Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Name Team Captains, Pats-Eagles Storylines; Tom Brady Appreciation Day

Starting point is 00:00:00 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. Welcome to the Lockeddown Patriots podcast. We are a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I am your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots

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Starting point is 00:01:09 slash LockedOnNFL and use code all lowercase LockedOnNFL for a first deposit match up to $100. Pats fans, thank you so much for joining me here today on this Friday episode of LockedOn Patriots, and hopefully for making us your first listen each and every day.

Starting point is 00:01:27 A special shout out to all of you Locked On everydayers out there. Those of you who make Locked On Patriots possible by spending the time with us here on the pod, my unending gratitude to you. I'm always honored and always humbled by your support. And the start of the 2023 Patriots season, folks, is just hours away. 425 p.m. kickoff from Gillette Stadium. Patriots hosting the Philadelphia Eagles.

Starting point is 00:01:51 And it's Tom Brady Appreciation Day as the greatest of all time. Let me repeat that, folks. The undisputed greatest of all time will be honored by the team. It's a lot of action. I'll be breaking it down further for you today with the help of my friend, Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 and the Almost Shameless podcast. She's going to join me here today in just a moment

Starting point is 00:02:13 to talk about the Patriots and the Eagles from a national narrative. Everyone in New England is excited, and a lot of you out there are pretty optimistic on the Patriots' chances. You can't necessarily say I blame you for that. I may have picked against our beloved New England Patriots in this week's crossover, but that doesn't mean I don't believe they have a shot to win it.

Starting point is 00:02:33 But what are they saying in the rest of the NFL landscape? Well, Tanya's going to lend her national media perspective, and we're even going to talk some Tom Brady. So stay locked in, folks, because we've got some great stuff on the way. But before that, your New England Patriots have finally announced their team captains for the upcoming 2023 season. And Patriots players, by Democratic vote, selected quarterback Mac Jones, defensive lineman Dietrich Wise Jr., special teamer Matthew Slater,

Starting point is 00:03:02 center David Andrews, linebacker juwan bentley and tight end hunter henry as the team's on field and locker room leaders for the upcoming season six captains for your new england patriots in 2023 just as there were in 2022 and the selections were confirmed by a team-sponsored social media post which was pretty clever If you're a fan of Hulu's only murders in the building, Patriots did a little takeoff on that. Only captains in the building. I highly recommend you checking it out. Patriots social media team always does these things well,

Starting point is 00:03:34 and this was brilliantly done, but the Patriots captains are now set. They were set before the team took the field for their third and final practice as a tune-up for the Philadelphia Eagles this coming Sunday. And don't forget another X team captain's going to be in the house on Sunday, a former 18-time team captain in Tom Brady. Wouldn't it be nice if the Patriots could earn him a victory on the day in which he's honored? Yeah, it would be great, folks. But you know what? We'll take things one at a time. Now, this was more of the same for Slater, Bentley, Andrews, Wise, and Jones because they were also named team captains last year in 2022. No surprises there.

Starting point is 00:04:11 Dietrich and Mack getting their nod for the second time. Bentley, this is his third time around as a team captain. David Andrews getting the nod for the seventh time in his Patriots career. And Matthew Slater can now call himself a 13-time team captain. Amazing stuff. So well-des deserved. Matthew defines the word captain and I could not be happier for him. Hunter Henry, the only first-timer among these selections. And I'm going to share a little bit more on Hunter in just a moment because he was the surprise of the group. And I'm going to explain to you why this is something that actually may be long overdue when you take a look at Hunter's entire career. But Coach Bill Belichick is proud of his captains. When he took

Starting point is 00:04:50 the podium just prior to team practice on Friday, he praised the democratic manner in which the Patriots players choose their team captain by popular vote. And of course, he also spoke about the unique skill set that's required to be a team captain in New England. And I'll share his quote with you now. He says, quote, everybody on the team contributes to leadership in one way or another, some more vocal than others. But that doesn't take away from the guys who set a strong work ethic, an example that aren't necessarily vocal. The cross section of players elected to hold that title for the given year reflects both vocal leaders and those who quietly set the example. This is a great group and I'm proud of them all. And of course, Bill Belichick being very diplomatic in his praise for his team captains and pay special attention to the non-vocal

