Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Pretty Win in Philly: Patriots Shutout Eagles in Preseason Game Two — 8/20/2021

Episode Date: August 21, 2021

The New England Patriots arrived in the City of Brotherly Love primed for their second preseason game of 2021. After partaking in two days of joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles, New England was eager to show exactly how effective they can be on both sides of the ball. While Philadelphia chose to rest many of their starters, the Pats rode solid performances by quarterback Cam Newton and Mac Jones, along with a very impressive night for the defense, to a 35-0 victory over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Host Mike D’Abate breaks down all the action from Philly, and provides an update on the status of wide receiver N’Keal Harry.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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% 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.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.StatHeroStatHero, the FIRST Ever Daily Fantasy Sportsbook that gives the PLAYER the ADVANTAGE. Go to StatHero.com/LockedOn for 300% back on your first play Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It is Friday, August 20th, 2021, and it is Victory Friday 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. Patriots fans, it is Friday. Thank football and Foxborough, it is Friday here on the pod.

And today I'll be breaking down the Patriots' pretty win in Philly as they shut out the Philadelphia Eagles in preseason game two. My name is Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated. I'm also your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which, of course, is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. So share that feedback. Send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there giving the weekend nod and saying how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, your New England Patriots arrived in the city of brotherly love

earlier this week, primed for their second preseason game of 2021. And after partaking in a couple of days of joint practices with the Eagles, Patriots were eager to show exactly how effective they can be on both sides of the ball. And in my opinion, they did just that. From a Philadelphia standpoint, the Philly Fanatics are going to point to the fact that the Eagles rested their starters in this game. Well, that might be true. We'll concede to that, but it might be worth noting that the Patriots actually removed all of their starters when the score was 13-0 in favor of the Pats. Patriots went on to win this one 35-0, so New England's depth chart, maybe a little bit greater than the Eagles' depth chart.

We'll take that as a win. Wonder if any Philly beat writers are going to acknowledge that. No, they'd rather just talk about dominating performance in one day of joint practices. But, I digress, folks. The Patriots riding solid performances by Cam Newton, Mack Jones, along with a very impressive night for the defense. Once again, a 35-0 victory over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. And here today on the pod, we'll be breaking down all of the highlights,

including the scoring and some of the tidbits from defense and special teams. An action-packed agenda on the pod today as we recap the Patriots victory in preseason game two when this Friday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, get all the latest news, odds, and info for all of your sporting needs, including Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, all of your UFC MMA action, and of course the NFL with the only place that has you covered and the only place we trust. BetOnline. BetOnline is the fastest and easiest way to bet on all of your sports action.

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Head over to their website or use your mobile device to sign up today and receive your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit when you use the promo code LOCKEDON. BetOnline, your online sportsbook experts. Patriots fans, at the time today's game recap episode was being recorded, we weren't quite sure exactly what the status would be of Nikhil Harry. As we all know, Harry exited last night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a would-be shoulder injury. Well, now we do know. As first reported by good friend of the program, Evan Lazar of CLNS Media, Harry has apparently avoided serious injury to his shoulder. Apparently, Nikhil, who was spotted last night wearing a sling, was only wearing it for precautionary measures. ESPN's Adam Schefter would go on to say that no structural damage has been found to

Harry's shoulder and that he simply will need some rest. Great news for Nikhil Harry, great news for the New England Patriots, and per Evans' report, Nikhil is expected to be ready for week one of the 2021 regular season when the Patriots host the Miami Dolphins. But that's only one of the many storylines from last night's game against Philly. So without further ado, we continue our preseason game two recap episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast. Pats fans, once again, it is Victory Friday here on the pod, and we'll be breaking down the Patriots 35-0 victory over the Eagles

on Thursday night. And don't forget, after listening to today's episode, check out my colleagues, NFL analyst Brian Peacock and former NFL scout Matt Williamson, as they 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, we're all still enjoying the Victory Friday feeling from the Pats win last night in Philadelphia, and it's tough to read a whole lot into a preseason victory. There's not a lot of competition on the other side of the field. Teams are still feeling out who's going to be starting, who's going to be depth pieces, who's going to end up on the cutting room floor. But the Patriots showed a lot of promise last night on both sides of the ball, particularly when they had the opportunity to score. The Patriots found the end zone five times last night, and it started off with a pretty impressive defensive play that I think became the catalyst for how the Patriots were going to play all night

