Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Ravens and the Rain: Patriots Overcome Both for 23-17 Victory - 11/16/2020

Episode Date: November 16, 2020

New England Patriots’ quarterback Cam Newton threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, while running back Damien Harris ran for a career-high 121 yards as the Pats fought through rain and wind to hold off the Baltimore Ravens 23-17 on Sunday night. Joining host Mike D’Abate to break down this AFC matchup is fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy. The duo discuss Kyle Dugger’s big night, the emergence of Jakobi Meyers in the Pats offense, and the potential of Josh Uche and Chase Winovich as a pass-rush tandemDamien Harris ran for a career-high 121 yardsSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! EchelonRight now, you can try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Go to EchelonFit.com/NFLBuilt 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.MyBookieINVEST IN YOUR INTUITION. USE PROMO CODE LOCKEDON AND DOUBLE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT. NEW PLAYERS GET UP TO $1,000 IN FREE PLAY - DESIGNED TO ADD MORE EXCITEMENT TO THE SPORTS YOU LOVE AND THE GAMES YOU BET. YOUR WINNING SEASON BEGINS TODAY...ONLY AT MYBOOKIE!BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.Door DashRight now, our listeners can get $5 off and zero delivery fees on their first order of $15 or more, when you download the DoorDash app and enter code LOCKEDON.SimpliSafeGet 30% off SimpliSafe plus a free security camera today by visiting SimpliSafe.com/lockedonnfl 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 Locked On Patriots podcast, and it is Victory Monday 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. Today's episode of Locked On Patriots is brought to you by Bilt Bar. Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get 20% off your next order.

Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Here on this Monday, November 16th, 2020, your New England Patriots sit at 4-5 on the 2020 regular season after a very impressive 23-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium last night in a waterlogged Foxborough, Massachusetts. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, your feedback, always welcomed,

very much encouraged. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there getting your share of Victory Monday visuals out there on the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Folks, I'm never so happy to be so wrong as when I give my game predictions on a Friday and I painfully predict that the Patriots will not be victorious. Well, on Sunday night, they proved me wrong and I'm loving every minute of it. Your New England Patriots, a 23-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium. And I'll take just a minute to give myself a little credit here. I nearly pinpointed the point totals in this game, predicting a 24-17 victory for the Ravens,

but I was one point off, and of course, most importantly, the Patriots come away with a victory. Cam Newton both threw a touchdown pass in this one and rushed for a touchdown. Damian Harris ran for a career-high 121 yards. And Jacoby Myers found the end zone, but not as a receiver, as a passer. Yes, folks, you heard me correctly. I'll get into that in a minute. On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots had a solid game plan and even better execution. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, one of the toughest players in the league to control on the ground, held to just 11 rushes

for 55 yards. Strong showing from the interior of the defensive line. Linebackers all had a solid night. a lot of hybrid looks employed by Bill Belichick's defense and the secondary had a really bounce back night behind a very strong showing by JC Jackson and maybe the most impressive thing about all this is the Patriots did this in torrential downpours gusty winds an absolute nasty night at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough the rain and wind could be heard pelting every inch of the stadium. If you watched the NBC broadcast last night, you could hear the rain hitting the cameras. Really rough conditions, but the Patriots were able to play through it.

And I want to give a lot of credit to the Ravens as well. Both teams hung in there, were accurate, and hung on to the football a lot more than most teams would have. Just a true testament to how well coached both of these teams really are. But I'm not going to mince words here when it comes to this victory, folks. This was an upset in the truest sense of the word. Almost no one, including myself, gave the Patriots much of a chance in this one. But once again, Bill Belichick reminding everyone, don't take sides against the family again. And if we're talking family, then you know who's here with me today to help break

down all the action we saw from Gillette last night. The green king of Sting himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. And we will break this one down both on offense and on defense. Will Chase Winovich, fresh out of the Belichick doghouse, and rookie Josh Uche provide the type of pass rush that we've been craving here in New England for so long. Is rookie Kyle Duggar already on the path to becoming the next great Patriots safety? And just how good is J.C. Jackson at the cornerback position? We'll then flip it over and we'll discuss the offensive side of the ball. How Cam Newton had a very big night doing the little things it takes to win. Did the big nights had by both Jacoby Myers and Damian Harris indicate a changing of the

