Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Primed for the Postseason? - New England Patriots Resume Push for the Playoffs — 12/13/2021

Episode Date: December 14, 2021

The New England Patriots, at 9-4, remain atop the AFC and the AFC East, heading into Saturday’s Week Fifteen matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. Joining host Mike D’Abate is fan-favorite Thomas ���Murph’ Murphy, as the duo discuss the Pats greatest challenges in their pursuit of the postseason and the team’s strengths and weaknesses heading into the stretch run.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.StatHeroStatHero is the first of its kind Daily Fantasy Sports platform where it’s YOU vs. the HOUSE in head to head fantasy matchups - winner take all. Sign up for FREE - RIGHT NOW - at StatHero.com/LOCKEDON and use promo code LOCKEDON for a One Hundred Percent Deposit Match. 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 Monday, December 13th, 2021. And it is bye-bye-bye, back to work, 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.

And of course, thank you so much for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and of course, your first listen every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is free and available on all platforms and a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation, and thank you for kicking off your week in style here on Locked On Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports

Illustrated. I am also your proud host of the Locked On Patriots Podcast, of course, 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, your comments, your feedback, anything and everything on your mind is always very much welcomed and greatly 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 doing some Monday meddling through that Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, after a much-needed and very well-deserved period of rest following the Week 14 bye, the New England Patriots are now going to be back in action

prepping for Saturday night's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. 8 20 p.m. kickoff Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis Indiana. Patriots take their talents to Indy in what should be a great matchup against two teams that are playing some of the best football they've played all year right at the right time. And even though they did not play this weekend the New England Patriots still will enter this contest as not only the number one seed in the AFC overall, but also have a two-game lead on the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East Division. And that's thanks in large part to an old friend, Tom Brady, leading a 94-yard touchdown drive capped by a 58-yard connection with wide receiver Brashad Perryman.

That clinched the victory for his Tampa Bay Buccaneers over his former team's division rival, the Buffalo Bills. As a result, the Patriots grab a two-game lead in the AFC East. Buffalo falls to 7-6 on the season and are now in the seventh spot in the overall standings for the AFC. The Patriots maintain that top spot, even though both the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs had big victories on Sunday. All three teams are 9-4.

However, the Patriots do hold the tiebreaker. And right now, with four games remaining on the schedule, folks, the Patriots have to get wins, and they're of the utmost importance. That starts on Saturday night against the Indianapolis Colts. And here today on Locked On, Patriotsots to talk about who might be the most formidable opponent for the New England Patriots heading into the postseason is our good friend, the legendary green man himself, the Count of Murphy Fisto, Thomas Murphy, is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots.

Might not be a hashtag victory Monday, but it is still a hashtag locked on Murph Monday. And we'll be talking about all of the Patriots potential suitors for the top spot in the AFC. That includes the Tennessee Titans. That includes the Kansas City Chiefs. We'll be talking about the Buffalo Bills and whether or not any one of these teams have the ability to overtake the Patriots as the top seeded team in the AFC and whether or not the Bills still have it in them to be able to make up that two-game deficit and snag the division title for the second year in a row.

Folks, a lot to talk about today with Murph. In addition to talking about the Patriots' potential formidable challengers to the division title, as well as the conference top spot, we'll be talking about the strengths and the weaknesses of the new england patriots and in murph's humble opinion what have been the skills that have propelled the patriots toward a seven game win streak will those skills be able to keep them in the top spot moving forward and of course as always with the bill belichick team what are the areas for improvement where will belichick and his coaching staff spend the most time preparing as they look to make it eight straight wins against Indy this Saturday night. Folks, a ton to get to on the pod today.

Always a blast when Dunn Murph drops by. So without much further ado, we prepare to welcome in our good friend Murph, the legendary Thomas Murphy, when this hashtag LockedOnMurph Monday episode of the LockedOn Patriots podcast continues. LockedOn listeners, does this sound familiar? You've got one device that lets you catch the game live, another device that lets you stream your favorite shows, you're watching sports highlights on your phone, and you've got your neighbor's best friend's login for the good stuff.

