Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Transit Authority: Patriots-Dolphins Recap - 9/14/2020

Episode Date: September 14, 2020

Making his first start as the Patriots’ quarterback, Cam Newton rushed for two touchdowns as New England defeated the Miami Dolphins 21-11 on Sunday. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo break down the Week One matchup, including Cam Newton’s performance, the prowess of the defense and what was the game’s biggest surprise.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get $10 off your first order.cbdMdRight now you can try the amazing duo of CBD Freeze and CBD Recover topicals and everything else cbdMd has to offer. They’re offering all our listeners 25% OFF your next order at cbdmd.comwhen you use the promo code LOCKEDONNFL at checkout.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!NFL Game PassThis season, get football on your time with NFL Game Pass. See all the action from every game with full game replays.Go to nfl.com/gamepass to start your free trial today. Door DashRight now, our listeners can get $5 off and zero delivery fees on their first order of $15 or more, when you download the DoorDash app and enter code LOCKEDON. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. You are now locked into the Locked On Patriots podcast, and it is Victory Monday here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. This football season will be different, and Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day no matter how you watch this season.

And let's face it, when it comes to really enjoying a football game, nothing's better than watching it in the confines of your own home. Comfortable clothes, your favorite chair, your very own TV, and Pepsi is the refreshment you need to power through game day and become a member of the League of Football Watchers. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Pepsi, made for football watching. Patriots fans, today is September 14th, 2020, and your beloved New England Patriots are back in the win column. A stellar start to the 2020 NFL season for the Pats, and here today on the pod, we'll be breaking down all of the action.

My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always appreciated and very much encouraged. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFBC. And while you're out there starting the week off on the right foot and saying how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots.

Patriots fans, after this weekend, we all might just have a new favorite form of ground transportation. I'm dubbing it the New England Transit Authority. And making his first start as the Patriots quarterback, Cam Newton rushed for two touchdowns as New England defeated the Miami Dolphins on Sunday 21-11 and opening the 2020 NFL season with a victory. Cam looked impressive and comfortable in his Patriots debut, rushing 15 times for 75 yards and throwing for 155 yards, leading a Patriots offensive attack that looked quite formidable on the ground. In the final tally, New England had amassed 217 of its 357 yards by running the football. But the Patriots' defense once again proved its prowess.

They looked solid in the secondary and stout between the tackles. Great performances by the front seven as well as the secondary, and seeing how this team looked both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball provides all of us here in Patriots Nation with a whole lot of optimism. But what are the true lessons to be learned from Sunday's victory? Well, again, folks, here on Locked On Patriots, today we'll be taking a deep dive into the Patriots' performance. And joining me here in just the moment to help me do just that is my good friend Steve

Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. We'll be discussing the new-look Patriots running game, whether the team has serious concerns both at wide receiver and at the kicker position. And of course, we'll discuss that defense and how we believe that Sunday's victory was just a primer when it comes to really seeing how good this defensive unit can be. So an action-packed agenda on the docket today. Sit tight and settle in, folks, as we discuss anything and everything related to the New England Patriots' victory in Week 1 over the Miami Dolphins. But first, I begin with a quick recap of Sunday's action on the Gillette Stadium fields.

And after a scoreless opening quarter for both teams, Cam Newton put the Patriots on the board for the first time in 2020 with a 4-yard touchdown run. That run capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive to put the Patriots on top 7-0. The Dolphins would answer, but not with a like-for-like score. Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders added a 46-yard field goal to give Miami three points, and they would head into the half trailing the Patriots 7-3. In the second half, Cam continued to hurt the Miami Dolphins via the ground attack. Cam scored his second rushing touchdown of the day early in the third quarter,

this time from 11 yards out, and that put New England up 14-3. But late in the third quarter the Finns found some life and Miami defender Jerome Baker stripped wide receiver Nakheel Harry inside the five-yard line. This caused Nakheel to fumble through the end zone for a touchback and Miami would capitalize by moving the ball well in this drive. Ryan Fitzpatrick finding his receivers for a couple of big yardage plays and the series culminating early in the fourth quarter when Miami running back Jordan Howard would find the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run. Brian Flores making the call to go for the two-point conversion. Miami makes it when Ryan Fitzpatrick would run it in himself.