Starting point is 00:05:36 part of that because once again, folks, I'm going to touch on that in just a moment, but I would never say anyone was snubbed by not being selected as a team captain because the players select their captains and they take this matter extremely seriously. There are a couple of players that I wouldn't have been surprised to see elected captains this year, one of which, Matthew Judon, without question for his on-field leadership, but also for his wit, the camaraderie, maybe even a little bit for his general manager skills. So we'll take that all under advisement, but Matthew, Matthew in my opinion would have been a deserving selection as well the same can be said for Jonathan Jones and the mentorship that he showed this year especially during mini camp and training camp working with young corners like Christian Gonzalez Jack Jones Marcus Jones really helped to take these guys under his wing and show them the ropes of playing cornerback in all areas, not just on the perimeter, but also in the slot. In my opinion, either of those gentlemen would have been a deserving choice, but the Pats

Starting point is 00:06:34 absolutely nailed the six they did choose. And if you're asking me who I'm especially happy for, yeah, I got to tip the scales in Hunter Henry's favor just a little bit. This is a real chance for him to show that he can lead by example and that's something he's done throughout his entire career on a football field this is nothing new to Hunter Henry folks and some of you may remember that I covered the Los Angeles Chargers actually the San Diego Chargers they were just making the move from San Diego to Los Angeles when I was covering them and one thing that I can tell you

Starting point is 00:07:04 of my time covering the Chargers is that Hunter was always one of those guys that the team listened to. They watched him intently. They learned a lot from him. He wasn't overly vocal, but again, he led by example, quietly setting the tone. And going back just a few years ago, when the San Diego Chargers became the LA Chargers, they were looking for guys to step up into those quiet leadership roles. And Hunter was always someone that earned that immediate respect, especially from some of the Chargers legends in the room like Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates. They would all say that Hunter had that quote-unquote it quality that you need to be a leader. And that didn't change when he came here to New England. He was clearly one of the team's top pass catchers during his first season here in 2021, developing a real chemistry with Mac Jones. And we thought we were going to see that spill over into 2022. But of course, folks, we know last year he just was not properly utilized. That offense was just a complete mess from the game planning standpoint, play calling perspective, but the return of the tight end in Bill O'Brien's offense has already shown that Mack and Hunter are ready to pick up

Starting point is 00:08:09 where they left off in 2021. So his being selected as a captain this year, I think shows that he's ready to thrive in O'Brien's new two tight end sets, especially alongside Mike Kosicki, who complements his skill set very well. And I think we're even going to see a more vocal Hunter Henry this year. He acknowledged that when he spoke with reporters on Friday, expressing his gratitude for being selected, but understanding that this comes with a responsibility.

Starting point is 00:08:34 He's going to step it up now and be a little bit more of a vocal leader than he's been. But that example that he's setting is clearly landing in the locker room. Otherwise, he wouldn't be selected from his peers. And of course, it doesn't hurt to have Bill Belichick call you one of our best players. And Bill did that on Friday morning. Hunter's in a contract year, folks. Don't forget that. So if he plays well early, I don't think the Pats are going to want him to hit the open

Starting point is 00:09:00 market. He could be a prime candidate for an extension. Keep a sharp eye out for that we'll get our guy Miguel Benz on the Pats cap in here shortly and we'll talk about some of those financial logistics that will be required to do that but in the meantime congratulations and a tip of the cap to all of the Patriots captains folks we are just getting warmed up today and Tanya Ray Fox of FS1 and the O the almost shameless podcast is ready to join me here in just a moment and we're going to talk pats eagles from a national perspective tanya's going

Starting point is 00:09:30 to give her game prediction and we're even going to share our favorite tom brady memories you don't want to miss it stay locked into the locked on patriots podcast right here on the locked on podcast network your team every day locked on, did you know that 80% of men will experience hair thinning in their lifetime? It's normal, but it doesn't have to be your fate. You can get ahead of thinning with Nutrafol, the number one dermatologist-recommended hair growth supplement clinically shown to improve your hair growth, visible thickness, and visible scalp coverage. Nutrafol supports healthy hair growth from within

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Starting point is 00:11:22 One of the most valued friends here on Locked On Patriots joins me today. You know her great work from platforms such as NBC Sports Boston, USA Today, just to name a few. She's doing amazing work over at FS1, and her podcast Almost Shameless is truly one of the great listens in any

Starting point is 00:11:39 of the major sports, especially the NFL. Folks, if you haven't, please check it out the moment you finish listening to Locked On Patriots. My good friend, the incomparable Tanya Ray Fox joins me here today. Tanya, welcome back to the pod. It's been way too long, my friend. Way too long.