guard in the Patriots offense? Are these two the future in Foxborough? And last but certainly not least, as a personal favor to my friend Don Murph, we'll talk about the offensive line and how even though Cam, Harris and Myers have all been great lately, the offensive line continues to be the key reason why the Patriots offense has success. Folks, there is a ton to get to today here on the pod. Murph's fired up.

I'm fired up. And we're about to break down all the action from Sunday night's game here on the Locked On Patriots podcast in just a moment. But before I welcome the green master of disaster to the hot seat today, in a new segment here on Locked On Patriots, I wanted to award my Mike's Magic Moment of the Night. And it came in the closing moments of the second quarter. And I know I'm probably cheating a little bit here,

but one helped to give the Patriots the lead, and the other helped to secure it. They were within a short enough time with each other that I think we can combine that, so work with me here, folks. And for those of you who saw the game, you know exactly where I'm going with this one. Facing a 2nd and 6 on the Ravens' 24, Cam Newton, late in the second quarter,

threw what appeared to be a wide receiver screen to Jacoby Myers. Well, Jacoby then dropped back and pivoted and lofted a pass to a wide open Rex Burkhead. Burkhead just happened to be in the end zone when he caught the pass, meaning that Jacoby Myers, the former high school quarterback himself, had just completed a touchdown pass to touchdown Osiris Rex, and the Patriots took a 13-10 lead. And this one had a very familiar look to it. In fact, Josh McDaniels loves to pull these types of plays out of his arsenal, especially when the Patriots are playing the Ravens.

We can all remember January 2015, Julian Edelman catching a backwards pass from Tom Brady. Edelman then drops back, hits Danny Amendola for the 51-yard touchdown. Of course, like Myers, Edelman had previously played quarterback as well. He was a college quarterback at Kent State, don't forget. But this one definitely reminded me and a lot of Patriots fans and media alike of that moment. Fortunately, unlike the Edelman-Amendola pass, there were no fans in Gillette Stadium last night. The crowd pop after the Edelman-Amendola pass in 2015 was some of the loudest I've ever heard Gillette Stadium. You have to believe that if fans were in the stands last night, Gillette would have been rocking and rolling on that one.

And that play alone is enough to warrant a magic moment title in and of itself. But I'm not quite done. On the very next drive, the Patriots made a strong defensive stand, and the Ravens were threatening in this one, at least to tie the game with a field goal, maybe even to put a touchdown on the board and take a halftime lead. In the closing seconds, Lamar Jackson attempted to find Hollywood Brown deep in Patriots territory, but it was intercepted by J.C. Jackson. J.C. making a beautiful play on the ball, his sixth interception of the season,

and he now has an interception in five straight games. That's a new franchise record. So, Jacoby Myers, Rex Burkhead, and JC Jackson all combined for Mike's Magic Moment on Sunday night. And believe it or not, those are just two of the many things to love about Sunday night's game. And shortly, the Count of Murphy Fisto, Thomas Murphy himself, will join me here on the hot seat where we will continue our breakdown of the New England Patriots 23-17 victory

over the Baltimore Ravens when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, we continue to break down the Patriots 23-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens on this Victory Monday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And let's let the era of good feelings continue. Let's let them continue with some green wisdom and counsel, as a matter of fact. That's right. It's that time again, everyone.

Your favorite in mind. My benefactor in this business. The count of Murphy Fisto himself. The legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Thank you for coming to me in friendship and for joining me today, Don Murph. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Could you be mine?

