Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Reasonable Tout? - Patriots Defensive Draft Prospects; Stop the ‘Tom vs. Bill’ Talk — 2/2/2021

Episode Date: February 2, 2021

The New England Patriots may look to the 2021 NFL Draft to bolster their young defensive core. Host Mike D’Abate is joined by Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com, as they discuss the chances of Tulsa LB Zaven Collins and Miami DL Gregory Rousseau making an impact in Foxboro. They also continue to preview Super Bowl LV and voice their feelings on the futility of the “Brady vs. Belichick’ argument.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. EchelonGo to EchelonFit.com/LockedOn and try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. It's Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021, Groundhog Day, and it's time for a little reasonable tout 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. Strike up the music, the band has begun!

The Foxborough Polka. I know, folks, it's supposed to be the Pennsylvania Polka, Punxsutawney Phil, I understand that. Here in this region, I say we name him Foxborough Fred. In any case, the Groundhog did see his shadow today on Groundhog Day, predicting six more weeks of winter. And after the weather we all had up here in the Northeast yesterday, I'm sure we're all loving that news. Bottom line, what may end up being the best thing about this Groundhog Day is the excuse

to check out the Bill Murray classic movie. One of my favorites. I suggest you check it out too. I know you'll love it. That being said, greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. Thank you so much for joining me here today on this Groundhog Day episode of the pod. 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, comments, and feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. Share that feedback and send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Tuesday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats Nation, we are one day closer to Super Bowl 55. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. And don't forget, all week long here on the pod,

the Locked On Podcast Network has you covered with the very latest news, notes, and analysis from Super Bowl 55. Here on Locked On Patriots, we'll talk about the game. After all, as I've been saying for the past couple of days, Super Bowl Sunday is a holiday for football fans. But this is still Locked On Patriots, and that will remain our central focus. The Bucks and the Chiefs may be looking forward to Sunday's game, but the Patriots are already looking ahead to 2021.

And with the Senior Bowl firmly in our rearview mirror, it's time to start looking at the NFL draft. Seeing that Groundhog Day is a time to celebrate prognostication skills, it just so happens that our regular guest here on Tuesdays just happens to be one of the best in the business when it comes to prognostication. My Patriots Paisan, Steve Balistrieri, is back here for his weekly spot, and Steve has been keeping his sharp eye on quite a few prospects for the New England Patriots when it comes to the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

Maybe above all else, Steve knows his defense, and for the past couple of weeks, he's chronicled a couple of very interesting prospects for the Pats for Patsfans.com. Zavin Collins, linebacker out of Tulsa, and defensive lineman Gregory Rousseau from Miami. And these are two areas in which the Patriots are in particular need of help. Both of these prospects bring a great deal of size, smart footwork, and best of all, versatility to each of their positions. Because of the nature of the way Bill Belichick builds his team, you know that he's going to have his sharp eye on a lot of defenders. And both Collins and Rousseau make interesting

cases to be a New England Patriot. Steve has outlined both of those cases quite nicely for his columns on patsfans.com, and we'll talk about each of those prospects today. And in keeping with the theme of the week, we'll get Steve's of those prospects today. And in keeping with the theme of the week, we'll get Steve's opinion on Super Bowl 55. My question for Steve today is going to be which unit, whether on offense or on defense, either for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Kansas City Chiefs, right now has the edge when it comes to tipping the scales in either team's favor. And last but certainly not least, Tampa Bay's star signal caller, who also happens to be an old friend of ours up here in New England, had some words for the media yesterday when

it came to his former coach. Of course, folks, I'm talking about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The common narrative out there right now is that Brady is ahead of Belichick when it comes to the neck-and-neck battle between these two. Brady's in the Super Bowl, took a 7-9 Buccaneers team that missed the playoffs last year and has them one win away from a Super Bowl title. Belichick finished 7-9, couldn't really get solid play out of any of the quarterbacks on his roster this year. Obviously, it was all Brady and no Bill. Folks, most of us with at least a few working brain cells realize that the marriage between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick is one that we will not see ever again. The success that these two guys had together is unparalleled,

