Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - On To Miami: Looking Ahead to Patriots-Dolphins - 9/9/2020

Episode Date: September 9, 2020

On Sunday, September 13, 2020, the New England Patriots will host their division rivals, the Miami Dolphins, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Joining host Mike D’Abate to help break down the New England’s strategy from an offensive and defensive perspective is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss the ability of a younger Patriots defense to contain Miami’s offensive weapons, the marquee matchup between Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore and Miami wideout DeVante Parker, and the new-look Patriots offense under quarterback Cam Newton.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.ManscapedGo to Manscaped.com and use code LOCKED to get 20% Off and Free Shipping. Manscaped is #1 in men’s below the belt grooming and offers precision-engineered tools for your family jewels.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! 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 in to the Locked On Patriots podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis, infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. It is Wednesday, September 9th, 2020. Your New England Patriots prepare to host the

Miami Dolphins this Sunday, September 13th, 1 p.m. Eastern at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. And today here on the pod, we are on to Miami. 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 warmly welcomed and strongly encouraged. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-P-C. And while you're out there giving that midweek nod and saying,

how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, we are getting closer and closer to Sunday's home opener. And let's face it, we are all excited to see our favorite football team from Foxborough take the field. And it will be a welcome sight. 2020 has been one of the most tumultuous years any of us remember. Whether it be a global pandemic,

the ongoing fight against social injustice, economic unrest, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. And while professional sports doesn't equal the magnitude of any one of those things, it can help to serve as a diversion and even a motivation in some cases. Most of you listening to this podcast are fans of the New England Patriots. You want to see your beloved team in Foxborough take the Gillette Stadium turf. But for those of you listening that might not be Patriots fans, whatever team you're a fan of, enjoy the games this weekend and have fun with the fact that the NFL is once again back in action. And right here in New England, the expectations are definitely high. It's been an interesting offseason for the Patriots, starting with the

news that we would be bidding farewell to a legend who helped build 20 years of excellence right here in New England. But Tom Brady is now in Tampa, folks. Cam Newton is the quarterback here in New England, and by all accounts, he is poised to bring excitement both on and off the field as the Patriots begin yet another quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. This weekend, we get our first look at what a Cam Newton offense will look like in New England. We will also see if the Patriots could build on what was a dominant

defense in 2019. There were some key losses on that side of the ball too, folks. How will the younger players, some of which are rookies, carry the load and keep the Patriots' defense as stingy as they were just one year ago? And last but certainly not least, what types of strategies might the Patriots employ as they look to take the field for the first time in the 2020 regular season? Well, to help me answer these questions, I will be joined by none other than my Patriots Paizan, Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. And Steve and I will take a look at the Patriots roster, both on offense and on defense.

Will a less experienced but younger pass rush lead to the Patriots putting more pressure on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick? Which way will the pendulum swing in the Stephon Gilmore versus Devontae Parker matchup? And last but certainly not least, we'll flip the script and prognosticate on what types of offensive schemes the Patriots might employ now that Cam Newton is the quarterback. And I'll give you a little hint, folks. And it might, just might include a little bit of play action. No, folks, don't check your audio. You heard correctly. Steve and I will explain the reasoning behind that and so much more.

So sit back, settle in, as Steve Balistrieri and I start to take a look ahead to the Miami Dolphins here on this Wednesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. But first, the New England Patriots did make some transaction news by way of the practice squad on Tuesday evening. As per the NFL transaction wire, the signings of former Tennessee Titans wide receivers Mason Kinsey and Christian Wilkinson had been processed. Now on Monday, I had mentioned that both rookies were hosted on free agent visits

to begin the week after being waived by Tennessee ahead of the league's roster deadline. It was widely expected that both Kinsey and Wilkerson would sign, especially after the Patriots had a pair of openings on the 16-man practice squad. Those were vacated by J.J. Taylor and Cash Malawiah, who on Monday were elevated to the 53-man roster. As for Kinsey and Wilkerson, they will be joining Devin Ross and Isaiah Zuber, adding some depth on the practice squad at wide receiver. And the footage I've seen on both of these guys is pretty impressive.

