Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Reasonable Doubt in New England? - 11/19/19

Episode Date: November 19, 2019

With the New England Patriots set to turn their attention towards the Dallas Cowboys, host Mike D’Abate welcomes back Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com to discuss Rob Gronkowski’s future, Tom Brady’s frustration and the Patriots matchup with Dallas on Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello to all you Foxborough faithful and welcome to your Tuesday episode of Locked On Patriots, your daily home for news, notes, analysis, and the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Today's episode is brought to you in part by DoorDash. Treat yourself to the meal you deserve and have your favorite restaurants come to you with DoorDash. Right now, our listeners can get $5 off their first order of $15 or more when you download the DoorDash app and enter promo code LOCKEDON.

If you're listening on the go and can't visit DoorDash right now, you can find this and all other offers from LockedOn sponsors at LockedOnPodcast.com. My name is Mike DeBate, and I am your host of LockedOn Patriots. As always, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC and be sure to follow Locked On Patriots on Twitter at LO underscore Patriots. Well everyone, it is now week 12 in the 2019 NFL season. Your New England Patriots are 9-1, first in the AFC East, first in the AFC overall. They have the top-ranked defense in the NFL through 11 weeks. But seemingly all anyone wants to talk about is how this Pat's offense is abysmal,

and how Tom Brady's frustration at his lack of a skill position arsenal is going to cost this team a championship. I know, folks. Been there, done that. Year after year, the Patriots seem to weather the storm, and more often than not, they conquer it. But that being said, you can't deny the fact that as the Patriots enter the home stretch of the regular season, adjustments are needed, particularly on that offense. And while there are some wild and crazy tales out there, I always try to maintain that level-headed

approach here on Locked On Patriots. And that is good old-fashioned analysis of what we're seeing right now. Not 10 years ago. Not even last year. Now. And who better to join me today than Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. And you all know Steve. He's a great friend of the show.

I like to call him a Locked On Patriots paisan, if you will. And we will talk about what he liked from the Patriots-Eagles game, what has Tom Brady so frustrated, and what may worry us heading into Sunday's game versus the Dallas Cowboys. So sit tight, folks. Steve and I love talking football, and I hope that you enjoy listening to us just as much. But one topic we will also be discussing as well are what I like to call these pie-in-the-sky roster additions. And as expected, and we talked about this yesterday, folks, Rob Gronkowski did make a big announcement this morning on Instagram.

And Rob announced that he would indeed be in Miami on Super Bowl weekend. But it won't be in a Patriots uniform. In fact, it looks like it won't be in a football uniform at all. Instead, he will be hosting Gronk Beach, which is a big game beach party from 1 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 1st. That's one day before Super Bowl 54. And if you haven't seen the promotional video on Instagram, Rob is seen in threes, and one is hinting at him still having a lot left in the tank to go and pursue a ring on the football field. This is an obvious jab at the speculation regarding his return. The other Rob is encouraging him to party.

And the third Rob finally makes the decision to go with the party this time around. So even though Rob technically has until November 30th to declare that he will be back in time for him to play in the playoffs, this effectively all but ends the speculation that Rob will be returning to the football field in 2019. And realistically, folks, there was a minute shred of hope that this would in any way announce his return to football. Most importantly, if this were going to announce Rob's return to the Patriots, you would have to think that type of statement would come in the form of a Gillette Stadium press conference

in tandem with the New England Patriots organization. That was never hinted at. It was never confirmed by the team. So right from the start, this always appeared as if Rob's announcement was going to be somewhat related to Rob's personal business ventures. But even if you wanted to play devil's advocate for a moment and assume that maybe Rob wasn't going to notify the Patriots first and that he would break the news of his return and then work out the details with the Patriots in the coming days, the problem with that is that all signs repeatedly pointed to Rob staying retired.

