Alex Barth and Brian Hines preview the upcoming matchup between the Patriots and the Chargers! Tune in for the latest on key matchups, storylines to watch, and more!
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SportsTranscript
00:00All right, everyone, welcome back into another live edition of the Patriots Beat Podcast
00:28here on the CLNS Media Network, presented by our wonderful friends at Price Picks and
00:34Game Time.
00:35I should probably throw Karma Sushi in there, too, today, Barth.
00:38Absolutely.
00:39We got a wonderful spread down there at Gillette, shout out to Patriots PR, shout out to Karma
00:44Sushi for lunch today, a couple locations in the area, so make sure if you guys are
00:49craving some sushi this holiday season, go check them out.
00:52But it is Brian Hines back, as always, with Alex Barth.
00:55We are in week 17 of the NFL season.
00:58We are almost at the end.
01:00What do we have?
01:01Three shows left after this one of in-season shows, and then we're...
01:05Well, really, just two, because we'll have two next week, and then I guess...
01:09I don't know how much of Bill's recap we'll do the Monday after the game.
01:13That may be more of a welcome to the off-season kind of show.
01:16We'll see, depending on how that game goes.
01:18Yeah, especially with now, looks like Buffalo could be resting their starters in week 18,
01:23because the Chiefs wrapped up...
01:25Count on the Bills being smart.
01:28So I did look back, because they were the two seed last year.
01:32So I did go back and look how they approached week 18, but it was a situation where they
01:38actually needed to win.
01:40I think the AFC was weird last year, and the Bills were like 11 and 6, or they weren't
01:45as good this year.
01:46So it was a situation where I think they needed to win to get in, and then they needed to
01:51win to get the number two seed.
01:53So long story short, you couldn't read anything into what happened last year, but you never
01:58know how the Bills will approach that, and how the backups will work, and if the Patriots
02:03can even beat the Bills' backups is a whole other story.
02:08That obviously has a big impact on the draft position, and I kind of wanted to start posing
02:14that question to you.
02:15We are two weeks left, two games left, Chargers we'll talk about, and then that Bills game.
02:20It's currently second pick in the NFL draft.
02:25I don't think they can fall further than ninth.
02:29It's tough this year.
02:30There's a lot of bad football teams, a lot of three, four win football teams, so they
02:33can't really drop out of the top ten.
02:35If they lose one of these games, they can't drop out of the top five.
02:39So that's kind of the range we're looking at here.
02:43Now that even the number two pick, or that top five pick is so close to us, and I know
02:49the players and the coaches, you gave this kind of spiel many times.
02:53They're not tanking.
02:54They are going out there trying to win these games, but you personally, now that we're
02:59so close to that number two overall pick, or that top five pick, has that altered your
03:04thought process at all of it here, of how you want to see these last two games kind
03:09of unfold, of let's just lock this number two pick in and lose out, or maybe still win
03:16one of these games, and that can kind of springboard you into the offseason the next year.
03:21I still think positive momentum's important.
03:24Now if you lose, you get the draft pick, and that obviously is better from the outside
03:30looking in, but you want these guys feeling like they're building towards something, and
03:34you also, you need something to sell to free agents or potential trade candidates, and
03:40what's the difference between a four win team and a three win team?
03:43Maybe not much, but I think there is a stigma with having like a top three pick, you know,
03:49having what might end up being tied for the worst record in the league, things like that.
03:53So look, you're obviously rooting for draft position.
03:56I don't think it's as important as it was last year.
03:58Trust me.
03:59That whole Jets game, all I was thinking about was Drake May when that game was close late.
04:04There's definitely a benefit to picking higher this year.
04:06I don't think it's as strong, especially in a draft that we've talked about.
04:10It probably makes sense for them if they stay where they are to trade down.
04:13Maybe you miss out on an extra second round pick, which is not nothing, but is also, it's
04:18not Drake May either.
04:21So I, like off season-wise, yeah, losing definitely helps, but I'm not going to sit here and say
04:29like they have to lose these games.
04:31I don't think that's true, especially because odds are they're not going to win both of them.
04:35They're not going to fall that far.
04:38I don't, I've seen some people like worried old, now the bills are the two seat and that's
04:42horrible for the Patriots.
04:43No, we're, we're, we're really on the margins here.
04:47Um, yeah, obviously like losing is probably better for the off season, but I don't think
04:51it's like if they win and I even said this last year, I don't think it's if they win,
04:56that's it.
04:57They're done.
04:58Like I was, if they believe they're guys sitting there at the top of the board and they have
05:01to move up a spot or two to get them, do it.
05:04They're not falling into the twenties.
05:07Yeah.
05:08Yeah.
05:09It's not a catastrophic fall, especially if it's such a difference when you have the quarterback
05:15compared to last year, you know, when you did need that quarterback in, if you win that
05:21Jets game, you're falling from like three to six, which is where like the Giants finished.
05:26Now they have to go get Malik neighbors and now they're back in the quarterback market.
05:29So you have the quarterback and I know coming into the year, my whole thing and pretty sure
05:35you were on the same page.
05:36It's like, okay, you have the quarterback.
05:38Let's try to win as many of these games as possible.
05:41Get one.
05:43And I think this was a big Felger thing.
05:45Like you don't want losing to become the, like the ritual or yeah, the, you be ingrained
05:52to losing.
05:53You want to win.
05:54But now it is tough.
05:55You know, you're, you're right there.
05:56You're two losses away from the number two pick and maybe what could be a two quarterback
06:00draft.
06:01And you know, you have to move back and maybe pick up a future, you know, first, second
06:04round pick, whatever.
06:05But I, I do think you can kind of look at it both ways, but it will be interesting to
06:10see.
06:11Again, I don't expect them to win both these games and maybe drop back to eight, nine,
06:1610.