Won't you be mine? There you go, man. The skies have cleared. The storm has passed. Man, it's always fantastic beating these dirty, filthy little frickin' birds. You know, I hold a deep hatred for the harbaugh family and not only for what they've done to michigan but but for uh what what one of their brothers is done down there in uh in baltimore i can't stand the ravens i hate them

they're just they're vile people from, from ownership on down. They're just disgusting. They gooned it up again last night and, um, and got what they deserved. Go, go home with your tail tucked. I don't care how pissed off miss Jackson's little son is. Well, you know, back to back wrath of Murph, uh, between the jets and the Ravens. Uh, we're getting the, we're getting's it. We love that. That's it. We definitely love it. It's always, always great.

And you know what? On that vein, buddy, we'll start on the defensive side of the ball because there was some anger in the way the Patriots played last night, and I think it worked to their advantage. Buddy, I know you remember the days of John Belushi on Saturday Night Live. It was a bit before my time, but I'm well-versed in the glory days of SNL. I was raised the right way. My father definitely gave me that wisdom

and counsel, and it's imparted well, and I continue to watch those repeatedly. I can see you sneaking down the stairs and looking through the railings to try to catch it in the living room. Absolutely. I hear you. Definitely. Trying to be quiet on the steps. There was a skit where Belushi had one of his famous taglines

where he went, I would like to feed your fingertips to the Wolverines. And last night, we got a glimpse of what the Pats defense might look like when they are feeding some of those offensive players to the Wolverines, the Michigan Wolverines. And you just mentioned them, as a matter of fact. Josh Uche, Chase Winovich, 21 snaps, and I think we really got a chance to see what this team could be and how they can move forward. Chase is definitely back to a full-time role.

So to quote another Belushi movie, I think his time on double secret probation seems to be over. It looks like whatever Chase did wrong, he's made atonement for his sins and he's back out on the field now in a big way. But I thought Josh did a nice job of complimenting him in the middle part of the field as well and really showing what this tandem can do down the line. Murph, when you look at these two, especially at the linebacker and at the edge rusher position, are we looking at the future of what the Patriots defense might look like here?

Sure. I'm not going to argue with that point. But once again, we're getting to a stage in the development of these young guys where Bill can morph his defense from week to week as to what they need to be but yeah I agree with you yeah and I think in a lot of ways I think these two guys together is something that a lot of people had salivated over when Uche was picked up to pair him with a guy like Chase Winovich especially from having played together in Michigan now having played together here in New England. You can see the synergy on the field.

And I thought Chase was great last night. I thought he was all over the field, moved very freely. And that's something that I think worked to his advantage. Speaking of moving freely throughout the field, I had said before the game that I believe that Adrian Phillips was going to be someone that I would have my sharp eye on that movable safety throughout the field that could freely roam, get after the quarterback and be able to always be in on tackles. And to a certain extent, the Patriots kind of did that last night. They employed a blend of hybrid safeties at the linebacker spots, gave more of a versatile role to chase Winovich in that area. And I thought

did a nice job of integrating teres hall and carl davis into the game plan as well adrian phillips and john simon were in on nearly every tackle but last night stand out to me and the guy who ended up taking my sharp eye away from adrian and putting it on himself was kyle duggar 54 snaps this week constantly around the ball led the patriots with 12 total tackles, seven of them were solo tackles. And in a lot of ways, I think that was exactly what the Patriots needed, that physical second-level defender that flies to the ball.

Murph, you've sung the praises of Kyle since his drafting, allegedly by a guy that can't draft, but that's an argument for another day. Murph, what impresses you the most about the Pats rookie safety? How smart he is, how patient he is. You watched him last night, and it looked like a man out there playing with reckless abandon, and believe me, folks, that's not the case at all.

Every step that he took was calculated. And I don't want to say scripted out, but he did his job. He knew what he was supposed to do on every single play, and he got there and he made those plays. Coming from a Division II team, it was a pleasant surprise to see that this game is not too fast for him. And it's taken him a minimal amount of time to catch up with how quick the NFL game is. I couldn't be happier with Kyle Duggar. I've asked in the past why he hasn't been on the field more. It's been due to a couple of injury reasons and some scheming stuff, which goes back to what I said earlier.

