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After another Patriots win twenty eight to twelve, twenty three down in Tampa Bay, Paul, it was a gritty one, as we predicted.

Terrific game.

Yeah, really good game.

I thought the Patriots made a number of plays when the game was on the line that they had to make defensively, just coming up with timely pressure.

Caylevon Chason will not I don't think get a lot of publicity after this game, but I thought he was around, in and around a lot of really really important plays in this game.

And uh, just a hard fought road victory.

Seventh in a row, five and zero on the road.

This team has really got it going the resolutely.

What was your takeaway from Drake May's performance in this one.

I know, yeah, made some big throws, obviously, but just I think he is a guy who looks to me like he's sort of in between on some of these decisions when he needs to make a play, when he should pull the plug on a play.

Absolutely miss end zone interception when they had a chance to it at the very least kick a field goal to make it an eight point game, put the game in peril.

But you know, I thought he overcame a tough start in the first quarter and got hot, you know, toward the end of the first quarter into the second.

You know, he throw us for two hundred and seventy yards.

Not his best game, not his worst game.

I have him thoroughly in the middle again, but you see the plays that he can make.

The throw to Hollins down the sideline, you know, in the fourth quarter, third and long, I thought he took some hits, showed some toughness just I mean, I don't really worry about the quarterback, to be honest with.

You, that's fair and overall when we look at this game looking again, we talked about it in the pregame show, but obviously we'll get into the fact that they have a short week ahead of them.

But what is something that you would crucially want to improve upon?

So I don't like necessarily they do a lot of things well.

I think defensively, they just they make life difficult on the opponent on a weekly basis.

I think they've played very disciplined and sound football on the defensive side of the ball.

It's not lights out defense, but they really make you earn it.

There's very little you know.

You know, the first touchdown today Tampa had obviously was guys not on the same page.

It looked like some people were in man, some people were in zone.

That's a rarity where they sort of blow a coverage or just give up free, free, easy yards.

I just the only thing you could ask is if they could do maybe a little bit more consistently.

But I don't think they're capable of being any more consistent than they've been.

This is just an extended stretch of really really good football, well coached, well disciplined, gritty, hard nosed.

When plays need to be made, the Patriots make them.

And this is going on.

You know, five of the last seven year, this seven game winning streak, you know, four or five of them could have gone either way, but for a play here or there the difference, and the Patriots are making it every time.

Absolutely, And Mike Dusau is here fresh off of writing, but what were your.

Takaways in this way?

No, I like what Paul said.

It was you know, it's kind of happens fast.

You've got to gather your thoughts and write a little bit and then hop on here.

But really that was kind of what I came to with Paul.

It wasn't you know, a perfect game today.

You know, you hate the interception from May down on the goal line there, but they're finding ways to overcome those things and to get huge contributions, huge play, big play contributions from the two rookies on you know, three different plays.

That bodes really well for this team.

I just I like what Paul had to say.

They're finding ways to win and that's just, you know, a really great sign.

A lot of times you talk about a new team with a new coach and young players that it's up and down.

You know, they they struggle to find their what their identity is, and this Patriots team hasn't really seemed to have lost that identity along this win streak.

They continue to overcome their mistakes and you know, defensively, they give up some drives here and there, but they got into that position at the end of the game, which I've talked about the last couple of weeks.

It's like, I don't feel great about them when it's you know, middle of the field first second down standard.

But when you get into clutch time and you get a team into a third and long or a third or a clinical fourth down, this defense has been finding ways all season long to make those key.

Today I thought was even more impressive because they weren't longs, they were shorts that they were coming up.

They must have had five stops on third or fourth and three or less today.

Just their their timeliness on on defense was really impressive today.

Like I said, it wasn't perfect.

There was ups and downs along the way, but every time a play had to be made, somebody made a play and they you know, somehow found a way to get the win.

It goes are really to Paul, like what we talked about in the pregame show, which was we were talking about bootying up being here and how the big plays to Booty had offset some of the times when they were stumbling or the offense would go stagnant.

And today it was kind of the same thing, different players, but you know, it's obviously a completely different game with out.

First of all, the you know, the huge run catch and run by Kyle Williams and then the big run by Henderson and of course the one at the end from Henderson was great to seal it.

But you know, still those are those are the plays that really make up for some of the clunkiness that you had, because let's face it, this game in the second half looked a lot like last week's did where they came out.

You know, last week they came out, they scored a field goal, then it was interception punt three and out.

You know, they they came out well and then they didn't play well in the second half.

So that's something probably to focus on because now you're looking at ye came out touchdown on two plays, you.

Know, gone, you know, so it's not really a drive even.

But you know you still score a touchdow then punt downs, punt interception.

If you were going to nitpick this game, and I know, like this isn't the time to nitpick because we're you know, it's a big road win, that would be it like you had several possessions when you could have created a two score lead in the second half and just couldn't put the game over.

Yeah, yeah, and that's and that's what you know.

I don't like getting ahead of myself and talking about playoffs or but you know.

Games against good teams.

I think this game is going to be a learning experience of we escaped with one here, but a quarterback like Baker Mayfield, a veteran team like that get into the playoffs.

These are the games that you got to when you have the chance to put them away, you have to because as we saw, it gets right down to the end, it can get pretty hairy.

Absolutely a lot of tangible takeaways for the Patriots and this one and by the way, you mention Kyle Williams will get a chance to talk to him a little bit later in the show.

Boys stickle around for that.

But until then, it's time for the good, the bad, and the injured.

Now it's time for the good, good, pretty good, the bad, what happened?

And the injured.

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Of course, we always start with the good.

Yeah, who makes it to the top of the list for you too.

I'm gonna start with mac hollins huge play at the end obviously which you know, maybe should have sealed it but didn't.

But I just thought he was excellent again today.

Six catches, one hundred and six yards, a couple of key you know, third down catches in the third, third quarter.

There another big one that he had and then of course the fifty six yarder, but needed guys to step up without Booty and this was kind of the mac Hollins we saw this summer that you know, I was surprised earlier in the year when it you know, it just didn't seem like Drake was really looking his way all that much.

Last few weeks you've seen him start to get back into that.

I don't know if it's because Booty's been out or if they're just you know, finding ways to get the ball to mac hollins, but I thought he.

Was really good today.

He was, you know, key receiver for them, and you know, I wish they could have made that last big play in the game and stick the touchdown in there.

But still he's he's finding ways to contribute, and you gotta like the production he's put forth.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

I'm gonna start with Kaylevon Chase On, who I thought was around some really really important place today.

Early in the game, you know, the Bucks get the ball to start go right down the field seven to nothing, then they get the ball right back.

I think the Patriots might have gotten a fourth down conversion to get the first down, then three and out after that.

So now the Bucks got the ball again, and there's a you know, I think it might have been the second time that they had the ball with a chance to go up two scores.

And he comes up on first down, sort of sniffs out a play in the you know, a quick little screen and got in the way.

And then on third down, you know, forcing an incomplete.

Then on third down he comes up with a sack.

On third and short two, you know, kind of made a huge play.

And then at the end of the game, you know, the fourth down play, he comes steam rolling on a beautiful stunt.

Uh, they got very aggressive.

Hats off to Zach Corer.

It's fourth and three.

They sent Charles Charles What am I thinking?

Woodson?

No, no, no, Craig woods Craig Woodson, I knew it.

Charis Woodson comes on a blitz, Chason loops around, he gets right onto Baker Mayfield, rips him down.

Mayfield forced to just sort of desperately try to flip the ball away.

But I thought those timely plays early in the game when the Patriots were kind of teetering, you know, and then late in the game when the game is on the line.

Chas On was really really immense.

I don't know, I mean, I don't know if he had more for stats, but I just felt like, yeah, I just felt like he was involved in some You only had one tackle, one sack, he blew up a screen.

That's really a sack on the fourth down at the end of the game.

It should have been you know, man, there would have been a lot of crying had they had White been able to get the first down on that.

So, uh yeah, I thought Chase sam was was one of my goods today.

That's good.

So I'm going to borrow this from the CBS broadcast.

I like the way they kind of grouped it in the rookies with the explosive touchdown plays if Kyle Williams of course getting his TV today as predicted by our caller, and then Trevion Henderson with the fifty five and sixty nine yards two rushing touchdowns, but just overall the rookies being able to step up last week we talked about next man up this week again, the depth on their receiver chart really showing that they have good running backs and good receivers.

I like how you did it, Quanny, because I don't know if those three really did anything other things exactly.

And that's why I group it that way because just specifically for the way they were able to.

They certainly belong on the good lest.

Yeah, for sure, that was a little that was kind of this, But no, that's a you know, a great sign.

And you know, we have a segment coming up.

I think there might be something there.

But you know, we've been talking about it all week.

We had a caller which is on Twitter, but we had a caller this week on Patriotson filtered the Francisco.

Francisco's nailing it.

He's nailing it every week much.

And it's not like, and I said this during the week, Mike, It's not like he's predicting like, well, Drake may is going to throw for twenty.

He's not predicting things that are kind of obvious.

He's predicting very specific things that are like once in a lifetime kind of deal.

Yeah I meant, I mean, was that Williams had two catches coming in, right, Like you're predicting a fifty yard catch for a guy who has like less than five catches whatever the money, I think he has two catches, but less than five catches coming in.

It's just unbelievable two catches coming in some of these, you know, and he only had one catch in this game and it goes for a seventy two yard touchdown.

So he's good list.

Yeah, absolutely, Francisco's on the good list.

Yeah, Francisco, nice job.

What do you have for us next week?

Better fallen Wednesday for Thursday night?

Yeah, I'm gonna put on Just how do I play?

It's just the performance around halftime, what do you call it?

The middle, the double score, the double score.

They might continue to do it, and that's really impressive to me how they've been able to because I mean, let's face it, like I said, like large portion of the second half this offense was stagnant, that came out kind of stagnant.

But their ability around halftime, I mean, I don't know.

I feel like I need to do a deep dive into this this week and write about it just to get it all in context in my brain.

But it feels like every week they score right before the half.

You know the game is going one way and you're like, man, this's gonna be a tough one, and then they score right before halftime, they score right out of halftime, and all of a sudden they've got a lead that they've been able to hang on to.

So just the execution around halftime I thought was I think.

That was a big part of the game.

And it's not the first time, as you mentioned, it's been big.

That's been big, and the execution there I don't I don't particularly like how it came about at the end of the first half, but those double scores have been immense for this team.

Tennessee completely ended the ten game Cleveland.

You know some of those games that you look at the end of the day and they're they're winning in blowouts and you're like, oh, well, that didn't really well.

You're winning in blowouts because you're scoring on consecutive possessions a lot of times.

Now, today you played a better team, so it didn't end the game.

But you score fourteen in a row and you're gonna win.

You're gonna win a lot of games when you get to score fourteen in a row like that, and that was ultimately the difference in the game.

I absolutely had that on my good list.

