Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Week 6 Grades: Drake Maye, Defense, DeMario Douglas in Loss to Houston Texans

Starting point is 00:00:00 Drake May has brought some excitement back to the New England Patriots, but did he make the grade in his week six debut? 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 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 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 mdab atenfl while you're out there showing some love to Lockdown Patriots social media style,

Starting point is 00:00:47 please follow our account there as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Fan Pats fans, an action-packed episode on today's show. He is our resident voice of reason, but he is also our professor. Each and every week, grading your New England Patriots performance, and that's exactly what we're going to do today. Patriots grades on offense, offense defense even taking a look ahead to what needs improvement when the Patriots travel to Wembley Stadium in London England to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday morning 9 30 a.m kickoff of course joining us today to break it all down is our good friend our resident voice of reason and our professor,

Starting point is 00:01:26 my Patriots bison, Steve Balistrieri. Steve, thank you for joining me here today. Welcome back to Locked on Patriots. Oh, it's always a pleasure, my friend, and I look forward every week to sitting down with you. You know, it wasn't all roses, but things are looking promising, aren't they? They are looking promising, and it's very rare that you would see a loss be a positive for a team. It does happen.

Starting point is 00:01:52 We hear moral victories and good losses all the time, but it's a little more excitement injected back into the fan base right now, and it does have an awful lot to do with one Drake May, and we're going to get to that in just a moment. But first, folks, we remind you that today's episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to and help you do it faster. And here's the best part, folks. They help you do it for free. Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash locked on NFL.

Starting point is 00:02:21 Terms and conditions apply. And Steve, again, it's very rare that a 41-21 loss to any team could be seen as a silver lining for a team. But yet, that's where we are with the New England Patriots. 1-5. I don't think anyone's expecting this team to be a playoff team or to make a run here or anything of that nature. Technically, they're not mathematically eliminated from anything.

Starting point is 00:02:43 So anything is possible but in all likelihood this is a team that is playing for 2025 and beyond and one of the things that Patriots fans are excited about is the offense for the first time in a long while that rookie quarterback Drake May is able to do things on the field that we haven't seen as Patriots fans in quite some time. We saw a little bit of that in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans. Some of the off-script plays, some of the throws deep down the field, his ability to roll out of the pocket and make things happen. These are things that Patriots fans have been waiting to see from Drake, and he delivered. And ultimately, you've got to give a little bit of a tip of the of the cap I think to Alex Van Pelt and the Patriots offensive coaching staff for putting him in position to do

Starting point is 00:03:29 that they had him in shotgun most of the time only put him in under center on 12 plays which is about 19 percent of the snaps seven play action drop backs eight RPOs and you got spread concepts that really gave Drake an opportunity to take a good look at how the Houston Texans were going to play him defensively. And I think he did an admirable job for the most part. When you look at this game, you look at Drake's performance start to finish. Would you say he made the grade against the Houston Texans on Sunday? I absolutely did. You know, I rated him as a B for his debut.

Starting point is 00:04:09 I'd agree with that. And, you know, there were some turnovers, as we saw. But, you know, one of them was, you know, maybe not his fault. And the other was a strip sack. He had one bad interception where he overthrew his his guy but you know going back to that first interception the fact that you know they went back to that exact same play later in the game uh and they hit demario douglas this time in stride for a touchdown, shows me that they weren't afraid of him making the same mistake, and he was able to correct that.

Starting point is 00:04:51 But more than anything, you know, he has changed the narrative a little bit of how to attack this Patriots offense. People have been stacking the box, single high safety, playing man coverage and blitzing. Against the blitz on Sunday, he was 6 of 10 for 113 yards, touchdowns with that aforementioned interception. He averaged 11.2 yards per passing attempt, and his passer rating against the Blitz was 99.2,