06:17Right.
06:18Yeah.
06:19But if they do, they're in better shape than we thought they were.
06:22And that pick isn't as consequential if they win both.
06:25Yeah.
06:26Yeah.
06:27Or you just catch a West coast, East coast chargers team.
06:31And then, uh, the bills backups and week 18 and you're not, I mean, the chargers are
06:36a talented team.
06:37Yeah.
06:38It's a West coast team coming East, but like, has that been the kind of game this team wins?
06:42No, it hasn't.
06:43So it means they're a different kind of team than we think.
06:45True.
06:46And I, I still, you know, even if it is the bills backups in week 18, like that's a game
06:53they could lose.
06:54They just, it was basically the bills backup defense last week and now you're those backup
06:59defense and Josh Allen playing terribly.
07:01Yeah.
07:02And we said so much in that game, like they could have just ran the ball 30 to 40 times
07:07and probably put up 40 points and they didn't.
07:10If you have Mitch Trubisky back there who they almost lost Mitch Trubisky in Pittsburgh
07:14last year.
07:15Um, and they're handing it off to Ray Davis and Ty Johnson all game.
07:19Like they could still probably put up a fight, uh, with, with their backups there.
07:24So that's kind of the, uh, how the draft order is looking right now.
07:28I know that's on a lot of people's minds again, Patriots currently sit in the number
07:32two pick, but the chargers are coming to Foxborough this Saturday, one o'clock, uh, kicking off
07:39the football weekend there on Saturday in Gillette stadium.
07:43Um, it's been kind of a team and, you know, quarterback matchup that they've had a lot
07:50of success against, you know, Justin Herbert slowing him down and we get another one of
07:54these Drake may verse one of his popular comps and Justin Herbert.
07:59So, uh, kind of want to start on that defense side of the football.
08:02We can talk about Drake may a little bit later.
08:05First of all, how many times are the chargers going to run the ball at this game?
08:09Because they are the opposite of the bills.
08:11They can run it and they probably are going to want to run it all game long.
08:15And that is not a good recipe for the Patriots defense there.
08:19No it's not.
08:20They still can't stop the run for the growth they showed last week.
08:22That's still a major issue.
08:23Yeah.
08:24I'm with you.
08:25I I'm surprised the bills didn't come out and run 40 times.
08:26There's no need for them to, to, to put Josh out on that risk and look, he might've hurt
08:30his hand.
08:31So Harbaugh, his default is to run, run, run.
08:34It's going to be cold.
08:35They're on a short week, all of that.
08:37I, and that's the biggest deciding factor in this game is just that the chargers can
08:42run and the chargers will probably want to run, want to run a lot and bills can't stop
08:47it.
08:48Yep.
08:49I think, uh, JK Dobbins might be up to back off IR.
08:52I know Gus Edwards is out, but they'll get their number one back.
08:56Uh, Dobbins was having a really good year or two before we went on IR and that kind
09:00of still seemed like a precautionary thing.
09:02Didn't seem like he had to sit out for a week, so he should be ready to go.
09:05I know he's still questionable, uh, technically, but they could, they could run the ball all,
09:09all game in this one and, and, you know, move the ball, uh, input up points there.
09:15But if they throw it, you knew we had to talk about, um, Latin McConkie, the infamous
09:19Latin McConkie, the draft day trade jail and pull up Latin McConkie.
09:23He really makes that passing offense go.
09:25You watch the chargers on TV and it's like, Oh, they're throw to Quentin Johnson, drop
09:30throw to Joshua Palmer and complete 15 yard gain on third down to Latin McConkie.
09:34I kind of makes it seem out the chargers offense.
09:37So he's the top guy.
09:40Is this a Christian Gonzalez get kind of creative with him and put him on Latin McConkie?
09:45Do you think, or, you know, we saw John Jones play so well last week, you know, Mike Pellegrino
09:50talking to him today also said Jonathan Jones, he was dealing with a couple injuries earlier
09:54in the year and he's healthier now.
09:56And you saw that against clear Khalil Shakir, kind of a similar player as Latin McConkie
10:01skillset wise last week in Buffalo.
10:03So are you trusting Jonathan Jones in that matchup or are you trying to maybe get creative
10:09a little bit and put Christian Gonzalez on, you know, their top slot receiver?
10:14I'd start with Jonathan Jones.
10:16I'd be ready to make the switch to Gonzalez if need be, but you know, he's going to be
10:20able to totally take away Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnson, whoever Gonzalez is I'm saying.
10:25So if Jonathan Jones can get his, and you do have a crafty veteran against a rookie,
10:30if Jonathan Jones can, can hold up probably with help over the top on Latin McConkie.
10:35Now you're talking about defense.
10:36It's really in position, not just to stop the charters passing game, but maybe create
10:39their own plays off of it.
10:40Again, this goes back to the point that I don't think the chargers would throw much
10:43to begin with, but yeah, I, I, I give John Jones the first crack at, at Latin McConkie.
10:49Yep.
10:50It does feel this too.
10:51While we're on McConkie, I, Oh, the Patriots should have drafted him over Polk.
10:55Look at the season.
10:56Do you think Latin McConkie is putting up the numbers he's putting up in LA?
11:01If he's here, do you mean Jalen Polk is putting up?
11:07No, if Latin McConkie was here.
11:09Oh, if he's here, Jalen Polk, is he putting up the numbers
11:13that Latin McConkie is putting up?
11:14Um, he might honestly, cause he'd be the best receiver here, but it probably
11:20wouldn't be as, as good, but it would definitely be, he would be giving you a
11:26lot, it might not be Latin McConkie levels, but it would be if Latin McConkie is up
11:30here for those watching and Jalen Polk is down here, like it would probably
11:33be somewhere in the middle.
