Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Take-Two Tuesday: A Deeper Dive into the Pats’ Win Over Arizona - 12/1/2020

Episode Date: December 1, 2020

The New England Patriots continue to savor their victory over the Arizona Cardinals. But a pair of west-coast dates with the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams loom on the horizon. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The pair discuss some of Sunday’s unsung heroes and examine the 2020 season futures of RB Sony Michel and WR Julian Edelman.Support 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast, and it is take two Tuesday 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. Lockdown Patriots is presented today by Pepsi, made for football watching. This football season will be different, and Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day,

no matter how you watch this season. Pepsi is the refreshment you need to power through game day and become a member of the League of Football Watchers. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it. Pepsi, made for football. Watch it. Patriots fans, it is Tuesday, December 1st, a new month, and believe it or not, we are almost through with 2020. 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 greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-F-B-C. And while you're out there doing some Tuesday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, today is Take 2 Tuesday here on the Lockdown Patriots podcast, and that means we're taking a second look, a second take into the Patriots 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Now yesterday here on the pod, our great green friend Thomas Murphy joined me here on the hot seat, and we talked a lot about the positives and negatives that the Patriots are facing as they get set for the remaining six games on their schedule, including a two-game stint in the City of Angels, Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, and then Thursday night's matchup against the LA Rams. But fear not, everyone, because there's still time to savor Sunday night's victory. As we said yesterday here on the pod, Patriots looked great on the defensive side of the football. The front seven, the linebackers, secondary, all put in great efforts. Patriots looked pretty good on special teams as well. Offensively, well, they struggled. But I, for one, credit Cam Newton and the offense. When they needed a play most, they made it.

And as Cam said yesterday during his weekly appearance on WEI Radio, he's not going to apologize for winning. He shouldn't apologize for winning. Did he make some mistakes? Absolutely. But he also made plays when he needed to, and the Patriots are hoping to build on that as they face a tough two-game stretch coming up here against the two Los Angeles teams. Before we get to traveling with the team out to the West Coast, let's take one more moment to enjoy what we saw on Sunday. And to help me with that second take, take that deeper dive, is my good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com.

And if Murph and I gushed a little bit about the stars of Sunday's game, Steve and I are going to take a little bit of a deeper dive and go into some of the unsung heroes. Guys that may not have lit up the stat sheet, but were always there when a big play was needed. Steve and I will also flip the script and talk about two players whose future in New England right now might be uncertain at best. And at the start of the season, we all believed, at least I know I did, that these two would feature prominently into the Patriots' offensive game plan. Well, injuries and circumstances have prevented that for much of the season, but what does it mean for their future here? Folks, I'm talking about running back Sonny Michel and wide

receiver Julian Edelman, and I'll get back to Jules in a second. But as you know, I call Steve our resident voice of reason, and it'll be my honor and privilege to get his take on this, as well as a few minor future thoughts on this coming Sunday's matchup with the Chargers. Folks, it's always a blast when Steve joins me here on the mic, so sit tight, settle in, as we give you a second helping, sticking with the Thanksgiving references for just a little while here, folks, of the Patriots' victory over the Cardinals before we leave it in the rearview mirror and focus on Los Angeles.

But before I welcome in my Patriots paisan, I did state just a moment ago that we would get back to Julian Edelman in a second. And of course, I am referring to yesterday afternoon's report by ESPN's Field Yates that the Pats are indeed placing Julian on the reserve COVID-19 list. And in all fairness to Field's report, this move does not indicate proof that Julian had indeed tested positive for COVID. Don't forget, he merely could have been classified as a close contact. We simply don't know enough about his positive test at this point.

From a Patriots perspective, this was the first time that one of their players had been placed on the COVID-19 reserve list during the month of November. Of course, October was another story. We all remember how hard the Patriots were hit by the pandemic during that month, eight of their players being sent to COVID-19 reserve, including Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore. But seeing that Edelman has been rehabbing an injury and hasn't been around the team, it's optimistic to think that the Patriots have this one under control by simply placing Julian on this list.