Nothing ever really happened to change that perception. But all of Patriots Nation wanted him to return, and I for one would have loved to see Rob on the field again. But realistically, this was not going to happen this year, folks. Rob needed time to heal physically and decompress mentally, and it doesn't surprise me that he will not be back this year. And quite frankly, I don't believe that he will even be back next season and beyond. Again, does that mean it's impossible?

No, it's always possible. But Rob seems to be very much at peace with this decision, even though he keeps dropping these hints. And he seems to be doing so more as a marketing strategy than anything else. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, in short, it means that teasing a return to football is a great way to gain publicity for a new venture, whether it be advocating for CBD or promoting this event. It absolutely opens people's eyes. But the other thing that it's doing is angering some people. Rob is a beloved figure in New England, and he'll continue to be

for everything he gave Pats fans on the field. Off the field, he's a pillar of the community, and his charitable work is among the greatest I've ever seen in a professional athlete. But a lot of Patriots fans were disappointed this morning, especially those that held out hope that Rob would once again suit up for the Patriots this year. Given their offensive woes, a lot of people wanted to see number 87 back on the field. And some took to Instagram and Twitter to voice their displeasure on Rob's post. Let's just say not all the comments were fun-loving and encouraging, folks. Rob wasn't the only one teasing about a possible Patriots return this morning. Antonio Brown, remember him, folks? Yeah, I thought so.

AB took to social media this morning to offer an apology to team owner Robert Kraft for the distractions and the poor conduct. And he didn't directly mention the comment he made about Kraft's legal troubles, but it was heavily implied. And now the social media machine is buzzing about the possibility of an Antonio Brown Patriots reunion. And given Tom Brady's recent frustrations, it's a tempting story. But here's the problem. Even though Brown's apology seemed to be sincere, it still didn't change the fact that he is heavily likely to be placed on the commissioner's exempt list immediately if he signed anywhere. Honestly, that's probably the biggest reason why he's not on an NFL roster right now, folks. He's got the talent, and trust me, there are teams out there

that would be more than willing to put up with the distraction. It's true that he met with the league last week, and the investigation is ongoing. But the NFL's statement back in September alluded to them taking this action. And even if he's signed, he's probably not going to be playing for anyone anytime soon. So again, this is another pie-in-the-sky, hopeful roster addition that I just don't seem happening. And look, folks, I know it's tempting to imagine it. And each one is theoretically possible. My last piece of advice to you before I welcome Steve Balistrieri in today is to take a level-headed approach, examine the logistics surrounding each of their situations,

and you come to the conclusion that each of their returns is unlikely to the highest degree. Notice I didn't use the phrase more probable than not. That's because we all know that's a meaningless phrase, and here in New England, we simply do not say that. Once again, my guest today is a voice of reason among the chaos and one of the best and most knowledgeable columnists that you'll find in Patriots media. You know his great work from PaxFans.com, as well as being the co-host of two amazing podcasts and then some, Patriots 4th and 2, and of course,

One Patriots Place with our good green friend, Thomas Murphy. And breaking news here on Locked on Patriots this morning, folks. That's right. My guest today is going to be running the Ice Luge at Gronk Beach in Miami for the Super Bowl. This man's a party animal. We're going to see him out there freestyling with Rick Ross out on stage. Of course, folks, I'm kidding.

But I'm absolutely serious when I say that it is my honor to welcome in my friend Steve Balistrieri back to Locked On Patriots. Steve, thanks so much for joining me today. Oh, Mike, thanks for having me. I appreciate the offer to come on the show today. And always great to talk football with you, my friend. Oh, absolutely. I was happy to break that news for you that you will be running the ice. There's going to be fun stuff down there.

Oh, my God. Unbelievable. Never a dull moment. It's been a few years since I ran an ice luge. I can tell you that. Well, Steve, we have a lot to get to today. We're going to tie up some Philly loose ends. We're going to talk a little bit about Tom Brady and his postgame

and Monday sound bites that have some people chirping a little bit. And, of course, we're going to take a quick look ahead at the Pats matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. But first, Steve, teased at it when I opened the show. I know that you saw, like the rest of us, that Rob Gronkowski took to Instagram to announce that he would be in Miami for the Super Bowl, but not in the way Patriots fans wanted to see him. He's not going to be wearing a Pats jersey, folks.

