Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Patriots QB Qualms: Mike and Murph talk, Stafford, Jimmy G and the Draft — 2/1/2021

Episode Date: February 1, 2021

The New England Patriots are keeping their options open at quarterback for 2021. One name that can be eliminated from contention is that of Matthew Stafford, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams over the weekend. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy, as the duo discuss the “Stafford Effect” on the Pats plans in 2021, whether a former Pats quarterback (i.e. Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett?) could find his way back to Foxboro, or if a Senior Bowl standout could be the answer. Finally, Murph offers his thoughts on Super Bowl LV.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 a brand new month, Monday, February 1st, 2021. The key word there being Monday because it's hashtag Lockdown Murph Monday right 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. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Thank you all for joining me here today on this first February episode of Locked On Patriots here in 2021.

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 appreciated. 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 doing some Monday meandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots.

Pats fans, it is Super Bowl week, and it's a time to get excited. I know the Patriots aren't playing in this weekend's game. I understand that some of you may still have a little residual resentment toward Tom Brady and maybe even Rob Gronkowski, but just the fact that we are playing the Super Bowl on time when it was scheduled in a year where almost everything was postponed is really nothing short of remarkable. And for football fans everywhere, let's face it, the Super Bowl is a holiday. Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcoming Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, and the defending Super Bowl champions into their own home stadium.

You want to talk storylines, folks? This one has tons of them. And all throughout the week here on the Locked On Podcast Network, we'll be talking Super Bowl. If you're looking for a little behind the scenes on the defending champions, definitely check out my colleagues, Ryan Tracy and Chris Clark over at Locked On Chiefs. Want to check out all things on the Tampa side of Tom Brady, including the rest of that talented Buccaneers roster?

Check out my guys, David Harrison and James Yarcho at Locked on Bucs. The Locked on Podcast Network has you covered with all things Super Bowl all week long. But fear not, all you Foxborough faithful. As I've said before, this is Locked on Patriots, and that's exactly what it will remain. We will continue to cover the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough through a Patriots perspective. And today is Monday. You know what that means.

Your favorite and mine, the master of disaster, the king of sting, my legendary big green buddy Thomas Murphy stops by for hashtag LockedOnMurphMonday. And Murph and I will discuss the aftermath of the Senior Bowl. Was there anybody that hit the field this weekend in Mobile that Murph feels would look pretty good in Patriot Blue? We'll also discuss Murph's thoughts on Super Bowl 55, including how much Tom Brady might be missing that Bill Belichick coach defense on the opposite side of the ball. Last but certainly not least, we will talk about this incarnation of the New England Patriots. Where might the Pats go to find their new signal caller in 2021? Will they look to the draft? Will they look to free agency? Might they even look right in their very own locker room from 2020? Well, we know one place they won't be looking,

and that is in the direction of Matthew Stafford, who over the weekend was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a trade package that defines the term King's Ransom. But did the Patriots really miss out on Stafford's services? Well, according to a very reliable source that Murph and I both know pretty well, Stafford didn't want any part of New England. That ought to make the Count of Murphy-Fisto a bit monster mad. And in that vein, we'll find out exactly what Murph thinks of Matthew Stafford and whether his trade from Detroit to Los Angeles affects the Patriots' plans to find their new quarterback in 2021. Folks, an action-packed, informative, and entertaining agenda today on the podcast.

It's always a blast when Murph stops by the pod. I love it. You love it. We all love it. And in just a moment, Thomas Murphy will join me here on the hot seat as we continue our Foxborough offseason overview when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, no two people are alike and no two tax returns are alike either. Thankfully, TurboTax Live has experienced tax experts who are ready to listen to you,

learn about your unique tax situation, and help you get the best tax outcome. Maybe you got married this year and you have some questions about how that affects your filing status. Maybe you want an expert to review your return so you don't miss any deductions on the new house you just bought. Or maybe you just want to hand the whole thing off from start to finish so you can focus on your burgeoning baby photographer career. Whether you want to file with the help of an expert or let an expert file for you, TurboTax Live experts give you the confidence to know that your uniquely you taxes are done right.

