Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Tight-Endage and Pats-Panthers Wrap-Up — 11/10/21

Episode Date: November 12, 2021

The New England Patriots are still savoring their victory over the Carolina Panthers. However, there is still much to discuss in Patriots Nation. Mike is joined by Clare ‘ClazzyClare’ Cooper, as the duo discuss the Patriots pursuit of Odell Beckham, Jr, Pats-Panthers Wrap-up and Tight Endage.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.GetupsideJust download the FREE GetUpside App and use promo code TOUCHDOWN to get up to 50¢/gallon cash back on your first tank.  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 is Wednesday, November 10th, 2021, and it is time for a little tight-endage talk with the Baroness of Blockers herself. That's right, folks. Claire Clasiclair Cooper joins me here today on the hot seat on your daily home for news

notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. And of course, Locked On listeners, thank you for making Locked On Patriots your first listen each and every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is free and available on all platforms. And today's episode of Locked on Patriots is brought to you by our friends at McDonald's. Proudly serving communities since 1965. McDonald's has always been more than just a place to get tasty, affordable food.

It is also a place where friends and family from the community can come together. A big thank you to our friends at McDonald's for always being there. I'm loving it. It is also a place where friends and family from the community can come together. A big thank you to our friends at McDonald's for always being there. I'm loving it. And speaking of loving it, I love it every single day when you take time out of your busy schedule to join me here on Locked On Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate, and I am your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast. I also cover your New England Patriots for Patriot Maven of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me and follow me on Twitter at MDABATENFL.

And while you're out there doing some Wednesday wandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, it is Wednesday here on the pod, and we are about to turn our full attention toward the Cleveland Browns and a Week 10 matchup that also is 5-4, coming off of a very impressive win in Week 9. But Sunday's Week 10 matchup at Gillette Stadium is not the only thing making the rounds in Patriots media. There's also Odell Beckham Jr., and the watch continues as to whether or not he

will be selected for a new team anytime soon. The Patriots also continue to deal with the aftermath of their victory over the Carolina Panthers 24-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tongues to talk about including maybe a little strategy when it comes to tight endage. So who better to discuss all of these matters with than the Countess of Clas herself, the Baroness of Blockers, the Queen of T.E., the Empress of Tight Endage, Claire Clasiclair Cooper joins me here today, and we will discuss all of those points and more when Claire Clasiclair Cooper joins me here on the hot seat when this Wednesday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Hello again, Patriots fans.

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cash back on your first tank. Use the code TOUCHDOWN when you download GetUpside. Patriots fans, getting a chance to share the microphone with my guest today is truly one of the honors of being host of Locked On Patriots fans getting a chance to share the microphone with my guest today is truly one of the honors of being host of Locked On Patriots and for the past few weeks it's becoming a regular occurrence here on Locked On no complaints on this end judging by the downloads no complaints on your end either she is back for another round of not only tightage talk, but a ton of Patriots news going around. And I know you know who she is, because it's pretty safe assessment that it's a voice, an accent, and a giggle that you know very, very well. From West Midlands in the UK, she is a Patriots writer for Pat's Propaganda, the third voice of one Patriots place,

and of course a special contributor, columnist, and podcast host extraordinaire for full press coverage, Patriots, where her own Patriots podcast, The Claire Perspective, is one of the great listens that you can find anywhere in Patriots media. It is my honor to once again welcome back the esteemed actress of class herself, Claire, Clazzie Claire Cooper. Thank you so much, Claire, for joining me today from across the pond. Welcome back to Lockdown Patriots. Oh, you're welcome.

Thank you very much for having me in the lovely introduction, as usual. Well, you know, I always live for my introductions. I'm always truthful. I'm always honest. It always comes from the heart. No, in all actuality, I've been very, very honored to be joined here on the microphone with guests that

are tremendous. They really, really humbled me to be able to do a business like this, to be able to share the microphone with people that really bring so much to the table that are not only great human beings, but also so knowledgeable and very insightful in their insight that

they provide here to Lockdown Patriots. And you're second to none in that group, my friend. You really have become a fixture here on Lockdown. And we always appreciate you taking the time out to join us today, especially on a day where there's a lot of stuff going around here in Patriots Nation. It really, really is busy times for the Pats. They're not only at 5-4 now with a chance to contend for the playoffs and really actually in a very, very good situation right now when it comes to the playoffs. The Patriots have a very high outlook in terms of their positioning and making the postseason.