11:35He'd probably be your most productive.
11:36He'd be better than Polk.
11:37Absolutely.
11:38But I just, because I've, I've heard this talked about in this week.
11:41It's a good time to bring it up.
11:43Let's not forget.
11:44It's not just that they're drafting the wrong guys.
11:47The development path for a lot of these young receivers here
11:49for years has been an issue.
11:51And Latin McCartney, he's a much better player now than he was at Georgia.
11:55They did a great job of working on his game.
11:59And I don't know that they're going to get that done with Latin McConkie.
12:04And as we look at to this off season, if somebody wants them to take
12:07Tettmcville and take Luther burden, take Travis Hunter as a receiver,
12:12like that's something to keep in mind.
12:14We'll see if Tyler Hughes is back or if they have a new wide receivers coach.
12:17But, you know, I said the same thing about Nikhil Harry in 19.
12:21Like if they had taken one of these other guys, they would have never figured
12:24out to use Debo the way the Niners did.
12:26They would have never, they couldn't figure out Jonu Smith.
12:29They would have never figured out using Debo the way the Niners did.
12:32So I'm not saying that makes Nikhil Harry the right pick.
12:34It doesn't, but you just have to factor that element into it.
12:41That the development plan is, is as much a factor of anything
12:45else that's going on here.
12:47Also, if they were going to make a move for a receiver, it wasn't
12:50to stay there and pick Latin McConkie.
12:51It was to move up and take Xavier Liggett or just suck it up on the
12:54off field stuff and take 80 Mitchell.
12:56Yeah.
12:58And that's going back to like the coaching and the development.
13:01Once they get in there, that's why maybe a veteran wide receiver coach could be
13:05in the cards this off season.
13:07If they make some of those staff changes, you know, they have two more,
13:10you know, Tyler Hughes, Taekwon Underwood, two young inexperienced wide
13:13receiver coaches, and the other thing, just like Ladd Polk, you know,
13:17would Ladd be doing what he does here?
13:19I think like, and this could be even a bigger thing on how they
13:23evaluate the wide receiver position.
13:25Like, I think Ladd's just skillset translates.
13:28Like you have those, those speedy separators.
13:31And you look at the film and Vlad in college and he was hurt a lot.
13:36So like, that was probably another thing that might've scared them off.
13:39Like he had some medical red flags, but you see, like, he's a separator.
13:43He can get open where Polk is more of that play strength.
13:46And that's the question.
13:47Like, how does that play strength translate to the NFL when, you know, it's
13:51older, bigger, stronger players.
13:53And that's not really, obviously hasn't translated for Polk.
13:57So maybe that's something when their, their evaluation of the position, which
14:00going back to Nikhil and even before that has always seemed to be off a little bit.
14:04So maybe that makes them, I don't know if one whiff like that would really impact
14:10them if it could, but if that is something that, you know, maybe they alter how they
14:16kind of look and evaluate the wide receiver position going into this draft.
14:20Yeah, absolutely.
14:22Yep.
14:23And the other part of that Ladd McConkie trade, we don't even talk about, do
14:27you remember the second half?
14:28Yeah.
14:28You're big on this.
14:29I'll let you take the victory lap on this.
14:31Cause I know you're big on this.
14:32And I'm a huge, I was a big Ladd McConkie fan.
14:35I hadn't ranked higher than Polk, but it is kind of, I get why that gets all the
14:41headlines, right?
14:42Cause you traded out of that pick and he's having such a good year at a position you
14:46can't develop and get any production from.
14:49But the second part of that trade, you moved up, I think it was like one 10, you
14:54move up to, and you gave up like one 37, something in that range and you go get
14:59Jayvon Baker and they move back and they take a corner Tarheeb still, who is last
15:04time I checked third or fourth in defensive rookie of the year.
15:08I actually looked this morning.
15:09He's he's third on most books.
15:11He's third in defensive rookie of the year odds.
15:13He has a couple of intercepts he's developed.
15:14They've got two late round starters at corner of the chargers.
15:18Cam Hart, Notre Dame, which I think that was a guy who was in some of our mock
15:21drafts, uh, last off season.
15:24And then Tarheeb still, you know, a fifth round pick that was again, the
15:28Patriots pick and they swapped those.
15:30So a couple of interceptions.
15:31He has a couple of pick sixes.
15:33I think he's developed into a real, like good starting corner for them.
15:37And that's another spot that we've kind of looked at this year and be like, if
15:41they could have someone reliable opposite of Christian Gonzalez, like that would be
15:45big for them.
15:46And now that it's, you know, Vlad McConkie and Tarheeb still like that would be
15:51almost the perfect mix and match for them right now.
15:54Yeah.
15:55It, I mean, look, it's easy to go back and look at the draft in retrospect, but
16:00one team won that trade pretty clearly.
16:02Yep.
16:03Unfortunately.
16:04Well, I guess the trade itself was good process.
16:07Just the player evaluation.
16:09Bad, very bad.
16:11But yeah.
16:12Yep.
16:13Well, maybe I didn't even like the trade.
16:15Like I, they, they needed to be shredding, shedding picks.
16:18They had too many picks.
16:19They need to be looking to move up.
16:20I didn't even love the trade.
16:23That's true.
16:24And that, and that scenario, I think like value wise, it was a good trade.
16:28Like they got better, like moving down three, three spots in the second round
16:32to move up like 40 spots later.
16:35It's probably good value, but for that team and what they needed, like maybe
16:39they should have been a little bit more aggressive with some of those picks.
16:42Uh, elsewhere.