I had so not necessarily these individuals, but Craig Woodson in Christian Gonzales on third and three, I believe it was, you know, late in the game on that last drive, certainly Tampa looks like they're poised to go down and at least knock on the door.

Kate Oughten, who was a problem all day nine for eighty two, he's he's open and they come in and sandwich him with a great hit.

First Woods and hits, then Gonzales hits, knocks the ball free, forces it to be a fourth down.

That's again, that's another example.

That's another example that they're going to be at the eighteen yard line with plenty of time and they're going to do with what happened to you at the end of the half, what you did to them at the end of the half was going to happen to you.

Here they were going to score with very little time left for for Drake May and company to go down and try to get a field goal.

So this play right here is immense and you see it.

They just perfectly time hits both with the shoulder, both below the shoulder, not not up around the head.

Nothing cheap, just really good football plays.

And sometimes you make a play at a key time like that, and that's that's enough to get on Mike.

I mean I'm an easy grader.

Sometimes that's enough to get on my good list.

That was that was a really really good play by your two defensive.

Backs to do one Stefan Diggs, you know, especially early, it's kind of all him, okay, And then to catch the on sides kick, which I hope he's all right.

See if maybe he's able to speak in the locker room.

A great sign.

But uh, you know, not nothing crazy five for forty six, but you know, had that that was his third touchdown of the year, and just you know, to be able to hang on to this play, sacrifice yourself.

You know you're going to take a big hit going up to get the ball.

But that that sealed it.

I mean, I really, uh that.

Might have been the biggest play of the game too, Mike, because I just can't even imagine not trying to score and then not scoring, like mentally, how that would have and the difference between that happening.

The difference between that happening was Stefan Diggs making an absolutely insane catch.

Yeah, yeah, so I agree with you even if it was had that on.

That list just for that.

But as you mentioned, a couple of the big spots that he had safety blanket type catches the on side kick recovery to make sure there was no miracle comeback.

Uh yeah, Diggs again, just his professionalism continues to shine.

Yeah.

Yeah, so similar to you, I had Kleon Chase.

I'm on my defensive good list as well, but I added Jack Gibbons just mainly I don't know I noticed.

Yeah, So I gave him that for my good list tackles total.

This I had.

I had written down that pass protection was much better.

You know, this kind of deteriorated as the game was going on, and in the fourth quarter he was really taking some shots.

But I do think the pass protection overall today was better than it has been.

I think there's some Giabbi gave Will Campbell some trouble in this game, and obviously Vida Vey is a monster.

He was given all kinds of trouble to the interior guys.

But overall, I thought Drake May for the better part of the first three quarters had some more time.

In the fourth quarter, man, was he taking some shots?

He was.

I know, That's that's what I hated most about the game.

It's just the shots that he continued to take.

But you know, I didn't really I kind of struggled good or bad list for him.

I amanded up, I ended up last week.

Drake.

Yeah, I just you know, there weren't a lot of throws.

I mean, you had the three huge scores where you know, to me just had to hand it off.

You know, he did have to throw to Mac Collins.

And again you have good plays and bad plays, and you know, the interceptions an example of the bad Drake that we we don't want to see.

That we got to clean up those mistakes in big games.

But some of the hits that he took, I just I agree with you, Paul.

I also thought that he just showed some some better poise, maybe a little hanging in there, a little bit more than he had last week.

But it felt like they were really doing a good job collapse in the pocket around him, not making it easy for him to escape.

But this is now, this is how it goes.

You got to make some plays, you give him some plays.

You got to be able to stay focused, fight through the down moments.

And you know, overall, I thought Drake continue to be pretty good.

He's not.

I don't think anybody's gonna watch this game today and say MVP candidates still.

But that's fine.

He doesn't need to be He just needs to be a quarterback who can continue to cut down.

His numbers today actually are going to seem a lot better than they were, like the two seventy.

Yeah, but you're you're right.

Fifty one point six percentage completion.

Yeah.

Not on the bad list because he made too many big plays, you know.

And I know that the Kyle Williams touchdown was largely a run after the top, but there was you know, good throw and the throw to Hollins was perfect, you know, deep ball, staring right down the barrel of the pass rush, as Tony Romo said on the broadcast, and he just drops it right in he's I mean, he's If there's a better deep ball thrower in the league right now, I haven't seen.

I know, I know it's every one.

He gives this guy a chance to make a play.

I just say.

My only real, you know, criticism other than just some of the mistakes, is just sometimes he feels a little wishy washy to me of like are you.

Going out of bounce?

Are you good?

Like you know what I mean, just don't half asset, you.

Know, saying like he's going out of bounds, and you're like, if you're going out of bouncing, get out of bounce and protect yourself there, don't.

Kind of like take every last second to observe the field.

Like and I get it that this is a special player who maybe one time he is just one foot out of bounds and he chucks a touchdown pass like a laser.

But at the same time, I just that's it's going to be such a key point.

You got to make sure we protect ourselves on these plays.

The last thing this team needs is to is to lose this kid.

And again, it's another week where I don't know what the hit numbers were, but he took a lot of hits inside the pocket, outside the pocket, et cetera.

Yeah, I mean, I think that's about all I had, But I would I would totally co sign and everything Mike just said about Drake May, I mean, not anything that you would put on the bad list, but some of the decisions.

There was a play in the first half even that he looked like he wanted to throw the ball away and he couldn't decide whether he wanted to throw it away or not.

And then he almost threw a pick and they never really showed the replay to see if the guy was out of bounds when he caught it.

But I just you know, it was just I would say, like, once you decide what you're doing, do it and like like Mike said, and you could avoid some hits that way.

But again, made enough plays to win a game, and they've won seven in a row.

And yeah, just you know, it's getting the stats now from next Gen.

I mean, for what it's worth, the pressure rate, but in that gen forty seven point two, which would be the second highest rate this season behind the New Orleans game.

So you know there there was some pressure on him today.

And by the same token, the Patriots pressure rate not great today, which you know didn't.

Feel like it.

But again that this feels more on part to me, like it wasn't great pressure throughout, but when you had to have it, you got said they were delivering the pressure absolutely.

All right, I guess we move on to the bed.

Uh do you do?

You do?

You you know?

I gotta I mean, I was gonna just say special teams until you know, they did recover size kick, which I think does go a long way for the special teams.

But you know, overall early on two holds, early on not great field position.

I mean they're you know, he had a touch back on the first punt, touch back on the first kid, I'm sorry, and then a touchback in the first punt, then a penalty on the second punt, a thirty eight yard punt Marcus Jones muffs the punt.

And you mentioned the penalties.

I think there were two different penalties on returns punt returns.

So yeah, I mean special teams a little sloppy, as you said, though, you know, when they had to have a play, it was not an easy recovery.

The on side, k it was a good place, big play by Digs.

Can cuss for it.

Hopefully's all right, But yeah, I just you know, I'd love to get some more contributions from special teams, even if it's just feel position right now, it doesn't feel like, you know, there's I mean, you know, parts of it are pretty good.

I mean, Borgollis has been consistent and you know, they didn't really need him today, But at the same time, it's, you know, I think this is a team that needs everybody kind of pulling in the right direction, especially if they're going to make some noise down the stretch, So I just want to see special teams be a little bit more buttoned up before that on side Ski Absolutely.

Yeah, I thought there was some coverage issues in this game in general, but the touchdown, it looked to me like Gonzales may have been in man and Marcus Jones thought there was zoned.

I don't know what they were supposed to be.

It looked like a lot of people were in zone.

So I think maybe Gonzales was that fault on that particular play.

But you can't leave the other team's best receiver uncovered, and he was open all day.

I know, like the numbers are going to you know, six catches on thirteen targets.

Well, they did a good job on a book.

I don't think they did.

He had a couple of drops.

He had a couple that may Mayfield missed him on a little bit.

I thought the coverage was a little inconsistent today.

It wasn't bad.

It wasn't bad.

There were times where I thought they made some tight windows for Mayfield.

But I didn't.

I didn't love.

I didn't love this game for the coverage.

Yeah, the coverage number is pretty interesting, Paul.

They have Gonzalez targeted fifteen times with seven receptions for eighty nine yards, which is by far the highest total.

I mean the fifteen targets.

So that's really up and down though, Like so seven catches eighty nine yards, that's it.

Well, that's not a good day.

But they needed fifteen targets for it.

So that's eight times that he I would just argue that out of five, you know, maybe four or five of those eight was two flat drops for Abuca, two flat misses for Mayfield, one of which we came on a key throw it down that he ran like one of those little in and out moves, those little, you know, scissor outes, and he was open, and Tony Romo said, if he uncovers right away, this is an easy completion.

And then they showed the replay and he covered right away and Mayfield just threw the ball wide.

So I, like I said, I wouldn't put Gonzales on the bad list.

I would put coverage in general inconsistent today, a little less consistent than I would like to see a lot.

Of things on my bad list.

You kind of you look at how Tampa performed, it kind of cancels it out essentially to your point, So that.

Ye, yeah, it's no.

I think Paul's right about the covers too.

Gonzalas also had a big PI you know that jump started a scoring drive for the third quarter.

You know, it just it feels like the times they're they're holding on but they you know, they seem to make the plays when they have to, but sometimes it doesn't always look look pretty on the way.

What was this one I have here?

I just tight end coverage and that probably feeds into what Paul said, but just you know, this just continues to be an area of difficulty for this defense, and it's existed back to the summer.

I don't think Kate Auden was necessarily dynamic receiver.

I mean, solid player, big guy, no question, but you know, not one of the guys you think of when you think of the best tight end players in the league.

So again they gave up a bunch of yards to him.

They got to figure out a way.

Nine for eighty two for him and again.

Big drop though again like it's two plays, So he had nine for eighty two.

One is the big play if they knocked away, So that's you know, that's ten for you know, ninety two ninety seven and the pent only pick on the fourth down, which was absolutely a pick.

Yeah, I don't want to go to last week.

Sometimes they call him and sometimes they don't.

But that was absolutely the right call, you know, because well, he knocked into Mapu and I think that prevents him from running.

But does anybody think map who's going to prevent that completion?

That's that's not his thing.

And like I said last week, that's not part of the equation.

Whether or not you think the guy's going to be in position to make the play, you need to call it when you see the contact.

The contact was there, the referee he called it.

That's kind of all I've written down for bads.

I mean, I just I don't know.

So I'm gonna say I'm gonna have one that you're you gonna laugh your butt off the running game.

Oh good one, that's good.

Ye.

I mean we were the numbers.

This is this is hard.

Okay, just take out the two big runs.

Just ran for twenty seven for one sixty six.

That's six points.

Want to carry today?

Listen.

The explosiveness of Trevion Henderson was obvious for all to see.

That's why he was on our good list.

You know, Kwannie, you had the two rookies with the three explosive plays, and that absolutely is a big part of this game, and they're on the good list.

