• last week
In a solo episode, Andrew breaks down all of his Pats-Titans film notes from Sunday's loss and runs down another edition of "What would NFL Films say." Later, he discusses Tuesday's trade deadline and answers your mailbag questions.

0:00 - Monday night recap
2:07 - Drake Maye's performance
4:10 - Young players emphasis
9:18 - Need for support
11:38 - Game plan overview
14:49 - Defensive front issues
16:34 - Personnel adjustments
19:02 - Patriots' defensive struggles
20:34 - Titans' rushing success
22:36 - Run defense issues
25:02 - Trade deadline expectations
28:43 - Patriots' run defense issues
30:41 - Expectations for rookies
34:10 - Evaluating coaching tenure
35:50 - Offensive tackle issues
39:01 - Coaching criticism explained


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Transcript
00:00All right, Monday night, you know the drill.
00:15We got Pat's film notes, and I gotta tell you, my notes are as long as ever, but I know
00:20at home, however you felt about Sunday's loss, rooting for it if you're one of the sickos
00:25looking at draft order before Thanksgiving, or you're significantly upset because the
00:28Patriots let yet another win slip from their fingers, we are not going to dive as deep
00:33into Pat's Titans 2017 in overtime, because I think the response to that loss being more
00:41about the last play of regulation, again, a game that goes to overtime being about the
00:45last play of regulation, which was absolutely spectacular, says everything about this team
00:49right now.
00:50They're 2-7, they stink.
00:52The team they beat is 2-0, they stink.
00:55This game was very clearly a bad game, where the Patriots could not run the ball, not new.
01:00They had trouble protecting, also not new.
01:02And they gave up more yards on the ground, again, not new.
01:05But we do have two big takeaways from this, I will still get to those film notes, plus
01:09a little bit of trade deadline talk in your mailbag answers, because we're professionals
01:14here on the Pat's Interference podcast.
01:15Takeaways, number one, the Patriots are asking way too much of Drake May.
01:19And it's not that the kid is not capable, if you were listening back in April, you knew
01:23how I felt about him as a prospect.
01:25It's the fact that for them to win this game, he had to hold the ball for almost 12 seconds,
01:32play 10 on 11, yes, 10 and 11, we'll get to that in a second, and then throw a touchdown
01:36pass as he's being thrown through his ass in order to just tie this game.
01:41Along the way, he accounted for 95% of their total offense.
01:45I'll say that again, 95% of their total offense.
01:50It's not that he's not capable.
01:51Again, I think the world of this kid, 22 years old, playing NFL quarterback, he's only four
01:56games in.
01:57Of course, he's gonna throw picks and he's gonna fumble.
01:59He's not supposed to do that though at the end of regulation, and he did.
02:02It's that no rookie should be subject to all this.
02:05Since he took over, Drake May is a Patriots leading rusher.
02:08He's also, you could argue, his own best pass protector, the way that he's scrambling out
02:13of that pressure to pick up those rushing yards, and only Hunter Henry among all of
02:17his receivers, his top 50 yards in a single game the last three weeks.
02:21He's minimal separation, and that goes for all the wideouts, okay?
02:24I don't wanna hear about Javon Baker's one post route and four snaps.
02:27By the time he broke off that route in the first half, it was more than 3.3 seconds after
02:32the snap, and only then did he change direction, at which point Drake May was cocking his arm
02:37and found a check down.
02:38I'm happy Baker saw the field.
02:39He's explosive.
02:40I hope he gets better.
02:41That was just not proof of anything in particular.
02:44Speaking of nothing being proved, Kendrick Bourne ran two comeback routes that were shy
02:48of the sticks, including one on third down.
02:51Didn't have it.
02:52Pop Douglas had to drop.
02:53Coaching, don't get me wrong, is an issue.
02:55Let's not pull everyone's favorite move on Twitter, which is say one thing, but the thing
02:59that you omitted is something that you are actually protecting your carrying water for.
03:03The point is, no one is stepping up right now offensively for Drake May, who had two
03:08picks and a fumble, and you could not argue, was anything less than the best player on
03:13that offense in Tennessee.
03:14Number two, I think we've entered a new phase of this season, because answer me this.
03:20How in the world is a rookie laden Robinson allowed to start against Jeffrey Simmons,
03:26a top 10, 15 best defender in football, maybe a top 50 player in football instead of Mike
03:32Unwin.
03:33Why is Jaheim Bell seventh round tight end getting a screen called for him and him only
03:38that goes for one yard in the first quarter?
03:40Why is Jayvon Baker on kick return when he's not been practicing kick returns basically
03:43until a couple of weeks ago?
03:45Why is Marco Wilson stealing reps at outside corner when he gets his butt kicked in the
03:48first drive?
03:49And the answer is that new face, full on developmental press on and wins and losses can take a backseat
03:56because Elliott Wolf told us in February, part of this new Packer way that we're seeing
04:01in Foxborough includes emphasizing, almost dictating to the coaching staff, we're going
04:06to play young players later.
04:10He told me he expects to get younger as the season goes on.
04:13Part of that might be injuries or attrition, but here you can see the Patriots almost foreseeing
04:17the issue.
04:18They had their best offensive lineman, all set to go.
04:21Mike Unwin, I'm writing about this future heavyweight bout.
04:24Okay.
04:25He's at right guard, his best position as identified by his offensive line coach.
04:30And they go, nah, we'll move you to tackle further away from Simmons.
04:33Okay.
04:34The player drive may have identified a Wednesday and then on Friday and then after the game
04:38Sunday and he got a Monday as being a real problem.