Starting point is 00:11:55 I'm so happy to do this. Delayed, but I think delayed for good reason because now we get to talk about week one NFL and what could be better. We kicked the season off last night. This is the time to do it, and I'm really excited to be doing it with you. So let's do it. Absolutely. There's always a buzz of anticipation in the air when you get close to season start,

Starting point is 00:12:22 when you get close to week one. And I think in a lot of ways it's been a highly anticipated start to the season for the New England Patriots especially after 2022 leaving kind of a bitter taste in everyone's mouth last year the Patriots are eager to get back to their winning ways it's not going to be easy but they are eager to do that and Tanya they face a tough test right off the bat I mean the schedule makers were not lenient on the New England Patriots in terms of trying to get back to respectability early on. Our friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook have the Patriots entering this game,

Starting point is 00:12:56 Sunday's game, 425 kickoff at Gillette Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles, as four-point underdogs. That's at home. And it really is reflective, I think, of the national narrative. When you look at Philly from top to bottom, this is a well-stacked team. A lot of people are picking these guys to go back to the Super Bowl and the NFC, and it's not a surprise why. This is a team well-stacked from top to bottom. But I will say this about the New England Patriots. Watching them the last couple of weeks since roster cut down, there's a quiet confidence on the field among these players in Foxborough. It's a kind I haven't

Starting point is 00:13:30 seen in a while here in New England. And because of that, the local narrative seems to differ from what the national narrative is telling us. Now, you're Boston bred, but you're West Coast based right now. So I think that puts you in a unique position to be able to give us a little insight on the national narrative when it comes to NFL fandom for Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and the Eagles. Outside of New England, are you hearing anyone really giving the Patriots a puncher's chance in this? Or is it mostly, you know, fly Eagles fly? Well, I think, you know, there's two different things that are happening. I think that for this game specifically, because the Eagles are coming off of a Super Bowl appearance because of where their roster is at, even having lost five defensive starters, it's a different sort of look always is when you start a new season. But there's two things happening. One is the overall narrative about the season in general for the Patriots.

Starting point is 00:14:33 And one is about this game. And the thing that I have seen shift is not necessarily that they think that the Patriots have a strong chance or even really a fighter's chance as you like to say at winning the game but that they're starting to turn a little bit back toward this team might be a fringe playoff contender for real like maybe we've overlooked the patriots to an extreme degree right there's i work at fox sports one so i've always you know i've got all the national talking heads i'm listening to them all the time right we're always we're right? I'm hearing their thoughts behind the scenes and on camera. And the thing is that I think people are starting to realize that while the Patriots may not have been great the last

Starting point is 00:15:15 couple of years, their floor is basically 500, give or take a game. The floor for a Patriots team is like, they're going to win eight games. And that's not the floor for most NFL teams. When things go bad, they can go a lot worse than that. And because Mac is in his third year, and that tends to be a year where quarterbacks take a massive step forward. If they're going to, there is a sense that like, maybe we've underestimated what they're capable of doing with that defense. And now that Mac is in his third year, now that he's got a real offensive coordinator, regardless of your feelings about Bill O'Brien,

Starting point is 00:15:59 he is genuinely qualified for the job. And so there's this vibe of like, I don't know if they're, because a lot of people have them finishing last in the division, right? Everybody's buying into the Jets. They're buying into the Dolphins. Obviously, you have to give the ultimate credit to the Bills in terms of the favorites to win the AFC East. But there's a lot of people who are thinking,

Starting point is 00:16:18 hey, this could be a two or three spot in the division and certainly a playoff spot for them if things go right and I think that's the thing that I'm seeing shift nationally is like I it's so funny it kind of almost happened overnight where everybody was putting them out of the playoff picture and then nothing's changed you know nothing's changed with the Jets nothing's changed with the Dolphins but there's something that I don't know if the people in Boston are doing their job to sell this team to the national media, but they just sort of woke up one day and we're like, are we being stupid about the Patriots? Like, is this, maybe we should start paying attention. So that's kind of interesting to watch. And in terms of the game, the narrative is still