It's the time of year folks. Intuit TurboTax Live. Foxborough Faithful, we're covering everything you need to know about your New England Patriots. But what about the rest of sports? Now the Locked On Podcast Network has you covered there as well with Locked On Today. Hosted by the great Peter Bukowski. And it's all the sports news you need every morning in under 20 minutes. Subscribe to the Locked On Today podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, as for today,

it's Monday, so you know what that means. It's that time again. That's right, your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the only guest here on the pod with his very own branded hashtag, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy,

is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murph. Oh, always happy to. Always happy to. You're keeping me from shoveling the driveway, man. That's always appreciated.

Absolutely. You know, I always try to help our guests, our listeners, get through the day as easily as possible. And with snow falling up here in the Northeast, it's always good. And we hope wherever you are, folks, that you're staying safe, staying warm, and staying well as always. But, you know, buddy, it's Super Bowl week. It is Super Bowl week. We're here.

We finally arrived. Our old friend and business partner, the talented Mr. Brady, down there in Tampa, about to try for ring number seven, taking on the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. And, folks, we will get to Murph's monster musings on Super Bowl 55 in just a little bit. But there's still a lot to digest, Bud, when it comes to the Patriots' offseason. And once again, the quarterback position dominated the conversation this weekend when it comes to the Pats. A lot of quarterback thoughts, and we'll also get to those quarterback thoughts in just a bit. But first, we're starting to move on to draft mode here on Locked On Patriots. As a matter of fact, Mock Draft Monday is about to become a big part of what we do here on the pod.

And Saturday's Senior Bowl is just the kind of unofficial start to draft season i know folks not really but it feels like the unofficial start to draft season and uh evan lazaro clns media joined me here friday murph and we talked a little bit about mac jones obviously didn't play on saturday but one of the big names that's coming out of this game and out of senior bowl coverage and a name that's catching the eye of a lot of Patriots fans. We talked about some players that might fit well in Foxborough and a couple of players did catch my sharp eye over the weekend. But but I just wanted to get your thoughts on the Senior Bowl in general. What are your thoughts on the game, how it's used in terms of scouting, and were there any players that you saw or kept an eye on either last week or in practice

or during Saturday's game that you think might look good in Patriot Blue coming up this year? The Senior Bowl is probably more important this year than it's ever been with the fact that we aren't going to have a normal draft prep season as it would be in other years. We're not going down to St. Elmo's to get any shrimp cocktail this season, and that's really upsetting to me because I love the St. Elmo cocktail sauce. And other than that, it gives everybody a chance to digest what everybody else thinks about the players that we all want to see suiting up for the Patriots next year. That's basically what it is.

We aren't privy to the practices during the week, so we have to go off of the guys that that are there and people that we trust you know guys like mark scofield who are down there who's you know whose eye is impeccable and you you know when you listen to him what you're getting the thing is it's sifting through everybody else's opinion that really um can take you off into a wrong direction. This guy might be fantastic in practice, but he's not a gamer. And this year that's really difficult to discern because of, quite frankly, the lack of games that we got to see these guys play in.

Yeah, absolutely. It is going to be much more of a challenge this year to scout a lot of these guys. But the Senior Bowl does give you an option to be able to take a look at some players that may catch your eye or that may not have caught your eye previously, but really shine a little bit of light. Obviously, Kellen Mond winning the Senior Bowl MVP, Texas A&M quarterback, threw the ball well in practice last week, continued to make good passes into tight coverage. He may have improved his draft stock over the weekend.

Evan had brought up the fact that he may be someone that might ascend the Patriots board. I'm still not completely sold on that. I'm not sure if the Patriots are going to go in that direction. But, you know, because some for me, there's still some questions on his college tape that might make him a questionable fit here. But Kellen definitely had a good game, and that could end up being a springboard for him. Jamie Newman, obviously, is someone over the weekend that his stock started to ascend a little bit throughout practice. That dropped a little bit, I think, over the weekend as well.

There was some struggling with consistency during the practice, and we did see some ability to create from inside the pocket. Had a good sense of pressure on Saturday. Who knows? Maybe that helps him. But I think overall, this senior bowl week might have dropped him a little bit. So there's a lot to absorb when it comes to this. I was looking forward to seeing Mac Jones play and seeing what he can do after a solid week of practice that he had.