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That's D-I-R-E-C-T-V dot com. Compatible device required. Content varies by package. Patriots fans, once again, it is time to wave bye-bye to the bye week, and that's exactly what we're doing here on Locked On Patriots. It's all about turning our attention to the Saturday night showdown between the Pats and the Indianapolis Colts

at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, 8-20 kickoff time this Saturday, December 18th. And here today to transition us from the bye week into the home stretch. Yeah, that's right. We mentioned home because it is his Monday home.

Hashtag Locked on Murph Monday always exists here on Locked on Patriots. And I, for one, cannot be more thrilled than to welcome my good friend back to his weekly spot here on Locked on Patriots. The green wisdom and counsel about to be flowing like wine because your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the only guest on this pod with his very own branded hashtag, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy, is back for his appearance on Locked On Patriots. Thank you for coming to me in friendship.

Thank you for joining me today, Dunn Murphy. If only a legend in my own mind. thank you very much for having me back bud a legend on this show i guarantee it a legend in most people's circles not a legend in your own mind that's for uh other people that uh work for uh four letter network morning shows and we'll uh leave that that's the line but you are yeah there you go my friend uh and we're always always happy to absorb the wisdom and counsel that you bring each and every week murph we've gotten accustomed to victory monday here on locked on patriots as of late although last week was a preview monday steve and i did the victory tuesday uh but uh the Patriots right now at nine and four are ready to enter the home stretch

four games left on the schedule. And no matter how you slice it, they're always tough games at this time of year. Nothing can be taken for granted. Teams have a tendency to play a little bit over what they have. Their capabilities have been all year. Just a lot to digest when it comes to the New England Patriots. But even though the Pats weren't in action over the weekend, or if they still came out a winner over the weekend, let's face it, the New England Patriots continue to remain atop the AFC, the AFC East. They're now two games in front of the Buffalo Bills, thanks to a little help from an old friend of ours

that seems to still have that dagger anytime he needs it when it comes to the hearts and minds of Buffalo Bills fans. Landscape. The Patriots are the top-seeded team in the AFC. They're in the driver's seat for the division. Kansas City Chiefs match them in record, but the Patriots hold the tiebreaker over the Titans and the Chiefs right now. Ravens look like they're in a little bit of

a free fall. The Chargers have been up and down, but this is a team that the Patriots were able to take care of earlier. Of course, you've got the Colts and the Bills in the final spot. Colts coming up this Saturday, and then the Bills coming up the following week after the week 13 victory that the Patriots had over them in Orchard Park. As you look at these teams and you look at the breakdown and what they have to offer and what they can do on the football field, which of these teams is the biggest threat to the Patriots in terms of them trying to secure not just that all important first round buy in the AFC, but also their quest to get the division back from the Bills? If you asked me last night before the second half of the game, I would have said Miami.

But unfortunately, the Bucks allowed the Bills to start feeling their oats again in the second half of last night's game. I like what Miami's done over the past, you know, four to six weeks in turning the tide and playing more to Tua's strengths. But don't worry, folks. I have keys already cut to take care of that little mess. But so, yeah, it's still the Bills. The Bills are going to come back in here and with a little vengeance on the mind, feeling really good about themselves after

last night's second half. I don't think that that loss has taken the wind out of their sails as much as some of the talking heads here in town are spouting this morning. Yeah, I mean, anytime you can come down from a 24-3 halftime deficit, lead your team back to within striking distance, and you can make the argument that a couple of calls that might have gone either way might have negated the final play from ever even happening. Buffalo is still a tough team, and I think people need to remember that. This is a team that is very well coached, regardless of, I know, a lot of the lumps that Sean McDermott is taking. There are good people on his staff. He's capable of being able to dial up things when he needs to.

