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This is the Patriots Postgame Show presented by Draft Kings the five.

Touchdown.

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Man throws are popped up us on a wheel line.

Hendy drops it in the midsection from Patriots Touchdown.

Bye from our studio, inside you at stadium.

This is the Patriots Postgame Show presented by Draft Kings.

We welcome into the Patriots Postgame Show presented by DraftKings.

If you're like me, you were at the edge of your seat for most of that game.

Pal Parrello is here at Kwannie Lunis and Mike Dus will join us in just a second.

As you just saw in this game twenty four to twenty three, this Patriots now improving to seven and two, stretching.

Out their win streak not only at home but just overall.

Paul, how did.

You feel about this one?

Yeah, it's a lot of mixed bag.

Yeah, I thought the Patriots did some really nice things in the first half.

They got really sloppy for the first time since Week one or.

Probably week three.

The quarterback got a little sloppy and he let the other team back in the game.

But in the end you get a little bit fortunate they miss an extra point and you come away with a win.

Definitely a combination of Drake May's a few mishaps, but also Atlanta clearly hungry for this one the final drive of the game.

Just overall this, I'm still like frazzled by the fact that this happened.

But what did you expect to see this game play out the way that it did?

No?

No, I didn't expect to see that those kinds of mistakes.

The Patriots have really gone the better part of two months and I don't want to say playing mistake for you football, but avoiding those kinds of you know, really costly errors that let the other.

Team back in the game.

Up fourteen, with the ball at midfield in the final thirty seconds of the first half, you can't turn the ball over there, and then you sort of regain your composure coming out of the halftime break, you go up ten, you come up with a stop again, you at midfield, and you turn it over again.

So just too many mistakes to pull away in the end.

I mean, I think the Patriots were the better team, but in the end, they were probably lucky to win the game.

So totally a lot to build off of, but also a lot, you know, to clean up.

Yeah, luckuz definitely plays a role.

Romo missing that final extra point something you don't do as a kicker in the NFL.

But really is what said the game for the Patriots, we could have either ended up in overtime or god knows what could have happened afterwards.

For Atlanta.

You mentioned the turnovers, and of course Drake Maye in the third quarter, it feels as though that's where not only the defense started to figure him out, but like you said, the game started to get a.

Little bit sloppy.

Would you attribute Atlanta figuring him out at that point or no.

I'm not.

Well, so there's a couple of things that work here that you know, the Patriots are gonna need to figure out.

Either they're gonna need to figure out how to protect pass protect better, which I thought they for the most part.

It's not gonna look it, yeah, but I thought for the most part they were better in pass protection today.

But given what you have for pass protection, you need to get the quarterback.

You need to get it through to the quarterback that he can't hold the ball as long as he does on a routine basis.

And I'm not this is not an attack on Drake May.

I mean, the reason why the Patriots is seven and two is Drake May.

I mean it's pretty simple.

But again, we're attacking this from a different lens.

Now, we're attacking this as you are one of the better teams in the AFC.

You are a playoff team, you are a playoff contender.

What are you going to do in these big games?

You're playing bad teams, and you're letting bad teams in the game today.

You let a bad team in the game for a little while last week by with some sloppiness in the pocket.

So these are the kinds of things that ultimately are gonna hurt you if you don't clean them up.

So I would just say I don't think that Atlanta necessarily figured anything out.

I would say, Drake May needs to be better and this is a one time thing.

He hasn't had these kinds of mistakes.

Yeah, he needs to be better with the ball in crunch time, you know, and not not put the ball in harm's way, and today he did too many times.

I know we're going to get into the good, the bad, and the injured in just a second.

But despite the mishaps from this offense, where were some silver linings that you saw?

Oh?

I mean to Mario Douglas was terrific, you know, so, I mean I thought they were able to get another guy involved today, Hunter Henry in Austin Hooper.

Yeah, the tight ends we're big, but Henry, you know the thing that there's two things I'm gonna booke ND with Josh McDaniels that I loved.

One is the first touchdown of the game to do Mario Douglas.

I just loved that play design in the wheel route that you end up, you know with with Douglas on an ol a rookie sort of edge rusher and Jalen Walker.

And then the final third down of the game, it's third and five Falcons are out of time outs.

People are expecting the run.

I hate running the ball in that situation.

I love throwing it.

I love the call.

Maybe you got a little.

Break there with the look.

I'd like to see the replay again.

I thought Matt Collins may have created some space for Hunter Henry.

But I love, love, love the idea of throwing the ball in that situation and ending the game on offense.

So those two things are things that I think that you can build on.

Yeah.

Sure, let's get right into it.

Let's talk about the good, the bad, and the injured.

Now it's time for the good, pretty.

Good, pretty pretty good, the bad.

And the injured.

Ah ah, you are right, guy.

That never gets old to me.

I mean, it hasn't gotten old yet.

I think maybe because they're winning at this point.

Yeah, so I'm going to start off.

You know, this is a little I'm gonna start off with with the Mario Douglas.

I have a few different things, you know, offency, But to Mario Douglas, I thought this was his best game as a pro.

I thought he was really active.

I thought he was opened a couple of other times that they couldn't now I had.

I thought he had a deep over on the first possession or maybe the second possession that they couldn't quite connect on.

But he ends up with four catches on six targets per one hundred yards and a touchdown long.

Of fifty eight.

I thought he showed some toughness after the catch, made some plays.

I thought he was really active in the game.

So he was the top of my list for the good list.

That's a really good one, I will So this one comes with a disclaimer.

I put the Patriots defense on the good list only for the first drive because of the fact that Atlanta had that three and out.

Obviously, it was a roller coaster surve a game when it came to the way they were able to defend Atlanta.

But we've talked over the last few weeks about these slow starts.

So for the fact that Atlanta wasn't able to score on the first that was a solely again the asterisk of that being on the good list.

Yeah, no, I mean I thought they did a lot of good things.

I thought they were better defensively in this game than probably any other game.

Now, again, you're playing a terrible offense.

You know, you're playing the twenty eighth ranked offense in football or something like that.

But you know, you said you wanted to focus on that first one.

I'm going to focus on the last one.

You know, again, Atlanta shows you why they're three and five.

You know, they got a second and ten play and the center snaps the ball when no one else is moving, and all of a sudden, Milton Williams is in Michael Pennix's face.

He's got to throw the ball away to avoid the sack.

Gets a loss of down a on an intentional grounding call.

But the Patriots defense was able to come up big when it had to fourth and twenty.

Falcons are kind of forced to punt in that situation.

And you know, so the first drive that you mentioned, Kwannie, and then the last drive when you know, even a field goal beat you, they were fifteen yards away from beating you, and the Patriots came up big.

Take advantage of that again, Mike Rabel, first day, first press conference, we need to put ourselves in a position where we could take advantage of bad football.

Well that's bad football.

And the game was over on that intentional grounding play.

The Patriots made sure that it landed, didn't overcome it.

So I mean I thought that the Patriots defense again, we'll we'll start with the run defense.

You know, specifically, they hold Jon Robinson to twelve carries fifty six yards.

You know, they weren't they weren't a problem again, you know in the ground game.

Now, for whatever reason that Landa decided not really to run the ball today.

We all thought that it was gonna be about it was going to be about Robinson.

They didn't really try to run the ball all that much, and you know, it came back and got them.

I thought, you know, I thought the front again was good.

I thought they did a good job of stringing some of those Robinson stretch plays to the sideline.

I thought they had layers.

It wasn't you know, if it wasn't a situation where if Robinson could have shaken the tackle, he would have had some green.

I thought they had a lot of bodies around the football chase on Landry.

I thought did a good job of forcing Robinson wide.

But again, you know, three point eight yards to carry, that's that's good run defense for the Patriots.

I thought the defense was pretty good today.

It would have been the top of my list if not for that eighty five yard drive that they allowed to tie, well, ostensibly to tie the game, Romo ends up missing the extra point.

So Mike, we just.

Started good, bad and the injury.

So I led off with to Mario Douglas and then we started talking about the defense.

Yeah, and I you know Quantie wanted to give him, you know, some some props for the first drive.

You know, they've really been struggling early in the game.

They got a nice three and out to start the game, and then you know, we piggybacked on that, you know, when the game's on the line at the end the last drive.

Mike Rabel, what's his mantra when he took over, Let's get in position where we could take advantage of bad football.

They did it with the intentional grounding play on the mishap with a snap.

But I thought the Patriots defense by and large came up big today.

Would have been right at the top of my list number one, no questions asked.

If not for that one drive.

Yeah, sure, I'll want you.

I'll let you jump stuff.

Hello, everyone excited to be here.

Yeah, I would just I would highlight Caleb on Chase on those plays.

I mean, he had the sack on second down that backed them up.

He had a run stuff then on those on those first two drives that I thought played a big part in forcing two punts out.

Of the gate.

Uh, Like you said that TD drive there not great there that third drive, But you know, overall I was okay, effort from the defense, it's just you know, get down into the clutch time.

It's uh, you know, you would have liked to see them maybe be.

A little bit more stout there at the end, but ultimately they made the play.

I guess they kind of I don't know.

We give them credit for the for the uh, you know, for the intentional grounding, but at the same time, you know, it's just hanging by a thread.

And I think I caught a little bit of Raabel as I.

Was coming in here and just saying, you know, you'd much rather be making adjustments after a win than you know, having to make it after a loss.

So you know, they survived.

It wasn't a great second half, but yeah, we can continue.

To get into it.

And then to that point, I did also have Christian Gonzalez on my list obviously before he went out with what I am assuming it's concussion protocol it says, but he he was noticeable in this game.

Yeah, no, I thought he this is another funny one because Drake London has nine for one hundred and eighteen.

I thought he was really good.

On Drake London.

The you know, in credit to Atlanta, they got him off of Gonzales enough, not that he didn't beat Gonzales at all, because the biggest play it was the forty yard it was on Gonzalez.

But I actually thought, you know, Gonzo had had decent coverage on that play and just got beat by by a better player at the time on the play.

But yeah, I had Gonzales on my good list too.

Yeah, almost almost had a pick too.

That would have been a nicer way able to seal it.

Ut I mean that one is just the receiver fell down almost.

For those watching at home.

But yeah, nice nice game from him.

I'm gonna throw on Hunter Henry, you know, I just it's not even though about numbers with him, It's just about the key moments and of course the play you go to at the end with you know, a little bit of mister action, a little bit of traffic going on there trying to get him free.

With that, I want to see it looks like it looks like Collins is coming down.

I think it's definitely a pick play, but I didn't really you know, they might have executed it properly so you know, to avoid the penalty.

Number forty is hitting number thirteen here.

But you know, what are you going to do?

I just Mike, I made a big I just loved the decision to throw the ball.

I think that's what good teams do.

Bad teams run the ball and hope.

Good teams throw the ball and execute.

I think I just made that one up Freddie on.

A fly there I do.

I just love the idea of we're not gonna sit here and hope the other team can't do it.

We're going to do it and we're gonna end the game with the ball.

So I love that call.

And even if they call a penalty there takes more time off the clock, then just run it on third, you know, third down?

Yeah, safe play, Yeah, I love it.

Also on my good list Zarel Jennings eleven carriers for thirty five yards.

Of course the TD, but the bigger story of getting promoted from the practice squad coming in moving the chains when they needed him, especially as we mentioned the pregame, Romandre Stevenson being out in this one.

You need that run game and he's right behind Henderson with the carrier.

So yeah, he did a pretty good thing.

I mean the two carries you have with the touchdown right before that, you know, getting the final bit of yardage there on that drive, you know, just kind of coming in, not making a mistake, not doing anything to you know, just filling and doing your role.