Instead, well, Steve, I guess your guess is as good as mine as to exactly what he will be wearing, but it won't be a Patriots jersey. He's going to be hosting Gronk Beach from 1 to 7 p.m. on February 1st, one day before Super Bowl 54. And Steve, you and I both take level-headed approaches to this. We've talked offline about how this announcement was highly unlikely to reveal a return to the gridiron for Rob. But fans are not happy this morning. And, you know, some are even turning on Rob a little bit. You know, I'm not sure if you saw some of the Instagram and Twitter comments.

Some of them are less than complimentary, and I'll leave it at that. But having covered Rob, we know that he's always finding a way to market his brand, and that's exactly what this was, and it's all it was ever going to be. But so many hold out hope that he's going to return. And I guess now that's going to bleed into even next year. But in your opinion, first off, have we indeed seen the last of Rob Gronkowski on a football field? And to follow that up a little bit, with these types of announcements that he's making, do you think

he's ruining his reputation among Patriots fans by using the strategy like this to tease a return and then turn it into a marketing promotion? Well, I said when he announced his retirement that I thought that, you know, I didn't believe he was coming back. I thought he had been beat up. I thought he was at peace with his decision. And everything he said all season long has kind of reiterated that. I mean, he said, I'd have to feel it. and right now I'm not. And, you know, if people want to read into these things and get their hopes up, shame on them. I really feel like that.

I mean, there was no doubt in my mind that this wasn't going to be him announcing his return to the Patriots because if it was, the Patriots would have been the one making the announcement that they were going to have a press conference at 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning. With Gronk making that, I knew it was going to be something to do with promoting the Gronk name and not him coming back to the Patriots. I never thought he was coming back this season, and I don't think he's coming back at all. Yeah, I completely agree with you in both cases.

Never ever know for sure with Rob what's going to happen how it's going to happen so you always have to hold out that glimmer of hope I guess but I agree I don't believe that this was ever ever going to be intended to be anything other than a promotion of his brand and that's exactly what it was but deeper than that I don't believe we will see him on a football field again I simply think that his body was too beat up I think that he's essentially done what he set out to do on a football field. And look, Rob Gronkowski has an awful lot of post-football playing aspirations, you know, in terms of business ventures, promoting, marketing, things of this nature. This is something that I think he's had in the pipeline for a good long time. I think this is

all part of the plan. And I think maybe his body breaking down a little bit accelerated that plan, but at the same time, I don't believe that Rob Gronkowski ever was one of these guys that intended to play like Tom Brady into his 40s or into even his mid to late 30s. I think he was always going to pull the plug earlier than later, simply because it's just the way he does business, and for a guy that's taken the hits and had the injury history that he's had. People forget about that a lot as well, that Rob has had a tremendous amount of health issues as a result of that throughout his career. I do agree. I think we have seen the last of it. And I think at this point, Patriots fans, it's not an easy thing to hear.

I know we all would love to see him back out on the field because the Patriots do need him. But other than that, I do believe this is this opportunity now to take that closure, move on and say, I think Rob has finally moved on. And I don't believe we'll see him back this year or anytime soon in the NFL. So, Steve, thank you for that pearl of wisdom and for your level-headed wisdom and counsel on that. And hopefully you've managed to talk some of our listeners here at Locked On Patriots a little off the ledge when it comes to one Rob Gronkowski. Switching gears a little bit, Steve, the Patriots ground out a 17-10 victory over the Eagles on Sunday, based in large part to the strength of their defense. We heard analysts say all week, and myself included, that the Patriots could continue to have problems with the RPOs

that the Eagles love to run, and that 12 personnel with the two tight ends. We saw the Ravens give the Patriots' defense more problems than they could handle two weeks ago, but this Sunday the Pats D looked like they rebounded with a solid effort. What types of adjustments did you see the defense make to better contain their opponent this time around? Or was it just as simple as the Patriots putting out a better effort on Sunday? Well, I think it was a little bit of both.