16:43So maybe lad's going to work into our price picks lineup, uh, here in a little
16:47bit, cause it would be so them for him to have a career career, but we do like
16:53the, the matchups, you know, if you have John Jones playing this, well, it is
16:56similar, you feel to that Buffalo game where they can put Christian Gonzalez
17:01on the boundary, let John Jones and maybe a safety help over top or a
17:05robber underneath cut off some of those, you know, over routes at
17:08Latin, a conch, he really likes to run.
17:10So, uh, maybe they do have a good plan for him.
17:13Uh, they go in and just say, we need to shut this guy down.
17:16So they can't talk about how big of a draft mess he was all week.
17:19We need to stop Latin and conky, but, um, then it comes back to the run game
17:24and the charges can probably run the hell out of the football all game long.
17:27Cause your run defense has been not great all year.
17:30And you saw that again.
17:32So, uh, anything else on the defensive side of the ball or any other, I don't
17:37think we have any big injuries outside of Marcus Jones, he was ruled out again,
17:41but anything else you are looking for on defense there, just along, along
17:46the coverage matchups, it will be interesting to see what happens.
17:51Uh, will Disney is, uh, the injury report right here.
17:55One second.
17:55Uh, will Disney's questionable for this game.
17:58If I remember correctly, correct me if I'm wrong, Brian.
18:01Uh, yeah.
18:02Will Disney's questionable shoulder injury.
18:04He's their second leading receiver behind McConkie.
18:06He hasn't done a ton, but like you kind of said off the top, it's
18:08been a very funneled passing game.
18:10The Patriots have struggled with tight ends, covering tight ends.
18:14You know, if they're going to take away loud McConkie, like you said there, you
18:19figured Disney's going to get more attention if he can't go, it's again,
18:23it's all the more incentive for the charters to run the football.
18:25A hundred percent, a hundred percent.
18:27So that'll be an interesting, uh, one to watch there with Walt Disney.
18:31But, uh, we can move on to the offense very quickly.
18:35Before we do that, I want to tell you guys about price picks, just
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19:43All right.
19:44Uh, jump over to the Patriots offense in this one.
19:49Is there anything left at this point you really want to see of Drake may, or
19:55is this just kind of get out of these last two games, keep the arrow pointed
19:59up, get healthy, or is there anything specific you want to kind of see from
20:03Drake in this one?
20:04A little better on the red zone.
20:06Obviously not a good red zone game last week.
20:08He ends the bills.
20:08I think that's the biggest area of focus right now for he's at, but yeah, mainly
20:13just, just continue the positive momentum.
20:17Don't let up here late.
20:18Don't feel like you've accomplished all you need to accomplish.
20:21Uh, let's see.
20:22Obviously we know he's a competitive guy.
20:23Let's see some competitive fire from him.
20:26Uh, finish this thing out strong.
20:28Yeah.
20:29The red zone is a good one.
20:30That's been, they started, I think it was six for six.
20:33When he took over and then it's been kind of a disaster, uh, lately.
20:38And some of that does have to do with play calling, right?
20:40Like you saw in that bills game, they had no issue just running these covers
20:45zeros and then Drake had the drop snap, but then it took them a few plays, took
20:49ADP a few blades to kind of put, you know, a rollout in there and give Drake an
20:54answer.
20:55So, um, some of that does have to do with, with play calling, but you would like
20:58Drake to be a little bit better down in that area.
21:02It was kind of, he, he remember how good he was in training camp in the red area.
21:06Yeah.
21:06That was like the only spot was the first spot.
21:08He was good.
21:09Yeah.
21:10So maybe they can get back to some of that.
21:13Uh, it is a good red area defense with the chargers.
21:15One of the leagues, uh, best fun defense with, uh, Jesse, Jesse, Jesse mentor.
21:21Uh, Jesse.
21:22Sounds right.
21:23I think so.
21:25Um, he could be a future head coach in this league.
21:27He's probably on one of those.
21:29Yeah.
21:29Jesse mentor head coaching list.
21:31So they have a good, uh, defense in general, really good down there in the red
21:36zone, so that would, that would be encouraging if he could come out with
21:39Drake and kind of correct some of those, uh, red zone issues and put some points
21:43up, Tom mentioned, as we say, every week, stop the turnovers there in the chat.
21:47Obviously a big one, that turnover where the play rate has dropped significantly,
21:52but you still see the interception last week, the backwards pass.
21:55So, uh, cut down on turnovers as always is the big one.
22:00Um, his receivers.
22:04Expecting kind of status quo as, as last week in that rotation.
22:08I'll ask you though, this one, someone asked me in my mailbag, uh, this week,
22:13are you in favor, Jalen Polk and Jayvon Baker, would you rather just put them
22:19out there for a significant amount of snaps, say 30, 40 snaps and just ride
22:25the ups and downs, or are you kind of at, like, these two guys are unplayable
22:30right now, like, would you let them try to last two games of the year?
22:34Let them work through some of these issues on the game field.
22:37Or are you like, we're trying to win this game.
22:40We need reliable guys around Drake May.
22:42Right.
22:42It's that tough thing to kind of balance.
22:44Cause you want those two guys out there.
22:46So where, if you had a preference, where would you kind
22:48of sit on that decision?
22:52Yeah, it's a good question.
22:53Look, I think if they were just struggling, but it w it was a matter of
22:59light, how to, how it was the best way to put this, um, if they were doing the
23:06right things in the right spots and just the production wasn't there,
23:09I'd let him play it out.
23:10I think they've talked about Jayvon Baker in practice, still not maybe
23:15having his, still not being where it needs to be doing what he needs to
23:20consistently enough.
23:21And the fact that Polk's now playing less than him makes me think maybe
23:23he's in that category as well.
23:25You can't put them out there.
23:27What's going to be detrimental to Drake May.
23:28You can't do it.
23:29So yeah, I'd like to see them play more.
23:31I think that'd be great in a perfect world, but it's, it's tough to justify
23:37when you're trying to make sure Drake gets the development he needs
23:40here in these final few games.