and in my opinion, neither Bill nor Tom would have had the success that they had individually if they hadn't been together for the last 20 years. But be careful, don't misconstrue what I'm saying. I'm not saying that Tom wouldn't have been successful without Bill, and I'm not saying that Bill couldn't have been successful without Tom. These two guys are the best at what they do. They were going to be successful no matter what. But the level of success that the Patriots have had over the last two decades, six Super Bowl titles, nine conference championships,

dominance in the division that would have led people to believe that they were going to rename it in honor of Foxborough, simply would not have been enjoyed in this region if it wasn't for both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. But there are some within the media, within the fan base, that just wants to believe that these two guys absolutely hate one another. I'll be very brutally honest with you folks, I'm not buying it. Tom Brady doesn't hate Bill Belichick. Bill Belichick doesn't hate Tom Brady.

Now, is there some lingering resentment between the two? That I believe is possible. Maybe even a little more so on Tom's side than on Bill's side. doesn't hate Tom Brady. Now, is there some lingering resentment between the two? That, I believe, is possible. Maybe even a little more so on Tom's side than on Bill's side. Don't forget, the whole reason Tom even considered leaving New England is because he felt 100% confident in his ability to play till at least age 45, if not longer. The Patriots weren't quite so sure. They wanted to take a wait-and-see approach each and every year. Knowing he was approaching the age of 43, Tom Brady no longer felt like he had to sing for his supper. And who can blame him for that?

Therefore, he looked at this as the perfect opportunity for him to branch off, go out on his own, and prove what he can do. Not necessarily that he can win without Bill, but more importantly that he can win and play at a high level until age 45, if not beyond. Now, on the flip side, Bill Belichick is motivated by one thing and one thing only, winning. The guy names his boat after the amount of rings he collects from Super Bowls. Therefore, it really shouldn't be surprising that winning is something that Bill Belichick does very well.

In fact, you can make the argument that he really doesn't have too many more mountains to climb in that regard. But if, as a football coach, your main goal is to win, what better motivation than to take the greatest dynasty in the last 20 years in professional sports, then take that same organization, build it back from the ground up, and turn it not only into a contending team, but maybe the next great dynasty in the NFL. That's Bill Belichick's motivation, folks. He's not sitting there with a cheesehead hat in front of his computer or sticking pins

in a voodoo doll that has number 12 on it. These guys simply want to win. And in the immortal words of my good buddy, the green king of sting, Thomas Murphy, who joined me yesterday here, guys like Bill Belichick and Tom Brady win for themselves. They don't do it to spite anyone. They don't do it to stick it to anyone. They win for themselves. Is there ego involved in both parties? Absolutely. Is there probably a piece of each of them that would like to be able to say that they could do it without the other? Probably. Again, it ties into ego. But to just feed into the narrative that these two absolutely hate one another, in my opinion, folks, it's lazy, it's contrived, and at the end of the day, I just don't believe it to be very accurate. But don't just take my word for it, folks.

Take the words of Tom himself, who took to the virtual podium yesterday for Monday's Super Bowl Media Day, and he was asked point blank if he would have a message for his former coach Bill Belichick. And in true Brady fashion, he didn't take the bait to deliver some inflammatory remarks or give him any type of snarky hidden message. Again, Brady personified true class. Here's a statement, quote, I have a great relationship with him, meaning Belichick. I'm just incredibly grateful for what he's meant in my life as a coach. He was everything you could