But no, Duggar is the real deal. Unfortunately, he didn't get the complete understudy year that guys usually get when they come into this system due to the, the opt outs that happened in front of him. And it's, you know, there's been nobody holding his hand. He's the guy that's in there doing that work. He's walking that walk alone. And right now he's talking that talk. And it's a beautiful thing to watch. It truly is a beautiful thing to watch.

I thought one of Duggar's plays that set the tone for how he played in this game was the edge set on Baltimore's opening drive. Really let everybody know that Kyle Duggar is going to be a factor in this game. And once again, he proves to be everything that the Patriots hoped he would be and even more. He blitzed a few times, almost came up with the interception that Belichick nearly challenged as a matter of fact yeah a little surprised that maybe he didn't but that was you know it was yeah

exactly I don't I don't I don't care what the ref said on the field I don't care what they said in a booth I don't care what anybody who came in comment commentary with commentary you know former referees stick together. That was a pick. Yeah. And, and I'm in full agreement with you again. I was a little surprised that wasn't challenged, but it didn't end up affecting the outcome of the game. Uh, I think from what we've seen in Kyle last night, I think it's obvious that he's going to play a lot down the stretch and he should, uh, there's no question about it in my mind. Evan Lazar joined me here on the pod on Friday, and we talked a little bit about Kyle Duggar offline. Great show.

And he compared him to like a Jamal Adams or even a Derwin James. Those are two players that obviously I've covered, you know, throughout my tenure in covering the NFL. I know you have definitely kept your eye on both of those guys. To compare somebody like Kyle Duggar to those two guys with the type of talent they bring to the table just shows uh you know how highly regarded he is and Kyle has the talent to be compared to those guys as well so great game for him um and last but certainly not least

on the defensive side of the ball my friend uh the defensive play of the night may have been turned in by JC Jackson uh JC's showing terrific awareness and discipline to stay over the top of Hollywood Brown on a little stuttering go, and then he comes and he intercepts the pass with only 13 seconds to go before the half. Heads up move, never stopped playing, and to me, this is what separates JC Jackson from the pack when it comes to corners that either have emerged on this team or really corners that continue to emerge in the league. He showed tremendous intelligence to me on this play. He knew that the only thing that he couldn't allow

was a pass to go over the top of his head. Even if he allowed a short completion, that did no damage. He knew he had to take away the pass over his head. He did it, and he did it smartly. J.C. had struggled previously coming into thisly. JC had struggled previously, you know, coming into this game. He had a couple of, you know, difficult moments and people are starting to wonder, myself included. I've asked the question here to you and to Steve a couple of times on Locked On Patriots about whether or not he might be able to hold up in terms of being the cornerback one.

But from what you saw last night of JCc jackson is this enough for patriots nation to embrace him as the potential new number one corner here what do you think the jury is still out on that right now um i i believe the jury's still out um to be that guy you have to be that guy every single week i'm not sure what jc's dealing with health-wise, but he's gotten beat a few times and, excuse me, a few times over the top. He's been in the wrong place from time to time. With maturity and experience, these things are going to fade away, but he has all the talent to do that. I feel a lot better with him as the number two and having, of course, Gilmore, who is one of the best cover corners on the planet, on the other side. But, no, the future is bright.

The only thing that we're worried about right now is, is his future going to be here in New England or is it going going to be somewhere else did bill miss the window to extend this kid already yeah and i think that is a very valid concern there's a number of different ways that this could go obviously everyone thinks oh well they're definitely going to sign him to an extension they're going to keep him around it's not quite that simple, folks. That doesn't happen here. Exactly. That doesn't always happen here. You know, people come here for two reasons. For, you know, to win a ring after they've cashed in or to, you know, or they start out their career here and they cash in somewhere else. I'm just afraid that JC Jackson may be the guy that came here and then goes and cashes in somewhere else because somebody'm just afraid that JC Jackson may be the guy that came here and then goes

and cashes in somewhere else because somebody is going to throw a pile of money at him. We know we got him for the rest of this year. They'll transition him and keep him for next year. But what happens after that is really up in the air. Enjoy this while you can, people. And you can definitely expect Bill to piss a lot of folks off and go after another cover corner next year in the draft. Absolutely.