Starting point is 00:05:34 which that's the kind of thing that you're looking for. And, you know, the way he saw the field, as you said, used his athleticism, I thought this was really exciting to see could not have said it better myself and i'm glad that you mentioned his success against the blitz because this is something that patriots fans have been waiting to see it's something the coaches have been waiting to see as well and i think patriots players have been waiting to see it you know you hit the nail right on the head the mo against this team was stacking the box playing a lot of man coverage and look drake played very well against man coverage as

Starting point is 00:06:09 well his statistics against man coverage on sunday were very impressive six of 12 110 yards of course the two touchdowns and the interception all came against man scheme so when you look at that plus the fact that he averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt against man coverage, you know, Patriots, you know that the coaching staff went into this game knowing the formula to beat the New England Patriots and to keep Jacoby Brissett holding the ball. Drake has the athleticism and the ability to roll out and to make things happen. And you saw that on Sunday.

Starting point is 00:06:41 So I completely agree with you. I do think a B is a very fair grade in this situation. There were moments where he did indeed look like a rookie, maybe holding the ball a little bit too much on the strip sack or on the interception did give him a little bit of pause. Those are rookie mistakes that will be cleared up. He will get better in that regard. But right now, I think a very promising debut for the youngster at quarterback for your New England Patriots. But it wasn't just about Drake May on Sunday, Steve. The offense as a whole looked a little bit better. It looked a little bit more fluid. I think players looked a little

Starting point is 00:07:16 more engaged. There were some aspects of the offense that did regress a little bit. Obviously, the running game is not going to be as good without Ramondre Stevenson. When you look at the other aspects of the offense, whether it be the offensive line, whether it be the skill positions, who, in your opinion, made the grade on Sunday and showed enough improvement to let you know that this team is on the right track? Well, I think, you know, you look at the wide receivers, right? You know, they've been struggling to catch the football because, you know you look at the wide receivers right you know they've been struggling to catch the football because you know jacoby hasn't been able to have time to get them the

Starting point is 00:07:52 football um and you know they uh i i don't know there was just that you know lethargy out there, right? And I looked at Sunday's game and, you know, the wide receivers combined for 12 catches, 164 yards, and, you know, and two touchdowns, obviously. But, you know, the overall numbers aren't earth-shattering, but it's a big improvement, you know, over the numbers that they've had the first five weeks of the season. And, you know, I think Drake is already kind of finding his circle of trust, as we used to say with Tom Brady, right?

Starting point is 00:08:41 Demario Douglas is obviously the guy, you know, he had, I thought he had a fantastic game on Sunday, six catches, 92 yards, that athletic electric 35 yard touchdown. You know, he's shown that he has the speed and athleticism to get open right off the snap. And that, you know, in itself is going to, you know, allow Drake May to hit those quick passes. And I think Douglas is due for even bigger paydays. This, excuse me, that we'll talk about in a little bit. But Keishon Budde, I thought, you know,

Starting point is 00:09:30 he showed that speed on the 40-yard touchdown, which was a beauty. And I think Kendrick Bourne is still working his way back from the ACL. I think he's going to be, you know, featured more and more as we go on. But the Patriots, for the first time in quite a while, looked like they had a viable passing game.

Starting point is 00:09:55 Yeah, they did. They absolutely did, without question. And you think about what this passing game may look like with a solid complementary running game. And there are a couple of reasons why the running game was not on track this Sunday. Obviously, the biggest reason why the running game struggled on Sunday was the absence of Ramondre Stevenson. But you also look at the offensive line, and the run blocking needs to be a little bit better.

Starting point is 00:10:20 I think pass protected much better. Drake was pressured at a much lower rate, so I think that that type of progress has been made. And I think the Patriots are definitely glad that progress has been made. But at the same time, you want to see a little bit more proficiency in run blocking in order for the Patriots to be able to move forward and have that solid complementary running game. You mentioned Keyshawn Booty. I talked about him as my pleasant surprise of the game on Sunday.