I think that's a big part.

And you know, I thought there was a little bit more room inside today with the running game.

I mean that might be kind of a function of Atlanta's defense, something we talked about with the scouting report coming in.

But I thought, you know, again, it was another those days where the running numbers weren't great.

Yeah, but you're inconsistent, you know, liking they just stated.

But but I thought that they had a little bit, uh, you know, just a little more space inside, which you know, I just thought it was one of the Anderson's better games, a little bit more of what we saw this summer.

From it too.

You can't see him, but Fred Kersh is in the building now, Oh you'll be able.

Se Do you have anything you want to jump in here?

We just starting the goods, bring the good It.

Was a weird game, you know, it was you know, Mayn's was one oh two quarterback rating and you're like, this wasn't a good game.

I hit him for him.

Well that's not a great rating, Nowaday that's kind of average nowadays.

Well, anytime you're over one hundred, it's good.

But that's yeah, I totally agree with you.

Yeah, give me not a good day for the lucky to unpack with him.

I think after the bat and the end, I wanted to just say, you know, I thought the opening of the third quarter to come out with that drive, you know, really kind of needing to halt the momentum.

It felt like, you know, you're coming out of the disappointing ending quick Traine ending of the of the first half.

Uh, and then to come out just looking for the numbers here.

You know.

I mean it's a fifteen play fifty six yard drive.

I mean love to We'll love to have a touchdown there.

A little bit disappointing not to get a touch down there.

But I felt at least an eight minute drive at the start of the third quarter.

And I thought at the time, like, all right, maybe this will get Drake a little bit more.

You know, we had you're seeing the fumble right here that he had that he didn't lose.

Uh.

It did not get him back on track.

However, I did feel like it was a good, you know, necessary drive.

I mean, those are the only three points they scored.

It was but the again of the whole they have like an eight yard loss on a run I'm not drive or something like that, which wine what was what halted it at the well?

That was that?

That was a couple of drives later.

Yeah, No, they didn't have a good second half.

Again, this is a pattern of different halves.

You know, sometimes they do nothing.

Last week, they did nothing in the first half.

Yeah, the way great in the second half.

It was half ended.

Just changed everything.

It changed everything from that point on.

I thought Drake looked a little rattled in the back, a little hesitant at times, and it just changed everything.

Uh, you know, kudos to him at the end to make that play, uh you know, to get that first down.

You know, it wasn't like he was a total disaster in the second half, but it wasn't the same.

It wasn't the same.

So I would just say there were two the two most important guys in that game, we'll both named Drake May and Drake London, and they had no answer players for the Falcons because Drake May kept the Falcons in the game.

Yeah, yeah, no, Drake, Drake London was just an absolute monster in this game.

I mean, you're seeing the catches clearly when we talked about it this week.

You love Marcus Jones, but when teams are able to isolate a big receiver like Drake London on him, you know, it's not always great.

I mean, Drake Lonnon with three touchdowns today, all three of their touchdowns, he was an absolute beast.

And you know, I I just you know, part of me just loves seeing players like this kind of emerged as the NFL needs more superstar talent and Drake London looks like a superstar and he's not my kind of guy, like you know, as I wrote the newsletter this week, he's not alway.

In your face.

But hey, maybe he's one of.

The handful of special guys that you know, a former basketball guy, big size.

Drake may had a weapon like him, like I think it would look a lot different.

I don't think Pennis takes takes enough advantage of him.

Yeah, but they they were able to make enough place.

I also, like I I loved again some of the mix on some of these drives.

The you know, Josh McDaniels first drive of the game, setting up someplace like that that wheel route for the touchdown and tomorrow Douglas some really good stuff.

I thought that again they were able to get Henderson in space a little bit early on, it kind of went away, so you know, I don't want to like make too much of it.

That's why I was down my I mean, these are still on my good list, bit, but they're down a little bit on the list.

But yeah, I mean I thought Henderson, you know, built on last week, not great, not a great performance, but you know, fourteen for fifty five, you know, just under four yards of carry.

We'll take that any day.

At four cat for thirty two.

I just thought there was some plays there that maybe there was more yards to be had on some of them.

But I really liked what Josh McDaniels did coming into this game.

Unfortunately, they weren't able to sustain it.

Who else is on the good list?

No other goods?

Freddy Well, I don't know what else you guys said.

But we talked about the titles, Yeah, talked about Douglas and I thought Hollins.

I thought Hollins had a good game all around, a good all around game, made some good blocks toward the end that last play.

I think Josh McDaniels drew it up.

He knew the guy that I want to rub or the guy that I want to be in the way is Hollins because I know he can do it, and he got in the way just enough.

I think the pass was already off and going to be caught before there was any contact anyway.

But I thought Hollins had a decent game.

Can you imagine if that was the other way.

But I think the pass was going to get caught anyway.

He did see it.

I did, And what did you think?

It's a pick?

I mean, it's the way the play is designed.

Josh did a great job.

That's that's like, Look, the pass is already caught when he's making contact, so.

What you can't make.

It's not even close to the ball.

It's not even close.

Whether or not he was going to be able to make a play is irrelevant.

You can't hit a guy's blocking, you can't block.

I like the fact I do not want to see flags.

Brad Allen.

Yeah, great job.

I'm gonna have anti.

Brad Allen.

You can have an NFL game without every player.

Imagine that, No, imagine, there's.

No way forty could have had it.

But that's not what the referees job is.

Fred, Okay, Well, the referee job isn't determined whether or not Forty was going to be able to make a play on the ball.

I know it wouldn't affected the play.

It's not his job to determine that.

Again, and you'd be going out of your ever loving mind if that play went the other I don't think so, and I do not want a call on that play.

I like the way they called the game today.

They let the players play the game.

I like that.

I'll take that every week.

What do we have for penalties today?

Just seven penalties total to two penalties for the on the hold and yeah two of those were on and kick returned.

The hands, which was a bad call on who on uh Chase, It's.

Not what you said in the press box.

I know you get mad.

I know you get mad when I.

Said the hand was high, But when I looked at on a replay.

On his chin, no, it was underneath his chin, right right here.

Well, these players, that's like, how could the roadhouse right there on his chin?

That's fine.

These players are told to move your head back to make it look worse than it is.

But anyway, they are we're getting the full, you know, Mike, you know when you know when you're back, you're getting You're getting the.

Full for.

The coach to make it look worse than the roadhouse.

And I'm not being sarcastic because the Patriots only got called for two penalties.

I will take this crew in the way they way they called that game any day of the week, any day of the week.

That's let them play.

Uh, this is unbelievable come back by the Bengals.

By the way, Mike, you're about to score fifteen points in the final minute and a half where they.

Are with an on side kick recovery.

The Bengals like they can school, they can't play.

They're gonna have to sweat out the last fifty four seconds to your point, Fred.

Modern Games.

Yeah, so I want to just throw out Jack west Over in the first half because I thought they used a lot of fullback and I thought they got off to a good start offensively in large part using those using those formations.

I'm not here to tell you I'm not having I'm not here to tell you, oh he he scraped the nickel or he blew up a linebacker on ISO, Like I'm not telling you how well Jack west Over blocked.

But those formations and those schemes got the Patriots offense started, I thought early in a positive way.

Yeah, Tonga played a play offensively today too.

I think he kind of missed his block on that, but everybody else was going crazy about it.

So it was just fun seeing a big man in motion.

You don't see that much of beef usually, but.

Yeah, I like, like I said, John, I mean, if you want to give it to Josh McDaniels, you want to give it to the running backs, you want to give it to the blockers.

The offensive line I thought was got off to a good start and deteriorated badly after that.

But did you put that on the good list?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

I just defense was excellent again once again.

Yeah it's Blaine too.

I just I just love his tackling where it seems like they're gonna get out of him, but he just does not let guys get out.

And you know the way this team continues to rally to the ball in that run defense where it's somebody makes the stop, but even if they're starting to get away, you know that there's like three or four more guys coming in hard.

So yeah, that was really impressive.

Another another just great feather in their cap today to shut down b John Robinson.

All Right, that being said, we have a special guest with us today, Torell Jennings.

Hello, how are you so good?

I'm good?

I can't complain, So we.

Do this thing called good, bad and injured.

You were on my good list.

But of course the story is coming off the practice squad this week on Wednesday.

Now, scoring your first NFL touchdown, what's going through your mind right now?

I got a lot of emotions going through my mind.

I just want to thank the man above and my teammates really because without them, none of this would have been possible.

So that's the biggest thing.

Now, where's that ball gonna go?

Terrell?

I'm gonna send it to my mom.

So Terrell with Dre out and you kind of knew that during the week that he might be if he to play, you must have, you know, started to get that mindset like up, I'm gonna I'm gonna have to, you know, be the guy this week along with Henderson.

How did you get yourself prepared mentally for this game?

I mean it was nothing new because I prepared the same way every week, even if Remandra is here, so my work doesn't change.

I was ready for my ny called any week.

Sorell, What can you say about just your journey to get to this point?

You know, as you know, as a practice squad guy, working your way up, staying patient, waiting for this opportunity to arrive, and now it does feels like you're taking advantage of it.

Just what can you say about the journey to get to this point?

I could say it's been a burning I ever took in my life.

I wouldn't take anything any steps back, take anything back from it, because that's what molded me to this point.

Now adversity, I live through it.

So that's the biggest thing, Torell.

It's it seems like with with Romandre out, Josh and you guys went with some more two backs in the backfield.

West Rover was in there a lot, especially early on, you guys looked like you wanted to establish the run with a fullback on the field.

Does that style do you feel like you benefit from that style?

You and Trevion, you know, with a lead blocker in front of you, Is that something you guys like, Yeah.

Yeah, we love, We loved.

We just we just get the ball and run behind the people that talk for us.

It doesn't matter who's in front of us.

But we love Jack in front of them.

Troll.

Just what can you say about the energy in the locker room?

Now you guys have won, you know, six in a row.

Here you're getting ready to go back on the road against Tampa Bay.

Just how was the vibe after the after the win?

Hey, it was crazy.

It was turned up in there.

Everybody turned.

That's what you want to see out that.

Win before you go.

You mentioned already being prepared for this game, knowing that you were going to have to fill in at some point.

But what does it say about this team's depth that you guys were able to pull off this one point win?

It just shows you like a hard were working and effort and shows our identity fifty minutes for real.

That's that's the biggest thing.

Thank you so much for your time going into the wind.

Yeah, thank you guys, congratulations, thank you.

I'd just like to say Paul and I were on Toroll last summer.

When we were we.

Knew, we knew once he got his he would shine.

Adding to the good list that We probably should have told him we were in.

He does.

Fred, Fred has a field.

That was really cool of you to say Dre two points they were shot.

He was so shocked and he said, he's like Dre.

You don't know who Drey is you're talking about?

Figured it out.

They usually call him Mandray after one week.

Why wouldn't you just call him?

I mean, it is, yeah, a nickname love, a football nickname.

All right, we still have anything on the good list.

I did have Cardi b on the list.

I know it's not football related, but.

She was at the game.

I don't know if you guys saw Stephan Diggs.

Going off after his touchdown and it was one of her songs verses that she has.

They played it and eventually saw her with Robert Craft in the suite.

But the energy that came from her being there.

But also I will also add the fans because the last few games at home, they've been building up the energy.

This game felt the most.

Energized in the second but the first half that they came out strong, which I was impressed.

But you're right, I need them to stay consistent now.

It is it's a I mean, just you know, Cherry Williams throws a dot for a touchdown.

Again, They're gonna win Colston Loveland.