But there's also Cleveland Browns game coming up this week um you know mac jones how he's playing patriots starting to round in a little bit on offense be able to develop some um you know synergy there with uh with the running game and the tight ends there's a lot going on with the defense but all anybody can seem to talk about this week claire is the fate of odell beckham jr As we're sitting here recording this, obviously, Claire, is in a different time zone, folks. But most of you listening to this in New England, it's about 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning, November 10th, and Odell Beckham Jr. Watch continues to happen. And there's all kinds of rumors out there of people that are spotting

him at Logan Airport. Supposedly, he flew into some Air Force base to secretly meet with Bill Belichick. Very covert, you know, something like something out of, you know, some sort of military mystery novel or, you know, I mean, there's all different kinds of rumors out there. But let's stick to the sources that are actually legitimate. Last night, Adam Schefter reporting, obviously, that Odell was not claimed on waivers by any team in the NFL. And as the night started to progress, you started to hear things gradually about the Patriots possibly showing interest. Jeff Powell, for one of the athletic, a source that we trust implicitly, said that there had been contact between the Patriots camp and Odell, more of an exploratory nature than anything else. Then you hear little smatterings. Evan Lazar of CLNS Media, who we both know very well, said that the Patriots' interest

is in fact very real. So nobody's saying that this is not happening, but I'd be very cautious about these, quote unquote, accounts that magically appear whenever a big name free agent is available. And they start to think that they have inside information that they, quite frankly, just don't have. Claire, when you look at Odell Beckham Jr., putting all the rumors and all the innuendo aside, just from a pure football perspective, what are your thoughts on Patriots' attempt to acquire Odell Beckham Jr.? And at the end of the day, do you think he might end up being a member of Patriots? Well, firstly, let me just go back and what you were saying. I don't have any major inside sources, so I won't be claiming anything

like that on this show or any of the show. And maybe perhaps because you have integrity, my friend, and that's something that's severely lacking in social media, especially in the England Patriots social media. Sometimes some of the accounts that are out there. But I digress. Please continue. And if I did have any inside sources, we all know that all I'd be really interested in is Titans and Rhinos and Henry. So, you know, it's kind of a bit of a moot point. But maybe the maybe the aeroplane or the secret kind of flying that they saw was actually all to do with the fact that it's kind of like the Marine called birthday today. So maybe it was just that. And he just, you know, completely got it all wrong. So happy birthday to the devil dogs today and moving swiftly along, as you said on to odell now see personally i mean i think the key that maybe is being missed or avoided or just you know just not taken to situations they don't want to you know i don't know everybody's entitled to their own opinion um the key is that

we aren't actually certain at this stage what Odell Beckham's skill level is now. I appreciate that a couple of years ago, you know, he kind of a total superstar, but he's had an ACL injury. The end of his season last year. So, you know, kind of like his speed could be in question. And that was something that was always a positive, you know, something that was ticked in regards to him going forward so you're also looking at wanting a guy that you don't necessarily know how good he is anymore I'm not saying he's bad you know I'm not saying he's amazing I'm not saying either because I don't actually know and that's my point we haven't really seen him so I just kind of wanted to sort of touch on that situation and I mean the thing that I'm concerned with if they

do bring him in as a patriot should I say is I am concerned with the the whole he wants catches situation now I know it was a you know it's a big social media thing and it was his dad that put it out there and this that the other and there's all those kind of things but we've got a developing rookie quarterback who's got an offensive line that currently, I know we'll probably touch on this a bit later, but currently has issues. So is utilising, you know, we're looking at utilising the running game more significantly. So is now really a time to plug in a receiver who is demanding that his pass ratio is increased do we really need to put that kind of pressure on a developing quarterback who we're trying to make into kind of like the next big

thing for the Patriots the next dynasty the next franchise guy you know the central integrity piece of integral piece sorry of the team and I'm just not sure if this is the year that putting even if we knew Odell Beckham was kind of still Odell Beckham Jr as you know of old if that would really sort of work with the dynamic I mean I personally me Claire the fan just don't think it's kind of worth it you've got to look at there's so many factors to me that it feels like a negative and that's not a slight on him as a player at all it's just there's so many of the factors money kind of Matt Jones that who we've already got who they've already spent money on for it to really look like a feasible thing now Bill's probably going to completely you know kind of

throw all this out the water and sign him because, you know, we think he's probably not going to. So, you know, that will be the amusing thing. But on the whole of it, I just can't see how it works, how some of the fans can. I know that there's the outcry for the wide receiver one and this, that and the other. And he would be a prime candidate for that kind of position but again not to repeat myself we don't actually know at this stage if he is still that wide receiver one you know we could bring him in and he could just you know not match any speed with Jacoby Myers or something you know the people that are sort of supposedly being at wide receiver one at the

moment now I know there's there's kind of that's debate as well if it's Myers if it's Bourne if it's Aguilar you know I think it's kind of a tricky one to that that's never been really my forte with the wide receiver one and this and the other they're all there and they're all playing kind of thing but that's sort of my inexperience sort of showing and I just think that with what they've spent who they've brought in I just can't see it myself personally I just I just don't really see it and I also don't really see the point now if they bring him in I won't be like oh god that's terrible because I'd trust in coach Bill he knows way more than I do about everything so he's gonna know what's right and what's wrong for the team so if he thinks it's worth a shot bringing him in then