Starting point is 00:10:44 And you're really seeing him kind of hone in all his skills, his field awareness, his ability to know where things are on the field, the speed that he showed, his shorthands. And you mentioned in your grade report, he's also doing a very good job in the run blocking game as well. So this is a complete player now that is really, I think, forging his way into the starting lineup. And he deserves to be there. But spot on when it comes to Demario Douglas. This fan base, Steve, has been waiting for that breakout moment for Demario Douglas all season long. He got it. And I think, as I said on Monday, the beginning of a beautiful friendship between he and Drake May,

Starting point is 00:11:20 I think that's going to be something that Patriots fans are really excited about moving forward. Steve, before we take our leave of the offense, we wouldn't be doing our jobs unless we talked a little bit about the offensive line. I kind of tipped my hand a moment ago saying that I believe in pass protection. This team was a little bit better. They did drop the rate at which Drake was pressured. But at the same time, improvements I believe are still needed in the run-blocking game. How would you say the overall performance of the O-line was in this game against the Texans? Yeah, well, usually we have a tale of two cities, right?

Starting point is 00:11:56 It was the best of times for the worst of times, and it was kind of flipped this week. The run-blocking wasn't good, but have to give houston a lot of credit there because that's a really tough defense and you know and you're without your you know your uh your prime running back and remandre stevenson although you know we use movie quotes all the time, which you just did. I used the exorcist because I couldn't believe that Antonio Gibson didn't have his head twisted all the way around like Linda Blair did. You know, that was one of those egregious penalties that they somehow missed when they were being very, very ticky-tack with everything else. But, you know, when I looked at the offensive line, the blocking was, as you said, was a bit better in pass protection.

Starting point is 00:12:59 But, you know, we're also dealing with a lot of guys who, you know, weren't even on the team, you know, at the start of the season. They have to give them some time to work together. I really liked what I saw with their new center. Two practices under his belt, right? And he not only plays, he starts. He's calling all the protections. And he only allowed two pressures in the pass protection. I thought him and Siddy Sow had really good games.

Starting point is 00:13:35 You know, on the edge, they need some help. These guys need to get a little bit better, and perhaps they work a few kinks into the system where they're leaving a tight end in the block or to chip on the edge and maybe a running back to stay in and block. But it wasn't bad. I put them at a C- because I thought they were able to throw the football this week. 243 yards, that's almost double of what they've been averaging.

Starting point is 00:14:16 Yeah, exactly. I was very impressed with what Ben Brown did as well. I mean, you look at the lead time that he had coming in to do the job that he did. Call on the protections. Did a fairly good job when it came to that. The pressure rate against Drake May was only 31.2%. So there was still a lot of opportunity for growth, but that was much better than we've been seeing. Ben Brown may end up being the solution now at center. Nick Leverett being released earlier this week. The Patriots making a move, bringing in Lasita Smith from the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Houston, Philly.

Starting point is 00:14:50 He spent time with a number of different teams on the practice squads. He's probably a backup option at this point at the vest, but he will be on the 53-man roster. So folks, keep an eye out for that because you also have Cole Strange waiting in the wings. And Gerard Mayo said earlier this week that 100% he's going to give a look at Cole when it comes to his return at the center position. So who knows what the Patriots are going to be doing and how these combinations and permutations of this offensive line continue to come together. But I think you made a great point, Steve, earlier when you said that this is the sixth different O-line combination in as many weeks Patriots are going to need some continuity in order to help Drake make grow as a unit and that's something that I look for as well so bottom line folks a decent day for the New England Patriots offense but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the Patriots on the field as as evidenced by the 41-21 final score and the loss to the Houston Texans.

Starting point is 00:15:48 One of the big reasons why was a defense that yielded 41 points on Sunday against a formidable Texans offense, but one that the Patriots should have been able to shut down a little more than they did. Was there a defensive deficiency, or is this a harbinger of things to come? Steve and I are going to talk about how the defense graded on Sunday 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, when you're hiring for your small business, you want to find quality professionals that are right for the role.