I think they had a much better effort. But, I mean, if you look right after that long drive the Eagles had, you know, where they had the ball almost 10 minutes and they moved the ball 95 yards. Belichick called the defense over. He talked to them at length. He was going over stuff. You could see him on the sideline scribbling notes during that drive. They started getting, I thought, a little more aggressive.

They started shooting the gaps, and the Eagles' running game disappeared after that. In fact, the Eagles' offense pretty much disappeared for the rest of the game after that. Because if you look, after that drive, they had 152 yards of offense for the rest of the game. And 30 of that was that little bit of garbage time there in the last 30 seconds when they were backed up on their own four or five yard line. At that point,

the Patriots were playing way off and they gave them those underneath passes. I thought the defense made a great adjustment. I think the game plan was to hound Carson Wentz. They got five sacks, seven quarterback hits. I thought they did a great job of that.

And, you know, the secondary coverage, as we've said all along this year, has been phenomenal. And how many times did we see when Wentz did have time to throw, he'd be looking and looking and looking. Nobody was open. He'd be holding the ball for quite a bit of time. So I thought overall, I thought it was a great effort by the defense. Yeah, I do.

I completely agree. And especially when you mentioned the secondary, and particularly Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, I thought, had tremendous games, really played excellent coverage. You saw Stephon Gilmore, like you had thought in some of your columns this week. Myself, I had mentioned the possibility of Gilmore playing a lot on Zach Ertz. We did see that come

to fruition, and he played him very well. Jackson was very good in coverage. I thought when he replaced Jason McCourty as the number two guy in the cornerback position, that tandem really, really worked well together. McCourty obviously had the poor pass interference play to open the game, 49 yards, absolutely.

I mean, that put them on their heels right away. But I thought he rebounded a little bit and made a couple of nice plays, a couple of nice breakups to kind of redeem himself a little bit in that game as well. And that freed up the Patriots' front line to be able to do their work. And I think Lawrence Guy had a tremendous game in this game, always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. And with the Patriots' defense, that's never happenstance. That's by design.

These guys put themselves in a position to win, and they do it essentially better than anybody else. So I'm glad that you mentioned that. Steve, sticking on that subject, and I want to just go off a little bit on the defense and go into special teams. And we watched Jake Bailey come to fruition this year during training camp. We saw him boom some punts that were absolutely into the sky,

and it really started to lead people to believe that this kid could be something special. And replacing a guy in Ryan Allen, who you were very high on, so was I, our good friend Thomas Murphy is a big, big Ryan Allen guy. But Jake Bailey has been so indelible into the special teams prowess of this team, not only giving him the opportunity to show off his leg strength, but pinpoint accuracy, which is something that a lot of people were concerned of, and also the coverage of Matthew Slater back there in the secondary cannot be,

I should say the special teams coverage could not be stated any further. How big of an asset has Jake Bailey been to this team, and what do you believe he's meant to this team going forward, and how can he even help the Patriots down the line as they move toward the playoffs? Well, I thought in this game he was just absolutely outstanding. And you hit the nail on the head. You know, we were watching him during the summer, and he was, you know, putting punts into the flight pattern at Logan Airport. But the only question when it came to him was his directional punting,

something Ryan Allen was, I thought, absolutely excellent at. But that was the only knock on him. Now, he had a much bigger leg than Allen, and it's come to fruition. I mean, they've needed that leg because they've been punting a lot more this year. Bailey actually has the third most punts in the NFL. And, you know, his directional punting has been absolutely off the charts. He pinned the Eagles inside the 20-yard line six times, twice at the 12, at the 6, the 5, and the 3.