that's great I won't change my mind on that I didn't necessarily think it was a great idea for the reasons that I've highlighted because those reasons might not actually change but they might he could come in and not be the guy who wants lots of numbers he wants to work with the team maybe he wants the respect of working under Bill Belichick that sort of thing so as I said if they bring him in I won't be kind of oh throw my hands up in the air and be like oh that's it I'm done I can't deal with this anymore but if they don't bring him in I really I'll be non-fussed it'll just be another wednesday or another thursday or whatever day he goes wherever he's going kind of thing that's i think you make some excellent excellent points

and you know i i've been on the fence about this for a while i have kind of flipped flop back and forth and i'll be the first to admit it you know my opinion has gauged and changed a lot over the past few days since we found out that he was soon to be either a free agent or that he was going to be made available on the free agent market, whether he was going to be claimed by waivers. I mean, there's all different kinds of ups and downs that this has taken throughout the past week or so. Look, bottom line, when it comes to Odell Beckham Jr., there's no question about the potential of talent. This guy has shown it. He's got tremendous speed. When he's healthy. He's got excellent hands when he's healthy. Exactly. And he's very much a good teammate when he's locked in. When he's not, and there's

difficulties, and we saw this in New York with the Giants. We saw it in Cleveland with the Browns. There can be negatives attached to that. Now, the reason I'm not as worried about those negatives as I would be if you were going to a different team, so to speak, is that the Patriots have largely been able to keep those matters in check. Whenever there's been a player like Antonio Brown a couple of years ago, where it just doesn't look like it's going to be a fit, they don't have any type of qualms or trepidations about moving on from these guys. They continue to cultivate that culture of winning and doing things in quote unquote the Patriot way.

I think if Odell Beckham Jr. is going to sign with New England by his own free will, this is not a trade or anything like that. People are comparing it to Randy Moss. Randy was traded for. That was a trade that was worked out between the new england patriots and the oakland raiders at the time a trade brought randy moss here odell was going to sign here in his own volition if he's going to do that he knows full well that walking through that door there's a standard that has to be set

playing for bill belichick and say what you will about Odell having any type of off-field issues or character issues or anything like that there is a tremendous amount of respect that this young man has for Bill Belichick and the way he does things he's going to come in knowing that he's also going to come in knowing that he's going to be playing alongside a rookie quarterback and Evan Lazar said this very eloquently on Wednesday on, and he said it's going to come down to whether or not Odell Beckham Jr. wants to play for Bill Belichick or whether he wants to play with an established quarterback. That's not necessarily a knock on Mac Jones, but I think people, especially in Patriots Nation, forget this kid is a rookie. He's going to continue to make some rookie mistakes. He's not the second coming of some rookie mistakes. He's not

the second coming of Tom Brady automatically. There will never be another Tom Brady. I hate to break it to Patriots fans, but anybody thinking that this kid or anybody is going to step in and do what Tom did here for 20 years is probably deluding themselves into thinking that. Now, I believe Matt can be a very successful quarterback. I can, I believe he has the tools to be a top level quarterback in this league for many years to come. Your future Patriots fans is definitely in good hands with Matt Jones, but the type of expectations that's put on him, I think are unfair at times.

And that's where you have to really, I think gauge what Odell Beckham jr. Is going to believe when he comes in here, if he wants to play with a top flight quarterback and get his touches, New England might not be the destination for him. But if he believes that New England is the best place for him to win and he really wants to play for Bill Belichick, by all means, I think the Patriots will do their due diligence. I do believe there is interest there. And at the end of the day, I'm not saying that it's not possible by any stretch of the imagination. I heard somebody by feedback say that I was very negative when it came to the Patriots' pursuit of Odell Beckham Jr.

because of a piece that I wrote last week for Sports Illustrated. I wasn't saying that they shouldn't. I just said that the Patriots need to think about whether or not they should pursue him as opposed to whether or not they just could. So let's do it for the hell of it. there's a lot that needs to go into that decision so at the end of the day even if you did think that they shouldn't even if that was your opinion at the end of the day you're entitled to your opinion and just because everybody doesn't agree doesn't necessarily mean i mean i haven't got a strong opinion necessarily either way so well I have maybe I'm being quite negative against him because I just quite don't quite see the fit myself personally but that is just my

opinion and as I said if he did come I wouldn't be like throw hands up oh no hell no that's terrible but everybody is entitled to their opinion and So even if you did think that it's like, oh, God, no, that's a terrible idea. You'd be well within your rights to because you can only go on the information that you have personally and what you think. And at the end of the day, everybody's entitled to think what they want to think kind of thing. Absolutely. And it's true. And then you take a look at some of these, again, these accounts that are all around out there. As we're speaking, Diana Rossini of ESPN, someone with an established record. Again, folks, I caution you to follow the accounts with established records, not someone with shaky credibility. On the day in which he could make his final decision, free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

is honing in on the Chiefs, Packers, and Saints per league sources. So take that for what you will. At the end of the day, he could end up in New England, but don't come crashing and burning for the Patriots' potential for this season if this move does not work out. Because, Claire, the New England Patriots had a pretty impressive performance on Sunday when it comes to their dismantling of the Carolina Panthers 24-6. Dominant performance on the defense without any question.