That's crazy, but you know, it's just just a bigger point, Like we all were sitting up there watching this game, and it's more towards the middle of the game, when the Patrio's offense was flying, but it was just like, you know, I think we got so used to these third and five, you know, and now it's like Paul said, like they get sacked, you're not all hope is lost the second they get in plus yardage because of the way that that Drake can throw the ball down the field.

And as much as it was an inconsistent game for him and it felt like he kind of fell off the tracks a little bit with the turnover, he also had some throws in the first half that continued to just be like.

Oh my god.

And you know, even that one to the digs that you know, which was kind of a field position one.

I mean, it ultimately didn't end up mattering, but you know that was that was a big play, and you know, so he's they're still there.

He didn't go complete and completely lose it.

So it's just, you know, they got to get back on track with him.

Absolutely, are we moving to the bad?

I'm ready to move to the bad.

Moving to the bad.

Everyone who's first.

Well, I just I mean, I'll start with just the end of the second half.

I mean know, and that and that includes Drake's turnover and just that whole you know sequence there where it felt like, you know, you you really could have just gone to the locker room with a twenty one to seven lead.

And they were being aggressive, they were trying to force it a little bit, and oh yeah, that was the right thing.

You just can't turn the ball.

I don't think they were forcing anything.

They would get they were going down to get a field going at least like they were moving.

Yeah, Like you just can't.

You can't turn the ball over there, Like he needs to pull the plug on a play at some point.

If it's not there, he needs to throw it away, right or just take the sack like he tried to stiff arm the guy.

Is what he's trying to do there, Like this is the stuff that Mike and Paul talk about in the summer and get made fun of because these are things that worry us.

And we're the warriors, because we always are concerned about stuff.

That game was over.

That game was over, I mean over right.

The Falcons had no life and the Drake May gave them life.

Drake May was the Falcon's most valuable player after Drake London.

And I'm not saying that he played a bad game because I don't think he played a bad game.

As Mike said, he made some really good throws.

And when the game's on the line in third and five and you need to close the game out, the coaches, no, he's my guy.

I'm going to let him throw the ball to get this first down so we win the game.

So I don't think he played a bad game.

He's not on my bad list.

It just shows how valuable he But he's on no list.

Today.

He was very valuable for the Falcons today.

Up until the fumble, I could have had him on the good list, and after the film, I could have had him on the bad list.

And I feel like the kind of one.

I thought even some of the throws in the second half that were complete weren't great throws.

He threw one to Jayalen Walker on a screen late in the game that almost went the other way.

Just I still don't know what happened with that interception intended for Henry.

Henry's cutting across and he's running a seam.

I think that Henry's right because Jesse Bates is right back there.

If he runs the seam, Bates is going to undercut it.

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

Yeah, I mean the.

Short answer to that, Fred is because he was open.

We'll have to wait till Tuesday to the the at and t's the all twenty twoes.

Yeah, let us know, because you know, he Drake saw him open.

I saw him open.

I'm like, oh my, here comes Henry.

He's wide open coming across the middle.

But the pass was like you said, he was throwing the second round pass and Hunter was running a pass that was leading.

Hunter was running across right right, He's being cut anyway.

No, I would say, I agree.

I don't have him on either list.

But this was when we saw bad Drake this summer.

This is kind of what it was.

And last week we gave him so much praise for having some turn.

That's a great term.

By the way, bad Drake this summer he stayed and he got he bounced back.

Last week he played you know good, It didn't let him affect him today, it felt like it affected him a little bit.

You had not only the fumbled he lost, then he fumbled it again, they got it back.

He was lucky he had the interceptions well, but a lot of this stuff.

Paul and we talked about it.

The pump So just so you know, like and this is why, like, don't let it just be about results.

There was a play in the second half.

Mike and I and Evan were all on the same page.

He did exactly what Mike just said.

It was a pump, a pump a pump.

He ended up running for the first down.

He ended up converting a third down with his legs, but looked horrible doing it.

Like it was like all the things that we feared in the summer were on display throughout the second half today.

Again, some good throws too, but just not How.

Much credit does Atlanta get.

I think they get some because I think I think what you're gonna probably talk about is the blitzing and the pressure and that you were able to get May out of a rhythm.

And I think other teams that'll be I mean, I don't know what how realistic it is, but I think that'll be.

The talk and I ask you, like, how much did you think the pressure was there today?

Like, I know the he had six sacks, I'm not like, I think the protection today was a lot better than last week.

I mean both both games they allowed six sacks.

I mean, so, I guess in the second half I thought, I thought he had some clean pockets.

And not as much time as the hell of the ball.

No, no, the offense was not as good in the second half as the first half.

Do you think he just spent too much time in the pocket?

I think he holds the ball.

Yeah, he got too comfortable, and then bad things started to happen.

Then I think he got two ships.

The triple triple cock, and then yeah, this is the run.

Chris is so good.

He knows exactly what I'm looking for.

He gets a three yard run and moves the chains with a good run.

But it just looked horrible and getting there, he looked so indecisive.

We saw way too much of that this summer.

And that's like, if you look at it from behind, there was a lot of tall people in front of you.

So that's why I think he was He couldn't get it over them, and he had to make room for himself.

Uh, and the only way he could go was left, and that's a tough throw.

So he ended up throwing because you know, look look at this.

Yeah, he's a lot going on in front of him.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree with Paul.

I just I think the sack number is a little hard.

I think that's good pass protection.

Yeah, I mean some of it's it's you know him, I mean maybe they're kind of covered sacks and then he tucks it and kind of starts to run a little bit.

And I don't know if that's the coverage was great.

Drake wasn't reading through things, you know, and then leaving early.

I'm not sure.

Exactly what he should have done on that play is go back and give himself some room, you know.

Yeah, like they weren't penetrating, it's just that they he was close to where the.

And that was just one particular play.

I'm not saying that I thought that the pass protection was great all day, because I don't think it was.

But I didn't think it was that bad.

Now, like six sacks makes it look like, oh gee, you were just under attack again.

I didn't think it was that bad.

Yeah, for what it's worth, the next gen stats of the Falcons blitzing fifty five percent of the time and the pressure rate of forty two point five percent, which is which is very.

That's a high rate.

It's a high rate.

That's a high rate like last week.

But to me, it didn't look as bad.

I just wonder if they have any different numbers for like how quickly that pressure gets there.

I thought he held the ball today, and I thought there were a couple of coverage sacks.

But well, let's check time to throw Paul m Yeah, I think I think those numbers are misleading, to be honest.

With you almost lost the ball in that place.

Yeah, I just thought he was loose with the ball.

Fred, to your point, you know, he's just running, moving around and just dropped the ball at one point in the second half.

Again, I'm not putting him on the bad list.

I don't think he was bad per se.

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

I think this was a very average game for him.

I mean, usually he's like one passer role.

I'm just saying, like, forget the Can you just for a second just humor me and forget the path?

Do you think Michael Panics played well today.

I thought he was awful.

Well, he had one hundred and three passer ray.

But I would just say, we're using a different bar for Drake May.

Oh yeah, I can't put him up normally.

The amount of mistakes he made, I put him on the bad list.

But Mike pointed this out.

He made so many like really good.

Throw the touch like this last year, we'd be like, okay, well, everybody would.

Just ignored everything that was because he did play like he did that last year.

That was kind of like what he did last year, and everybody ignored the bad and just looked at the plays.

But the throw to Digs on a third and long perfect, the wheel route for a touchdown at Douglas perfect, their throw to Henry on a third down perfect.

Like he made enough really good throws that he doesn't get on the bad list because they don't score twenty four points without Drake May making some of those throws to They just showed, unbelievable throw here, this is a great throw, puts.

It right on his hands.

That was one of those ones.

We're up in the press box and like where's he throwing it to?

And then you just like dig streak into the picture and grab the ball.

I thought it was going to pick it off, and I think he did too.

I was de offered our old friend from twenty eight to three days.

I think he thought he was going to pick it off too, and he just layered it right over him.

Perfect throw, you know, nineteen for twenty nine, two fifty nine, two touchdowns and one pick, but also a fumble, uh you know, two fumbles.

So it wasn't It wasn't a great Drake May game.

No, and I mean I think it's And those fumbles, by the way, don't show up in the passer rating.

Yeah, you knew he wasn't going to continue to complete ninety percent of his passes like you knew he would regress a little bit.

So you know, the hope is, now you've had this game, Now you refocus.

You got to go play a Tampa team that's easy to pump up, and this is gonna be a hard game on the road against the defense that's very good.

So what do you think the.

Problem was with London?

Why couldn't they do anything to at.

Least so this is one of the things on my bad list bred And I don't know, I don't have the answer.

That's a great question you're asking, and I don't have the answer.

But how did we allow Drake London to get on Marcus Jones in the red zone twice?

Yeah?

And this is not I'm not putting Marcus Jones on the bad list because I'm sorry, you can't.

There's nothing Marcus Jones could do one of those touchdowns.

There's nothing he can do.

So they they were able to dictate where London went for coverage, Like do we not just say Gonzo, you have him everywhere he goes?

Right?

Like what happened to cat coverage?

Right?

You know you got that cat?

I got this cat.

So that's what's on my bad list is that they were able to allow Drake London to get nine catches for one hundred and eighteen yards and three touchdowns.

I'm not putting individual guys covering him on because I don't think I don't think the coverage was that bad.

Yeah, I think he's that good of a player.

And they were allowed to get matchups that they liked.

Yeah, that's a good way to put it.

I mean, it's just some of these it's like you know, and I mean, yeah, credit Atlanta's coaching staff for finger on a way to make those matchups happen.

Certainly got harder last couple drives there when gone or the last drive when Gonzo went out.

But give credit to Drake London too, because that kid looks like he's, uh, he's a real problem, especially in the red zone.

You know.

You know, sometimes there guy's just better than you, you know, and that was sometimes that that was the case today.

Yeah, you just hope I think, to Paul's point, that you can stem the bleeding and you could make an adjustment and take that guy.

But like I was wondering, as Evan would say, why Gonzo wasn't traveling, you know, like why does it matter?

Just send Gonzo with him every play, figure out Bejon Robinson some other way without Gonzo, and this.

One he's got Davis on him.

And the result is the same.

Kind of an interesting split here as the Patriots playing again the majority of his zone seventy two point five percent of zone today, but all three touchdowns they have coming against man, even though they only were playing man twenty seven point five percent of the time, and they were four for eleven against those man coverage snaps.

But they did throw all three touchdowns against So.

I mean it seems like once they got in the red zone and they started the matchup, they could get the matchups they wanted.

Maybe not so effective in the middle of the field because otherwise they were like, you know, one for eight against Man.

Yeah, and I would agree with Fred like I would question that now.

It might have had more to do with Pennix.

They didn't think Pennix could could do it enough, and ultimately they were right because I don't think Penix was very good in this game.

You know, I think London was a lot better than Penix, let's put it that way.

Yeah, I mean, either way, the trends for the Patriots defense are playing a lot more zone over the last three weeks.

Whether that's related to who they're playing or what.

But for like you said, Paul, we heard cat coverage like as soon as they signed Carlton Davis, and you know, it hasn't really materialized for whatever reason.

And now Gonzo's hurt, we'll get to that became cussed.

So I would just you know, adding some things in the bad list, the special teams again, you get I think the first two kick returns, first three kick returns were over the thirty thirty, two, forty seven, and then there was a punt return for you know, I don't know, fifteen yards, and then you top it off with a penalty on a kick return later in the game, which backs you up.

I believe after the touchdown, right after the touchdown that they missed the extra point on twenty four maybe after the field goal, So another I thought, sloppy day for the for the special teams, they're not getting much out of the return game.

I think they had one that got to the thirty.