Regardless of whether he tested positive himself, or he's been a close contact, or even if he's showing symptoms or not, this is a setback for Julian, no question about it. It's been a challenging season for this guy. Let's forget for a minute that he was nursing three injuries in 2019, any one of which would have put any lesser man on the shelf. Julian was playing through all of them. Entered 2020 with a lot of expectations, bothered by a knee injury ever since week two.

He was sent to injured reserve after undergoing a minor procedure on his knee in late October. And for the past week or so, we've been waiting to see Julian make a return to the practice field. He hasn't been able to do so, and now we find out that he has been placed on the reserve COVID-19 list. The good news, folks, is that a lot of players are placed on COVID-19 reserve and then pulled off fairly quickly. So for those of you holding out hope that Julian Edelman can make a return this year,

I would say those chances are still pretty good. Even Bill Belichick yesterday on WEI said that he believes Julian's made pretty good progress. He's been talking to him and that he's feeling better and doing a little more each day. So Patriots continue to take it day by day with Julian. One thing we all know is that Julian Edelman has the heart of a warrior. He's going to work extremely hard to get back on the field. And in Bill Belichick's own words, folks, he said, quote,

it would take a lot for me to count him out. Put it that way. I side with the coach on this. Julian is determined to get back on the football field. I think he makes his return. But if I'm being honest, it does cause a question as well. If, in fact, Julian is symptomatic and he has to miss significant time due to COVID, and at the same time, the Patriots drop a couple of games and fall out of playoff contention, is it worth it for Julian Edelman to push

himself to make a return to the field in 2020? Again, folks, I think that's an absolute worst-case scenario, but it does exist. And while we all wish Julian the very best of health and recovery, it's only natural that one might wonder about his fate in 2020 and even beyond. Few, if any, out there are bigger fans of Julian Edelman than I am, and I'm not betting against him, but it is worth asking the question of whether we might have seen the last of Julian in a Patriots uniform for 2020, and maybe even beyond. And I get it, folks, that's an emotional question to ask, so who better to

bring in than our resident voice of reason, the calm amongst the storm, my good friend Steve Balistrieri, and I will ask him that question, as well as his thoughts on Unsung Heroes and the fate of running back Sonny Michel when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. But first, Patriots Nation, I know that the news about Jules being sidelined for a little longer makes you want to get up and help him out. You may even want to strap on those shoulder pads and say, you know what, Jules, I got this until you're ready to come back on the field. Well, for 99.9% of you folks, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but thanks to a lack of natural athleticism or commitment,

or your having had overbearing sports parents, fewer than 1% of 1% of 1% of people will ever play professional football, myself included. But here's the good news. Instead of entering the NFL, they've joined another league, the League of Professional Football Watchers. This football season has been and will continue to be different, but Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day no matter how you watch. Pepsi is the refreshment you need to power through any game day.

Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game. It's made for those who watch it. Go to madeforfootballwatching.com to check out the latest football watching content from Pepsi. Made for football watching. Patriots Nation, we continue to savor the Patriots 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. But make sure to stay locked into Locked On Patriots' 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. But make sure to stay locked in to Locked On Patriots this week because tomorrow here on the pod, I'm going to open up the midweek mailbag. And I'll be answering questions on both your New England Patriots

and the Pats' opponent this week, the Los Angeles Chargers. It's a team I covered for three years, both for Cover32.com and Full Press Coverage Chargers. So a dual insight midweek mailbag coming at you tomorrow here on Locked on Patriots. So stay tuned for that. But here on today's pod, to help me take a deeper dive into the Patriots Sunday victory, is my Patriots bison. This man is an amazing columnist for Patsfans.com. And again, folks, one of the best guys in this or any business,

Steve Balistrieri joins me today for his weekly spot on the pod. Welcome back to Locked On Patriots, my friend. As always, my Italian paisano, as you call it. It's a pleasure talking football with you. It is absolutely a gorgeous day outside. Absolutely. And you know what we envy you uh in the southern hemisphere right now here in the north it's kind of dreary it's kind of drab uh overcast typical early winter or late fall type day here in new england but uh we'll live vicariously through you for the time being, buddy. And what better to celebrate a win than a great weather day like you're having down there? And, you know, Steve, after a win, there's always clear-cut stars or units that stand out.