23:42Yeah.
23:43Yeah.
23:43It's the tough thing.
23:44You kind of have to balance, especially if you're like this.
23:47Draft and develop team.
23:48They want to be right.
23:49You got to kind of work through some of those, but if it's impacting other
23:53players, especially your number three overall rookie quarterback, who's the
23:57face of the franchise, like, is it worth the risk?
23:59And the other thing, like they kind of factor in there is like.
24:03Keisha booty before, you know, he had a good game last week, but he was
24:07kind of up and down, not finishing some of his routes.
24:09It feels like Kendrick Bourne every week has to apologize or take accountability
24:14for running the route wrong, but those two guys are at least producing while
24:19they have some mistakes.
24:20So that's probably why they're leaning more of those guys and not just riding
24:24through the mistakes of the young guys.
24:26Cause there are mistakes and then the production is in there as
24:29well to kind of match that.
24:30So yeah, I would still expect it kind of to look how we've seen with booty being
24:36the guy born and pop in the mix.
24:39And then just a handful of snaps for a poke in Jayvon Baker there.
24:43But we also could see a change on the offensive line.
24:47Ben Brown is in concussion protocol.
24:49He has been all week.
24:51Wasn't officially ruled out today.
24:53So I guess they're leaving the door a little bit open, but it looks like in
24:56the expectation is that Cole strange.
24:59We'll finally start at center.
25:01First career start at center.
25:03Uh, first action this year since coming back, uh, off the puck list.
25:08So are you expecting anything from Cole strange or what do you think this is
25:12going to look like with him at center?
25:13I mean, I thought it was interesting to ride.
25:15Mayo said, Cole strange and Lucita Smith this morning.
25:17That kind of tells me that I don't know how long of a leash Cole strange has.
25:22Uh, I don't know what to expect.
25:23He's never played this.
25:23I don't, he didn't play his position in college.
25:26Nevermind an NFL game.
25:27And he hasn't had a ton of time to practice.
25:29I know he's been back now for over a month, but these are late season NFL practices.
25:34They're mostly walkthrough.
25:35So he's not really drilling the fundamentals of the position.
25:39So my expectations aren't high.
25:41That's not me saying, I think he'll do a bad job.
25:44I just between the injury, he's coming back from and changing positions.
25:47He's in a tough spot.
25:48And it's, it's hard to say, yeah, I think he'll do this.
25:52I think he'll do that.
25:53It's a, it's a unique spot.
25:55I think he's only had two or three, three max padded practices, right?
26:00So for an offensive lineman that we said in years past, when he was playing,
26:04one of the issues was dealing with physicality.
26:06Now to come back from a serious knee injury, have like two or three padded
26:10practices under your belt, who knows how at a position you've never played before.
26:15Like, yeah, maybe that leash could be pretty sure.
26:18I'll be interested to see the snaps to, you know, in game you're, you're making checks.
26:23Like you had everything going on around you.
26:25And now like, let's see the snaps.
26:28How did the snaps look?
26:29And that's something that's kind of fell off for Ben Brown the last two weeks.
26:32Again, we jinxed them.
26:33We'll take accountability for that, but just see how those snaps look.
26:38That, that will be interesting.
26:40Outside of that, I don't think there's, doesn't look like Caden Wallace.
26:44Maybe they activate him.
26:46When's the deadline for him?
26:47Next, next Monday, I think.
26:50When did they, did they activate him during the bye week?
26:52Yeah.
26:53So it was a Monday.
26:54I know he came back.
26:56Yeah.
26:56So it's, and he has a deadline.
26:58Cause I feel like we would have said at the time they have till the end of the season.
27:00So I think it's, it's, it's Monday.
27:03It's Monday.
27:03So maybe he gets activated.
27:04They still have a roster spot, but it doesn't look like he's going to draw the start.
27:09At right tackle, even after a bad game from Trey Jacobs last week.
27:12So same old line, except Cole strange, probably going to draw in there for Ben Brown,
27:17who again is out with a, or not out officially yet, but questionable with a concussion.
27:23The only other thing I had on offense for you, who's playing running back or what is
27:29the running back split going to look like after another or Mondra Stevenson fumble?
27:33Are we getting more Antonio Gibson or what's going to go on in that room?
27:39I wouldn't be surprised if Gibson starts.
27:41I don't think, I know some people want to see Stevenson sit out.
27:44Right.
27:44I don't think that's going to happen.
27:46Frankly, it's it you're, you're putting Antonio Gibson in a bad spot if you do that,
27:50cause running backs just can't play that much in the modern NFL.
27:53And even with his fumble trouble, Stevenson is still a much better spell option than
27:57Jamichael Hayes, the, a banged up to Michael Hayes D or Terrell Jennings.
28:01So I think you still see Stevenson.
28:03I think it's probably a smaller role, 30, 35% with Antonio Gibson as the lead back.
28:08But I would start Gibson.
28:09I've seen people say this.
28:11There has to be some kind of, of repercussion for all the fumbles.
28:14Uh, and they don't have the roster to bench him outright.
28:17So I think not starting him and cutting in was playing time is the way to do it.
28:21Yeah.
28:21I'd also still like to see a little Terrell Jennings.
28:24He still intrigues me a little bit.
28:26And, you know, that's something we've talked about.
28:28Do they have to draft late round running back and not that, you know, what five to 10 carries
28:35of Terrell Jennings late in the year is going to impact your future plans at the position,
28:39but it would still just be encouraging to see him because he was impressive in training camp.
28:43And in the preseason, he only got one game faction, only like two or three carries
28:49back in Drake's first start, I believe.
28:50But I I'm still kind of intrigued by him.
28:53So maybe seeing a little bit more of him.