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Starting point is 00:18:35 Prize picks run your game. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On Patriots, making us your first listen each and every day. If you've done so, a tip of the cap to all of you out there, especially all of you everydayers that continue to make Locked On Patriots possible each and every day. And, of course, joining me today is not only our resident voice of reason, but our professor each and every week when it comes to grading

Starting point is 00:19:02 the Patriots' performance, columnist extraordinaire at patsfans.com, as well as being the co-host of the Patriots' 4th & 2 podcast, alongside the great Derek Havens. He's my Patriots bison, Steve Balistrieri. And Steve, a pretty good grading day for the New England Patriots offensively, but if we're looking at the defense, this was a team that clearly had its struggles. Struggled when it came to pass defense, struggle to stop the run, and just nothing seemed to be able to work well enough for them to get

Starting point is 00:19:30 into a rhythm and shut down Houston consistently enough to give that offense a chance to win the game. Let's start with the front seven, Steve. How did the front seven grade out when it came to your New England Patriots performance? What were the more unforgivable sins that this front seven committed on Sunday that led to such a dismal performance? You know, again, I think some of the tackling continues to struggle. You know, tackling is still an issue for these guys. I thought the defensive line was okay. I thought Devon Godchild has been really good

Starting point is 00:20:07 inside you know uh he was credited with six run stuffs um jacqueline roy i thought was good i once again he he uh he got another sack he had a a run stuffed down by the goal line. And I like his versatility where he can play inside on the nose or, you know, move out to defensive end. Keon White, three tackles, two passes defense at the line, and a quarterback hit. I thought some of his quarterback pressures really thought some of his um um quarterback pressures really disrupted some plays down the field it looked like strata was going to go deep but i think we're we're they're lacking is at the linebacker position specifically you're off the ball linebackers

Starting point is 00:21:00 um they really missed juan bentley There's no ways around it, okay? And I think Raekwon McMillan has kind of overcommitted sometimes on the run. And when you watch the tape back, sometimes there's two guys in one hole and there's a hole, you know, that's wide open. And it showed because they were, you know, the Texans were able to hit some really big plays in the running game. You know, Joe Mixon had a 59-yard run. Damion Pierce put the game away with a 54-yard touchdown, you know, and then May had another 20-yard run.

Starting point is 00:21:46 That was the majority of May's 102 yards came on two runs. So I will say this. When it comes to the edge, Anthony Jennings is outstanding. And I saw a stat that I want to say Taylor Kyle's put up that, you know, NFL leaders in run stops on the edge led by TJ Watt with 13. Sam Hubbard has 12, and Anthony Jennings has 11. So when you're talking about setting the edge they really missed him when he was out but i thought you know he he's done a fantastic job and he had five tackles to

Starting point is 00:22:35 tackle for a loss in a quarterback yet but it's i believe it's the interior linebackers, the off-the-ball guys that are really struggling. And that, I think, has been a killer for them. Plus, the tackling hasn't been good. Yeah, I think you hit the nail right on the head when it comes to the tackling. And that really, I think, is fundamentally where the Patriots need to focus the majority of their efforts when you talk about leading into subsequent weeks. And we'll get into that in just a moment. Areas of improvement that need to be made starting this Sunday in week seven,

Starting point is 00:23:12 when the Patriots travel to London to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. But getting back to the performance against the Houston Texans, and you look at what this team has done, and you look at what this team is supposed to be predicated on, which is strong run defense, which is what they did last year, controlling that, and then allowing that strong run defense to be able to dedicate efforts to the pass rush. We haven't seen either one of those consistently because of the absence of guys like Juwan Bentley in the middle. They're missing Christian Barmore up front, a guy that can take on the double team and allow the pass rush to be able to get home

Starting point is 00:23:47 and get after the quarterback. Those two guys being out of the lineup is huge. I know people want to point to Matthew Judon and saying, oh, well, they don't have that explosive player any longer. I think Keon White can be that guy. He's not at Matthew Judon's level just yet, folks, but he can be that guy.

