Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints Crossover: Bounce Back for Mac Jones, Derek Carr to Challenge Pats Secondary?

Episode Date: October 5, 2023

The New England Patriots are hoping to put their woes behind them as they welcome the New Orleans Saints to Gillette Stadium for their Week 5 matchup. Join hosts Mike D'Abate of Locked On Patriots and... Ross Jackson of Locked On Saints as they discuss Mac Jones ability to rebound from a dismal showing against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, Derek Carr's ability to test the Patriots' injury-depleted secondary before making their game predictions.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/NFL today to get 10% off your first month. birddogsGo to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNFL or enter promo code LOCKEDONNFL for a water bottle with any order. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you. PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed.eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.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.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcastots, Locked On Saints fans. Today is Crossover Thursday on the Locked On Crossover Network, and we are happy to bring you today's crossover between Locked On Patriots, Locked On Saints, Crossing the Streams dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria. We all love it. I am host Mike DeBate of the Lockdown Patriots podcast. And joining me is my good friend, my colleague, my fearless leader here on the
Starting point is 00:00:55 Lockdown Podcast Network, Ross Jackson, host of Lockdown Saints and a jack of all trades when it comes to our Lockdown Network. We would not be anywhere without this man. And I'd say that unabashedly. Don't forget, folks, today's crossover episode is brought to you by PrizePix, the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports.
Starting point is 00:01:16 Go to prizepix.com and use the code all lowercase, LockedOnNFL, for a first deposit match up to $100. And and ross it is always my honor always my privilege to join you on these crossover episodes feel like it's been too long since these two teams locked horns yeah it's been a minute it's been a couple years since we've gotten to get this one in so i'm excited i'm excited to be heading to foxborough i will see
Starting point is 00:01:40 you there it's gonna be a ton of fun man Man, there's a lot of good stuff happening. A lot of good stuff. There is a lot of good stuff happening, but there is a lot of bad stuff happening on the field. Yeah, none of the good stuff's on the football field. More so, I think, on this end than on yours. The Saints come into this matchup 2-2. The New England Patriots come into this matchup 1-3. But nonetheless, an exciting Week 5 matchup on tap at Gillette
Starting point is 00:02:05 Stadium kickoff 1 p.m eastern and Ross you and I both know that there are a lot of big stories going on both in New Orleans and in New England why don't you start us off by telling us what the big story of the week is down in New Orleans when it comes to these things. Yeah, well, Mike, stop me if you're hearing this one up in New England as well, but it's all about can the offense find a way to get rolling? That's really what it is here in New Orleans. There was a highly anticipated offensive attack with Michael Thomas returning and Juwan Johnson, the tight end, resigning. They added in Jimmy Graham.
Starting point is 00:02:43 You have this stud star player. And I've always said like, you can see when someone's a star, right? And Chris Olavi is a hundred percent that guy. They add in Derek Carr, you get Alvin Kamara back. And this team is averaging 15.5 points per game. Awesome. It's not going great. And that is, there's a lot of different reasons for that play. Calling is probably the thing that's under the biggest microscope or the smallest microscope, biggest microscope, whatever. And then, but there's also people that are asking questions about Derek Carr. There's people asking questions about the effort from the players, which is way overblown
Starting point is 00:03:17 by the way. And then, you know, just how are the, you know, can, can this, can this team be effective? And so I think that they're hoping to prove to everyone this week that they can be effective. That's easily the biggest story here in the world. Yeah, absolutely. And thank you so much for bringing us that information. I know Locked On Patriots fans are glad to hear
Starting point is 00:03:36 that offensive woes are happening elsewhere in the NFL. And I think Saints fans are going to be happy to hear what you have to say next. Yeah, because I feel like, Ross, when I have to answer this answer this question i need to ask you how much time do you have because there's a lot of big stories in new england we'll start with the obvious one and that is mac jones and whether or not he can bounce back from what was a putrid performance on sunday without any question responsible for three calamitous turnovers and one of which actually really sparked everything which was a failure to convert
Starting point is 00:04:10 a fourth down quarterback sneak which we've seen New England do so often this offense is designed to facilitate the quarterback sneak we had one of the best in the business do it for 20 years up here in New England and when that doesn't work it can cause a chain reaction. And it seemed to on Sunday, because after that, Max started to look careless with the football. He started to become confused. And these are two traits that unilaterally always lead to disastrous results. And that led to points off turnovers. The Cowboys capitalized on that.