28:55These were Mondays fumbles could open the door.
28:57If they are going to really cut into Stevenson's playing time,
29:00I would go with Jennings over hasty.
29:02Yeah, definitely.
29:03Because that's more, you know, you have Gibson as your, you know, that speed change of pace back.
29:08But Jennings is more of that downhill kind of like Stevenson.
29:12So that that's more of the skill set.
29:14So maybe a little bit more of that would be encouraging.
29:17But anything else on the offense side of the football?
29:23I don't think there's.
29:25I'm just kind of interested here if they're really serious about, like,
29:28giving the kids more reps.
29:29I know Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper have been like their two most reliable pass catchers.
29:33I would be curious to see a little bit more from
29:36Jaheim Bell and just just see what he can do.
29:39And I don't even know in what sense, because he can do so many things.
29:42But getting him a little more involved in the offense could be interesting.
29:45I'm still waiting for them.
29:46He plays fullback.
29:48I'm like, I'm still waiting for them to play action and hit him off it up the field.
29:52Yeah, something like that.
29:53We need that once, like even just take the shot once.
29:56We need that.
29:57But they haven't they haven't pulled that out yet.
29:59But what Van Pelt said today, they use like 80% of their playbook.
30:03So maybe that's in that last 20% that could get the debuted over these last two weeks.
30:09So we'll kind of see with that.
30:11But that is off inside the football.
30:13Anything special teams you are looking out for?
30:17Again, no Marcus Jones.
30:18Looks like Alex Erickson is going to be back activated to handle return duties.
30:24But anything special teams?
30:26I think it's going to be a little rainy, windy, too.
30:28So anything special teams wise you're looking for at Gillette?
30:32It is supposed to be a little rainy.
30:33Joey Sly is still kicking for a job and the Alex Erickson thing interests me to eat.
30:39He's a good returner.
30:40I mean, it's just four or five years ago now, but he was a good returner.
30:42Can he can he give you something?
30:45Yep.
30:46So we'll see.
30:47We'll see what happens.
30:48But yeah, Joey Sly kind of still the big one didn't get any field goals last week.
30:53So we'll see if he gets a chance this week.
30:56So let's wrap up this Patriots Chargers preview with, of course, our prize picks lineup of the
31:03week.
31:03Let me pull price picks up on my phone right now.
31:06Head over to Patriots.
31:08Anyone you are specifically having in mind for thinking they're going to have a good
31:12game in this one as I do that?
31:14Well, you have Ladd McConkie.
31:16I think he's the big one you look at.
31:18And maybe I don't know.
31:19Maybe they don't know the Patriots are making the running back switch yet.
31:22Maybe we get some good value here on Antonio Gibson.
31:25Let's see the Chargers.
31:31Justin Herbert, Justin Herbert.
31:33Ladd McConkie is 73 and a half receiving yards.
31:37It's a good amount of yards.
31:39The question is, and I so I said I don't think that they are going to put Christian Gonzalez
31:44on him.
31:46He's not getting 73 yards if they do.
31:48Do we believe it's John Jones?
31:50Do we believe it's it's going to get 70?
31:52Is he going to get 73 with John Jones?
31:54The way he played against Shakir last true.
31:56All right.
31:56They also have.
31:57That's just such a high number.
31:58I know they also have six and a half receptions or a touchdown.
32:02If you think he's going to score.
32:04Touchdown might not be a bad one.
32:06All right, because they'll probably look to him in the red zone.
32:08Yeah, that's a that's a demon too.
32:10So we can start off like getting a little wild.
32:13I would like to put like JK Dobbins yards on here, but he is questionable still.
32:21We're not good.
32:21They have him for touchdown too.
32:23If we want to go to Chargers touchdown scores, that could be a little risky, but he's questionable.
32:28So let's let's wait on him.
32:30Do they have Gibson?
32:32Let's go over to the Patriots.
32:36Tony Gibson first up 29 and a half rush yards.
32:40Oh, let's let's hammer that more.
32:43More he can get 29 and a half and one carry.
32:47Yeah, seriously.
32:48It was seven and a half rush attempts, eight and a half receiving yards, 29 and a half
32:52rush yards, two and a half reception.
32:54So I like the yards.
32:56I like the yards and the carries.
32:58Yeah, I like the yards.
33:00We'll throw the yards in there.
33:04Excuse me.
33:04Austin Hooper, 27 and a half receiving yards.
33:07Pop Douglas, 32 and a half receiving yards, four and a half receptions.
33:12We usually throw a Drake May in there.
33:15They have 248 and a half total yards, 28 and a half rush yards, 216 and a half pass yards,
33:24and then a touch rush touchdown or pass touchdown.
33:27If you like either of those, I like the 216 yards.
33:32I don't hate the run.
33:33You think they'll design run for him again?
33:34Or was that Van Pelt just shutting everybody up?
33:38It might have been him shutting everyone up.
33:40I feel like they honestly 16 pass yards though.
33:43I know this charter's defense is highly ranked, but I mean,
33:46and granted with better wide receivers, but Baker tore him up.
33:49They can get got.
33:51Yeah.
33:51Burrow tore him up.
33:52And I know it's Burrow, but Burrow tore him up.
33:55So we'll throw Drake in there.
33:59Hunter Henry, 43 and a half receiving yards.
34:02Keishon Booty, 38 and a half receiving yards.
34:04I feel like Henry's been good for 50 a game.
34:08All right.
34:08You want to throw Henry in there?
34:10Yeah.
34:11More than 43 and a half receiving yards.
34:12They have Joey Sly, more than one and a half field goals made.
34:16Could be kind of risky though in the weather.
34:19Yeah.
34:20I don't love that one.
34:22So we did Gibson.
34:25Raimondre is 46 and a half receiving yards or 11 and a half rush attempts.