And just like that, the Patriots' lead had been cut to 14-11 with 10.31 left in the game. But fear not, Patriots fans, because New England responded quickly. They moved inside Miami's 40 on a 23-yard touchdown run by Julian Edelman. 15 yards were tacked on to the end of that play after a late-hit penalty on Jerome Baker, and that was all Cam Newton and the offense needed to operate and find the end zone once again. Cam would find his way inside the one-yard line on a fourth-and-one draw play. On the ensuing down, running back Sonny Michel went over the top for a touchdown, and that made the score 21-11. Any hopes that Miami had to close the gap would end when Fitzpatrick was intercepted

in the end zone by Pat's quarterback, J.C. Jackson. So with that, the Patriots start the season undefeated, a 1-0 record after notching a victory over a key division rival. And once again, Cam Newton deserves the lion's share of the credit on offense. He looked comfortable running the Patriots offense. Most importantly, folks, he looked healthy, and his 75 yards rushing were the most by a Patriots quarterback since Steve Grogan had 81 rushing yards in 1977.

So clearly a big day for Cam, but on defense, there were a number of standouts. I, for one, was really impressed by what we saw from the defensive linemen, particularly Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler, and Byron Cowart. I thought they did a great job at stifling the run, which allowed linebackers like Anthony Jennings, Chase Winovich, and Juwan Bentley to provide stellar coverage when it came to both the pass and the run. But the secondary continues to maintain its reputation as being this team's strength, folks. Stephon Gilmore and JC Jackson each collecting an interception. I really want to give a special shout out to the versatility of the safeties. Jawan Williams had a very good game.

He saw some meaningful action defending tight ends. That showed me that he can be quite effective in being that hybrid type of cornerback safety. Speaking of hybrids, folks, I want to give a little love to my main man, Adrian Phillips. Those of you that have listened to the pod in the past know that I've been touting Adrian's prowess, and today on the field he showed why. Phillips ended up finishing the game with a team-high eight tackles, as well as an interception in the second quarter in which he read Ryan Fitzpatrick's mannerisms perfectly. This is a skill set that I saw Adrian utilize so well when I covered him in his days in Los Angeles.

Quite simply, this is a guy that can play all over the field and make big plays. We saw him do it today for the Patriots. He was making plays on the edge, in between the tackles, and even deep in the secondary. And I'll be the first to admit, it wasn't a perfect day for Adrian. He did have a couple of chunk plays that he let up, one in particular to Mike Gusecki for a pretty big gain. But much like all of the Patriots players out there, both on offense and on defense, they're still learning the ropes. And the most positive takeaway that I can find from Sunday's game is that this is a

team that's very sound in their execution. As they play more and get more comfortable with one another, that execution will only get better. And that might just be a very scary thought for the rest of the NFL, especially the fans of all the 31 other teams that were so eager to write the Patriots epitaph. Let that be a lesson that rumors of their demise might have been greatly exaggerated. But if we're being realistic, how excited should we get over one victory, folks? Well, lucky for us, our resident voice of reason is joining me here today on this Victory Monday

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GetRoman.com slash LockedOnNFL. GetRoman.com slash LockedOnNFL. Patriots fans, your favorite football team in Foxborough started off the season on the right foot with a 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins. And here today on LockedOnPatriots, we're starting off the week on the right foot. Here today to help me break down Sunday's action is my Patriots Paisan.

Patsfans.com's columnist extraordinaire Steve Balistrieri joins the pod today. Welcome back to Locked On Patriots, my friend. Hey, Mike. It seems like we just did this. It is true, absolutely. And you know what? Nobody better to break down all of the action that we saw on Sunday and kick off the week in style here on Locked On Patriots than you, my paisan.

