This episode Patriots Postgame Show is presenting by Draft Kings.

This is the Patriots Postgame Show presented by Draft Kings.

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Fifteen to ten.

It's Parcus Jones another pick.

Six, Live from our studio inside you Lette Stadium.

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

Twenty six twenty the Final Four in Cincinnati, the Patriots taking another win in this one.

Welcome into the Patriots Postgame Show presented by DraftKings.

Puff Rillos Here, Mike Ducell's here, I don't have my mic by my mouth, and now we're rolling.

He was the only one prepared, as you can.

You probably felt the same way.

We were literally at the edge of our seat, stressed out the entire time.

But again the Patriots come out with a w in this one.

Yeah, first reaction, a sloppy game, felt like they escaped.

Feels like this is a team that's been playing for whatever it is, towelve straight weeks now.

Not a great start, you know, got stopped in the red zone a couple of times.

A bunch of injuries.

I mean, that's probably what's gonna be the biggest takeaway from this game, is the number of injuries that they had a starting with Will Campbell and Jared Wilson on the left side of the line.

But you know, give them credit.

They stayed hung in there and they fought and they and they sealed up the win.

But you know, there's definitely a lot of a lot of issues to point out with this game, but I think they pulled out enough place to get the win, and that's you know what counts right now.

Yeah, just check it off, survive in advance.

Nothing great about this one.

I mean, this is probably the worst offensive game they've had in a while.

But defensively, I thought they did some nice things in this game.

So it wasn't all bad.

And like Mike said, you just find a way to check it off.

Kind of looked like a tired team today, did not play well, but they got the win.

Yeah, maybe a little bit rusty too from the extended week off or something, but you know, whatever way it was, it's just you know, it didn't come out great, and certainly the Drake may looked a little bit off, but you know, again, I give him a little bit of a credit.

I thought, after that really sloppy start where we're kind of sitting here evaluating how he's holding the ball, he did find a little bit of a stride.

It wasn't a straight line perfect to the end, but again did enough.

And I always i'm appreciative when he's able to overcome some of the bad starts, because a lot of quarterbacks they start to spiral, they get sped up, and you know you've got a game long of bad performance.

But you know, not Drake's best game for sure.

But they got the.

Win exactly, and that's what we will talk about.

So let's get into the good, the bad, and the injured.

Now it's time for the good, pretty good.

It's pretty pretty pretty good, the bad, and the injured.

Ah ah, you are right.

Guy, All right.

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And of course we do start with the good in this one.

Yeah, I'll start with Hunter Henry.

You know, it's just another great performance.

Ten targets, seven receptions, one hundred and fifteen yards, that touchdown, had another you know touchdown call back to the penalty.

But you know, he was the guy today and we've seen that a lot over his time here.

You know, kind of a quiet day for Stephan Digg except for maybe down the end, but otherwise it was Hunter Henry was the straw store in the drink.

And as Paul pointed out, we heard from Mike Petragleian in the opening saying, you know, Hunter Henry, big game for him today and.

He sure did a lot of those throws.

Felt like, you know, when May had a little bit of time that it was, you know, kind of pitch and catch with Hunter Henry.

As're seeing the touchdown here for those watching the video of it, so great great play from Connor Henry.

This is what we've kind of gotten used to with him.

Being being May's favorite receiving target and you know critical guy today.

Yeah, he was my first guy on the list.

Stood out by far from the rest today and what I thought was particularly important Mike mentioned sort of the the erratic start for May.

I thought this one went on a little longer than they normally do, and there was a throw that he made to to Henry that I thought was really big, just a little one of those where Henry just presents himself just beyond the sticks on a third down I think it was third and four, he got about six, and then he kept he comes wide open on the touchdown where May May probably made his really I think is one of the very few plus plays for Drake May today was that skip and rip.

As Ted Johnson.

On we I keep it where you know, you know he just I think that Hunter Henry got Drake May going.

And so it wasn't just the seven for one fifteen in a touchdown.

It was when he got the first couple that I thought he got Drake made to settle down.

So hats off to Hunter Henry today.

I thought he was instrumental in turning things around in the first half.

My first guy after that that was like I said, I was with Mike.

Carlton Davis.

I thought was.

Really really good in this game.

I thought he had a number of instances where he was very tight.

And I know that the you know, there might be some mocking table because you know, let's let's face it, the you know, the they who they were asked to cover wasn't necessarily you know, what you would think going into a game against Cincinnati.

But you know, I thought, you know, he does a good job right here on Jones on a deep ball.

I thought he had a couple of other instances where he was able to dive and knock down some some out patterns.