Some high spots on the offense as well. There were some offensive sputters. There's no question about it. That's something the team's going to have to work through. But ultimately, I think the team walked away from this feeling pretty good. What were your final takeaways from the field with the the Patriots victory over the Panthers on Sunday some of the key things that you said there is I mean I I missed a minute I thought it was my my kind of perspective was it was a bit of a scrappy game it was a little bit of a at times in all fairness but

a lot of that was probably um in the first quarter and to do or first half sorry and to do with with kind of the offense it was that was the the sort of the downside of the game unfortunately was the offense at that point as has been said quite regularly on many podcasts between the game and now is the defense and the positives of the defense and the strength that the defense had and the the possible return of the bogeyman, which I do actually quite like, I've got to admit. I know people think it's crass, but I do quite like it. So I do quite like the return of the bogeyman. It's quite good. So, I mean, the one thing that I did enjoy with the, with in regard to the receptions, I mean, obviously, sorry,

interceptions, having several interceptions per game is great but I liked the fact that JC had two um and I'll give my reasonings because Stefan Gilmore had one and it was like oh did it have to be him it had to be Gilmore didn't it had to be Gilmore that did that to us but JC saw his interception and raised him an interception that's what And I really like that. I like the kind of the, yeah, the whole, the story that that gives is he got one. It doesn't matter. I had two. So I quite like that. Absolutely.

The concerns of the offensive line are still lingering like a cloud over us, unfortunately. And you just hope that it'll just take a little bit more time and they'll really solidify. It's unfortunate because they looked like they were really getting back into their groove. I mean, the beginning of the season was tricky with the moving pieces and they're not quite knowing where we should slot everybody in. And Trent Brown, when he's sort of playing, I think he played a quarter or something. Well, he really didn't play much of the season but and he was going to be a significant sort of key in the offensive line as we as so we thought I suppose I should say so

the shuffling around of the offensive line may of course some weaknesses here and there but it did look like they were getting into their groove I think it was the Jets game I think that was that was more obvious in so for them then to kind of drop off in in this game was was a little concerning so I'm just hoping that they can get their jam back together and that'll all be great so it's and it's really good that we had such a strength of the defense coming forward because the secondary was something that I worried about but the one thing that I do well the one thing I don't worry about performance wise but I do worry about his safety wise is Matt Judon because as many people have also mentioned is the guy is a baller he's a beast whatever you want to call it he is

got to have been the best signing that the Patriots made possibly in years but obviously for this year and I say that and you know I love when Henry said we'll move on to that later but you know he he goes out there and he just he just gives it sort of 150 percent and it's it's amazing to see but the poor guy he's held like nobody's piece of and he never gets I think he he finally got so where are we it was week nine so in in the ninth week of the season he finally got I think it was in the fourth quarter a penalty call that he was being held I think it was yeah I think it was the fourth quarter so he it finally got recognized that Paul Matthew Don was having penalties against him kind of thing but he's he's held every game it's of, it's like they must think he's sort of that much of a beast

that it doesn't matter if he's being held back or anything. He'll get out of it. He's that good sort of thing for the officials to not call. I did notice he was being held at one point and he was stretching that far to kind of get hold of Sam Donald that he actually got a hand on him. So he was being held by an offensive line moment and he still managed to get fingers on Donald which I thought was that amused me quite you know quite a

lot in all fairness so yeah in regards to the game I think it's just the same as everybody's touched on the the defense bringing it and the offense sort of the slight of the offence. The running game was utilised great and it's so unfortunate that we've got the significant injuries that are going forward for, I think it's Gunnar, Harris, not that Gunnar's a runner, but Gunnar, Harris and Stevenson all with head slash concussion injuries is quite concerning. So, you know, as we'll probably talk about later in regards to the Browns game, that's definitely something to worry about. I think you wanted to touch upon what happened with Matt Jones. I know a lot of people are saying that he did the dirty and he played dirty, that kind of thing.