Starting point is 00:24:03 But when he's the only game in town, it allows teams to be able to isolate him and to be able to stop him. And he's still putting up decent numbers. I think those numbers could be better. He had someone like Barmore being able to clear the way for him. So agreed. This defensive effort was definitely not where it needed to be and improvements need to be made. The secondary, Steveve i think a tale of two secondaries christian gonzalez we saw him struggle i think for the first time as a pro on sunday against houston um i thought that jonathan jones had a tough game as well uh he was not up to where he needed to be in terms of the safeties kyle duggar clearly was not a hundred percent but gave his best effort i

Starting point is 00:24:42 thought marty mapu did a very good job of coming in and trying to play and mitigate the loss of Jabril Peppers. How would you grade the secondary? What stood out to you here? Yeah, the secondary graded out as a C because there was some really solid play out there. As you mentioned, Christian Gonzalez arguably had his worst game as a pro um but it wasn't as bad as as people are making it out to me I mean he was facing

Starting point is 00:25:16 again a really tough receiver in Stefan Diggs I mean we've seen Diggs have success against just about everybody. But, you know, 11 times he was lined up against Diggs, and he allowed four catches for 39 yards in that one touchdown. So it wasn't good, but it wasn't awful. You know, I think Jonathan Jones was the guy, as you mentioned, he really struggled, and Tank Dell was giving him fits out there. You know, uh, Jones was targeted five times and he allowed five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Starting point is 00:25:57 And, you know, I thought again, you know, that was the bad stuff, but then Marcus Jones, you know, has an interception that he returned for 35 yards. As you mentioned, I thought Mapu was really strong in this game. And, you know, he had a half sack. He played well. You know, the one penalty against him in the end zone I thought was really ticky tack. Shouldn't have been called. But I thought he was really strong. Marcus Jones, again, I thought he had a really good game.

Starting point is 00:26:33 So it wasn't great. It wasn't that bad. I think that's a good point to make, Steve, because the second time, the third time you watch the game, you go back and you look at the secondary's performance, and I agree with you. Jonathan Jones definitely struggled. Tank Dell came in not playing his best football. Maybe the Patriots realized that. Maybe they saw something and thought that he is not the guy that's going to beat us. And ultimately, I think you can make the argument that Tank Dell's big game was really one of the reasons why Houston was so potent. Because you knew Diggs

Starting point is 00:27:04 was going to bring his A game with Nico Collins out. You knew that Joe Mixon's return was going to mean big things for Damian Pearson. That was going to be a very strong running combination, but I don't think they expected Tank to come out and play the way he did. Talented player showed it against Jonathan Jones and I think that was a deficiency that the Patriots need to clean up and will clean up. But again, you look at guys like Marte Mapo. You look at guys like Marcus Jones. Even Christian Gonzalez on a second and third watch. These performances were actually better than they looked in the initial watch.

Starting point is 00:27:38 When you get a chance to see a little bit more of the coach's film, the film from above, you can really see that the Patriots' secondary may have been a step in the wrong direction at times, but for the most part, they were in the right position. So little tweaks here and there, I think will help the secondary. Hopefully Kyle Duggar getting healthy, him being able to call the action back there is going to give them a little bit more of a boost. And you know, Christian Gonzalez is the type of guy that's going to elevate his game and be where he needs to be the next time the Patriots step on the field at Wembley Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars and that's where we're taking our conversation in just a moment folks because the Patriots are now on to week seven just like we are here on Locked On Patriots time to turn the

Starting point is 00:28:19 page and look to the future but our professor is not done handing out grades yet because there are needs improvement slips that will be handed out to certain aspects of the Patriots offense defense and maybe even special teams who knows you might even hand one out to the coaching staff we're going to discuss that in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, NFL fans. You can start the season with a big return on FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook.

Starting point is 00:28:57 So when you get a hunch in the middle of the game, you can check out the latest stats, view live play-by-play, and so much more on the same page where you place your bets you'll get started with 200 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place your first five dollar bet so if you're feeling pretty good about the chances of your favorite new england sports team you can test your intuition and make the most of it with fanduel.com that's fanduel.com. That's fanduel.com. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on this week's sixth grade report episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. And of course, to provide those grades,

Starting point is 00:29:36 we are honored and humbled to welcome my good friend, my Patriots bison, Steve Balistrieri of patsfans.com. Folks, if you have made us your first listen today, we greatly appreciate all of the support that you provide to Locked On Patriots. But now we implore you to make your second listen, our good friends over at Locked On NFL.