Kinsey is listed at 5'10", 188 pounds. He went to Berry College, which as I said on Monday is a Division III school, but he certainly has an impressive resume. 203 catches for 3,343 yards and 50 touchdowns. I don't care what division your school is in, that's impressive. Wilkerson, on the other hand, is impressing with his athleticism. He's listed at 6'1", 201 pounds, a product of Southeast Missouri State. He finished his tenure there with 219 catches for 3,540 yards and 33 touchdowns. This kid's got a quick step and sure hands, so while I don't expect either

one of them to make significant impacts on the Patriots this year, I believe these are two guys that could make a name for themselves, maybe even sooner rather than later. And in my opinion, they fit right in with this practice squad. From top to bottom, a lot of potential talent. So as I like to say, especially in the early part of this year, keep a sharp eye, folks. You might even see some of these names toward the end of the season as possible roster call-ups. And no, folks, I don't mean that as a bad thing. I mean it as a good thing.

And staying on the subject of bad things and good things, what types of results will we see on the field this Sunday? Will it be a good result for the New England Patriots or a bad result for the New England Patriots? Well, those are the types of questions that Steve Balistrieri and I will answer in just a moment when the Locked on Patriots podcast continues. But first, in less than 24 hours, the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Houston Texans and open the 2020 NFL regular season.

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Patriots fans, this Sunday, your favorite football team from Foxborough will host the divisional rival Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. That's right. NFL football is back. And to help me break down the Pats strategy from an offensive and defensive perspective is my Patriots Paisan. Patsfans.com's columnist extraordinaire Steve Balistrieri joins me today. Welcome back to Locked On Patriots, my friend. And it's a pleasure to be here because we're actually going to talk about football stuff.

I can't wait for Sunday. We truly are. Yeah, tomorrow night it actually kicks off with the Chiefs, the Super Bowl champs. Then they take on the Texans, and that's always a great opening night when you get the champ chance on the field. It should be a lot of fireworks and set the table for Sunday. This spring, we were looking at things, and we weren't absolutely sure we were ever going to get to this point.

It's true. As hard as it is to believe, we're talking Patriots football and previewing a game that we will all be watching this weekend. And it feels pretty good to say that, my friend. No question. And you're very welcome. It's always my honor and my pleasure when you join me here on the microphone. And without further ado, bud, let's dive into it. Let's dive into some live football action and previews that are more than just odd talk. The Patriots obviously are hosting the Dolphins this weekend, Bud, and our good buddy Murph joined me here yesterday on the pod, and we talked about that bitter end to the 2019 regular season.

We know the revenge factor is definitely a storyline. We've seen it out there, but Bill might use some Foxborough bulletin board material, but it's not all about revenge when it comes to the New England Patriots. This is a new year, and it's going to be important for the Patriots to start off the season with a win, especially this year. I know all eyes are going to be on the offense, folks, and we'll flip the script to that in just a moment. But let's start on the defense. The Patriots have had some turnover on their defensive depth charts

in fact two key members of that defense are guys we're going to see on Sunday Kyle Van Nooy and Landon Roberts the Patriots have a versatile group of guys on defense this year but they're young rookies like Josh Uche, Anthony Jennings, even to a certain extent Kyle Duggar, are going to be called upon to help defend the middle. Now, Chan Gailey, who is the offensive coordinator in Miami this year, has coached offensive units that have averaged 17.3 points in four games versus the Patriots. Steve, when you look at this defense, primarily the front seven, how might they look to neutralize Ryan Fitzpatrick and this Dolphins offense? Well, you know, looking at Fitzpatrick, I know, you know,

they'll look at that tape from last year because, you know, Fitzpatrick kind of picked them apart. And even Belichick said the one thing about Fitzpatrick is you never know which guy's going to show up. I think you plan on having the sharp Fitzpatrick there

and then you take life as it comes. First of all, you have to slow down the run. I think that's going to be an issue for them, especially early going this year. And if the Dolphins can get their running game going, it's going to make Fitzpatrick that much more effective. So I think it goes hand in hand. I think they have to get after him a little bit. I don't think they'll

confuse him very much because he's an old pro. He's been around. He's seen a lot of the looks that you're going to show him um but i i think you have to force him into those situations where he has to throw the ball if you're in third and two third and three then you know it can be either or i think it goes hand in hand yeah i agree with you i think in a lot of ways what we need to see the Patriots establish very early like you said is to put the ball in Ryan Fitzpatrick's hands if the Dolphins can start running the football and let's face it if there's a weak spot on this Patriots defense right now it

might be the run defense it might be the middle the interior of the defensive line especially with Bo Allen being on the shelf now that's's no knock to Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler. I think Lawrence Guy is one of the most underrated defenders in the NFL, and Adam Butler has become a pretty good presence in the middle part of that defensive line. But they're missing that nose tackle. Byron Coward had a pretty solid camp. We've heard a lot of reports about him beefing up a little bit, being much more effective at stopping the run than he was last year, even more than he was in college. He actually stepped