04:41And in a one who's placed, you put a rookie who's been in and out of lineup with injuries
04:45and issues with performance.
04:47And then he gives up a pressure, gets called for holding and gets away with another holding
04:52call all against Jeffrey Simmons in the first drive.
04:55That's who they chose to play.
04:57The answer folks cannot possibly be about winning.
04:59It's about getting reps for Leighton Robinson.
05:01We know they think very highly of, and I think we'll be a good player, but this was not the
05:04time nor the spot.
05:06If you wanted to win that football game on Sunday to play him, it was a time and spot
05:11being early November when your season is already basically lost to play him.
05:14If you want to develop him and that goes for all the other guys who got out there and
05:18played, except for Jalen Polk, who played nine offensive snaps had two penalties, one
05:22target and zero catches.
05:23So that's where I think we are.
05:24There were, there were breadcrumbs left from the jet scheme, starting with Baker on kick
05:28return and a couple other guys on defense.
05:31But offensively, I think this is their first sign.
05:34The Patriots have put up a sign saying it's time to go kids.
05:38And that's why you see more of them on the field, even when it doesn't really make any
05:42sense.
05:43Okay.
05:44But first, if you want to go to a Patriots game before it gets too frigid, they get the
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06:39What time is it?
06:40It's game time, baby.
06:41Actually, it's Drake Maytime.
06:43So when you look at his stat line, almost a hundred yards rushing 95 to be exact.
06:48Meanwhile, the second leading rusher had 16 and he completes over 70% of his passes and
06:53goes for over 200 yards.
06:54Like none of this, when you consider the volume of dropbacks aside from the scrambling numbers
06:59is all that impressive.
07:00It was impressive that he was overcoming zero run game, another pressure rate north of 30%.
07:05And as we detailed receivers who were just not separating or running with enough detail.
07:10The most impressive part is all of his best plays were off schedule.
07:13His scrambles beat pressure again with a 95 rushing yards.
07:17His processing and creativity beat the blitz, his willingness to hang in the pocket and
07:21throw off platform.
07:22Got that 21 yarder to DeMario Douglas rolling right in third quarter, layers it over the
07:27second level defender, pop Douglas great catch, toe tap out of bounds, boom, move the chains.
07:31And then that little left-handed flip we saw Drew Ramondry-Stevenson as he was getting
07:35dragged to the ground.
07:36This being Drake May.
07:37Okay.
07:38Then of course came the touchdown at the end, which, oh, by the way, I mentioned Drake May
07:41playing 10 and 11.
07:43I miss this on first watch on Sunday.
07:47Maybe you didn't.
07:48But in the middle of that play, as the Patriots roll out five receivers against an eight man
07:53coverage from the Titans near the end zone, Hunter Henry gets knocked out of bounds and
07:58is then forced to stay out of bounds because he caught Drake May's pass.
08:02It would have been illegal touching and the Patriots would have been backed up.
08:04So he stays out.
08:06And the Patriots have four receivers out against eight man in coverage until the guy that was
08:11covering Hunter Henry runs at Drake May, forces him to throw the ball after 11.82 seconds.
08:16And of course it finds Stevenson.
08:17But the point is as impressive and difficult as that play was, it was more impressive and
08:22difficult than you realized, or maybe it was just me at home.
08:25Incredible.
08:26Anyway.
08:27So how much of this is sustainable?
08:28Because it's great that Drake May can drive the car and be the engine and be the airbags
08:35as I wrote afterward, because their solution, when anyone else kind of screws up the offensive
08:40line and pass protection, the running game, not getting certain yards or receivers who
08:44stumble as Kendrick Bourne did on that last play and took himself out is for Drake to
08:49run or find a different outlet or continue to extend that play.
08:53And I would just say, if you look at any quarterback over a full season, okay, who has put himself
09:00in the pro bowl or MVP conversation, whatever, they're not majoring in that.
09:05Okay.
09:06They're functioning within an already functioning offense.
09:09Okay.
09:10You have protection enough of the time you have receivers that separate and a structure
09:14that makes sense.
09:16He doesn't have that right now.
09:17Okay.
09:18So it's great that he can create and he will reliably create on his own with scrambles
09:22or extended plays or whatever might be.
09:24But I would like to get him some more support.
09:27The Patriots have to get him more support.
09:29And in the meantime, he can focus on a couple of corrections.
09:31The first interception, it's a five-man blitz with a Amani hooker who got the pick short
09:37Robert he's Drake may was expecting the Mario Douglas running a crossing route to clear
09:42Amani hooker in that short zone out of the picture, because why wouldn't you throw it
09:46to pop Douglas?
09:47You know, we hear in the podcast with the word pop Douglas, and the goal was to then
09:50throw it to Jalen Polk, who is running an in-breaking route right behind pop Douglas.
09:54It's kind of like a replacement concept.
09:56Well, body hookers, Billy.
09:57Okay.
09:58It's cool that tomorrow Douglas is going by.
10:00I'm watching your eyes and Drake Mays eyes took him right to Jalen Polk or hooker made
10:04the pick.
10:05And that was it.
10:06He also did this on the second pick where initially Drake may called it a dumb decision.
10:09Then he said today that he underthrew him, meaning Kashawn booty, the booty absolutely
10:13should have done more.
10:14By the way, speaking of giving your quarterback some support, play a little defense, pal,
10:18you know, that wasn't coming your way.
10:19You have to get there and break that pass up.
10:22He said he under threw it today.
10:24The point being the danger for Drake may is not again that he can't do all of these things.