long. Linebacker Matt Judon continues to show why he may just be one of the best free agent signings in the NFL this season. Judon drew a beat on an errant snap to Eagles quarterback Joe Flacco. Yes, folks, that Joe Flacco. Knocked the ball back on a would-be strip sack. Back to defensive back Jalen Mills, who was undergoing a homecoming of some sort. Himself a former Eagle, he recovered the ball at the Philadelphia nine-yard line. From there, Cam Newton and the offense went to work. Running back Damian Harris takes a five-yard rush into the end zone. Patriots heads up, capitalizing on the turnover, and just

like that, they're up 7-0. The Pats would once again light the scoreboard toward the end of the first quarter on a great drive led by Cam Newton. Cam really looked comfortable and in rhythm throwing the football on this drive. You can make the argument that he might have looked as comfortable as he's ever looked in the Patriots offense. I personally haven't seen Cam look this good since last season's matchup in Seattle with the Seahawks. He connected with Sonny Michel in the backfield on a few receptions. Sonny also having a solid game in this one, really resurrecting his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Did that so well during his time at the University of Georgia.

If he can harness that, coupled by a very strong running performance, Sonny and Damian Harris are going to make one great 1-2 combination at the top of this rotation. But the highlight of this drive belonged to Cam Newton and Jacoby Myers, who I wrote about today for Sports Illustrated, and basically said that these two might just be forming the beginnings of a beautiful friendship. I'll leave it to you to check that out. But definitely, if you're a Casablanca fan, you might get a chuckle out of that one. Bottom line, Newton looked great,

finding Jacoby Myers on a well-placed 28-yard pass through zone coverage. Credit to Jacoby for running a great route through the Philadelphia zone, maintained great body control along the sideline for the touchdown, and the Patriots were rolling at this point. The next time they found the end zone was when the ball was indeed given to rookie Mac Jones, and if Cam looked impressive in this, Mack definitely looked just as impressive last night. The rookie definitely did not disappoint in the opportunities he was provided. His first series was a 17-play,

91-yard drive lasting just over nine minutes. At one point, the Patriots were backed up into their own end zone, and Mack led them nearly the full length of the field. Jones nearly connected on a beautiful would-be touchdown to Nakiel Harry. Harry was unable to corral the pass as he landed awkwardly on his left shoulder. He would leave the game with an injury, and it really was unfortunate, folks. It looked like if Nakiel had just run through the route, he wouldn't have even had to dive, and he probably wouldn't have gotten injured. But a lot of eyes are on Nikhil Harry right now. Bill Belichick spoke to the media on Friday morning. Not a lot of information known

about his injury at this time, at least at the time I'm recording this podcast. But keep a sharp eye. We'll continue to keep you updated here on Locked On Patriots with the very latest on Nikhil Harry's injury. But life still went on and Mack continued the poise he's shown so far, leading the Patriots into the end zone, handing off to rookie Ramondre Stevenson, who would cap the drive with a one-yard rush for the touchdown. Though that would do it for the first half, the Patriots were not done yet as Mack Jones opened the second half by leading a surgical, methodical, if you will, nine-play, 75-yard drive for a score. And on this one, I thought Mac showed tremendous pocket

presence, found my man who made that man a gunner of Shelveski on a couple of separate occasions for some nice connections, also utilized running back J.J. Taylor, who, in my opinion, continues to make a strong case for a roster spot, displaying a nice spin move at one point near the goal line before taking his second red zone carry into the end zone. Patriots had the route on at this point. And the last Patriots touchdown scoring drive would again belong to Mac Jones, once again leading his team 70 yards on 10 plays and really doing a great job of utilizing the rushing abilities of both J.J. Taylor and Ramondre Stevenson. For the second time

in as many games, Stevenson continues to impress. He'd earned his second touchdown of the game on another one-yard rush, and Stevenson continues to run with a power and purpose that really is beyond his years. I saw a little bit on Twitter last night saying pump the brakes don't get too excited about what Ramondre Stevenson is doing and yeah folks I can get that a little bit but there is a quickness in his feet and a power in his run style that really gets me excited about this kid. Not completely sure if Ramondre is going to end up being the running back of the future here in New England this season, but he definitely has it written all over him for subsequent seasons.