But seven carries for thirteen yards on scrambles for Drake May, didn't get anything.

Four carries or five yards for Terrell Jennings short yardage, couldn't move at all, could not move at all.

You know, I know it's a lot of yards, right, that's what seventy and fifties, one hundred and twenty five, one hundred and twenty four, two carries for one hundred and twenty four yards.

He ended up with the twelve carries for one hundred and forty seven yards in the game.

So you know that's that's not good enough production running the ball now, you made the big plays, and I think Mike was talking about this a lot, so it's not necessarily something I would say that was horrible.

Mike has been talking about this all year.

We feel like we're close to some explosive plays in the run game, and those skewed the numbers.

Well, you saw today how they skew the numbers.

You make two runs of sixty nine and fifty five yards and you end up with one hundred and sixty six yards rushing.

It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out you had twenty five carries for like thirty yards.

Otherwise, good stuck out to me, especially toward the end of the game in the second half, some of the play calling I just didn't you know, it just felt like, man, these long, developing tosses to Henderson.

I mean, it looks great when he's able to get the edge, but a couple of those they just look like they had no chance.

I don't know if Tampa adjusted and got a beat on him, but you know, plays like this where it's just a jail break and he's getting hit two yards in the backfield, they don't really even seem to have a chance.

The one he broke at the end felt like it was kind of head in that direction and he just kind of stayed on his balance and then broke free and accelerated.

But you know, it's just look, he got hurt.

Briefly, it looked for a moment like you were all of a sudden going to be Dearness, Johnson, who signed here two weeks ago, is going to be your only back.

They either got to get they got to get healthy with vermondre or, they got to figure out a way to.

Two line, and you really didn't come close to get in.

Like that's that almost backfire, you know, with Mike deciding to sort of kneel on the ball on first down to take take time off the clock.

Fortunately Diggs bailed him out on fourth down.

Yeah, he sounds like an the question I was going to ask.

It's not like with this depth in the running game, Remandre is the only hope.

In your point, well, I.

Mean, I don't think you're going to find another lead back out there.

I mean it's just the Remandre with his past blocking, his ability to catch the ball to it all.

I mean, he's he's an answer if they can get him back.

Oh all right, right on, jarrettle Williams is here.

Congratulations.

I appreciate you, Appreciate you.

Congratulations.

Kyle.

Was there any chance you were getting caught on that one?

No?

In my hand, the one place to.

Go, big day for rookies when it comes to scoring.

What did you see on that drive?

You're seventy two yard TD nothing.

But green grass.

I mean.

We had to look with one it and we took advantage of it.

So, Kyle, it's been a little bit of a slow start for you, but it's obvious every week that you have the full confidence of your teammates.

And you could see just the reaction when when you were able to make that play.

You were close.

And we watch every week and we see you running routes and getting open at times and it just hasn't clicked.

How tough is that to stay with it, knowing that you're doing what you're supposed to do when you're waiting for your turn, and then all of a sudden you get rewarded today with this big play.

Oh.

I mean at times it could be frustrating, but when you have a team in a receipting room like what we got here, I mean, it just makes that like it just makes it a lot calming, you know what I'm saying.

Just knowing that they still trust you and that they're not giving up with you, and that allows you to put a lot of more belief for yourself.

So be able to just you know what, even if I'm not getting my opportunity, you know what I'm saying, I can still come out here and contribute in whatever way.

And at the end of the day is you got to control control.

You talk a little more about just the support you've had from that room, Kyle.

All year long, we've been hearing, you know, Diggs and Mac talk about you're gonna get your chance, like it felt like they were cheering for you.

How supportive of those leaders and the other guys in the wide receiver be room ben for you.

I mean, I mean, they's supportive as it gets.

I mean, it's I don't even think i'd really explain it, but those dudes are like big brothers to me.

You know, they mentor me, uh, the whole group, they mentor as young guys we come in every day.

They keep pressing the standard an example, and it's just at the end of the day Stephen mc.

They always just inspire.

You, put in belief into you, put in if you don't got confidence, you said, they're gonna.

Put confidence in you.

And I mean, I think that's great as a VET and as from a VET to a young guy.

So, Kyle, I gotta let you know we have you know, we do shows during the week here at Patriots dot Com.

We have a caller who calls in every week with something that he predicts is going to happen in the game a couple of weeks ago.

Uh, you know, he said something last week he said, Parker Romo is going to miss an extra point.

It's going to be a big point in the game.

This week, he said, Kyle Williams is going to catch a fifty plus yard touchdown pass.

So no, not only just you were going to catch a touchdown, it was going to be from fifty plus.

So I wonder know if you have something going on with some of our fans.

No, I don't know from a canapick, but I need to get in touch.

Oh, Kyle, thank you so much for your time.

Congratulations on the week.

I appreciate, thank you, travels, congratulations, thank you, thank you.

Phrase from I should I should point out too.

We you know, we heard this year that you know a lot of people in the building got to meet with various rookies when they came through, and somebody said to me, like everyone just loved Kyle Williams, Like his personality just won everybody over.

You can see it in the locker room.

He's always got a smile on his face.

Last week during Halloween, he had one of those costumes where I think, you know, you put it on and it looks like you're carrying somebody you know, smaller than you.

It's your head.

And he just gave it to one of them.

He's like, you need a costume here, you have.

A costume for tight.

You gave it to one of the writer.

You just gave it out.

But uh, you know, I asked him that question because you could just tell that this little group, they all kind of sit together and for a group that just didn't really have much energy or good vibes or you know, didn't wasn't able to ever find any momentum last year the wide Receiver room this year credit digs credit Mac Hollins.

The older guys that have come in and really just you know, established a great leadership.

I mean the answer that that Kyle gave I thought was, you know, pretty impressive.

I he's kind of a throw away, like, oh.

They've been great, but he you know, it really shows how much those guys have meant to the younger guys in that room.

And you know, to Paul's point, you gotta stay patient, you gotta wait for your chance.

And here we are, second half of the season.

He starts it off with a bang and a huge play so uh, and he's probably gonna get another chance in four days here against the Jets.

I can't imagine they would they would rush Booty back four days later.

But yeah, you could see it.

You could see the way that they've talked about Williams.

You know, in these in these days, when we get a chance to talk to some of the receivers, when we get a chance to talk to Todd Downing, there are plays there and you can see that that it's close.

And now I think maybe this, maybe this is the start of, you know, some consistent contributions.

I'm not again, I think I said in the pregame show, I'm not expecting eight for one hundred.

But I wonder, guys, it's one play here, you know, like it's it's amazing, like how different Like let's say that the guy for Tampa doesn't undercut the route and just gives up the catch.

You know, it's one catch with twelve yards.

You know, how much different will you look at it?

But the guy undercuts it, misses it, he turns it up, and as Kyle said, I had nothing but.

That, you know, and it's you know, and to the point I made in the pregame show, about born of just you know, seeing some run after the catchabal seeing a little burst with him, you know, a special play.

But I'd like to see more of that, more of that speed and his ability just to make things happen even though they're not.

You know, Matt Drake is great at throwing the ball down the field and making those big plays.

But I think if you can make some easier throws that they take to the house, make things a little easier on Drake.

Alright, we I think we got through most of the bad.

I think anything else, Paul, you want to talk about them taking a knee on first down.

There, No, don't do that.

Don't let our guy out.

But a lundry list of injuries, and I guess we'll have to wait and see how it all.

I mean, I do think every well Jenning, Terrell Jennings did not return.

Correct, Terrell Jennings did not return.

I believe all of the well, Marcus Jones, Marcus Jones returned, Barbara and Henderson obviously returns announced as questionable, and Mapool returned.

And Jalen Hawkins I was just dirting his eyes or was it.

I don't know, I don't know.

I think he was back out there.

So the bar More is the one that would be a little bit I would be a little bit wondering about, because he came back in the game for sure, and then later he was announced as questionable, so I couldn't tell.

I know, they were rotating a lot of guys up front, Mike, you know, late in that game.

I think it was really humid down there.

I think I think they were really working hard at They were working really hard at you know, trying to keep guys as fresh as they could.

So just stuff to keep an eye on.

Again, with another game coming up on Thursday, three games in twelve days might be takes a physical toll.

Temperate temperature control is reigning there.

It's hot, you know, going back and.

Forth, rable kneeling next, injured players holding hands.

I don't need to see any more serious exactly like look you see it right here on your screen.

He's only his hand, thankfully, hopefully.

It's hopefully Barber's all right.

I mean he's he's a key piece.

But you know, this is just the game.

It's a game of attrition in the NFL, and and the Patriots have been incredibly lucky with injuries and facing a short week, you hope that none of these things are too severe.

Sometimes guys get back out there, they play, and then tomorrow they really hits them.

So with the short week, I think all of these players, even though some of them were returning to the game, we have to probably keep an eye on all of them for sure.

So we're getting a lot of your calls already.

Let's head out to Christian in La.

Are you been, Christian?

Hey, I've been.

Actually i've been better.

Pressure up and down?

Oh no, yeah, I feel that too.

Actually, yeah, I'm glad it's even down hopefully.

Well.

I got to say that I do love Drake May's footwork in the pocket.

Some of the things that he's been doing just magnificent.

His boys and presidents in the pocket, his decision making up and down.

But he'll get better.

But I'm actually pretty angry at Josh McDaniel's play calling in the second half of the last two games, and it's getting to the point where we're providing games because he just is not able to make it click in the second second second half.

I don't know what he was doing with the runs at the times he was doing it.

And if Drake May's taking a bunch of hits.

It's because Josh was calling plays that give him downfill options.

We know Drake likes behold the ball and look down there.

You've got to take those options away from in the second half when we're leading and we just need to matriculate the ball down the field.

Stop running into a brick wall of Bata by three.

I'm just really pissed at his play calling.

But what do you what do you guys think about that?

Take you off the air?

Yeah, goad, they threw it thirty two times and ran at twenty.

I don't think they really I didn't think they ran into a brick wall a lot.

No, I mean, I mean they did run into a brick wall.

I don't think that they tried to just pound it over and over and over again.

I thought they tried to run and couldn't.

Yeah, for the most part.

No, I mean I get what he's saying, Like, you know, it's just when the run's not going and it's second down and ten and you see another tosser left.

But I don't agree what you're saying.

You know what it just was today.

If the lack of matriculating the ball down the field was for the first time really since Week one.

Drake may was was average, you know, with his accuracy, he's sixteen to thirty one today, it's hard to matriculate the ball down the field on third and seven when you missed the guy now downfield he's perfect to Mac Collins, you know, on the deep ball in the fourth quarter.

But that, to me, was why you had a hard time stringing play together today.

Is because your quarterback was a little i mean early in the game.

He was all over the place, you know, and they were making they made a big deal out of the rain, which I don't think really had anything to do with it.

But he was a little high.

Did you think you was sailing a little bit early in That's why you couldn't matriculate the ball down the field.