Starting point is 00:04:40 And New England found themselves in a 25-point hole, a 35-point hole. And you're not going to win football games by doing that so you have to get back to the basics of football allow Mac to be able to run the type of offense that he needs to run we heard Bill Belichick talk about it this week Bill O'Brien talk about it this week use the run facilitate play action get Mac in his comfort zone and that will lead to big things on the field, hopefully, for the New England Patriots. And there's a flip side to that coin as well, unfortunately, and that is New England is suffering the loss of two of their best defensive players,
Starting point is 00:05:13 Matthew Judon, out for the year, or at least we think he's going to be out for the year, with a torn bicep muscle. That's going to be a tough road to recovery. He had surgery on Wednesday. In good spirits, he says he'll be back. The question is, when will he be back? And the picture is a little clearer on the end of rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Starting point is 00:05:36 He is out for the year. And you saw it. The New England Patriots traded for J.C. Jackson. Talked about it here on Locked On Patriots yesterday. This move is designed to help, but it's not designed to solve the problem. New England's defense took a big hit, and that's a big hit for a team that is predicated on a dominant defense. Yeah, I mean, that Christian Gonzalez loss is huge.
Starting point is 00:05:57 I mean, that guy was probably the front runner for defensive rookie of the year so far. Is that fair to say, Mike? I mean, he was falling out of control, and he was maybe the one thing well not the one thing but he was one of those things that you looked at along with matthew judon as you go through and say okay what is this what does this new england patriots defense have that will give the new orleans saints offense problems all the way from looking at this preseason those are two guys whose names you circle right and absolutely and now and and look jc jackson's no slump i mean he's a phenomenal fit for that defense 22 picks in three seasons or
Starting point is 00:06:30 whatever it was during his time there i mean he's remarkable too but he's a little bit older and all that and so uh so it'll be interesting to see how the saints do that because remember they're trying to bolster their offense they're trying to show hey hey no don't worry we can be an offensive team they can score points that's what they're trying to prove, hey, hey, no, don't worry. We can be an offensive team. They can score points. That's what they're trying to prove to people. How do those two losses end up factoring into the Saints mission in what is their biggest story? Yeah, without any question. And I think in terms of what the Saints are bringing to the table, they want to use that defense that has been keeping them in games to try to confuse Mack. But at the same time, they also are predicated on using their offense against this Patriots defense which is
Starting point is 00:07:05 reeling right now not just with the loss of Christian Gonzalez but Matthew Judon who does so much in that defense not just as a pass rusher he's the catalyst he's the spark that gets everything going but he's also a facilitator in the run game he'll take bodies away from guys like Christian Barmore and he'll take bodies away from guys like Devon Godchild allowing them to be able to factor into run you know run protection and actually getting after the passer so so much of what New England does defensively was predicated on these two gentlemen going to be very difficult to replicate that and I know the Saints are looking at this saying there are ways in which now we can manipulate this defense whereas just
Starting point is 00:07:45 last week probably wouldn't have been there yeah yeah absolutely and uh i mean you can't you can't say it enough right like this new orleans saints team is looking for a rebound and and maybe it's there but if they're going to want to be able to win on offense they're going to have to be able to win on defense too and maybe that's where these big matchups come into play right i mean there's there's some big ones that end up you know having a big time influence and impact on on the saints ability to be comfortable the patriots ability to be comfortable all of that so it's gonna be it's gonna be i think a more fun game than people expect like if you're tuning into this one at 1 p.m eastern time noon
Starting point is 00:08:21 central or you're listening to it on sirius xm when you search patriots or saints like this game probably has the ability to be have a a few more fireworks for both of these teams than maybe what you've seen so far this year as they try to to get right you know what i mean absolutely and you mentioned get right especially for the new orleans saints incorporating alvin kamara back into this offense is going to be a big key for Derek Carr being able to take a little pressure off there. Now he can use the run to facilitate what he does well, and that's hit his targets. Michael Thomas, you mentioned Chris Olave. There's a lot of weapons on this New Orleans Saints team that could come alive now with a solid running game and a
Starting point is 00:09:00 compliment to be able to do that. So the Wendland has their work cut out for them, folks. But we'd like to think that New Orleans has its work cut out for it against a Bill Belichick coach defense and a Bill O'Brien offense as well. This one always comes down. These games always come down to matchups on the field as opposed to big storylines coming into the game. And in just a moment, Ross and I are going to discuss those matchups and which are catching our sharp eye when the Patriots take on the Saints at 1 p.m. this Sunday, week five at Gillette Stadium. Lockdown listeners, football season is in full swing. There is no better time to use our good
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Starting point is 00:11:10 slash LOCKEDONNFL and using the code LOCKEDONNFL. Prize picks, daily fantasy sports made easy. All right, Patriots fans and Saints fans, thank you so much for joining us here today on Locked on Crossover Thursday. We're already having a blast crossing the streams between Locked on Patriots and Locked on Saints with my good friend, colleague, and fearless leader,
Starting point is 00:11:37 Ross Jackson, host of the Locked on Saints podcast. Mike DeBate, host of Locked on Patriots. And Ross, in the previous segment, we kind of brought our respective fan bases up to speed on the big stories coming out of New Orleans, coming out of New England. But you and I both know that these games come down to the matchups on the field. As the visiting team, Saints coming in here, 2-2, riding their high of being a little bit better in the standings than the New England Patriots are right now.