Both he and Damian Harris have a long, bright future of heading the top of this running back core for many years to come. And as I've said before several times here on the pod, this is one of the deepest spots on the Patriots roster. You've got Damian Harris on the top. You've got Sonny Michel making a very good case to be the number two this year. James White, without question, remains your third down option and one of the best receiving backs out of the backfield.

Then you've got Stevenson in the mix now as a rookie. And all of a sudden, you've got four very capable runners. Sprinkle in J.J. Taylor, and let's not forget Murph's main man, Brandon Bolden. That is a deep and prolific running back core. Bill Belichick is going to have a tough time cutting this one down. It's almost unthinkable to think that the Patriots would carry six running backs, but with the prowess that each brings to the table, it's kind of hard to argue with the fact that he may end up considering it at the very least.

I don't think he will, but again, stranger things have happened in New England. All in all, a great night for the Patriots offense, and if they were to hand out a game ball in this one, I think the Patriots would be hard-pressed to give it to only one player. You can make the case for Cam Newton, You can make the case for Mac Jones. You can make the case for Jacoby Myers, Ramondre Stevenson, Sonny Michel. All of them had significant contributions last night.

Again, folks, it's still very early, but if the Patriots can get this type of offensive output from guys like Sonny Michel and Ramondre Stevenson in the running back core, from guys like Jacoby Myers as a wide receiver. This Patriots offense is going to be exponentially better than it was in 2020. Don't forget, we haven't even seen the 12-man personnel show up yet. Janu Smith and Hunter Henry have yet to be on the field at the same time in a preseason

game to really showcase what these two great tight ends can do. When they're added into the mix. Plus, you start to see Nelson Aguilar get solid reps. Kendrick Bourne works his way into the offense. Could be a better offense than a lot of people are giving it credit for. And if Cam Newton can continue to play as comfortably as he is, he'll be a great and effective leader for the team this year. And even though, in my opinion, the Patriots would be best bringing Mac Jones along slowly giving him time to develop the way he's playing if he had to step in he looks like he could do a very efficient job of running this offense both quarterbacks getting better playing well solid

contributions from the runners the receivers in short Patriots offense looked pretty good last night and we haven't even seen the tight ends yet. That's right, Claire. Keep a sharp eye. Those guys are coming. But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the Patriots offense last night. There was indeed a miscue or a rookie mistake, if you will. And as much as I've sung his praises so far, Ramondre Stevenson did have a rookie moment last night, and he's been the proverbial toast of the town.

There's no question about it. His performance throughout New England's two postseason contests has him being talked about as one of the top running backs in the preseason all over the NFL right now. Again, great power, great speed. He can blend it into his running style. That makes him an effective weapon in the open field and in short yardage goal line alignments.

But the Patriots place a premium on protecting the football. makes him an effective weapon in the open field and in short yardage goal line alignments but the Patriots place a premium on protecting the football you know as well as I do that is an absolute must in a Bill Belichick Josh McDaniels offensive system well the rookie made a rookie mistake last night and he fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter he's a rookie it was bound to happen at some point but one thing is certain and you can safely bet on this. That miscue is going to be brought to Ramondre Stevenson attention more often than not during the next few days. Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, Ivan Fears are all going to be showing him exactly what he did. I'd give him the ball again against the Giants. Let's test the kid, see what he can do, but all in all, a very good night for the Pats

offense all the way around. Still, Pats fans, it was not all about the offense last night. The Patriots defense showed up to play as well. And a couple of roster hopefuls had some standout performances. We'll talk about the defensive contributions for the Patriots in preseason game number two when this Friday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, Bilt Bar, the most delicious, healthy protein bar you've ever tried, has so many delicious flavors.