My personal opinion on it is I don't think it was intentional. He got sacked and the opposition got the ball and he was reaching to grab the guy that was kind of what he thought was making away with the ball and that was Burns and I think it wasn't you can't taint a guy with one sink from one single play he's played so well kind of in his old career in his in his whole career I apologize and this is the first time that something like this has come up and to sort of suddenly slander him is as dirty I think a lot of Patriots Nation that leaves a sour taste in their mouth think it's a bit too far considering the guy that they're claiming it was dirty on um hit both Stevenson and Harris in the game and

possibly why they're out with concussion and somebody showed me a clip I don't actually know what year it was but I just saw that it was a Titans game of him grabbing hold of somebody's ankle and pulling so you know unfortunately these things happen in this game and I think to to call a guy like that dirty who there was no you didn't see the intent there that there are times when you see people's intent so yeah I just think that was um pretty harsh possibly the the um the uproar by the Panthers fan base may have been um I saw a clip of the Panthers Broncos Super Bowl uh they were down by six and Cam Newton was their quarterback at the time and he was making a drive four minutes left on the clock and he loses the ball and instead of diving on the ball to maintain

it he kind of stands there and looks at it and then the Broncos get the ball and they lose the game and I think maybe there was some residual, maybe some residual jealousy of the Patriots, of the Panthers fan base, thinking that how Matt Jones will throw himself into anything. And they had a quarterback that maybe didn't. So maybe there's some animosity sitting there. Someone has mentioned to me.

So, you know, there's always possibilities for these kind of things. But I want to touch on something good, something that I enjoyed for that game was um I mentioned on one Patriots place with Stephen Murph actually my favourite one of my favourite plays in the game was midway into the second quarter Stevenson had the ball and he showed Sean Chandler who's boss with his stiff arm out of the club and I'm not condoning violence as I've always mentioned I never condone violence but when somebody kind of just just oozes that kind of athletic ability to be able to do that sort of yeah that's those are sort of things that the kind of things that I like but I think that kind of goes back to the whole tight

kind of thing I'm that kind of girl that likes to watch that kind of goes back to the whole tight endage kind of thing i'm that kind of girl that likes to watch that kind of thing well we all know claire's penchant for loving to watch tight endage folks that is not a surprise to anybody uh how could it be uh we have you know we call her the empress of tight endage for a reason the queen of te she's got all of these the baroness of blockers all of these uh you know names that she uh has amassed throughout the course of the last few months are well-deserved. But I think you make a very, very good point on the tight endage. We'll talk about the tight ends in just a little bit. You did touch upon Mac and the controversy that's brewing about whether or not this was a dirty play or that he twisted the ankle. I'm sick and tired of seeing the Kurt angle, ankle lock, you know, Jeff files floating around, making it look like, you know,

he was trying to injure Brian Burns. Look, bottom line, Burns came in, hit him with a very, very tough shot. I mean, it's a legal hit. I mean, I'm not saying that it was dirty. So the other day I made a comment about, you know, I saw that in my recap, someone saw in my recap that I put, he put a crushing hit on Mac Jones. And they're like, oh, you're saying he was dirt. I said, no, I'm not saying that in the least. It was a good hit. It was a very hard hit and Mac got it pretty good. He got up instinctively. He's thinking the

guy that hit me must have the ball. He's trying to make the tackle tackle was it a bad way to make the tackle absolutely did mac you know show maybe uh poor form or poor you know judgment in that situation probably but where's there an intent to harm or an intent to injure no all these people saying they can see him twisting the uh the ankle is absolute you know rubbish i mean take a look at the actual footage folks brian was trying to twist to get away. So that really was a perfect storm for the two of them. So anybody that thinks that this kid was trying to harm, that's not what was happening. He's trained and he's practiced to go after the ball. The minute you lose the ball, you automatically become a defender.

Your job is to try to secure the football or go after it as best you can. And that's what Matt Jones was doing in that situation. So, you know, a lot is going to be made of it and a lot will continue to be made of it. But at the same time, there are just things that have to end up being done. So, you know what, we'll definitely take a lot from this game, but I'm glad that you mentioned the defense. Matt Judon continues to look excellent. Christian Barmore has been phenomenal. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, Christian Barmore as well. We want to keep these guys healthy, and hopefully we will continue

to do so. And one of the ways in which we'll do so is for the Patriots to maybe put up a few more points on the offensive side of the ball to keep that defense well-rested and healthy for the stretch run into the playoffs. That includes tight endage. And in just a moment here on Locked On Patriots,

our resident tight endage expert will lend her wisdom and counsel, not just on Hunter Henry, her favorite subject to talk about now that Lion is always not in New England, but also Jonu Smith. Could Jonu be deployed in a little bit of a different manner than we're used to seeing him deploy every Sunday? More with Klazzy Claire Cooper when this episode of the Locked On Patriots continues. Locked On listeners, Bilt Bar, the most delicious, healthy protein bar you've ever tried, has so many delicious flavors. There's something for everyone. And when you talk to a Bilt Bar fan, and I have folks,