10:29And it's not even that he shouldn't have to do all of these things, but he is.
10:33It's that if he's asked to do this over time and again and again and again, this is why
10:36I want to slow play his starts.
10:39You run the risk of ingraining these habits where he crosses over from aggressive to more
10:44reckless and we're a ways away from that just now.
10:47It's just something to keep in mind because obviously Drake may felt a good deal of pressure
10:51to get that ball deep.
10:52And some of it was clock.
10:53Some of his fact that you're in overtime, you're trailing.
10:56But his first throw in that drive to his deep down the sideline fell incomplete.
10:59Then he scrambles.
11:01And then he throws that pass to booty.
11:02So in all three instances, this is a guy, a quarterback who says to himself, I have
11:07to make this play.
11:08I have to put this ball deep in a place that only my guy can get it or I need to scramble
11:12or I need to throw it deep again.
11:14And he's right that he has to do this all himself.
11:16But the Patriots can't keep asking that.
11:18Otherwise he will bring himself down in the offense with it because right now he is the
11:22offense.
11:23Only other nitpick for me.
11:25Otherwise, again, processing their creativities, their scrambling.
11:30Good enough accuracy.
11:31You know, it wasn't, you know, 70% like, wow, accurate, but but certainly good enough.
11:37He had a couple of questionable decisions and some RPOs because a big part of this game
11:40plan for the Patriots was saying, OK, we're going to feed the ball to tomorrow, Douglas.
11:44He's going to be running these little bubbles or hitch routes.
11:48And what that'll do is take advantage of the bad tackling of the Titans corners.
11:51There are good tackling defense in Tennessee, but the guys that miss are the ones who would
11:55be theoretically guarding tomorrow, Douglas.
11:57Well, in efforts to get the ball to pop, Drake May pulled the ball out on these RPOs despite
12:04facing a light box, which if he had made the read correctly, would have said, hang the
12:07ball up.
12:08You've got six on six.
12:09Everyone blocks one on one.
12:10You're fine.
12:11But outside you'd have three defenders over two receivers.
12:14There's no advantage there.
12:15He threw a couple of those again at the nitpick.
12:17He also went over five on deep passes, which you just don't expect from him moving forward.
12:21But that's it for Drake May.
12:23OK, Alex Van Pelt.
12:25So a lot of heat for him as I was watching this game on Sunday.
12:30And I get it.
12:31Like it's heat for offensive coordinators is not new.
12:34I've done it with the teams that I watch and root for and yada, yada.
12:38But the issue for him was not, I would say, the play calling was a complete disaster.
12:43And let's jump in right to the end of the half, because I know this was the big one.
12:46I think people are half right here.
12:48Second and one.
12:49It's a handoff to Michael Hastie.
12:50Patriots are going to Stonewall all game up front.
12:53Why are you handing the ball off in a two minute drill when Drake May is clearly moving
12:57the ball either by self running or throwing?
12:59Well, if you look at the defensive front on that play, the Titans do not cover up, meaning
13:05they don't put a defensive lineman or a linebacker over either guard or the center.
13:12So if you're calling an inside run, this is the exact front that you want.
13:16They call inside zone.
13:17You're supposed to get a double team by left tackle Baderian low and left guard Michael
13:21Jordan.
13:22And they start that way.
13:23Hastie gets the ball and then both of them cut that defensive lineman loose.
13:27I don't remember who was off the top of my head.
13:29So this was a mental mistake.
13:31Day one install screw up by Michael Jordan and Baderian low.
13:34I think low left a little bit too early.
13:36Again, you need three feet.
13:38Just hold the double team.
13:39Then you can get to the second level.
13:40They didn't.
13:42If you're in one, then I would say everyone's got a case.
13:44Hey, Ben, like what you think you're going to load up and suddenly run on the Titans
13:47after they've stopped you virtually every single scenario to date.
13:51Like, OK, you have someone in the backfield who's an offensive lineman playing fullback.
13:55Great.
13:56They know you're going to run, right?
13:57It's where you always run, right?
13:59And high leverage situations in shocker, the Titans stop them.
14:02But going backwards, the Titans did stop another game plan where Vin Pelt wanted to go have
14:07your personnel 11 of the first 14 snaps close to that.
14:11We talked about this 15 play script that offensive coordinators always have 11 of those
14:15first 14 had either multiple backs, including the fake fullbacks, they don't have a traditional
14:20fullback or multiple Titans.
14:23The rest of the way, they were more than 80 percent from 11 personnel, meaning three receivers.
14:28So one tight end, one running back.
14:30And that's it.
14:31And that's because they got stonewalled running the ball on that heavy personnel.
14:34And when they called runs on the first four first downplays.
14:38So the initial plan doesn't work.
14:40But worse than that, because, again, I don't think the play calling stuff is totally fair.
14:45Just get the three yards.
14:46It was good front second and one third and one shirt go nuts is that they did not have
14:50a good plan for Jeffrey Simmons, who drove Mayo again, called out Wednesday and Friday
14:55and then after the game and then after the game again today, Monday morning.
14:59And part of the plan, in addition to these little bubble screens for Mario Douglas, was
15:02to just run outside.
15:03He had an early toss in that first drive.
15:06OK.
15:07So there were no way in place.
15:08There were no trap plays.
15:10You were not going tempo to wear out that pass rush.
15:13You were not moving the launch point until the last drive of the game came, meaning bootleg
15:19rollouts or just movement throws anything like that.
15:23Something may have also said they had to do and she finally did not.
15:25And so instead, Jeffrey Simmons gets multiple pressures, several pressures, draws multiple
15:30holding calls and devastates your run game.