And I do appreciate you joining me here today. It always means a lot. Love talking ball with you, and let's dive right in. Let's do it. Steve, a strong start to the season for the Patriots, and all eyes were on Cam Newton Newton and we knew they would be. To say that Cam ran a fairly different offense than we saw under Tom Brady last year and really for so many years might be a little bit of an understatement. Josh McDaniels added a lot of

zone read and run pass option plays and I thought that really highlighted Cam's abilities as a runner. But Newton put together a pretty efficient game as a passer as well. He went 15 of 19, passed for 155 yards. He almost had a passing touchdown when he fired to Nikhil Harry in the red zone. Nikhil fumbled it out of the back of the end zone for the touchback. And there's one way to get yourself into the Bill Belichick house of shame. It's doing that. So we'll see how that shakes out this week. But, Steve, when you looked at the offense as a whole on Sunday,

what were your thoughts on Cam? And what do you believe is the ceiling for this offense moving forward? Well, you know, all summer long I've been talking about, you know, I was worried that he wouldn't have a firm grasp of the offense, you know, with such a very short amount of time under his belt here. But I thought he looked really comfortable today. And, you know, I've been saying all week I wasn't going to overreact on Monday because everyone overreacts to everything on week one, you know. But at the same time, you have to come away with some degree of optimism there because he looked very comfortable in the offense. He looked very confident.

And the one thing that I took away is, you know, we've all heard about his energy that he brings to the field. But I thought that you could sense the players on the field when they were in the huddle that they were very confident in him. And I took that as a really good stepping stone for week one. It seems like they are very confident in his ability to lead the offense and lead them. And I think he has command of the offense already.

I mean, obviously they have a long way to go with some of the, you know, play calling and audibling and stuff like that. But, you know, basically winning over your teammates in the locker room, I think that's a given now. Yeah, without question. He looked very comfortable in the offense on Sunday, and I was really glad to see that he looked like someone that had command of his teammates and that his teammates trusted

him and that's not necessarily something to just be brushed off when it comes to having to replace a legend like Tom Brady in that backfield and so many of those players have played alongside Tom whether it be on the offensive line we saw him provide the ball to David Andrews and tell him to spike it those guys look like they were having a lot of fun out there and it really really meant a lot I think to Patriots Nation to see them embrace their new quarterback and the offense looked efficient as a result you know look I think at some point there might be some concern over the receivers, maybe even the runners a little bit, especially Sonny Michel, who did disappoint me a little bit during this game.

He had the touchdown without any question, but 10 carries on 37 yards, especially knowing that Damian Harris was not going to be in this lineup. The receiving core was thin and they were struggling. J.J. Taylor, as a runner, had five touches, 32 yards. Rex Burkhead had seven carries for 32 yards. They pretty much did what you expected them to do. But I expected maybe a little bit more out of Sonny. Hopefully, with the presence of a fullback like Jakob Johnson, he'll be able to come into his own a little bit. And he looked healthy anyway, which is a good sign for the Patriots moving forward but when it comes to the receiving game Steve do you think it was just

a numbers game and them being thin here on Sunday or do the Patriots really have some serious concerns when it comes to this receiving core well I think it was a little bit of both I think they have some concerns there I think that you know've talked about this, that it's not a very deep and talented group. And, you know, other than Julian Edelman, there's a lot of questions there. So that's something that, you know, they're going to have to address and they're going to have to work on. I mean, Edelman did the things that we're used to seeing Julian Edelman do. You know, we were hoping to see some Gunnar Olszewski

because he had such a nice summer, but, you know, now he's on IR. Damian Harris, who had a really nice summer, he's on IR, you know, from out of the backfield. But, you know, they're going to have to get some production out of Damian Bird, who was invisible today. And, again, it's only one week, you know, they're going to have to get some production out of Damian Bird, who was invisible today. And, again, it's only one week. You know, but you look at that Dolphins secondary, that is a really improved secondary.

Byron Jones, Xavier Howard, you know, Noah, who I'm not going to pronounce his last name correctly, who they drafted out of Auburn. I mean, that is a really good secondary right now. That's much better than what they had at the end of last year. So I kind of expected the, you know, the wide receivers to struggle a little bit. Absolutely. The name that you were struggling with, Noah, Igbenagane. That's not an easy one to pronounce.

And I think I may be butchering Adam, of course. I'm trying to spell it phonetically and sound it out. But it is a tough one. But, no, they do have a very formidable second name. Yeah, we had a Dolphins guy on the podcast on Thursday, and he pronounced it correctly, and I started laughing. I was like, you could ask me that right now, and I wouldn't be able to repeat it.

