Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Time to Move On - Patriots Attempt to Put Loss to Niners Behind Them - 10/27/2020

Episode Date: October 27, 2020

As the New England Patriots continue to feel the effects of their 33-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the team must move on. Joining host Mike D’Abate is Steve Balestrieri of PatsFans.com. The duo discuss Cam Newton’s fit within the Patriots offensive scheme, the loss of LB Brandon Copeland, the return of David Andrews and whether the Pats would consider trading CB Stephon Gilmore.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.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.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 Locked On Patriots podcast. And for the fourth time in this 2020 NFL season, it is time to move on 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.

Locked On Patriots is presented today by Pepsi, made for football watching. Folks, 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. These passionate fans are the real generational talent that Pepsi fuels. Because Pepsi isn't made for those who play the game, it's made for those who watch it.

Pepsi, made for football watching. Patriots fans, thank you all so much for joining me today, here on this Tuesday, October 27th, 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 very much encouraged. 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-P-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. Two and four here on this Tuesday, Pats fans, and it definitely does not feel normal. A ton of questions continue to surround your New England Patriots, and at least for the first couple of days this week, not a whole lot of concrete answers. I do have to give the Patriots credit on one thing. They're definitely taking accountability.

That 33-6 loss is definitely sticking in the craw of each and every player in that locker room. You can hear it no matter who speaks to the media. Whether it be the coaching staff or the players, they know they need to be better this week, especially considering that this week's opponent will be the AFC East division-leading Buffalo Bills. If the Patriots drop to 2-5 with a loss on Sunday to the Bills, this season may start to unravel pretty quickly. And unfortunately, there are no quick fixes out there right now.

The Patriots are going to have to be better on offense, better on defense, and they're going to have to be better coached. Bill Belichick spoke to the media early Tuesday morning. He's well aware of that fact. Cam Newton spoke to the media Monday afternoon.. He's well aware of that fact. Cam Newton spoke to the media Monday afternoon. He's very much aware of his struggles. Josh McDaniels also acknowledging on Tuesday that the play calling needs to be tighter. All of this translates to the fact that the New England Patriots,

for the first time in a long while, folks, are facing a make-or-break game early in the month of November. It's been a long time since we've seen the Patriots under.500 this late in the season. Don't panic just yet. There's still time to right the ship, but they have to do it quickly. And in order to do that, they have to start the process of attempting to correct all of the many mistakes and miscues they've been making for the last couple of weeks. That means recognizing weaknesses and building on their strengths.

And that's exactly the type of analysis that we're going to discuss here today on Locked On Patriots. And to help me break it all down is my good friend Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com. Steve, as always, is our weekly resident voice of reason, and we look forward to hearing his opinions on how the Patriots might be looking to improve this week. First and foremost, we'll be talking Cam Newton's struggles and why schemes and play calling might be a little bit more of a culprit than people want to believe. We'll also talk about what the return of David Andrews means for this offensive line. This is a group that's been decimated by injury and really clouded by uncertainty all season long, but making sure that your man in the middle is a stable force on that

line definitely is a big positive for the New England Patriots. Steve and I will also discuss what may be a key loss for the Patriots at the linebacker position, and I'll get back to that in just a moment. And last but certainly not least, Steve will lend his voice of reason to a subject that, just a couple of months ago or even a couple of weeks ago, would have seemed completely illogical. There is a lot of trade chatter, folks, out there about the Patriots possibly moving Stephon Gilmore, especially if the Patriots are not victorious on Sunday against Buffalo.

Would the Pats even entertain this idea? Well, Steve and I will give our opinion and even let you know why this idea is not as far-fetched as a lot of us would want to believe. Folks, an action-packed agenda here today on the pod, so sit tight, settle in, and get ready for the calming effects of our resident voice of reason, Steve Balistrieri, here on Locked on Patriots in just a moment. However, I do have an injury update to share with all of you, and yesterday afternoon, Patriots did find out that a key member of their defense would be missing the remainder of the season.

Linebacker Brandon Copeland suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Sunday's loss to the Niners. Now, Brandon hasn't really been a standout on the stat sheets here, folks. His primary contributions are on special teams, although he has been a pretty good depth piece at linebacker. He's been used mostly as a move option both on and off the line of scrimmage. Don't forget, linebacker is a position at which the Patriots are a little thin at the moment, but they will really miss Brandon on special teams. He has the third highest playing time share among the Patriots special teamers. Copeland's been on the field

for 80.6% of the snaps taken in the kicking game for special teams, 16.2% of the team's defensive snaps, but again, but Brandon's contributions at the linebacker position go deeper than that. He's definitely one of those guys on the field that always knows where he needs to be. He's been very good with mentoring some of the younger players, solid presence in the locker room, so the Patriots are definitely going to miss him. And in his Tuesday morning meeting with the media, Bill Belichick basically acknowledged as much. He said that Brandon has done a good job to give the team versatility.