Sunday was no different. And I think everyone, by consensus, is agreeing that the defense as a whole really shined. Murph joined me here yesterday, as he always does on a Monday. And we singled out guys like Adam Butler, Juwan Bentley, Stephon Gilmore, of course, Nick Folk, Folk Hero 2.0 this week, nailing a 50-yarder to win the game. That's no easy task at Gillette,

so Nick deserves a lot of love as well. But the great thing about a victory like this, Steve, is that it gives us a chance to identify some unsung heroes. You know, the players or the units that maybe don't jump out of the box score, but they really make the win possible. And I'm going to start with a unit we talk about a lot when you're here on the pod, and that's the offensive line. Per Pro Football Focus, the Patriots' offensive line did not allow a single sack.

Now, I know a lot of people are going to say, oh, Cam Newton was sacked twice. Both sacks were actually credited to Cam himself, not the line. He held on to the ball for an average of 5.1 seconds on those two sacks. PFF was the one that gave the total that I was looking at. So that's why they credited those sacks to Cam, not the offensive line, folks. But I digress. Within that context, I think that's a very impressive showing from the offensive line. Don't forget, they did not have Isaiah Wynn. He's on IR. Jermaine Illuminor comes in, takes over.

Justin Heron, the rookie offensive lineman, I thought played admirably. And you really got great contributions from guys like Andrews and Tooney and Awainu. And they just continue to dazzle week after week. And they're not getting a whole lot of credit because I think the defense was so good. But how big of an impact do you think the offensive line had on this game? And do you agree that they were an unsung hero? Or did maybe they just have a middle-of-the-road type game? Well, you know, my report card for the Patriots win came out this morning,

and I think I was a little harsh on the offensive line. I gave them a C grade for the game, but it probably should have been higher. And I pointed out just what you said. The sacks weren't on them whatsoever. I just thought that those were both on Cam. He has to realize if there's nobody open in two to three seconds, you have to just get rid of the football and live another day. I mean, those type of plays, it's been ongoing all year long,

so it's not like it's a surprise. But, in fact, when I wrote my report card, there was an O to U right at the beginning because I talked about how I had the team dead and buried last week. Then they're playing the Arizona offense this week. I didn't give them much hope, and I quoted Al Pacino. I invite you to check it out because I was like, just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. I love it.

I love it. I love it. And you know what? It actually is really appropriate for how this team is played. Just when you think they're out of the playoff race, they pull you back in. You know, everybody was ready to abandon ship after the loss to the Texans all of a sudden a big win against the Cardinals a lot of people are calling it an upset I call it an upset I did pick the Patriots

to win this game but I'll be honest with you it wasn't one that I was so confident in that I was willing you know say oh well they're they're gonna go for it they're gonna do it yeah there was doubt I thought they could pull it off and that's why i picked them to win but this was an impressive victory nonetheless and uh also i think you know it's doubly uh um you know appropriate as well since the godfather coda the death of michael coleone is now going to be out for release on blu-ray it's going to be in theaters a new ending to the godfather part three so all of you that dislike the godfather part three couple is pretty much guaranteeing that you'll like it a little better after seeing this cut so in a lot of ways bud you're right on the cutting edge of pop culture and on the cutting edge of professional football and we love it we it's one of the big reasons why we have you here because

you're always good and always always honorable when it comes to stuff like that um i agree with the offensive line to a certain extent. I think, yeah, there's, I think a C grade, like you said, maybe a little bit higher, but I can understand your reasoning on that. Don't forget the running game only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. So that has to be attributed to the running game. It has to be attributed to the offensive line a little bit too.

Maybe the blocking lanes weren't as clear. It looked like when they were able to get open lanes, Damian Harris could, you know, break for a little bit too maybe the blocking lanes weren't as clear uh it looked like when they were able to get open lanes Damian Harris could you know break for a little bit I thought James White had a very impressive day but ultimately you expected to see a little more from this running game so I can understand your logic on that but I think ultimately with the sacks I saw a lot of people blaming the old line for those and you know as much as I'm an advocate of Cam Newton and will continue to be you have to call it what it is, and that holding the ball 5.1 seconds on average is simply just not going to get it done in that regard.