Starting point is 00:12:05 But there are concerns on both sides. When you watch this game on Sunday, what's the matchup that's going to have your sharp eye as the Pats take on the Saints in New England? Yeah, the biggest thing for me, and look, it doesn't take much of a sharp eye to figure this one out, right? But I think for me, the biggest thing is going to be how the Saints limit the run game of Ramondre Stevenson, as well as of course, Ezekiel Elliott. I think that the one game that New England did win this past or so far this season, 157 combined rushing yards there. And it was, I think it was 80 from Elliott and it was 57 or so from Ramondre who I, I
Starting point is 00:12:42 think the world of, by the way, i think he is one of the best young running backs in the nfl and so i i look at the new orleans saints defensive front which hasn't been super stout against the run but also hasn't been super you know soft against it either uh this is something that they've got to do they have to limit mac jones's escape routes effectively they have to put the ball in Mac Jones's hands and say okay beat us I look I think that Mac Jones gets a lot more flack than maybe he deserves dealing with some of the things and and look there's not you know there's not a ton of high level pass catching weapons there in New England particularly at wide receiver you're throwing the Kendrick Bourne's of
Starting point is 00:13:22 the world and all that who are respectively good but they don't have a Michael Thomas. They don't have a Chris Olave. They don't have the same type of caliber pass catcher. And so I look at the Saints' ability to match up with those pass catchers in their secondary, Marshawn Lattimore, Paulson, Adibo, Tyron Matthew, Marcus Mays, not back yet, but rookie Jordan Howden, all of that. I have a lot of confidence in this team to be able to match up in the passing game. So limiting that run game, forcing them to go to the air, that helps a ton. This New England Patriots team, 71% of their drives so far this season have ended in either a punt or a turnover.
Starting point is 00:13:57 That happens when you go to the air, right? You force those incompletions. You take the ball away, whatever it might be. But in order for them to really get to the points where they make them one-dimensional, they have to get rid of that run game and make sure that these big, talented backs don't end up running over them. Absolutely. I got a funny feeling we're going to come back to the Patriots run game in just a bit, because it is that important to absolutely facilitating what the Patriots do well. But I'd be lying if I said that I'm not going to have my
Starting point is 00:14:25 sharp eye on Chris Olave, who I've had my sharp eye on since his days at Ohio State, and I definitely wanted to see what this kid could do in the NFL, in a Patriots uniform especially, but if he's somewhere, I'm definitely glad he's with the Saints, then with another franchise that will remain nameless. We don't have to worry about going there right now, but I think there is a lot to watch in this game if you're a Patriots fan and trying to control the opponent's top receiver, and that is Chris.
Starting point is 00:14:54 I mean, obviously, Michael Thomas is going to command attention as well. The pedigree and the resume he brings to this game is definitely worthy of that. But Lave right now, 23 catches, 306 yards, one of the best young receivers in this game. And again, Thomas is no slouch. 22 and 219 are not exactly poor numbers.