15:34And Robinson gets benched before halftime on when he goes back to right guard, where
15:37he should have been the whole time in the Montre Jacobs, who was good against the Jets.
15:40I don't know why he got benched in this particular game, but he did.
15:44And then he's back and he was fine, just like he was last week.
15:48OK, the plan was not good enough to neutralize Jeffrey Simmons.
15:52Last thing here.
15:54It was interesting.
15:55I mentioned the Patriots go more than 80 percent, 11 personnel for the wrestling game after
15:58the multiple tight end stuff just doesn't work.
16:01That on the last three plays of regulation, OK, which included a fourth down and the last
16:06snap of the game, Alex Van Pelt went back to the two tight end sets.
16:10And part of this, I think, is just the game situation where, hey, if you're going to throw
16:14a jump ball, it might as well be to six, three, six, four, six, five, Austin Hooper or Hunter
16:19Henry.
16:20Right.
16:22And there's a part of me, though, that knows he knows their most efficient grouping has
16:26been the two tight end personnel all season anyway.
16:29So in those moments, I think what that says to me is playing through 12 personnel is how
16:34Alex Van Pelt wants to play in his heart, in the moment where you don't have time to
16:38think or plan or analyze or do any of that.
16:41You just have to call it and go, what do you want to do now?
16:44His answer in those last three plays was two tight end personnel.
16:47I wonder if you see a little bit more.
16:49But as I said before, the little issue with that when you take off tomorrow, Douglas,
16:52by far your best receiver.
16:53All right.
16:54Some stats.
16:55And then we'll get to defense.
16:56Stevenson, of course, three missed tackles, 16 rushing yards, 17 after contact.
17:02Michael Hasty, Drake May both forced one missed tackle.
17:05As far as pressure goes, Michael Jordan gave up two quarterback hits in a hurry.
17:09Drake May was at fault on, I thought, a quarterback in a hurry.
17:13Ben Brown, two holding penalties, the sack quarterback hit that bad.
17:16Michael Wenute, two pressures, both of them were hurries, one each for Robinson and Jacobs
17:20playing on that right side.
17:21But Harry Lowe was involved in half of their run stuffs.
17:24And Booty and Pop Douglas had to drop.
17:28Defense.
17:29So aside from Mike on one end, Jeffrey Simmons, the biggest matchup in this game was going
17:33to be and was Christian Gonzalez against Calvin Ridley.
17:37And the Patriots didn't play as much man coverage as I thought they would.
17:41And even when they did, it was not always Christian Gonzalez guarding Ridley one on
17:46one.
17:47They threw a couple of double teams at him.
17:48And the bottom line was Christian Gonzalez gave up three catches for 51 yards to Ridley.
17:54And it should have been worse.
17:55Ridley had a drop.
17:56Two, you could argue.
17:58And he also sprung free on the play where Jelani Savai gets that tip drill pick in the
18:04end zone.
18:05The third end zone pick the Patriots have had, by the way, out of their fourth season.
18:09And if you look, Christian Gonzalez follows not Ridley, who is in the slot, his outside
18:14receiver in where that target went.
18:17And Ridley from the slot runs a corner out to no one because Marcus Jones, who's over
18:23Ridley in the slot, passes Ridley off.
18:26He thinks to Gonzalez and instead goes to no one.
18:28So if Mason Rudolph had not committed to that quick in round instantly and just looked at
18:32his best receiver, that's a touchdown and probably on Christian Gonzalez.
18:36So where does that fit within the larger plan?
18:38Well, again, the mix, the results are mixed.
18:40Whether you look at the past where they did a lot of damage in early downs because Titans
18:44figured out, okay, you're going to play big personnel.
18:47Patriots are 40% in base defense for this game, which meant you have to play a lot of
18:52You're not asking Jelani to buy Christian Ellison, Anthony Jennings to play, man to
18:56man coverage.
18:57So if you're playing big defense, big personnel, and you're running a lot of zone coverage,
19:02what are you susceptible to?
19:03Play action.
19:04When it's play action, most effective early downs.
19:07So Rudolph goes seven of 10 for 96 yards and a touchdown, as you saw on that opening drive.
19:13And ultimately, despite the fact that the Patriots actually got decent pressure on Rudolph,
19:18even on some of those play action throws was north of 30%.
19:21They couldn't create enough negative plays to keep the Titans off schedule.
19:24The Titans had a success rate north of 50%, meaning on first, second, and third down,
19:29they were often getting enough yards to stay on schedule.
19:32The Patriots don't have players who can create negative plays, which of course are the defensive
19:37version of explosive plays.
19:38So the same offensively where it's such a slog just to get downfield.
19:42That's what it is on defense, because they can't make plays when they need to.
19:47But when they did get pressure, Anthony Jennings had three, Dietrich Rice had two, including
19:50the sack.
19:52He also gave up, scrambled the Mason Rudolph on that third down, on the first drive, continued,
19:56goes for a touchdown.
19:57Jelani Tafai had a really good game, except for one play, get to in a second.
20:00Quarterback hit, a hurry.
20:02The pick had to run stuff.
20:03Keon White, I had down for two.
20:06Pressured one, hit one.
20:07Hurry.
20:08Daniel McIwally played well.
20:09Quailen Roy still hanging around.
20:10I don't know how he's a pass presser.
20:12He's like their steadiest guy when it comes to non-sack pressure, though he's probably
20:16still second in sacks.
20:19And then pass deflections.
20:20Gonzalez had two.
20:21Jones had one.