The protection can't hold up under that type of scrutiny. But the defense, to me, again, stood out here, and you want to talk about unsung heroes. A lot of guys are getting their praise this week. I mentioned Butler and Bentley and even Gilmore. But there are two guys in particular, Steve, that I wanted to give some love to. One might be someone that you expect, but one might not be. And the first is Lawrence Guy, who I think a lot of people would expect.

Lawrence has always been just that under-the-radar type player that continues to be the Patriots' strong suit, no matter what. And the Cardinals entered this game with one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL, but the Patriots really kept them in check. They only managed 4.1 yards per carry, 138 yards on the game on the ground. And Guy is a big big reason why you look at all the big plays whether it be bentley's tackle or whether it be the butler sack guy is always in the mix he's always there and really been a disruptive force all season long so a lot of love to him and i think he was an unsung hero on sunday the second guy is teres hall and i think a lot of people may raise an eyebrow on that he only played 30 snaps snaps, managed seven tackles, but I think he's actually been a pretty solid piece for the interior of the New England defense. His contributions are best in the run defense, and I think we've seen that. No one really should expect him to be defending DeAndre Hopkins in man coverage, and we saw that on Sunday, which is really puzzling to me. Please, Bill Belichick, Steve Belichick,

Gerard Mayo, whoever's calling, please don't put Therese Hall in that position again. That's not a fair thing to put him, not a fair position to put him in. But, you know, I think these two guys were a big part of the reason why the Patriots had such success on defense. Do you call either one of them an unsung hero? And and if not who stood out to you on defense that maybe isn't quite getting uh the accolades that he so richly deserves this week well i think you hit the nail on the head with both of these guys and you know going back to therese hall you know when i saw that play i was like i don't Cliff King's, I can never say his name. I always stutter. But when it comes to his play calling, whoever designed that play,

I mean, the blue star on the forehead. Because if you can isolate Hopkins on Therese Hall, who's a run-stuffing, not the most athletic linebacker, boy, you designed that one right. I just gave the Cardinals ultimate credit for that because they schemed up something that obviously the Patriots weren't ready for. But getting back to Hall, I thought, you know, again, 30 snaps and he had seven tackles. That's the kind of production that you just have to love if you're the Patriots defensive coaches. I mean, you're talking about a guy that, you know,

he doesn't get a lot of snaps, but every time he's in there, he's making, you know, he's making his presence felt. I thought he had tremendous production. Lawrence Guy, I mean, you and I have been talking about him since the Patriots got him. He's just absolutely, I think he's like the steadiest, most reliable guy they have on the defense now that Dr. Hightower isn't there, and he might be anyone, even with Hightower back. That fourth and goal play, to me, just stood out because they double-teamed Guy, and he pushed both

of those offensive linemen backwards. it took away any of the run lanes that kenyan drake had to have so he had to just go straight ahead and it allowed you know juwan bentley and others to clean it up but i i thought guy made that play just like you know we go back to that malcolm butler play in the Super Bowl where we talked about, yeah, he made the interception, but it was made by, you know, the other guy that no one talks about, you know, by stuffing the play and pushing the guys backwards. I thought it was the same thing with Guy. I thought that was a tremendous play by him.

And he was doing that all day. And the big thing about the defense, yeah, they gave up some yardage on the ground, but they took away Kenyon Drake's running, and that was why they couldn't finish drives. I mean, they had some really long drives. They had a couple aided by penalties. But Drake was not the factor we expected him to be in the running game, and it really, really affected them. And you could see the difference.