Starting point is 00:16:59 like, listen, you've got a somewhat overhauled offense with some new players there. You know, you've got your key guys. You know, you've got Ramondre. You've got Mack. You've got a new addition in Jasicki. Like, you've got all of these, like, things that seem like, okay, like if their talent is as good or maybe slightly better than it was last year, it's all going to come down to the

Starting point is 00:17:26 offensive line and like whether or not that can come together and whether or not mac takes a leap forward with bill o'brien and nobody's willing to say that they're going to bet on that against the eagles who were number one one of the most dominant defenses and one of the most dominant like regular season teams we've seen in a while and you know have a superstar quarterback you know it's it's almost goes you know that's the thing about be covering it locally is you have to talk about the ways that your team can win and not in a fake way you know i'm not trying to say anyone's disingenuous you have to talk about the ways that the patriots can win this game because that's your job is to say this is how they could do it these are the the opportunities they have laid out in front of them

Starting point is 00:18:08 nationally you can look at it for what it is which is a really tough spot to start a season for a team that's trying to kind of reset their identity with some good pieces in place um so I listen the Lions beating the Chiefs was one thing. The Patriots beating the Eagles would be a huge upset, and it would really destabilize what people think about both of those teams in a way that I think is a little bit different than what we saw on Thursday night because the Chiefs were missing two of their best players. They're two best players outside of Mahomes, right?

Starting point is 00:18:43 Yeah, exactly. So, you know, I'm not going to say they're being given a puncher's chance, but I'm also not going to say that the national media would, that, you know, all of us out here, I think, wouldn't be that shocked to watch a defense run by, you know, by Bill Belichick do some work on the Eagles. I think they'd be shocked if the Patriots offense put up like 30 plus points. That'll shock people. So, you know,

Starting point is 00:19:12 we'll see. It'll be, if they win, it's going to be the big win of the week as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, I think you hit the nail right on the head. Look, bottom line, you look at the Chiefs loss to the Detroit Lions. You mentioned it. The Chiefs loss to the Detroit Lions you mentioned it the Chiefs were banged up their pass catchers were not at full arsenal and as good as Patrick Mahomes is it's going to be difficult to rise above an up-and-coming and hungry team like the Lions that came into that game smelling blood in the water and they took advantage of it and credit to them for that Eagles are coming into Foxborough at full strength. They're at full health. There really is no logistical excuse why they shouldn't beat the New England Patriots on paper. But one of the things that really started here in New England during OTA, during minicamp, you started to hear that quiet confidence and those rumblings coming from my colleagues in the media that are observing practice each and every day, had the chance to talk to a national scout recently for the AFC. And he said, we're hearing all the reports that are coming out because we know that the Patriots beat employees.

Starting point is 00:20:13 A lot of guys that don't just watch the X's and O's on the field. They're watching the reactions of the players and the coaches at all times. And one thing you did not see last year, Tanya, on the field were players talking to each other very quickly, nodding their heads, running back in and getting back to work on the field. You saw a lot of confusion between the players last year. They would talk things out. They were going back and forth so much to the point where coaches had to run in, explain things, and then you saw guys going back

Starting point is 00:20:45 out on the field you're not seeing that this year i think there is a more quiet cohesion going on on the field i'm sure part of that is the bill o'brien effect but i don't want to lessen the impact that draught mayo was having on this defense maybe having a little bit of a larger voice out there uh adrian clem coming in with the offensive line. These are the little things it takes behind the scenes to build a confident team. So if the Patriots are going into this matchup with a little bit of extra confidence, I don't think it's false bravado. I think it's just a situation where this team is confident in knowing what it has to do. Whether or not they're going to be able to execute against a very highly skilled team in the Philadelphia Eagles is one thing. You're going

Starting point is 00:21:24 to have to see that on the field. We won't know until these two teams actually take the field. But the Patriots are heading into this matchup with a quiet confidence. And that's where I think, like you said, that tide is turning a little bit in the national narrative. I think a lot of media members, I think a lot of national scouts, people that follow the NFL closely, are starting to see that swagger in the New England Patriots and saying, you know what, just when we thought they were out,

Starting point is 00:21:48 they're going to pull us back in. We've bet against Bill Belichick before. It's not wise to do it again. So good stuff. But it's nice to know that they are getting a little love outside of New England time. Thank you for letting our listeners know about that. I know they're going to be really happy to hear it. It's just a little, but it's just enough. It's enough to warm my heart, so I know it'll warm you guys as well. Impressive people a little bit. Just a little bit. But in any case, the New England Patriots definitely have a tall task in front of them this Sunday at 425 when they kick off against the defending NFC champions.