And it just made a huge difference in this game. I mean, Carson Wentz is always starting deep in his zone. It takes them out of their normal offense where they have to be a little bit more careful. Excuse me. And the way the defense was playing, that was huge for them. Yeah, it truly was. And I've been so impressed by Bailey each and every week.

Just seems to be getting better with his directional punting and with his accuracy. We knew the leg was big coming in, and we knew that was never going to be an issue. This kid could definitely get hang time and get the ball up there and get it downfield, but he's done a tremendous job, and it looks like he's developing a nice rapport with guys like Matthew Slater and Brandon Bolin who do such great jobs covering in special teams. So that's been a very, very good aspect of the game. You did mention a point that's going to lead me into my next question in just a moment, Stephen. I'm glad that you mentioned that,

and that is the fact that he has punted the third most times in the NFL. That's good for Jake Bailey because it gives him the opportunity to showcase his talent. But when it comes to the Patriots offense, it means that they're not moving the ball as proficiently as they have in the past. And there are probably some reasons for that. And Steve, we've talked about Gronk and his return. And we've talked about the Pats defense. And again, your insight is always great, my friend. But what about that Patriots offense? Tom Brady was as upset following the win as we have ever seen him.

Was it frustration about his own performance or the performance of those around him? Steve is about to offer his take on that and what the Pats are going to do this week as they welcome the Dallas Cowboys to town. Stay tuned, folks. Yeah. Well, I'll tell you this. You know, when you look at Brady, I think, you think you know your questions i'm going to sit on the fence i'm going to say it was all of the above i think that he's

very frustrated with the offense overall i think he's uh frustrated with his own performance because you know with the way the offense has been performing especially his offensive line it doesn't allow him to do the things he's always been able to do. And everyone keeps saying, well, he's showing his age. He's not showing his age. He's showing that he has no time to throw. And the offensive line, I know everyone is down on Marshall Newhouse, which I'm a member of that also, But it's not just Marshall Newhouse

The offensive line as a whole Has not been good this year Guys like Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon I think have underperformed So you know when you look at everything I think it's a mixture of everything That Brady's very frustrated with And honestly that's who the offense is right now

They're getting by with Kind of, as I said this morning, smoke and mirrors. I mean, the column I wrote this morning, they're kind of making it up as they go along, and we saw Josh McDaniels and Brady come up with a play to get James White involved, and then he went over to the running backs in the very first play in. They throw to James White. They get a nice game, and then we saw McDaniels go to the hurry up,

up tempo early in the third quarter. It got them their only touchdown. I mean, they're doing whatever they can, but this Patriots team really has issues on the offensive line, and I think even a bigger problem, well, as big, I won't say bigger, but as big, is they have a – I think they have a definite lack of speed on this team. You know, they have a bunch of really good possession receivers on this team,

but they don't really have that one guy that, you know, if the defense decides to blitz Brady, you know, there's not that one guy that says, oh, if he catches a five-yard slant, he's gone. They don't have somebody like that. They did have somebody like that for 60 minutes, but that was it. And I think that's a big issue with this offense moving forward. I think that they're going to try to do the best they can.

It will get better. I have no doubt. Is it going to be what we're used to seeing? I don't believe so. I think they're going to have to make it up as they go along, and they're going to have to win defensively. Yeah, I agree with that assessment, as usual, and simply because you're always spot on when you say that. Look, Brady was knocked around pretty good on Sunday.

We saw that. You mentioned Marshall Newhouse. He was beat a couple of times. spot on when you say that. Look, Brady was knocked around pretty good on Sunday. We saw that. You mentioned Marshall Newhouse. He was beat a couple of times. There's that audio video file that's floating around on Twitter right now that just shows him absolutely getting burned by the defender and Brady getting knocked around. He spent so much time under pressure. And again, the protection that he's getting from the O-line has been spotty, and I'm probably being generous there when I say that. Tom was upset after the game, and you did mention this as well. You might even say he was angry, and his comments during his weekly appearance

on WEI yesterday morning on Monday, they didn't soften much. So you know this is definitely getting to Brady without any question. And look, he's the consummate perfectionist. Brady's going to be the type of guy that's always going to look for ways to improve. It's his MO. It's been who he is and who he'll always be. But I agree with you. I think there's a lot of frustration on the offense right now.

