Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - On With the Scho: McDaniels, Edelman and Patriots Prognosis for 2021 — 1/22/2021

Episode Date: January 22, 2021

Josh McDaniels will be back in New England in 2021, while Julian Edelman will return to the football field. However, Julian’s future in Foxboro remains questionable. Joining host Mike D’Abate is USA Today’s Mark Schofield. The duo discuss the likelihood of Edelman’s return to the New England Patriots, the impact of McDaniels’ return on New England’s season for a new quarterback, and the Pats’ prognosis for 2021. They also offer their insight on this weekend’s AFC and NFC Championship Games.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 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 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. EchelonGo to EchelonFit.com/LockedOn and try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. 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 Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Friday, January 22nd, 2021, and it is SCO time. 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. Thank football and Foxborough.

It is Friday here on the pod. And thank all of you for joining me here today on this Friday episode of Locked On Patriots. 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, your team every day means that your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much encouraged. Share that feedback and send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC.

And while you're out there giving the weekend 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, conference championship weekend in the NFL playoffs is about to begin and sound like a broken record. It just doesn't seem the same without the New England Patriots there. I know a piece of Patriots nation is still in this because Tom Brady will be competing in his 14th conference championship game. But let's face it, at least for me, still seems like Tom is trespassing down there in Tampa. His true home is up here in Foxborough, but on Sunday he'll be leading his Buccaneer crew into

Lambeau Field to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. On the AFC side, you have the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hosting the AFC East Division champions. It's still taken me a while to get used to saying that, but I digress. The Buffalo Bills. Two great matchups, four great teams, four great quarterbacks, one action-packed weekend with a chance to go to Super Bowl 55 on the line. And playoff football is the story of the day, and even though our beloved Patriots are not going to be competing this weekend, we will discuss the matchups that you'll see on Sunday. And to help me break it all down is my good friend, the best there is, the best there was,

the best there ever will be, the host emeritus here in Locked On Patriots, Mark Schofield joins me today to come check on the total poster that still adorns the wall here in the Locked On studios, as well as talk about the action on the field that we'll see on Sunday. We'll talk a little Josh Allen. We'll talk a little Patrick Mahomes. We'll talk a little Aaron Rodgers. And yes, folks, we'll talk a little more than a little about one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.

But fear not for all of you Foxborough faithful, because after all, this is still locked on Patriots, and there's still plenty to talk about when it comes to the Patriots. As I alluded to yesterday here on the pod, Josh McDaniels is likely staying in New England. What does that mean for the future of the Patriots offense? Does it mean that Josh might have significant say in who the next quarterback is in New England? Will the new quarterback be a new face? Will it be via the draft, free agency, trade?

Or will it be a familiar face? Might Cam Newton be a little more enticed to come back and work it out for one more year with Josh McDaniels? And what about Jarrett Stidham? Not a whole lot of all of you in Patriots Nation are giving Jarrett much of a chance to land the starting job in 2021. And before you start screaming at whatever device you're listening to the show on saying, good, we don't want Jarrett as the starter, keep in mind that prior to the Pat signing Cam Newton, all signs were pointing to Jarrett Stidham possibly being the guy.

Could a full offseason with OTAs, minicamps, preseason games benefit Jarrett the way it would have benefited Cam Newton? Well, seeing that Mark is the quarterback whisperer and he's done tremendous amounts of research on quarterback prowess, including Jarrett Stidham's potential, we'll ask him about that question as well. And last but certainly not least, we'll pick Mark's brain about a piece of news that actually dropped on Friday morning. Regarding one of the most beloved Patriots on this roster, wide receiver Julian Edelman.

Julian gave a big hint as to what his plans in 2021 are going to be, and for all you Foxborough faithful out there that missed seeing Julian on the field, I think you're going to be pretty happy with this. In an interview with the Pardon My Take podcast, Julian hinted very strongly that he will be back on the football field in 2021, meaning he will not be taking the retirement route. Obviously, this is great news for Julian. I, for one, am extremely happy to see this guy healthy and able to compete on the field once again. But I caution you, Pats Nation, just because Jules says he's coming back to play in 2021

does not automatically mean that it's going to be in New England. Will J.E. 11 suit up in the Foxborough Red, White, and Blue one more time in 2021? Well, we'll ask Mark Schofield his opinion on that as well. An action-packed agenda today on the pod. A lot to get to, folks. So sit tight, settle in, as my good friend and predecessor, Mark Schofield, joins me here on the hot seat to close out the week in style

when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, today's episode of Locked On Patriots is brought to you by 1010. 1010 is an exclusive collection of 10 one-of-a-kind engagement rings designed by 10 of the most distinctive designers working today. Using only diamonds responsibly and sustainably sourced from Botswana, 10 design masters have each produced a uniquely beautiful diamond ring,

launching exclusively on January 18th at BlueNile.com. This exciting, limited-edition collection of diamond engagement rings launches on January 18th, and you can preview it exclusively at BlueNile.com. Locked On listeners get more of the sports news you need in less time with our new Locked On listeners get more of the sports news you need in less time with our new Locked On Today podcast. Peter Pekowski hosts Locked On Today, a daily podcast breaking down the biggest stories with analysis from our local experts. Start your day with all the sports news you need in under 20 minutes. Subscribe to Locked On Today wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fans, as Newman from Seinfeld once said,