That that Joe Flacco likes to throw.

I thought he was really tight at the end of the game, made some different windows for Flacco.

And there was a play early in the game where I was at Yoshivas who had the the end a round that looked like it could spring for a decent game or it might have been a sprint out to Chase Brown.

He was like the only guy there and good shore tackle in the in the open field.

I thought this was Carlton Davis's best game.

Yeah, showed up a little bit for sure.

Today.

I was thinking, you know, the same thing, but overall, you know, I.

Trying to think how to phrase this because initially I I didn't really have the defense on there.

I mean, I thought the pick six in the first quarter, in the first half there was was obviously a great play, terrible throw.

By Joe Flacco.

But I had down second half defense where you came out, you forced three straight punts, brilliant.

It should have given the Patriots offense all they needed to pull away and steal this game out, but they couldn't.

And then they came through.

He gave up a touchdown.

That drive was really quick.

You do get the final stop there, maybe a little bit more interesting than it should have been.

So I don't know.

So this is like one of those ones where I write it down after three straight punts and then I'm kind of.

Like, oh, that was a bad touchdown.

Yeah, And then I thought the defense was real because I think Cincinnati has a pretty good offense.

I thought the defense was really good, really pretty much throughout the game.

I don't know how much to credit the Pages defense, just because of all the guys that were hurt.

I mean, even t Higgins ends up going out yoshivask goes out, he comes back in.

Kaseki goes out, he comes back in.

I mean, I get it, but you can only cover who who you're going against.

But the Bengals only had three hundred yards of offense.

I thought that the defense was pretty good today.

Carlton Davis to me, something they were doing in the secondary was pretty good because Flacco couldn't really find any open He only threw for one hundred and eighty three yards, you know, so, I mean, let's call it two hundred yards because Flacco had to leave the game at one point.

I thought the defense was pretty good.

I would this is not necessarily the high powered Bengals offense that you you know, were billed as, because none of those guys played by the end of the game, none of those guys were alive.

No, I mean, I mean no, I think Borrow's just gonna walk right on and be like, you know what, I don't want to go.

You know what the funny thing is, it had really nothing to do with like the past ride, like like it's everybody talking about the offensive line.

It was just guys getting.

Hurt, like just every few minutes, banging their heads on the turf and whatnot.

But you know, Calmin Davis I thought, I thought he was really really good in this game.

So that's why I singled him out.

Yeah, I had Hunter Henry as well, Carlon Davis at the top, but I went straight to Boro Gallaison third because he scored the most points for this team fourteen total.

Obviously, that fifty two yard field goal.

Four for four with his kicks today, and you know every week we talk about the kick game, but this was one game where you needed him to be accurate and he was able to pull through.

Yeah, and it's I had.

Bora Galus on my list.

You know, he was perfect today in the day where points were hard to come by.

You wouldn't have expected them to be hard to come by, but they were, and you know he he came up big.

Yeah.

Look at that fifty two yard right there.

Yeah, last one, last one I had of the people, he just says, just Mark Chris Jones.

You know, I like the pick six again.

I mean I think it was a terrible throw a flack.

I mean, I you know, I could see it coming, but also getting you know, the final pass defense there, and also you know, I just think he was generally pretty active and and I just I don't know, I struggled with the goods in this oneah, because it was, yeah, it was not not.

A lot of consistent performances.

There were some flashes, but exactly like when Landry got the sack, when we had talked about him in pregame, I was hoping that we'd see more from him, but every a lot of people that were on the that could have been on the good list were just like sparks of.

Yeah, I had a great list, I thought, you know, again going back to Trags, got to give him a shout out because he nailed it.

Tight Ends have been a problem for the Bengals.

I thought Henry and Hooper early on kind of got Drake May going a little bit.

Unfortunately, May wasn't really able to sustain that little groove that he got in sort of late in the second quarter, I think.

But you know, three for thirty nine, good good return from him, you know, after missing the last game with a concussion.

So I hit, you know, not quite like Henry and the impact that Henry had, But I thought the two tight ends were good well.

Also, the irony for the Bengals in the end of the game, losing all the receivers, they have to have three tight ends and still can't figure out how to score.

So just very bad football overall.

Yeah, a lot of I mean just a lot of sloppiness overall.

And I mean there's really just you know, they won the game, but I feel like there's a lot more to dig into with the bads.

Yes, So which is where we'll go to next.

I don't know if you guys want to, I just start off from the top.

The you know, offensive start just felt like they were off, you know, and that was disappointing to see to only really score one offensive touchdown against which people were telling us might be one of the worst defenses in NFL history.

You know, May didn't look right lucky that that other one that he totally skied didn't get picked off.