up and added that dimension to his game, along with being a pretty good pass rusher. So Byron Coward is someone I'm going to have a sharp eye on this weekend, and I think that may help to put a little bit of that quell to rest in terms of people getting nervous about the run game. If they do put the ball in Fitzpatrick's hands, it means that the Patriots are able to control the run, and I think that's when this secondary and this defense can really go to work. And speaking of that secondary, Steve, one of the biggest storylines from last year's regular season finale

was the Stephon Gilmore versus Devontae Parker matchup. Gilmore and Parker are among the best players in the league at their respective positions. Gilmore is the reigning 2019 Defensive Player of the Year. Parker is really considered one of the more elite wide receivers in the game today. So this battle is going to be a fun one to watch. Talk about sharp eyes. I think collectively this is the one that everybody's going to be anticipating most. Stephon came out on top during their first meeting last year in Miami,

43 to nothing to win, win, win. Obviously, Stephon got the better of the matchup in that one. But when these two teams flipped the script and they came to Foxborough in December, that's when Parker was able to exploit Stephon a little bit. And Murph and I talked a little bit about this yesterday, about this being one of the poorer showings that Stephon has shown as a cornerback in New England. And believe me, no one is more aware of that than Gilmore himself. He's mentioned that several times this week.

Steve, when you take a look at this matchup, obviously Patriots fans don't want to see a repeat of December's matchup. So how do you anticipate Gilmore doing things differently this time to help contain Devontae Parker? Well, I think he's just going to stick with his game. I mean, his game is solid. He had a bad day against Parker in that game in New England in December. But I think he's not

going to do anything different than he normally does. I think he'll play his game. I think he'll look to have a much better game this time around. But the guy I'm looking at, actually, the guy that I'm interested to see how they work in is Preston Williams, who got hurt

around midway through the season last year. Prior to his injury, Preston Williams was getting more targets per game than Devontae Parker. So I think that, you know, when you're looking at matchups, I think, you know, everyone will be watching Parker and Gilmore. And I think that'll be obviously a key one to watch. But Williams and J.C. Jackson might go a long way in determining who wins this football game.

Very, very good point. And especially knowing the type of explosiveness that Preston Williams can give and the reliability that he can give at wide receiver. That's something to watch because J.C. Jackson, by consensus, seems to have had one of the better training camps. Some would say he had the best training camp out of any Patriots player on the field. He really looks to be coming into his own. And then don't forget, you also have guys like Jason McCourty in that cornerback tandem,

guys that can come in, play, you of middle-of-the-field role to be able to help neutralize some of the passing attack that Ryan Fitzpatrick might put out there. So great point on Preston Williams. Folks, keep a sharp eye on that one because I think that could end up being one of the more intriguing matchups, maybe a little bit more under the radar than Gilmar versus Parker. It might not quite have the cachet that matchup has,

but I think Steve is onto something and thinking that may be the marquee matchup of the weekend and may end up flipping the script and turning the tables as to who ends up on top in this one. Steve, bottom line, the Patriots are onto Miami. And in just a moment, folks, we will be onto the offense as Steve Balistrieri will continue to occupy his spot right here on the hot seat as we discuss this new-look Patriots offense and how they will fare on Sunday. How will they fare? Find out when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on Locked On Patriots. And Steve, the biggest story of the offseason, obviously, was the departure of Tom Brady.

And now we have a new quarterback here in New England, a Newton era, so to speak. Cam is definitely your new quarterback. One, he is the starter. He's a team captain. This is going to be his team this year. And he's going to get his first taste at leading New England's offense this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. We've heard so much, and we all know, that the offense's going to get his first taste at leading New England's offense this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins we've heard so much and we all know that the offense is going to look

different but the question is how well will it be able to function with a new quarterback at the helm and a large amount of unproven pieces both at wide receiver and tight end they're expected that these new pieces are really expected to see significant action. Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene, Neil Keel-Harry I include in that list as well, even though he had the half season last year. He's still really coming into his own as an NFL wide receiver. Jacoby Myers I expect to play a decent role. Also, you have Gunnar Ryszewski at that position.

In short, Steve, when it comes to the Patriots' receiving game and their ability to mesh with Cam Newton's style, what can we expect to see from the Pats' offense this week in their debut in this Newton era that I keep touting here on Locked on Patriots?