Friday has a feel, and today feels like a good day for homecoming. And to be honest, especially today, we need some objective, lucid, well-thought-out analysis. And you know what that means. That means bringing in the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be, the excellence of execution, and the host emer, the best there ever will be, the excellence of execution, and the host emeritus here at Locked On Patriots. And even though this man doesn't really like it when I give him an introduction, I'm going to do it anyway.

He is an amazing writer and analyst for platforms such as Inside the Pylon, Big Blue View, Bleeding Green Nation, Pat's Pulpit, and of course, USA Today's Touchdown Wire. And that's just naming a few, folks. His podcast, The Scosho, appointment listening for Patriots fans. I'm a big fan. I never miss an episode. You shouldn't miss an episode either. That's right, folks.

Today, we bless the reins and welcome back my predecessor, my mentor, most importantly, my good friend, Mark Schofield. Mark, thank you so much for joining me today. Welcome back home. Oh, Michael, it's a pleasure to be back here. It's great to be with you as always. Always great when you get a chance to catch up before the show, after the show, and during the shows themselves.

And I know it's a little different this year. Patriots already have been home for a while, but there are still some fascinating playoff games to talk about, some Patriots news to get to, so I'm excited to dive in. Absolutely, and we're always excited to have you back here on the pod. It does feel like a homecoming. Always, always honored to share the microphone with you, bud. But you did hit on the fact that there is some news to discuss in Patriots Nation, and let's dive right in with some welcome news that a lot of Patriots fans saw on a Friday morning. And one of the most beloved New England Patriots, Julian Edelman,

announcing on part of my take, indirectly, not directly, but you can read between the lines on this one, that he plans on playing football at least in 2021. And this is great news for Julian's fans. Most of them really missed seeing him this year on the field. They love watching him play the game. I've said so many times here on the pod, buddy, that Julian Edelman is one of the toughest and most dedicated competitors I've ever covered. And I'm glad to hear that he's doing better physically. It'll be great to see him back in action in 2021.

But even though it looks like he's still not ready to retire just yet, there is still question as to whether or not he's going to remain in New England. And his recent injury history in combination with his age and his contractual status, of course, thanks to our good friend, the Pats cap, we know that Edelman has a salary cap hit of 6.1 million in the last year of his contract this year. Buddy, taking all of that under account, in your opinion, does this cast some doubt over his return to New England for the 2021 season? You know, I think having some doubt about Edelman's status in New England was going to be necessary anyway, given, as you mentioned, you know,

Miguel pointed out the financial considerations that are at play with Julian Edelman. And it is important to remember that we talk a lot in the football space about running backs, their shelf life, their career, and their longevity or lack thereof, thanks to the abuse that they get carrying the football 20, 30, 40 times a game in some cases. I think when you look at the Patriots' offense as constructed during the Tom Brady era, the slot receiver position is akin to a running back position with how they use the slot receiver,

what they ask the slot receiver to do, running those routes over the middle, at linebacker depth, at safety depth. You look at the career arc of Julian Edelman. Some of his biggest plays and the biggest moments involved him making a catch over the middle, getting absolutely lit up by the defense and bouncing back up. Plays against Atlanta,

plays against Seattle, plays against Jacksonville. Those are just some of the games that come to mind when you saw Julian Edelman doing that. Edelman is at the point in his career, he's older than Wes Welker was when Wes Welker had that slippage and that fall off due to some injuries and found himself outside of New England. So I think there's some healthy and understandable skepticism about his longevity in New England now, given the point he's at in his career.

But that being said, I think everybody, every Patriots fan wants to see him back in New England now, given the point he's at in his career. But that being said, I think every Patriots fan wants to see him back in New England. I think there's an opportunity and a window to sort of restructure that deal. I'm sure that's a conversation that, if it hasn't started yet, is going to start soon, but potentially restructuring that deal, making that a more team-friendly cap number so Edelman can finish his career in New England. I don't think anybody wants to see Julian Edelman in a Tampa Bay uniform or a Green Bay uniform or a Detroit uniform. But I do think the organization has to look at where he is in his career,

you know, what he can possibly bring to this team in terms of on-the-field production, and try to find a number that makes both parties happy. I think, you know, to count on Julian Edelman as your, you know, 90 to 100 target receiver for the 2021 season might be a bit, shall we say, optimistic. You know, he's probably somebody that's going to be a situational receiver, but he's also very valuable in terms of leadership.