But we know that's a big thing. I don't know about you. I was let down. I was really let down. Yeah, I really was. And shake it off. Rub a little dirt on it. Go over to the sidelines and get taped up and go play.

This is your future. This is what everybody's talking about. And That's, you know, this is your future. This is what everybody's talking about. And, yeah, you had a great week of practice, but let's see what you can do with a bunch of guys that you've never played with before. And to me, it was a red flag. Yeah, absolutely. No, it's true. I mean, and, you know, you wonder what it's going to do to his draft stock.

I mean, does this week and not having maybe a negative performance in the senior bowl help his stock a little bit? Or does it, like you said, does that he will be there at number 15 when the Patriots are scheduled to make their pick do they look at the accuracy his ability to make the reads do they look at his ability and his accuracy to make those reads does that make him a more appealing option or does it make him a less appealing option I guess time will only tell I think there's positives and negatives on both sides. Ultimately, I think the Patriots go in a different direction than Mac Jones, but of course that's just my opinion. But when it comes right down to it, Patriots fans are keeping a close eye on Mac Jones. They're keeping a close eye on Kyle Trask, Zach Wilson, I think Justin Fields,

Trevor Lawrence, obviously I think those guys are a little bit too pie in the sky. But we all want to know who the Patriots signal caller is going to be in 2021. One name we can definitely cross off that list is Matthew Stafford. We found out over the weekend Stafford traded to the L.A. Rams, the Detroit Lions, obviously sending him over. You know, the Rams trading to firstround draft picks in 2022, 2023, a third-round pick this year, and of course quarterback Jared Goff, all going to the Detroit Lions. A very steep price to pay for the Rams, but I think it was a price of necessity

when you consider Goff's contract and the Lions' willingness to take that dead money hit. Of course, Stafford had been linked to the Pats. We talked about him last week here on Locked on Murph on Monday, and we talked about the chances of him coming to New England, and we both agreed that they were slim because of those reasons, and ultimately, obviously, L.A. paying a price that I don't think any other team was willing to pay. But at the same time, we've also heard our good mutual friend, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston, reporting yesterday that Stafford had told the Lions

he didn't want any part of coming to New England. In fact, according to Tom's report, Stafford told the Lions they could send him anywhere but New England. Anywhere. Murph, there are a lot of reasons why this could be true. I mean, I have my theories, but what say you, Bud? I don't want to steal your thunder. What did you make of all this with Stafford this weekend?

Look, I said it last week when they announced that Matt Patricia was coming back. That's it. You can just forget about any hopes or dreams of Matthew Stafford coming here. Look, folks, when you get right down to it, Matthew Stafford is the biggest diva that's never won anything in his entire life in the NFL. And he does not like Matt Patricia's style. And guess what style Matt Patricia emulates and brings to the table?

One of Bill Belichick. He was somebody that had been around the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL and watched him for 18 and a half years, just put up with whatever Bill did or said to him or pointed out or, you know, criticized. And that's the way Matt is. That's why Matt is back here because because Bill is somebody that enjoys him. He likes him. They're two peas in a pod, basically.

And Matt Stafford wanted to have nothing to do with that. I said it the day that he came back and was signed to whatever role while they were talking about, you know, well, he's not going to be on the sidelines, and he's going to be a special assistant to the head coach. And, you know, Murph, relax. He's on the other side of the ball. No. Matt Stafford does not like Matthew Patricia at all,

and he was not coming here. And that was the end of the story right then and there. The other side of it, the Rams will not have a first-round pick until 2037. Yeah, and I mean, you know, look, you can make the argument all day long that the Rams had to pay that price in order to get out of Goff's contract. No question, that contract was an albatross. I mean, no one is going to argue that point. But at the same time, you also look at it and you say, well, you know, is that the best?