You know, just not a great start for him, you know, and again he did pull together enough to make some plays, but it's just it never felt like you really got into that, like May and Fuego part of the of the show where it's like, oh, he's dealing now.

I mean, there were so many moments where he had time and you felt like, oh, here we go.

But it just wasn't consistent enough today, and you know, and it did and he didn't really have anything else to help him with with the run game.

Yeah, I agree with you about May and even you know kind of this is the first time since last year that it was kind of beginning to end.

Like the last throw he makes is really ill advised.

You know, you got a three point lead, you're in field goal range, it's third down, you're off your back foot facing a blitz right down your face.

You just let one fly off your back foot.

You don't know that that's not getting picked.

There were two Bengals there.

They one of them I think thirty five broke on the ball, had a chance to make a play.

That's kind of the only way you're going to really lose is if is if you do it.

You know, in other words, you throw a pick there, or you missed that field goal there, and then you make a couple of bad plays.

The Bengals were hard pressed.

To move the ball without all the personnel they had that they had missing today.

So yeah, I thought May May struggled early in this game.

I missed it.

I thought this was going to be sort of a coming out party for him.

And you know, you look at the numbers at the end, they don't look horrible.

Twenty two for thirty five for two ninety four, career high two ninety four.

I just don't think it.

Can you think of like a throw that he made today that you said, wow, what a throw?

I mean he had a number of throws to tight ends that were wide open.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I really can't think of, you know, one of those tight window throws or one there was one.

Dropping one in the bucket on the sideline up.

The left seam.

It might have been Hunter Henry.

They were like four or five guys around.

It was in the first half.

But I know what you're trying to say.

Yeah, I didn't see too many.

And you know, I give Josh McDaniels some credit for making sure that it didn't have to happen.

You know, they they saw what the problems were with the the Bengals defense, the ones that that Trags told us about pregame, and they exploited them.

I thought the tight ends we were open, and you know they had.

They targeted him fourteen times for ten catches, you know, one one hundred and fifty four yards.

You know that's taking what they give you, as they say, so art game.

I thought, by Josh McDaniels and the Patriots offense, let's make sure we don't make any more mistakes that keep Cincinnati in the.

Game like that.

Overall my frustration.

Yeah, that was a good one.

Yeah, they thought for us that was that was a pretty good one.

I mean, I don't know, he looks pretty open to me, but it's a good throw.

This is a good Yeah, he's less less open than I thought the first time.

Forty nine kind of ran by him.

That's a good throw, but there were those were few and far between.

Yeah, you know, this is just pitch and catch.

Yeah, he would like I said, twenty two for thirty five, two ninety four.

It's not like it was a train wreck, right, just maybe not as good as he's been, which shows you how.

Good he's been.

Yeah, for sure.

And somehow the Chiefs survive in overtime.

Colts are going to kill themselves.

But that's a good outcome for the Patriots, more good news for New England because that's one less team with two losses in the conference.

Exactly along the line deduce of your offense.

I was just mostly frustrated with the red zone offense, especially them go line stand from Cincinnati at one point it drive after drive cannot get into the end zone.

I don't understand what was going on on that drive specifically, but yeah.

I mean or field goals, they were stopped and not all these are technically red zone.

I agree with your point, though, I mean, you were stopped on the twenty three for a field goal, you were stopped on the one for downs, you were stopped on the twenty seven for a field goal, the one for a field goal, and the.

Thirty three for a field goal.

So you're right though, And that's just again they lost.

Not only were they down cam Taylor britt they brought an old friend, Marco Wilson, who was here all summer, and then he goes down fift and corners, you know.

So you know, someone explained that one to me.

How they're on their like seventh corner and against you know, and we're you know, still unable in the red zone to dial it up against this defense.

That I mean, to me, that was the most frustrating part of the whole game.

That was where the game was essentially you know, made close because they were stopped twice on the one yard line.

Just not something you expect from this from this team.

They've been pretty good inside the red zone.

Not great, but you'd think against this defense.

With what they have.

They had everybody back, they got Romandra back, I thought we've got some power on the goal line.

And then since just a piggyback off that, they couldn't run the ball.

I mean, they couldn't run the ball at all today, you know, there was there was just nothing going on on the ground.

It was technically zero for two in the red zone for the Patriots.

But when it all comes down, let's call it like it was the way we were talking about it while we were watching, like that was just an unbelievably poor execution.

On that drive.

When they get down there, they get the penalties, they still can't get it in.

They have to take two timeouts on that drive because they took all three timeouts on the second half because they had to avoid delay a game penalties.