When you think about this organization and the future of this organization, potentially either breaking in a free agent quarterback or a younger quarterback in Jared Stidham or even a rookie quarterback, having somebody with his presence, his veteran leadership, his experience, and his knowledge of this Patriots offense is going to be critical. And so there are reasons why you want Julian Edelman in a Patriots uniform that go above and beyond the mere catch production numbers. Absolutely. So well said. And look, you get to a level where Julian is, 12-year veteran, one of the most accomplished wide receivers in the league, arguably one of the best postseason wide receivers we've ever seen in the NFL, and really the leader of that New England wide receiver room.

And his level of knowledge, his level of experience is something that really can't be duplicated. The question is, do the Patriots, like you said, do they value that enough to be able to bring him back and say, you know what, this is someone we need this year, especially in a year of transition, especially in a year of uncertainty with the quarterback position. And we'll get to that in just a little bit. But when it comes to some of the adjustments and some of the new feelings that the Patriots are going to have this year, it really is something to consider. So it's good to see that Julian will be back on the field somewhere in 2021. We all hope it's going to be with New England back against the wall. I still think they find a way to bring

him back this year, but ultimately the Patriots are going to have to be the ones to take a look at that, to really weigh both options, weigh the pros and cons, and then make an informed decision based on what's best for them. And of course, what's best for Julian Edelman as well. So bottom line, it's just great to see him getting healthy and getting to the point where he's thinking about playing football again. That's always a good thing for any player. But we go from one return to another, Bud. And earlier this week, especially here on Locked on Patriots, we actually made about two shows out of this.

There was some buzz that the Pats might see their longtime offensive coordinator join the Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, we're talking about Josh McDaniels, and he was really regarded as the front runner to fill that team's vacant head coaching position. Really reportedly went well, an all-day interview on Sunday. All signs seem to be pointing to him getting this job, but he eventually did not end up getting the position. We found out yesterday that Philly is going to hire former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, and I think that's good news for the Patriots, if for no other reason, Mark, than continuity.

We know that Jed Fish will have to be replaced as quarterback's coach. He's moved on to take another head coaching position in college, and McDaniel staying put, I think, allows the Patriots to have him continue to lead New England's offense. Considering that the team's in the middle of a rebuilding process, especially on the offensive side of the ball, I think Josh is going to have a big say into getting a new quarterback acclimated into this system. Probably sounds like a foregone conclusion, folks, but if he were gone, I think that process is a lot more difficult with a new quarterback coming in

if the Patriots choose to do that. And I think his veteran play calling, working with the group, certainly good news for the organization. But again, Mark, you see things that us mere mortals don't see when it comes to offensive football, when it comes to the quarterback position especially. Based on your knowledge of the Patriots and the impact of the quarterback position on the success of any football team, what are your thoughts on Josh returning and what do you think it means for the Patriots, not just in 2021, but maybe even beyond? Yeah, it's fascinating, Michael, because earlier this week I was doing a bunch of shows in the Philly area talking about what Josh McDaniels could bring to Philadelphia and how he could potentially fix Carson Wentz. And now here we are, you know, wrapping up the week,

and we're talking about what Josh McDaniels' return into New England means for the future of the Patriots and their quarterback room and their offense. I think what's most important here is the idea of continuity for an offensive locker room, for an offense in general. Now, a lot of people will probably say in quick response to that, well, if they're breaking in a new quarterback, what continuity is there? The new quarterback is probably going to be learning their new offense,

whether it's a free agent, whether it's, you know, a rookie quarterback, you know, whatever the case may be. But continuity for an offense is important, not just for the quarterback, but for the other 10 players on the field. If you're in a situation where you're breaking in, say, you know, a Pep Hamilton, just to use an example, as a new offensive coordinator, then it's not just the quarterback learning a new offense, it's the other 10 players around them in the huddle.

And when you're trying to get offensive execution, when you're trying to get all 11 players on the same page, it's important that everybody is on that same page. It's important that everybody is on that same page. It's important that everybody is familiar with the terminology. And if you have one person trying to learn it, that's one thing. If you have 11 people trying to learn it, that's another. So I think it's important for offensive continuity that Josh McDaniels is going to be in place.

I think it's important that that next quarterback, whoever that person is, now is going to be stepping into a huddle where, in all likelihood, the other 10 players know the system and know it extremely well. quarterback, whoever that person is, now is going to be stepping into a huddle where in all likelihood, the other 10 players know the system and know it extremely well. And so if there are questions, they can be answered. If there's uncertainty, that can be addressed. If there are moments when a receiver and the quarterback are trying to get on the same page, it's much more likely that they will be given at least one of those players has been in the system for a while. And so I think that continuity is important. I think the other thing to sort of keep players has been in the system for a while. And so I think that continuity is important. I think the other thing to sort of keep in mind here,

and it's a question that I have with respect to Josh McDaniels. It's a question I had about the idea of Josh McDaniels moving to Philadelphia. It's a reservation I have about this situation, about the future of the Patriots. It's the idea of quarterback development. You know, Josh McDaniels has a reputation and a well-earned one for being a great play designer.