Starting point is 00:22:24 Tanya's told us what the narrative is outside of New England and that the Patriots are getting that little bit of respect. We're going to talk Tanya's keys to victory and game prediction 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 season is here and there is no better time to use PrizePix, the largest independently owned daily fantasy sports platform in North America. PrizePix is the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports.

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Starting point is 00:23:30 Each Tuesday, PrizePix discounts select player projections up to 25% to provide even more value. So don't delay. Do it today. Go to prizepix.com slash locked on NFL and use the code locked on NFL for a first deposit match up to $100. That's a first deposit match up to $100 by going to prizepicks.com slash locked on NFL and use the code locked on NFL. PrizePix, daily fantasy sports made easy. Patriots fans, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here on this Fox on Friday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. It's been way too long since my good friend Tanya Rae Fox of FS1 and Almost Shameless has joined me here on the airwaves.

Starting point is 00:24:19 And already we're having a blast, my friend, talking about the national narrative and what people think of the Patriots beyond the friendly confines of the six New England states here. But on paper, this is a tough matchup for the Patriots. But being in the unique position that we're in, covering a team that we have grown up idolizing all of our lives, it puts us in a unique position to take not only a fan's approach, but also an analyst's approach to this game as well. Yours is an opinion I value as much as anyone else in this business. When you look at this game from top to bottom, how does this all play out? What is the Patriots' best hope for pulling off the upset on Sunday? Their best hope is by far and away for me is making sure that Jalen hurts can't get yards on the ground.

Starting point is 00:25:09 And it's not something that they've been good at for the last couple of years for a defense that's been so good, um, incredibly good pass coverage, and they've been pretty good in basically everything else they've done good to great. Um, this is a defense that is reliably top 10, if not top five, most years. They struggle really badly with running quarterbacks, with quarterbacks that can move. We're not talking mobile. We're talking running. So last year against Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields, we saw those guys get absolutely shred the Patriots defense on the ground. And, you know, Jalen Hurts is a bit of a different quarterback. He does prefer to throw even when he's scrambling.

Starting point is 00:25:51 He'd prefer to scramble out and throw than, you know, to scramble out of the pocket and actually get his yards on the ground. But he will and can do that very effectively. And I guarantee you, he's been watching the tape on how poorly the Patriots defense have handled those situations over the last couple of years and particularly last year um really basically all of Lamar Jackson's career um and he's he's ready to do that and that is the Patriots defense's number one priority has to be forcing him to throw and making him pay when he tries to get yards on the ground. And I don't mean that like dangerously, I just mean game wise, right? Um, it's just a huge,

Starting point is 00:26:32 uh, it's a huge hole that the Patriots have, have got to fill in their defense, especially as quarterbacks continue to become better on the ground and continue to incorporate that into their concepts throughout the league. Right. Um, and then, and you know, I always, you know, this about me, I always look to the Patriots defense first to establish the tone of the game because they are sort of the identity of the Patriots, especially under Bill Belichick post Tom Brady. When they had Tom Brady, of course it was, the offense could set the tone anytime, any moment.

Starting point is 00:27:01 And I'm hoping that Mac Jones and the Patriots can start to do that. But as, as of right now, this is a team that is defined by their defensive prowess. So that is the thing that I feel like would set the tone. And to your point, you know, would get the guys really believing in what they're capable of doing against a team as solid and hailed as the, as the Philadelphia Eagles. And on the offensive side of the ball, again, it's back to being on the ground. I'm not super worried about Mac. I feel like I was a lot more worried about Mac last year,

Starting point is 00:27:32 you know, knowing that, you know, I was anti-Patricia from the start. It was terrifying. I never liked it. It always freaked me out. I did not give them a chance. Like I had them missing the playoffs, the whole thing. I was just out on it. I did not give them a chance. Like I had them missing the playoffs, the whole thing.