34:30Do you think he'll hit 12 carries?
34:33Wait, Raimondre, 46 and a half receiving yards?
34:36Rushing yards.
34:37Did I say receiving?
34:38Okay.
34:38Yeah.
34:38Um, I might go less on both of those.
34:45Pick one because we need our random game of the week after.
34:48How many carries was it?
34:4911 and a half.
34:50So if he would hit 12 carries.
34:53It's going to be nasty.
34:54It might be something where like Gibson gets 20, he gets 12.
34:57The yards was...
34:5946 and a half.
35:00Let's go less there.
35:02All right.
35:03I was trying to look up how many carries did he have?
35:05I know they put him in back after he fumbled last week,
35:07but how many carries did he have last week?
35:10Uh, Raimondre Stevenson.
35:12I think he had 11.
35:14He had 12.
35:15So he was right on the number.
35:17So, uh, we'll go yards.
35:20Let's go yards.
35:21All right.
35:22Less than 46 and a half rush yards.
35:24Okay.
35:25So those are five that we have our random game of the week.
35:28Are we thinking about something?
35:29So does it have to be Saturday or can we do a Sunday game?
35:31We can do Sunday.
35:33All right.
35:33And once again, the Jaguars.
35:36It is Jaguars, Titans.
35:37That's about as sicko as you're going to get.
35:40Big draft implications on that one.
35:42Major draft implications.
35:44Let's hear Mac Jones numbers.
35:47Mac Jones.
35:48I think we've got every Mac Jones one wrong this year.
35:51So, um.
35:53Well, we've been taking less on all of them.
35:55I think that shows us.
35:57Oh, you want to see a sicko square right here?
36:01What?
36:01Mac Jones plus Mason Rudolph, 437 and a half combined pass.
36:11437.
36:12Hey, that's like 210 a person.
36:14437 over 2.
36:16220.
36:17218.
36:18All under less, less, less, less, less, less, less.
36:21Yes.
36:22That is a good find, Brian.
36:24That is a sicko square right there to play on prize picks.
36:29All right.
36:29So we have our full six player lineup right here.
36:34Aladin McConkie, more than half a rush or receiving touchdown.
36:39So he's going to find the end zone.
36:41We all know that's going to happen.
36:43Antonio Gibson, more than 29 and a half rush yards.
36:47Drake May, more than 216 and a half pass yards.
36:51He'll be throwing a Hunter Henry, who's going to have more than 43 and a half receiving yards.
36:55From Andre Stevenson, less than 46 and a half rush yards.
37:00And then Mac Jones plus Mason Rudolph, less than 437 and a half combined pass yards to
37:09bring us home on Sunday in the one o'clock window.
37:13Again, that is on prize picks.
37:15Use code CLNS to new users.
37:18Once you play $5, you can play $5 on that lineup and take home 125.
37:25If it wins, then once you play $5, you get $50 instantly.
37:31Throw it right back on that lineup.
37:32$1,250 payout if you win, because we do have the 25 time multiplier.
37:39Again, we also have our lineup protection.
37:41So if we get five out of six correct, you get your money back on prize picks.
37:45Again, use code CLNS.
37:48We'll make sure to tweet out that lineup before kickoff on Saturday.
37:53So you guys can play along with us there.
37:57And this is it.
37:59This is going to be the one that sicko square has to hit.
38:01I mean, that has to bring that.
38:02I feel good about that one.
38:04That that one that has to bring us home on Saturday to really cap this one off.
38:09So all right.
38:12That's our Patriots Chargers at Patriots preview.
38:16Anything else on your mind for that game or anything else just on your mind in general
38:21with football at all?
38:24Pitt, if you notice, I've been distracted.
38:25Pitt Toledo in the game of both sports bowl just set a record.
38:28They are starting these six overtime.
38:31Six overtime.
38:32Six.
38:32And there was a whole.
38:34So in the fourth overtime, and it's the dueling two point conversions pit.
38:42Went for it.
38:43It looked like Toledo got to stop all their players storm the field.
38:46They started celebrating.
38:47Nope.
38:48Holding defense.
38:50Reracket.
38:51They run QB power.
38:52Quarterback has called short.
38:54Storm the field.
38:55Everything.
38:55Nope.
38:56Stop.
38:56Wait.
38:56Review.
38:57It's like a 10 minute review.
38:59He got in.
39:00So then they went again, and now they're in the six overtime.
39:02Everybody should, as soon as this show ends, turn that game on.
39:05All right.
39:06We'll get out of here so people can watch.
39:08We also had the, uh, excuse me, the Hawaii.
39:12That was a great game too.
39:13Five, five overtime.
39:15That hit six, five, right?
39:16Five, five.
39:17Because that was the record for a bowl game.
39:18And that stood for all of what?
39:20Two days.
39:20Two.
39:21Yeah, that was, that was Christmas Eve.
39:23Cause it was like the only game on Christmas Eve, which some league needs to take over.
39:27I'm surprised no one's taken over Christmas Eve.
39:29Although the NFL will probably do it eventually.
39:32You were saying they're trying to get to seven days a week, right?
39:34The NFL.
39:35I think so.
39:36I do.
39:37And they now know the formula to get teams to play on Wednesdays.
39:40They did this thing with like the remix schedule or all four teams played on Saturday.
39:44Then the same four teams flip the schedule played on Wednesday.
39:48You could totally do the same thing with a, uh, Tuesday would be tough.
39:54I don't know how they know.
39:54Cause you could do, you could do Thursday.
39:58Like two Thursday games and then they play Tuesday or well, cause Thursday to Tuesday
40:05would be the same thing as Sunday to Thursday, right?
40:07Yeah.
40:08So you'd have a team Tuesday would technically Wednesday's the start of the next week.