And you know, I mean, and the other thing I'll say is, just like.

Team carries in this game, right, three of them resulted in excellent runs.

He had a sixteen yard run on third and ten.

In the two long touchdowns.

Okay, so let's just say for argument's sake, and this isn't true, but I'll but for argument's sake, the other eleven were all running into a brick wall.

They weren't because, as you said, Mike, they had plenty that went wide in lost yard.

But is that too many times eleven carries in the middle like that?

Is that running by?

You can't just throw the ball every single play?

Yeah, and and and and and Honestly, it seemed like early out of right out of the gate, that they kind of wanted to try to run Torell Jennings more into the middle of the field.

Looked like it was to me setting up for maybe a game of more of him and giving him not just Trayvon and then break glass and emergency.

But Jets, now you lose him and now right, So, I mean, I think that's something you have to acknowledge too when you're going to criticize the play callings, Like there's not a deep bench, there's not a lot of places to go.

And yeah, you know when Travon Henderson run out the middle, it is not his great thing.

I mean, granted, you know one of the times and.

Christian, if we're still listening, you know, I know you hung up, But like, I don't necessarily think I'm not trying to sit here and tell you that I thought Josh McDaniels man he was on it today.

He was die on it up he wasn't, And I think that's because you played a team that's a little bit better than the teams that you've been playing.

They didn't.

I mean again, you're gonna look at numbers.

They had four hundred and thirty five yards today.

I don't think this This was, to me, not anywhere close to his effective an offensive game is that what they've played over the last say, six weeks.

They made four really big plays in this game.

The seventy two yard touchdown Kyle Williams, the two long runs for Travion Henderson, in the bomb to MATC Collins for fifty four yards.

Those four plays were a bulk of your four hundred yards of offense.

But you know what those all count.

And again it's not like one play.

It's four, four big plays.

That was enough today to win a game.

But if you were going to be forced to, you know, sort of inch your way down the field, Tampa was gonna make you make that awfully hard on you.

And I think you were really only able to do that once you know that that last drive of the first half was kind of that A lot of short throws that was the time of the game where I thought May got a little hot.

You know, that was a let's see fourteen play, seventy eight yard drive the last seven sixteen to the first half.

That was a lot of short throws.

That was the matriculating ball down the field drive.

That's the only time Tampa allowed you to do that today.

How many of those throws today where it looked like May was stepping throwing and then someone would dive and knock the ball away in front of Hunter Henry Like that's sometimes the other team is pretty good and you know, Tampa, Tampa's as good as you are.

That's the difference today and why that game went down to the like that, it is because the other team was as good as you were and not like Atlanta and Carolina in Cleveland and Tennessee that teams that can't get out of their own way.

By the way, the Panthers lost to the Saints today, the old Panthers.

Yeah, everybody has a bad way.

Hey, any given Sunday.

Paul you know on Mayfield though, I you know, notoriously trashed him when we saw him in twenty twenty one right here for the Cleveland and you know, even when we saw him then again in what twenty three with the Panthers, and.

That's one in front of Diggs even too, there's McCallum.

Yeah, and I think, you know, Mayfield's a good player, but I think still think he's a.

Little bit sporadic at times, and there's just you know.

There are something We saw some drops, we saw some misses from him as well.

But I was, you know, I didn't think he navigated the pocket overly well today either.

No, no, but you know, he wasn't bad.

He didn't.

I didn't think he played a bad game.

I mean twenty eight for forty three, two seventy three and three touchdowns.

I mean it's not it wasn't a bad game.

But like it's just a little inconsistent.

We just talked secon that would be again, like it's just uncanny.

Six plays sixty five yards right out of the gate again, I mean that should have been on the bad list.

And then and then for the next but you know the next two point punt, you know, and again it's like third and three, third and two, like those those are hard plays in the NFL because you got to cover so much field and it's so easy to just throw, you know, a quick, quick hitter or you get the first down.

Yeah, you had it exactly right, Paul.

I mean it was a third.

I mean on the assuming three punts after that touchdown drive, it was a third and seven, but then a third and three, a third and two.

Uh, you know, good, good job.

I mean even a.

Third and eleven they got off for the field goal.

But yeah, it's a I just I don't get it.

It's uncanny.

Like I don't even like really stress about it anymore when the other team comes out, just.

Like, all right, I can't believe it mentally how much I've I've done a complete one eighty from the last couple of years.

Where Like, had the Patriots thrown that pick in the end zone last year and failed to go up by two scores at the end of the game, I would have said, that's game they lose.

Now I didn't think that.

I'm not.

I thought the game was over, that they had nothing to worry about.

But I just felt like the Patriots defense would find a way to come up with a stop, because that's what's been happening.

It is it is again.

I go off of what I see, not what I think.

You know, like Miami had that situation earlier in the year, down six, driving right down the field.

Patriots come up with a stop when they needed it.

Same thing happened today, Same thing happened against Atlanta last week.

You know, yeah, they're with the viewers.

Well, I me, when we talk about identity, it's like this team definitely has an identity.

It's you know, and it's for better or worse, like the good things the bad things.

There are things that happened consistently.

But you know, to Paul's point, now that you've watched whatever it is, ten games of this team, you.

Don't get his rattled or you know, like tough just the bomb to Max stress.

Third and fourteen, yeh, third and fourteen getting killed that game is over the last two years.

The third and fourteen at the end of the game, they are punting it back to the other team and they're going right down the field of score.

But you know, to see Drake's ability, I mean we've seen it a handful of times this year where it's like I got to have it play and it's not just getting the first down, it's going for a knockout blow down the field.

And I just I love that aggressiveness.

I mean, I'm sure there'll be plenty of conversation about the levels of aggressiveness that Mike Fable and this team show.

And you know, knowing when to go gas and when to go breaks, because sometimes I think you're a little uncertain, you know, sometimes there's a fourth down and the like, are they I don't know if they're gonna go Are they going to go for it?

You know, so that might be a thing that you have to kind of figure out exactly.

But they're a tough team.

They're a tough team and I would not rule them out, you know, no matter what the situation is, whether it comes down to needing a final score or needing a final stop.

They're the kind of team that is showing over the course of the season they can do they can do both well.

We have some in Francisco in North Carolina.

Oh here he comes.

Let's go the.

Man of the hour, Grancisco.

We're here to give here your flowers.

As the kids like to say.

Matt's got to send you a T shirt.

I think at least one.

Yes, Francisco, refresh my memory.

What was the first one that you had?

I know, last week it was Parker Romo's going to miss an extra point.

What was the one before that that you nailed?

It was travy On Henderson, the out perform quinch Sewn Jenkins.

Oh yeah, okay, that one.

We want to talk about that one.

So what's your secret, Francisco?

Honestly, I don't know.

He's on a heater though.

Get your DraftKings.

We're not allowed to do such, of course, but you should.

I need to my brother.

He told me that I came back, he said, he said, the only thing that messed me up was the Browns game.

He had everything of great, I'll said, I said, next time, I'll just all conjure something.

I'll let you know.

You're onto something that's awesome.

Well, I don't know if you caught it, Francisco, but we just talked to Kyle Williams on the show.

Here we we shouted you out.

So, uh so we'll talk to him this week.

He said, he does not know you.

Just declare he didn't know you from the Cannap paint.

Well, hopefully get to know me.

Well, you keep making the predictions, I'm sure.

Oh yeah, no problem, no problem, But yeah, a talk I had to call in.

Thank you, thanks for calling in.

Well, I mean those are like I said to you during the week.

It's not like you're predicting like a one yard touchdown plunge.

For like, you're predicting things that are way way out of the norm.

And that's two in a row.

That were you know, the first woman's kind of falls into that category of kind of what.

But a specific guy is going to miss an extra point and a specific guy is going to have a fifty plus yard touchdown catch.

Those are not run of the mill predictions.

Hats off to you, my.

Friend, play a lottery tonight.

Play that Mega millions.

Every time I wear that T shirt, you know, I'm gonna feel special.

But stay tum.

When did they all get you with something new?

There you go, thank you.

Make sure you get it first before.

You Yeah, I know you never know, all right.

Chris is in Tampa, Chris, Chris reat the game?

Are you sleeping after the game?

Chris, you're tired of the game?

Yes, okay, that's ad to know.

What the what the atmosphere was like, the good amount of Patriots fans you could hear on like failed third downs for Tampa.

You could hear if you here, you know, not quite like when Tampa was doing stuff.

But you could hear it.

Absolutely could hear it.

Sean and Vancouver, are you awake?

Sure?

Well I was at the game, so Mike, I have thetake for you.

The abster was incredible.

It was so amazing to see so many Patriots fans that I actually came late back from the halftime and I heard this crowd roar, and I figured, Patriots must have to turn the ball over.

I look up and it's twenty one, twenty one point, Like, wow, we've got a touchdown.

Fans are just going crazy.

Sean.

It sounds like you were yelling at the game too, huh oh, well yeah, yeah, we're yelling.

Get some tea and having the time of his life.

There you go, and you know, you get the Patriots or eight and two and here for season and there's the first is the other thing that's even crazier.

They're alone in first place because the Dolphins beat the Bill.

This is a great day in Florida.

Correct, what a day football celebrate?

Yeah?

Oh you think it?

Into all right, Sean.

Thanks Sean, go get some tea and some honey.

I'm just walking back to my hotel.

Oh yeah, stay safe, stay safe.

No, I just meant like he looks you like, sounds like you might have had hello something.

I hope so celebration.

It's linked.

We got a No, it's interesting.

I was just was taking a glance at some of these other scores, Paul, looks like Houston and Houston pulled.

One out late, and they pulled it out opposite day here.

Jackson had another late game collapse that was like twenty nine to thirteen or something like that, and they ended up taking a thirty twenty nine lead in uh in winning and I think they got a defensive score as time expired the Jets.

The Jets coming in here, rolling off of their second wins.

Let the Jets get hot.

Yeah, one for eighty.

Three and justin fields six of eleven for fifty four yards, touchdown an interception.

So it should be inside for good fantasy quarterback, does it?

No?

Hey, they rallied though around the guys that are still there and uh but big opportunity for the Patriots this Thursday night to get that nine win.

You know, lock up a winning season.

But I think this team should continue to just try to fix the mistakes, try to fix the.

Little things, you know, I just as good as this game win.

Was, I think there's still you know, you're starting to see some clunkiness and you know, and I think some of that's due to some of the injuries, especially with Vermandre.

It'd be great to see him back.

I don't think we'll see him back Thursday night.

That's probably asking a lot, but you know, kind of what we were just talking about, they seem like a team who kind of understands how to win a little bit, and now that can change quickly.

I mean, it only takes a couple of plays, but making the plays when they have to, it's pretty impressive.

Yeah, we don't want to belabor the bads every week, but it's to your point.

You want a championship contendering team, you want to build upon.

Yeah, and that's just what I hope people understand.