Josh Allen is coming into his own as a quarterback that I think is going to be reliable down the stretch. Even though he's got his sputters, there's no question about it that he can make plays when he needs to. And that defense is still formidable. I mean, that's still a dangerous defense when it comes to takeaways. If Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are playing at the top of their game, you get the solid contributions in the middle of that interior of the defensive line from Starla Tula and those guys. And then all of a sudden the linebackers start rounding into form with Jermaine Edmonds and Matt Milano. all of a sudden those guys are solid in all three levels and if they can play and they prove that they can play and come back from deficits on the road I think people need to remember that just because they're coming here to Foxborough does not mean that the Buffalo Bills

are simply going to fold up and just you know hand the division back over they came into Foxborough last year and took it to this team, different team, no question about it, but the Buffalo bills still have a, a formidable road to to provide for the Patriots in terms of getting back to the division, but two games ahead in the AFC East is better than two games behind. We are loving it right now. And hopefully we'll continue to love it as well. In that offshoot, my friend, since we're talking in this segment about teams that do form a formidable challenge to the New England Patriots,

the Kansas City Chiefs appear to have been awoken. A lot of people are saying this is a sleeping giant. I happen to think they're playing to their competition a little bit, but they do look much better on defense. I think everyone has to give them their just due for that. Patrick Mahomes is starting to show forms of that MVP style that he was playing with for quite a while. You know, obviously last year, the year before, he's starting to round back into form. And this team looks like they're peaking at the right time very much like the new england patriots how much of a concern should the chiefs be for the new england patriots heading in because there are some people in the circles that we that we run with my friend that believe that they may be the most formidable force heading into the home stretch of the season and into

the playoffs for the bats yeah again a lot of people are talking about the Chiefs and what they've been able to do over the past several weeks in, as they say, writing the ship down there. It's mostly been the defense. Their defense has truly stepped up. They've been able to get to opposing quarterbacks, force them into bad decisions decisions and a lot of turnovers. Personally, I don't see that happening here. The Patriots running game and their play-action game has been so good that I think it's really going to negate the pass rush that Kansas City has. And I'm sorry, folks.

I don't care what anybody says. Their offense is not running at peak capacity. The competition that they have faced has been really down. And for years, I've said that I don't put much stock into, well, but they play nobody. The AFC East is taking a real beating over the years on that. I wrote a great article a couple of years ago about that subject in particular. But the way things are working out there in the AFC West, they're really not playing anyone. They really aren't. They're playing guys that are teams that are beaten and banged up with new head coaches and new schemes.

And it's just, it's, I'm not worried. I'm really not. The only way that I will break a sweat over this is if I somehow, the Patriots just step into a giant puddle and end up having to go to Arrowhead. I'm not worried if they're coming here. Yeah, and I think that's valid. I think that's definitely a valid point. Look, bottom line, the thing that you have to give the Chiefs that maybe would not be as much of an advantage

for a team like the Buffalo Bills or Indianapolis or even someone like a Baltimore if they start to resurge a little bit and um you know Lamar Jackson's ankle injury is not as serious as uh you know some may fear that they keep them out of action for at least a couple of games um the Chiefs have been there before so when you look at that and you look at what uh you know that entails that does factor into the discussion and you know Mahomes last night for whatever you know, that entails that does factor into the discussion. And, you know, Mahomes last night for whatever, you know, whatever, you know, credit wants to be given to the, to the offense 20 of 24 as a passer. That was the biggest win that the chiefs ever had over the Raiders on Sunday in the history of both of those franchises nine and four at this point, but they've got the Steelers. They've got the Bengals.

They've got the Broncos coming up. That's a little bit of a tougher road than what the New England Patriots have. And the Tennessee Titans obviously having the easiest road down the stretch. They could end up being a factor here as well, especially if Derrick Henry comes back. How much of a factor do you think the Titans can be heading down the stretch? Because I think really Patriots fans are looking at the Bills, the Chiefs, and the Titans as their primary competition. What type of output can we expect from Mike Vrabel and the Titans? Because you know Mike is not going to be willing to give up. No, he's really not. And that's one thing. There is no hesitation walking through the doors of Gillette when Mike Vrabel and one of his teams come in here.

We've seen that in the past. There isn't that intimidation factor that has gone on here for so long, not with a Vrabel-led team. This is a team that, unlike Buffalo, unlike Miami, unlike Baltimore, is built the way the Patriots are built. They're built to smack you in the mouth and take it to you with the ground game. If this team gets healthy, they are probably one of the few teams that I think could come in here and give Bill some fits. There's nothing that Bill is going to be able to do to take the Ray Bowl back and make him rethink a game plan. Yeah, without question.