20:22We already talked about Christian Gonzalez.
20:24The issue for the Patriots, again, on the ground, playing a lot of base defense.
20:28The Titans still going again and again at you, as you saw with 41 rushing yards in overtime.
20:33And Tony Pollard goes for over 100, and it's 4.6 yards to carry.
20:36Is that they repeatedly went at the edges, and successfully.
20:40They drew in the Patriots defensive backs and said, hey, Marco Wilson, why don't you
20:44come up and tackle?
20:46With crack toss plays, meaning you have a tight end or receiver comes in towards the
20:51box at the snap, and boom, hits the defensive end or edge defender from the side.
20:56And with that, the left tackle gets to loop around that crack block, okay, and is now
21:01out in space and leading the charge.
21:03And leading the charge against smaller players.
21:05And if you look back at Tony Pollard's 32-yard run, which I tweeted this morning, you see
21:09Marco Wilson wants nothing to do with this, Martin Mapu's out of the play, and Marcus
21:13Jones is basically off the screen.
21:15So these are smaller players, they're not great against the run, and the Titans knew
21:18this and ran as many times outside of the tackles, meaning beyond the left shoulder
21:23of the left tackle, and beyond the right shoulder of the right tackle, okay, not behind them,
21:27outside of them, 16 times.
21:29They averaged 5.8 yards per carry running these crack toss plays, or that example was
21:34truck toss, which is outside zone, just with the one pulling tackle.
21:37But anyway, they averaged 3.5 yards per carry going anywhere behind their actual offensive
21:43lineman between the tackles.
21:45So there was a big difference.
21:46Another big difference, Christian Ellis regressed, great game against the Jets, he looked much
21:51like the guy against the Jaguars, which means Jelani Tavae was not bowling out, they had
21:55issues at the second level.
21:57And Tavae missed, or I would say ran himself out of the play on a very key snap, third
22:01and three overtime, Titans are already in field goal range.
22:05But if you stop him here, you give your offense four minutes and not two and a half to go
22:09down and get their own score.
22:10He takes a shot, and you talk about playing selfish or a little bit outside of the scheme,
22:14tries to get a negative play in the backfield, overshoots it, they wash him out, Tony Pollard
22:19goes for nine yards.
22:20Devon Gacho, speaking of getting washed out, not a great game for him.
22:25This is two in a row.
22:26He's going to come up when we talk about the trade deadline.
22:28I don't see any value in teams trading for this guy.
22:34But you just need more.
22:35I mean, you look at why this run defense has failed.
22:38He's your best run defender.
22:39He's not bringing it.
22:40And you need more of that.
22:41When the guys next to him are like Jaqueline Roy, as we've seen in past weeks, Eric Johnson,
22:46or Daniel Quali, who is the only steady defensive tackle in this game for the Patriots, and
22:50has now passed his career high for snaps in a single season.
22:54Folks, as we record right now, thanks to Monday Night Football, it is still week nine.
22:58Daniel Quali hit a career high.
23:00Other than that, solid tackling day.
23:02Patriots only with five times, and Eferney Jennings, three pressures, despite playing
23:06a career high, 76 snaps.
23:08Good for him.
23:10What would NFL film say?
23:12This is another quick one in our chapter of this fictitious hour-long documentary about
23:17the Patriots season.
23:18It's all about the last play regulation.
23:20You certainly get some sort of line about, you know, youth gives and it takes away.
23:24Maybe a couple shots of Drake May scrambling in there.
23:27Maybe the opening Titans touchdown drive.
23:29Hopefully, you get a call from Mike Heath, who is this excellent Titans radio play-by-play
23:35man.
23:36Been there for years.
23:37Deep, deep voice.
23:38If you've ever heard or watched any NFL film stuff with Tennessee on there, which probably
23:41you haven't in the last 10 years, awesome, awesome radio voice.
23:45Anyway, you see that last play from like 10 different angles with May, then it gets to
23:49the end of the pick.
23:50And this thing is maybe 30 seconds, maybe 45 in the whole scheme of things.
23:54We need to talk.
23:55So this segment's in place of game balls.
23:57It's not a player.
23:59It's not even a coach that I've mentioned just yet.
24:02I want to sit down with you, Scott Peters.
24:05Offensive line coach.
24:06Again, reminder, Stevenson had more rushing yards after contact than he did total.
24:12And you started a fourth round rookie opposite Jeffrey Simmons on your own volition, instead
24:20of just letting Mike Unwin, who do his job at the position that he's best at, as you've
24:24told us, and hoping to control Simmons that way, which of course he got around to.
24:29I don't get it.
24:30I don't understand it.
24:31I applaud the offensive line for bringing the pressure eight below 40, which they've
24:35now done for two straight weeks.
24:37And it's still honestly a little bit high.
24:38It's above average or below average, but higher than most teams.
24:47The stability was there.
24:48The continuity was there.
24:49There was an unnecessary shakeup.
24:50Again, I believe in the name of development, but this was all around bad.
24:54You got your butts kicked up front.
24:56That comes back to you and the coaching.
25:01Great deadline, but a first.
25:04Prize picks.
25:05I gave out the easiest pick in the world last week, Saquon Barkley, over half of a touchdown,
25:09rewarded handsomely, plus a little spin and backwards juke or leap or whatever he did
25:13against the Jaguars.
25:14I will have more picks later this week, because I think the key really is, for someone who
25:18covers the Patriots, just don't pick things related to the Patriots.