We had to like kind of disclaim when we were kind of picking Drake's game apart this week, and you know, but that's like, look, it's no longer about like, hey, you won your fourth game of the year and that isn't this amazing.

It's you know, look at this team.

We want them to make noise in the playoffs, not just be a playoff team, and so you start to.

Raise the bar a little bit and hold to a higher standard.

And you know, I just I just think cleaning up some of the hits on Drake, whether that's you know, on him, I don't really blame too much on the offensive line, but that's the only thing that really truly scares me is getting him hurt or banged up in a way that you know it's gonna completely change the course of the season.

But you know, even if this is exactly the team that goes into the playoffs, you know they're gonna be fun to watch.

They're gonna make some noise.

You know.

I don't want to say does nobody wants to play, but you know it's just their team that that you know is is going to be a pain in the button, especially with quarterbacks like that who can throw the ball down the field, and you know, a defense that tends to make plays when they have to.

Find a way attend to Savannah Jason, How Savannah?

Hey everybody, Hello, Jason, I got a couple of questions for you, and I want your opinions on them.

So, first of all, who else here things?

Francisco's Trin traveler.

Absolutely, Yeah, he knows too much.

Third predictions, keep them mar good side.

The more serious question when we have quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahons, and Drake May in this case, who all are like MVP candidates people talking about I've seen a lot of haters in the YouTube comments about like, oh it, Drake May can't be a MVP if.

He's playing like this.

And granted Atlanta this game wasn't his best games, but I want your guys opinion.

Do you think he's still relatively you know, top two or three in the running on MVP conversations And I'll take it off air.

I appreciate it.

Yeah, I think he's in the I mean, let's just call it top five for a round number.

He's in the mix.

I mean to me, I don't if you guys feel different, right.

You know, I mean, honestly, two or three sounded a little a wee bit high to me at this particular moment.

But everything, everybody's got ebbs and flows in their seats.

Just went down to Miami and and you know, and they lost, and that's you know, one of the guys you would have put, you know, based on the way he was playing, you know, at the higher end of the list.

I mean, I watched Jonathan Taylor going rush for you know, well over two hundred today and put a team you know, on his back a little bit and in overtime, and you know, does a running back really I don't know, Like, yeah, he's gonna end up with a lot of touchdowns for a running back to win it.

It's like Sean, Alexander Ladany and Tomlinson.

It's like an absurd of touchdowns, but he's going to end up with an absurd amount of touchdowns.

Yeah, like mid twenties.

Yeah, kind of absurd.

It is slightly getting ahead of ourselves.

But what more do you want to see from Drake to differentiate himself from.

Just a little bit more sixty minute consistency and a cup back on the you know, critical turnovers just you know, and look, turnovers are going to happen.

It's just sometimes I think with Drake when they're happening is like you didn't need to force that.

You know, you take the three points right here, you know, like.

Those hard to those are the moments.

It's hard to imagine what he was thinking on that pick in the end zone today and I thought there were a couple of times, like I said, kuld just throw it away, just throw it away.

Okay, the good job, just that's not throwing it away, you know.

So yeah, just a little more consistency.

But I mean it's the tools are immense.

You can see you can see the skill set.

Yeah, on a week to week basis.

Stack of the point, like I did feel like he got back to some of the good pocket stuff that I liked.

It felt, you know a little bit like he's not dropping his head looking at.

The rush, staying in there.

And you know, but look again, like this not even his first full year.

I mean, they know, it's like he's he's a young kid.

There's gonna be ups and downs, and you know, it's like I said, it's hard to take a snapshot right now when you feel like he's been fine the last two games.

I wouldn't even say he played bad, but you know, he's been fine.

He is, but I wouldn't say last two games.

He's been an MVP candidate in those games.

But he could bounce back Thursday night against the Jets and tear them apart and so right back.

And it's funny because I don't think that this was a bad game for him.

I don't think it was a great game for him.

But like if he like rolls out on that third down and throws a touchdown instead of a pick, that like that's a much better game.

Yeah, you know, that's a huge mistake.

That's probably the.

Biggest nail in the coffin.

The biggest black mark on his performance today was that pick.

You know, he had a chance to make a two score game at the very least make it an eight point game, so you can't lose in regulation and you can't can't throw that pick.

And I mean, these are these are the kinds of situations though, that you got to go through, and in order to improve your decision making, you need to be in those situations where it's trial and error.

And I think he's still learning, Mike.

I still think he sort of gets underestimates the speed of the guys chasing him at times.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was like it he just seems like he's cocky and everybody, but you know it's I guess what it was just one that one turnover is the only turnover in the game, is that interception, So you know it's it's two weeks in a row.

They've lost the turnover battle.

You know, they haven't forced the takeaway in the last two games, but they still won those two games.

So I think that, you know, speaks a little bit too.

They're overcoming.

You know, there's plenty of stats out there when they lose the turnover battle and they're all in, you know, all those kind of things.

So they're they're still finding ways to win, and you just you want them to win the turnover battle and you know, to be able to come out of the gate on defense and you know, play well right out of the gate and force a punt.

And so you know, there's little details that we're pointing out with this team, but the fact.

Of the matter is they won seven games.

I I understand it with how mentally tough they are, and that was always, to me, the most impressive element, especially the first iteration of the dynasty, was just how tough they were and they were almost never gonna beat themselves.

And this team does not beat itself.

They are tough when they need to be tough, and they make place and that's a good sign going forward for you know, with so many guys, that so many young guys playing key roles right now, they're only going to get better.

Yeah.

Well, we're going to talk after the break about what they can build upon with Mike Dussel, And of course we're going to go ahead to the locker room.

Get some postgames sound as well, So stick around here on the Patriots Postgame Show, presented by Draft Games.

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Welcome back into the Patriots Postgame Show, Mike do so what shall we build upon?

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And guys, I think what better way to build the next legacy than to get key contributions, explosive plays from two rookies today.

So that is my thing to build off of.

Kyle Williams of big score, Travon Henderson with two big scores.

You know, it makes you wonder.

Get Kayshaun Body, get Rimandro Stevenson back, and have these guys continue to contribute to round out this offense.

I would love to be able to have Travon Henderson as a weapon rather than somebody you're really going to have to lean into almost every down right now.

But that's I think the obvious one to take from this game.

It's a huge, great sign to see and overall, really solid contributions from rookies across the.

Board this year.

I mean, you've got two starting offensive linemen, You've got Craig Woodson, who Paul mentioned, and now you're getting contributions from Kyle as well.

So that's what we're building off for this week.

Let's hope you can take it into Thursday night against the Jets.

A really, really good one.

Like we said, after the break, we're heading to the podium to see what the Patriots have to say after this win down there in Tampa Bay.

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Now back to the Patriots Postgame Show, presented by DraftKings.

Welcome back into the Patriots Postgame Show.

We have a full house.

Finally, Matt Smith is here, Paparillo, Mike Dus, I'm Kwantie Lunis and Matt.

You come bearing usually the sound the postgame sound.

What's the feel in Tampa?

I want to check on the feeling here.

How's it feeling here?

The feel is high?

Yeah, how do we feel?

We feel really good.

Although you know, people are already you know, criticizing me for being too negative.

Oh my goodness, but that's fine.

Uh, how would you know?

What are you doing on the I did.

The mistake I on Twitter for the first don't.

Look at the comments ever.

Never we're being honest Mike about the fact that they kind of escaped a little bit.

Well, I don't know.

I did the coach the head coach get up and just say what a great win.

This was the greatest win of the season and we're super But.

I don't think he would say that anyway, you know, but I think he was.

There's a lot of I've seen a lot of noise on the inner web about NFC South Champs.

I think he was calling them interesting Atlanta, New.

Orleans, Oh wow, they swept.

Then, I think the n C that's.

Hang it to the rapt in the hallway.

It's funny, that's funny.

That's a that's a cringe comment.

Yeah, that's a Belichick white comment.

In the hallway.

I think he was there's some people in the inner web that was saying that.

But let's speak of the coach.

Let's listen to what the coach had to say after their big win in Tampa today.

Please, all right, until we get to this out, let's talk about what you thought about the game, since we don't get to hear your opinions.

Off there's a pretty gutsy win.

You know.

I don't think they played very well.

They played tough, the only one they played tough, definitely.

And I think when you hear people like is a guy like Explain who says this each and every week, I think he says it because we just could be so much better.

I know, I know our best football is out there.

He's right, like, they can do a lot better.

You I think, you.

Know, I don't.

I think they're so tough and they get by with their grittiness.

This was a huge I think this was a huge win.

You know, Kwannie and I opened the show today because Mike was in the think tank, you know, finishing up his writing.

And every time, and this is like four or five different times, there are situations where the game is hanging.

They're unbeaten in those, Like when the game is on the line and play one play is going to decide which direction this game is going to go.

They make it every single time.

I don't think you can play better than that.

It's fourth and three, we need to stop, and here comes calevon Chase on to make sure that you're not converting on fourth and three.

The third and three before that, here comes Craig Woodson and Christian Gonzales to sandwich Kate Oughten and knock the ball free.

That ball is completed, you're probably going to lose.

But it doesn't get completed.

In Miami, same thing.

Here comes Milton Williams with a sack to make sure that that drive ends against Atlanta last week, Yeah, they got to break when they snap the ball.

But then it's third and twenty and they force an incomplete pass and they make sure that they force the punt at the end of the game.

They're unbeaten in those games that with the play is on the line, you give up a play and you have a good chance to lose.

You make the play, you have a good chance to win.

They make it every single time.

So not to can't play better than that.

Right, So not to predict things, Paul, But does that give you confidence looking ahead that they're battle tested?

Yeah?

It does.

Something like That's what I said last year, the year before.

If Drake Maye throws that pick in the end zone, I say the game's over.

They lost.

I don't say that now.

It started with that Miami game, you know, when they had to kick the field go to make it six.

I didn't have much faith that they were going to get a stop that day because they.

Hadn't done it before.

They never do it right, all right, how they do it every time?

That's true.

Okay, that being said, now let's head to see what coach Mike Frabele had to say after the.

Game A little closer when it would be difficult coming down here.

But two explosive plays and then you know, I think really Connell's play early.

You know, we really needed that one.

That was the one that we were talking about just needing one play and he hit and was great to see him have that success.

I mean, that's that's why I love coaching them, is that they fight and they compete.

It's not always perfect.

It's never gonna be perfect, but I but I love the way that they compete.

You know, you're gonna have some time that you know when if you strike out, you got to go to the dugout and be pissed for a couple of seconds and then you know, you got to go play the rest of the game.

So we tell them, you know, take take thirty seconds be pissed, but we got to go play.

And uh it was a long game.

It's a tough place to play.

It was it was warm, and they're and they're good.

Well, and we're gonna need everybody throughout this season.

We're gonna need everybody.

Uh As this thing goes on.

With kay Sean being out, it was an opportunity for Kyle.

