's not enough, be sure to check out FanDuel's Profit Boost in the app and use it for FanDuel's double your winnings for all of Sunday, September 15th pre-game money line bets. Profit Boost will be live starting Thursday, September 12th. View your account page now to learn more about your boost. And just visit Fanduel.com to download America's number one sportsbook.

Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots. And a special tip of the cap to all of you everydayers, all of you who make Locked On Patriots your first listen each and every day. If you have done so, I implore you and encourage you to make your second listen. Our good friends over at Locked On NFL. All the latest news when it comes to the Shield brought to you by analysis you'll find only here on Locked On

brought to you each and every day. Remember, Locked On NFL, much like Locked On Patriots, is free and available on all platforms and is also a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. And Pats fans, we continue to break down your New England Patriots

week ahead as we deal with a week three matchup coming up on short rest where your New England Patriots will take on the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium this coming Thursday, September 19th. However, before we take a look ahead to those J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets, it's time to provide one final breakdown of the Patriots 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in week two over the weekend at Gillette Stadium. And who better to bring the, and who better to break down that loss and provide the grades for the Patriots' performance

than the professor himself, my good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. Steve, in the previous segment, we talked about the loss of Juwan Bentley and how huge it is for this team. And even though it's a tough one to take, the the show must go on as they say in the business and the New England Patriots need to find a way to replicate what he brings to the table but one of the best ways to do that is to study how the Patriots played without him especially on defense in a 23 to 20 loss to the Seahawks let's start on the defensive side of the ball because we're talking about Bentley.

When you look at the Patriots' defensive performance, definitely not as solid, definitely not as crisp as it was against the Cincinnati Bengals, but I still think the defense is the primary unit on this team. They're still the strongest unit that the Patriots have among the three. How would you grade this Patriots defense against the Seahawks offense on Sunday? Well, you know, it's like, just like the offense, it's kind of like a tale of two cities, right? I mean, it was the best of times. It was the worst of times. You know, the run defense was outstanding.

You know, they totally took away the run from them. But the passing defense surprised me with how easily Geno Smith really picked them apart. And I think it all came back to that very first score of theirs. The Patriots were showing a zero blitz. The Seahawks recognized it. And some of the players spoke after the game that they were very in tune with what the Patriots were doing. Like they said they'd have to go back and look at the tape because they must have had a tell that Seattle recognized right away.

And like on that scoring play, Geno Smith recognized it right away. And, you know, he made a motion to DK Metcalf that he was going to run straight down the field. And for some reason, both Kyle Duggar and Christian Gonzalez sat there and looked into the backfield and let him run past. And that kind of made them gun shy about using that again. They didn't do it till late in the game and they had another answer for it.

They did. I believe it was a wheel route to Charbonnet, and, you know, it got a big first down from them. I think that kind of set the tone. You know, it made them a little gun-shy, and I thought Metcalf and Jackson Smith, I can never pronounce his last name, Najigba? Najigba? Najigba. Yeah. They just ate them alive. Um, and which to me was very surprising.

Like I said, the run defense, I gave them a definite a on that. Um, the only issue I had with the guys in the front seven, I mean, run-wise, I thought they did a fantastic job. But if you take Keon White out of the situation, who was outstanding once again, they weren't getting any push from anybody else. And, you know, they need people to step up besides him. You know, because I thought too many times Geno Smith looked really too comfortable back in the pocket.

The secondary had their issues. They couldn't find the right matchups. And whenever they needed a big play, they were getting it. But then again, I go back to in the second half, the Patriots got them three three-and-outs in a row, and that was the time they needed to step up offensively and put Seattle behind the eight ball. They weren't able to do it.

Then they got the lead late in the game and they couldn't stop them. I give Geno Smith a ton of credit. He drove them down the field at the end of regulation. They were able to kick the field goal. Granted, there was a pass interference call there that, a little flaky. Same same thing in overtime but they had their chances to stop them and they weren't able to do it and you know for a team that relies on the defense this wasn't their best game no it definitely wasn't their best game and i'm glad that you mentioned the tell because that was a common theme across the board for the new england patriots jacoby brissett actually talked about a patriots offensive tell uh that may a common theme across the board for the New England Patriots. Jacoby Brissett