Starting point is 00:27:45 I was just out on it. I feel differently this year, not just because he has a real offensive coordinator, but because of the thing you talked about, which is the attitude coming out from the locker room. He's been vocal. He's been a little testy. We saw that a little early on in the off season. You know, there was some stuff coming out about, hey, he wasn't so happy about some stuff Belichick did. I don't hate that because I think it means he really cares

Starting point is 00:28:09 and he wants to prove himself and that's great. So I'm not super worried about how Mack performs. I'm excited to see him work with the tight ends. I think that Gasicki and Hunter Henry could be options that I really hope that they use more. And we know that Bill O'Brien is capable of doing that and using the tight ends effectively. I really, I would really like to see that, but on the ground, what Ramon Dre and Zeke Elliott and, you know,

Starting point is 00:28:34 the running back core is able to do. I felt as though for the first time in a long time that they really couldn't get their run game where they wanted it last year. I'm not used to seeing that from a Patriots offense, no matter whether they had Tom Brady or Cam Newton or, you know, some fill-in quarterback when during Tom Brady suspension or Matt Castle, they always seemed to have, to be able to rely on the run game. And last year it was just, it was so tough in the red zone. And the reason it was so tough in the red zone all the time was because I felt like

Starting point is 00:29:07 Ramondre was so good between the 20s and then things just really closed up. So I would like to see a pop. Not only, I mean, Ramondre doesn't have anything to prove, right? He's only, it's not about him specifically. It's about them being able to be more effective in third down opportunities and in scoring opportunities on the ground to open things up for Mac and these new pieces. And, you know, for the new like how we've got Keishon Booty now, I want to see what he's able to do. You know, there's there's pieces I want to be able to see how they work. You know, we'll see how Juju works in this system.

Starting point is 00:29:41 But we can't do that if the run game isn't threatening to, you know, advance the ball and get us into scoring situations and potentially get into the end zone. And that's what was missing from last year. And so those things, if I see those in the game, you know, tomorrow, to me or on Sunday, to me, the, those are two things that were win or lose. I would be really encouraged by. I will say, Mike, I don't think they're going to win the game.

Starting point is 00:30:09 And I think it's okay. I really think it's okay. We don't have to panic. But I do think that this is going to be an opportunity for them to show themselves and prove themselves and actually come out of it with a pretty good sense of who they are and an increased visibility in the national narrative about what they might be able to do in the AFC East if they can, you know, come through on those couple of things that I think we all have question marks about in our heads.

Starting point is 00:30:37 Yeah, without question. I agree with you. Gino Camilleri from Lockdown Eagles joined me me here yesterday on Locked On Patriots for our weekly crossover. And I did pick the Patriots to bow out to the Philadelphia Eagles this week, 24-20. But I do believe that they will give themselves that puncher's chance that we talked about earlier and for the reasons that you've described. The Patriots need the running game to get on track. Ramondre Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott need to get their yards.

Starting point is 00:31:05 That's going to open things up and facilitate play action for Mack. That's when you can start to see him hit his targets, whether it be the rookies like Douglas or Boutte, whether it be veterans like Kendrick Bourne. Devontae Parker, we're not sure about right now. The knee, he's been practicing gingerly the last couple of days. At the same time, that's where you're going to see the bread and butter of Bill O'Brien's offense really come into fruition.

Starting point is 00:31:28 If they can do that and start hitting these targets, they have a chance to hang with this team on the offensive side of the ball. But the key is, is keeping Mack upright. It's keeping him comfortable in the pocket. And do they have the talent on the offensive line and the bodies capable of really warding off that defensive front for the Eagles I think that's where the scales tip in the Eagles favor and I think that's why they're able to pull out the victory here so unfortunately folks Tanya and I do not see the Patriots winning this game but I do agree with her in the case that if they don't it's not

Starting point is 00:32:00 catastrophic as a matter of fact if they keep this close, it actually may be even more of a moral victory than anything else. Sometimes in the long run, those moral victories lead to big things for teams. They really do. And if Mac looks okay in the pocket, even with pressure, I'll be feeling good. If Mac, if Mac's moving around there and he's escaping a little pressure and he's feeling it, you know, you know, I've been critical of that. Then I'll take that week one moral victory all day. Absolutely. And I think a lot of Patriots fans will as well. So, Tanya, thank you for your insight into this game.