They had a couple of touchbacks today, but that's not anything you're doing.

But I think Chisholm may have got to the thirty once on his returns.

I'm not sure he even did that.

But it's not it just hasn't been hasn't been overly effective.

Yeah, there's been some hidden yardage I think lost its stuff you don't usually pick up, but probably a function two of Antonio Gibson and you know, now no Remandre and so you just kind of had that day.

Got aft in chishom returning kicks as much as he's you know, super, but.

It's not I mean, in fairness to Chisholm.

It's not like I mean, aside from the Gibson touchdown, it's not like that's been the strength of the team.

They have not been very good returning their kicks.

What else we have.

They have?

I mean, I don't know.

I just I just didn't love the situations where defense at the end.

I mean, I think they kind of got a.

Little lucky with you know, the intentional ground and browning penalty and that, you know, kind of saved the day a little bit.

But certainly did you know those last year?

But you know, Barboer came up clean on whatever the scheme was on defense allowed Barmore to come right.

What happened on the play right?

What they snapped the ball and no one moved?

Oh?

Is that right?

Oh?

I didn't see that.

Yeah, the guard, the guard, the guards still in his stance.

You see all the offensive kind of standing still.

Yeah, Williams just comes in un touched and Pennix has no choice.

But that ends up that's the biggest play of the game.

We made them do that.

But I went back Freddy to Mike Rabel, we need to be in a position blah blah blah blah blah to take advantage of bad football.

And they did.

Yeah they did.

That ended the game.

But last year they might have gotten this play and on third and twenty they would have completed a twenty five yarder.

This year they didn't.

Yeah, I just I just look at you know, less true drives where it's nine plays goal, twelve plays touchdown, where you know they have all the momentum, and you know it's just a point where you love the defense to step up and you know, just make a play yourself, come up with an interception.

You know.

I just I keep going back to they're going to play and beat the better teams.

They've got to find a way to affect the quarterback more, and they got to find a way to get more takeaways.

I would just say, you know, simply in this game, I don't know where it qualifies for on the bad list, but I felt like you were vastly superior to Atlanta today and you won the game by a point.

Yeah.

I don't know where that falls on the bad list, but this game should not have been this close.

It would make to your point, Like a lot of times, I write my bad list off of what I'm most stressed out about the score Atlanta going for it on four and four at the New England twenty.

Yeah, able to get that conversion and then afterwards, you know, multiple passes that were completed afterwards.

So it's just like the defense where were they at that moment?

And it felt as though that was a momentum changer.

Thankfully it wasn't in the end, but it really was the Atlanta in that specific one.

Do you think there was like so much attention paid to Robinson although he seemed to be all over the place that you know, London got a second thought.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I mean I would I would think that the passing game plan.

Would it, but well you would think they have enough to deal with two people.

Yeah, you know, because Pitts was really not much of a fact No.

Four for thirty eight.

Yeah, he didn't really hurt.

Some think it's it was a weird game again.

The value of Drake May was shown here.

It's all up, it's all him on offense.

It's all a little bit.

Yeah, I mean when he's hanging and you know, he's just a little bit.

He's the he's the he's the show.

I mean, there was another play.

I don't it was the second quarter where uh Pop actually it was a you know, kind of a desperation throw, but Pop was open and uh May kind of airmailed him a little bit, but but he was open about put.

Yeah he's playing well, you.

Thought he's just a little quick, open underneath slot kind of guy.

And did you put Kyle Williams in the bad list?

No?

Yeah, I mean the one throw to hit.

It never looks right when he throws to Kyle Williams.

It joy seems like a miscommunication or yeah you went that this supposed to and he was open on the play.

Yeah, that's a great play with Pop.

I just just cracked him up this one.

He got back up.

Down then that guy like knocked him back on ballance.

You know, I don't know why.

I don't know if he just gets excited when he's in the open field, but he just looks like he like, would you say we you drunk.

Between him and Digs today though there are a lot of plays where they were even there.

That's the same one.

Yeah, yeah, just now he's back up, but I thought, yeah, I thought he got open can instantly.

There were two other deep overs that he was he was open on and uh.

I think the first one Drake threw a little too late and by the time he threw it, Alfred had caught up.

And the second one just was not a great throw, but he was He was good today for for one hundred.

Yeah.

Yeah, rewriting what you thought of him.

And even though I didn't like beat up on the offensive line, I don't think it was great today.

I think, you know, I think a win who struggled.

I thought Will Campbell struggled at times some of those running plays.

Freddie called one out.

I don't know.

It looks like maybe Hollins is supposed to come down and slam down and Campbell runs by.

All I know is no one touched the guy who made a play for a minus eight.

They they look like they had some problems with some of the stuff, and I don't I don't think this is a great front that they faced today.

Their best player didn't play in the front in Zach Harrison.

They were missing the second best corner and in the second half the Falcons defense did enough to keep him in the game.

Yeah, And I thought that was mostly due to the Patriots lack of execution than it was anything Atlanta was doing.

I would say that the next gen back yep, Paul quarterback pressures Morgan Moses four, Bradbury four, Unwin you four, Will Campbell three, Jared Wilson six.

So that's a lot of pressures, a lot of pressures, So a lot of pressures.

I look forward to finding out why none of those were really the fault to the offensive line like we did last week.

Yeah, I mean and in fairness, uh just two of those were qualified as quick pressures, which you know, he's usually somebody really with him.

But now I don't I don't know how to how to parse it all out with the coverage being good with Drake, you know, not having an open or there are guys open, he's not seeing them and he decides to run.

You know, it's just it seems like there's a little bit of nuance within there.

But yeah, it just s beaks great to see a little bit more.

Was the one I think Matt Collins is supposed to come down and uh make the block and he just really doesn't get any of seventeen that I don't know how to pronounce his name.

That the edge guy, No, not him, the.

Uh they got a.

Bikiti is that right?

Yeah?

Ebocadiate, didn't debocate, didn't push that at all.

I'll but it's going to say, like you know, with Drake being the whole thing, it's where you just kind of hope that if you had Remandra and you had a really you know, potent run game, that you felt great about that when he does have these kind of you know, he has a mistake, it happens to everybody that you have something to lean on, and you know, there just wasn't anything to lean on at that point, and that I think it's just illustrates it's a lot on May right now and it'd be great to balance.

That's Freddy's point, and that's I would agree, as I often do, I would agree with Freddy with you know, the small sea concern is too much about Drake May.

And it's a funny it's a funny game because if he doesn't get strip sack and the Patriots like get three and go into the you know, uh, might you might be walking.

Even if it's just twenty one seventy, it's a whole different thing.

The defense has a whole different mindset.

Atlanta's feeling the pressure on offense in the second half.

It would probably be another game where two score w it's very comfortable.

I agree.

I totally agree with you, And unfortunately, maybe the worst part of the day is the last part of our segment.

For the first time all year, I think that you potentially have some issues and the injury department.

Yeah, so we'll get into that.

Kishan Boody hamstring at first was questionable, eventually was declared out in this game.

And then Christian Ellis with a hip those towards the end of the third I was walking downstairs and then Christian Gonzales, we saw him go down and his head.

It definitely landed on his head.

Yeah, the player, Yeah, right on him right there.

Yeah, once you saw it happen, I thought he'd picked this.

Yes, and that pers it looked like I'm kind of glad he didn't because it would have gotten called back for the penalty.

But where was the contact up field when he made the when he made the second move he hit it.

Yeah, but the Yeah, the head injuries are always a concern to me, you know.

I'd also say that Garrett Garrett Bradbury went to the tent in the first half.

I don't know if he I don't even think he missed a play.

I think he stayed in.

He was on the injury report with a toe injury during the week, but he was removed.

He had no designation at the end of the week, so obviously they didn't deem it significant enough to even call him questionable.

But he did go to the tent.

And also Will Campbell definitely had something with his shoulder.

He was sort of moven and around a little bit.

I don't think he missed any time with it, but I also don't think he played great after I noticed him sort of working out his shoulder a little so real, real quick, Paul, He's are significant players, by the way, you know, pretty much across the board.

It sounds like Gonzo is actually going to go to the podium shortly.

So.

He also had an interception that he kind of dropped.

Yeah he probably should have Uh, yeah, he probably should have had that one.

But yeah, I'm not him going to the podium does not alleviate any of my concerns of No.

If he had a concussion, he would not be going to the because you can't.

They wouldn't want you speaking, and.

Come on, come on, you know, okay, I don't think he'd be going we'll see if he had.

I'm not saying like like he doesn't know where he is.

No, but a lot of times you don't put a guy up at the podium who has been diagnosed with a concussion.

Okay, you know, right, Am?

I am?

I right?

No, I agree.

Well, honest, I can't tell you you're wrong because I'm not in an NFL locker room, and I can't tell you if that's ever happened.

But my guess is it's happened many times.

Super excited to go of my best of abilities.

I believe he's been at the podium.

Oh my goodness.

But yeah, those are those are significant.

I mean I was hoping that with Kayshawn Booty being out that it would present an opportunity for Kyle Williams.

Or you were you were doing some significant rooting, Mike.

Mike was all over the Kyle Williams.

Which is an era.

Begin did you see because I didn't see anything.

No, I couldn't make a hamstring.

It might have been on that that throw to the sideline that was high.

I wonder if maybe he takes something I.

Was thinking that would be the one.

Yeah, Yeah, that's too bad because he's been a factor in every game.

But we haven't mentioned it.

We haven't mentioned this year.

You're laughing at because that was a.

Rock shot at me.

That's why.

I can laugh at myself.

We had the Pro Bowl campaign.

This this puts a little puts it a little bit.

We haven't mentioned yet though that the Colts lost today.

Now the Patriots are tied for the top spot.

I feel about the bye week.

Yeah, tied for the top seed right as of right now, I.

Think though this game, you know, if people are like me, it's it's just a reminder that like you haven't arrived yet, Like you have to play a clean game, and when you lose the turnover battle, it's going to get very dicey.

They have to find secondary threats and ways to Last week, I had such confidence, like that was to me so impressive that they could have a little streak where Drake played bad, turned the ball over and you're like, okay, it's all going to start going with sideways now.

Last weeks one bad play.

Today he had stretches of time where he played bad.

Fair enough, but still I think that's when you're playing out of your mind.

It's like that he's just through an interception.

The Russian is a human, you know, And so today was again, like we said in the pregame, like you knew he's gonna fall back to earth a little bit.

I mean, you know, I don't think he's an alien.

But at the same time, like this is a great reminder and a lesson for him, a young quarterback, to continue to grow.

Good point, and you know, you need these kind of games because you're almost getting to the point where you're like, yeah, you know twenty one seven, Yeah, they got this.

You know.

It's like I'm like, I was pretty much in full nod mode.

Yeah, you know it was.

And then and then at the end, it just felt like an inevitability the way it was going that all right, they're going to go John Parker Romo is gonna kick a forty eight yard or now to you know, offset that missfield goal, and then it'll be his story.

But you know that that's not how it went.

How about him missing the extro, Oh my goodness, it's tough.

I mean, look, it would have been interesting how that changed the last possessions.

Yeah right, you know, because up one, and I say this all the time, up one, it's easier to come up with a stop you know, when when when the team with the ball is up, because they're not as desperate to go down and score, right, you know.

And the Falcons ultimately came up with the stop that they need and got the ball back.

But if it's tied, I'm not telling you that they're going three and out in the same spot, you know, because it changes changes the whole dynamic.

Right, But it's good to learn lessons.

As Rabel said, clean clean some things up after a win as opposed to a disappointing loss.

And this would have been as disappointing a loss as you could suffer if they had handed that one away.

