Has your opinion changed on the Patriots?
Has your opinion changed on the Patriots? How many wins? Has Gonzalez and the defense changed your win total?
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00:00or extraordinary play of Christian Gonzalez for that football team on Sunday.
00:06And I will say this, because you brought it up, has my opinion changed?
00:11My opinion has changed, and I think they'll go over the four and a half wins,
00:16but if they do, it's going to be because of their defense.
00:19All because of defense, or mostly because of defense.
00:22Or could you say the offense isn't killing them anymore?
00:26Yeah, the offense is not going to make any mistakes.
00:28I don't know if Ramondre Stevenson's going to be able to, I know Mayo said we're going to run,
00:32run, run, but I think defenses are going to do their best to try to slow that down.
00:38But it's really going to be about their defense, and if they do go over four and a half wins,
00:43it's going to be because the defense carried them.
00:45That is alarming, because you and Chime have told me repeatedly
00:49that defense cannot win football games.
00:51No, they can't win championships in this league any further.
00:55No, they win games.
00:56Pittsburgh Steelers are evidence of that.
00:58They just can't win championships.
00:59That's why Tomlin doesn't want a playoff game in like six years.
01:02They make the playoffs almost every year, the Steelers.
01:04And then they lose right away.
01:06And I would also say that the new kickoff is the latest and greatest way to say that
01:10it's about safety when it's really about offense, because it was 20 yards for a
01:14touchback for my entire life.
01:16Then five years ago, it was the 25.
01:18Now it's the 30.
01:19Wiggy and I were talking about this yesterday.
01:21The new kickoff rule is stupid.
01:23So dumb.
01:24I don't get it.
01:25Like all they do, they kick the ball out.
01:28Nobody kicks the ball in, doesn't create a play, doesn't keep anybody safe.
01:32It's stupid.
01:33Well, I will say the safety of the kickoff is better in the sense that it cuts down on
01:40the distance between the collisions.
01:42I will agree with that.
01:44But the question is, what is it in play for?
01:47Is the new kickoff rule because you want to see more returns?
01:51Is that why you made it this way?
01:53You have this zone.
01:55No, they want the ball at the 30 because they want more offense.
01:57That's why it's there.
01:58They always say they care about the players.
02:00Well, there's going to be a Thursday night game tomorrow.
02:02They don't give a damn about the players.
02:04But so then it's not about the players.
02:07It's more about the offense.
02:08Right.
02:09Okay.
02:09So it's not about the safety of the game, because I believe it's safer this way than
02:14it used to be.
02:16But what's the difference, right?
02:17If you run it, I guess the collisions are shorter.
02:20I think Rich had a good idea.
02:22We talked about this off after the crossover, and I want to see more kickoff returns.
02:30So he made a good point where he said kind of gave him the idea.
02:36If you kick it in the end zone, the offense should get it on, like, the 40 yard line.
02:42So you basically like the flag for kicking it out of bounds.
02:45Yes.
02:45How would I call it?
02:46The John Casey.
02:47Yeah.
02:47When I played, if the ball went out of bounds, used to get it at the 40.
02:50So what you do is you tell the teams, if you kick the ball into the end zone, if it's
02:54a touchback, the offense gets it at the 40 yard line.
02:58That would mean more teams would kick it into that 25 yard zone, and we would see more returns
03:04because I'd like the return element coming back to the game.
03:07And that's why I thought they changed that rules, because they wanted to see more returns
03:12and make the kickoff return, bring it kind of back into the game of football.
03:17So if this team ends up going over, ends up winning Sunday, it's in your mind.
03:22All defense.
03:23It's all defense.
03:24And it has to be that way all season long.
03:26Well, their offense stinks.
03:28Yeah.
03:28I think that's why.
03:29I mean, they don't have much talent there.
03:31But if last year's Patriots team was yesterday's offense or Sunday's offense, they would have
03:37won four more games.
03:39I mean, easily won four more games.
03:41They would have beaten the Giants.
03:42They would have beaten the Colts.
03:43They would have beaten the Chargers.
03:45Those are three.
03:45Probably the commanders.
03:46And the Raiders and commanders.
03:48That's five wins.
03:50Right.
03:50Am I wrong?
03:51Am I being over?
03:52Am I overstating?
03:53I wouldn't say the offense.
03:54I would say the quarterback, because I actually think this is just you're talking about turnovers.
03:58Like, yeah.
03:59And that's it.
04:00Because I think last year's offense, are they ever going to try to throw the football this
04:05season?
04:07At some point, they don't have to.
04:08They're going to have to at some point throw the football more than five yards.
04:15That's why it's dangerous after one week to determine it.
04:19I mean, they lost a game at home six to nothing.
04:22And in that game, Bailey Zappi threw 141 yards.
04:26So, I mean, the Patriots lost how many?
04:29They were shut out twice at home against the Saints and the Chargers.
04:33They lost to the Raiders, a game that was, I think, a four three-point game at that point.
04:38They lost to the Colts after the worst pass in the history of the NFL.
04:42The interception that Mack threw, not an overstatement.
04:45If they just do what they did last Sunday, they would have been a borderline playoff
04:49team last year.
04:50Well, and see, it's about the quarterback.
04:51Because I actually think this year's offense could be, I mean, last year's offense is going
04:57to be better when it comes to throwing the football.
05:00Because I think Mack Jones is a better quarterback skill-wise than Jacoby Brissett.
05:10It's just Jacoby Brissett won't make as many bad decisions.
05:14But you're not going to throw the ball with him.
05:16He's going to average, what, 125 yards a game?
05:21I mean, that's what their passing offense looks like.
05:24And you can't win football games like that.
05:27Gerrard says, I think, that you can.
05:29Because he basically has said that they're not going to throw the football much unless
05:33the defense is able to stop them running.
05:36So, I mean, that is their mentality going into the season.
05:40So I don't think he cares that 125 yards is going to be a stat line for Jacoby Brissett.
05:45If he feels that way, then that tells me that you're going to be one of the leading rush
05:51teams in the NFL.
05:52Correct.
05:53That's kind of their idea.
05:54That's their plan.
05:54They're going to run the football.
05:56They're going to not turn it over.
05:57And they're going to play defense.
05:58That's the goal.
05:58They're going to do what the Steelers are doing.
06:00The exact same thing.
06:01And that'll get you wins.
06:03But that won't get you over the hump.
06:06You know?
06:06Well, right.
06:07This year is a year for the Patriots to develop the offense, figure out the new system, get
06:13it ready for Drake May, and to lean on what they believe to be one of the best defenses
06:18in football.
06:19And I also think, Wiggs, tell me if you agree, it feels like the offenses are somewhat coming
06:24back to normal.
06:25Like, the years...
06:27That's how week one always feels.
06:28No, but last year, who led the league in touchdown passes?
06:31In touchdown passes?
06:32Last year?
06:33Was it Dak?
06:3417-game season.
06:35It was in the 40s, I believe.
06:37The low 40s.
06:37Oh, you're talking about players specifically?
06:39Yes.
06:40Which player led the NFL in touchdown passes in 2023?
06:43All right.
06:44And my guess is, because we were at a period where it was 50, then 55, and now it's with
06:50an extra game, it's still not even where it was then.
06:53So let me...
06:54All right.
06:54I got it right here.
06:55You got it?
06:552023 regular season.
06:57Bang.
06:58I thought it was like Dak with 36.
07:00It was.
07:00Dak Prescott, 36.
07:01So in a 17-game season, 36 led the league.