I mean, Patriots held them at 17 points. I think if we were going into this game and we said that, we'll take that every time. Without question. I mean, the Patriots' defensive game plan was brilliant. Force Kyler Murray into obvious passing situations, take away the run, take away that threat, and also be able to stifle the additional runs that you have with guys like Canyon Drake,

also Chase Edmonds out of the backfield. It really was a great game plan to be able to cause a lot of problems. And I think, you know, the zero blitz gave a lot of credit to Steve Belichick calling a number of zero blitzes. I think that confused Kyler at the line of scrimmage. And I think it allowed the Patriots to be able to set and play their defensive schemes, and it worked brilliantly on Sunday, and that's one of the big reasons why they were able to beat a team like the Arizona Cardinals. And again, Steve, these types of wins give us an opportunity to talk about a lot of the Patriots' unsung heroes, and we've done so, and I think

brought some light to guys that maybe are not getting the national spotlight they deserve, but definitely the local spotlight because they're big parts of the success of this team. But there are concerns about some prominent Patriots, and for different but similar reasons. And in just a moment, folks, I will seek the wisdom and counsel of our resident voice of reason when it comes to these players. This and more when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, breaks in the action always make me evaluate what I've accomplished and what still needs to be done.

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your podcasts. And Patriots fans, Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on Locked On Patriots. And Steve, in the previous segment, we talked in depth about the Patriots defense and the prowess they showed on Sunday, some of the unsung heroes and the guys that deserve the spotlight. But offensively, this team struggled, let's face it. This was a very pedestrian, at best, offensive performance by the New England Patriots. And again, our good friend Murph and I talked a little bit yesterday about the Patriots' problems in the passing game, specifically Cam Newton not being able to pick up the blitz

and the problems that Nakheel Harry continues to to have acclimating himself into this offense. But one thing that really surprised me a little bit was the fact that the Patriots run game is missing a guy like Rex Burkhead, a dynamic runner. He's been really kind of like their second option. They're running back to capable of catching the ball out of the backfield, but he's been really kind of like their second option they're running back to capable of catching the ball out of the backfield but he's carried the ball as well and i thought with jj taylor out and rex out they would lean a little heavier on uh sony michelle obviously damian harris is running back one he's not going to relinquish that title i don't think anybody thinks that anymore but sony was only used one snap, got zero touches.

This tells me that the Patriots might just be ready to move on with Damian Harris and James White, even after Rex going down. How surprised were you, Steve, that Sony wasn't used more, especially with Rex's absence? And are we looking at possibly the signal here that Sony's days in New England might actually be numbered? Well, I think you can absolutely make that assumption. I know a lot of people, well, it's just one game. But you look at the big picture. Sony's had some neat issues since he came into the league. And they love what they're seeing with Damian Harris.

I think for the remainder of this year, unless Harris gets banged up, I think you're going to see a lot more James White and you're going to see a lot more Damian Harris. I think Harris is your number one pack. I think they'll move on from Sony in the offseason unless something untoward happens to one of their other guys because I believe they like what they have in J.J. Taylor. So I wasn't really surprised by that.

I thought he might get a couple of carries just to spell Harris, but because the running game was having difficulty getting on track, Harris really didn't have that many carries himself. So, you know, it just didn't work out that way. I thought if they were leaning in on the running game like we kind of thought they would, we might see Sony get a few carries just to spell in a little bit. But I think part of it was just the situation of how things worked. And then, you know, in the long run, I think, yeah, I think they're going to move on from him.

Yeah, and in a lot of ways, that is kind of a bitter pill for me to swallow. I mean, I've been called several times an apologist for Patriots first-round busts, meaning Sonny Michelle and Nikhil Harry. I have a tendency to kind of talk these guys up a little bit and to try to get behind them and support them. And look, it's not just because I want to talk them up or I want to carry the Patriots drafting, you know, team, you know, water buckets for these guys. It has nothing to do with that. I saw a lot of prowess, a lot of technique and a lot of potential fit with Sony as well as Nikhil Harry. That's a conversation for another day.

But Sony was a bit surprising to me because I thought initially, looking at him from Georgia, I thought he was the type of back that Bill Belichick could really mold, and Josh McDaniels as well, into that every down type of back that could catch the ball out of the back field, but he could be your first and second down option, hit the holes well, find the seams, and be able to get yardage. And it just hasn't worked out that way. Now, I don't know if most of that is from injury and difficulty there, or if he's a little bit gun-shy.