40:16So you would have to bump the start of the week up to Tuesday, but yeah, that's how you
40:21would do Tuesday.
40:22And then to give those teams extra time off, you would have them play Monday the next week,
40:26but they want to be, I think they want to be seven days a week.
40:29Maybe not every week, but I think more than just holidays.
40:33They'll definitely find a way to do it.
40:35Like you could see the promo, like seven days of football, right?
40:39Like football every day or something.
40:41No, they'll find a way to do it.
40:44The NFL.
40:45And after they'll probably do it on like Christmas or something like Christmas week.
40:49Cause did you hear LeBron after his, after the Lakers game?
40:51Oh yeah.
40:53We're getting Bill's lions.
40:55We're getting Ravens chiefs.
40:58Like we were getting the NFL.
41:01We're getting the best Roger Goodell has to offer that.
41:03Well, they already put it on Netflix.
41:05So you couldn't even switch back and forth.
41:07If you were on one TV from football to the basketball games, you had to leave the whole
41:13Netflix app.
41:14Let's see what day is Christmas.
41:15By the way, Toledo actually won for real this time.
41:18Six overtimes.
41:19Okay.
41:20Uh, Christmas is on a Thursday next year.
41:23So we are naturally going to have a, they'll have a, they'll have the three game slate.
41:26They'll, they'll have a, a one, a noon or a one to level four.
41:30And then they'll have just Thursday.
41:33All three won't be on Netflix.
41:34Thursday night football.
41:35I think we'll stay on Amazon.
41:36Maybe didn't Amazon have the black Friday game?
41:39Yeah.
41:40So I wonder if they may be to package it.
41:43Cause I'd imagine they're gonna do black Friday game again.
41:46I wonder if to package it, they say, okay, Netflix, we're going to give you black Friday.
41:51And then Amazon has all of Christmas.
41:54I wonder if they'd do it like that.
41:55If not, it's two streaming services on the same.
41:57I don't think we've had that.
41:58We've had like network to streaming on the same day, but I don't think we've had one
42:03streaming service to another streaming service on the same day and we shouldn't, but it's
42:06going to happen.
42:08And here we, like someone wants to take over Christmas Eve.
42:12We have the path for them doing it all Wednesday now.
42:15Let's not touch the Hawaii bowl.
42:17True.
42:17The Hawaii bowl is a special thing.
42:21No one in the Hawaii bowl, smack talk the NFL after, after their game, like LeBron James.
42:27So Roger Goodell, hopefully the entire Hawaii bowl was smack talking the NFL.
42:32Why can't your product be this good?
42:34Fair, fair, but no, they didn't say it publicly.
42:37After like LeBron James decided to do so.
42:39Maybe Roger Goodell will let them, let them have their day still and let us watch the
42:44Hawaii bowl on Christmas Eve.
42:46But all right, we will wrap it up there.
42:51One last thing before I let everyone go.
42:53If you guys want to go to chargers at Patriots this Saturday, again, Saturday, make sure
42:59you guys head over to the game time app.
43:02They have a new feature called game time picks that makes getting tickets to see your favorite
43:06teams play live even easier because they filter out the fluff to show you only incredible
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43:12So you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets.
43:16Saturday one o'clock chargers at Patriots cheapest get in right now on the game time
43:20app is $47 or you can move down right, right by the visitor tunnel.
43:28So on the Patriots side, $84, literally like second row, like behind the often field house
43:36right to your right is the visitor tunnel.
43:38So you can watch them run out, get lab McConkey's autograph, tell them you wish he was a Patriot.
43:44So $84, you can move down $63 in the 200 levels.
43:48So tons of good prices on game time, head to them for their lowest prices guaranteed
43:53and other in-app features such as seat views, all in pricing.
43:56And of course, game time picks, which makes it even easier to save more on your sports.
44:00Or if you're looking for other concerts, comedy theater, any other tickets you are looking
44:05for and take the guesswork out of buying those tickets with game time, download the
44:09game time app, create an account and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase terms
44:14apply again, create an account in redeem code CLNS for $20 off download game time today.
44:21What time is it game time?
44:23If you will, again, going charters at Patriots on Saturday, one o'clock head to the bars
44:28after you have Sunday football on your couch, you can go for a drink after and head to game
44:33time to make sure to get your ticket.
44:35So we will wrap it up there.
44:38We'll be back next week to break this one down and review it.
44:43In the meantime, you can follow Barth on Twitter at real Alex Barth head over to 95
44:48the sports hub.com to read his Patriots coverage there.
44:50Are you on the, you're on the radio more this week too, right?
44:53Do you have a schedule?
44:53I will be on tomorrow morning, 10 to two with Phil Perry.
44:57I will be on then Sunday morning.
44:59We'll have sports of Sunday kickoff.
45:01It's more of a post game this time around than a pregame with the Patriots playing Saturday.
45:06And then on Monday morning, six to 10 AM, which means you're getting another one of
45:09these shows for me after 4 AM wake up.
45:13And then I am on Tuesday Celtics halftime post game.
45:18And then we'll do about an hour after that seven o'clock on new year's Eve.
45:22And then I am on new year's day two to six during the playoff game.
45:26So that should be fun.
45:27So there's a couple of times you can listen to Barth in the next couple of weeks.
45:30You can find them on, you can find them if you want to take.
45:33So, uh, 95, the sports hub.com 95.
45:37And then, uh, I, I, I am Brian on Twitter.
45:40If you want to follow me, head over to Pat's pulpit.com for our
45:43Patriots coverage over there as well.
45:45So thank you everyone for tuning in with us tonight.
45:48Hope you had a wonderful holidays.
45:50Have a good weekend.
45:51Enjoy all the football and we will see you guys next week.
46:00All right.
46:13I'll see you Saturday.