25:21And whether you follow my picks or not, you need to go to prize picks now, because it's
25:24the best way to win real money this football season, and you can pick your fantasy players,
25:29the players we talk about here, players facing the Patriots, but what you do is pick two
25:34to six, okay, and their corresponding staff projections.
25:37So it might say Drake May, more than or less than 200 passing yards, and if you think he's
25:42going to light up the Bears for more than 200 passing yards, well, you just hit more,
25:46and then you get another player and another player, and you file your lineup, and you
25:50can win up to 100 times your money.
25:52I'll say that again.
25:53You can win up to 100 times your money on prize picks with as few as four correct picks.
25:57It takes less than 60 seconds, and again, you take your takes or your fantasy players
26:01into real money all season long on prize picks.
26:04Best part is this.
26:05If you sign up today with America's number one daily fantasy sports game, you get $50
26:10instantly the first time you play five bucks.
26:12You don't need to win that lineup, your first $5 lineup, to get the 50.
26:17It's a bonus either way, guaranteed, and now prize picks uses Venmo, which is how I use
26:22it, so everything is safe, secure, easy to use, and you get your money in 15 minutes.
26:25So download prize picks today.
26:27Use code CLNS and get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup.
26:31Prize picks run your game.
26:33Okay, trade deadline.
26:38I do not expect much from the Patriots here on Tuesday.
26:43Trade deadline is four o'clock.
26:44It's the biggest thing going on Tuesday, frankly, let's be honest, but reports recently have
26:50said that Jonathan Jones, they're not interested in trading him.
26:54KJ Osborne, I think is a much different deal, healthy scratch.
26:58He's being a little bit coy with reporters.
27:00He's at least got a track record.
27:01It's not here in New England where he's stunk and a lot of things are not going right, but
27:05I think it's him, is a virtual lock to not be on the team come Thursday or Friday.
27:10Just reading the tea leaves, no hard reporting there.
27:13Beyond that, Tyquan Thornton, you're not getting anything for him, a young player, 4'2 speed
27:17or not.
27:18It's his third year in the league.
27:19What would compel you as an outside GM to be like, hey, yeah, I'll give you any kind
27:22of pick for that guy who also might be cut if he's not traded.
27:26There are rumors.
27:27Diana Rossini, the athletic has brought up Devon Gottschall and Kyle Duggar.
27:30That would surprise me because the Patriots will either have the fastest buyer's remorse
27:35on these contracts, guys who they either signed to an extension or signed outright.
27:40Both of them were extension because Duggar got transition tag, but setting that aside
27:44within six months in Duggar's case or two or three in Gottschall's case, it just seems
27:50unlikely.
27:51Now, would it surprise me if that source and that information is not coming from the Patriots
27:56and instead teams trying to pressure them to add a Duggar or a Gottschall or maybe people
28:01from their camp?
28:02Pure speculation.
28:03No, it would not.
28:04There's a lot of stuff that flies around the deadline, but the Patriots don't have a lot
28:07to offer other teams.
28:09They're interested in picks the way a lot of other teams have established themselves.
28:12Look, you could have any number of teams, I would say up to 10 right now, land the number
28:17one overall pick, which would be the Patriots, by the way, if the season ends today.
28:20There's just not a whole lot here.
28:21When we did fake trades and the first three I gave you involved the Patriots getting at
28:26most a six round pick, and that was for Jonathan Jones, who supposedly they're not interested
28:31in dealing.
28:32And honestly, I wouldn't be either at this point.
28:33More due to leadership, frankly, sadly, than it is his own field play, gave up a touchdown
28:38against Tennessee.
28:39I think that's just where we are because one of the worst run defense in the league cannot
28:45afford to give up even a guy underwhelming relative to his contract in Devon Gottschall.
28:49Kyle Duggar was just named a captain.
28:51He's tailor made for this kind of scheme.
28:53I don't know how many other teams would be looking for a player like him.
28:56Someone who's really a box safety, but you can rotate another place, players, places,
29:01and doesn't play a ton of man coverage.
29:03Okay.
29:04He's a fit here.
29:05He wants to be here.
29:06He just re up here.
29:07There's a top 10 highest paid safety in the league.
29:09I don't know that gets done.
29:10I could be wrong.
29:11I'm just saying, do not get your hopes up one way or another.
29:15I think for fireworks to trade down, which of course we know we'll mean we have an emergency
29:21podcast when the Patriots bring some sort of big deal Tuesday night or Wednesday.
29:25So far right now, though, the plan is to be back Thursday with my charity.
29:28So if you need to find something else to do, I understand let's get to the mailbag and
29:34get out of here.
29:36Jeffrey wants to know, do you think we expect too much from rookies in general or too soon?
29:41I say this because it is halfway through the season and everyone is killing Jalen Polk
29:44already saying bust in another bad pick.
29:47I then see someone like Quentin Johnson on the chargers bounce back year two and show
29:50great improvements on the flip side.
29:51CJ Stroud is regressing in second year, but still playing.
29:54Okay.
29:55Yes.
29:56Jeffrey, I do think we expect too much from the rookies.
29:58Someone wanted to get me to quote, admit that Elliott Wolfe's already had a bad first draft
30:02class.
30:03This has nothing to do with Elliott.
30:05This is only to do with being nine weeks into a season for a team that's rebuilding, has
30:09rookies that have been injured, playing poorly and any team, any player, any coach, any front
30:15office.
30:16That's not enough time to know what you have.
30:18Okay.
30:19That's not even a full college football season.
30:21All right.
30:22There are scouts here who are not calling it quits because they're nine games in discounting
30:25the guys who are going to come up in the draft because there's still more season to go.