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Make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar right now. Visit Bilt.com and use promo code LOCKED15 to get 15% off your next order. That's promo code LOCKED15 for 15% off at Bilt.com. Patriots fans, once again, we continue to break down Thursday's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Preseason game two, two down, one to go for the New England Patriots. And in the previous segment, we talked a lot about the offense, the offensive scoring drives, and how impressive the Patriots looked at times, whether it be the running game or a very strong performance by both quarterbacks. But the defense was not forgotten. In fact, they had some standout performances of their own, starting with linebacker Matt Judon. And again, folks, one of the best

offseason pickups for any team, certainly one of the best offseason pickups for the Patriots. Even though we've seen minimal time throughout the first two preseason contests, Judon has been a difference maker. He has such a strong ability to get after the quarterback, set the edge, and facilitate the run defense. But he can also drop into coverage, and that really makes him a perfect fit as an outside linebacker in New England. Judon was a key force enforcing the fumble and the strip sack last night and also continues to apply pressure to the quarterback every chance he gets. This is really going to enhance the Patriots defense this year and I for one cannot wait to see Matt Judon in a regular season setting. But Judon was far from the only linebacker making

waves last night. Chase Winovich finally got some in-game action after missing most of training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Still not a whole lot of detail on why Chase was on the pup list, but Bill Belichick did speak to the media on Friday morning and seems to be pleased with the progress that Chase is making. He indicated that he still got a long way to go, but was very encouraged by what he saw on the field. And Winovich looked great, got after the quarterback, had two sacks, and really did a great job of both setting the edge and getting after the quarterback at times. If Chase can round back into form and show some of that non-stop motor that he exhibited so well

when he was a Michigan Wolverine, then he's definitely going to earn a spot on this team and a key role in the upcoming 2021 defense for the New England Patriots. Another linebacker making a name for himself continuously through camp is Harvey Longy. And for those of you that know Longy's story, it's truly amazing. Started off as an undrafted free agent in 2017 with the Pats, came into training camp and really performed well, looked to be well on his way to not just earning a roster spot, but maybe even a key spot in the

Patriots front seven that year. Played very well in his first couple of games, but unfortunately, less than one month after his NFL regular season debut, Longhi and his wife Cassidy were both seriously injured in an automobile accident, and Harvey suffered injuries to his head his neck his back his wife Cassidy broke both hips multiple ribs shortly after that Longhi was placed on the reserve non-football injury list due to his injuries and that effectively ended his season trying to make a comeback with the Patriots in training camp in 2018 simply wasn't the same player. The Patriots released him after final roster cuts that year, and Longhi would end up signing a deal with the Patriots' chief rival, the New York Jets. Longhi spent some time on the practice squad with gang green before being

elevated to the 53-man roster, and for the past couple of years, he's done a pretty good job being in on a lot of combination tackles, quite a few solo tackles, really being a contributor both on run defense and in getting after the passer. Now that he's back with the Patriots, Longhi faces an uphill battle to make the 2021 Patriots roster. Faces a lot of stiff competition. Not just Matt Judon, Kyle Van Nooy, Dante Hightower. We know those guys are roster locks. But don't forget, this is a very deep linebacking core. Josh Uche, Chase Winovich, rookie Ronnie Perkins, Anfernee Jennings, Juwan Bentley, Tayshaun Bauer. All of these linebackers are trying to vie for a roster spot. But you've got to give Harvey Longhi credit. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time to make

tackles. Even last week against the Washington football team, Harvey always seems to be in the right place at the right time to make tackles. Even last week against the Washington football team, Harvey always seems to be around the ball. Has some difficulty covering in the open field, but last night against the Philadelphia Eagles, he continues to make a strong case to earn his second tour of duty in New England. Longy would finish the evening with five total tackles, one sack, and a tackle for a loss. He also grabbed the game's most exciting interception, made an aggressive move to go after a pass breakup. The pass was broken up by Patriots defensive back Justin Bethel. But again, Longhi, right place, right time.