With Remandre being out led more opportunities for a Trevion.

They battled through.

I met I got wore out running out there to see how our guys were doing.

Uh As many times as I did.

But I'm proud of the guys that that battled and competed and laid it on the line.

It was a huge, huge play for us on four.

It down got confidence in our guys and so to be able to to have confidence in them at that moment and then come through, that's about players and not necessarily play.

So I was really excited and proud of Steph and Drake for for scoring when we were and being able to end the half with the football in our hands.

So Mike mentions Kyle Williams, and I want to give the proper shout out to the pregame show crew here for pointing out this is an opportunity for Kyle Williams.

Good job by ladies and gentlemen to talk about that.

That's a that was a good one.

You know.

I got to give all the credits to Francisco predict touchdown.

I got to give all the credits to the guy and that's what he called in during the week, and we talked about that in the pregame show because of that.

Yeah, but yeah, I mean it's you know, the guy's out, he's the guy who replaces the guy who's out.

He's going to get a chance.

He got two chances and made a big play, two targets, one catch, seventy two yards in a touchdown.

Like that's being ready, being ready.

So that was a coach and speaking of being ready, Somewhere buried in this mix of players that went to the podium today and talked is Kyle Williams.

You'll hear from him, but he kicks off with the quarterback, Drake may Man.

It's greaty, No, just so proud of the team.

Just every week we're fighting, some things aren't going our way.

We're handling university battle, university defensive stepping up.

You know what a what a uh just what a complete game.

That's what we said all week.

So for sixty minutes, it was a good football team.

We know if we got up, they're gonna come back, and they came marching back.

And I was proud of the guys for standing up official defense with a big stop, and man's proud of the team.

We're a hungry team.

We're a young team.

We're a hungry team.

We're a team with the guy with a lot of chip on their shoulders.

We still feel like we have so much left to prove we have yet to play our best football game as a team, as a defense.

And every week that's why we were prepared.

We go out there every week trying to play our best game, trying to put the best four quarters of the team defense and where you have to get there.

So we're just that taste in our mouth keeps us coming back for more.

I have my routine set and I just stay true to it.

You know, I don't just because I'm not getting this many plays of this week, I got ten plays.

I'm not gonna shy away from that routine.

You know, I'm gonna stay on it because at some point I'm gonna be needed and they're gonna depend on me, and I gotta be ready.

So and I was ready this week.

You get it, Get on the plane.

We'll probably watch some tape of of New York.

You gotta flip the next page.

It's it's quick turnaround.

We got one at home, though, so looking forward to playing with our fans.

Our fans were great out there today.

It was cool.

I feel like our whole side was was Patriots fans, So that was pretty cool.

You know, I was kind of confused, uh, but you know, I tried to make sure to check with the coaches real quick to see, you know, what they wanted me to do.

But I knew I had the guys running behind me as well, so I had to make a decision in like two seconds and so, but you know it, it ended up happening.

You know, I end up getting in the zone.

At the end of the day, we came up with the win.

So I assume you guys, Gallus thought he made the right play, like the quizicalicks.

The right play, but if you don't recover the on side kick and you lose the game, right right, And why he was looking, that's I mean, he's he's clearly looking for direction.

And he said the same thing happened to him last year in a game against in a game when he was playing for Ohio State, that he was going in and he sat down.

So that's why he wanted to make sure.

Ye I don't think anybody would ever criticize a kid right here for just saying, Okay, this is going to give us a two score lead, I'm going to put the game away.

But there's a there's a decision to be made.

I'm not necessarily saying this is the wrong one.

But he's clearly looking and they're probably waving.

I don't know if he was able to pick him up, you know, pick picked him up, and they were telling him to go in.

But if you go down, the game is over.

If you score, the game is extended.

And as I thought, which I'm sure the three of you said, go in.

As the announcer said during the game, Diggs caught five balls today.

He took the biggest on the last catch.

Brilliant.

So just again, I like to be it's not a result based thing, like you can say what was the right move?

They end up winning the game by five?

Well, no, like if you don't get the on side kick.

I think people are looking at it a little bit different, right, you know.

I think the one that deserves a little more.

I guess discussion I'm not willing to do because I'm not going to spend the next week getting criticized by Patriots fans who are going to be butt hurt.

But to openly not try to score in the first half of the game on first down, to me is a reckless decision.

But I'm like it worked.

They scored on fourth down, no harm, no foul.

I'm not going to get into one argument about it because I know how this is going to end.

I'm going to be the bat.

You know, Mike, you're saying that people are saying you'll be a negative.

I'm not being accused of be a negative.

And instead of in game winning streak with an eight and two record, especially after that win that was a big boy win.

And then I want to bring up one of the things that young Perillo has been mentioned.

So young and Chris, if you had put up the shot at Drake May, please after the game, and I want you to check Drake May's right shoulder.

Now, I'm not saying that there's anything that like this is an indicative of it.

He's got some awis and scrapes on his right left shoulder.

Excuse me, But as I think we all viewed today, you know, six sacts the last two weeks.

No, he didn't take six sacks a day.

So I think the offensive line is a little bit of did a better job.

I think, really tough found and you know, it's a it's a league where it's a war of attrition every single week, and you know he got drilled on the sideline when there was a lot of people looking for flag on that play.

You know, did they hit him in the helmet?

Was?

He was not out of bounds, so it was safe as far as that's concerned.

But I think I saw some chatter saying, did they get him close to the hedge they flagged him for, you know, hitting him in the head, you know, but.

He got popped.

I wonder if that's what people are being on you for, Mike, because you made the comment that like he needs to sort of just get out of bounds, like he does a little wash.

Yeah, that's what he said.

The calls tother way, like blow to the head, No way, Okay, he's a lot less than that been called before, Paul.

Not that far and bound.

That might be where he got the shoulder.

No, I'm talking about hitting the head.

He doesn't hit him in the head.

That call, that's total shoulder.

That's exactly what Christian Gonzales and Craig Woodson did to Kate Auten, two great textbook shoulder hits.

It's not a shoulder, but his head just happens to wabble.

The contact is with the shoulder.

Chris Head, that's not a headshot.

I'm sorry if that if that call goes against the Patriots.

You guys are losing your minds losing your mind.

Hits a shoulder.

He hits him in the shoulder with the shoulder and then.

The head head.

Afterwards, Nian says he picked up the flag.

They didn't throw a flag.

They did throw one flag on the play, and then they threw.

Another flag with the hat because the same guy throws the flag and he has to use his hat on the second one.

I listen this football.

I I agree with Mike.

I think you just got to get out of bounce.

And he doesn't do it often enough and fast enough, like, just get out.

It's going to be right there.

Chris just shows.

So that guy throws the flag and then he throws his hat, which is because he doesn't have a flag anymore because he already threw one another.

I thought, good job by the officials in this game.

By the way, it's two weeks in a row that the officials did not get involved in the did a nice job.

I have no idea who that is.

That's if that's the referee, I'll take the work.

That's Kwannie.

I agree.

I don't need to know who.

I don't need to the fact that I know who calls what and what the reputation is is wrong.

You shouldn't.

You shouldn't have a reputation for anything if you're officiating games.

Oh Jesus, rough game, guys, Marcus Mariota just got killed.

Yeah.

I just the toughness the Patriots show on a week to week basis to me is what really stands out when games are on the line.

They're almost perfect when they have to be.

They make place.

I love it, and I know, as you guys talked about on All Access this week, Paul, you are seeing the accumulation of ten weeks.

We all know.

About Booty, we all know about Stevenson, we all know about Ellis.

You know Barboer goes down for a little bit, comes back, Henderson goes down for a little bit, comes back, Jennings.

Who's year?

What running back for?

This is the rest of the game.

Who else got dinged today?

You know?

Right?

So it's like.

They will be.

They will be racing to the exit signs, I would think, especially if they can get out of Thursday with the win, because you know, every team could do to break at this point in time.

I'm not putting the Patriots above anybody else.

But if they can get out of Thursday with a win after eleven games and get some time off, that would do them a lot of good.

Agree.

All right, let's take it back out to the phone lines.

We have Dan and daytona b bless you, Matt, Dan, Yes here, yeah, Dan.

Okay, hey, uh but it was it was an amazing game.

I got to watch in one of my buddies.

I'm here.

I'm actually originally from Tampa, Florida.

I'm a regular color color all the time given Michael hard time.

Uh yeah no, but I'm a long time patrieman.

But it was.

It was a great game.

I was doing.

I'll say three things that I liked.

I love.

They finally got Mac Collins more involved.

That was awesome.

Mac Collins, you know, using his tall frame.

That was great.

And man, I don't know, I was this interesting guy.

I mean he was irrelevant.

I mean, he didn't seem like he was seeing the offense season longer.

It looks like he looks like a like he was from Ohio State.

I don't know if this is the.

Same guy or they just cloned this guy from Ohio State.

He just it looks totally different.

He doesn't look like the same guy you know that we saw all season.

But if he keeps that of then damn.

They need to play this kid more and keep developing.

And then the other part, the bonehead moved by Drake.

Drake almost had two picks today.

The pick that he had in the end zone was ridiculous.

And then Mike's face if you saw I don't know if you all saw Mike's face.

Uh, right after that play when Drake threw the interception that was it was such a bonehead and egregious play by Drake.

He did good in this game, but he's got to cut down on those bone heads.

I mean those are throws that you see Trevor Lawrence making all the time.

I mean, he's ridiculous hair flip.

Uh yeah, I mean that's you know, look, that's that's where we're at.

You know, we want this team to make some noise in the playoffs.

We want to connect correct the mistakes.

And it's been impressive how they're winning these games, and there's a ton to be excited about.

But you know, this is what we do.

We have to talk about this for twenty hours a week or whatever it is, and you know, we break down what the nuances and where they need to improve.

But you know, right now, it seems just it seems like a football team.

Maybe that's the simplest way to put it.

And it felt like that was kind of what was coming together.

Not perfect team, but they're playing together.

And pretty balanced team too.

Like the offense does it and then they, you know, go through some struggles and the defense does it for a little while and you know, you know, they get off to a bad start, but then they lock it down while the offense gets its footing, you know, so it's been pretty balanced.

Yeah.

Wow, I sort of.

And I understand why the play what the players are talking about, because players are never going to be satisfied, and I like that they shouldn't be correct.

But I think you're maximizing what they have to offer right now being eight and two.

And Mike, I think to your point, they're closeness shows shows up.

You know, I think they've got each other's back might now is that easier to do when you're eight and two?

As a most to and eight?

It feeds upon itself, right, And that's the thing that you know, you just every football season, and I talked about it one hundred times how it goes when it's bad.

But you know, take a guy like Kyle Williams today, who know was you know, had one catch, but it was a huge catch and now he feels a little rewarded and he's going to go into practice in a couple of days with some renewed energy and maybe that helps him, you know, carry that over in a Thursday.