One of the things that I appreciate most about him is how he puts his quarterbacks in a position to be successful in terms of pre-snap motion, the use of personnel wisely, the use of movement wisely to give the quarterback information before the play. I think in terms of play design and play calling, Josh McDaniels is up there with some of the best minds in the game today. I think he gets credit for what he does in terms of passing design. I don't think he gets enough credit for what he does in terms of run game design, and I do think that's critically important. But the reservation I have is there doesn't seem to me at least, and I may be wrong, but this is just my opinion,

there doesn't seem to me to be a record of quarterback development from Josh McDaniels in the sense that his entire career, for the most part, has been with Tom Brady. When he's gone outside of New England, whether it was his stops in St. Louis or Denver, the record of, England, whether it was his stops in St. Louis or Denver, you know, the record of say quarterback development, taking a younger quarterback or taking a more inexperienced quarterback,

it building them up to be a top flight or a top tier, even a mid tier NFL starter. I think that's an incomplete mark on his resume and one that I am somewhat reserved about right now, but cautiously optimistic. I do think, and I said this on my show, you know, a lot of people in and around New England right now, whether it's fans, whether it's media, are very focused on the who. You know, who is that next quarterback going to be? I think just as important, perhaps more so, is the how.

Forget who that person is. How are they going to develop them? How are they going to put the structure. Forget who that person is. How are they going to develop them? How are they going to put the structure in place around that person, whoever it may be, for that person to be successful? I think when you look at this organization, I would like to see a plan in place of quarterback development that involves Josh McDaniels, that involves, you know, quarterbacks coaches, that involves, you know, off-season private quarterbacks coaches. I do think that given the rules in place under the CBA, if you're a quarterback in the National

Football League and you're not right now either working with Jordan Palmer or Quincy Avery or the guys at QB Country or Tony Rossiopi, who I know personally and know extremely well, then you're not putting yourself in a position to be successful. I think all quarterbacks need to do that. Jared Stidham, for example, works for Jordan Palmer's group. There has to be that structure in place for quarterback development, the how question, in conjunction with the who. So I think the return of Josh McDaniels is great from a conceptual standpoint,

a schematic standpoint. My only reservation right now is how the structure is going to be put in place to ensure the next starting quarterback for the New England Patriots is in a position to be successful. Absolutely. And you know what? That leads me so nicely into the next question that I was going to ask you. And you mentioned continuity. You mentioned mentioned quarterback development which i think is a very interesting part of josh's return and because it is the subject that allows you to showcase in the words of captain ross from a few good men your expert professional opinion and i'm not being sarcastic folks kevin bacon was sarcastic in that movie i'm certainly not this is an expert

professional opinion on this man um time and time again, we've heard Bill Belichick speak about the second-year jump that players usually make, but OTAs, minicamps, joint practices, preseason games, they were all pretty much nonexistent in 2020, heading into the 2020 season. That was especially the case for Jared Stidham. And because of the intricacies of the quarterback position, it may have hurt Jared a little bit more than maybe even some of the intricacies of the quarterback position, it may have hurt Jared a little bit more than maybe even some of the other players. Um, Stidham got a chance to see some in-game action this year, but when he did, picks were

an issue. And that was the case in practice as well. And largely what we've seen on the field from Jared Stidham has been underwhelming. I think it's too early to prognosticate about what the Patriots might do. And many have argued about the pros and cons of drafting a new quarterback. We've heard some argument about possibly bringing Cam Newton back into the fold. And so many have fawned over the free agent and trade options. We see those postings on social media each and every day. The Photoshopped images of guys like Dak Prescott guys like Deshaun Watson Matthew Stafford

in Patriots uniforms we see them all the time but you really don't see a whole lot of argument about giving Jarrett Stidham another shot at the starting gig and maybe that is warranted but maybe some of it is because of reasons that not a lot of people are giving him credit for being that Josh is going to be back this year and you mentioned quarterback development mark and you talked about this a little bit but i'm going to ask you to expound upon it a little bit do you think that because more of a normal offseason is going to happen in 2021 or at least we hope so that there might be an argument to be made for giving jared another shot at being the starting quarterback of his team in 2021? Sort of from a 50,000-foot macro level view of it,

I think every option with respect to the Patriots quarterback position in 2021 should be on the table, whether it's free agency, whether it's Cam Newton, whether it's Jarrett Stenum, whether it's a rookie. I think they have to look at sort you know, sort of, you know, top-down, you know, entirety approach to it. And I certainly would expect that Jared Stidham would be a part of that game plan, would be a part of that approach, and would be given an opportunity to win this job, whether they sign, you know, another quarterback, whether they draft a quarterback, whether they bring back Cam Newton.