And yet sparking another round of Bill the GM and huffing Bill the coach. It's the story of the day. It's the story of the week. Why did we take that corner back? Why did we take that corner back why did we take that corner back when we we really needed another wide receiver why what where's my playmaker where's my there's another tight end who went off the board that has done nothing anywhere else um but yeah no it's going to happen because that's the way bill drafts he's going to

see this coming down the line and he's going to see if he can bring in the next guy now. Absolutely. And we definitely look forward to that in one way, shape, or form to see exactly how this cornerback group, especially the secondary as a whole, is going to look next year with a lot of uncertainty surrounding Stephon Gilmore as well. And that's something that we'll talk about in subsequent days and weeks here on Locked On Patriots. But Murph, we continue to break down a win and breaking down a win is

always better than breaking down a loss. That's that's a given. There's no question about that. We've had some fun talking about the defense, but what about putting points up on the board? Pats did a pretty good job of that last night, despite fighting a very good Ravens defense and torrential rain and wind like I've never seen in Foxborough before. In just a moment, folks, Murph and I will talk about the Patriots' impressive offensive performance when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated.

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Don't delay. Do it today. Use promo code LOCKEDON for 20% off at BiltBar.com. Folks, Thomas Murphy joins me today on Locked On Patriots talking about the Pats' 23-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. And Murph, the Pats on the offensive side of the ball, I think, employed a pretty simple game plan. It worked well. Efficiency, mistake-free football, top-notch level blocking,

which we'll get to in a moment. Somebody read the monster keys. I don't care what anybody says. Somebody's reading those keys because the keys were turned last night, and they were turned to perfection, my friend. We'll start with Cam Newton. 13 of 17, 118 yards passing, and a touchdown. He added 11 carries for 21 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Most importantly, Murph, Cam didn't turn the football over, which has been really, I think, the Patriots' Achilles heel when it comes to offense lately. They've been building some momentum, but it seems like costly turnovers always seem to set them back a bit. Cam didn't do that last night, and you saw the results. Is this the key to Cam's success, in your opinion? Is it just basically mistake-free football, continue on this path?

Or are we seeing this offense emerge a little bit and maybe see Cam take more chances as he gets more comfortable? Probably just because that's who Newton is, that will happen. But it comes down to Cam seeing the blitzes coming and realizing that, you know, going with the hot read is what you really need to do. He made a couple of plays over the top. You know, he hit Jacoby Myers for a 26-yard throw and then hit Ryan Izzo for a 20-yarder. Great play by Izzo. I'm sure we'll get into Izzo in a little bit

or at least on two Patriots' plays next week. But he had a great game. But, no, getting back to Cam, he did what he needed to do. He saw the blitzes coming. He hit his hot reads, and it looked really good um i you know coming into this game he was only he was only averaging five yards per throw uh against the blitz and but you know he this week he really amped it up he hit people in stride they got yards after the catch and it was it was it was fun it was it was for a game that was so

dominated by the running attack. It was fun to see Cam do this and it was fun to see him have fun out there. Absolutely. I couldn't agree with you more seeing him having fun, seeing him enjoying leading this team, really getting behind his teammates for making big plays. That's such a big part. Absolutely. It's such a big part. It really is. And I don't think it gets enough credit for a lot of the success that teams have. We saw it with Tom up here for a number of years when Tom was fired up and doing the let's go on the sidelines and getting everyone into a frenzy.

The Patriots fed off of that. And you're seeing the energy that Cam brings to the table. They continue to feed off that, and I think it's paid dividends for them, especially when it comes to a couple of sophomores that continue to impress me each and every week they take the field. Of course, folks, I'm talking about Damian Harris and Jacoby Myers. Now, fans are going to continue to swoon over Damian's runs. He had some great ones last night.