Starting point is 00:15:12 But this is what's going to have to happen for the New England Patriots. Christian Gonzalez took away, or at least attempted to take away, an opponent's top receiver. And that's not happening this week. J.C jackson is not going to be up to speed and probably back on the field in time to play in this game it's possible but i don't believe that will happen so if you're the new england patriots now what you need to do is you need to move away from your bread and butter which is what you love to do on the uh
Starting point is 00:15:41 defensive side of the ball and coverage and and single high looks. Bill Belichick almost invented it. It's his type of defense. You need to be able to move away from that, or you actually are forced to move away from that now if you're the Patriots. So now it's Miles Bryant and Sean Wade on the perimeters. Now it's Jalen Mills coming in and helping in in the slot, and you're going to have the three safety looks to come over and be able to help out so puts a lot of pressure on your offense excuse me put a lot of pressure on your defense especially the secondary and especially the cornerbacks when you don't have that true lockdown presence that Christian Gonzalez gave to you on the flip side Matthew Judon being out of the picture also puts the pass rush on notice that's going to put some added pressure on the
Starting point is 00:16:24 coverage so my matchup right now is seeing whether or not Derek Carr is going to be able to test guys like Chris Olave mostly, but also someone like a Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed, who's definitely fast. He can get out there. Is he going to start to test the weaknesses in that secondary? That's what I'm watching closely if i'm a patriots fan i i i celebrate you for coming in as a non-saints analyst and recognizing the talent of rashid shaheed i i credit you to that big time because he is probably still the loudest secret weapon that they have now that everybody knows
Starting point is 00:17:01 what tasem can do he's kind of that guy. Absolutely. Without any question. And look, I mean, it speaks for itself. 12 catches, 185 yards for Rashid, but he's going to demand attention over the top as well. And again, this speaks to the pressure and it speaks to the dearth of talent right now, or I shouldn't say the dearth of talent, because I think that this patriots secondary is playing at the highest level it can but just devoid of bodies right now devoid of guys that can come in and provide help puts a lot of pressure on where they're going right now if the patriots can increase the past protect or increase the past pressure on derrick carr which has been his achilles heel right now past protection correct me if i'm wrong ross seems to be where this new orleans saints team has struggled. It led to the shoulder injury in week three against the Green
Starting point is 00:17:50 Bay Packers, which was a concern for the Saints coming into week four and 13 sacks right now. So that's something that the Patriots need to exploit. But again, when you don't have that lockdown presence and that ability to lock down the secondary it leads to big problems and that's where i'm concerned right now for the new england patriots yeah yeah and the other side too for new orleans the pass rush becomes really important on their defensive side as well and trying to trying to rustle um mac jones up a little bit you know get him uncomfortable all those things but the saints pass rushes has has struggled really over the last six quarters or so they're not a quick win pass rush they're not one of those pass rushes that you know get sacks within two and
Starting point is 00:18:30 a half seconds or forces you to get the ball out of your hands in two and a half seconds they are a we can wear you down outlast your offensive line kind of a pass rush that gets to the quarterback three four seconds into the clock after the snap, all of that. So that's why coverage becomes so important because the coverage has to hold in order for that pass rush to get home. So I'm glad that you brought up pass rush on the new England side, because, and how that's impacted a little bit by Matthew Judon's absence, because new Orleans has kind of a, a bit of a different way of rushing the passer than say your Philadelphia Eagles team or your Green Bay Packers team right now, all of that, that want to win right away. That's not necessarily the Saints game. So they have to get deeper into that snap clock, if you will. So that's going to
Starting point is 00:19:15 be a fun piece to watch for both sides, for both sides of this matchup. Absolutely. And I couldn't have said it better. And it also leads us into our next discussion here on Locked On Patriots and Locked On Saints crossover. And that is if these two teams are to be victorious, because only one can be unless we end in a tie, which is possible. We don't believe in this. Only one team needs to be, one team will be victorious. And Ross, I know there's a lot of mutual respect between us, between these two franchises. We've been covering Locked On Patriots and Locked On Saints games since Tom Brady and Drew Brees were back there and doing their thing. So we know that there's a lot of respect, but ultimately one team will come out on top. What does that team need to do to be victorious?
Starting point is 00:20:01 Ross Jackson and I are going to tell you exactly what these teams need to do and how they're going to do it. When this episode of locked on Patriots and locked on saints continues right here on the locked on podcast network, your team every day. And today's episode of locked on saints and locked on Patriots is crossover edition brought to you by our friends at FanDuel. FanDuel, the number one sportsbook in all of America. And our official sports betting partners here on the Locked On Podcast Network.
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Starting point is 00:21:00 very close matchup, but there's also player props and over-unders and other sports you can get into as well. You put down your first $5 bet with FanDuel, they're going to give you $200 in bonus bets. Guaranteed, the $200 in bonus bets, win or lose, does not matter. So if you've been waiting to get in on the game, now is absolutely the time to join FanDuel, because there's no better time to get in on the action. So visit FanDuel.com slash locked on today to kick off the NFL season FanDuel official partner of the NFL. Today's episode is also sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp Therapy online.