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Let McDonald's help you to live in the moment by recapturing the comfort and fun of old memories and making some new ones. Head to your local McDonald's to refuel and reconnect. Ba-da-ba-ba-ba, I'm loving it. Folks, Patriots fans, my good friend, the Countess of Clas herself, the Empress of tight endage,

Claire, Classy Claire Cooper, joins me here on the pod today. And it's always my honor, always my privilege to share the microphone with Claire and Claire, you've lent some excellent insight, whether it be Odell Beckham Jr. Or whether it be the Patriots victory over the Panthers and what your thought process was and your final thoughts on some of that on Sunday and the victory that we saw the New England Patriots pull off. But this week heading into the Cleveland Browns matchup could be very interesting

for a number of reasons, one of which that's tangible could be the health of Patriots running backs. And we both saw we all saw in Patriots fandom not only Damian Harris, but also Ramondre Stevenson, leave the game and left with significant head injuries in the fourth quarter. And these can be serious injuries, and they also can be time consuming for a timetable for their return. If the Patriots might be facing either one or both of them missing significant time, that could be an issue for New England. So I know a lot of people are predicting that the Patriots are going to use some of those

open practice squad spots on a running back. I would definitely say that's a fair bet, probably a safe bet to say that they will be bringing one in considering they don't have a running back on the practice squad as we speak. But also people have started to rumble whether or not Jonu Smith may get some carries out of the backfield. And Jonu is an effective ball carrier. He does it out of the jet sweep.

He's usually not there for the handoff. There's usually some sort of play that's called, and it's not a regular thing for Jonu to do it, but he is capable of doing it. He's got the size and the speed to be able to pull this off. Now, obviously, Hunter Henry is someone that you've watched very closely, and he's a tremendous route runner. He's really developing a great pass-catching synergy with Matt Jones. But when the Patriots brought these tight ends in, Claire, it wasn't

so that one would be a ball carrier and the other would be a pass catcher. They were expected to work in tandem in that 12-man personnel and give Matt the choice of being able to go to either Hunter or Jonu in the red zone. Hasn't quite worked out that way so far. And we're seeing more opportunities for Jonu to be able to carry the ball. He's suffering from a shoulder injury so this is by no means any type of confirmation that this is going to happen but do you think that there's a chance we may see Jono Smith carry the ball out of the backfield this weekend well firstly I just need to address I don't know what you mean by that I watch Hunter Henry

closely I don't know where you've got that impression from at all i just don't know as robert de niro would say you know i heard things a little bit a little bit i heard a little bit this girl this woman this woman clear she likes she likes the tight ends a little bit maybe just slightly maybe just slightly but yeah um yes smith utilization he was yeah i think he's been used as you mentioned a couple of times as a ball carrier the concern is the shoulder and what he's going to if he's going to be fit enough to play as such if him using him utilizing him as a blocker is sort of worse for his shoulder than utilizing utilizing him as a runner this this is the key that you know we aren't really

privy to we don't really know so just kind of going on if some butts and candy and nuts really I think if he's healthy enough to if they see that it's okay for his shoulder yeah he's he's an athletic guy. He's a big athletic guy. So, you know, what more do you want from a runner? Small and athletic, obviously, yeah, but, you know, a big athletic guy to get him to power himself through.

So I think if Harris and Stevenson are out for the game completely and Smith is in, I do think that with those ifs then yeah I think utilising him as as a runner would would be key the other thing to think about that maybe hasn't been touched upon is you've got a really good fallback in Johnson and he has been a tremendous blocker this year and he's had himself a few hands on the ball occasionally so I don't think it's without the realms of possibility of them you using him for that sort of play and although you know you're taking him away as blocking for the route then but he's quite powerful so you know he might be able to power

through much better anyway so I think that's something to sort of consider to keep a sharp eye on as you like to say so using hopefully they get the chance to utilize hunter as he has been as as a pass catcher because you know with the lack of running backs you you may see the uh you know uppage in using using pass catchers in that kind of thing but i think you're right in what you mentioned with the utilisation of Smith. I think it could be key. I'd like to see the utilisation of Johnson as well because I do think he's having himself a bit of a year.

So I would cheer that on myself just personally, like from a fan perspective. And Hunter is known for being, he's, say he's known, Hunter has proven himself as a good blocker. So if they have to move Smith out as more of a runner to make the plays, then you can be relatively confident that Hunter can be slotted in there to help with the blocking.

And as I said, as I keep repeating myself, Johnson has proven to be a great blocker this year. So I think they may be able to sort of scheme it up a little bit I don't think you'd want this for the rest of the season you wouldn't want these options as using your tight ends for and fall back for that kind of thing but I think maybe for the for the next game against the Browns I think it could be something that we could as I said scheme up and move using the the tight end and the fallback to sort of cover the serious hole that we've got in the running back play because of the lack of Harris and Stevenson, if that's how it falls with the injuries. Absolutely. And I do. I'm so glad that you mentioned Jakob Johnson because he's such a big part of this in terms of the blocking and also in terms of ball carrying near the end zone. I mean, people forget that Jakob is a very capable ball carrier without the prowess of Tom Brady for the quarterback sneak at the goal line, which I know Mac is trying to build into.