And again, I think a lot of people misremember how close that game was between the Patriots and the Titans until the Pats were able to break it open a little bit. That was probably the closest 36-13 victory I've ever seen since I've been covering the Patriots. That's a great point. Yeah, there really were moments where the Titans had the Patriots contained and they were able to figure out a lot of what they were doing and in a lot of ways kind of disrupt their game plan. And again, I think the fact that the Patriots were a lot more healthy, were clicking on a lot more cylinders that helped them to be able to break that game open. But if they get healthy, like you said, and Derrick Henry is back in the lineup, all of a sudden that's a game changer. And that defense can still make plays. Titans picked on Trevor Lawrence four times on Sunday, and they held the Jaguars scoreless,

regardless of the competition that you're playing. And I know people are going to say, oh, but it's the Jags. Anybody can shut out the Jags. Well, Patriots have the Jags coming up on the schedule in about three weeks. So they're going to have to be as impressive in that type of environment against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. It's at home. Most people expect the Patriots to come out on top. That's a game you have to win if you want to be considered a serious contender for the conference title. But at the same time, you also

look at teams that might be climbing. And again, the Titans heading down the stretch, Murph, this is an interesting point. On their remaining schedule, the collective record of the teams that they're going to be facing 21 and 30 with only a 41.2 win percentage. That tells me that the Tennessee Titans can string together some wins. If they can get healthy, they may be a factor in this right down to the end. Everybody's looking at the bills. Everybody's looking at the chiefs, but don't sleep on the Titans folks. They're not completely out of this yet. Uh, and they're right in the thick of things. They're not completely out of this yet, and they're right in the thick of things. I mean, with a 9-4 record, they could be the Patriots' chief competition. Ryan Tannehill is going to be the hinge in what happens here, whether they get

healthy or not. If Tannehill can play mistake-free football, then they are going to be somebody to watch come postseason. Right. Absolutely. Without any question. And of course, folks, conspicuous by their absence from our discussion, are the Indianapolis Colts. And we're going to talk about the Colts in just a little bit when we discuss strengths and weaknesses for the New England Patriots and what the New England Patriots have to do to maintain their lead, not just in the division, but also in the conference. When it comes to the New England Pats, they are facing a final four game slate that includes a matchup with the Colts this weekend. And then of course, coming back home, welcoming the Bills, welcoming the Jaguars, and then closing their season in the proverbial late-season house of horrors that is Hard Rock Stadium and Miami Gardens, Florida,

as they take on the Dolphins. Patriots right now, we talked about the Titans' strength of schedule down the stretch, but this could end up getting interesting as well. You talk about the what the patriots can do they close their season with a combined record of the teams that they're going to be facing 22 and 30 with a 42.3 win percentage so pats right now could be primed for a pretty good uh opportunity to be able to take advantage of this schedule can they do it they're going to have to straighten out their strengths and weaknesses.

In just a moment, Thomas Murphy and I will talk about those strengths and weaknesses when this hashtag LockedOnMurph Monday episode of the LockedOn Patriots podcast continues. LockedOn listeners, this holiday season, grab the protein bar that tastes like a candy bar or even better than a candy bar. Built Bar. Filled with so much holiday goodness, rich with decadent flavor, covered in chocolate. Sounds so good, doesn't it? It is that good.

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Bet online, the fastest and easiest way to bet all of your favorite sports. Bet online, your online sportsbook experts. Patriots fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. Hashtag Locked On Murph Monday. But in the previous segment, we talked a lot about what this team can do in terms of their competition in the AFC, their competition in the AFC East. We talked about that the Bills still present a challenge. You have to give the defending conference champions their just due and the Kansas City Chiefs.

They've been there before. They know how to hang around. The Titans are in the mix. The Colts could be in the mix. But, of course, the Patriots sit at the top of this conference and this division right now. And it's a great place to be at this time of year. But there are still things that need to be worked on. When you look at the New England Patriots, Murph, and you look at their rise from a 2-14 to now a 9-14, winners of their past seven straight, what have been the strengths that they've built on that have allowed that they were going to do coming out of the gate and didn't take into effect, you know, that Bill is still tinkering with his extended preseason type stuff.