But, yeah, he's a talented kid. And, you know, I think the Dolphins are going to be a lot better team this year than they were last year. And, again, they're in the same boat the Patriots were. They have a lot of new faces. They didn't get a chance to play together during the preseason. A lot of people are writing the Dolphins off already and I think that's a mistake I think they're going to

be a lot better yeah I do as well I think that the Dolphins did show some signs of life don't forget they did not have Devontae Parker in the game for the majority of it he went down with an injury he didn't look the same he was reportedly kind of hampered with that injury all week long. And it just it showed up at the worst possible time. I thought Preston Williams ran into some really difficult coverage. I thought the Patriots provided some good coverage on the tight ends. And we'll get into the defense in just a moment, my friend. But I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you a question about the kicking game.

And, Steve, there was a lot of attention didn't ask you a question about the kicking game. And Steve, there was a lot of attention being paid to the kicking game in the off season, the competition between Rohrwasser and Nick Folk. And the Patriots look like they might be still waiting a little bit and, you know, maybe even a little waiting impatiently, if you think about it. Folk hit his extra points, no problem, but he did miss a 45 yarder from the center of the field and uh henry mckenna of usa today patriots wire made an interesting point after the game and said rather than kick a short field goal the patriots decided to go for it on a fourth and one on the five yard line in the fourth quarter they picked up the first down and it

all worked out without any question but it beg the question, would they have taken the field goal if Fulk had hit his first attempt? Did they have a lack of confidence in Nick Fulk going forward? Steve, in your opinion, is this just growing pains here, or really should we be worried about the kicking game? Well, you know, I didn't like the selection of Justin Browasser. I wanted somebody else as a kicker. But when they went with him, I was content to let them, you know, work with this guy through his issues that he came into this summer. And I don't think he's healthy right now.

I think once he is healthy, it's why they kept both of the guys. I think they're going to bring him up. And I think that's the right now. I think once he is healthy, it's why they kept both of the guys. I think they're going to bring him up. And I think that's the right move. But at the time on that fourth and one, you know, a field goal only puts you up by one score, and the Dolphins can tie it up, send it to overtime. I thought it was the right move. You're on the, you know, one-yard line,-yard line, or you're down around the goal line.

You need that one yard to get the first down. I think you go for it. You go for the win, and if you don't get it, then they have to go the length of the field. I like that move, and the way they were producing in the running game, especially with Newton under center. He brings that different fashion to the running game, and I thought that was the right move.

Yeah, I would say I would agree with you on going for it. I think even if you have all the confidence in the world in your kicker, I still think there's so much value in going for it. And again, with a runner like Newton, someone that can extend plays with his legs, that brings that third down and fourth down prowess that the Patriots desperately, I think, were hoping for from Cam Newton,

it really makes the decision that much easier. Now, do they have an issue moving forward at kicker? I don't think so. I think Nick Folk will be okay. I do think Roarwasser will end up coming into his own. But, you know, there are definite concerns there. And until this matter gets straightened out, I think a lot of fans and a lot of media alike will probably be beating the drum of the Patriots need help in the kicking game. But ultimately, I think it is a lot of much ado about nothing. And once again, I completely agree with you with going for it on fourth and one. I think that was the smart move. Steve, Cam Newton and the offense were closely watched on Sunday, but the defense is still the strength of this team.

And in just a moment, folks, Steve Balistrieri and I will talk about that New England defense and what their performance on Sunday means for this team moving forward. This and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today, breaking down the Pats 21-11 win over the Miami Dolphins to open the season. And Steve, the surprise of this game, for me at least, was the play of the interior defensive line and even the linebackers and the edge rushers. I expected solid play, but what we got was something that really surprised me pleasantly.