You know, that was obviously the best offer that was going to be made. I don't think anyone was going to top that. But when you look at Stafford's fit here in New England and you look at what the Patriots would have had to have given up, I know I saw some smatterings throughout social media. Oh, of course, you know, Bill being cheap, you know, you know called and said uh we'll give you a number 15 and that's it and when they hung up on him he just went oh well that's okay you know i'll just make some drafts and i'll make some lesser no moves bill wasn't even giving that up he wasn't absolutely yeah exactly exactly and when you look at stafford not wanting to come here i do agree i think the patricia factor and we talked about this last week is that you know there's not a synergy. I know people wanted to believe that, oh, well, Patricia's coming here. That means they're going to have the inside track. No, I think it

worked against them. I think you saw that. Look, the Patriots are rebuilding. I know a lot of the fan base doesn't want to hear this, but they're rebuilding. They have no tight ends or wide receivers to get enthused about playing with. They play outdoors. Staff have no tight ends or wide receivers to get enthused about playing with. They play outdoors. You know, Stafford's a guy that is a creature of a dome. He's played his entire career indoors. Why would he want to come to a team that is rebuilding? He's 10 games under 500 outdoors for his career.

Right. Okay. Great point. 10 games under. He's a game under away from Detroit. He's 10 games under when he's playing outdoors. He doesn't like playing outdoors. He doesn't want to play outdoors.

He wants to play in a nice dome where there's nice weather, and that's what he's going to get. Absolutely, and that is exactly what he's going to get in Los Angeles. And, you know, maybe more of a laid-back fan base. I mean, I've said this throughout the weekend that Matthew Stafford has consistently, or at least it's been put out there, and I'm not saying it was put out there directly by his people or whatever, but the narrative around him is that he never had the team around him to showcase his talent. Matthew Stafford was always interested in Detroit.

All of that, he's not going to have that excuse in Los Angeles any longer. It's time for Matthew Stafford to put up or to shut up. And it's going to be the opportunity for him now. The man threw the Megatron for a decade. Okay? I don't want to hear it. Good point. Good point.

Good point. Absolutely. He's had talent. He's had talent. It's the same thing that everybody's talking about down in Houston. There's been plenty of talent down there in Houston. It's, you know, winning counts, people. Having a winner under center counts.

You know, it just does. It really does. I'm sorry, Michael, go ahead. No, I think you're absolutely right on the money. Look, we've known that in New England up here for a long time. I can't say for a lot of other fan bases that they agree. That may be a conversation for another day. But you look at all of these factors pointing against Stafford coming here, and it doesn't make a lot of – or I shouldn't say it really shouldn't be a huge surprise to a lot of the fan base

or really anybody else that this was a destination that just did not spell right for Matthew Stafford. There were so many factors working against it to make him not want to come here that you can definitely understand that. Pats fans, we are just getting warmed up here today to kick off your work week. In just a moment, Thomas Murphy and I will continue our quarterback discussion, including what the Stafford trade might mean for the Pats' plans at the position in 2021. Might a familiar face return to the fold? Or will the Patriots make a lesser move? Lastly, we will bring it all home with Murph's thoughts on Super Bowl 55

when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. I mean, is there a better phrase to describe your favorite football team in Foxborough? Six Super Bowl titles in just under two decades? Yeah, no other NFL team in the modern era can even come close to making that claim. Only the best can provide the best. And when it comes to protein bars, the only ones who could provide the best,

healthy, low-calorie, and delicious treats you know and 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 right now. No one can do it like they do it. 100% real chocolate, soft, easy to chew, and Bilt Bar is available in mouth-watering flavors like cookies and cream, peanut butter brownie, apple almond crisp, lemon almond cheesecake, just to name a few. But Bilt Bar is not only low calorie and low sugar, but it's also high protein and high fiber. Great for all of you following the keto lifestyle.

Bilt Bar has no crazy additives, half the calories of its most popular competitors, and get this, seven times fewer carbs, seven times fewer sugar grams, and more protein. How can it be that good for you and taste that good? Well, folks, all I can tell you is Bilt Bar is just that good. Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order. Don't delay. Do it today. Use promo code LOCKEDON for 20% off at BiltBar.com. Football fans, Sunday is the day we've all been waiting for.