Not by happenstance, that was by design. He continues to impress, and even Bill Belichick stated this morning when he spoke to the media that he's impressed by what Harvey has done and really building upon what he did well with the Jets. Will it be enough to earn a roster spot? Well, I think the jury's still out on that one. The Patriots still have a week of joint practices and their final preseason game against the Giants to make that decision, but if it's not to be for Harvey Lange this time around, it won't be because of a lack of effort. This kid's giving it everything he's got, and I for one wish him the best. So those were my defensive standouts from last night's game,

but it wouldn't be complete without delving into a little special teams talk. And yep, folks, you guessed it. We're going to Quinn and Barrett right now and discuss the night that Quinn Nordean had kicking the football. Nordean really has been widely considered to have the upper hand over Nick Folk for the football. Nordine really has been widely considered to have the upper hand over Nick Folk for the kicking job in New England right now, largely because Folk has very seldom seen the field. Nordine has essentially been handling all the kicking duties and up until last night looked to be about as sharp as they come, but

the undrafted rookie may have returned to Earth's atmosphere after Thursday night because Nordean missed a 36-yard field goal and two extra points, each of them pushing to the right of the goal post. Now, we remember there was a time in the not-so-distant past that Quinn Nordean was perfect inside the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium. Last night, Lincoln Financial Field might have been a little bit of a difference, but he did rebound nicely and was able to put a 24-yarder through the uprights in the fourth quarter. That gave the Patriots a 35-0 lead, the eventual final score. Now, no one is questioning Nordean's

leg strength. No one has from the moment he's been signed. This kid can kick most of his field goals, sail through the uprights or close to it, with a lot of room to spare. The question is consistency and accuracy. Up until now, he's been pretty accurate, but consistency, well, that's a little bit of a different story. Back when Quinn was the kicker at the University of Michigan, a lot of Michigan fans and some media have been saying that he has the tendency to be quote-unquote streaky, meaning that he'll go through stretches where he makes everything, and it seems like he can't miss.

But when he strings together a couple of misses in a row, Quinn's confidence has the tendency to get a little shaky, and that can lead to consecutive misses. Maybe we're seeing that a little bit with him, maybe it's just rookie jitters, Or maybe it was just the situation where he was having difficulty last night for whatever reason. Bottom line, Nick Folk is still one of the more consistent and reliable kickers in the league. If he's healthy, it's going to be very difficult for Quinn Nordine to unseat him. But if you're looking for a silver lining, maybe Quinn missing those kicks is not all bad news. Maybe it helps the Patriots sneak him onto the practice squad. Bottom line, Quinn Nordean is going to have to make kicks consistently this week in difficult situations in order to prove to Bill Belichick, Cam Ackard, and the Patriots brain trust that he's capable of handling

the load. If he can, well, then kicker competition is game on in Foxborough. If not, we might see Nick Fulks sooner rather than later, assuming he's healthy. So with two down and one to go for the Patriots in the preseason, the Pats return home to Foxborough, and on Wednesday, August 25th, and Thursday, August 26th, the Patriots will host joint practices with the New York football giants at the Gillette Stadium practice fields. Practices open at 10 a.m. each day, open to the public, so if you're in the area, folks, this will be your last chance to check out a Patriots practice before the start of the regular season. And of course, the third and final preseason game for your New England Patriots

against the Giants, set for 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 29th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. And Locked On Patriots will have you covered for all the action, including a few surprises next week. So to be sure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download, subscribe to, and follow the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, the Odyssey app, Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. And remember that if making a little something extra on your football watching is your kind of thing, betting on the NFL does not have to be a guessing game if you listen to the new Locked on Bets podcast hosted by your boy Q and handicapping expert

Lee Sterling. Get daily picks, blowout specials, wrong team favorite picks, and Lee Sterling's lock of the day. Follow the Locked on Bets podcast brought to you by betonline.ag, wherever you get your podcasts. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank all of you so much for listening today 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. And a special shout out to all of you in the southern New England area. Please be safe this weekend with tropical storm, possibly Hurricane Henri, bearing down on the region Sunday morning. Keep an eye on your weather forecast and definitely take all the precautions to keep you and your loved ones safe. Have a great day and a great weekend, everyone.