Guy that plays for him on all four downs in the kicking game and some inside linebacker and even outside linebacker, Brandon had played in all six Patriots games thus far. Bill concluded by saying that Brandon is going to be tough to replace, and I definitely agree with him, but if there's a team out there that's well-suited for next man up, it's usually the New England Patriots. And we will continue to discuss Brandon's injury along with Cam Newton's struggles and a whole host of other topics when Steve Balistrieri of Patsfans.com joins me here on the hot seat when the Locked On Patriots

podcast continues. But first, Locked On listeners, we all know this football season will be different, and Pepsi is here to get you ready for game day, no matter how you watch this season. Maybe that tailgating experience and the roar of the crowd are not exactly as robust as they have been in previous years, but it doesn't mean you still can't have the best seat in the house. Your sharp eye fixated on the sharpest resolution on your very own television, your comfy clothes, your most comfortable piece of furniture, snacks right by your side, and of course, Pepsi, which is the refreshment you need to power through game day and become a member of the League of Football Watchers. These passionate fans are the real generational talent that Pepsi fuels.

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. But first, the autumn season is upon us, and that means it's time to winterize your ride. Make sure that your vehicle is ready for the potentially harsh upcoming months by visiting my good friends at rockauto.com and make sure that you have everything you need to keep your vehicle looking and running at its absolute best. Rockauto.com is a family business serving auto parts customers online for nearly 20 years. Go to RockAuto.com to shop for auto and body parts from hundreds of manufacturers.

They have everything from engine control modules and brake parts to tail lamps, motor oil, even new carpet. Whether it's for your classic or your daily driver, get everything you need in a few easy clicks delivered directly to your door. The RockAuto.com catalog is unique and remarkably easy to navigate. Quickly see all the parts available for your vehicle and then choose the brands, the specifications, and here's the best part folks, the prices you prefer. rockauto.com's prices are always reliably low and they're the same for professionals and do-it-yourselfers just like you and me. Why spend up to twice as much for the same parts? Go to rockauto.com right now and see all the parts available for your car or truck. and do-it-yourselfers just like you and me. Why spend up to twice as much for the same parts?

Go to rockauto.com right now and see all the parts available for your car or truck. Make sure to put Locked On in their How Did You Hear About Us box so they know we sent you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockauto.com Patriots Nation, we continue to attempt to digest the Patriots' loss to the Niners on Sunday. Here to help me break it all down is our resident voice of reason and my

Patriots Paisan. You know his great work from Patsfans.com. Truly one of the best guys in this or any business. Steve Balistrieri joins me today. Welcome back to Locked On Patriots, my friend. Hey, Mike. We're kind of sailing in uncharted waters these days, aren't we? I mean, three losses in a row for the team, but hey, it's what football season's all about,

and I'm very happy to be here with you. Absolutely. Always my pleasure. Always my honor, bud. And yeah, we are in uncharted waters. You know, we're not used to seeing two and four in the Patriots standings this late in the season. No, we're not used to seeing that really at all in the last 20 years, you might as well say. Been a long, long time since the Pats have been in this position, and it's tough. It's a bitter pill to swallow for a lot of Patriots fans.

I know there's a lot of anger, a lot of disgust, a lot of apathy that's being thrown around. Hopefully we can bring the positivity back because Steve, you know, I love talking football with you, but if I'm being honest, it's better after a win for a lot of different reasons. But here we are and it's time to talk business. Yesterday here on the pod, our good friend, your co-host, the green king of sting himself, joined me for his weekly spot here on the pod and uh yeah murph wasn't too happy but he i thought he conducted himself with a lot of decorum under the circumstances and uh we began by talking about cam newton and his recent struggles and i thought that's where we begin today to be honest with you it's the story of the day it continues

to be the story of the week i think and Steve, it's clear there's a problem here. His play needs to be better. But exactly how much blame is to be assigned to Cam on this, I think, is up for debate. Cam's saying all the right things. He's putting the blame on him. He's saying that it's not physical, that he feels fine. He dispelled any myths about there being any lingering effects from COVID

or any type of physicality injury limiting him on the field. He's saying that he just needs to play better. Your week six grades are now available on Patsfans.com. And again, folks, I encourage you to go check them out. Steve does another amazing job on these as he always does. And your quarterback grade, Bud was, how shall we say? Not good. This is a Delta talk.