So the question beckons, are we ready for some football? at BuiltBar.com. Football fans, Sunday is the day we've all been waiting for. So the question beckons, are we ready for some football? Of course we're ready for some football. Some big game football. And while all of us plan on enjoying the game, some of us want to make the game work for us. And I know, a lot of you know what I'm saying, and if you do, there's only one place that has you covered,

and one place we trust. BetOnline.ag. Sign up today one place we trust. BetOnline.ag. Sign up today for a free account at BetOnline.ag and use the promo code LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. BetOnline.ag has you covered with everything that you need. They have the latest lines, prop bets, over-unders, points allowed, points scored. You name it, BetOnline.ag is on top of it. So don't sit on the sidelines anymore. Get in on the action. And don't forget to use that promo code LOCKEDON to receive a 50% welcome bonus with your first

deposit. Don't delay. Do it today. Sign up for a free account and use the promo code LOCKEDON for your sign-up bonus. Bet Online. Your online sportsbook experts. Locked On listeners, NFL analyst Brian Peacock and former NFL scout Matt Williamson host Locked On's Peacock and Williamson every Monday through Friday. Brian and Matt give you the national perspective all around the NFL,

covering all the latest news and insight on every game, every team, and every move around the NFL. Get your picks, previews, and much more every weekday with the Peacock and Williamson Podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Pats fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy is here again for his hashtag Locked On Murph Monday episode on the pod. But with Stafford off of the board

and likely hand-in- hand along with that the dreams of deshaun watson likely falling off the radar or if they're not folks really i hate to tell you they should be off the radar the patriots quarterback choices are dwindling a little bit and i know the fan base is clamoring for a jimmy garoppolo reunion a lot of people want it uh i don't think it can be ruled out, but there were reported reservations on both sides. We've heard the Niners might not be able to find an adequate replacement for Jimmy, that there were rumors out there that the Patriots have some concern about Jimmy's durability. That could open the door for a quarterback like Ryan Fitzpatrick,

Andy Dalton. It could even open the door for Cam Newton to come back and take one more shot as a stopgap. Murph, based on what the quarterback market looks like right now, where do you think the Patriots go from here? I think they bring in the veteran that we all think can come in here and run this offense, and maybe even two of them, and then go out and find the next guy in the draft and see if they can bring him in and take another shot. They're not going to take a shot at 15, folks.

They're not. Just stop it. He's going to take the defensive tackle. He's going to take a safety that we've never heard of, or I would have heard of by Well, you know, I would have heard of by then, and you'll find out when I write about it. But right now, no, the guys out there, we've talked about Ryan Fitzpatrick coming in here as a stopgap. Jacoby Brissett is out there. I wouldn't mind seeing Jacoby come back. I really wouldn't. He's a good, smart kid who knows the

system and brings a little bit of familiarity to the fan base. But there are other guys out there. He can and he will find somebody. He took a shot last year. It didn't work. I don't see Cam Newton coming back. Sorry. Or not sorry.

I'm not sorry. No, and I mean, I think there's a lot of arguments to be made either way. Sarah Marshall joined me last week here on the pod, and we took a little dirt on the uniform for suggesting that Cam might be a possibility to come back. Look, if the Patriots' well dries up and they can't find an adequate stopgap veteran option to come in and be able to do it, all of a sudden, if you're stared in the face with either having to start Jared Stidham or look for bringing Cam Newton back, then I could see it. I agree with you. I do think it's unlikely. And for those reasons that you mentioned, I'm really surprised that Jacoby Brissett's name hasn't gained more traction as an

option for the Patriots to utilize next year, even if it's just for a stopgap situation. Jacoby knows the system. He can play under Bill Belichick. knows Josh McDaniels this could be an opportunity for him to come in and show what the Patriots saw in him when they decided that he was going to be able to play under Jimmy Garoppolo and that they were going to you know try to uh to make a go out of it uh with him ultimately they knew that Jimmy was going to be uh you know the guy until Tom came back but at the same time, they still put a lot of faith in him. And he performed, I think, adequately well. And we saw him be able to do the job in Indianapolis for a brief period of time. I don't think he was nearly as bad as a lot of people were making him out to be.