That's the great unknown, isn't it, this week? Because we're expecting the offense to change, and the Patriots have shown that. I mean, the one thing that they've shown is the ability to change their identity depending on, you know, the opponent and depending on the pieces available to them. You know, we saw when Tom Brady was out via the suspension,

they changed the offense a little bit for Jimmy Garoppolo. They changed it even more when Jacoby Brissett stepped in. So with Cam Newton at the helm, we expect the packages, personnel packages, and their looks to change significantly. How those pieces all fit with no preseason is the big unknown right now. I really think it's going to be a run-based offense. We expected to see Damian Harris there. Unfortunately, you know, he broke his finger. He had to have surgery on it.

He's going to miss at least the first three weeks. So, you know, when I'm looking at the passing offense, again, I think it's based off the run. If they're able to run the ball effectively and they keep the Dolphins, who were terrible against the run themselves last year, I think the Dolphins were 30th or worse in almost every defensive category last year. And against the run was one of them. So if the Patriots can get their running game going, that passing game will open wide up once they use play action. And I'm hoping that's going to be the case,

that they'll be able to run the ball effectively, Cam will be able to play action pass and, you know, hit some open guys down the field. That being said, I know that yesterday Brian Flores said the key for them is keeping Cam inside the pocket. So obviously they're expecting some rollouts, some sprint outs from Cam. I'm not sure we'll see a lot of that in the first week. I'm not.

I'm really looking for them to establish. They already know what they have in Julianette. I think this week we'll be trying to get Nakio Harry and some of the other guys, you know, more in tune with Cam. And I really think with that secondary, they have an excellent secondary, by the way. It's going to be tough for the Patriots to get the passing game going. I think in the passing game, it's going to be a lot of James White this week. I agree with you. And I think that White's prowess as a pass catching

back will allow him to make strides. Don't forget, Miami's defense now has a little bit more experience than they had last year, but not a lot of experience in Miami's system now has a little bit more experience than they had last year but not a lot of experience in Miami's system you know you've got four guys four of their projective starters were brought on during the offseason one of which we know very well in Kyle Van Noy you also talk about Emmanuel Ogba on the on the defensive line linebackers like Shaq Lawson joining Van Noy and that crew and even Byron Jones at cornerback, flanking along the other side of Xavier Howard. This is going to be an interesting test for the Miami Dolphins

to see how well that new-look defense, even though there's a lot of NFL experience on the field, not a lot of experience playing together. So can the Patriots exploit that? I think in years past, you'd look at a guy like Tom Brady and say, absolutely, he's going to be able to pick these guys apart. He's going to take a look at what they're doing, what they do well, what they're not doing well, and be able to slice and dice this defense. I think the Patriots still have the ability to do that. I think Cam is a much

better quarterback at that than a lot of people give him credit for, but it's still going to be a little bit of a growing pain. And because of that, I think James White will be a big key part of the receiving game this week as well. Lastly, my friend, you did mention the running game. And look, we've been hearing a lot about the running game making major strides this season. I think it's interesting that you said that we might see even more of a back to the future type look from the Patriots this week, using the running game to facilitate the play action pass in order to make the offense run more efficiently Damian Harris obviously you mentioned him as well he is going to be a disappointing um you know non-factor

in this game obviously going on injured reserve and we won't see him for at least the first three weeks of the season but they still have sony michelle they still have rex burkhead they do have james white and they've got little deon on the roster this week as well and jj taylor a guy we were hoping to see crack the 53 man and he'll get his shot this week steve do you still expect the patriots run game to establish itself as the alpha in this offense even in the first three weeks without Damian Harris? Or does this put more pressure on Cam to be that extra runner that we've seen him be so many times in Carolina?

Well, I think with the offensive line, with the exception of your right tackle all returning, I think that's a huge piece for the Patriots, especially early in the early going. Yesterday, Murph and I spoke with Matt Chatham, and we were talking about the lack of all the workouts in the spring and summer, the lack of preseason games. And one of the things Matt said, the teams that stayed, you know, the most steady in regards to, you know,

returning personnel will have a big advantage in the early going because they've already played together. They've taken those live snaps. They've had to make the tackles on defense. You know, they've, you know, worked through their offensive issues. So, you know, with the Patriots' offensive line there, I think that those guys will probably be firing off the ball a lot better than we might expect with no preseason to go off of. So I'm looking for them to really try to establish the run.