Jacoby's touchdown pass. That was a lot of fun to watch, you know, and rightfully so. I understand it. These plays are a lot of fun to watch, but what impresses me the most about both of these players is their field awareness. I thought Jacoby showed a tremendous amount of growth and a tremendous amount of intelligence in knowing where to be at every given time. Maybe it's the old quarterback in him just knowing where the ball needs to be, where the quarterback needs to place the ball. A lot of circumstances we saw him be able to identify the first down, where he needed to be, where he needed to have his body placed in order to get the yardage for the first down uh and i think jacoby did that

brilliantly last night and of course damian harris who's getting great blocking and i know you're chomping at the bit bud give me a minute we will get to that blocking unit in just a moment um but he's making the most of it i mean he's seeing the lanes he's hitting them and he's gaining yards and as much as it pains me to admit this not about damian because i'm so glad that he's gaining yards. And as much as it pains me to admit this, not about Damian, because I'm so glad that he's doing well. Great kid, great runner, deserves all of the accolades he's getting. But it really shows the difference between a runner like he and Sony. And, you know, he's just he's seeing the lanes. He's doing what he needs to do to continue to get yardage where Sony has struggled in that department.

Buddy, in your estimation, are these two, meaning Harris and Myers, the future of this offense here in New England? Oh, without a doubt. They really are. I said a year ago that Sony Michel probably won't see his second NFL contract here in town, and it's not his fault. His body has betrayed him. His body has betrayed him. His knees have betrayed him.

And that's why you aren't seeing the runner that we all saw at Georgia. But this kid is the real deal. He is fantastic. The way he plays downhill and how smartly he plays the game, you can see Nick Saban in him as to what was drilled into him in four years at Alabama. And now it's just coming to fruition. And a big part of that reason is Jakob Johnson, who I have been spouting as

needing more time on the field. The fact that whoever is in this backfield, they do better running with Jakob Johnson in front of them. Harris' longest run of the day, the 25-yarder, Johnson wiped out Malik Harrison on it. It's beautiful to watch these two together. I'm just wondering why we're not seeing more of James White in this backfield as well. Yeah, absolutely.

And that did surprise me a little bit. I've got my conspiracy theory on that that we'll probably get into in another show. And I think I know where you're headed on that. But you know what, folks? That's what's called a teaser. When we have Murph back here, like we always do, we'll talk a little bit about why James might not be the focal point of the offense that we all thought he was going to be this year but I agree with you on Damian um there's definitely something in the water in Alabama when it comes to runners and it really

does begin and end with Nick Saban you know you have to give him a lot of credit in terms of the the job that he does cultivating these runners and the the toughness the intelligence every year and just a running back out of bama every every absolutely absolutely because they're just they're going to it's like an assembly line it's like a you know a really like solid automobile assembly line that they just keep manufacturing he was yeah he was the third option at alabama he was third on the depth chart. Give me him. Let me have him. Absolutely. Just for what he's learned. I don't care. He hasn't told you. He's got three total carries, Murph. Yeah, but they're for 84 yards. Put him in.

Get him here. I want him in a Patriot uniform. Without question. Without question. And really, I think that synergy between the Belichick style and the Saban style, you really see those players come together and it really is a beautiful thing. And again, I could not be happier for Damian, who really, I think, you know, redshirted last year. And a lot of people were wondering what's going to happen with this kid. You're seeing it on the field and he just continues to get better and better. And Jacoby has been phenomenal as well, again again and I think you saw that last night I also want to give a little bit of credit to Nikhil Harry last night who I know a lot of people are still down on I know there's still a lot of social media great drawing thrown his way great blocking last night and I think a great part of some of the success that the Patriots had in the running game was Nikhil being able to throw those blocks getting physical a little bit folks he's not lighting up the stat sheet and I know the knock on him is going to be, oh, well, you know, we spent the first round pick just to have a guy come in and block.

Well, at the end of the day, if you're lighting up the scoreboard and you're winning, I don't think Bill Belichick's going to worry about where he took that guy if it's helping him to win. So, you know, a little love for Nikhil Harry on that front, and hopefully we'll continue to see him more integrated. Just hope his body holds up. Go back and look at that film, folks, and check out Newton going into the end zone in the third quarter, running the ball in. And you're going to see, you know, you're going to see the blocking that these wide receivers are putting out there. Even Demary Bird did a good job as a blocker last night.