30:28The bigger games are still ahead.
30:30I want to see more from these guys and I want to see more from them next year, right?
30:33Year two league.
30:34How many times have we heard that?
30:36You already cited an example.
30:37We see that across the league.
30:38It's way too early.
30:40I think you do expect too much from rookies, especially in these kinds of situations where,
30:43okay, you might get the ball a lot.
30:45Like it's a, it's a bad player playing an NBA team.
30:47Are you getting a lot of good stats, but it's not driving winning.
30:51Great.
30:52Obviously the Patriots aren't doing either.
30:54So it's disappointing, but context matters, especially for the development of players,
30:58which makes what Drake May is doing super impressive, but everyone else a little bit
31:01more understandable.
31:02And that's why I would preach patience period when we're talking about still being in week
31:05nine of the season, but secondarily going, well, who's here to help them?
31:09Okay.
31:10Yeah.
31:11They might be able to play, but look who they're playing with next to.
31:13It's bad.
31:14It's the least talented roster in the AFC.
31:15Maybe the worst in the whole league, Dave.
31:17Should they check in me and the Patriots I'm Chris Alavi knowing season should be over
31:21or his concussion history.
31:23Is that too severe right now to look in him?
31:25Yeah.
31:26I'm first and foremost, obviously wishing all the best for Chris Alavi, who I believe
31:30just suffered his third concussion in the NFL since the saints traded up to pick him
31:34in the first round.
31:36And yes, I don't think the saints take any kind of calls.
31:39I get the by low nature of this, but also if you're the Patriots, why are you wanting
31:43to make an investment, a player that, you know, just ask a Dolphins fan, how they feel
31:46about watching Tua take his third concussion and now sliding.
31:49He's getting standing ovations for sliding in Miami.
31:53And there are people who also feel he shouldn't be playing period.
31:56That's a decision Chris Alavi has to make for himself, but I would not want anything
31:59to do with this either in the district objective, you know, football only sense, or in the personal
32:06sense of just having a cover and watch that.
32:08John quote, who are the rookie and first year players that are building blocks for
32:11next season and beyond based on what you've seen so far, this is very similar to another
32:15question from Brett.
32:16What quote pieces do you think the Patriots currently have on the roster to build around
32:19Drake may?
32:20And do you believe they currently have the staff in place to identify, develop and accomplish
32:26this task?
32:27Belichick wasn't wrong about having the same pieces on D as last year, even with the injuries.
32:32Well, the Patriots lost three of their top seven tacklers from last year.
32:37Okay.
32:38Bentley peppers warmer.
32:39That's not nothing.
32:40The defense should be better than this.
32:42Covington and company are not doing a good enough job.
32:45That can both be true.
32:46And Bill also cannot be right.
32:48As you say, I believe when you actually take into context what they're saying, but you
32:52want to know about the, the building back players, look, Jalen Polk is getting an opportunity
32:56through the end of this year through next year, I'm higher on him than what we've seen
33:01so far.
33:02I was lower than consensus on him as a player.
33:04I like glad McConkie, who the Patriots obviously passed on and there was some injury concerns
33:07there with the back, but he's killing it with the charters.
33:10Okay.
33:11So if it's not Jalen Polk, I do think Leighton Robinson will develop into a long-term starter
33:15at guard.
33:16I think Kate Moss has a shot might be more as a swing tackle, but again, he's just not
33:19been healthy.
33:20He's not had a shot.
33:21So you look at him, you look at Drake may Christian Gonzalez, obviously I would say
33:25Keanu white for sure.
33:27Duggar presuming he's not traded recently.
33:30And then you look at the future.
33:31I mean, Hunter Henry's going to be around for two more seasons.
33:34It's a guy you want there Stevenson next for a couple of years.
33:37But after that, as I'm running back, you really don't know if you really want to go beyond
33:40three years.
33:41To me, you feel great about this.
33:44It's may pop Douglas, Chrissy Gonzalez, Keanu white bar more.
33:52I don't really think I'm missing anybody, which is crazy, but that's also your one and
33:57a rebuild and that's where the Patriots are right now.
34:00So that's a, that's the best I got.
34:02There's obviously taken off the board for, for obvious reasons.
34:04I might've missed someone.
34:05Feel free to yell at me on Twitter, Kenny B coaching staff deserves the heat they've
34:09been getting all season.
34:10Yes, they have.
34:11But I feel like the media overall has given Wolf a pass since the cupboards were left
34:14so bare by Belichick and he has a multi-year rebuild ahead of him.
34:17Should the media be more critical of Wolf after nine weeks or is it still too early
34:20to begin evaluating his tenure?
34:23No evaluating the tenure in the big picture, you know, Oh, is this a success or is it a
34:27failure?
34:28Yes.
34:29That's too early.
34:30Again, we deal in nuance here on the podcast.
34:32That's why you're still listening.
34:33What minute are we in here?
34:34Even though I've hit the mic like five times, uh, 35 minutes.
34:38Okay.
34:39We can parse this out.
34:41We can understand that not everything is an a plus or an F like you might hear on TV and
34:47radio.
34:48And to that, I would say, first of all, Elliot has an incomplete.
34:52Second of all, I've been critical of their lack of additions outside at tackle where
34:57you go.
34:58If worst case scenario, like they've had Caden Wallace gets hurt.
35:01Okay.
35:02Chooks, a core four was hurt and then leaves, um, I'm missing somebody.
35:06But the point is, but Arian Lowe's comes back and I feel great about his, him as a starter.
35:10You don't feel great about him as a starter.
35:12Yeah.