actually talked about a Patriots offensive tell that may have hindered their ability to move the ball down the field, and we'll get into the offense in just a moment, but I just wanted to circle back on a couple of things you said about the defense. I agree with you. The pass rush needs to be a little bit more robust. Keon White cannot do the job by himself. He is extremely talented. I really love the way this kid is playing football, and I think he can be a star, not just on this team, but in this league as a pass rusher. So he's going to continue to grow into this role, but he's going to need help from guys like Joshua Uche. He's going to need help maybe from someone now like a Raekwon McMillan, someone that is capable of getting after the quarterback,

someone who has the ability of being able to take some of the pressure off of him. Dietrich Wise Jr., I think, is going to have to step up in that role as well. We've seen him be a formidable pass rusher in this league. I think you need to see him do that and really kind of take some of the pressure off. So I completely agree with you there. And the strategy of the secondary surprised me a little bit. I talked about this a little yesterday on the pod with Murph, and we talked about the fact that under Bill Belichick for so many years, the MO of this New England Patriots team was to find a way to take away what the opponent does well, at least take away their top target or their secondary target and really put those guys on ice. Do not

make both of them beat you. Ideally, you'd like to be able to put them both on the shelf, but the Patriots always found a way to shut down the top weapon of their opponent. Did not do that against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. DK Metcalf had a monster game, as did Jackson Smith-Najigba. Maybe the Patriots were trying to focus on taking away Tyler Lockett, but you do that at the expense of leaving Metcalf and JSN open to kind of wreak havoc on your defense, and that's exactly what happened. So I would probably say this is a game that the Patriots are going to learn a lot, not one of their best performances, a learning experience for sure,

and one that I know Gerard Mayo, Demarcus Covington, and that defensive staff are going through rung by rung this week to try to make sure that those mistakes are not made against the New York Jets on Thursday. Otherwise, it's going to be another ugly night for the New England Patriots. But on offense, Steve, obviously there still continues to be issues with the Patriots moving the ball. Their passing game is almost non-existent. The running game continues to be their focal point.

Those guys are doing a great job, but eventually they're going to need some help in order for them to be able to put up solid points. The offensive line continues to be a work in progress. I'm probably being very generous when I say that, but I always try to keep things positive, so I'll say a work in progress. I'm probably being very generous when I say that, but I always try to keep things positive. So I'll say a work in progress. How about on the offensive side of the ball? How would you grade this team and their performance against Seattle? You know, when I was looking at it,

I mean, you can find quite a bit of fault with Jacoby Brissett. He's not getting to Mario Douglas, who's probably, you know, the biggest weapon they have in the passing game. They're not getting him involved. And, you know, so I look at that and I'm like, why can't they find this guy open?

And when you watch the All-22 tape, you know, he was open quite a few times. But at the same time, it's, I find it really hard to find a lot of fault with Jacoby because of the beating he's taken back there. And I know a lot of people are complaining about, you know, he's holding the ball too long. Well, on certain places, he's holding the ball too long because he's waiting for his guys to get open but you know overall the the pass protection is not there and he took some shots that you know just like in week one a couple of times I wasn't sure he's getting back up and you know so with Jacoby

I mean you know I think everything's interconnected. I think him, the pass receivers, the offensive line, they're all interconnected. And until they give him more time to throw the football, I think, you know, Kayshaun Butte and Javon Baker, you know, a shot to, you know, see what they can do offensively. Because the veterans, the Tyquan Thorntons, the Douglas's, the KJ Osworns, they're not producing. Maybe it's too early for that. Maybe it's something they can fix. But I think it all starts with the offensive line. But, again, with the offensive line,

I thought they didn't do a good job at all in pass protection. But you look at the running game. They ran for 185 yards. And like you said, it's not sustainable for you to think, okay, we're going to run the football and beat everyone by running the football, playing defense. You need that passing game, but I can't fault the offensive line at all in the running game. I thought the running backs were outstanding once again. Ramondre Stevenson, you know, Antonio Gibson only had, what was it, 14 carries, 96 yards. I mean, you can't ask for any better than that.