Look, the trickery was something that I think made fans chuckle. It made everybody smile. It was sort of like, you know, maybe... Yeah, and forgive me for even saying this, maybe some fans looked at it and said, oh, that's revenge for the Philly special, but look, they pulled that trickery out simply because nothing else was working on offense at that point, and I mentioned this yesterday on Locked On, it was a way for them to be able to move the ball, it was a way for them to be able to put points on the board, and we haven't seen the Patriots

offense handcuffed like this in quite a while. So staying on that subject for just a moment, it's looking very likely that Isaiah Wynn will be activated. Bill Belichick spoke to the media yesterday, was asked that question. He specifically said that it's our intention. We want to have him activated in time for Sunday. I took to the airwaves yesterday here on Locked On Patriots and said that I believe Isaiah Wynn's comeback is going to be a big factor

in the Patriots' offense improving, but I did warn some of our listeners not to think that his coming back is going to fix every problem that the Patriots have. You alluded to this. It's not just Newhouse that needs to be upgraded. I agree with you that Mason

and guys like Cannon and obviously the missing David Andrews in the center. Karras, I think, has done an admirable job, but he's not David Andrews. In your opinion, having Wynn come back, what does that do for the offense, not just for the line, but what does it do for the skill positions? Well, I think it's going to allow Brady to have a little bit more time to throw, obviously. And it could have, as I wrote this morning as well,

I think it could have a little bit of a domino effect in the running game. Because, you know, we mentioned at the outset of the show, Rob Gronkowski not being there. So, you know, when Gronk isn't in, of course, you know, they miss Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen. I mean, in the blocking game with the running, you know, that running game, they really miss that. That's something they miss.

And I think, you know, with Wynn back in the fold, I think you could possibly see them using Marshall Newhouse as an extra tight end in some of the short yardage game, and it might help a little bit in the run game. Yeah, and I agree. I think that what that will do, and I mentioned this a little bit yesterday as well, and you expounded upon that and took it a step further, and I thank you for that. I do believe it does that.

It allows for a facilitation in the running game, and that's something that the Patriots have not had this year. Sonny Michel has been stopped a few times at the line of scrimmage. He doesn't seem to have that burst. Maybe having a more cohesive unit on the offensive line opens up a seam, and maybe then you see Sonny Michel burst and get four or five yards when he's only getting one or two right now. Those two yards can definitely help, especially when you're trying to accumulate first downs. So I think that will help them tremendously, and also it gives Brady a little bit more

time to be able to find his targets down the field, especially when he's dealing with some new faces, and he's dealing with a lot of new faces this year. We talk about Mohamed Sanu, we talk about Jacoby Myers, Nikhil Harry. These three guys are all guys that are going to be relied on to be targets for Brady, especially moving forward into the playoffs. Didn't play with any of these guys last year. Julian Edelman's his only familiar face. And now with Philip Dorsett, questionable for this Sunday's game, not officially, folks.

But we don't know what's going to come out with the head injury. I'm sure we'll find more later today. But at this point, he's going to need all the help he can get, and having that time at the offensive line, I think, is going to be paramount. Steve, I always appreciate you coming on. Lastly, before I let you go today, the Bourbon and Branch is going to be flowing in Foxborough on Sunday. I know, folks, the late J.R. Ewing is not going to be in attendance, but his favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys, will be. And they're going to be hosted by the Pats at Gillette. 6-4, first in the NFC East. Got a strong offense led by Dak

Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Defensively, they're playing much better as of late as well. I know it's early in the week, Steve, but what are some of the things that jump out to you on the page when it comes to sizing up this Dallas team, and what might some of the potential problems be that this Cowboys team can present to the Patriots on Sunday? Well, when I'm looking at the Cowboys, as you said, their offense is playing lights out right now. They can run the ball. They have Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak Prescott, I mean, he's been lighting it up.