35:13He might exceed your expectations of past protection, but the point is the Patriots
35:15could have had a Jonah Williams.
35:17They could have traded for a Cam Robinson.
35:20They could assign Germain Illuminor this off season to play right tackle, put on when it
35:23went right guard and then say Chooks and Caden and veterinarian low, you all battle
35:27it out for the spot at left tackle because the Patriots have missing have been missing
35:32is one player that you can say, okay, once he gets back, we'll be fine.
35:36No, the last two years, including in 2023 with Riley reef and Calvin Anderson was a,
35:42Oh, one of these two guys will work out throwing names and numbers at a wall and hoping they
35:47stick.
35:48No one has stuck.
35:49Okay.
35:50But that was the wrong approach.
35:51And I've learned from that a year ago and said, Calvin Anderson and veterinarian loan
35:55Chooks core for playing out of position, Caden Wallace playing out of position.
35:58I will figure it out.
35:59There's been some bad luck.
36:01There's also been some bad planning.
36:02That's where I would be critical.
36:03As far as the bigger picture though, I mean, they just had to resign and chose to a lot
36:08of core players.
36:09Okay.
36:10Did that.
36:11They nailed the quarterback that I honestly should have led with.
36:14I think they've nailed the pick with Drake may, and that matters more than any other
36:17signing or any of the draft pick that Elliot and Wolf has made so far.
36:20So if you need to give them a grade and it's not incomplete, you have to, in my opinion,
36:24start at the very least with a B because as much as I just lamented and criticized the
36:29offense tackle situation, the quarterback matters more than anything.
36:34And I think they've nailed that.
36:35Now of course, the next step is Cowdy build around them.
36:39Okay.
36:40But that's, that's where I stand right now.
36:42It's overall too early, but if you're really, really going to force my hand, that's where
36:45I would land.
36:47Two more, uh, Craig is got draft on the brain.
36:51Uh, Craig says, I'd love to see the patch trade back for a hall, five, 10 spots.
36:55Sounds like he at least thinks there'll be top three.
36:57Uh, he wants to take a receiver, a left tackle, an edge player with the first three picks.
37:01Is this doable?
37:03I mean, this is a very specific plan without many specifics, I would say, correct.
37:10But to that point, I think you absolutely could get a starting caliber player with your
37:14first pick.
37:15If that next pick is also in the first round, you might have to, but my understanding is
37:19you've got maybe two to three tackles right now who are worthy of being top five, top
37:2310 and naturally just like quarterback, you know, when guys are, Oh, they might be top
37:2715, top 20, they get sucked into this vacuum.
37:30That is the top of the draft because those are premium positions.
37:33A good player at a premium position is better than you could argue a great player at right
37:39guard and more replaceable position.
37:42So the depth there is not great, but yeah, if you really set your heart on getting a
37:46receiver and a left tackle on an edge player, a understand you're not going to nail all
37:49those picks cause that's just the draft, but B yeah, you could do it.
37:55Who is it?
37:56I don't know.
37:57We are not, we are not close to draft prep here on the pot.
37:59Last one from dibs.
38:00Uh, how come there are so few media members that will not under any circumstance criticize
38:04Mayo and his coaching staff?
38:07I don't know who you're referring to generally, uh, but I know I'm not among that group because
38:13we have crushed Mayo and Alastair Pelton, Scott Peterson.
38:16Look, the negativity around the coaching staff.
38:20First of all, cause people come at me for this or, Oh my God, you're in the back of
38:23Greg Mayer or drive me or whatever this is.
38:26You're just telling on yourself that you haven't read or listened and that's fine.
38:29You absolutely do not need to keep up with everything I'm doing, but if you are going
38:33to come at media, I would say be, be specific about that or read us.
38:36Don't take the word about what we're doing or saying on radio because the guys just do
38:40not look into this that closely.
38:42And that's not their job.
38:43And honestly, I would prefer if they not, but if they have an issue, be specific about
38:46it.
38:47The larger point is there's room for criticism for everything, right?
38:54When it's this bad, it's not on one person or one player or one coach or one GM.
38:59It's all bad.
39:01And it stinks that that answer is not clear cut and you can't point one finger to be done
39:04and scream and get it all out.
39:07This is going to be a long second half of the season and hopefully we get more plays
39:09like we saw from Drake May, but there will be more blunders and places like here while
39:13go at coaching.
39:14But I will also tell you why.
39:15Okay.
39:16We can't just go, Oh, they got out skiing because they gave up touchdowns in the first
39:19or second quarter.
39:20Maybe they were just dumb mistakes.
39:22Like we detailed about Michael Jordan and Binary and low giving up this double team
39:26of this inside run play where the defense has left the middle wide open and you should
39:31get that call.
39:32That was a good play call and they just blow it.
39:33Okay.
39:34That's on the player.
39:36So be specific, understand what you're talking about.
39:38And I don't know if you got a couple of names, I guess we can talk, but I think I work with
39:42a ton of great people and this is not kissing anyone's ass.
39:45It's just legitimately how I think, because there's no kissing of any asses on this podcast.
39:49Anyway, it is getting late.
39:51I have to run to do a TV.
39:53We'll be back later this week with Mike Giardi, the Boston sports journal time, TBD and the
39:56Patriots get the bears.
39:58I will be in Chicago.
39:59And for those of you who we've got mostly positive feedback about travel tales, travel
40:04tales will always be after only road games and it will always be at the end of the podcast.
40:08So if you want to skip it, just skip it.
40:10All right.
40:11That's for here for now.
40:12I'll see you later this week.
40:34Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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