Yeah, he really did give a lot of credit to Demary Bird, who's really, he's not known as a blocker, where Nikhil was a little more predicated in his game when he was in college. But ultimately, if there is a concern with Nikhil, it's just his body holding up. You know, there were times where he looked a little gimpy last night, and you just hope that he's going to hold up and get into his own because at the end of the day, I still think there's some talent there that we've yet to see, and when it does come out,

I think it'll make for a pretty good football player. Last but certainly not least, as a personal favor to you, Don Murph, we're going to close out by talking a little offensive line, and I thought they were brilliant last night. Despite what some may believe, folks, Bill Belichick does not actually control the weather here in New England. At least I don't think he does. I mean, do we really know for sure?

Maybe we don't know for sure. But all kidding aside, folks, the offensive line used the weather to their advantage last night. They used it very well. Isaiah Wynn, Shaq Mason, Joe Tooney, all making big blocks, key stops. line used the weather to their advantage last night they used it very well isaiah win shack mason joe tooney all making big blocks key stops and as much as i like what i've seen from the running game in the past few games even in the passing game a little bit i think that if this team is going to contend for a playoff spot it's going to be because of the solid backs of this

offensive line murph do you think that's too much of an exaggeration, or is the O-line still the gem of this offense? No, it's still the gem. It's becoming more and more polished as the weeks go on. We were all worried what was going to happen with Dante Skarniecki deciding to put his feet up and stay at home this year. But this shows you, this is why you go out and you spend $30 million on guards, because guards get it. The inside guys get it. This is why you need to keep this unit together. This is why over the

years, going all the way back to the Redskins days of the Hogs, that people realized, smart people, people like Bill Belichick, realized that without an offensive line, without a powerful offensive line, without a smart offensive line, you can't get this done. If you think that's a mistake, take a look at what this defensive line did to the Ravens last night. The best rushing team in the NFL was made to look pedestrian, while the Patriots, who were sitting there at, what now, 4-5, coming in at 3-5, and what these guys can do when they're together,

when they're healthy, we're sick individuals. And I mean that as a former center. We are. We're a twisted, sick little group that just wanders around like a band of Bedouins together. And we stay that way for as long as we possibly can and uh and that's what builds the synergy the synergy that you saw last night and yes they they did use the weather to their advantage but i really don't think the weather was the outcome in this game with the the exception of a couple of poor snaps that were on the other side of the ball. But Wynn was fantastic last night. Joe Tooney was fantastic. They bullied the Ravens off the ball.

They pulled and hit people out in space. It was fantastic to watch the first time. The second time I watched it, it was even better. And that's the true grade on on anybody is if if i'm watching an offensive line during the second game and i can't take my eyes off them to to check and see what other players are doing i didn't know until the second the second watching that um that certain guys say the the only guy who caught a pass as a wide receiver was Jacoby Myers because I spent so much time watching this offensive line unit work together. It was a beautiful thing.

Throw all the money at them. All the money. I want this offensive line together for the next four or five years. I think from your lips to God's ears, when it comes to the Patriots nation and it comes to everyone here, I think we can all agree that offensive line is definitely potent. And all coming into this game, we heard about the Ravens defensive front of Derek Wolf, Brandon Williams,

obviously Calais Campbell did not play in the game last night, but at the same time, wouldn't have mattered wouldn't have mattered but uh no and i mean at the way the patriots offensive line played i i'm hard pressed to uh to argue with you in that point and i think that they would have i think that they're so formidable in that area uh i see the michael jordan meme kind of being thrown around where you know and i took that personally i think the Patriots offensive line took that personally. I think they heard about a lot of what the Ravens defensive front could do.

And there's a lot to like there. Obviously, there's a lot, you know, promise that they bring to the table. But at the same time, I think the offensive line looked at it and said, OK, well, you know, keep sleeping on us. Keep thinking that we're not formidable enough to be able to provide the protection they need. They did it and they did it well last night. And I also agree with you.