And to your point, Mike, I think it is fair to criticize the the mishaps in games like this because the whole goal is to get better.

It's not that we're undermining the win.

It's more so how can they build a legacy which will happen.

It's a weird league.

I mean just today, look at the scores.

You're like, wow, I'm surprised at that.

Okay, so there's a lot of those today.

Put yourself a line of beat Green Bay and Lambell.

Ye, put yourself in the shoes of like someone else.

You're not a Patriots and you just scoreboard watching Patriots are in a tough game with Atlanta, and you don't think much of it because you just see the score.

You don't see that Drake May did all this stuff.

You're just like, well, you know, that's how the NFL is sometimes, and it is.

The Charger season may have ended today.

I mean they won the game at Tennessee by a touchdown, but they lost two more tackles, so like they could be done.

Yeah, like, I mean they're gonna be down to like seven and eight.

Yeah, unfortunate.

You guys all tell me you can't play without tackles.

Who's on the line.

Yeah, all right, let's get to some calls.

We have Richard in Houston.

Richard, what do you have to say?

Oh my gosh, are we going to have a recurrence of last week?

Richard?

You're gone?

All right?

Mitch in Kansas City if my mouse was oh there we go.

Thank you for finally getting to the Patriots MVP of the day, the best kicker on the field park.

Well yeah, I want to say I think it's good that the Patriots were kind of humbled a little bit.

We were getting a little big for our bridges, I think.

And it's better to learn something in a loss or in a win than it is in a loss.

You know, Drake MVP Gonzo is a top three corner that kind of thing.

Like.

Neither of them played like it today, but you'd rather win at the end of the day.

So yeah, yeah the win, thanks bitch.

Play bad and lose, I mean play bad and win.

Yeah, Sam in North Carolina, Sam, Sam is not Sam.

I am Sam is not.

I will take a brick from the calls.

So again, I thought this was a look at the standings.

It's largely a step forward, largely a step forward for the defense today.

I mean, I am with Mike.

That eighty five yard touchdown drive prevents it from being like at the top, you know, the key to the game.

But you know, two hundred and eighty eight yards Bijon Robinson twelve carries forty six yards, you know, three point a to carry one for ten on third down.

Only allowed seventeen first downs all day.

This is a pretty good, pretty good defensive performance overall, save for one one drive.

Maybe maybe they're starting to come together a little bit a little bit better.

Yeah, they got some brakes, no doubt, but they put themselves in position where they could take advantage of those breaks.

I'm sorry, Py, you said one drive.

Was you referring to the third drive of the game or the second.

Touchdown to tie the game?

Yeah, I mean you can't let them go.

I mean, I'm not expecting shutouts, but you've played three and a half quarters.

Now, you got the other team on their fifteen yard line, up seven points, and you allow him to go eighty five yards for a touchdown.

Yep.

That's a bad drive.

That's a bad defense.

Drives, I know, maybe a little unfortunate, like Freddy said, with the penalty on Chase on and I've certainly seen that.

I've certainly seen that not called I'm not no, I'm being like, I know what Freddy's talking about.

I've seen that not necessarily put your head, not necessarily get called every time, but that that allowed him instead of third, you know, instead of third and ten, you know, that allowed him first down to get this the drive started.

Bad drive.

That's a bad drive to allow in that situation.

And I thought they deserve props though, for coming up and responding the next time they get on the field.

They made sure that Falcons couldn't get down and kick a field goal to win the game.

Yep, yeah, I mean they were.

They were two first downs away from winning the game.

Ye Penix does not look very mobile.

Yeah he actually ran well when he ran, but he's not mobile.

He doesn't extend you know, plays and like his his way out of being sack was to just heave it down the field.

My boy.

Mattie Stafford throwing dimes.

Positive email growth from Joe and Weymouth, he said, First note, I appreciate how Paul refers to himself in the third person.

Mike and Paul just kidding.

Love Paul's analysis, the attitude.

All right, there you go, got some props.

But seriously, this is what growth looks like.

Drake is not in season four and is learning.

It's hard to watch at times, but this is the process to becoming a franchise quarterback.

Benefit to win while the growth takes place.

Thank you, Joe.

Yeah, like I said, I mean, this was just a total reminder of when we saw things we didn't like from Drake this summer in training camp, which look admittedly it wasn't like he was setting the world on fire, Like you look good he looked comfortable, but it was a little choppy up in Minnesota watching those you know, joint practices, you know, and so this is what it was.

When he looked a little bit, it was it was kind of a h now, you know, like he looked undecisive, indecisive.

So it's a good opportunity for him to, you know, be reminded of some of the things he was doing that not so great.

Clean those things up and you know, try to move on.

And I think Tampa's the kind of team that's just great to like just reset.

You got a really good team.

We're going to go in there.

It's gonna be easy to sell them on.

This ain't gonna be good enough this week.

Fella.

As we go down to Tampa and play like this, we're gonna lose by two touchs.

There was one that he had like that training camp look where he's kind of like, you know, kind of skittish in the pocket pumping, and then he floated one out to the sideline over trading on Henderson's head right, and I was like, I've seen that.

Kind of like bounced off like three shoulder pads before it hit the ground.

That was the screen that almost was the pick six.

So it's a bit thing that Will Campbell was holding Jalen Walker on that play.

I think he would have picked it off.

Yeah, I think Campbell saved the day on that, But there was another one earlier.

It was like in midfield he just kind of threw it to the sideline, almost as an afterthought, where he's sort of like all his momentum is going another way and he just kind of throws it out there and floated.

There was nobody there except for Henderson, but it was over forever.

That was over his head.

Took a long time to get there.

Ye.

Yeah, I mean it's weird because we just haven't seen it.

Yeah, he's been so good, so dialed in, and I thought he was dialed in for the large majority of the first half.

That's why he's not on my bad list, because he played well enough in Spurts to not be on any list today.

I agree, yep.

So we got to overcome these injuries.

Yeah, you might be joining the rest of the league this week.

We'll see.

We'll see on Wednesday when so when Evan returns from practice.

We do have the trade deadline coming up on Twoday.

We do also election day.

I just bann my head together as we elect your next trade yep, what are you hoping?

Is he at the trade deadline?

Fred Trey hendrickson coming over and becoming a New England Pig don't.

I mean, I don't know.

That's a crushing loss for Cincinnati.

They might they might wave the white flag after that.

You know that's well they're three and six.

Yeah, but you know a lot of people in the blog, you know, what pieces do you think they'll pieces?

Plural?

Do you think that they'll pick up at the trade deadline.

It's like, it's just not how it works.

Man.

It's not like you're going grocery shops.

You know.

It's not a Major League Baseball trade deadline where you can significantly.

I wish, I wish it was like that, but it isn't.

You know.

So I'm not going to say Christian has taken the podium and says he's good.

He would have gone back in if the defense had gone back out.

I just landed hit my head.

Gotta be careful with that, but I'm good.

Said he went through concussion protocol but was cleared.

Okay, good, good.

So there's one off the list.

Some positive news Yeah, we'll see with with Christian.

Now we gotta get Booty back and boy'll be nice.

But I don't know if it's a hamstring, it's a hamstring.

Yeah, you know those don't just go away overnight.

That that is very profound.

Yeah, Like I know there's different particularly for a receiver, and I know.

There's different grades of tear, like there's a full tear that.

But even if you just tweak it, like you can't just go right back out there, You're gonna make it worse.

You gotta rest.

There's no other way.

Yeah, like I said, especially for a receiver.

Yeah, you know, running routes and rout the routes that he runs, he's running downfield at Yeah, that's a good silent Gonzales.

That's good to hear.

Okay, we're going to take it back to the phone lines and see if people are awake.

Emory and Virginia.

Hello, Emory, Hello, good evening, everyone, Good evening.

I appreciate you all.

Again I mentioned the last time I called it, I always get a balance in regards to your you're giving us the uh, the report on the game and everything.

I didn't get get a chance to watch watch the game today.

But I'll take an ugly, ugly win and a pretty loss any day.

And unfortunately what happened with Booty.

But but maybe we'll maybe we'll get get a little bit of Chisholm next week.

Yeah, here we go.

I like it.

I like it, Emory, let's let's go.

I think it's all right, thanks Emory.

I think it's probably a little bit of Kyle Williams.

That's who it will be if it's like but.

I'd feel better if like when he was wide open, like the ball was in his vicinity.

But for some reason, he just doesn't seem to be where may thinks he's supposed to be.

I just it just there's been other players that you know that we've seen other ride receivers on the Patriots where we've said the same thing, it just never looks right when whoever it was Tom Brady or Mac Jones throw that person's way.

And the latest, you know, edition of this is Kyle Williams.

Like something's off, something's just off.

Thirty one snaps tonight was just definitely high for him.

I'd say, you know, Booty topped out at eighteen, so I think that does signal Williams.

But maybe you know Fred and I like I would Wody's good player, and I would prefer Booty to be out there.

But if you're looking for a silver lining of hey, maybe it's time we have to increase Kyle williams workloadal of it we had.

You know, now the pressure's on you, Kyle to step up.

How many snaps that Kyle Williams have today?

Thirty one?

Thirty one steps you know played a good chunk, uh Digs played forty one, Hollins played forty three, Henderson was fifty one.

Just to give you a little bit of sample for how other guests were.

But you know, maybe if you're trying to look for a positive out of it, then maybe there's a chance for Kyle Williams to be thrust to the fore.

How many targets did he have?

Targets Kyle Williams, Yeah, oh please?

One one.

Is yeah for the most part, thirty one one target.

For the most part, they were running the ball when he was in the game, to be honest.

And a lot of in the first half they have a play action bombed to him.

They weren't trying it yet, but they were setting it up like no, Kyle Woll just comes out when they're trying to run the ball.

Mike was all over this.

Don't pay attention to him at all.

You know, he's just start blocking.

It's setting something, mics setting something up, setting up.

Eventually, they're setting something up with Westover the way he lines up, why something times that's gonna Something's gonna happen with him eventually.

And you like him as a fullback or has he made the full back?

It'll be the most celebrated eleven yard past that.

I'll take it.

If it's for a first down, Yeah, I got to get a neck role.

Maybe I'll trust them a little more.

Yeah, that's it.

At Utah Bronson like the name Bronson, h Bronson.

Hey, how are you guys doing today?

Good tibes are high, good good.

Just had au full of points here.

First off, just wanted to shout out Austin Hooper.

I feel like he's kind of been a guy we've ever talked about it all beings like he's kind of showed up when nobody else has been there.

I think he's only had one target that he hasn't popped so far this season, And just kind of wanted to know what your thoughts about our tight end group are where you kind of see them going?

And I'm not sure what.

The contracts are for Hooper and Henry where you us going after that?

And then the other thing is dig I just I.

Think he's one of these players that needs to get targets to get really heated up.

So I'd like to see some more underneath throws his quick shots to him to get him going, just kind of wanting to know you stuff.

Yeah, how many targets did he have for three catches?

Thirty eight yards?

Yeah, long and twenty one TD.

Do you think they need to get him more involved?

I would like not just.

Because oh we just you know, he needs to eat, but do you think it would benefit the team to I think they target him more.

I think he is slowly declining.

Really yeah, not because I think they're managing him.

I think it's by design, not because he can't play.

That play in the touchdown pretty good.

You need to need good needs to do what he did.

I didn't again, I didn't say that it's because his his ACL I think if I think if you look at his can you call up like his game log?

Yeah, Like I think that he is his usage the last few weeks, I think has been down.

Yeah, and I think that's by design.

I don't think it's because he just suddenly lost it.

I think that they intentionally sort of leaning on him and got to have it kind of spots.