Maybe Sony's a little worried about getting injured. A lot mentally can affect the way a running back plays. It can affect the way any professional football player plays. But at the same time, it is a little disheartening to me to see him continuously used less and less. And I agree. I think a lot of it was scheme on Sunday. The Patriots did not overly utilize the running game.

But still, you expect them to see a little bit more action than, you know, bottom line, one snap and zero touches. It just looked like he was not going to be a part of the game plan no matter what. So as for what the future holds for Sonny Michel, the jury is still out, but I think it's pretty obvious that the Patriots are much more comfortable heading forward with Damian Harris, with James White, and of course, I think with J.J. Taylor as well. He looks like someone that the Patriots could be having high hopes for maybe some seasons down the line. So we'll look and see how he's going to be used. But last but certainly not least, my friend, I opened the pod today with news that Julian Edelman

is now being placed on the COVID reserve list. And this is another blow for Julian. It's been a challenging season for him. Bothered by a knee issue ever since week two, had to be sent to injured reserve after undergoing the procedure on his knee in late october being sent to the covid reserve list doesn't necessarily mean that his season is over or that this is done or anything we've seen players put on that list and

then taken off fairly quickly if there's either a false positive or it's determined that the exposure that he had is not a serious risk i don't know how much of a setback this is going to be for him coming back on the field, but ultimately we haven't seen him on the practice fields yet. And a lot of people are starting to get antsy about the availability of Julian Edelman. Bill Belichick was asked about it yesterday on WEI, and he said it would take a lot for me to count out Julian. So that's good. That's a good sign that we still may see him on the field this year and maybe even be a contributor. But Murph, with all of these things adding up and obviously COVID being put aside because that's an outlying factor, you can't count on that all the time. But with the numerous injuries that Julian has had throughout his career and you're seeing difficulties continuing to set him back um it's a tough

question for me to ask but in your estimation how close are we to possibly seeing the end of julian edelman in a patriots uniform i think the uh the chances are are very high at this point uh you know he's uh he's been banged up you know, his knee is probably not in the greatest of shape He still hasn't been practicing He's taken a lot of punishment through the years I wouldn't be shocked if they cut their ties with him this offseason I mean, as much as I hate to say it He's been so fantastic for this team. I just think

the time is getting short for him. And, you know, I think he could possibly retire next year. You know, part of me says that, but then part of me says, well, he doesn't want to go out like that with, you know, kind of only a couple of games season in his last NFL season. He's probably going to want to try it one more time, but would I be shocked if he retired? Not a bit. And I wouldn't be shocked at all if the Patriots decided to move on from him because with the state of their wide receiver core,

they need an influx of youth. They need an influx of youth. They need an influx of speed. And it just might be, we might have seen the last of him. I wouldn't be shocked if he didn't play again at all this year. Yeah, and I know a lot of people look. Julian is one of the more beloved Patriots in this region, maybe the most beloved Patriot now with Tom Brady down in Tampa. It's a tough subject to broach because I've seen this kid come back from odds that no one would have believed. And I watched him play. We did. We both did. We watched him play last year

and practice and just go, how is he doing this every single week? He had three injuries, one of which alone would have put anyone else on the shelf for probably an entire year and Julian at times was playing through all three at their peak you want to talk about toughness this kid is as tough as they come but at the same time that's going to catch up with you and it's going to catch up with you sometimes quicker than you had hoped and seeing the the knee injury and the fact that he hasn't hit the practice field yet to me is more of a concern than COVID I think COVID right now I don't know how long he's going to be on the shelf with this there's still a lot of question marks as to whether or not um he's even symptomatic i mean we

saw cam test positive you know earlier this year and stefan gilmore test positive by all indications neither one of them ever became symptomatic so if Julian is not symptomatic then he could be taken off that list pretty quickly and this is a moot point but if that's going to keep him on the show for an additional two weeks in addition to him trying to get back on the field and be able to contribute since he hasn't seen the field since October then you have to wonder at this point is it really worth it for him to come back for maybe just a couple of games especially if the Patriots have fallen further off the map when it comes to their ability to make the playoffs this year. So it's a tough subject, folks. We're not trying to say that we've seen the end. We still have hope