Starting point is 00:32:33 And, folks, we'd love to hear your game predictions as we continue to publish shows here throughout the week. Continue to put those in the comments section. We want to hear what you have to say and what you think of the Patriots' chances on Sunday. And, Tanya, before we wrap things up today, We want to hear what you have to say and what you think of the Patriots' chances on Sunday. And, Tanya, before we wrap things up today, you did not think that I was going to bring you in on this weekend of all weekends, Tom Brady Appreciation Day on Sunday, without talking a little goat.

Starting point is 00:33:03 The Patriots organization, folks, as you know, is set to honor Tom Brady with both pregame and halftime ceremonies, commemorating 20 successful seasons that Brady had while wearing Patriot blue. According to Robert Kraft, this is going to be, quote, a special celebration. Not completely sure what that means yet, but fans are starting to come up with ideas of what that means. Maybe a TV 12 jersey retirement or maybe a statue or announcing plans for his induction into the hall of fame all kinds of things going on folks we'll find out on sunday but when you look back at the two full decades that brady spent in new england nine trips to the super bowl six wins a ton of great memories

Starting point is 00:33:38 if you had to choose a favorite brady memory during his time in new england what would it be and why? Well, there's, you know, there's different kinds of memories. There's memories of him, you know, playing like there's the things that stick out and the games and the moments and games that stick out and then there's off the field moments, right? There, I have like such a flash uh image of him on the duck boats after they beat the uh falcons right and you know and he's got ben and vivi and him and like the whole crew all together and it was just like one of those they've had so many parades gone for a bit i try to differentiate them but i remember it so specifically because he was just so happy and, and the kid and like, there was just a vibe that was different than all the other ones.

Starting point is 00:34:28 Like I could tell, like he's starting to realize that like things are getting late in the game and it sticks out to me so much. I have like the clip of, I took a, you know, a video of it on my TV and I have it saved on my phone because it was just,

Starting point is 00:34:42 there was just something really, we didn't get to see a lot of Brady be like a human being in like the traditional sense off the field for a really long time like you know Tom versus time came out and we started to see him like as a person beyond just this football robot and he was always like charming and you know whatever at the podium or whatever but we just didn't get to know him so much as a person. And later on, we got to see a little bit more of his quirks, his weird stuff, like, you know, who he is as a human being. And by those late Super Bowls, we got to see Brady as this,

Starting point is 00:35:14 you know, this dad, this somebody who was working really hard to continue his legacy and fight for his spot in the annals of, you know, sports history. And the relief on his face sort of almost like matched my own and it was just really special um as far as on the fields i gotta tell you my favorite moment as a patriots fan maybe ever was not in a super bowl though those were great um i often think about the absolute dead-eyed look in his eye during super bowl 51 when he apparently figured out that they could win that game before the rest of us knew it. I think about that all the time.

Starting point is 00:35:50 But I want to go back earlier to the fifth game of the 2016 season when Tom Brady returned from suspension. He was heated. You saw the videos of him walking through. He wouldn't talk to anybody. He wouldn't acknowledge anyone. He was dead serious and he was pissed and he was sizzling. He was sizzling. He was ready to go. And they were playing a winless Browns team. And he absolutely went off 400 plus yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions. He went off in the whole league. All these people who were just so pumped to see Brady be suspended. The Patriots are without their golden boy. This ain't the year. All of a sudden, everybody was shaking in their boots is

Starting point is 00:36:43 the nice way to say it. I mean, people were like, what have we done? What have we done? We have awoken and he wasn't even sleeping to begin with. I don't even know what to call this anymore. I could, it was really, really funny. And obviously I've been living out in LA at the time. So watching people try to like scramble to be like, it's going to be, and of course we know how that season ended.

Starting point is 00:37:04 But that moment of him coming back and just like there was no no we're not joking about me coming back i did not like this you all the pictures you saw of me trying to enjoy my suspension were just me baiting you into thinking that i was gonna no i'm gonna destroy you and he went on a tear for the rest of that season like we do not talk enough about what he did when he returned from suspension in 2016 and that game against the Browns like is what started it when he returned and I just love it so much I want an oral history it's down the line I want to do an oral history of the win over the Browns because I think it's just not talked about enough

Starting point is 00:37:42 so I I'm going to present that to the fans as like an underrated moment in the allure, the very long and illustrious lore of Tom Brady. We really are like-minded because that is one of my favorite on-field moments from Tom Brady as well. Just watching the look in his eye when he took the field and knowing that he knew what he was about to do but no one