Starting point is 00:29:54 All the NFL's major storylines, including a couple of AFC East rivals that bolstered their offenses yesterday when it came to the addition of Devontae Adams to the Jets, as well as Amari Cooper to the Bills. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer with our good friends at Locked On NFL. Free and available on all platforms, and just like Locked On Patriots, they are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. And Steve, we've broken down the Patriots' performance on offense and on defense.

Starting point is 00:30:27 Surprisingly high grades for the offense. The defense, surprisingly low grades. But again, on second and third watch, you see the opportunities for the Patriots to make improvements. And they need to make improvements if they want to come away with a victory in jolly old England, in Claire Cooper country, which is where the Patriots will be on Sunday when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley. Steve, when you look at this team from top to bottom and their areas of improvement, if you were a professor, if you were a teacher, you're handing out needs improvement slips at the progress report deadline, who are you handing them to and why? I think it starts, again, with the offensive line. They still need to do a better job in pass protection,

Starting point is 00:31:14 although they showed some signs of improvement last week, and against a good defense. So we need to see a better job of pass protection, definitely a better job in, in, you know, run blocking there to allow, you know, your running backs to find some room because this offense will be even better when they're balanced and, you know, you get that balance offense and defense, and then the play action part of AVP's offense comes into play. I think, you know, Drake May has found, you know, the guys that he really likes in this offense,

Starting point is 00:31:55 and I think we're going to see more of Keishon Butte. I think we're going to see a lot of uh demario douglas this week um you know i was looking at the jags and they've been really deficient in stopping slot receivers so that's an area to watch on sunday morning right i think we're going to see a lot of demario um you know, I want to see him continue to target Hunter Henry, meaning Drake May. I think, you know, attacking the seams on the defense will be a big part of what they'll try to do this Sunday. You know, moving to the other side of the ball,

Starting point is 00:32:43 the run defense really needs a shot in the arm. Um, and again, we talked about the inside linebackers and Gerard Mayo was talking about run fits. And I think that's where they need to slow Jacksonville down, squeeze in the pocket. And, you know, I think the linebackers have to do a little bit better job as well, especially in the middle of, you know, pass defense. And those are the main areas I'd be looking at. But just I think the excitement factor is back with the team. I think you could sense that during the game. Now, you know, the wide receivers are not showing frustration

Starting point is 00:33:33 on the sideline there. You know, they're animated because they feel like, okay, we're getting the ball now. And I think that will continue to grow. I think they have a really good shot of winning on Sunday, even coming off a 20-point loss. Yeah, I think there's a lot of growth that you're going to see in this offense, even from one week to the next.

Starting point is 00:33:57 And look, if I'm handing out a needs improvement slip, if there's one area of the offense, or the offensive coaching staff, I guess, is really more or less where I'd be handing this one out it's third down efficiency patriots once again only converting three of 13 third downs against the houston texans last sunday that's got to improve i think it will improve and i think as drake gets more comfortable and he develops more of a rapport with his pass catching core i think that's going to make a big difference. And you mentioned Hunter Henry. I think Hunter will be a solid target for Drake May this week.

Starting point is 00:34:29 I do think that Demario Douglas is going to see an uptick in targets this week as well. And that's saying something considering that he led the team in receiving yards last week in 92. So these are all opportunities for the Patriots to grow. I'd like to see them continue to target Jalen Polk. I know a lot of Patriots fans are sighing and they're rolling their eyes at that. But eventually, this kid has to figure it out. And they have to give him the opportunity to be able to catch passes.