I said to open the show that I believe that the defensive line, Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler, and Byron Cowart were very effective in being able to keep the run in check. I thought Juwan Bentley provided stellar coverage as the defensive play caller. I thought Anthony Jennings looked very solid with a tackle at the goal line. And Chase Winovich was great. Six tackles, had the quarterback hit and the tackle for the loss. So all in all, I thought the Patriots front seven really put on a show today and maybe a little bit more than I was expecting. Were you surprised by how effective this team looked in the front seven yes i was and again i go back

you and i have had this conversation many times and they've lost a lot of you know key personnel on that front seven i mean you know they lost danny shelton and they replaced him with bo allen who's now on IR. And so we were a little bit worried against the run, which they weren't great against the run last year. And, you know, then you lose all that linebacker depth from last year. And we all are convinced that these young kids that they have now can all play. But, you know, it's a lot to expect them to jump in on week one. But as you said, I think Jennings, you know, had that nice stop down there on,

I think it was on the two-yard line where, you know, he hit the runner in the backfield. I thought it was a really nice play. Chase Winovich is definitely making that second-year jump. You could see the level of confidence that he's playing with out there. John Simon, you know, he's kind of like that quiet, steady, maybe unspectacular but really solid player, along with Lawrence Guy. And then you just go down the line, and all these guys started to contribute.

Derek Rivers, I thought Derek Rivers looked a lot bigger than I remember him back in his rookie season. Good point. You know, I remember talking to him in his rookie season. And then when I saw him on the field today, I was like, wow, he looks like he's beefed up a lot. But, you know, Shalee Calhoun, Brandon Copeland, all these guys contributed, and you have to look at it as a positive moving forward. You know, was it perfect? No.

But it was a really nice building block. Miami's not a great running team, but they're going to be better at running the football than they were last year. They have Jordan Howard. They have Matt Berito. I mean, they're going to be better at running the ball. And I thought the front seven overall hung in there really, really well today. Yeah, I thought they did as well. And I'm glad that you brought that point up about Rivers, who did come in looking bigger than I remember him.

After everything that Derek has been through off the field when it comes to injuries and just not being able to catch a break, if he can come in and somehow be an addition to this pass rush, that only makes this unit even much more formidable. I had consistently left him off of my 30, my 53 man roster projections, simply thinking that he wasn't going to be able to make it on except for the last one that I did, because I saw a lot in training camp, a lot of growth from a lot of the observations that were made. And I was just really rooting for the kid and seeing him come onto the field today and make a significant contribution was something that made me smile. Dietrich Wise is another player that came in a lot bigger,

looking more like a pass rusher again. I think we had lost that maybe the last couple of years from Dietrich, definitely more last year than the year before, but it was good to see him come back and provide solid coverage. So Patriots front seven, again, looking good, Steve. But that leads me quite nicely into my last question for you today. And the Patriots once again looked solid in the secondary. And I think they're proving that that is still the gem of this defense.

Stephon Gilmore, JC Jackson, each notching interceptions. Gilmore did have a couple of miscues. The pass interference calls were not his his best and it wasn't Stefan's best day but he still came up big when it counted and still proved I think that he's one of the defenders one of the best defenders if not the best defender in the NFL I was impressed by Juwan Williams uh seeing that time at hybrid safety covering tight ends I thought he did a fairly good job on Mike Gusecki today and of course of course, I'm going to toot my own horn a little bit. My guy, Adrian Phillips, leading the team in tackles, getting an INT of his own.

Steve, this is such a formidable group. And even though they were facing a Miami offense that was slowed by the loss of Devontae Parker, what did this performance on Sunday tell you about what this team can do moving forward if the secondary continues to play at that level and improve as the time goes on well you know I was thinking of you all game long because they had Phillips in is that kind of like dime linebacker that uh you know big nickel linebacker however you want to uh characterize it. He was playing in the middle of the field, and he made a great play on that interception because he stopped.

And when he stopped, Fitzpatrick, as he was scanning the field, didn't see him. And as soon as Fitzpatrick let go of the ball, he was in perfect position to take it. And he diagnosed the play perfectly. I thought it was a really nice play. And, again, it shows the depth and versatility this group has. You know, the Patriots' top draft pick, Kyle Duggar,

is the guy we expect is going to take that job in the future, and he only played a handful of snaps today. So you're looking at this secondary and you're like, they haven't even reached their potential yet. I think it was a, it was a really nice performance. I thought the one, the first interference call on, on Gilmore, I thought that was a little ticky-tack because they were both fighting for the position on the football.