ask for as a player. I loved my time. I had two incredible decades there. My football journey took me to a different place. I certainly could have never accomplished the things in my career without his support and his teachings. He's an incredible coach and mentor for me. I've had a lot of those in my career, but obviously he's at the top of the list. And that is effusive and in my opinion well-deserved praise from Brady to Belichick. You can hear the admiration and the appreciation for what Bill Belichick has given Tom Brady. It's obvious that his time in Tampa Bay hasn't lessened that. Tom still knows that Bill was an indelible part of what he was able to do up here in New England. And I know some of you are going to scream at your device that you're listening to this on and say, Belichick would have never said that about Brady. I

encourage you to go back and read the statement that Bill Belichick made when Tom decided to leave New England. That same type of effusive praise was dripping from that statement. For a guy that's not known for using sentimental language, Bill used plenty of it in this statement, stating that he and Tom would always have a great relationship built on love, admiration, respect, appreciation, praised his abilities as a player, as a worker, called him the greatest quarterback of all time. Of course, all of us up here in New England know that to be true, but that may be a conversation for another day. But bottom line, when it comes to Brady versus Belichick, Tom versus Bill, who was more responsible for the dynasty? Who really cares?

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will go down as the greatest coach-quarterback combination of all time. The success that they had will never be duplicated, and even if you want to play devil's advocate and give a bigger slice of that credit pie to Bill or to Tom, just remember, it's a slice, and you still needed the other portion in order to be fully successful. So folks, there are my two cents on an argument that should be put to bed once and for all. Of course, we all know it won't, but we can live in hope. But our resident voice of reason is joining us here today on the pod. What does Steve have to think about all this? Well, I will ask him that question.

Plus, we get Steve's thoughts on Super Bowl 55, and we'll take a deeper dive into his most recent defensive draft profiles when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, that old groundhog may have seen his shadow and prognosticated six more weeks of winter, but we have less than six days until the biggest day on the NFL calendar. The big game is set as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. And if you think you're a better prognosticator than old Punxsutawney Phil,

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Pats fans, we're covering everything you need to know about the New England Patriots, but what about the rest of sports? Now, the Locked On Podcast Network has you covered there as well with Locked On Today. Hosted by the great Peter Bukowski, it's all the sports you need every morning in under 20 minutes. Subscribe to the Locked On Today Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Pats fans, as I said to open the pod, it is Groundhog Day and old Punxsutawney Phil, that prognosticator of prognosticators, has indeed predicted six more weeks of winter. Well, I don't really think that Phil is a pretty good soothsayer, but I will tell you who is. My guest today, because he is the resident voice of reason here on Locked On Patriots, my Patriots Paisan, an amazing columnist for Patsfans.com, one of the best guys in this or any business. Steve Balistrieri joins me today for his weekly appearance now here on the pod. All in this for patsfans.com. One of the best guys in this or any business,

Steve Balistrieri joins me today for his weekly appearance now here on the pod. Steve, welcome back to Locked On Patriots. Mike, as always, thank you for having me. And, yeah, you can call me Poxitone Steve because I predict six more years of Brady Super Bowl. At this point, you know what? We just have to keep rolling with it. I mean, he just keeps defying all odds, all logic. Father time be damned.

Tom's doing it, and he's doing it well. And we will get into that because it is in the heart of Super Bowl week here. And I would love to get your thoughts on this matchup between the Tampa Bay Bucs and the Kansas City Chiefs coming up. Maybe even a few thoughts on Brady himself in just a bit. But in Patriots Nation, Steve, it's time to start looking ahead. And we've done some positional depth chart analysis here on the pod throughout the past few weeks. But with the senior bowl now in the rearview mirror, it is time to start looking to the draft.

And over the past few days, you've scouted some intriguing draft profiles. And we seem to talk defense a lot when you're here, buddy. And like I said last week, only a true defender can talk defense. So for the purposes of today's discussion, I think we'll keep it there. We'll keep it on the defensive side of the ball. Steve, it's no secret that the Pats need help at linebacker. And one of the players that is being linked to the Patriots is a player that you recently profiled, and that's Zobin Collins out of Tulsa.