I special here, folks, Dean Wormer, 0.0 territory, but you did offer some hope. I mean, it wasn't all lost. And I think you made a great point about play calling and the Patriots

offensive style might being a little bit to blame here as well. So Steve, if you're slicing up the blame pie here how much of this is on Cam's shoulders how much would you assign to his supporting cast maybe a little bit to coaching most importantly my friend is this fixable well we're trying to break it down I don't know how much is on each. I mean, Cam deserves a great deal of the criticism because he is holding the ball too long. To me, he seems very hesitant to pull the trigger now, like he's lost some confidence the past couple of weeks. And, you know, that's on him.

By this time, he should have a grasp of what they're trying to do. However, I place a real lot of the actual blame with the way things are going right now on the coaching staff. Because back in June, you know, you and I were on this podcast, and I've said it so many times ad nauseum, you know, the one thing that we talked about was they were going to have to change the system. They couldn't go under the same system that they worked with Tom Brady for all those years. That system, you know, it's based on timing, it's based on quickness and accuracy. And that system isn't a fit for what Cam Newton does best. And it seems like since week one, we've been gradually, you know, tilting the needle, so to speak.

And we're going more and more back to the Patriots system that they've run for 20 years and gotten away from what Cam Newton does. And back in week one, they had a bunch of RPOs called. He was running the ball. It opened things up. Week two, you know, granted, we saw the Seahawks zone coverage. That's something Josh McDaniels has always been able to exploit. Ever since then, his quarterback rating is plummeting. And I think it's a lot

to do with coaching. I really do. I mean, he's holding onto the ball way too long, and we know this. And I think we've all seen so many examples of this on the All-22 tape, and I mentioned a couple of those. I mean, you could put up a dozen of them, actually. But, you know, he's not anticipating it. He's holding the ball too long, and it's all to do with that Patriots system where, you know, if you hit the guy as he's coming out of his break, like Brady would throw the ball as he's coming out of his break, then you're going to be accurate.

You're going to be successful. If you hold on to the ball like Newton's doing and then you have your guy running across the field and he has a bad tension for staring down receivers, I think that's when, you know, these guys get lit up. And we saw that with Nikhil Harry. I really think that Josh McDaniels and I think Belichick needs to get involved with this. They really need to change this offense. I mean, you've hit your wagon for this guy. So, you know, one of the, you know, I guess hallmarks of Bill Belichick

in his 20-plus years here has been he puts guys in positions who succeed. He doesn't care what he can't do. He's more interested in what he can do. Well, this year they're taking a different tack on that, and they're trying to force Newton into being Tom Brady, and this isn't a good fit whatsoever. Yeah, I definitely agree with you on that.

And we have talked about this previously, about Cam Newton and his ability to fit into this offense. And to quote what you had said before, if the Patriots wanted to run that system that Brady excelled in for so many years, it's not a like-for-like fit with Cam. They needed to incorporate changes. They needed to mix in some of the RPOs, some of those zone reads into the offense and make it more tailor-made for Cam. Now, they can always fall back on the play action. That's worked for so many years here in New England. And we've seen Cam be able to do it with some degree of success. But the last few weeks, especially last week against Denver, this past

week against San Francisco, it really has been magnified to the nth degree. And I do agree with you. There definitely is a little bit, I think, that needs to be put on, obviously put on Cam, a little bit that needs to be put on his supporting cast. But I think a lot more people need to look at some of the play calling and some of the offensive system that the Patriots are running right now and just realize that none of this is a fit. And if they can find a way to harness some of that energy, they might be able to get a fix more frequently than not, or I should say sooner rather than later is, I guess, the best way for me to put it. And as for an offense that's so predicated on timing, Steve, we've seen it so many times before with the Patriots. The offensive line stat sheet this week wasn't really overly impressive, but

they found themselves with linemen playing out of position, and a lot of the continuity issues on the offensive line were as a result of that. Joe Tooney, Justin Heron, they both exited the game with injuries. We're still waiting for more information on both players. Initial reports at least indicate that Tooney's injury looks to be minor, so Patriots might have dodged a bullet there, but I thought the line looked more cohesive this week than it did the week before, even with those two injuries