I don't think anybody should look at, you know, absent a trade for, say, Deshaun Watson or, you know, acquiring, say, Dak Prescott. I don't think that the starting quarterback for week one is set in stone. So I would expect Jared Stidham to be part of that calculus. Now, with respect to Stidham specifically, I know that there has been a lot of, say, clamoring, at least in some corners of, you know, Patriots Nation, that Stidham should be, I know that there has been a lot of, say, clamoring, at least in some corners of Patriots Nation, that Stidham should be considered a frontrunner for that gig, should have an inside track to that gig.

And I understand that given some flashes that we've seen, the idea that they can develop a quarterback, the idea that when you look at Stidham's body of work in college, that there are some things to like about him. And I think that we also have to consider that this organization has seen a lot more of Jared Stidham than we have, that they have a much deeper understanding of where he is as a quarterback and they have a deeper body of experience and evaluated him and understanding where they are with their evaluation. You know, I think some people would be wise to heed the words of Mike Tenier when they announced the Cam Newton sign and, you know, back last spring, you know, the Patriots trust their evaluation of Jared Stidham,

but they also understand that there are other options potentially out there and available to them. And I think given the fact that they were slow to put Jarrett Stidham into games last year when Cam Newton was struggling, that leads me to believe that what they see on a weekly basis isn't giving them sort of the warm and fuzzies about making Jarrett Stidham the starting quarterback for the team. Now, I understand that there were some times when Jared Stidham was doing practice squad stuff when, you know,

perhaps he wasn't running New England's offense. But even running another team's offense, you can get a sense of where a quarterback is. You can get a sense of what he's doing, even if you're asking him to run different things on a down-to-down basis, on a week-to-week basis, running different systems on a week-to-week basis, because you get a feel for that player's processing speed, accuracy, you know, the things that matter at the quarterback position.

So I wouldn't rule out a Jared Stidham, Erd in the starting genre, but I do think that, you know, some, shall we say, cautious optimism would be the way to approach it at best. I do think now that as we are entering year three of sort of Jarrett Sinem's time in New England, if it hasn't quite clicked right by now, and I do think the fact that they're entering this offseason with a relatively high for them draft pick and a lot of cap space that window might be closing yeah and i agree with you in a lot of ways when it comes to jared and when it comes to quarterback development you're right they do meaning the patriots have a more intricate

knowledge of what he's capable of than any other team they see him in practice every single day they've monitored his development over the course of the last couple of years. And when you know what a player can do as opposed to what a player can't do, it's so important to their development on the field. It's so important to the development of the team and where they want to go and the direction that they want to take. So I think it'll be interesting. I agree with you, save for a miracle trade for Deshaun Watson, which I believe to be highly unlikely. And I know a lot of Patriots fans and media agree. Also, you mentioned bringing in someone like Dak or whatnot. The Patriots quarterback position will not be set in stone, even if they do bring in a veteran to compete for the job or draft a quarterback of the future or even bring back Cam Newton.

I still think you're looking at quarterback competition heading into 2021 training camp. And it should be interesting times in Foxborough. This is going to be an interesting offseason without any question. But Mark, it's always a blast when you come back home. Your wisdom and counsel, the perfect antidote to all of the knee-jerk reactions that are going on all over Patriots Nation right now, and even to help quell some of the knee-jerk reactions that are going on all over Patriots Nation right now, and even to help quell some of the depression right now that's going on with the New England Patriots not in the playoffs.

And if you can actually believe it, buddy, the NFL is going to conduct their conference championship this weekend, and they have the unmitigated gall to do so without the New England Patriots. How dare they? Just kidding, folks. There is going to be a certain Patriots element that will be participating in this weekend, and you know Mark and I are going to talk about it. All this and at least one more total reference when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated.

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subscribe to Locked on NFL wherever you get your podcasts. Pats Nation, my good friend and predecessor Mark Schofield dropped by here today to check on the total poster on the wall and also be my esteemed guest today in Locked On Patriots and take you into Conference Championship weekend. And I know this is Locked On Patriots, bud, but when you get down to the nitty-gritty in the NFL season,

we all miss watching football. And a lot of eyes, especially in Patriots Nation, all over the NFL, are going to be glued to the TVs this weekend, this Sunday. You're going to want to watch the AFC Championship game. And I know there's going to be maybe even a sharper eye on the NFC Championship game. But I don't think it's any coincidence that I think the four quarterbacks that have had arguably the best seasons in the NFL this year are the ones still standing. And let's start in the AFC first. And we'll talk about the defending Super Bowl champions