Collins is an intriguing, he's really an intriguing prospect to me. Offers a real exciting blend of size, length, power, very high football IQ, a lot of versatility. I think that would make him a very good prospect for the NFL, whether it's defending the run, dropping into coverage, rushing the passer. I think Collins has all of these skill sets required to execute and execute at a high level. One thing that really struck me is that I think Collins would be an amazing fit in a Belichickian defense, a defense that has multiple alignments that presents the

opportunity for him to showcase all of his talents. Steve, you took a pretty deep dive into Zobbin Collins for patsfans.com recently. What caught your eye about this kid and why would he make a great Patriot? Well, you know, Mike, when you look at the big picture things, you know, the Patriots traditionally like those big body to linebacker types, and he's that, and he's 6'5", 260. He's like the size of Donta Hightower. And when you're looking at him, I mean, he's the size of Hightower, but he moves really well. He's very athletic for a man of his size.

And he seems to me like to be the prototypical Patriot-type linebacker. You know, I think he's kind of like one of those versatile type of guys. You can move him around. He can do different things. He's very athletic for a man of his size. And he's also, you know, with his size, he's very physical. So you've got to love that. And, you know, when you're looking at him, I just look, you know,

eventually whether or not he comes back this year or not, they need to start planning for a future without Dante Hightower. And even if he does come back, I think you could foresee this kid eventually being groomed into Hightower's position. Yeah, I see a lot of Dante Hightower in the film and the footage that I've watched on Collins within the last few days, especially since you published your report. I knew this was a kid that we wanted to talk about today. And you're absolutely right about needing to plan for the future. Dante is someone that is only

going to play at best maybe one or two more years. You have to think that's probably his mindset, the nature of the position, his personal life factoring into that as well, everything he's accomplished on the field. If he does decide to come back and folks, we both, Steve and I are both in agreement that Dante is someone we would love to see come back to New England. We're hoping that he will indeed return to the Pats, but eventually they will have to start planning. And we saw what that linebacking core looked like this year without a versatile type of player like Dante Hightower, especially with Juwan Bentley trying to carry the load of not only his position, but also trying to play Dante's role as well. It was a lot for any one human being.

Having a guy like Collins come in, who I think is NFL ready, he's ready to go, would really mean a lot to the New England Patriots. So we'll see. We'll see if this ends up happening. But his production out of Tulsa definitely tells me this kid's going to be good no matter where he goes, and he is really going to be a good fit or really would be a good fit in a Bill Belichick defense. Now, Steve, for as much help as the Pats need at linebacker, they may be smart to look for some edge-rushing help as well. And once again, my friend, you profiled a player that could be a potential steal,

I think, in the NFL draft coming up in 2021, and that's Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau. Rousseau had 19.5 tackles for a loss and 15.5 sacks in 2019. That was really the last exposure we have of him playing college football. He opted out of the 2020 season, declaring for the 2021 NFL draft. He's a raw talent. He's got great frame. He's got a lot of length to his jump, but he suffered an ankle injury in 2018. So there is an injury history there that might cause teams to shy away from him a little bit. But we've seen the Patriots go this

route before. You know, Dominique Easley is someone that comes to mind didn't work out here but there was a lot of upside with him injury history maybe someone uh you know could uh take a a chance on him Patriots like these guys even Derek Rivers is someone that comes to mind that had some injury histories coming in and uh you know hopefully uh you know someone was going to give him the chance the Patriots gave them both. You can make the argument that maybe at least one, if not both, didn't work out that well, but the Patriots are not afraid to pull the trigger on these types of deals.