Gibson's also a really good receiver out of the backfield. You know, and I think more of that will come once they start getting – if you have a complimentary passing game, they're not going to look at eight-man boxes all the time. And we saw a lot of that on Sunday. Seattle wasn't impressed with the Patriots' wide receivers, and they were putting eight men in the box and daring them to throw it. And until they start doing that and getting some chunk plays

or big plays down the field, teams are going to continue to do that. And once they are able to open it up and get them to lay back a little bit, I think guys like Gibson and even Ramondre out of the backfield i know demario douglas those guys are going to have a lot more room to maneuver but uh you know the running game was excellent hunter henry what can you say it was a career day for him oh yeah big time you know um i was so happy to see that especially early in the first quarter where he had like 56 yards in the first quarter. That's a staple of the offense that AVP wants to run. So the tight ends, absolutely no issue with whatsoever. whatsoever, although, you know, on the field goal attempt,

you know, Austin Hooper had a brain fart, I guess you could call it, where he blocked the outside guy, let the inside guy in, and he blocks the field goal. That was big, you know. That could have been the game right then. Yeah. Hooper drives the boat, Chief. He didn't been the game right then. Yeah. Hoopa drives the boat, Chief. He didn't drive the boat on that play.

But no, all kidding aside, Austin has been very solid, I think, for the better part of his two-game tenure in New England. So I don't want to get on him too much. That was a costly play. But, again, I think he had a pretty decent game. I think he's had a pretty decent time here in New England. Hunter Henry, a career day, like you said, 109 yards. This is the type of Hunter Henry that I think Patriots fans have been waiting to see.

We've seen elements of it where he's been a red zone threat, and he's been excellent at being able to grab receptions in that area. But I was so glad he got a chance to show off his route running skills a little bit, his ability to make things happen in the open field. Watching him in los angeles for the years that i covered him as a charger i saw all that and when he came to new england that's the type of player i knew was there so it's nice to see him get that shot in an alex van pelt offense you mentioned ramond drake stevenson antonio gibson can't ask for more than what those guys gave you. They were phenomenal once again. But even though the running game continues to be the staple for this team, we need to see the synergy and how that running game is going to facilitate the deep game out

of play action. We have not seen nearly enough of that. And it gets back to the tell that I was describing earlier. Jacoby Brissett in his postgame remarks to the media on Sunday said that he believed that the Patriots may have had a tell on offense, that when they showed the deep shot, automatically you would see the Seattle team, even though they were putting eight men in the box, you'd see them automatically switch over to put two deep safeties, and they would switch to that look and essentially shut that off and prevent the Patriots from being able to test the ball downfield. If they are, in fact, tipping their plays, this is something that Alex Van Pelt needs to address immediately.

And they need to get that fixed because this Jets defense will absolutely tee off on that very similar to the way Seattle did. But this Jets defense has a little bit more aggression in it right now. That could be a disaster for the Patriots if they end up doing so on Thursday night. So, Steve, that leads me quite well into where we're going to wrap today's conversation, folks, because it's time to turn our attention away from a subpar outing in all three phases of the game for the New England Patriots to a divisional matchup, which does have implications for both sides.

Steve and I are going to talk about what areas of the Patriots team needs the most improvement when it comes to matching up with the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. That and more when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. Locked On Patriots listeners, we've all been there. You want tickets for the upcoming home stand at Fenway to watch the Sox, or you want to close out the summer in style by watching your favorite music group in concert. You want tickets, but you're not quite sure how to get them. Well, don't spend another minute worrying about it, because

Game Time has you covered with a new feature called Game Time Picks. That makes getting tickets for your favorite live events even easier. In fact, Game Time Picks filters out all the fluff to show you only the most incredible deals on great seats so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets for events like sports concerts comedy theater and so much more and don't forget to turn on game times all in pricing because toggling this feature shows the total upfront cost with no surprise fees at checkout and with the game time ticket coverage your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry.

Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply, so again, create an account and redeem the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off. Download GameTime today. What time is it? GameTime. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots.

Breaking down all the biggest stories from Foxborough, including the season-ending injury to linebacker Juwan Bentley. Giving our final grades and our final look at the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Patriots bowing 23-20 in overtime in their Week 2 matchup. And of course now turning our attention to the green side of the meadowlands and metlife stadium and a thursday night matchup with the divisional rival new york jets steve in the previous segment you provided your grades for this game and we're always honored and grateful when the professor stops by to grade these units individually and let us know what your

thoughts are on the overall performance wasn't the Patriots best effort in any of the three phases but they only have a short week to kind of right the ship in order to be able to match up well with the Jets and judging on what we saw on Sunday looks like the Jets are starting to figure things out under quarterback Aaron Rogers when you look at this team from top to bottom, my friend, knowing the injuries they have, knowing the difficulties they have, the deficiencies they have at certain positions, what's the area in which the Patriots most need to improve in short order

to make this one on Thursday night a competitive football game? I think the offensive line has to play better. I think if your offensive line gives Brissette time to go through and his progressions and make a play or two down the field, that will take that issue with so many men in the box out of play. Because if you burn them on it a couple of times they'll be more willing to lay back and it starts with protection up front and just you know you need to get your wide receivers involved three catches for 19 yards it's not going to get it done uh against anybody especially the jets who have a very good defense. So, you know, I think, like I said before, it all works hand in hand.