They've committed to the run. They've committed to a play-action game. And they've committed on defense to being as openly aggressive as any Patriots team that I have ever seen in the past. And it's working out. And lastly, somebody locked Matt Patricia in a closet somewhere. You made a lot of Patriots fans chuckle with that one. And you can hear my reaction. I think that's definitely good. Yeah. Look, bottom line bottom line yeah the patriots are winning with a familiar formula and i've said this several times when i do my uh you know weekly um post-game roundups and i do the power rankings roundups for sports illustrated

i keep saying that they're winning with a familiar formula solid complementary football on both sides of the ball trying to play as mistake-free as possible and they've gotten much better at doing that uh but also exemplary coaching and they're able to blend all of those into making plays happen on the field are they going to light the scoreboard and illuminate it up to uh you know levels of uh you know really just lofty levels i guess is the best way for me to put it uh no they're not going to do that that's not the way this is built, but they're going to make key stops when they need to. They're going to make the plays where they need to, and they're going to grind out victories that most teams are not able to grind out because they play that smart style of complimentary football. And when you talk about strengths, of course, of this team, Murph, you have to talk about on offense, definitely the

running game has been a strength. Mac Jones has been able to utilize play action. But I know you love to talk some round guys in the middle, and that's what we're going to talk about for just a second before we transition to areas of improvement that might be needed. How big of a factor of the offensive lines resurgence has been a part of the New England Patriots resurgence? Because I think this is really one of the things that has been the catalyst for this team's rebound. It's been paramount. It's been huge.

Getting this line back intact and seeing what they've been able to do together as a cohesive unit, as a veteran unit, has been really beautiful to watch for somebody, you know, of my ilk, somebody who really loves when we get down into the trenches and we talk about the guys that are here. David Andrews has been fantastic. Ted Karras has been just off the charts good in blocking in the run game.

And they have, you know, extra bodies to throw out there at the drop of a dime and make this run game happen in the way that it hasn't. Enforcing other teams to respect the run in the way that they have has done nothing but lift Mac Jones up as a passer. He's seen, you know, they're scheming ways into getting other teams out of zone and into man. And that's also been a fantastic thing. You know, a real tip of the hat to the coaching staff that, you know, in realizing that this is what they have to do to make Mac a better quarterback and a better leader and putting him in positions

to not have to make mistakes. Absolutely. And I think you hit the nail right on the head when it comes to this. Look, bottom line, being able to utilize that strength and push the ball back and being able to contain defenses and keep Mac Jones clean and allow the running backs to be able to spring forward. That's something that the offensive line has done a great job. And I credit Trent Brown for being able to do that. Ted Karras has done a phenomenal job. And I know a lot of people want to wonder why Michael Wayne, who has fallen out of the Belichickian, uh, you know, favor train when it comes to the offensive line folks, he has it't. Mike is being used in a certain way. He's being utilized in a very specialized role.

That is not an indication that Bill Belichick is done with Michael Wainu or anything like that. If that were the case, he'd be relegated to the bench and you would not be seeing him. He'd be getting maybe two or three snaps per game if the Patriots absolutely had to put him in. When you look at how he's being used situationally, it really is smart and it's complimentary in terms of what the Pats are doing. People need to remember that he's still a second year player. Bill Belichick is not going to worry

about what his grade was from pro football focus just one year ago and how highly he's graded. He's going to go with what he feels is the best strategy for this team. That's exactly what he's doing. So I had to throw in that question in your honor, my friend. I know you love to talk a little offensive line. Thank you. And I know that you hit it right on the head, you know, on where he is doing a job that nobody else on this team can do. Right now, he is one of the most important cogs on this team. And when I see him trot into the game, I, I, I do nothing but sit on the edge of my seat because I know something great is, is about to happen. And, um, a little, a little tiny, teeny tiny, um, shout out to, uh, to, um, oh God, what, why would I do that? Why would I just sit there and blank on a name?