Steve, he would be a work in progress, no question about it, but could he thrive in New England if the coaching staff is patient with him? Oh, I think so. Whether or not they would, you know, opt to take a guy like him, because I think he's going to go in the first round despite only, you know, there's that one little flag. He's only 20 years old. And he has one year of college football, basically,

because as you mentioned, he suffered an ankle injury. He only played two games. And then he was a redshirt freshman. And, you know, he came back in 2019, had just an absolute monster season. And then he opted out to enter the NFL. And, you know, this is a guy, he's still raw, but he has the frame. And, you know, he has the frame to probably put on another 15 pounds and it wouldn't probably hurt his athleticism at all. He's 6'7", 265, and he could probably go as high as 280,

and he'd still be, you know, he'd still be a really impactful pass rusher. But, I mean, you watch him, and another guy, very versatile. He played out on the edge. He played in passing downs. He played three technique. And then in certain passing downs, they moved him over the nose. And he has some really good moves. I think he has elite size athleticism is off the

charts for a guy as big as him and he can set the edge which lo and behold that was a issue for the patriots in 2020 most definitely i mean we heard a lot this season about the patriots difficulty stopping the run really stemmed from their inability to set the edge. You wrote about it several times. I wrote about it in some of my game recaps. We talked about it here on Locked On Patriots quite often. This is something that Rousseau can do. Obviously, the knock on him is going to be the lack of game film on him.

And you hit on this. The ankle injury keeping him out for extended periods of time in 2018. 2019, he was phenomenal. That year in and of itself really should get him a lot of looks from a lot of NFL teams. Opting out of 2020 obviously didn't help his cause. I don't know how much it hurt it. That's going to be something to be seen when we look for the NFL draft.

But at the same time, you also have to look at it and say, is that body of work impressive enough to be able to warrant that type of draft capital? Is he a first-rounder? Is he a second-rounder? Are teams going to shy away from him? It's very difficult to project right now because of the lack of film that we have on him. But folks, what is available on Gregory Rousseau is very impressive.

Steve hit the nail on the head with this piece. Size, athleticism, versatility, all of those rolled into one is what you can find in this kit. So maybe the Patriots have found some, or maybe the Patriots might have their eye on someone here who could be a diamond in the rough, especially to help that front seven, which definitely does need some help, and it needs some youth injected into it in order to compete at a high level for many years to come. Steve, I love kicking off draft coverage with you. We're going to continue to do these folks each and every week here on Locked On Patriots right up until the NFL draft.

But here in Patriots Nation, believe it or not, bud, the topic of the day is actually still Super Bowl 55. Even though the Patriots are not playing, that Tom versus Bill narrative just won't go. It still has legs in this area. And folks, you heard my thoughts on this to open the show. But what does Steve think? Well, I'll get his opinion in just a moment. And lastly, it's Super Bowl week. And we will get Steve's take on this matchup between the Bucs and the defending Super Bowl champions when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

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Host Patricia Trena has an exclusive interview with both Eli and Archie Manning on the Locked On Giants feed, and you can check that out right now. Get an inside look at one of football's premier family dynasties. Listen to a special edition of Lock on giants after this podcast that's been steve balistrieri brings his weekly dose of reason to the pod today and steve super bowl week is always exciting for football fans we know this weekend well here in new england just in the tom brady bill belichick era patriots have made this trip nine times they've won six of them uh the pats aren't making the trip this year. Everybody knows that.

But Tom Brady has led the Bucs to the big game. And, you know, you can say all you want to that Tom isn't here. It doesn't matter. Stop talking about it. Folks, it does matter. You know, Tom Brady is arguably the greatest athlete in the history of New England sports. Hands down, he's the greatest Patriot of all time, and he still has a lot of fans in this area.

But there is still some speculation of whether or not one of those fans is Tom's former coach, Bill Belichick, who just happens to be the head coach here in New England. Still, I know the narrative of Tom wants to stick it to Bill and vice versa is a fun storyline. We hear it all the time. You're going to continue to hear it throughout the week. But Tom was asked point blank yesterday when he spoke to the media about Bill.