I think the weather was a factor. They were more prepared for it. I think they were better coached for it. But at the same time, I don't think the weather would have been the deciding factor. This is why Bill soaks footballs and throws them out there for guys to use during practice. Absolutely. And it is. It really is. He sees every angle. He knows

what could be coming, and he prepares his team for it. To look at this offensive line, and you want to know how good a job they did. They were 5 of 11 on third down, 1 for 1 on fourth down. It was one of the best showings that they've had all year, and even though I did my little owl impersonation a minute ago, this is a very good defensive front that the Ravens have, and they just manhandled them. Yeah, they truly did, and they really had their way with them, and that is a sign of great coaching, and it's a sign of guys knowing where they need to be

at every snap, every down, but also great physicality being shown by this offensive line. You can't give enough credit to the athletes that these guys are. Not just smart football players, but they're great athletes and they're showing it on the field. Buddy, you lend your wisdom and counsel like no other. On a Victory Monday, what's better than having you here on Locked On Patriots, welcoming home the great Don himself to give us his wisdom and counsel? Folks, you should already be doing so, but for the benefit of our new listeners,

please follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, on Twitter at TeamRF207. I said it to open the show today. I'll continue to say it again. His monster keys are point, click, learn, enrich, and enjoyment material every single time out. And 99.9 times out of 100, he's right. So definitely read them. You'll be a more educated football fan, and you'll definitely be a step up on the competition when it comes to identifying exactly what you're seeing.

Can't recommend them highly enough. Proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com. And, of course, a little love for the second and third greatest Patriots podcasts out there in the universe. No, folks, I'm kidding. All kidding aside, I take my cues from these two great gentlemen, Murph and my good mutual friend Steve Balistrieri on one Patriots place. And of course, we got to give a little love to the classy one herself,

Clazzy Claire on two Patriots plays. Great, great pregame listens. Buddy, what can I say? Thank you so much for joining me today. Honored and humbled as always by your presence. No, nevermind taking a side seat to you in that, bud. You do this every single day and I am in awe of what you do. It is definitely a daily appointment listening for me.

And thank you for asking me back time and again. I am just happy to be here. Oh, that is my pleasure to have you here each and every day on Locked on Patriots, each and every week, every time you join me. It's always a lot of fun for me, but it's always enriching and it's always knowledgeable. And, you know, I have you here for so many great reasons but uh thank you for the compliments far too kind i assure you always honored and humbled by them and very much appreciated but you know it was so nice i think we'll just do it again next week

we'll break down another one texans coming to town this time so you know what who knows no billy o'brien this time romeo cronell in. This should be an interesting matchup. It should be an interesting game on Sunday afternoon game. So, you know, a little bit a little bit earlier in the day, we'll be able to break this one down. But all kidding aside, we look forward to doing it again. Stay safe. Stay well this week. And once again, we look forward to talking ball with you next week here on Lockdown Patriots. Anytime, bud. And just remember, folks, Jacoby Myers is now the third best quarterback in the AFC East. That's right.

No truer words, my friend. No truer words. Have a great week. Talk to you again next week, buddy. All right, man. I'll be here. And so, Patriots fans, I hope that you've enjoyed your Victory Monday, and thank you for spending part of it here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Tomorrow on the pod, we will continue to bask in the glow

of the Patriots' 23-17 victory, taking a deeper dive into some of the individual performances. And does a victory like the one that we saw on Sunday night mean that the Patriots are back in the playoff hunt? Tomorrow, we'll continue to tackle all of these questions and more. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, be sure to download the Locked on Patriots podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to and follow us on platforms such as Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple

Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are 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 on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Also, don't forget that through tomorrow,

the Locked On NBA mock draft continues here on the Locked On Podcast Network. Coverage, insight, and opinion that you can only find here on Locked On NBA. So all of you fans of the association, be sure to check that out. Until tomorrow, Patriots Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.