Nikhil Harry has been an honorary member of this grouping over the past four weeks. And a lot of people are saying that nobody, you could put anybody there at the edge and throw a wham block or throw a block into somebody's earpiece. But no, it can't. He's doing a fantastic job and we need to get him a number more fitting to his role right now. Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, look, you know, you look at what Nikhil has been able to do in terms of blocking. And I know a lot of people want to point to the lack of productivity. I mean, Marv, you and I see it. You've seen Nikhil Harry's name on social media, and that vomit emoji comes along with it. Folks, there are certain nuances and certain things that players do that really are so intrinsic to what this team needs to be able to accomplish. And Nikhil Harry does the little things.

And blocking in that type of environment is so key to the way the Patriots are able to have success in both the running game and the passing game. You have to remember that. And maybe he's not living up to expectations in terms of being a flashy wideout that everybody wanted. That's not his role. And it's not going to be his role. And I think that we need to remember that when it comes to him putting up monster numbers i still think there is something there beneath the hood when it comes to mcdonough keel harry and being a competent wide receiver

right and not just a blocking option or a situational pass catcher and maybe a couple of things i think he can be a reliable pass catcher in this league. I think he needs to be given the opportunity, and whether that's going to be here or elsewhere, that's a conversation for another day. But right now, this team, like you said, would not be in the position it's in to make the blocks that they do and have the resurgence of the offensive line without guys like McKeel Harry and, of course, a lot of love to a guy

that I think deserves a lot of praise doesn't always get it but Jakob Johnson at the fullback position has been so so key to the way this team blocks this year gotta love you some Jakob Johnson and he's been back tremendous yeah absolutely oh all day long definitely you know that when Jakob Johnson's clear in the way Damian Harris is smiling from ear to ear running behind him he's just it really facilitates his game so much. So great. One more note on Nkeel. We said this about Sony, Michelle, for four years while he was here. And I'm going to say with with Harry right now, folks, he didn't he didn't draft himself. So he didn't he didn't make himself a first round pick um it is what it is and and he's doing

the job that he's being handed and doing it really well absolutely he really really has and you know bottom line i mean you heard sony for years get lambasted murph for a while you and i were the only ones that were actually defending him want to give a big shout out to pat lane as well from pat's Corner. He was always in Sony's corner too. But bottom line, I mean, we saw that from the get-go that these guys were really not getting behind what Sony did. And then all of a sudden he got traded and you didn't know what you had until it was gone. So it's just one of those things.

I'm not saying the Patriots running game is in bad shape because they don't have Sony anymore. It's quite obvious. They're doing great things in that running game. But sometimes you don't know the appreciation that you have. So as long as he's here, continue to give him his just due because I think Nikhil is doing some good things and deserves credit for doing some good things. That's it.

Murph, before I let you go today, bud, we do have to talk about some areas of improvement for this team because as you know at nine and four Patriots are in pretty good shape but they're not exactly you know undefeated at this point either there are always options and always ways to improve the team especially knowing that they're going to be facing a formidable Indianapolis Colts team which despite their seven and six record this team can beat you on both sides of the ball. They can beat you in a defensive matchup and they can put points on the board as well. When you look at what this team needs to do to maintain their spot right now, what are the areas that you're targeting as potential areas for

improvement starting with them taking on the Colts this weekend? Well, it started with taking on the Colts this weekend. It's keeping Miles Bryant from looking terrible out there. It really has. He's done a good job in filling in for Jackson, but you could see during the Atlanta game that they picked on him a little bit. That's an area of concern for me is the depth at cornerback right now. Bill is going to have to keep being exotic and trying to cover up and moving him around so opposing quarterbacks can't just, you know, well, let's go pick on Miles on the outside. No, good point. Very good point. And, you know, Bill Belichick actually discussed Miles Bryant this morning when we spoke to

him on his Monday morning press conference and really praised a lot of what Miles brings to the table in terms of his versatility, being asked to play multiple roles, you know, being asked to fill in in some of the gaps. And then I think he's done that in a very positive way, especially in a role that he didn't expect to really play. I mean, Jonathan Jones was supposed to be the primary slot corner of this team, one of the best in the league.