And, you know, by all means, continue to run the football. We saw what happened week one against the Jets when the 49ers ran it right at them. They didn't try to get fancy with it. They ran the ball right up their throat. Of course, their offensive line is just a tad better than the Patriots. But, you know, they had their backup running back in who was outstanding in that week one. So, you know, the Patriots are more than capable of doing that. I think that's, you know, they need to focus on running right at them

and not dancing around, you know, with whatever. But the passing game has to get unleashed. That's why I was, you know, thinking out loud and, you know, in my writing that will come out loud and, you know, in my writing, that'll come out later today. I was openly wondering if, you know, it's time to get Boudet and Javon Baker involved. Maybe these vets, you know, they're struggling somehow where they're not getting it done.

But, you know, I'm at a loss as to how they should proceed with the wide receiver group. I thought it would be starting to come together a little bit, but not yet. Defensively, I think in this game, you have to pay attention to Brees Hall. you have to take him out of the equation. And right now, the middle of the defense, no Barmore, no Bentley. That's, you know, probably an area that the Jets are going to try to, you know, utilize against you. Yeah. We were talking about the pass rush earlier. You mentioned Raekwon McMillan.

You know, I remember when Hightower and Jamie Collins were here, you know, we used to see that double A-gap blitz right up the middle. I think maybe this week is the time to dust that off. If you can get some pressure on Aaron Rodgers right up the middle, that could disrupt his timing. You know, people have been disrupting the Patriots' timing in the passing game. Well, maybe they need to do the same. And if you get that, then a guy like Keon White is coming from the outside more.

Maybe that pressure will chase Rodgers right into white. I'm in agreement with you. If this team is going to improve and they're going to give themselves a legitimate chance against the Jets on Thursday night, they need to start taking chances on the offensive side of the ball. We need to start seeing playmakers get their hands on the ball. It should be incumbent upon the New England Patriots and upon Jacoby Brissett to get the ball to Demario Douglas. Find a way to get this kid

involved because he's not engaged right now, Steve. And that's a big problem. In his remarks to the media on Monday, Demario seemed very demoralized and you don't want your best receiver feeling demoralized. He said, look at best receiver feeling demoralized he said look at the film and i believe that my performance speaks for itself and when they asked him if he feels he's getting the chance to showcase what he can do he says last year yes this year no that's a pretty big indictment on the patriots offensive strategy so far so whether it's been by design or whether it's been by happenstance because of the problems along the offensive line and Jacoby Brissett trying to play to protect the ball to make sure

that he doesn't turn it over because a turnover, let's face it, a turnover on offense could be disastrous for this team. That could really put them behind the proverbial eight ball in so many different ways. This is not a team that's built to come from behind. This is not a team, certainly, that's built to overcome offensive adversity. Everything has to be clicking on all cylinders for them to remain competitive. So if the way to do it is to get playmakers involved, like you said, in Kayshaun Booty and maybe a little bit of Javon Baker. I think that's going to be interesting. Patriots also surprising a lot of people on Tuesday,

releasing Jalen Rager from the practice squad. This is a kid that came in that a lot of people believed would make the 53-man roster outright. I was one of the ones that believed he would. So obviously the Patriots are seeing things on that field that lead them to believe that changes need to be made and maybe things need to be shaken up a little bit. I think it's going to be interesting to see what the Pats need to do in order to, again, make this a competitive game against the Jets. Yeah, I totally agree with that because, you know, they're just not getting it done in the passing game.

And we knew, you know, they were going to struggle offensively because there's so many new moving parts. You know, you have a new offensive coordinator, a whole new playbook. I mean, we knew it wasn't going to happen overnight. And I'm not saying this is the death knell of the season. They can still get it figured out. But they need to get it figured out sooner rather than later because Sunday was a winnable game.