You could have called that on either guy. The second one was definitely an interference because Gilmore tried to undercut it, and he tripped. And then he tripped the receiver, and obviously that's a penalty. But other than that i i thought the secondary looked really really good i mean you know uh i think uh fitzpatrick at 191 yards passing and three interceptions no touchdowns i think that's a pretty good day yeah it is a very good day and again the the secondary just continues to come up. And I'm glad that you mentioned Duggar in my pregame on Friday, previewing the game. I said, watch for Kyle

Duggar. You might see a lot of him. He's going to play meaningful minutes. And he did. But ultimately, I think what it shows is just how deep this unit is. I was glad to see Phillips get his recognition today because, again, I've seen him make those reads so often in Los Angeles. He just has a way of being able to diagnose quarterback mannerisms. And you saw that today, especially on the INT, reading Fitzpatrick so well, coming back and making the play on the ball. Again, that shows his versatility.

And I think that's something that the Patriots saw in him and the reason why they brought him in Gilmore Jackson, even John Jones playing in the slot, Jason McCourty, Devin McCourty. These guys are not lighting up the scoreboard with all of the heavy duty stats, but it's the little things that these guys do, getting people in place, making sure that everybody knows where they need to be on the field at all times. It's a hallmark of a Bill Belichick coach defense. We've seen it so often, Steve. And I hope we see it again because they're going to need to be on their game with Seattle looming now at the end of the week.

But today being Victory Monday, I guess, we'll cherish this one and we'll enjoy this for a little while before we start looking ahead to the Seahawks. Steve, what can I say? I always, always appreciate you coming in, talking ball with me here on Locked On Patriots, especially when we can break down a win. It makes that visit much more enjoyable. But regardless, I always enjoy the time we spend together. My friend, please let our listeners know.

If we do have new listeners, please let them know where they can find you. Always find your great work and also what we can expect in the weeks coming from the great pen of Steve Valistrieri. Well, you can find me on Twitter at SteveB7SFG. I write for Patchmans.com. In fact, as we were speaking, I didn't write my postgame notes until after I wanted to watch the Tampa Bay-New Orleans game. I'm sorry I had to watch that one. Anyway, yeah, I'm working on that. And then, you know, on Monday, I'll do – or Monday or late Monday or early Tuesday,

I'll do my report card and we'll basically do the same thing all over again, break it down by position and you know what I do every week. And then starting on Wednesday and Thursday, we start diving right into Seattle. Absolutely. And it will be a happening this weekend. And I know that you mentioned the Tampa Bay, New Orleans game folks, reports of Tom Brady's demise are being greatly exaggerated a tough game for tampa bay on sunday not the way tom wanted to start his buccaneers uh career i'm sure but we've seen tb12 do it so many times buddy i'm not ready to write that guy off just yet not with the formidable weapons he has down in tampa bay i think they figure it out and i still think they

put together a solid season but it's all all about the New England Patriots here, and we're on to Seattle very shortly. But, my friend, thank you again for joining me here today on Locked On Patriots to break down the Patriots opener, the win against Miami, 21-11. If I could talk, folks, it'd be a miracle. So excited by the win, i can't even remember what the final score was but no in all actuality but stay safe stay well thanks for joining me here

today and we look forward to talking ball with you again next week oh thanks for having me as always and uh wasn't it just delightful this afternoon to sit back in your chair and watch football again. I mean, it almost felt like we were back to normal. It really did. The crowd noise pumped in just made it a little bit more interesting and a little bit more real. But seeing football on your TV on a Sunday afternoon is always a good thing for all of us. And we're happy to have it back.

Hopefully everyone stays healthy and we keep moving forward toward a full exciting NFL season coming up in 2020. After the year we've all had I think we've all earned it buddy. Absolutely. And so Patriots fans on this Victory Monday we remind you that on Sunday, your New England Patriots were the best when it came to themselves and the Miami Dolphins. Only the best can provide the best. And the only ones who could provide the best healthy, low-calorie, and delicious treats you love are the ones who provided the best in the first place. So prepare your taste buds for wow and make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar now.

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I will continue to break down the Patriots' Week 1 victory over the Dolphins and analyze what that victory might mean for the Patriots' Week 2 matchup coming up on Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. So to ensure that you do not miss a single episode, follow us on Spotify, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank Steve Balistrieri for his time, his insight,

and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a part of your daily New England Patriots coverage. Stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great Victory Monday, everyone.