And unfortunately, he's been out of action for a good number of weeks now and will be for the remainder of the season. So when you look at someone like Miles, I think that is a very good uh point for the new england patriots obviously with indy coming to or going to indy i should say not indy coming to town uh would be nice if indy came to town but uh we'll uh you know we always we always like looking at the banners up there and uh yeah they always get some fun banners down there but uh just kidding colts fans don't get too uh you know angry and upset about that

but um bottom line i mean when you're talking into you're talking about trying to contain jonathan taylor who's having an mvp like season and again bill belichick was effusive in his praise for jonathan taylor saying that he's the type of back that can do so many things well including breaking tackles which i think is something that you look at the finesse runs and the ability for him to run for 60, 70 yards. But it all starts with his strength to being able to break tackles, stiff arming, being able to stand up against defenders. It really is an issue there. So when you look at what the Patriots need to do to contain him, the interior of the defensive line is going to have to be solid. We need Devon Godchow to have that same type of prowess that he had against Buffalo.

Lawrence Guy needs to step up big. In the linebacking core, we need solid efforts from Juwan Bentley, from Dante Hightower. And when you do that, it allows a guy like Christian Barmore to be able to get in position and be able to be a run stuffer so it can spring Matt Judon to be able to get around corners and get after the quarterback and confuse Carson Wentz. So not an easy task, Murph, but it is the task at hand for the New England Patriots, and they will go into that task on Saturday, December 18th. And what can I say, my friend?

It's a great, great experience. Every time you join the airwaves here on Locked On Patriots, we love having you. Folks, once again, I cannot recommend highly enough that the work that this man does each and every week, whether it be the monster keys, which are the absolute must read when it comes to anything related to the New England Patriots game planning. Those keys are being turned at one Patriots place. I guarantee you the enemy scouts are taking a look at those keys, and they're scratching their head, and they're saying,

how did this man figure that out? It's because he just has the knowledge, and that's why he is the Don here on Locked On Patriots. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where they can find you and all of your great work and what we can expect within the coming days from the great pen the great voice of the legendary thomas murphy oh thank you bud thank you uh of course tomorrow i'll be on with uh with claire and steve on one patriot's place you can check that out we got a

very special guest karen gregian of the boston herald is going to be stopping by um this week i'll i'll continue to not cover Major League Baseball because everybody is just an idiot and can't decide how to split up all this frickin' money that they do. I've got a couple of pieces coming out this week on that. And, of course, the Keys will be out on Thursday this week and not Friday since I give you guys ample opportunity to peruse them and play the Monster Keys drinking game on Saturday afternoon.

I expect the Patriots to go in there rested and ready and set to just shut down this run game that the Colts have. That's going to be paramount this weekend. Absolutely, it will be paramount this weekend. And again, folks, if you want to know what the Patriots are going to do to take it to the Colts on both sides of the ball, turn those keys. You turn the keys, you go to the top. You don't turn the keys, you're never heard from again. That's why he always drops by here on Locked On Patriots.

We have to keep turning the keys. Otherwise, we'll never be heard from again. All kidding aside, my friend. Honored and humbled, as as always by your presence, Don Murph. Thank you for joining me today. We look forward to talking ball with you again here next week. Even though it's a Sunday, even though it's a Saturday game, hopefully we'll still be doing a Victory Monday celebration here on Locked On Patriots. But win, lose, or draw, we'll be right back here breaking down all the action with the legendary Thomas Murphy himself. Until then, my friend, continue to stay safe and stay well, and thank you for joining me today on Lockdown Patriots.

Always my pleasure, bud. Roll Pats. And so, Patriots fans, one down, but still a ton of coverage to come when it comes to the week that will be here for your New England Patriots. So, to ensure 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, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

Just make sure that you are staying locked into Locked On Patriots and making Locked On Patriots your first listen every day. Now, make your second listen the Locked On Bets podcast. It's your daily one-stop shop for all of your gambling needs. Locked On Bets, hosted by your boy Q, with expert analysis and insight from Lee Sterling. It's free and available on all platforms. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate.

I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I continue to thank so many of you for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.