And the other thing that the Dolphins have to respect is that Newton can be a runner. So those long stretch plays where, you know, Newton kind of strides out a little bit and hands it off to maybe a Rex Burkhead or Tony Michelle, you know, off tackle, they have to respect him holding on to the football. And that will cut down on some of their pursuit angles. So I look for the Patriots to really try to establish the run and do a good job of it on week one. Interesting point, and I think you're absolutely right. The threat of having Cam Newton be able to tuck the ball

and run for significant yardage is not something that defenses have been forced to game plan for when it comes to New England Patriots offense. Again, folks, I say this so many times that I don't mean to sound like a broken record. That is no way and not the Tom Brady, but it just wasn't part of his game. This is part of Cam's game. So it'll be interesting to see how the Dolphins game plan for that. And as we continue to get closer and closer this week and we get a clear picture as to what the injury situation might look like, who might be active for this game, who might not be, there's a lot of factors that are involved for the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins.

And it's a divisional game. And these games are always difficult. They're always hotly contested and they always come down to the wire. Usually they come down to the wire, and I expect a close one this Sunday. I know Murph gave his prediction yesterday, a 34-12 New England victory. Still a little early in the game for us, my friend. We do our columns, and we'll get those predictions out toward the end of the week. But I think it's going to be a little closer than that. But we live in hope, and my assessment anyway, at this point is that the Patriots will come out on top at home on Sunday. But Steve, what can I say? You always, you know,

lend your wisdom and counsel to here to lockdown Patriots now on a weekly basis, you're becoming a fixture here as well. So we appreciate you always coming on. And I love talking ball with you all. Use any excuse in the book that I can find to do that. And having this platform is something that really is a blessing. And having great friends like you, like Murph, to come on that are so knowledgeable always, always, you know, makes me feel great. Steve, where can our listeners find you this season?

What can they expect from the great work that you do at patsfans.com and anything else that you have from not only the pen, but also the microphone of Steve Balistrieri coming up? Well, you know, actually, as we were speaking just before the recording started, I was working on my keys to the game. And week one is going to be difficult because there's so many unknowns this week. We haven't seen the Patriots offense, the Dolphins offense. You know, they have four brand-new offensive linemen. So four new starters on the offensive line.

There's so many unknowns. So it's going to be difficult. I'm scratching my head a little bit here. But at the same time, I'm really excited for fall season to start. So, again, I'm doing my keys to the game and key matchups as we speak. And then later on this evening, I'll be on the air with the South Florida Tribune. We're going to be talking a little bit of Dolphins and Dolphins Patriots,

and so you can listen in there. And then we look forward to, you know, getting together with you and Murph next week because we'll be talking about our first postgame show of the year. Absolutely. And I always look forward to that. Sharing the microphone with you guys is definitely great. Once again, Murph and Steve put on a phenomenal podcast. Thanks to Locked On Patriots, of course.

Actually, a little more than Locked On Patriots. It's my favorite listen, and that is One Patriots Place. Murph also co-hosts Patriots 4th and 2. For Pats fans, you guys do an amazing, amazing job with that. And anything this man put, anytime he puts pen to the paper, it's always a must read, whether it be a Sunday column or anything that primes you for the game throughout the week and the recaps, Steve has you covered and he does it as well, if not better than anybody else in this business.

My friend, what can I say? Once again, thank you. Stay safe, stay well. Enjoy the game this weekend. And we look forward to hearing from you next week uh and your thoughts on the patriots performance against the dolphins and maybe even do a little looking ahead to the seahawks coming up but let's not get too far ahead folks let's enjoy sunday's game first steve thanks buddy and we look forward to talking to you again next week always a pleasure my son

just like that patriots fans we are over the hump and one day closer to Sunday's season opener against the Miami Dolphins. But in terms of the coverage that you will get right here on Locked On Patriots regarding this Sunday's game, we haven't even begun to scratch the surface. And seeing that the New England Patriots have a player named Bill Murray on their team, yes, he's a defensive tackle on the practice squad, folks, I'm going to take the opportunity to say that right here on tomorrow's pod, we are

going to cross the streams. That's right. The Locked On crossovers are back. And tomorrow, we kick off the crossovers in a big way with yours truly and Kyle Krebs, host of the Locked On Dolphins podcast, breaking down all the ins and outs of Sunday's matchup, and we might even sneak in a

prediction or two. So to ensure that you do not miss tomorrow's crossover or any episode of Locked on Patriots, please be sure to download us wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Spotify. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked on Patriots. Once again, I'm 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 day, everyone.