and, of course, the new AFC East Division champion, Buffalo Bills. And you and I both run in the same circles. Our boys over at the Rockpile Report are really, really happy about that. Shout out to you guys because you guys have earned it. But they're running into a juggernaut in Patrick Mahomes. And all of the indications that we're seeing indicate that Patrick should be able to give it a go on Sunday. And that's great news all the way around. You always want to see players at their peak optimal performance, especially with head injuries. It's so scary. Glad to see Patrick up and around and being able to practice. That's the most important thing. And hopefully we can see him out on the field. One of the most exciting

players that you'll see in any walk of life. But I think the key quarterback to this game is actually going to be Josh Allen, not necessarily Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes, we know what he can do and we know what he's capable of. We know that they're capable of making chunk plays and he's capable of giving this to him with a myriad of weapons he has around him, as well as the fact that he's just so adept at being able to make throws that so many quarterbacks in the league can't make. But Josh Allen has been a unique um quarterback this year and i think he's really grown by leaps and bounds and grown into one of the most elite quarterbacks now he did struggle in the regular season match up here mark uh he didn't take a

sack in that loss though which leads me to believe that he's going to need to be equally if not more evasive than he was when these two teams played each other back in week six. He's developed that strong connection with Stefan Diggs. You have to think that Kansas City is going to try to take that away, but I think he's going to try to target Cole Beasley, John Brown, who are going to get more one-on-one opportunities because I think they're going to try to take Diggs away. When you look at this game, Mark, what are you looking forward to most when it comes to the Buffalo Bills, when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs,

and not really putting you on the spot to give a score prediction or anything like that or even a win prediction, but what are you most looking forward to in the AFC Championship game this weekend? Oh, I'll give you a win prediction at the end of this, but in terms of what I'm most looking forward to, I'm very much looking forward to when the Buffalo Bills have the football, that cat and mouse game between safety Tyron Matthew and quarterback Josh Allen.

Earlier this week, Richard Sherman and Chris Collinsworth, they did their podcast together. And Richard Sherman compared Tyron Matthew to Ed Reed, which as any Patriots fan knows is high praise and as any Patriots fan probably remembers that great moment of the Belichick and Brady video of them sitting down a week before they were going to play the Ravens talking about Ed Reed um your mind might also go to when Ed Reed sort of baited Peyton Manning to a safety by playing a coverage one way earlier in the year and then playing in a completely different way later in the season against Peyton Manning, and that lead into an interception.

And what Richard Sherman said about Tyron Matthews, he's one of the best guessers in the league when he compared him to Ed Reed. He will bait you into mistakes. He will bait you into interceptions. He will bait you into bad reads. And Josh Allen has gotten so much better at moving defenders with his eyes, moving safeties with his eyes. And so that cat and mouse game between the two of them is going to be fascinating. I'm also very interested to see how Josh Allen does against zone coverage.

Early in the season, that loss to Tennessee, the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, a game against the Jets where he even threw for 300 yards, a game against the Patriots that first time those two teams met. That four-game stretch, Allen went one touchdown, four interceptions, and passed a rate of sub-70%, 69%, not percent, but a passer rate of 69 against zone coverage. And a similar four-game stretch later in the year, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Denver, and New England again, four touchdowns and one interception and a passer rating of 170 against zone coverage.

So that week six loss came during that four-game stretch when Allen was struggling against zone coverage. He's gotten much better at it, and I expect him to have success against zone coverage provided he can move Tyra Matthew with those eyes. The other thing to keep in mind, back in that week six meeting, when he had opportunities against man coverage, man coverage, Allen has thrown 25 touchdowns, two interceptions this year. He's been so great against man coverage.

He missed on some of those. He missed a potential touchdown earlier in the game to Stephon Diggs on a deep over route. He had some other throws in that game where he had man coverage. Receivers got open, but he missed them. And so I think you can see where I'm going with this. I think this is a much different Buffalo team than we saw in week six during that loss. I think when you look at Kansas City, this is a team that since they blew

out the Jets in week eight or nine or something like that, every one of theirs has been by one score. And now you can say, look, they're battle-hardened. They're tested. They're ready. Iron sharpens iron. I look at a team that is ripe to slip up. I look at a team that is just ripe for a loss.

I think Buffalo wins this game. I think Buffalo is playing the better football right now. I think Kansas City has gotten rather lucky down the stretch here. They're still a very good football team. Don't get me wrong. They're one of the best offenses in the game. Their defense is good. But I think Buffalo's playing better football right now,

and I think Buffalo's going to win this game. I'll tell you, I think Buffalo matches up extremely well with what Kansas City does well, and that can pose a problem, even if you're the defending Super Bowl champions. And we saw Cleveland be able to take it to them a little bit, albeit when Patrick Mahomes was out of the game. But at the same time, there were seedlings that were dropped in terms of being able to move that. This is a different Buffalo Bills team. This is a more accomplished Buffalo Bills team.