Again, we hear feedback all the time. Are you being too hard on the kid? He's trying. I'm not being hard on the kid. I think he's doing a good job when it comes to that. But he's not at Tom's level yet. So in order to be able to get that sure thing, you need someone at the goal line that can power through and not only does John O'Smith have that capability which I don't think he'll be utilized that way if he does carry the ball out of the

backfield but Jakob Johnson is so adept at being able to do it he's earning this job not only has he earned it beyond what Danny Vitale was able to bring to the table uh he never suited up for the New England Patriots for one good reason He never suited up for the New England Patriots for one good reason, and that was essentially that the New England Patriots felt very secure in Jakob Johnson taking on this role. Ben Mason, someone we talked about last week here on the pod, Claire, you and I talked about Ben. He was released from the practice a lot earlier this week. So Jakob is definitely, you know, he's coming into his own in terms of a fullback. And for anyone thinking that Jakob was done after this year here in New England and they're going to try to, you know, bring some sort of, you know, blood into the system.

And I think a lot of people thought that, myself included, Jakob is definitely doing a great job of proving this all wrong. And John, once again, I think you make some great points on him. His strongest suit is being able to maneuver in the red zone. If you can use him as a ball carrier on early downs, throw the defense off a little bit, because this Cleveland defense is very good at stopping the run. If you can somehow be able to do that, it's really going to give your running game another dimension. So hopefully the Patriots won't have to do that it's really going to uh to give your running game another dimension so

yeah hopefully the patriots won't have to utilize that sorry let me talk over you it's kind of if if you're utilizing your fullback and you're utilizing your tight end in a way that you would traditionally shall we say use a running back you can so it's kind of as i said scheming you you maybe sort of be able to throw even a really good defense off just that little bit just you just give them that split second of uncertainty because they're not quite sure with how you've lined up who you're hung on a second why would you use that guy and they so it could help with the sort of as I said the split second that you need to get that guy through that you maybe wouldn't normally against a really good defence, but because it's a different position

and they're not anticipating it so much, then, yeah, let's hope that no Cleveland Brown players listen to this podcast then, shall we? Well, they very well could be. They very well could be listening. And, you know, we always say keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, Claire. So who knows?

Maybe we're giving away some secrets. Bill Belichick probably won't be too happy with us. But, you know, whatever. You know, we've got to give the information as we get it. That's what we do here on Locked On Patriots. And speaking of the Cleveland Browns, we'll wrap this up today with my final question for you. Early thoughts on the Cleveland Browns and what the Patriots need to do to get this victory.

Both teams coming in five and four, both teams needing a victory. Their running back core is a little bit depleted as well. We all saw the news about the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping through their running back depth chart. Right now, there's questions about Nick Chubb being able to suit up for this. Demetrius Felton might be on the shelf. Right now, Kareem Hunt is still on injured reserve. Will he be activated? How will the Browns be able to counter that? And, of course, a very good defense in all three levels. Miles Bryan obviously being one of the top.

Miles Garrett, excuse me, folks. Miles Garrett obviously being one of the most, you know, adept pass rushers in the game. And also that stout run defense. what are your early impressions on Cleveland and what can the Patriots do to be able to come out on top well yeah it's significant with what you said is how the how COVID could affect what they've got the the team that could suit up right now would be could be extremely significantly different to the team that could suit up on Sunday just because of of negative tests and protocols and that kind of thing so at this point in time it's so up in the air with who they might actually have

um several of their key elements could come back they and and they could not so as you mentioned um Hunt, Chubb you know very powerful players that might not even be able to be on the field so their second running back uh Johnson I believe he's a close contact from from what I understand I may be incorrect but so he may even be out and I think the third and fourth running backs are out, could be out as well. So, you know, that's their running back core could be utterly decimated at this stage. But some of it, as I mentioned, as I said, sorry to repeat myself, it's very up in the air. One thing that is key is they also have quite a good fullback. So they could mirror exactly what the Patriots might look at doing by utilising Yanovich, Andy Yanovich, their fullback. So you may even see him suit up in the way of a

running back, the way that the Patriots might use Johnson. So that will be very interesting, from my opinion, to see if they utilise their full-back the way that the Patriots may utilise their full-back. So that's something that I want to sit back and keep my sharp eye, as you like to say, on. So I would be interested to see if they go down that route. And if they don't compare and are depleted at running back the way the Patriots are, I'd like to see how it mirrors if the Patriots end up using their full-back and the Browns don't utilize their fullback you know how that plays out so I'm really interested to see how how all that kind of falls in regards to this game now they've got a quarterback who's a bit he's a bit banged up