because of David Andrews being back under center. What does David's presence mean for the offensive line? And because he's back now and the offensive line looks like it's starting to find its rhythm a little bit, should they be the building block for some much needed offensive help? Yeah, I think, you know, having Andrews back is a big plus for them I think he's he's very very good and you know he's he's experienced and it allows some of the other guys to play where they're supposed to now they they did go through that bottom musical chairs because when Tooney left then they had a move right tackle on Juanito can never say his name right but he was already replacing jermaine illuminor and they had to move him to left guard then they brought in justin

harron and then he got hurt and then on when i can never say that guy according to our good friends according to our good friends of patriots.com, it's on way new. On way new. On way new. I can never say that. Then they moved him back to right tackle, and Froholt came in to play left guard. It was tough.

But you know what? The offensive line wasn't bad. Their pass blocking wasn't bad at all. You know, you'd get the impression that Newton was under fire all game. Once the score got out of reach, then you're kind of playing into that because

now they're not worrying about the run anymore. They're just teased off. I thought, for the most part, the offensive line was bad because the one sack on Newton I think was he held onto the ball too long. The one on Jarrett Stidham was actually David Andrews tripped him and then, you know, Stidham fell down. So, overall, I didn't think it was bad.

I thought they looked better than they did a week ago, obviously. The run blocking was okay. I mean, at the end of the day, they averaged five yards of run for their running back. So I know some of that was in garbage time. But having Andrews back to your initial question there, I think it's huge for them. And obviously, if they can start getting healthy there, it's going to help with the running game quite a bit.

Yeah, I agree with you on both counts. Look, David Andrews being the stabilizing force in that offensive line definitely opens things up. You mentioned the pass blocking. I thought they did a pretty good job of doing that. You mentioned the run ability to block. I think they did a pretty good job of doing that. You mentioned the run ability to block. I think they did a pretty good job of doing that. Don't forget, the run was almost irrelevant in this game very quickly because the Patriots put themselves in such a big hole,

it was difficult for them to climb out of it. When they did get opens or they did get holes to run through, Damian Harris looked very effective in being able to run the ball. Really like what this kid's bringing to the table. As part of this Patriots renaissance of offense, which we hope to see sooner rather than later, I think Damian Harris and Murph and I both agreed yesterday should be a big part of that.

But a lot of it is going to come from the blocking and the play of the offensive line. And hopefully Tooney will continue to be on the mend. Hopefully he won't miss any time. But even if he does, hopefully it won't be an extended period of time with the injury, which is hoping for the best when it comes to him. Steve, we've talked about the offense, and I love the information that you were able to provide, particularly with Cam Newton and, of course, the offensive line, which Murph

and I didn't get a chance to touch on too much yesterday. But the Pats defense is also under the microscope for their performance on Sunday, and even though they were already thin at the linebacker position, yesterday they got even thinner. Folks, we talked the absence of Brandon Copeland, the impact it will have on this defense, and I will ask Steve if the Patriots would actually consider doing the unthinkable at the cornerback position. What do I mean by that? Find out when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fan Steve Balistrieri joins me here today on this Tuesday episode of Lockdown Patriots. And Steve, some tough news for the patch yesterday. We learned that linebacker Brandon Copeland suffered

a torn pectoral muscle. He'll be out for the season. Now, Copeland's contributions on defense are not going to illuminate the stat sheets, but his loss definitely hurts the Patriots' linebacker depth, especially considering that he's been used as a move option both on and off the line of scrimmage. And normally the Patriots just put their heads down and they move forward with the next man up mentality, especially at linebacker. But that position is a little thin at the cupboard this year. I know we've got Cash Malawian waiting in the wings.

My man Adrian Phillips has stepped up and been a de facto linebacker. But Juwan Bentley has had to carry a lot of this load by himself. Steve, what can the Patriots do to help lessen the loss of Brandon Copeland? Well, you know, I think they're really going to feel that on special teams. I think he was more of a poor special teams guy. And, you know, he was, I think, playing, I might be wrong on this. I'd have to double check. But I think he only played about 12% of the defensive snaps.

He's a veteran. He's a good presence in the locker room. Those things they'll definitely miss. How they can go about changing this? I think it fits right in with Josh

Uche coming off of IR. He was eligible last week. They left him on there. Perhaps he comes off this week, and then he would have a clear path to the 53-man roster, and hopefully we get to see him do some stuff on the field. I know he didn't have a great game on Sunday. Well, none of the linebackers did.