in Julian. I still have hope in Julian. But at the end of the day, you can't beat the clock and sometimes you can't beat the injuries that you have to go through. And what a career he's had here in New England. And we hope it'll'll continue um again I'm like Bill Belichick it's going to take a lot for me to count him out but uh the poor guy's been through a lot this year and we hope he can get through it so best of luck to Julian and uh definitely uh get well soon Steve what can I say you always always lend your wisdom and counsel every time I need you I've said this before you're always there for the handoff, and I greatly appreciate it. Please let our listeners know for the remainder of the week what they can expect from the great pen of Steve Balistrieri,

and also the great voice on the microphone, which you do a number of different appearances. So please let our listeners know what they can look forward to from you this week. Yeah, well, this week, I'm not doing the podcast with Murph. I have our friend Claire stepping in for me because of the situation that I filled you in on before we went live on the air. We have some stuff that needs taking care of. So we're going to go take care of that today. But, you know, I'm going into the deep dive into L.A.

because the Patriots are going to be there for the next 10 days or so. And, you know, the Chargers and then the Rams, I think this is going to be a very interesting couple of games, I think, because, you know, when you're looking at this, obviously they have to win both. And, you know, when you're looking at the Chargers, boy, they have – it's such an interesting team. And the Patriots have such a checkered history with them. It's going to be interesting to see how this one plays out

and then the Rams right behind that. I think they need to win both of these games and I think they have a shot. I really do. But of course, it's one game at a time, so I'll be looking at the Chargers first and then looking at the defense because I think they're going to have

to rely on the defense going down the stretch. What can you say about these secondary guys? I mean, you know, you and Murph touched on it yesterday, and again we touched on it a little bit today. You know, they took a very, very good Cardinals passing game with a ton of speed and neutralized them. Andy Isabella, you know, DeAndre Hopkins, they did

not have big games whatsoever. So, you know, they can take away guys like that. So it's going to be interesting to see how they do it. You know, and again, like Michael Corleone said, they're pulling me back in. So I'm back on the bandwagon and, you know,

until proven otherwise, because you can't write this team off you just can't until you throw that last bit of dirt on them they're going to keep scratching and fighting and you know this has been the season we hoped it would be you know with Tom Brady

gone we knew it was going to be transition time and it's been entertaining it hasn't transition time, and it's been entertaining. It hasn't always been fun, but it's been entertaining. Absolutely. The Patriots will always keep you entertained. And, yeah, I mean, this week is kind of a pull-me-back-in week for me too, going back to looking at the Chargers and seeing how the Patriots

and this team match up. It's going to be interesting. Chargers do have some offensive weapons. They still have Keenan Allen. Austin Eckler is back in the lineup. Justin Herbert's playing at a high level, and then that defense is still capable. Not sure of Melvin Ingram's status yet, but if you pair him

alongside Joey Bosa, that is a very, very difficult pass-rush tandem for the Patriots to withstand. They haven't exactly been doing a good job of getting rid of the football and protecting against the Blitz. So, a lot of interesting things to watch for. But, Steve, thank you. I certainly wish you the best.

And we look forward to having you back here next week to break down Patriots-Chargers and take a very quick look, turnaround, at the Rams game, which from Sunday to Thursday doesn't give us much time to prep. So big L.A. stand coming up for the Patriots. But, again, thank you for joining me today and uh my best to you stay safe stay well and we'll definitely be talking to you next week oh thanks for having me my friend it's always a pleasure and it's like uh written on my calendar every week and that is a well-deserved spot we're honored to have you i'm honored to have you and again uh always always a blast to share the microphone with you. Someone with great football knowledge, wit, wisdom, and counsel.

You bring it all, buddy. Have a great week, and we'll talk to you soon. Just like that, Patriots Nation, we are almost halfway through your work week. And once again, tomorrow here on the pod, we open up the midweek mailbag as I address anything and everything related not only to your New England Patriots, but also their week 13 opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers. Worlds collide for me here on this midweek mailbag Wednesday episode as I pull double duty on the beat between the Patriots and the Chargers.

So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, make sure to follow and subscribe to the Locked On Patriots podcast 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 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, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.