And the thing that you had mentioned that I like is their improvement to their defense. The middle part of that defense, Mark, is so much better now with Matt Milano playing the middle part of that linebacking core that allows both he and Tremaine Edmonds to drop back into coverage or move one of them up and be that type of player that needs to move up, stop the run, be able to stack the box. And that, I think, will allow Buffalo to be able to be more versatile this time around when it comes to defense. So good stuff, as always, my friend. But there is another game that's happening. It's actually the earlier game, believe it or not.

And I was surprised when this came out. I really thought this would have been the nightcap. But I guess the defending Super Bowl champions have to get that. And it's hard to argue that. But Tom Brady versus Aaron Rodgers. The Green Bay Packers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there's still a large section of the New England Patriots fan base that's going to be cheering Tom on this weekend.

I know not as many as we expected, but there's still a large section of the fan base that's still very loyal to Tom Brady, even Rob Gronkowski, and some of the great things that's still very loyal to Tom Brady, even Rob Gronkowski, and some of the great things that Tampa Bay has done. But this is not going to be an easy game by any stretch of the imagination for either team. We know what happened the first time around, 38-10 loss for the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers looked completely out of sorts. You can pretty much throw that game out. I don't think that's going to happen this time around. I believe Rodgers will be more adept at being able to move the football, read the defense.

I don't think he'll be as flustered as he was in their first meeting. But Brady in the offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is clicking on even more cylinders than they were back in week six when these two teams faced one another. From your standpoint, Mark, we've seen Tom Brady do this time and time again, but we've also seen Aaron Rodgers have one of the best years that a quarterback has had in quite recent memory. What is your prediction on this game? What are you looking forward to most in terms of the matchups? Who gets the upper hand on the quarterback battle,

and will it be enough to carry that team to super bowl 55 yeah michael this game's a bit tougher for me to sort of try to come up with a winner i do i would give the edge to green bay but i think it's going to be an extremely close game and i think the critical thing to watch for in this one is how healthy is vita bay? Because if Vitave is back and he can go, that gives Tampa Bay the ability to stop the run while staying in too high coverage. And why is that important? Well, when teams have played too high against Devontae Adams this year,

they've really been able to hold him in check. His numbers against too high coverages aren't that great. But when teams are forced to play single high and bring that extra safety down into the box perhaps to stop the run, Devontae Adams has put up absolutely elite numbers this year. I'm trying to pull them up right now. Doug Farrar talked about them yesterday on our show, the Touchdown Wire Matchup Podcast.

But you're talking about absolutely incredible numbers against single high from Devontae Adams. So if Vita Vey can go from that leg injury and they can stop the run because Tampa Bay's numbers when he's in the lineup as opposed to when he's not in terms of stopping the run are also night and day, that gives Tampa Bay the ability to play more two high coverages where they've been better this year. That gives them an opportunity to perhaps slow down Devontae Adams and force

Aaron Rodgers to throw to MBS, to throw to Robert Tunyon, and not go to his favorite receiver. That's going to give Tampa Bay's defense a chance to win this game because they have great linebacker play, Devontae Adams. I mean, excuse me, Levante David, Devin White, perhaps the best linebacker tandem in the game. They'll have an ability to sort of stop the run, take away where Rodgers wants to go to the football,

and force him to throw to his second and third options on a given play. I think that would be critical. Now, when Tampa Bay has the ball, I'm very curious to see how Green Bay tries to scheme pressure on Tom Brady. Brady's numbers of a pressure this year have not been great. Are they going to do it with scheme? Are they going to stunt, twist, sim pressures? I've done a lot this week on sim pressures against Tom Brady.

That's how teams have gotten the majority of sacks against him this year. So I'd look for a lot of those looks where you see seven, eight, nine guys in the box, but they only drop. But they drop most of those. They only send four, and they try to get some overloads, whether one side of the line or the other. That's what I'm going to be watching for there. You know, I do think that, in the end, Green Bay has enough to win this one,

but I do expect this one to be an extremely close game. And, you know, would it surprise me if Tampa Bay goes into the Lambeau and wins this? Absolutely not. Perhaps the critical factor, are we going to get scuba suit Tom Brady? We all know when Tom Brady puts the scuba suit on in cold weather, he tends to perform really well. Obviously, we all think of his last AFC championship game when he's ripping

the helmet off and he's got the scuba headgear on. If we get scuba suit Brady, though, I think all bets are off and everything goes out the window with what I just said. And we probably see Tampa Bay win it. Yeah, I think scuba suit Brady is going to make an appearance. The weather gods right now are predicting temperatures in the mid to upper 20s. There's a chance for flurries. If the football gods agree with the weather gods at this point and they coincide, we're going to see some snow at Lambeau this weekend. It would make for a really aesthetically pleasing game.