But Anthony Jennings, I like what I'm seeing out of him. He's playing a little bit on the edge as like kind of a move guy, but he's also inside, and he's providing some good snaps. I think we're going to see more of him as we go along. And then they need to get Chase Winovich back online. His play hasn't been good lately. He's been standing up too much, too upright. He's getting washed in the running game,

and that's something he's going to have to work on. And then, of course, he took a bad penalty on Sunday, and he got an airful from the head coach yeah without any question uh you know on it and murph and i talked a little bit about chase and why he seemed to be mia especially the last couple of weeks definitely uh you know this past week against san francisco and a lot of his issues are coming against the run it seems to be that he's having difficulty uh off the ball because he's playing too high in his stance. And again, you mentioned that he's playing undisciplined football.

Bill Belichick definitely set the record straight on Chase this morning when he spoke to the media, stating that a lot of it has been scheme, a lot of it has been by design. Of course, we know that's what Bill is going to say in this case, but he is offering his support of Chase and said he's still a great player. He's going to continue to play, and they're looking for ways to incorporate him more. So hopefully we see more of Chase Winovich because that type of motor, that type of energy at the pass rush is severely lacking, and the Patriots do need to include that. I completely agree with you.

Copeland's loss is definitely much more on special teams than it is on defense. But on the defensive side of the ball, you mentioned Josh Uche. Hopefully he continues to get healthier. And we had some big plans for him this year. A lot of people thought that he could come in and really be the defensive rookie of the year for the Patriots. And so far, obviously, because of injury, that hasn't happened. But still a lot to like about him. And maybe this is his opportunity to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball as well. Steve, we're going to end on the defensive side of the ball today. And I'm going to ask you a question that a lot of people in Patriots Nation are trying to consider the concept. But I don't think anybody really wants to entertain the possibility. And that is if the Patriots go into Orchard Park this weekend against the Buffalo Bills and they drop this one, I know it's not something that people want to hear, but it is definitely feasible. The Buffalo Bills are the division leaders for a reason. They look solid on both sides of the ball. This could be a tough

one coming up for the Patriots. If in fact they drop to two and five, that puts them in a pretty difficult position to contend in the AFC, in the AFC East. You can probably kiss a Super Bowl berth goodbye at that point with all due respect. And I don't think a lot of Patriots fans are thinking that way this year, but there are still some that are holding out hope that this team can turn it around. The trade deadline is approaching on Tuesday, November 3rd, election day of all days, and a lot of Patriots fans want to see the team be buyers, but we've seen more, including the media, entertain the idea that the Patriots could be sellers. One of their biggest trade components, one of their biggest trade chips, and also one of their most expensive players, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, has been mentioned among a lot of trade rumors lately.

Steve, in your opinion, do you believe that the Patriots would entertain the idea of moving Gilmore? And if so, what type of return do you think the Patriots would be looking for if, in fact, they go and they decide to trade their best defensive player? Well, I think looking at this year, you know, I'm a little skeptical that they'll trade him this year. I mean, I know Bill loves his veterans, but looking at next year, you know, your cap space is going to drop. Gilmore will be looking to get paid because he's still not one of the highest paid cornerbacks, even though he's one of the better ones and the best ones, I should say. I think the likelihood that he gets traded in the offseason next year would be very, very high. I think that's probably when he's going to move. However, if somebody wants to really sweeten the pot,

so to speak, for the Patriots, I think they'll listen to an offer because they do have a lot of depth in the secondary. The question is, if they win on Sunday and somebody comes up to them, will it be a player or is it going to be draft picks? Because if it's draft picks, it doesn't help you this year. And I think that's one of the things that they'll be looking at. Now, if somebody comes with a really sweet offer in terms of draft picks, I think the Patriots make the move regardless. However, I think the floor has to be a first rounder. I don't think you entertain any offers for Stephon Gilmore that don't start

with a first round draft pick. And then, you know, they'll make a decision at that point. Is it going to be a good enough first rounder or is it going to be a bottom end you know you never know perfectly said i completely agree with your assessment first of all i actually had the uh the good fortune of uh being a guest on 92.9 the ticket espn radio in banger maine this morning and that question was asked to me and i answered it very similarly i said it really it's going to depend on whether the Patriots believe that they're going to be buyers or sellers. I agree with you. I think it's more