Starting point is 00:38:06 else really knew what they were about to see even the most staunch Brady supporter and the biggest Brady fan was in awe of what this guy could do having been suspended demoralized in a lot of respects that was the national narrative Brady got caught and Brady was out to prove that extra garbage that I was falsely accused of doing. I'm going to show you what I can do. And he went out there and he did it. And that was a very emotional season for Tom Brady. Let's not forget that his mother Galen was also fighting cancer at the time. And that to me is my favorite Brady memory. 34 to 28, the Patriots capped that victory. And it's an amazing victory. And everybody in Patriots Nation was euphoric

Starting point is 00:38:47 coming back from such a historic deficit. But to me, the thing that I'll always remember that is Brady close to the day of searching out his mom. To me, there was just there was no finer moment that really, I think, encapsulated the man Tom Brady, as opposed to the player, as opposed to the superstar on the field. He always talked about winning the next one. To me, that moment, the next one wasn't about a ring. It was about giving his mom a chance to see him win and perform at the highest level on the greatest stage in the world. And it was only about making her proud at that point. And I think that really proved Brady's commitment to his family and his commitment to things outside of football.

Starting point is 00:39:29 These are the types of moments that really, I think, galvanize some of the great players that we have an opportunity to view. And it humanizes them in a way that we don't often do here in media with fans. We don't really give them the opportunity to show that human side. That was one of the very few opportunities that athletes have to show both their excellence on the field and their humanity. And to me, that's how I'm always going to remember Tom Brady in that moment, embracing his mother Galen with his family by his side, triumphant in the greatest comeback in the greatest stage in professional sports. Really can't ask for more than that. And anybody wondering why he's getting the honor and the accolades that he's getting

Starting point is 00:40:07 this weekend, folks, just go back and take a look at what Tanya and I have described today, and you'll have no doubt about it. He's worth it and worth every bit of it. My friend, what can I say? It's been an honor. It's been a privilege. And it's been way too long, and it won't be that long again before we have you back here on Locked On Patriots.

Starting point is 00:40:24 You're truly one of the favorites and truly a valued friend to me so before i let you go please let everyone know where they can reach out to you interact with you and what you have coming down the pike either on almost almost shameless or some of the great work that you're doing for fox sports right now yeah so you can always find me on uh twitter instagram tiktok I do a lot of TikTok stuff and just conversations about the broader topics. I recently talked about Deion Sanders. And so we kind of go beyond the scope of just NFL coverage over on TikTok and on Instagram Reels. So if you like that kind of stuff, it's very interactive. We chat in the comments. We respond. My podcast, Almost Shameless, you can find it wherever you

Starting point is 00:41:05 listen to podcasts. It's also on YouTube. It's going to be all NFL season all year long. Sometimes it's just me. Sometimes I have guests. When it is just me, I'm usually ranting. There's hot takes. I got to get them off somewhere. And Twitter is becoming a difficult place to get the hot takes off. So you're going to have to listen watch. Uh, so there that's going on. And then, um, you know, you guys know what's going on over at FS one. We've got, we've got stuff happening on air. Um, and we love it. We love to see you are keeping it fresh. Yeah. So just follow me on all those places and we'll chat all season long about the NFL. And I'm looking forward to, to, to get in some of my hot takes off on my own podcast and you know, go Patriots.

Starting point is 00:41:50 Absolutely. Go Patriots folks. What more can I say? That's exactly how we should end today's show. And Tanya, definitely thank you for taking time out to join me here today. And we look forward to having you back here on locked on Patriots very soon folks.

Starting point is 00:42:03 Anytime Tanya puts pen to paper or voice to microphone especially, it's appointment listening, appointment viewing. Check it out. You'll enjoy it, and you'll be more well-informed. And you know what? It sparks debate, and that's exactly what we love to see here on Locked On Patriots, and no pun intended there, folks. Bottom line, it is going to be a fun matchup this Sunday at Gillette Stadium

Starting point is 00:42:24 when the Patriots host the Eagles on Tom Brady Appreciation Day. Who knows? Maybe a win. Maybe an upset win may be the best way for the Patriots to honor their 18 time team captain. They can prove Tanya and I wrong and we'll be fine with that. I guarantee it. In the meantime, folks, please

Starting point is 00:42:39 continue to stay safe and to stay well and 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.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Name Team Captains, Pats-Eagles Storylines; Tom Brady Appreciation Day

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