And I opened the show today by reading his response. And, you know, really to me, Steve, it just epitomized class. It epitomized just really an ideal statement that you would like to make in that regard. Very effusive in his praise of Bill Belichick. Tom Brady didn't seem any type or didn't seem to harbor any type of animosity or it will. It was very cold, very calculated and very, I thought, very eloquent. But there are still some that are going to poke holes in it and say it was rehearsed. It was disingenuous. You're are going to poke holes in it and say it was rehearsed, it was disingenuous.

You're still going to find that. I think that narrative is a little overblown. But, Steve, what do you think of Tom's statement? And should it put a lid on this once and for all? Well, it should have put a lid on it, but people aren't going to let it die. So, you know, the statement that Tom made yesterday or last night, I guess, you know, was the, it was the epitome of what Tom Brady has always been. He epitomizes class. He doesn't burn bridges behind him. He's not going to take pot shots at people. That's just his way. I mean, you know, and he's absolutely right.

He owes a lot of his success to Bill. And those two had a tremendous relationship. And I thought it was very classy, you know. He could have taken a shot at Bill and was like, well, they're 7-9 this year. But, no, he took the high road and he said the things he should have said. And that's what makes Tom Brady Tom Brady and not other people and I wasn't surprised at all with his response and that's just who Tom is and

you know he said some other things earlier in the week about you know New England and the fans and playing here for all these years and and again that just, that's just who Tom is. It's true. That is exactly who he is. And again, I agree with you that narrative won't die simply because there are a lot that want to keep it out there. I understand the point behind it. Really. I'm not coming at, you know, colleagues in the media or fans or anybody like that. I understand there's an appetite for stuff like this. And as long as there is, it will continue to be that way. But at the same time, there also has to be a time where

you say, you know what, put it aside. Nothing that Bill Belichick or Tom Brady do individually is ever going to take away from what they did together here in New England for two decades. Six Super Bowl titles, division titles, conference titles, a ride that we'll never see again in professional sports. I'm confident to say that you're never going to see that type of dominance that came from Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and one organization in the New England Patriots the way we've seen it. They were both responsible for that. I don't think they would have had the same success one without the other. Maybe you can make the argument that one was more responsible. One may have been a little less responsible.

In the end, does it really matter? The two of them coming together was a perfect storm, a perfect marriage for this area, for this region, and for this franchise. And anyone that wants to see it through different glasses, either pushing an agenda or maybe they're just looking at it through a sour lens. But ultimately, I think that's where i land and then it sounds like we're like-minded on that because you are the resident voice of reason here buddy i wanted to get your take on that because maybe you could talk me off the ledge

or tell me i'm being reasonable or unreasonable uh it's nice to know that we're like-minded so that's that's always good and uh last but not least, buddy, I'm putting my guess this week on the Super Bowl hot seat. I put our good buddy Murph on the hot seat yesterday about Sunday's matchup between the Bucs and the Chiefs. Steve, when you look at this game, who do you believe has the upper hand? We talked a little bit about Tom and his ability to fight through Steve Spagnuolo defenses and what looks he may get. And that Tom ultimately has seen it all and done it all. But when you look at this game, is it the Bucs offense, the Bucs defense? Is it the Chiefs offense, the Chiefs defense?

Which unit has the upper hand heading into Sunday's matchup? Well, you know, the big thing about this game is with these two prolific offenses, it's going to come down to the defense. Whichever defense plays better on Sunday, that team's going to win. And the Bucs will obviously have to play much, much better than they did when they met in week six. But, you know, offensively, they have Antonio Brown, which, you know, they didn't have him the first time.

So that's a little bit of an unknown for the Chiefs defense. I don't think any one team has the advantage. I think it's all going to come down to who executes better. And, you know, in the long run, I think we're looking at what could very well be, it could end up being a blowout, but I think it's going to be one of those classic Super Bowls. I think the team that has the ball last is going to win the game. I agree. I do agree. I think this is going to come down to whoever has the ball last. And look,

you're talking about two offenses that are prolific in their own right. A lot of weapons on every aspect. Good tight end play, strong tight end play on both sides. You've got great wide receivers on both sides. You've got competent running games in both elements. You've got quarterbacks that are prolific in their own right and doing what they do. Tom Brady, one of the most accurate passers. One of the best at making reads. He's seen it all, done it all. You're never going to confuse Tom Brady. In terms of versatility, Patrick Mahomes is hard to top.