But ultimately, I agree with you. I do think a free agent stopgap option is going to be how the patriots go i don't think the guy that they're looking for is in the draft this year that they can realistically get i think they love to have a guy like robert lawrence or maybe even you know justin fields or maybe even a guy like you know zach wilson i think they'd love to have those guys under center i don't think any one of them are going to be an option for them and i just i don't know if i'm sold on mac jones enough to say that number 15 is the area where you get in i actually think he might be available a second round and then maybe we're talking about a whole whole new yeah you know a kettle of fish but until now i think that's it and yeah if he's there at 42 or

wherever the pats are picking i can't remember off the top of my head. Yeah, they could take a chance there, but it's not happening at 15. I'd rather wait and take the Notre Dame kid. Yeah, no, it's true. I mean, and if they can find that stopgap and develop the quarterback of the future, you know, this is how this game is played. For 20 years, we were spoiled up here. Very much so for not having to worry about the future of the quarterback position. And you know what, Bud? I think that's going to

lead me quite nicely into my final question for you today, and we'll bring it all home with Super Bowl 55 being less than a week away. Next week at this time, we're going to be talking about its aftermath. Good, bad, or ugly, or whatever. We're going to be talking about its aftermath, good, bad or ugly or whatever. We're going to be talking about it here on Locked on Patriots.

And we know that the Patriots are not participating in this game, but a part of Patriots Nation is. Of course, I'm talking about Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. But Murph, we've watched Tom specifically compete in nine of these games. We've watched him win six of them. One of the prevailing narratives in all of them was Brady's ability to win any way that he could. Last I checked, he still knows how to play. He still knows how to win. He's doing it down in Tampa Bay. But the one thing this game is not going to have is that Brady Belichick dynamic. You're not going to see the planning, the strategy

of Bill Belichick acting as the perfect compliment to Tom Brady. That's not saying, folks, that Tom needs Bill to win this game. I'm not saying that. But that's one narrative that we're not going to see. We're going to hear it a lot, but we're not going to see it on the field. Murph, in your opinion, when you look at this game and the lack of Bill's wisdom and counsel on the sideline. What are your thoughts on the Bucs' chances to win it, first of all? And do you think this might be a situation where that Brady-Belichick connection is going to be missed on the brightest stage in the game? It's going to be missed on the brightest stage of the game

on the defensive side of the ball. That's where it is. Bill's ability to dial up any defense that he needs to to go back into the wayback machine and say, you're going to do this? All right, I saw this happen in 1973, so this is how I'm going to defend it. This game is on Todd Bowles' shoulders. It really is. And being able to stop this Kansas City offense early and allow Tom to build up enough of a lead that they're going to be able to hang on to win. The other instance, the other thing that this entire game could come down to is dropped passes. We've seen it throughout the year in Tampa. We've seen it in the playoffs especially,

as to whether or not the Bucs' wideouts, their weapons, can hang on to the ball. So many yards were left on the field in the last two games for Tampa Bay that it's really mind-boggling. I think that the Bucs can win this game. I think that when it comes down to it, that Tom is going to be able to decipher whatever they come up with as a defense and be able to pick them apart. He's going to look across this, this field and say, all right, you're going to do this. I'm going to do that. And he's going to be out there, you know,

making Andy Reed look really good behind his, I mean, he's going to, he's going to be making Arians look really good on the sideline. And, you know, you can wax out everybody wants to win for B.A. and stuff like that. Tom wants to win for Tom. And that's what he wants to do. This is his legacy.

He wants one without Bill as badly as Bill wants one without Tom. That's going to happen. It's the longer route as opposed to the greatest quarterback in the history of sports, in the history of the NFL, being able to go to a team that does have the weapons that he wished they had here for the last three years, some of which were here and then were let go. It's going to be a lot of fun. And in the end, I believe that the Bucs are going to come out on top with like a 34-27 win.

Yeah, you know what? From your lips to God's ears when it comes to Patriots Nation, well, most of Patriots Nation, I should say. There is a sect out there that, you know, we're seeing that, you know, unfortunately. Yeah, that's not really, you know, that's not getting behind Tom. And look, I mean, you have the right to cheer or boo anybody that you want. I'm not saying that, you know, Pats fans, you know, are dedicated to their team. And we appreciate that.

And anybody that's no longer a Patriot is really not under your purview to root for any longer. We've watched him do this so many times. I mean, the contributions that Tom Brady has made to this franchise doesn't allow me to do anything but root for him in this game. So that's where my allegiance is going to lie, folks. You know, I don't think there's any surprise by that. If you've listened to Locked On Patriots, you know the reverence I hold Tom Brady.