So like that third down catch today, maybe Drake's best throw of the day, that was a third and long.

You think they're just saving him for the long run.

I think they're just trying to make sure that they have him.

Yeah, yeah, all right, well, because that was quite a move there.

Oh No, I have in terms of what they've gotten from Diggs, I don't think you could have asked for anymore.

Yeah.

I think that he has been very reliable and very productive when called upon.

Yep, So don't go anywhere as a do so looks for the stats.

Of course, we're going to head to the podium as well.

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So that's what we do in this segment.

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And this week it was a little hard.

This week.

I'm not gonna lie because we can only choose Drake may so much.

But I'm going to go with thanks to Paul a little bit of encouragement.

The defense closing the game out.

It wasn't easy.

They gave up a long drive there near the end.

They gave up a touchdown lucky to get an extra point miss.

But this defense continues to step up in the clutch.

I would have thought they would have done it a little bit sooner.

I thought they had the opportunities.

That's what this defense is.

You might not feel great you know, between the first third quarter, but when it comes down to the game, they've been able to step up.

Think about that Miami win earlier in the season.

So nice to see the defense step up get a stop there.

And also, let's face it, the offense complimentary football.

Inverting that final third down, being able to kneel on the on the ball for another victory.

Impressive.

But defense, they're gonna need them this week they get ready to face Baker Mayfield.

Exactly, they should call you, Bob the builder.

That was a good one, good building.

A long way since those days.

My little kids, all right, don't go anywhere.

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Now back to the Patriots Postgame Show presented by DraftKings.

Welcome back into the postgame Show.

We're getting those calls, We're getting those emails.

We will get to it eventually.

But the whole cruise here, Matt Smith, Paparillo, Quantulum is, Mike do So and Fred Kurst full house.

But Matt came in bearing some postgame podium news, well not.

Real news, just.

I would say it's interesting.

And I don't know, you guys don't watch that.

I know Paul's commandeered the Red Dog, so that's gotta be the other thing on.

But I thought it was interesting, you know, Mike's demeanor, like I don't think he was down.

I don't think he was up, but just kind of yeah, it's a funny league.

I think it's the first thing that comes out of his mouth, believe it or not, but just a matter of fact, like these are important games.

You don't know how it's gonna go.

And yeah, let's listen to what Mike had to say when he came up to the podium after today's Patriots win.

That's a funny league.

And uh, you know we're gonna we're gonna learn from winning so that we don't have to learn from losing.

About taking care of the ball and complimentary football and how quickly things you know, can change.

End of the half, we take a take a nap, like we talked about the other day.

We took a little nap, and they scored and made it a one possession game, and you know, give them.

A lot of credit.

But but give our guys credit there for finishing and coming up big when we had to in the fourth quarter, you know, with the pressure and the intentional grounding forced them to punt, and then offensively being able to to finish with the football was huge.

Great timing by Drake, great catch by Hunter getting a couple of extra yards and.

And staying in bounce.

You know, all the stuff that we practice in five minutes and then and they're believing it and they're buying into it because they see that.

Uh that's what good teams do to to end the game when we keep them in the game, and.

You know, so give you know, to give them credit, but also give our guys credit for for battling back when we had to.

You know, it wasn't great there.

You know, we had our spurts, we had our moments.

But you know we're gonta clean up.

Then take care of football and uh be better defensively in a red zone.

You know that's been our it's been our issue.

And uh that made some good plays down there, but we got to be better in the red zone.

Like I know it, New Orleans, your message to the team was, Hey, you got to enjoy winning.

What was the message now?

Knowing you guys won despite not playing your best and just get ready to go on the road.

You know.

Understand that that's how it goes in this league.

Sometimes it's tough, but but embrace.

Uh, don't let anybody take the joy of what we do.

You know, joy is authentic.

Joy comes from these guys caring about each other, being happy for the guy next.

To them that you know made a play.

Joy is about what we do in here, and I think that they need to embrace that and be thankful for what they get to do and what I get to do.

And you know, we talked about when you get sometimes you get this taken away from you.

You know, whether you're a player and you get cut, or you're a coach and you get fired and you get another opportunity, you know, you want to try to make the most of it.

And enjoy it.

Like we saw you talking to Drake on the sideline after the interception, it looked like some encouraging words.

How important is it for you to pick him up in that spot?

Well, I just have to you know, I have to do play a lot of different personalities and try to figure out what's best for our football team.

And told our offense that we were going to need one drive to win a football game at some point time.

I think there were seven minutes left.

I said, I don't know if it's going to be a two minute drive or it's going to be a five minute drive, but we're going to need one more drive from you, and that's all that's going to matter.

And as soon as the defense goes out there, I'll let you know if it's going to be a two minute or five minute, and it ended up being a five minute.

So they executed.

Mike in the last drive when you were third and a few yards to go and the clock was stopped and Landa had the last time out.

How much conversation was there between you and Josh in terms of running the ball, let the clock go, or put it in Drake's hands and let him make a play.

It was pretty quick.

Just go win the game, you know what I mean.

You'll go get the first and win it.

So that was that was a quick conversation.

Drake's stripsack, there was, well, we'll come to run all the way to make the tackle.

Ed what does it say about him as a player and the offense?

I said you, well, I think that you know those plays.

If you do those enough, you're going to save points.

Right.

There's gonna be another time in a season where somebody is going to have to do that and the defense is going to get a stop.

And we weren't able to get a stop on that particular effort, but that won't go unnoticed.

And I appreciate your perspective and your willingness to point that out because you know the play is never over.

Maybe the next time that that ball gets knocked out, we'll we'll knocks that ball out or digs is chasing the receiver one time and knocks the ball out or knock you know, chasing the linebacker down in Cleveland.

So we don't want to turn the football over, but when we do, we expect the effort.

And that's certainly the you know Will Will was doing that, and that's going to save points the next time.

There was a good question by our friend from uh sure about the effort by Wilk For him to point that out absolutely, I thought that was, Yeah, those are the important plays, and like you said, kind of the kind of the game behind the game sort of things.

Maybe you know, some people aren't noticing.

And if the defense could have had to stop, that would have been an even even a bigger play, right you.

All imagine trying to tackle the guy with the ball.

Imagine benat So let's see how cynical is about this.

When Mike was talking about Joy, I thought it was interesting for him just to say, you know, when this stuff gets taken away from you, is a player get.

Cut, as a coach, you get fired?

You know, maybe you.

Appreciate those things a little bit more down the road.

I thought that was pretty interesting that he decided.

To bring that up.

Yeah, he's very philosophical, man.

Yeah, it's the more it's the tender side of Mike Brable, right, you know, smell the smell the roses.

Yeah, stop and smell the roses.

We want the coach Paul.

Paul is not having any.

I think the Rams have a significant kicker problem.

Football is a game from men, right.

I think I think Rabele's done a fantastic job, like in every aspect, whether it's you know, the x's and o's, the culture building, the perspective after games.

I think everything that a coach can do, he's done well.

Well is that does that sufficiently?

Uh?

Give you give you the ball washing that you were looking for.

I'll be interesting to see what the postgame locker room looks like when when that gets put out on patries, dot com and social to see you know.

What would you what would your guest be?

Well, you know, I thought last weeks was a little subdued, you know, so I'm wondering if it's just scaling.

Okay, we got a lot to work on, good to get to win but we're on like you said, we're on the road next week to Tampa.

And his mentality all season has been enjoyed this one until tonight.

So I wonder if he's said, enjoy this one until you leave the facility, Like maybe it is a feeling back to keep them level headed for.

Weeks like this.

I also think and he sort of mentioned it.

I think on Monday, Mike, when you and I were in the press conference, I think it's started, like they have another late by.

The weeks are starting to pile up a little bit.

And I thought the way Mike, I want to say, it was the Monday press conference that he said, you know, I hope it's not just sort of same old, same old, but you kind of get the impression that there's.

A little of that, Like you got Tampa and then a Thursday.

Veterans need to take care of their bodies, I think he mentioned.

So I just wonder if maybe there there's a little wear and tear going on.

As you know, you're now into heading into week ten.

Yeah, it's going to bring up the party.

I mean the scot week coming up after this, I mean that's going to be you're going to travel to Tampa.

You're going to turn around and then you are right onto the jets here.

I mean, it's a segment's called good, bad, and injured.

You've had for the first time.

You had a chance to talk about it today for the first time.

Yeah, right, And they.

Weren't insignificant, and you wonder where the deal is.

But one of those things, I know you talked about it earlier.

He's not gonna be seen in the player a bit.

But Christian Gonzalez did go to the podium.

But let's listen to the rest of the players as they went to the podium today.

First of all, he played better.

I got to play better for this team, you know, down the roll down the road.

I think, uh, you know, it's it's tough.

It's tough in a game where you win and you can fill in that locker room that that this guys know we can play better, and I think it's a good feeling to have.

But also the same time, it's tough to win in this league.

So you got to enjoy it.

You got to enjoyed and and Hunt made a big playdown on the sideline five minute shoot.

We didn't want to get the make the make the defense you'll make another staff for us, you know again, and uh, with so much things to learn from this game.

And I'm just proud of this team.

For doesn't matter if it's twenty four to twenty three or you know, three to two.

So probably got to.

Win every week.

I prepared to be the best player for my team.

So if his special teams, if it's running back, if it's having a conversation the guy, I want to be the best at it anyway.

So like I just I want to thank my coaches will put me in a position to make those plays and be able to be on the field after a touchdown.

That's that's amazing to me.

After that interception and you were on the sideline, it looked like Mike Vaibel came right up to you had some encouraging words for you.

How important is that for you as a young player, And if you might share a little bit about what he said.

Yeah, you know he's great at coming you know, coming up to me after here.

Really every drive, you know, he comes over and says something to me.

You always positive, always want me to ride the guys around me, always uh challenging me to battle indversity and get the guys going, and I think I appreciate the way he coaches me.

You know, he's he's uh, he's hard on me, but he's very positive and I think he uh he wants the best out of me.

And you know, everything that he uh he says to me, I think it's it's going to be important and become true.

It's easy to be lifted up with this team.

You know, our coaches come in with energy, so you better have energy too.

You know, they don't love no no vampire.

They don't know nobody to join you.

And I mean, I love his team and I can't wait to see how far we go.

I can't wait to see how far they go either.

Okay, they're looking good.

I think it's interesting that everybody who was watching the TV broadcast saw Mike going that.

I don't know if you guys are watching the sidelines all that much when you're up in the press box or anything like that, but everybody in the TV broadcast saw Mike go over to Drake, and I was obviously a point of reference to everybody with Mike and with Drake, and as we were talking about it earlier before that, you know, he's part time philosopher and I think it's interesting how Drake takes that like he wants to be coached hard.

I hope that's the case.

Video right here, because that was that's good to see, I think, and it looks positive.

It's not like he's berating him.

No, I agree with you.

Yeah right, but he knows he's going to need him at some other point time.

Short term memory, you know, forget about it, you know, learn from it, but we're gonna need to play for me at some point in time down the road.

Yeah, just sum it up.

I mean, it's to learn to be able to have a game like this.

You really can learn a lot.

You can kind of double down on your hard coaching a little bit.

I would say this week of you know, it's not going to be good enough, but to still we know how hard it is to get wins around here over the last couple of years, and you know, there's been plenty of times that game is not even close really, you know, but because of Drake now, he's still doing so many great things that even.

Despite his mistakes, they're still in position to win games.

And that's just that's a great place to be as an NFL team, and not many teams could be in that place where you don't play great.

And still win.

So a question to the esteemed panel here, it's third and five with I don't know what the time of the clock was, but Atlanta's out of timeouts.