Starting point is 00:34:57 If, in fact, he becomes a liability, which I don't believe he is yet. But if he does become a liability, then the Patriots have a problem on their hands but I think Jalen is a hard enough worker to know this is an area of his game that needs to improve and I think the Patriots will take the appropriate action to make sure that that is improved so keep a sharp eye out for that this weekend and the part the targets on Jalen Polk if in fact the Pats want a guy that's going to be solid at the catch point. This is the selling point that we were promised when he was drafted. So he's got to live up to it. That's an area of improvement that the Patriots need to make. And maybe by doing so, it'll help to improve their third down efficiency.

Starting point is 00:35:38 The other that I'll hand out, Steve, is the intangibles. I like to call them. And these need to go to every member of the coaching staff. These need to go to every member of the team. For turnovers, you need to be able to take better care of the football. I understand that a couple of those were on Drake May interceptions, strip sack, things of that nature. Those are things that will be cleaned up, but they need to be worked on and you need to nip those early in order for them not to become bigger problems down the line. You don't want to have the snowball effect when it comes to turnovers. And of course, Murph and I talked about this on Monday, nine penalties for 50 yards. Yes,

Starting point is 00:36:16 that was a slight improvement from a dozen penalties the week before, but you're still showing a lot. A couple of those were false starts on the offensive line. One was on Drake. These are avoidable penalties that need to be cleaned up. If you stop giving the other team opportunities to beat you, you want to see how quickly the Patriots will end up in these games. Some of these games become winnable at that point. So in my opinion, those are the types of means improvement slips that I'm handing out if I'm a New England Patriots.

Starting point is 00:36:45 Yeah, absolutely. Great points, man. You know, those are some areas that need improving. And there's a lot of places. I just picked a couple of the, you know, to me, the more glaring issues. But I think Drake Mays is going to be better as well this week. You know, he's got his first start under his belt. He admitted he was nervous out there, and it showed in the first quarter.

Starting point is 00:37:14 But then he settled in, and I really liked what I saw from him and the fact that he's seeing the field so well. And I think, you know, the coaching staff has to be pleased with what they saw from him. So I think they'll expand the playbook a little bit this week, which is a good thing. I think, you know, the spread worked for them. And good point from you earlier with ABP tailoring the offense to Drake's strengths.

Starting point is 00:37:47 So, you know, there's obviously a lot of room for improvement. Excuse me. But I think Sunday's game is going to be exciting to watch. I really hope the defense can try to piece it together a little bit this week. But I think the needle's pointing up for them this week. Yeah, it clearly is pointing up for them this week. And hopefully the New England Patriots can ride a little bit of an era of good feelings, at least offensively, to a solid performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Starting point is 00:38:21 This Sunday morning, 9.30 a.m. That's right, folks. You've got to set your alarm, wake up early on a Sunday to watch your New England Patriots in jolly old England, and hopefully they can get a win for our good friend, the Countess of Clas, herself, Claire Cooper, who is absolutely over the moon that the Patriots are going to be in London this week. But hopefully they can come home to the United States with a win.

Starting point is 00:38:43 Steve, what can I say? Thank you so much for joining me here today, lending your wisdom, your counsel, and most importantly, your grades each and every week. You can catch all of Steve's great written work at patsfans.com. You can also catch him each and every week alongside the great Derek Havens on Patriots 4th and 2, one of the great podcasts out there for the New England Patriots. I'm a fan. You will be too.

Starting point is 00:39:06 I encourage you to check that out. And of course, you can always check Steve out here each and every week on the Locked On Patriots podcast. We're honored and humble to have my Patriots bison as a guest here on Locked On Patriots. And of course, folks, now that we've turned the page and we're all about Pat's Jaguars crossover Thursday coming at you, my good friend, Tony Wiggins, is going to join me here on the airwaves as we cross the streams. Trust me, folks, you are not going to want to miss this. Locked on, Patriots. Locked on, Jaguars.

Starting point is 00:39:34 Keep it right here on the Locked On Podcast Network for all the latest. In the meantime, on behalf of my good friend, Steve Balistrieri, I'm Mike DeBate, reminding all of you to stay safe, to stay well, and to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow for Crossover Thursday on Locked on Patriots.

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