But at the same time, I think you make an interesting point. Bill Belichick's connection will be missed on the defensive side of the ball. It's not going to change Tom's ability to do this. It's not going to make Tom unable to win. I mean, we've watched him do this. It amazes me that the narrative out there is, can Tom Brady win the Super Bowl? Can he do this? Yeah, he can do it, folks.

We've seen him do it six times. It's not a question of whether or not he knows how to win this game. He knows what he needs to do. Having Bill Belichick not on the sidelines is not going to change Tom Brady's ability to win this game or the knowledge that he needs to win this game. But it does create some doubt on the defensive side of the ball. We've seen prolific offenses go up against the New England Patriots before and be stymied, be stifled. The first Super Bowl that the Patriots ever won, the greatest show on turf,

what did the Bill Belichick defense do? Chip Marshall Falk at the line of scrimmage, throw off his routes, get Kurt Warner completely out of his game. That allowed the Patriots to be able to play theirs. We've seen the Indianapolis Colts offenses that were otherworldly with Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison and Edger and James be able to be stifled by a solid defensive effort on that side of the ball. Does Todd Bowles, Bruce Arians, and that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense have it in them to be able to do something

similar against a very prolific offense with the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey, Tyree Kill. You mentioned up and down. These guys can score the football. Can they do it? That will be the question. No one's saying they can't do it, but I think it's going to be difficult. See, this is my job. This is what I job. This is what I love to do. And hopefully I'm hyping Patriots Nation to check out this game. I might have to go cut some cheese. That's it. I think some monster cheese.

You know what? Maybe I'm just saving a little in the tank for another appearance this week that might or might not happen. Folks, keep a sharp eye on that because this may not be the last time me and this man here might share the microphone on this subject but uh all kidding aside i think super bowl 55 is going to be exciting definitely patriots nation regardless of your rooting interest watch it and you mentioned the monster keys the monster keys can only be cut by someone who has the wisdom and counsel of this man here. You lend it like no other. You're family at Lockdown Patriots. You've got your embroidered chair.

You've got the hashtag. They are both so deserved. Buddy, what can I say? I thank you for joining me today. Folks, you should already be following this man, but for the benefit of our new listeners, which we have several over the course of the last week, and I welcome each and every one of you to the pod,

please follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself on Twitter, at TeamMurph207. Those monster keys that Murph mentioned, proudly found on DieHardBostonSportsFans.com. They're point, click, learn, encourage, and rich material. You'll come out a better football fan and better equipped to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday.

I guarantee it. Also, never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with Murph and our great mutual friend Steve Balistrieri. Buddy, what can I say? Honored and humbled as always by your presence. Oh, always my pleasure to be here, man. I'm the only person on the planet who looks forward to Monday because I get to spend time with you. And before I go, everybody out there, circle this in your draft guide. Charles Snowden, linebacker out of Virginia.

You know, Murph did this last year with Cesar Ruiz, and I think we would have made the right pick. This will be day two. This is the day two guy. Yeah. But no. But yeah, absolutely. Circle that name. I've already got it circled because of this man's influence. But folks, I definitely recommend that. And we'll be talking about him a lot on the airwaves and locked on Patriots. But we're taking it right into Super Bowl week, buddy. What can I say? Stay safe, stay well.

And we look forward to breaking down Super Bowl 55 and taking a look at the next steps starting Monday here on Locked on Mur starting Monday here on Locked On Murph Monday here on Locked On Patriots. Thanks again, buddy. Have a great week. Thanks, bud. I'll be here.

And so, Patriots Nation, one day down on your work week, but one day closer to Super Bowl 55. And while the big game will continue to be a major storyline throughout all of our shows here on the Locked On Podcast Network, primarily on the NFL channel, here on Locked On Patriots, we will still continue to prioritize the very latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough sprinkled in with an occasional opinion from yours truly. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, subscribe to and download 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 Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his

appearance today. 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. For those of you like me that reside here in the Northeast, stay safe, well, and warm out there in this winter storm. But of course, for each and every one of you listeners of Locked On Patriots, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.