I mean, the stuff that this kid can do on the field is electric. So I can't wait for this game. And as we get closer to Super Bowl week, I'll start to give my predictions in terms of what I believe we're going to be looking at. But I think you're hitting the nail right on the head. I think we might be looking at a Super Bowl that comes down to the final possession and which unit is going to be able to withstand it. This has the makings of an instant classic, and I, for one, cannot wait

to watch this game on Sunday. Steve, what can I say? I thank you for taking time out today, always joining me here each and every Tuesday. For the benefit of those of us who are joining us, who are new listeners, and we do have several this week, and if you're joining us for the first time, thank you so much. We welcome you. We're happy to have you. And hearing a resident voice of reason like Steve Balistrieri is something you can count on each and every week here. So, Steve, please let our new listeners know where they can find you, what you have coming up, and also what we can look forward to in the days and weeks and the great pen of Steve Balistrieri. Well, thank you, Mike, for having me, as always, every week.

And you do a tremendous job here at Locked On. It's always a lot of fun for me to come talk football with you, especially talking Patriots football. Yeah, you know, I'm going to continue with some draft profile stuff. I think, you know, this is that time of year where we get excited about all the different possibilities, and that's what we're looking at right now, and we're going to continue that.

I have a podcast tomorrow, which I believe you're going to be guesting on the other side, so you'll be in the hot seat tomorrow with our good friend Murph and myself and Claire Cooper, Miss Moneypenny. So we look forward to talking with you more in depth above that upcoming Super Bowl. Absolutely. And I'm looking forward to it as well.

Look, it's always a pleasure. I always say it's like a homecoming coming onto to One Patriot's Place with you, Murph, and, of course, the Countess of Clabs herself, Claire Cooper. Pay close attention to this one this week, folks. As I like to say, keep a sharp eye. We'll be previewing Super Bowl 55. I am honored and I am grateful that you invited me into your home on the day of your daughter's wedding. No, just kidding, folks.

I won't go into much more of that. But, no, I am honored and grateful to be your guest, and it will be a fun time. And definitely, folks, don't be sure to check out Steve on One Patriots Place. Whether on there or not, it's a great listen. I encourage you to do so. Also, Steve's great work on Patriots 4th and 2, an amazing listen with you, Russ and Derek. You guys do a great job each and every week of breaking stuff down. And anything this man puts pen to paper on when it comes to patsfans.com, must read. He defines the word must read.

Bison, thank you. I appreciate it. Stay safe. Stay well. I look forward to talking football with you next week as we talk about the aftermath of Super Bowl 55 and really take a deep dive into the Patriots offseason. All right, my friend. aftermath of Super Bowl 55 and really take a deep dive into the Patriots offseason. All right, my friend, thanks for having me and I will talk to you tomorrow.

Absolutely, bud. And so Patriots fans, we are nearly halfway through your work week and a big thanks from me to you for listening to today's episode, which has been brought to you by 1010. 1010 is an exclusive collection of 10 one-of-a-kind engagement rings designed by 10 of the most distinctive designers working today. Using only diamonds responsibly and sustainably sourced from Botswana, 10 design masters have each produced a set of 10 uniquely beautiful diamond rings, and they're available now exclusively at BlueNile.com. This exciting collection of truly unique,

limited edition diamond rings is available now only at BlueNile.com. And here on Locked On Patriots, your daily dose of news notes and analysis, seasoned with the occasional opinion from yours truly, will continue to be available right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe

to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Radio.com, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my friend Steve Balistrieri 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. Until tomorrow, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.