So it's just, you know, it's just one of those things where you feel picking up momentum and each win and adding and you know to that in that respect, like is there something to say with it's kind.

Of a sporadic schedule the next four weeks.

It's you know, a Thursday night game, then a Sunday game, then a Monday game, then an off week.

You know, it's not that you're going to get out of that routine a little bit.

So I think it's something the coaching staff needs to be, you know, cognizant of, is you know, how do we keep the momentum kind of going without All Right, you're probably going to get next weekend three day weekend, probably like a Friday.

I mean, I don't know what the players are going to do, but you know, no practice back in and then buy all that stuff.

So it's just hopefully they can stay mentally tough through some of the challenges of the schedule changing a little bit, which doesn't sound like a big deal, but I think when you're in it, I think it's a good point.

The routine you're in, it's there's some comfort to it, and you know, we feel it.

We're auxiliary to the team, but we still base our schedule off of their schedule, and you know, I feel it when it's like, oh my god, we're not what's going on today?

Well, you know, the bye weeks and stuff.

It's always strange.

So hopefully they're able to manage out a little bit.

One other thing that Dan said that I just wanted to jump on.

I don't know how you guys talked about it.

I'm a big Matt Collins and I think it's really curious how he Why did he bounce around to so many different teams?

You know what?

Like why why is that he's willing to go in and do the dirty work in the run game.

He's willing to, you know, and he's not perfect as far as that's concerned.

He's hift a couple of times, but he's willing which I think is helpful.

Like you saw his speed and his separation on the long play or something like that.

He's available over the middle to get some of those you know, just move the chains along on third and seven, he'll give you eight or nine.

He's he he's certainly in the contention for the most interesting cat on this team.

Absolutely, And I think he's a productive player as well, a really productive player.

So I talked to some people before the season because his reputation is great locker room guy, great leader, blah blah blah.

And we've seen that.

We saw it with Miami a few years ago, we saw it with Buffalo last year, and we saw it.

We've seen it now through through ten weeks.

So I asked two people, you know why, it's like, why does he keep I think it's like six teams in six years or something like that, Why does he keep moving around so much?

And the answer I got was what he basically brings is all the stuff that we're talking about, and he's but he's content to be like so he is sort of that complimentary fourth guy, and teams don't necessarily want to pay for that.

Yeah, it's like he's all the teams that he's been on.

I guess Buffalo made a good push to try to keep him, but they ultimately weren't able to do it.

And teams look at that as like that intangible is not necessarily something they want to invest a lot in, so he kind of keeps just running around on one year deals.

I would look at it like Buffalo right now, I bet you, I bet you that.

I bet you they they miss I bet you Josh Allen misses him because I think he was a very reliable guy for them.

Like do you think they that.

These teams are always there's a shinier looking toy out there.

Yeah, he can be our third, maybe our third, but our fourth receiver.

But look at this guy and look at his speed, you know, look at his time in the forty.

Buffalo doesn't have that.

That's why I know Buffalo wanted him back.

They lost him for him, they didn't really replace They didn't replace him.

I think it was more of a sort of just a money thing.

And you know, you know, I'm always critical of these guys.

They got the money, spend it, like you're in a window where you can win a title.

Spend the money.

You know, it's dumb.

It's dumb with what some of these teams do.

What I think Buffalo misses him.

I think he was a valuable guy for them last year.

Not a game breaker, but a guy who's going to do exactly what he's done for the Patriots Off the field.

My Instagram has been targeting me with his videos where he gives you tips like life hacks, cleaning, yeah, the macat Yeah.

So Instagram has been pushing him heavy on the feeds as well.

I mean, he brings a lot to the table.

He's an interesting dude, very interesting.

It likes to walk around barefoot.

Yeah, a lot of weird, quirky tips.

Six I mean, twenty six catches this year.

I mean it's you know, he's he's I mean, he's gonna have one of the I mean, he's probably not going to top the fifty seven catches he had with Josh McDaniels.

But he's up to twenty six this season, which is already is you know, third best season.

Last year he had thirty one with Buffalo, So you know he's I mean, he's contributing.

He's you know, and I just we spoke with him last week.

We interviewed him here, and you know, talk about the just the funny relationship he's developed with Ethon Chisholm, Like they just got like this, like you know, a little strange buddy, you know, growing friendship that they push each other and stuff.

And I mean he, like I said, when we ask Kyle, he's been a big part of changing that room and just changing the dynamic and giving it two veteran voices who you know, go about it the right way.

I think that's another thing with Mac Collins, of putting the work in knowing what it takes.

To be a professional, and I think that's a lot of what that room needed.

I know, you're the draft guy, Mike, and I'm not am I dumb for not knowing that Kyle Williams could run away from people, because he ran away after that, Like yeah, I didn't know he had that kind of juice.

That was the most impressive.

I mean, that were a sick throw by May, but he just turned on the afterburners on that.

If if he's a home run hitter and thirty two is a home run hitter, that brings a dimension to them, that brings a dimension to them that this team hasn't had in a while.

You know, if I were just to give a little advice to Todd Bowles, I probably have Jamel Dean in the game.

Not really used, not really used to rotate, They're not really used regular season games.

It's time to get everybody their varsity letter.

The guy under cuts the relt there's nobody there, Like it's just pathetic like defense on that play.

Yeah, and this was like he took more hits in this game than he took in yes, the six SAC games.

More clean hit, I mean more hits period.

And again I don't really you know, I'm not a big AT and T guy, and I know that the next Gen stats will probably tell you that they didn't have any hits to like he got walloped time after time today.

That if there's a concern, that's it, because I don't know what this team would look like without him.

Yeah, if you if you want any quarterback pressure numbers, qurting Thatch and stats, Will Campbell gave up seven pressures, Garrett Brebery five, and Jared Wilson three.

Everybody else had one, So where accurting next Gen the pressure was coming from.

Yeah, and when you look at it as only one sack as opposed to six, I don't think there was that much of a difference.

I did think that the pass protection was better today early in the game.

It deteriorated as the game went along and he took some He took some big hits in the fourth quarter.

Now some of them, some of them like the Mac Collins deep throw.

He took the hit and made the throw.

Now there was a couple that they hit affected the throw before that too, So got to keep him healthy.

Yeah, he felt like there, you know, And that's I think you said it, Paul, Like late in the second quarter, it felt like he started to get a little bit of that rhythm where that was the.

One drive, the fourteen drive, that was really the only drive they had in the game.

And that's like, that's the thing to me that's so exciting about Drake may is just that you're starting to get a sense of, Oh, Drake's Drakes.

He's heated up right now, He's locked in, you can tell it, kid.

He all of a sudden finds a rhythm and he becomes very very hard to stop.

I just would love to see continued progress towards the game where he just doesn't have to do too much.

You know, he's getting the ball, it's out.

He's not getting hits, you know, it's it's just beating teams more with his mind and then when he has to scramble or he has to use his body, then that's just the punishment that's waiting for them for leaving, you know, a lane open for him to escape.

But I just I don't know how we can't all agree that it's not sustainable to continue to allow him to take hits.

No matter what the answer is, the biggest priority for this team should be to.

Keep Drake May upright and safe and healthy, you know, on him on the offensive line, decision making, all that stuff.

That that that to me is just that's it.

That's it.

If you get to the playoffs, I don't care what else happens.

If he's healthy, you know, you're gonna have probably a punchish chance against anybody.

You can't do any of it without him.

All r Let's head back to the phone lines.

We have Ryan in Utah.

Brian, Hello there, Okay, we're gonna head to Connecticut.

Now, Greg, are you are you with us?

Okay?

Greg is here?

Greg is here?

Hi, Greg, We hear you.

Okay, good?

All right?

Yeah, So you know I had a few things in my mind, but like I was thinking about what one of the callers has said about Drake may forcing that touchdown to trying to force that the end zone.

You know, I was frustrated about it too, but I love the fact that, like it seems like Josh McDaniels and Mike Brabil put that trust in him to make those balls.

And I think that those type of mistakes are important, especially when the defense is coming up.

The way that it has.

So I hated it.

I mean, like I was sitting there with my dad watching the game, and I'm like, ah, this man, just like go take the three.

But at the same time, it's like it gave like such a good opportunity for Henderson to just blow up and do what he.

Did in the game.

And you know, also, I'm pretty sure, like you guys correct me if I'm wrong, but that was the Bucks coming off their bye week, so it's like they had tit and arrest.

The Patriots coming into that game ready to go one of their biggest challenges of the season.

And if you guys have already mentioned, I heard you talking a little bit about Kyle Williams, who I've been waiting to see do something.

I think like give Booty and Ramandre Stevenson like another game off and let Kyle Williams and Dravian Henderson just see what they can do against the Jets on a short week Thursday night football ten days after that.

It's just like, it feels like the season is lighting up so well for us in regards to how we can rest and whatnot.

You guys mentioned as well, like keeping Drake obviously like protected.

But it's just great to see what they're doing.

It's wild.

It's like lo ti, I don't want to drink that.

I actually predicted before the season that I could see the Patriots in the AFC Championship game.

Maybe they shouldn't say that, but I felt good about this team coming in.

I just can't believe what they're doing.

So I'm just curious what you guys think.

Okay, I just go back to the same thing that if somebody told you in August that after ten games AB eight and two, you would laugh at that person.

You would say that they needed to be drug tested.

I don't think there's anybody in their right mind that said in August that this team would.

Be eight and two.

I didn't expect them to be eight and two.

No competitive yep.

Now, I'm I don't know how they la.

I don't know if I would have laughed, but I would not have expected them to be eight and two.

Buffalo and Tampa were two games that before the season started I would have had penciled in as losses.

If you had, I would not have penciled in a loss of the Raiders, and probably not Pittsburgh either.

But No, eight and two is exceeding my expectations.

Now we have a look at the regular season MVP odds.

I need Fred's gambling book too.

Does that mean that Drake may has the best odds to win MVP right now.

As of today?

I believe that that's what that means.

That's weird that today would be on the game right like it's.

Good he'd be winning.

Him may have been his worst statistical game of.

The year to your point, like there wasn't.

The completion percentage was certainly.

Down, Yeah, sixteen of thirty one.

He made some some plays, but I mean the biggest play of the game Kyle Williams made that was like a ten yard throw that turned up turned up field.

Guy undercuts him and doesn't have help for the tackle, and it's just the fundamental mistake by the Bucks.

I'm teasing Todd.

Bulls were not having Jamel Dean on it.

But any NFL players should know if I go for the if I go for the knockdown, I got to get it.

I can't.

I either have to secure the tackle or I have to make the play.

You can't do neither.

Didn't the quarterback kind of feather it in there there a little bit?

Does he do?

Yeah?

I mean I would expect Drake May at this point to make that play.

The throw to mac Collins was perfect, and I think Tony Romo said it during the broadcast.

I just I think you'd be hard pressed to find a guy throwing a better deep ball in the NFL right now than Drake May all season.