They could have easily won that game with a couple of plays here and there. That was right in the wheelhouse for them. This game against the Jets, I think, is a winnable game. I mean, you know, the Jets haven't been blowing anyone out of the water with how great they've looked either. You know, like you said, they started to look like they're getting things figured out. But I think this defense can throw a monkey wrench into that. And they just need to get some production, well, better production out of the offense. And, you know, we'll see where it brings them.

But, you know, this is a tough football team, as Gerard Mayo said the other day. They're tough. They're physical. They're going to hang around in games this year, just like we saw this week. And it's such a fine line between winning and losing. And I think this week, like I said, I can hear John Gruden saying it right now,

that cross dog double A gap blitz by the Patriots. And get Rodgers behind the eight ball because he early in the game on sunday he was looking frustrated a few times i'm in full agreement the best way sometimes to combat a top level opponent and say what you will about aaron rogers he's not aaron rogers in his prime but he's still aaron rogers and still has the ability to take over games when he needs to. You put him on his heel, put him on the defense, force him to try to take the game into his hands and see what he can do when you put him in a precarious situation. These are the things that the Patriots defense, I agree with you, need to do. And again, on offense, maybe the best way to do that is to show a little aggression.

Steve, you know I'm a big Cobra Kai guy that, you know, the Patriots need to strike first. They need to strike hard. Show no mercy in the Meadowlands on Thursday night. And they have that puncher's chance. And as long as they do, Patriots could move to 2-1 on the season. Jets would like something to say about that. And folks, right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, we're going to continue to break this one down

from a Pats perspective, a Jets perspective. Don't forget Crossover Thursday coming at you, getting you ready for kickoff and still more Pats Jets analysis to come. So stick around, stay locked into the Locked On Patriots podcast. You will not want to miss a single second of the action. In the meantime, I want to thank my good friend, my Patriots Paisan,

our resident professor and voice of reason here on Locked On Patriots. Steve, it's always an honor to share the microphone with you. Thank you for your thoughts on Juwan Bentley, for your week two grades against the Seahawks, and your areas of improvement heading into this matchup with the Jets. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where our fans can interact with you, reach out to you, and what you got marinating in La Cucina Balistrieri from now until the next time we welcome you here on Lockdown Patriots. I think Thursday night the menu will call for chicken cacciatore. Chicken cacciatore, love it.

So, you know, know hunters chicken, right? They need to hunt. That's right. And I think it starts with the pass rush. They need to get a little more aggressive. But yeah, you can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I write for

PatsFans.com, as you said. And I thank you for the plug. Derek Havens and I will be talking, I think it's tomorrow. We'll be doing our weekly podcast and we'll break down the Jets game. And then, you know, the Patriots will have like a 10-day window to rest and heal up a little bit. And we'll be looking at ways where they can self-scout and maybe, you know, make some changes that, you know, will make them a little more competitive on both sides of the ball. Yeah, I think that layoff is going to be a very interesting one for the New England Patriots. Do they look to make additions or subtractions to the roster that may change the complexity of this team? Is this just an opportunity, like you said, to do some soul searching, make

themselves stronger? I said before the season started, I was very much looking forward to watching how this team came out of difficult situations, how they respond after losses, how they respond after long layoffs, such as the bye week late in the season. If this team comes out hungry and ready to compete after going through some difficulties, you know that the message is getting through. It's just a matter for this team to be able to execute on the field. That could take some time, but if the message is getting through, folks, you know the Patriots are on the right track, so keep the faith until there's no reason

to any longer. As long as we have the microphones here on Locked On Patriots, we're going to give you a reason to keep the faith. And folks, we thank you all for all of the support that you provide to Locked On Patriots each and every day, and a special tip of the cap, as always, to all of you everydayers. In the meantime, I want to thank my good friendsed On Patriots each and every day, and a special tip of the cap, as always, to all of you everydayers.

In the meantime, I want to thank my good friends, my Patriots paisan, Steve Balistrieri, for his wisdom, his counsel, his knowledge, his reason, and, of course, his grades each and every week. We look forward to having him back here next week, my friend. But in the meantime, I also want to thank each and every one of you for tuning in and spending part of your Tuesday or Wednesday morning here with us on Locked on Patriots. On behalf of my Patriots paisan, Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate, reminding all of you to stay safe, to stay well, to be the change that 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.