But I think you make a lot of interesting points. Look, that to me is going to be the key to this game. It's going to be whether or not the Packers are able to generate pressure they did not sack Tom Brady in that first meeting at all that means Rashawn Gary Preston Smith said Darius Smith they're going to need to pressure Tom Brady otherwise he can sit back and he can work with a loaded group of receivers receivers that he's working a lot better with now than he did back when the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a fairly easy time beating the Green Bay Packers. That being said, I think the Packers

defense schemes a lot better this time. You're right, Tom hasn't been so great during this regular season when he's under pressure. I think the Packers look to bring that pressure. The question is whether or not Tampa Bay has the kryptonite to be able to foil it. But awesome, awesome stuff. And it wouldn't be locked on Patriots, buddy, if I didn't let you go with one question that I think is on the minds of all Patriots fans. And we're all going to be disappointed that the Flying Elvis logo is not going to be on the helmets of one of the teams that's playing this week, especially watching Tom Brady play with the red flag and the skull and crossbones. It's just a different feel.

But in terms of the Patriots' return to prominence, it's going to take a while. It's probably going to take a lot of combinations and permutations. Realistically, Bud, how far away do you think the Patriots are from returning to that level of excellence? Not the dominance that we saw, because I don't think that will ever be duplicated in any professional sport ever again. But how long until we're talking about the New England Patriots as not just a contender for a playoff spot, but a legitimate contender for a Super Bowl title?

You know, there's a potential, Mike, for this to be a quicker turnaround than people might be thinking it will be. When you look at the cap space they have, when you look at the opportunity to perhaps trade back a bit in the first round, acquire additional pickers. Right now they only have two picks in the top 100. I don't think that's a place where they'd like to be as an organization. But you look at some mock drafts, some opportunities that they have to do different things at 15 and 46. I'm looking at one right now that hasn't taken Alabama quarterback Matt Jones at 15 and somehow led to Kadarius Toney, the Florida wide receiver, at 46.

That would be a nice shot of offensive talent. So you look at the draft cap of the cap space, the players they'll get coming back. They'd opted out, Patrick Chung, Donta Hightower. I think there's an opportunity and a window here to turn this around quicker than people expect. So I think my expectations for this team right now are they're going to be back in the playoff hunt next year.

Would the right moves made at the quarterback position or elsewhere? This could be a team that contends for an AFC championship next year. So I don't think the window is necessarily shut for the time being. I think there's an opportunity to get the right moves done, get the right people in place, have a few breaks go your way. This could be a contender next year, I think. From your lips to God's ears, my friend, I think all of Patriots Nation is hoping for that.

And you've given us hope. And not only have you just given us hope for the sake of giving us hope, I think you've laid the perfect foundation for the factor that this could end up being a quicker turnaround because of all the factors that are working in the Patriots favor. So hopefully we'll be seeing our beloved team in Foxborough back in the

playoff hunt and maybe back in the championship hunt sooner rather than later. But regardless, I can't thank you enough, my friend, for closing out the week in style here on Lockdown Patriots, bringing your wisdom and counsel as only you can. I've said this before. I'll say it again. That total poster is never coming down.

It's yours. Your presence is always felt in this studio. And I, for one, can't thank you enough for everything that you've done for me throughout the years and most of all for your friendship. But please let our listeners know not only where they can follow you, most should know, but we do have some new listeners. So please let everyone know where they can follow you and what you have coming up on the extremely busy but always entertaining and informative pen of Mark Schofield.

Well, Mike, it's always a pleasure to be with you, and I appreciate it so much. All the nice things you say about me, I can't say enough about you and what you've done here with this show. I'm just so incredibly happy for you and everything you do each day for Patriots fans. It's just incredible. As for me, you can find me on Twitter.

I'm on Schofield, USA Today's Touchdown Wire, where Doug Farrar and I have been covering the playoffs. I think to this point we've written 30, all 22 pieces between the two of us. And I'm literally sitting down to write another one just because even though, you know, I don't need to, I want to. So I'm excited to carve something together about the Chiefs three by one formation. So you can look for that at Touchdown Wire. But like you said, on Twitter at Mark Schofield. Absolutely. And folks, I cannot highly recommend enough what this man does,

both from the podcasting microphone, from his pen, and just the analysis that he provides is second to none. You're a great man, a great friend, and a great analyst. And we look forward to talking ball with you again soon here on the Airwaves, buddy.

Stay safe, stay well. My best to you and yours. And enjoy the games this weekend. You too, buddy. All the best to you and yours. And enjoy the games this weekend. You too, buddy. All the best to you and yours. Stay safe. And we'll talk soon, my friend. Absolutely.

And so, Patriots Nation, we tie a bow on the week that was here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And as always, I thank you for joining me each and every day here for your latest dose of Patriots news notes and analysis right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. And even though another week has come to an end here on the pod, fear not, because we will be back on Monday to bring you not only the very latest news from Foxborough, but also begin to take a deep dive into the Patriots 2021 offseason, free agent targets, positional groupings, draft targets, and so much more.

So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Radio.com, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend and predecessor, Mark Schofield, for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you all so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked

On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until Monday, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great weekend, everyone.