This is not a one game fluke here.

I mean, this is just it's perfect, just right in the bucket.

It's just perfect.

And it's different guys to It's not like he's like locking on, you know, like he has a rapport with Digs or a rapport with It's like how many different guys you know, Douglas, Booty Hollins, Like you've seen the number of guys get get deep down the field.

You know.

I just that's the part that I would have laughed at before the season, Like Drake May is going to be so good that he's going to be the MVP of the league.

I would have said, come on, he's not going to make that big of a league in one year.

He has right now.

And by the same token though, I mean even from last year in training camp, it's just been one of the things watching him in person that's impressed me the most.

It's just he doesn't hesitate to throw the deep ball.

And you know, admittedly I got one training camp to Tom Brady and then it was like Mac Jones and you know, so there wasn't a lot of pushing the ball down the field twenty twenty to twenty twenty four.

But Drake, he's just it's it's in his that's his game.

His game is pushing the ball down the field, taking those shots, and it's just amazing to see a player who has the confidence but also has the accuracy so pecuted.

You know, here's here's a question I have for now.

It's ten games.

So as the broadcast kept on saying that Mike said to them well, the season's on now.

So during this win streak, I felt like, well, it's nice, but let's see what happens.

Well, now they've really positioned themselves as one of the top teams at least record wise in the AFC, So why not.

Like, as you're looking ahead a little bit and looking at different permutations, their schedule is still kind of favorable.

You know.

I think Baltimore is definitely on the come.

You know, they won again today.

They've got a couple of easy games before they take on That's going to be a really, really hard game, and I think that they're tough.

Kansas City's off this week, is that right?

Yeah?

And he was in a dog fight against Atlanta.

And I don't think anybody saw a Buffalo losing to Miami and they got throttled today, didn't they?

No, But you were in a dog fight with Atlanta last week?

No, I know.

So to me, it's going to come down to the Buffalo game.

Like if you can, if you can beat Buffalo second time and win the AFC East, then it's game on.

You lose to Buffalo and you lose the AFC East and.

You're in a wildcards.

When you're in a wildcard round and I don't like your chances, but I don't really care.

Yeah, the progress that this team has made, that's already.

Yeah.

You know, I'm not gonna tell you.

I'm gonna just sit here and I'm going I'm gonna come out here with a huge smile on my face, you know, in the playoffs after I lose.

But well, gosh, darn it, aren't we just happy to be No, no, no, I'm not gonna do that, but have expectations.

That's gonna be the in my mind, that's gonna be.

The takeaway is, yeah, maybe they're not quite if they lose in the playoffs, maybe they're not quite ready yet, but this team is capable of doing a lot because the quarterback is that good.

Quarterbacks gonna I think you just used the phrase about ten minutes ago.

Quarterback is gonna give you a punches chance against anyone.

And if you could have said that to me before the season started, I would have laughed, Okay.

That's a well, wait, good way to put it.

You know.

Oh, they're gonna play Buffalo at Buffalo and they're gonna have a punch as chance.

Well, they did not only have to punch as chance they won.

Yeah, that to me is something I didn't see coming.

No, I mean either me neither it was.

I mean, it's it's almost funny looking back at like, you know what my question for the season where it's like, you know, it's straight clutch that was kind of like you know, it's like yeah, and it's pretty good, but like it was never like is he an MVP candidate?

We still don't get to see.

Those really been so good they haven't had to do that.

Yeah, there's been one, Like they've had clutch drives to close out games.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, seventy yard run today to close out of game.

But like, yeah, they they really haven't had to have the got to have a drive in the fourth quarter because they've been so good.

They've been they've been in the lead so much.

Forgive me for bringing this up, though, and I just give it.

It's forgiven.

It's an interesting comp that pop pilot into my head, and that is the seven Patriots who were who ran a historic sixteen and no season.

But he got to November December.

I remember coming to see the team like play the Jets and the Dolphins in December, and it wasn't the same anymore.

It wasn't thirty eight to thirteen anymore.

It was you know, you could see the ten against that was winning games.

But it's not looking better right now when things are starting and that, you know, And that's kind of where I come from a little bit with this team now of you know, are we stagnating to stagnate or is this just a little bit of a pause.

I mean, this is you know, Drake went four games without throwing an interception.

Now this is three straight games with an interception.

And now again it's just one interception.

It's not the end of the world.

But you know, that to me is an example of sometimes teams peak in October and have a great run and you know, and I don't want this team to be that.

With a young quarterback, I still feel like there is going to be ups and downs.

But at the same time, you're a young team and you still have like finding out who you are and you know, so I think there's just such a huge opportunity for them this Thursday night to really assert that control of the division.

Win, you know, get your ninth win, have that feeling of like we're gonna have a winning season.

No matter what happens this year with nine wins, but still feel like we need to be better.

We need to clean up these mistakes because we do have a chance to, you know, win a playoff game.

I think that that to me seems crazy, like at the beginning of the season, So just make the playoffs yea.

And I love what Paul said.

I'm not going to come in here and be like, oh, isn't this great?

We lost it because now I'm getting expectations of, like, clean up the mistakes and don't lose in the first round, especially if you're at home to some you know, Jacksonville comes up.

And that's why I think that's that's what makes all the difference expectations if they if they win the division and they have a home game and they lose, you're going to be pissed.

Now if they lose that second game to Buffalo and then'll ultimately lose the division and they're say the five seed and they go to Baltimore, I'm not going to sit here and say that's a game you must have win, Like, no, they could win, and I'm not again punch his chance, but I'm not going to say like disaster of a season you went and lost the first playoff game, Like, there's a lot of stuff that's there's a lot of football to still be played.

Art you're saying the expectation has changed, which is true, but also continuing to manage it because at the end of the day, if this season, like hey, when you say the season will end today, it would still be a successful season.

But also understanding second year quarterback, there's still so much growth to be had.

And I get it.

It's hard when you see the potential, you're like, all right, why not win at all this year?

But we just look at the things like non result.

Like you look at the head coach, it's like he knows what he's doing.

It looks like he's built a program.

And there you have a.

Quarterback and really like that's kind of where the biggest the two biggest pieces of the pile are.

Right.

Sure, you got the you feel like you got.

A coach that the players can believe in, and you got a quarterback that feels like, you know, if he can continue to progress and get better, that he's going to be one of the best players.

And I think that coach is pushing this.

There's more to be had out here, guys, these games are more important.

It's going to get more fun.

The games are going to mean more.

There's a carrot in front of these guys that he's putting out in front.

Of him every single week.

Don't settle, don't be satisfied with eight and two, because we can be nine to two and give a little break or something like that.

Then we got to figure out how we went on the road after that.

So he's constantly not looking too far ahead.

But what's the next challenge?

And this is absolutely a challenge.

They're a little bit banged up.

Uh, they're at least at home Jets team that has absolutely nothing to lose.

They seem to be playing a little bit better maybe for Aaron Glenn.

They didn't have much offense today, but they got two special.

Teams called stop the run and don't turn the ball over.

That's going to be due for Okay, yeah it's.

Uh, someone might have.

But what a UNI game this is coming up?

The rivalries UNI's coming up and the Patriots rivalry uniform.

Yeah, they had the helmets on on Friday, breaking those in a little bit, so it'll be it'll be a new look for the Pats and hopefully they bring some some good vibes and I'll just be curious really how the injuries play out this week with some of these guys, because they hold them all back if you could, I mean, of course, but like you know, but Rabel seems really conscious of managing guys, and I mean all through the season, through training camp, even you know, Wes Morgan mos is coming out late.

Like he seems very aware of that.

And I think if anybody's got something that might linger, that he might err on the side of cost.

If they're healthy, they play.

But like if Booty has got to you know, and if he hamstring, sure, yeah, but that's that's a tough one because you don't know exactly how they are.

Look at him.

There is coming all right.

Before we wrap, we have John and Wyoming.

Who's been waiting?

John?

What do you have to say?

John fell asleep as well on cam?

Think it the camp in New York.

Hey, guys, can you hear me?

Hear you?

Camp?

Awesome?

So I just wanted I have a couple of things.

So first thing is the play calls on defense in the fourth quarter.

I did not like the idea of playing so soft.

Other thing, I know Paul already said he didn't like the idea of Trebun going into the end zone.

Oh I didn't.

I didn't have a huge problem with that.

I didn't.

I understand what he was doing.

Two school leagues in the last two minutes.

Put the game away.

Put yeah, put the game away.

Put the points on the board.

I get that.

And then the other thing was, at least from the live broadcast, it looked like May could have had a chance if he scrambled on the interception to get into the end zone.

Maybe not, but I think.

Yeah, he had just gotten lit up shortly before that.

My guess is that had something to do with it.

But yeah, I saw what you saw, Cam.

I thought he was going to try to run initially, but maybe it closed down on him.

Those guys were fast.

I was impressed with Tampa today.

I mean, with all those guys they were missing, they had every opportunity to win the game.

I know everybody was like, but they're coming off of bye.

Yeah.

None of them came back off the by.

They all missed the game.

Some of they were throwing a lot at Drake too.

Just a lot to decipher too.

It was a good game.

I think the Patriots.

There was a big boy win.

That was a big boy win for the Patriots.

I don't see anything that he had a chance to run there.

Yeah, so for me score, but so yeah, I think that there's is it ninety six down the bottom here or nine?

No?

Who is it?

Yeah?

Ninety six I think is going to make that awfully tough on him to get He's going to maybe he cuts back inside him, but when you cut back inside, there's other guys that are getting there too.

He's got the guy's going to get involved to receiver Hollands.

Yeah, it seemed like they wanted it quick and it wasn't there.

Yeah, it's just a bad play, Like a fake eight point lead would have been significant, eactly.

A little bit like to play the first touchdown plated Diggs, where I'm guessing they were faking the screen to him and then they were going to go back out to Hollands who probably fake block and then went but they didn't fall for it.

I'm kind of similar to I didn't see it to see it, but like it would remind me a little bit of the touchdown that they had early in the season against Miami in a similar spot on the field.

To Hollands.

You know, maybe he's faking like he's gonna block down, it's gonna it's gonna dig out the nickel and then you know cut and they were on it.

Tampa.

I thought Tampa's coverage was pretty good today.

I didn't see a lot of guys wanting running wide open today.

They they had more balls knocked down than we've seen probably all year.

That's why I give the Patriots more credit because it was harder.

They made them work harder for it, and they had to work harder for it, and they did.

Tampas are not great, but they're battle tested.

Two good teams.

Yeah, those two good teams that play today.

Absolutely So.

Like we mentioned the Patriots preparing for a short week, we are as well.

So we're gonna wrap this show up for Paul Parillo and Mike do So and Matt Smith.

I'm Kwannie Lunis.

Thank you for watching the Patriots Post Game Show presented by DraftKings.

Hey, this is Alex.

Thanks for tuning into the show.

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That's a lot