Throw it every time and about every time, Kwanny, that's that's my.

Mike didn't even hesitate, so nobody even thought about running the ball, lead the clock, hunt it, they get it back with like right party.

The quarterback can run too, though, so you know, even though you are throwing it, it's not like you're completely eliminating the auction of you know, being able to run for it.

You know, if you had a back that you really truly trusted, if I had Sakwon Barkley or you know, the guy who was on the other sidelines, and I think they.

Ran, they weren't going to get the first down, correct with you know, so it's either we get the first down and end the game or we give it back to him.

Right, So, I don't really care if it's like a minute left or a minute forty left.

If there's an incomplete pass, and I agree.

I agree with Mike, there's almost just don't turn very little, Yeah, there's very little chance of an incomplete pass because you're not going to throw it unless the guy's wide open.

So you just take the sack and let the clock keep running.

That's fine, right, but you got to throw good teams throw the ball, right.

What about you?

I thought I thought it would question.

I thought it would be more of a decision as emphatically, And I think I was wrong because I think he was emphatic about it and then listening to you equally as emphatic, like there's no there's not really a choice here to be made.

It's this is what you got to do to put the game away.

I think that's why Atlanta punted, you know, because they figured we're gonna have one chance, we're gonna have a pull one play, if we can make a stop, going to get the ball back, and if they just run the ball, then well.

Man, you know, well you know, socks, but you're also no faith.

You have very little fault.

That is no faith.

That is after it.

You should have seen we had we had a little testing change, the text ex change going on during the game that.

No.

I do believe that.

I think somebody was talking about a boat race America.

I said, if Atlanta does not score in this drive, they're going to get boat raced.

They scored for Atlanta on the drive, so they didn't get boat raed, and I mentioned that I thought the boat might have hit a sand.

A good LINEO ran it right there was that was a good line.

And I just to let everybody know a little peak behind the curtain.

Every time Matt texted me today, I made sure to text him back because I knew last week he got I've set up me for ghosting him.

I really appreciated that.

I really did at work and study the game.

I know, but I usually initiate the text exchange.

And then yeah, I did.

I thought Atlanta really needed down twenty one seven.

I thought they needed to score, and I said, if they don't score here, they're going to get boat raced.

And then they didn't.

Score, but Drake May scored for him on the next drive.

That was what was such a weird thing for me in this game was when they were cruising in that first half, it felt like, my God, like they can't be stopped like this team, like this offense right now, it's just a matter of time before they score.

And it's been so long since I've felt that way.

I mean, obviously, with Tom Brady, you knew you give him enough time, he's going to start scoring points.

And just as I started to flirt with those feelings again for this team, I was reminded, like, no, there's still there's still a ways.

To go for this team to achieve that level of consistent sixty minute.

You know, even if it's not clicking at some point, it's going to click, and it's probably gonna click at the end like it was for that offense.

So I think the real teaching moment there that Mike can say to these guys is literally that game turned on that one play.

Oh yeah, because if they hold onto the ball, they're probably going to get three at a minimum on there.

If they're going to touchdown score, the boat race is on, you know, but even if they don't get the three, to your point, the game's probably still over, you know.

Like if they're starting the second half.

With the ball to.

Start the second half, Atlanta goes in, I think Fred, you made the point, like mentally, Atlanta went in in a totally different mindset.

How they're pressing.

Yeah, they're pressing in the second half, probably chasing three scores because let's face the Patriots really didn't get stopped most of the day, right, And and.

What I think the way he said, he has a different mindset.

We took a nap.

Yeah, I thought that was interesting.

So that's going to be a point in FID map, no more naps because here's what happens when you take a nap.

Well, especially against the good teams too.

And that's you know, I think to me that.

Like you couldnot hand Buffalo or Tampa Bay or Baltimore, you know, the teams that they're definitely going to face, especially in the situational football.

We seen it too much over tre stiff arm nack guy.

What was he thinking?

He's stiffed on earlier in the game and it was successful.

For me, so maybe he's great play by Will Campbell I didn't believe.

Can you can you imagine?

And that was can you imagine the.

Mental of a player to.

Make a tackle when the guy with the balls running to the end, This is just great the ball.

I'm being snarky, I'm being snarky, Paul, but that is a really good play by Will camp The thing wass to make the tackle could reach like his arms weren't even too short.

Together.

Good point, Good Mike, if you could just block.

The other point that I was trying to get to is just that you realize in recent years how much how much happens around halftime, and how important situational football is, and how much games kind of get swung just within the margins of those final drives of a half or the first drive of another half.

Right the eight minutes before, four minutes and four minutes after.

And it's been the last couple of years, it's been the back I mean, Paul could probably run it right down of you know, all the bad decisions that have been made over the last couple of years in those situations.

But this was just a reminder of like.

You said, it completely changed the dynamic of the You're like, oh my god, they're they're gonna co out, they're gonna score, and this game is gonna be over.

And now all of a sudden, Atlanta goes in and like we're in it.

They got the momentum.

And that's why I liked that first drive of the third quarter, even though it ultimately, I mean, it did ultimately give him the winning points, but it's still just I felt stem the bleeding a little bit and gave the offense back a little bit of life.

Was Drake London the best player in the field today?

Yeah, I would say so, he's pretty good.

Huh, He's he's something.

So I would just I would just wonder how what Atlanta did to so consistently get him on Marcus Jones in the red zone A really good question.

You know, it's not so much the rest of the game is the like the two plays in the red zone, because Mike had the numbers, they played a lot of zone.

Again, that was probably Penix related.

They didn't they didn't believe that Penix could beat them, and they were right because he wasn't good.

But Drake London was really good, really.

Play his zone and the red zone.

No, I didn't play zone in the reds Okay, they got him.

All the touchdowns were in man, yeah, okay, but this one, I mean, you know what I mean, I was just looking at that.

I think this was the last one.

You know, it's just a bunch of sets and trying to that one.

That wasn't even Marcus on that one.

They just that was Davis, but they blitzed Marcus.

But I don't know.

We'll dive into a Paul Foury tomorrow with the film baw.

Uh fill the review.

That was your proverbial fifty to fifty ball and to play the Gonzales got hurt.

He had a shot at that ball, didn't he.

Yeah, well yeah, yeah London London caught.

Yeah.

I don't think Gonzales ever got his hands on it, but he was in position to make a play and Undy just made it better.

He got lost.

Lundon just made a better play.

Yeah, good did yeah, yeah, he just he just jumps up and catches it.

But there's a penalty anyway that would have wiped out the pick if had he been able to make the pick.

But I like, I have no problem with that coverage.

He's got good as as Ev would say, he's in phase in his pocket.

You know, just London makes a better play than Gonzales did on that, And I'm not excusing it.

It's a forty yard play.

You can't just excuse it away.

But I'm not sure what else he can do.

Doesn't like today, I like that's not said.

I think you know what you said.

You know what I don't like third round?

Drake London like first top of the first roundrecs sure like that you know, but like the guy who you're like, he's not that fast, but he's big athletic like Drake London and then trying to because I will say Mac he got opened sometimes today too.

I think the Pennix is the problem.

I think some of the stuff that Evan said about his unwillingness to throw the ball in the middlefield, when when London went across the field today he was open, like the the I want to say there was the fourth and four was him in the middle of the field, but wide open.

I would like to, you know, I'd have to go back and ask Evan, but uh, there was a lot of traffic in front of Pennix and I'm wondering if that he didn't see a lot of the middle of the field.

Yeah, that was the play right there, so that's inside the numbers.

He's a he's got some separation here, like that's just pitch and catch.

They don't do that enough.

I think Evan's right about that.

I know you don't like when we when I beat up on the lefties, but it also looks like it takes him a little.

He's gotta he's gotta wind up.

He looks like it takes a little while going on.

He's got to wind up.

But it didn't really seem like it was an issue today.

I thought I thought he moved reasonably well.

I don't think he's very mobile, but today I thought he moved well when he needed to.

I agree with they didn't have a lot of pressure on him and they got something.

That's a issue.

I think that is kind of getting swept under the rug because.

We're enamored with Milt Williams, Christian Barmore and you know just how they play, but how effective is their play.

I just I don't think any of these quarterbacks that they've affected them enough.

And we'll see this week against Baker Mayfield.

Because the numbers look fine.

You know, you look at the stats and it seems like they're getting pressure.

But I think when you really look at it, it's, uh, I don't know if they're getting enough and that I don't think they're affecting quarterbacks.

They're not taking them out of rhythm.

They're kind of making a few timely plays when they have to to get the win.

But they if Miami's selling he was okay, it wasn't terrible in the game.

Do you want to do you want to be in on that deuce if Phillips and or Chubb?

Yeah, yeah, yeah for Phillips, yeah yeah.

I think you know it's a rent I might, yeah, I think I might.

I don't know.

I mean, I have to see the particulars of it.

I mean, it would definitely be a rental.

I mean, I prefer not to think.

I think it's a contract cheer for him, isn't.

It poll But I see, I didn't.

I didn't know that.

I just think they're so thin at that spot and they need help, you know, and and they need reinforcement.

It's just it's just hard to ask Landry and Chase on to play everything and to bring pressure and to stop the run.

And you know, I thought Landry had a great play today on on Robinson where it was, you know, staying with his guy, moving horizontally to line of scrimmage and just not giving him the edge.

And I don't think he had like a one yard game.

But I just I don't think they have another.

It's the same way I feel about running back.

He just if you're going to get to the playoffs and make noise and have some fresh legs at some critical parts.

Of the team when you get to January, I think you need to find it is a rental for Phillips because he is he is playing on his fifty year option.

I thought I thought that he would have had his fifty year options still to come.

But I don't love it.

I mean, those guys are hurt all the time too, so I don't know I would.

I would absolutely do it for Phillips.

I wouldn't give anything up for child, like a like a sixth seventh round pick swap, one of those things available, the same thing sixth seventh round like pickswap.

I'm not giving up anything for that.

That's not you know, Chay Henderson would be Hendrickson, like he's going to come in and start and be a part of all.

And they lost today.

I guess tough break for Zach Taylor.

They lost a tough one of that.

That could be the one that they they waved the white flag on because they had they scored fifteen points in the last two minutes to go ahead and then get a touchdown.

I think because of that, they're like, we can you know, just pull off a win.

You might be right, you know, because they can score flac four seventy with a bad shoulder.

So so Burrow not that good.

I mean, anyone with that team.

Well, the only thing is they win win Borrow plays.

I know it's the difference, but it's not Flacco's fault.

I mean, like, wow, scored forty one points forty wretched defense.

By the Bills.

No question who Patriots fans should be rooting for in this game.

Right, should be rooting for Kansas City, right, which is not an easy position to be in.

But you got to root for the Chiefs right now.

I don't think it much matters, but I would rather take the lead in the division than worry about Yeah.

To me, it's an easy one.

Worry about your own backyard first.

Yeah.

If that's always even even Belichick, as much as we malign Bill Belichick nowadays always said it starts starts with the AFC East.

He won this weekend, starts with the division.

Right, Yes, they were able to say as I said I was.

I was texting with Matt and Fred on Friday night.

No one can put a true freshman lacrosse player in the glinder like Bill Belichick.

You think lacrosse player might be a little bit more like, Hey, let's give in all seriousness, they get three more wins.

They're gonna and I know everybody gets a bowl, but they get three more wins.

If you don't get if you don't get Bowl eligible, you get fired unless you're Bill like the Chicken Court on Blue.

I'm talking about it at football, football places, places that care.

I don't even have a team.

Such as I know.

We have heard so much about the MVP conversation this week with Drake May, so I had to put in an update in this show.