unlikely that he's moved at the deadline this year. I think that would only be if the Patriots were essentially warmed over by a trade proposal that they felt they couldn't refuse. But at the same time in the off season this year, I think it's probably more intriguing because then Stephon would have one more year left on his deal. The salary cap hit that they would incur for the remainder of the season. There are all factors involved in being able to move a guy like Stephon Gilmore. But I also agree with you in terms of the compensation. And that is a big part of wanting to move a player. It's all well and good to get financial relief. I know a lot of fans are throwing that around. Oh, well, they'll get rid of

his bloated salary. Well, it's not quite that simple. You want to be able to bring in value for the commodity that you're trading. It's just simple economics at that point, and it's also just common sense. So it's going to be a team that would need to come in and give them a great offer. If the Patriots win on Sunday, I don't think there's any way they're moving a guy like Stephon Gilmore. He gives them the opportunity to contend. Without him, I think it definitely weakens that secondary, even though they have a great amount of depth. You do not want to be a seller, especially if a win on Sunday would only make them a game and a half behind the Buffalo Bills. That's not insurmountable, folks.

That can be a mountain that's climbed or some sort of difficulty that's overcome. So in a lot of ways, I think it sets it up for a very important game this weekend. And it's a great way to transition our coverage here on Locked On Patriots from the aftermath of the Niners' loss to the game coverage here on Locked On Patriots from the aftermath of the Niners loss to the game against Buffalo on Sunday, which I think is going to be a great one. And Steve, I thank you for joining me here today on the pod to help me transition into that game on Sunday.

Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know, our listeners, where they can find you, where they can always, always absorb your great work and what we can look forward to from the great pen of steve balistrieri in the coming days yeah i'm doing a dive into the bills right now and now that you know we've washed our hands of san francisco thank god you know i'm starting to look at the bills and the bills are beat up right now defensively. They were short a lot of, you know, people on Sunday. I don't know what the status is of those guys. I guess we'll learn later today if some of those guys are going to be able to come back.

I mean, this is a good time for the Patriots to face that defense, but they need to really revamp their own offense first. Because if I'm Buffalo, I smell blood in the water. I'm already two games up on New England. I have an opportunity to put them way back in the rearview mirror for the first time in a long time. So I'm looking at this as a huge game, not only for the Patriots, but for the Bills as well. Oh, absolutely, without any question. Buffalo was highly motivated to do that. I know the players in the locker room, the coaching staff, and the fan bases as well.

The Buffalo fan base is starting to chirp a little bit on Twitter. It's going to be an interesting week on social media between these two fan bases with a lot of history there and a little bit of bad blood as well and we love it because it just continues to fuel what we do but my friend what can i say thank you so much for joining me today we look forward to your great coverage throughout the week as we always do folks again steve can be found on patsfans.com all of his great work always proudly found there one patriots, one of my favorite podcasts. My second favorite Patriots podcast behind this one.

I'm just kidding, folks. But no, he and Murph do an amazing job. And let's not forget, too, Patriots place. You've got a new intern, a new co-star to end the week, and our good friend Claire Cooper. But, buddy, stay safe, stay well. We look forward to talking ball with you again next week, and hopefully we're breaking down a win this time.

Absolutely. And by the way, Claire is an intern. Claire, she's a part of the team. I don't know who started that intern stuff, but no, we don't have any interns there. She's an equal partner now on our Friday podcast where we break down the keys to the game. If we can just get her off

of that tight end kick, we'll be good to go. That may not be an easy task, but she's knowledgeable and she knows her stuff when it comes to tight ends. Thank you for setting the record straight here on the intern. We're glad to see that she's a full-fledged part of the team.

She deserves it. She's a great support to us here at Locked On Patriots, and we always enjoy hearing her takes on Fridays as well with you guys. Buddy, take care. Have a great week and enjoy the game on Sunday. And like I said, you know, hopefully we're breaking down a win the next time we share the microphone. Absolutely.

Thanks again, Mike. I always enjoy talking football with you. Anytime, Steve. My pleasure, as always, buddy. All right. And just like that, Patriots fans, we're nearly at the halfway mark of your work week. And while I'm sure the sting of Sunday's loss to San Francisco is still pretty prevalent in your lives, it's time to turn our sharp eye toward the Buffalo Bills

and a big divisional matchup with the division leaders this Sunday in Orchard Park, New York. So, to ensure that you do not miss one second of the news notes and analysis on your New England Patriots, make sure to download Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and subscribe to us on platforms such as Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and subscribe to us on platforms such as Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify,

Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you're 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.