Starting point is 00:21:41 Look, BetterHelp is something that I've turned to a lot in my time, particularly throughout the 2020, 2021, that whole series and everything like that. And I kept all of that going and I could not be more grateful. As Mike mentioned, he and I have been covering these teams since the Tom Brady and the Drew Brees days, which means we've been doing this for a while and we're staying busy. So sitting in traffic, going into a waiting room, figuring out appointments, doing all that stuff is tough. I want to be able to do it on my time and the comfort of my own home and my, my, my Dunder Mifflin sweatpants, if I want to. And to be able to do that better help has given me the opportunity because you can do everything entirely online and it's far more affordable
Starting point is 00:22:23 than traditional therapy as well. You can do video conferences,, and it's far more affordable than traditional therapy as well. You can do video conferences, phone calls, even text chats if you don't want to show your face or speak. They make it so accessible for you. So if you've been wanting to check it out, now is absolutely the time. Make your brain your friend with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com to get 10% off of your first month. That's BetterHelp.com slash Locked On to get 10% off of your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P.com slash Locked On. Locked On listeners, football season is here,
Starting point is 00:22:55 and Locked On is kicking up our coverage with Locked On NFL Kickoff Live. Every Friday, Locked On will go live at 2 p.m. Eastern on every Locked On NFL YouTube channel. Hosts Tanitra Batiste, Jarvis Davis, and Kyle Krebs will break down every game on the NFL slate to get you ready for your team's matchup, your fantasy lineups, your betting angles, and much more. So find Locked On NFL Kickoff live every Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern on any Locked On NFL YouTube channel. And, folks, once again, it has been a blast crossing the streams with my good friend Ross Jackson, host of Locked On Saints. Folks, these two teams go back a long way.
Starting point is 00:23:35 Ross and I go back a long way. We've argued Brady versus Breeze. We've argued Chowder versus Jambalaya. We've done it all when it comes to which areas you know, areas that you, you know, whether or not you want to go, you know, where there's the French quarter better than the Cape. It's all different. We've got so much that we can do here on Lockdown Patriots and Lockdown Saints, but ultimately it is decision time, Ross.
Starting point is 00:23:58 We have to make a choice. We have to determine which of these teams is going to win this weekend. I know which way I'm going to lean. I. I know which way I'm going to lean. I think I know which way you're going to lean, but we're going to tell you how they're going to get there. As the visitors, I extend the hospitality to you. First, my friend, you're the New Orleans Saints. How do you win this game?
Starting point is 00:24:17 And would you like to offer a score prediction for all of our listeners out there in Lockdown universe? Absolutely will. I'll start with the score prediction to get out of the way. I'm taking the Saints to rebound in this game to get back in the win column. This is a game that I picked them to win at the scheduled release preseason, all of that. I'm going to stick with it. I know that the offense has struggled.
Starting point is 00:24:39 I'm going to let them prove to me that they can fix it. 16 to 10. And the reason why I say 10 for, for new England is not because I think that the new England offense is so bad that it will only score 10 points. I'm not going that route, but to, to answer your first question,
Starting point is 00:24:55 what did the new Orleans Saints need to do to win this game? It's hold the new England Patriots to 10 points. So I can't come in here and pick them to win, say that the key for them to win is to hold new England that down to 10 points and then predict them to score more than 10 points. Here's the reason why I say that. This New Orleans Saints team is trying to figure itself out. I think to the point potentially it's where they're still trying to figure out who they are, Mike. And that's a big issue four games into the season. We saw that all throughout last year as well, kind of the identity crisis of this team. But this team has its identity.