Drake May became the fourth quarterback with two hundred plus passing yards and one hundred plus passer rating and eight consecutive games within a season that's up until this point.

He surpassed Patrick Mahomes in the standings for that.

It now sits with Aaron Rodgers from his twenty eleven season, Aaron Rodgers in twenty twenty, and Tom Brady two thousand and seven, as well as Peyton Manning in two thousand and four, all of them winning the MVP in those seasons due to well not do But that's.

Yeah, I don't think you do you think I think today hurt his that's standing in the MVP race.

You pump the breaks, So I would say, I would say, yes, pump.

The breaks, and then you got Josh Allen twenty one to ten right now, that's probably helping him.

Sure, yeah, yeah, although Kansas City's going in to make it twenty one seventeen at the half.

But Allen's obviously playing well.

But yeah, I don't think he, like I said, I know that he gets one hundred and two passer rating because you know fumbles don't count in that.

But he didn't play well.

But I think it shows his value.

I totally in a game like today when he doesn't have it, now you only win by one.

Fred, I'm totally with you.

If he had played well, you win game going away, right right, But he played well to start, then would Mike say, we took a nap?

Yeah, Drake, Drake.

Took the nap.

Let's call it what it was.

Kurt Warner, for what it's worth, I think said today much in the uh AS they were looking at at the all important mid season awards, and he had he had may winning it, and I like because they were saying about guys who won it in their second year.

Who going on to win the Super Bowl.

Julian Edelman also puts him on the MVP.

MVPs in their second year, they're going to win the Super Bowl.

Yeah, and who did he say?

Who that was he did?

I can't remember.

I just wonder it's like thirty guys go on to win the super Bowl.

Because I might be like Mahons might have won the m v P in his second year, but they did not go on to win the super Bowl because they lost to Tom Brady and did bars championship.

Also lost the super Bowl.

But I don't know that was his second year.

He was not MVP.

I see what you did.

I see what you did.

That's a big stop for the Bills defense.

Is they first and goal from inside the one, and they turned him aside on all three plays red zone Paul chiming in and twenty one thirteen at the half, well three seconds left.

And the half Kurt one.

I probably mentioned it because he was one of those quarterbacks as well.

Oh yeah, he was a secon.

He was a second year quarterback in Mahomes that won the Mahomes did not win the super Bowl the second year.

I wonder if it's getting to the Super Bowl twenty.

Getting to this, which I didn't say he was smar Well, Tom Brady summarily dismissed.

By eighteen by bucks Oh, that was the second eighteen was was Mahomes' second year and he won the MVP but did not get to the Super Bowlampionship.

I got you, I got you.

Burrow was that his second year Borrow and they went to the super Bowl in twenty they won, but they lost.

He lost in the Super Bowl.

So maybe he's but he didn't win the m v P.

Never mind.

Yeah, I don't know, Drake.

I think.

I mean, it's like Baker.

Maybe the Colts turned the ball over six times today.

I would actually feel better about that.

If I were Indianapolis, I go, I go, well, I go on the road to Pittsburgh and I lose by a touchdown in the game I turned the ball over six times.

I'm gonna guess I'm not going to turn the ball over six times now.

The one fear would be, yeah, three picks for Daniel Jones.

Is that?

Is that a Daniel Jones pumpkin game?

Yeah?

Is this what he's going to go back to?

I can look at it, Jonathan, So I was going to say that that's another one.

Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor took a step back in the MVP race today as well.

So that's what happens.

All right, Let's go to the phone lines again, Bill and Sarasota.

Hi, Bill, thank Hi, thank you for taking Mike.

Yes, we can hear you, Bill, I hear you.

A function of their personnel, obviously, the offensive left side, two young kids, rookies playing there, and you get a center that's a he was cut from Minnesota, and you know, you get a backup guy playing center.

I'm wondering why the offense doesn't have more for a few misdirections, jet sweeps, bubble screens, things like that regarding the offense to try to take a little pressure off the charge of the defensive line.

Also, it would give the offensive line a little breather in terms of not having to face a crushing defense is coming at them every particular play.

But you've got to slow the defense down once in a while.

And I don't see the offense trying to do that at all.

Really.

I do remember a throwback past to May a couple of weeks ago, but I don't see enough misdirection or anything regarding that.

I think that would help break May out.

I mean those bubble screens and jet those are definitely in Josh Daniel's playbook.

We've seen a lot of those week coming out of half.

I don't see a lot of bubble screens.

But they ran a number of screens today and none of them were overly successful.

The pressure on the screens has kind of blown them up.

They ran one in the red zone on a third and eighteen.

I think he got one yard on the first drive of the second half.

They ran one later in the game on the second to last offensive drive that almost got picked off by Jalen Walker.

I think they run a fair amount of misdirection run place those little the action where it hits like a little fake this way, and the toss pitch outside.

I think that they've gotten Henderson to the edge a couple of times on that, so I would I would push back a little bit.

I think that they've run a fair amount of that stuff.

If Bill's comment is about today's game, he might have something, But I mean last week as an example, the Hunter Henry touchdown on that really well designed drive that Josh put together.

Whole team's going left, Douglas is in motion coming right to left.

Everybody's going left, Drake rolls right, Henry wide open.

I think Josh does a pretty good job with motion in the air to try to get guys open.

So I don't know how big.

That's why Chris is the MVP of the show, right, how's his MVP?

His His MVP can not take a hit at all?

Take a hit it off.

Last week.

But I do think I think Josh has done a good job of of some misdirection stuff.

I haven't seen many bubble screens.

I know that the caller was looking for bubble screens, you know, specifically bubble screen no and and I think he's right.

I think those are ways to take some pressure off the line because the ball gets out quick and sort of backs people off a little bit.

But they haven't run a lot of those.

All right, Robin, You're up next in Fort Lauderdale.

Hey guys, Okay, this question is for Paul, and my question is this, why is it?

And don't get me wrong, why do you hate to pay we have?

We have six Super Bowls.

I'll never complain.

I have enough super Bowls left my lifetime.

But why is this that we have a five eight?

We lost the Super Bowl because Elie, Tom and that giant super Bowl.

What do you think is going to happen when I when a five eight receiver, uh defensive back is covering a six I don't understand that.

What did they think is going to happen when when a guy that's seven or eight ins is shorter than the receiver is covering and then he gets a touchdown?

What?

Why is it that these shrimps are covering these these massive people?

Going back to the Super Bowl?

Robin a big fan of the resigning this week.

Yeah, no, I mean that was on my bad list, Like allowing allowing Atlanta to dictate that matchup in the red zone twice and once isn't you know not idea once is a mistake.

Maybe they caught you.

They weren't a bunch of formation at the end of the half and they were able to get him isolated again on Marcus Jones.

And that's not a matchup that Marcus Jones is ever gonna win against the guy that big.

It's not because he got beat on the play.

It's not because he's not scrappy and fighting and being physical.

It's the other guys just too big.

And I mean I agree with that, you know from from Robin.

But I would also say, like you watch Marcus Jones play this year, and like you're gonna look at those two plays and that's gonna tell you the story, or you're gonna look at what he's done for the balance.

Marcus Jones, I think the caller is more upset at you know, why is coordinator or whatever the.

Scheme happens, It hasn't happened a lot like Ellis Hobbs was in every down corner who got picked on a lot like this is not I don't think what's happened to Marcus Jones.

But in today, like the best Matt said, the best player in the field was Drake London.

He's right, and like he didn't just beat Marcus.

Jones, No, right, he beat Christian Gonzales exactly.

Okay, Last, but not least, we have our friend Eldred in North Carolina.

Oh, Eldred, you must be.

How y'all doing.

We're we're gonna tell us how he told us to get Drake London in the draft.

Yeah I did, but that's okay.

He was like my fifth option.

But yes, sir, disagree with you.

One hundred and we can argue you to the moon fall down.

If if you can dog out of the quarterback that those almost through the game way like Drake did and like Pennis won.

Yeah, he didn't look so good, but he got three touchdowns some pass but you're dogging him.

May was their best player Drake May excuse me, but almost letting him win the game.

If Romo hasn't missed that kick and then it could have been over, he could have been six and three instead of seven two.

So you don't have to put him on the list.

Well, yeah, but you don't think he made plays that allowed him to get the lead.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, he made plays and the lead.

I loved him throws too, but you also got to put you put the game in wait.

So you have to No, I totally agree.

That's why he's not on the good list with all the plays that he made.

He made too many bad plays that allowed Atlanta in the game.

I agree with you.

This was not a good game for Drake May.

I agree.

Yeah, it wasn't.

But see, but like I said, I love the guy.

Yeah, remids me.

Like I said, North Carolina some good defense and he gets a little scatterbrain a little bit.

But other than that, you see, Wow.

You know you're right, but that's inaccurate.

Days he's new.

He's yeah, accurate summation of Drake May's day today.

It was like he made some plays and he's a little scatterbrained at sometimes at times and sometimes you got to take it.

Let's chuck it up to growing pains.

He's still only in his second year, correct, right, right.

Yeah, I know, never I'm saying on his second year.

So yeah, I said, look, I went to Aldred, I hear, I don't know Aldred, you and I like Drake, but you know, I like the fact that after the game it was the first thing out of his mouth.

I got to play better own it and he did.

Ye yeah, yeah, yeah, you know.

I got to give to him a lot of guy, like a lot of guy.

I like, give me that, give me that six three receive with full three speed.

I don't care.

I still want.

I made that comment.

I thought that might have caught your caught your earlier in the game.

Imagine Drake throwing a drake Drake to Drake.

It sounds like this, whatever, yeah, double drake.

It sounds like you know, maybe uh, I don't know.

For the third time in the last uh four games, or something like that, that this team has come away thinking we need to play better even though they won, And.

What a great spot to be.

And if you're the coach to be able to teach on that moment, God bless the schedule that moment.

Yeah, But like I said, I love a lot of teams the other way he's playing, but we didn't need some help on that area.

And I still I don't know why Drake came William, I don't know why they connection ain't ain't there yet.

But I still say we need to needed that that two X on the outside to love booty.

Booty get hurt, you know, but you still need somebody to just get a hell out of defense the game.

You'll have a good one, you too, all right?

Thanks?

As always, we all end up agreeing and it's all happy for seven and seven and two is right?

Seven bottom lineers.

You won six in a row.

So next two games Jets and Tampa Bay.

More likely they go too and o or oh and two two and oh.

One and one?

Oh?

Come on?

That was that wasn't That wasn't an option because because that might be the most likely scenario.

Please, right, He's gonna have this team ready to play against Tampa because he's gonna there's gonna be a lot of.

I'd worry more about the schedule.

You know, nobody respects us.

This team is really good.

Let's go down there, National and let's face let's go down there and show everybody.

Ye ain't all that right, right?

I mean, Tampa's good.

They're good.

It's probably one of the best.

It's the best team they're going to have faced since Buffffalo.

But they're not It's not Kansas City, Kansas City.

They're not Buffalo.

They're not Baltimore in terms of talent.

I know that record's not good.

They're okay, there's Baltimore schedule coming up.

Yeah, they should.

They should be six and five.

Jackson's healthy, They'll be just fine.

All right.

Well, that's the perfect tiase for you to watch the Patriots pregame show next week when they play Tampa Bay.

That does it for this edition of the Patriots Post Game Show, brought to you by DraftKings for Matt Smith, Pop Rillo, Mike do So, and Fred Kursh.

I'm Kwannie Lotis.

Have a great week.

Hey, this is Alex.

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Patriots Catch twenty two, we'll join Evan Lazar and Alex Bart every Thursday as they take a deep dive into the x's and o's trends and latest New England Patriots roster moves.

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There's there's time here.

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