with his shoulder but he's quite screwily so you know he could use his legs significantly so I think it's a bit of it's not a done deal on this and because there's so much up in the air at the moment it is difficult to call I think and you know the conversation that we'd have today on Wednesday is completely different to the conversation that we could have kind of like Sunday morning Saturday evening going in so it's difficult to really say at the moment if you're concerned about the game or not I was concerned a little about the game and then I wasn't too concerned and now I'm just not quite sure what I think in all fairness so it does really feel like yeah you know what come back

to me on Saturday and I'll tell you how I feel it's true it really is this is one of those toss up type games and look the Browns are coming in over a very impressive win over the Bengals. Cincinnati was a team that started very hot. A lot of people were high on them. Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase. All of these opportunities for Cincinnati to take that next step. Cleveland stepped in and really played well against them on both sides of the ball. So anyone thinking that this is just going to be an afterthought, the Patriots are going to cruise into their, you know, December meetings with the Buffalo Bills riding the hot streak,

do not overlook this team, folks. And I know the true fans out there are definitely not overlooking this team. Cleveland is a very formidable force on both sides of the ball. So it's going to be an interesting one. You've given us some things to watch, but I agree with you. This is one of those matchups that can fluctuate by the day, depending on injury and practice reports, depending on, you know, either minor signings or players joining organizations from here on in. This is going to be a really, really strong game, you know, for both teams. And it's going to be a fun one to watch at the Foxborough on Sunday. Claire, what can I say? Thank you so much for taking time out, especially from across the pond, with a significant time difference for you have coming up in the coming days and weeks from the great pen and the great voice and giggle of claire clazy claire well thank you so much mike as always it's always my pleasure to come here

it's so much fun recording with you it's you know it's never it's never a chore it's always a good laugh so yeah i'm always up for it as you know so if anybody out there who's listening is interested you can follow me at twitter on twitter at classy claire which is c-l-a-z-z-y-c-l-a-r-e you can find me at pats propaganda and that's where you'll find my game recap so hopefully on Monday there'll be one out there discussing the hopefully a win against the Browns and how we utilized our fallback that would be very that would be great to write so yeah you'll find me at patspropaganda which is patspropaganda.com i as you mentioned i write for fpc patriot so that's fullpresscoverage.com and fullpresscoverage carries my podcaster perspective so that's out a couple of times a month the the most recent episode came

out last week and that was with paul perillo from patriots.com so i urge you guys to go over there and have a listen to that hopefully you enjoy that and as always each and every week you will find me at one patriots place with the lovely steve balistrieri and the marvelous thomas murphy as we kind of just dissect and cover all things Patriots and often have ourselves quite rather good guests as well so there's you know if you're interested there's plenty out there the way you'll find me absolutely and folks let me tell you if you're not interested you should be uh and I don't say that tongue-in-cheek I say that very honestly if you're listening to this podcast, you definitely recognize Claire and the great work that she does. If you haven't had a

chance yet to check out the great written work and the great podcasting that she does each and every day as a member of the media covering this team, you're simply missing out. It's one of the some of the great content that you'll find informative, insightful, entertaining. What more can you ask for in this business? And accurate. And exactly. And believe me when I tell you, accuracy, especially when it comes to the Odell Beckham Jr. stuff, is paramount when it comes to this. And Claire will always be accurate and honest with you.

So in light of that, my friend, we look forward to having you back here very soon on Locked On Patriots. We're making this a weekly occurrence. And I'm loving it. And I know you are as well. And I know our fans will too. So maybe we'll continue to do that, folks. What do you think?

Well, tune in next week and you'll have the answer to that question. In the meantime, please continue. Stay safe. Stay well. And again, we look forward to talking to you here very soon. Once again, on Locked On Patriots. Thank you so much, Mike. And everybody, thanks for listening and downloading.

So if you keep the numbers up, maybe you'll keep me coming back. So that'd be great. Just like that, Patriots fans, we are more than halfway through your work week. But fear not, because there is still a ton of content to come here on Locked On Patriots, including tomorrow's crossover Thursday episode with Jeff Lloyd, host of Locked On Patriots, including tomorrow's crossover Thursday episode with Jeff Lloyd, host of Locked On Browns. The two of us will break this one down from a Pat's perspective and a Brown's perspective.

We'll be talking Odell Beckham Jr., Miles Garrett, the woes of both teams when it comes to the running game. Folks, it's always an honor to cross the streams with my fellow colleagues here at Locked On, but this is one you are truly not going to want to miss. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download, subscribe to, and follow the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, the Odyssey app, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.

Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend and colleague, Claire, Klazzy Claire Cooper, for her time, her insight, and her appearance from across the pond on today's episode. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots your first listen every day and a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until next time, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world.

Have a great day, everyone.