He threw from 400 and I think 44 yards on Sunday. So, I mean, they have a lot of talented wide receivers. It's going to be an issue. They're going to present some issues for the Patriots that they have to, you know, slow down and stop for them to win this football game. Being at home, I think that definitely helps a little bit. But, I mean, I think, you know, when you look at this Dallas team, they're pretty balanced.

I think they present the Patriots with a tough challenge this week. And I think, you know, like we just talked about, this is going to be one of those weeks where they're not going to hold a team to 10 points. So the offense is going to have to do their share. Yeah, absolutely, and a great, great point. Again, that is something that I think Pats fans definitely need to watch for. We need a great offensive output, and who knows? Maybe that's part of Brady's frustration.

Maybe he looks at it and says, you know what? We weren't able to muster a whole lot of offense against a Philadelphia team that wasn't going to put up as many points as this Dallas team is capable of doing. Brady always has an eye on the next few weeks. He's always looking out for that next one. Not that he doesn't live in the moment and focus on what he's going to do, but after the game, that could have been a thought that crept into his head very quickly because you know Brady's able to turn the switch and flip the page

over and move on to his next opponent. So always interesting, and we will definitely be breaking down a lot on the Locked On Patriots here, what the matchups will entail when the Patriots face the Cowboys this weekend. Steve, can't thank you enough for taking the time to come on. You're always a favorite guest of ours. That's why we keep having you back. We will continue that trend, folks. So Steve Balistrieri will always provide his wisdom and counsel here at Locked On Patriots,

and we're a better podcast because of it. Before I let you go today, my friend, can you just remind all of our listeners, if they don't know already, you should, but just in case you don't, where they can find your great work and where they can listen to you on the airwaves as well. Well, thank you for those kind words. Like I told you the last time I was on the show, I need to hire you as my PR guy because you make me feel really good about myself. I only speak the truth, my friend.

At any time, I'll be happy to take that job for you. Hey, thanks again for having me on, Mike. I really appreciate it. You can find my work at patsfans.com. You can listen to our podcast at patsfans.com, Patriots 4th and 2. And we also do another one, as you mentioned, with our bud Thomas Murphy, One Patriot Place. We do that as well, and we have a lot of fun with it.

We think we put out some really good stuff, and for any of your listeners out there, if they are into military affairs, I also write for softrep.com. I cover a wide variety of military subjects. So that's a little bit out of our normal range there, but, you know, it's worth mentioning. Absolutely. It is certainly worth mentioning.

And again, this being the NFL's month to honor our veterans and the salute to service, I think it lends very, very nicely into exactly what we do here on Locked On and also what the NFL does throughout the month of November. And look, every month really should be appreciation for our veterans,

our active military, those who've given their lives and those who continue to protect us and preserve our freedom each and every day. So definitely check out Steve's work for that. He's not just a football guru and not just a top-notch analyst when it comes to all things pigskin, but his knowledge on military history and active military information is spot on and it's second to none.

So I can't recommend following anything that the man does high enough. And it's always my pleasure because he's also one of the greatest guys that I know, great friend of mine, and it's always a pleasure to share the microphone with you. Thanks, buddy, for coming on today. I really appreciate it. Oh, thank you, Mike. Anytime. And as for me, I will be back tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots for Crossover Wednesday Oh, thank you, Mike. between the Cowboys and the Patriots from Gillette Stadium. As always, please join me each and every day on the Locked On Patriots podcast.

Subscribe and listen via your preferred podcast provider. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate of Locked On Patriots. I thank Steve Bellistrieri for his appearance today. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening. Have a great day, everyone.