Starting point is 00:25:29 They just have to define it. You've got a good quarterback. You have an outstanding running back. You have a fantastic collection of pass catchers. You have a solid offensive line that's getting better week in and week out. You have a lot of these pieces in place, which means the identity is in there somewhere. To go back to your chowder and jambalaya, uh, uh, analogy. They've got all the ingredients to the gumbo. They just need to let the rue cook a little bit longer. So I think if they can get there, then they will be in an
Starting point is 00:25:55 opportunity to be able to win this game. But the roof of this team is the defense. That is the, that is the base. That is the stock. That's where it all starts. And so if this defense can hold this New England Patriots team to a lower scoring game, then they have the clearance that they need to be able to get their offense in rhythm. And it's not all going to happen in one game. It's not all going to happen in one week. tendency of giving the ball away, not necessarily as a turnover, but also punting nearly three quarters of the time is going to allow the New Orleans Saints to get better in rhythm. The Saints average around six plays per drive, so they can put together some long drives. They've just had trouble finding the end zone. I don't know that the end zone part of it completely heals this week, but I think that the offense gets to putting together the longer drives,
Starting point is 00:26:44 keeping New England's offense off the field, and then getting them off the field when they are there. Yeah. I think if you describe everything that you've just, just described to a T a lot of probably will be a long afternoon for the new England Patriots, but there were a lot of ifs on the Patriots side too. You mentioned all of the pluses that the new Orleans saints have coming into this game. Great quarterback, solid running game, an explosive potential running game, great pass catchers, an improving offensive line. Somewhere along the line, my listeners at Locked On Patriots are going, why can't we get that?
Starting point is 00:27:14 Why can't we have those? Those are things that right now are shaky. And the one thing the Patriots could always hold their hat on was a dominant defense, or at least a defense that was going to give them the opportunity to remain in games. Without Christian Gonzalez, without Matthew Judon, that is in doubt. So what are the keys to me for the Patriots to be able to pull this out? Well, to me, it starts on the offensive side of the ball. First of all, you have to take care of the football. That's something the New England Patriots have not done well. You need to be able to move the football, and to do that, you need to use the run to facilitate play action. That is how Bill
Starting point is 00:27:49 O'Brien makes his bones. As a Godfather fan, I say that very honestly. Get Ramondre Stevenson going early. Get Ezekiel Elliott going early. Get them runs that are designed to keep the Saints on their heels. When you do that, Mac Jones can bring the defense up. He can lead his receivers under it. That's when you start hitting your receivers for short yardage gains to get him used to a rhythm. And that's where his receivers can get yards after the catch. You've got a couple of guys out there that can make receptions at the catch point like Devontae Parker, but you need guys like Juju Smith-Schuster. You need guys like Kendrick Bourne to get involved,
Starting point is 00:28:33 and Demario Douglas obviously needs to be a big part of this matchup as well. The rookie receiver who is their best playmaker right now, got to get him involved. And on the defensive side of the ball, absolutely, the New England Patriots need help from guys like Miles Bryant, Jalen Mills in the secondary. And along the line, they need guys like Josh Uche to step up and be an alpha pass rusher. You need someone like an Anthony Jennings to step up and play like a starter. And they're going to put a lot on the rookie shoulders this week. Keon White, who I know a lot of Georgia fans and I know a lot of people close to that area in the Gulf know him very well. He's going to have to be called upon to bring a lot in the
Starting point is 00:29:10 run defense and also a lot in the pass rush. So based on that, I think New England is going to be able to right the ship this week, even though I've listed a ton of reasons why they can't. I think the New England Patriots find a way to to do it and i like them 17 to 14 in this might come down with chad rylan field goal either early or late uh but i think the patriots find a way to get into the end zone twice and i think that's enough to be able to give them the victory on sunday gotta love it yeah i mean these are two teams that two touchdowns might be enough you know what i mean like that's really that's that's kind of where these two teams are offensive offensively and so i mean look uh we both we both listed off a lot of ifs. We'll see
Starting point is 00:29:49 if they can, we'll see which team turns some of those ifs into reality. Cause these teams are both fighting to bounce back. Absolutely. Without question. And it's going to be a fun one regardless. And it's going to be a game where both of these teams need to come in and play their a game in order to win. Which one does it? Well, we're going to find out on Sunday at 1 p.m. from Gillette Stadium. Ross and I are going to be there bringing you all the action, but definitely stay tuned to Locked On Saints, Locked On Patriots for the very latest leading up to this, whether it's injury news or player news,
Starting point is 00:30:19 we're going to have you covered on the Locked On Podcast Network as we do each and every day. Folks, it is a blast when Ross joins me here on the microphone, and I've enjoyed this thoroughly. We hope you've enjoyed today's crossover episode, so definitely continue to stay locked in to Locked On Patriots and Locked On Saints, and in the meantime, we remind you to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you all wish to see in the world. On behalf of Ross Jackson of Locked On Saints, I'm Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots.
Starting point is 00:30:48 Have a great day, everyone. We'll see you back here again tomorrow, as always, on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

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