You know, so, like across the board, this was just a little bit of a sloppy performance.

This is why I like, I don't know, you might remember this, Mike, because you remember the odd, nonsensical things that I do during the course of the week.

I sort of get I sort of get annoyed every week when everybody's like, well, the Patriots didn't play their best, but you know, like, no, today, when you don't play well, you know what that was.

You don't tell me there was a difference between that game and Thursday night, last Thursday night?

Do you know what I mean?

Like, I think every time the Patriots don't win by fifty points, everybody wants to say, well, they won the game, but they didn't play really well, like suddenly they've mophed into the two thousand and seven version of the Patriots.

Today was a day they didn't play well and they found a way to win.

This was sloppiness, like self inflicted wounds all over the place.

Like I said, three timeouts.

You got to burn three separate timeouts because you didn't have your personnel ready to avoid it delay a game penalty.

So I give them a lot of credit for finding a way to win the game, because it's not easy to win when you don't play well, even when the other team doesn't play well either, because Cincinnati played wretchedly bad in this game.

And by the way, if I was a Cincinnati fan, I would want Zach Taylor's job right now, Right now, I don't know how many fourth and ones you're gonna punt on when you have the worst defense in football.

He's leaning on his defense like he's got the two thousand ravens.

You know, let's back up.

Let's back him up and make a stop.

You're not making a stop.

You made them punt a couple of times.

You had a picked in this game.

How many times you think you're going to stop them?

Like, that's a wretchedly bad defense.

How many times would you think you were going to stop them?

Yeah, and like they're down four points, no, three points, whatever it was, they would I think they were down four late in the game in the fourth quarter and it's fourth and less than one, a third and less than one.

He throws it, which tells me you're taking a shot to try to make some some yards, but you're gonna go for him for that.

Nope, he comes out and he's trying to draw him off side.

He ends up intentionally taking a delayed game.

I'd fire him now, like that was that was just really really I thought chicken bleep coaching like afraid afraid like Rabel wouldn't have done that Rabel would have gone for those.

And another thing I'll give Rabel credit for.

I probably should have brought it up on the good list.

I love when the analytic guys don't just go by analytics, they go by the game.

Game situation was important today and he showed you that.

You know, end of the first half, thirty seconds left, fourth and two, that's the time that he's been going for it left and right all year.

Now we're gonna kick the field goal and take the points here.

We're a little sporadic offensively today.

Yeah, you know late in the game, we're not going to push it.

We're gonna take the field goal, make it a six point game.

I thought a couple of times he had opportunities to go for fourth downs today and he said.

No, we're going to take the points.

So it's not all or nothing.

And I think that's the difference between Vrabel and a lot of these other guys, a lot of these other guys that are you know, I'm not saying Vrabel's the only one that does it.

Don't.

It's not like I'm not trying to be the obnoxious Patriots guy.

But Vrabel showed me that he's willing to take the game situation into account, and a lot of these guys just do what they do because it says it on my chart, this is what I'm supposed to do.

So I think that was a big difference in this game to you win the game by six points because you were willing to take some points at times.

You know.

I think Mike Rabel was a big part of this game.

Yeah, big part in a positive way.

Yeah, we still got to get Yeah.

I had the late clock stuff.

Yeah, I mean short yardage, short yardage off I mean everything that you know.

I had the clock late in the half.

I didn't like them sort of running the ball on that first down.

They looked like they were trying to milk the clock instead of trying to score a touchdown.

But the run defense today like something totally separate from the execution of the offense.

It's the first game without Milton Williams.

Now, I'm going to hesitate to say this was Milton Williams related, because I think there's been signs of this the last two weeks.

This was coming and today.

The difference was they gave one guy the carries, so instead of fifty yards, it was one hundred yards.

But they had a hard time with Chase Brown today.

Yeah, the upfront they did.

Yeah, just I mean, I'm not sure how to phrase this exactly, but the drive right before halftime, yeah, three plays thirty seven yards, you give up a field goal.

Uh, and then the drive their last touchdown to have four plays forty four yards.

I mean it's just you can't.

You can't do that in clutch time.

I mean, they've been really good most of this season.

Uh, you know, and who were seeing the kickoff returna I mean, lucky lucky that you know that they weren't already starting about their twenties.

The seven goal drive that you were talking about, Mike was really two plays, Yeah, right, thirty seven third play was that that can't happen.

No, it can't happen.

They happened.

They've been really good around the half.

Uh.

You know last week it was it was not so great.

They missed the field goal, you know against the Jets.

Just that execution and those those are the kind of drives that scare the hell out of me, you know, especially coming down the end when you know that they you know, this isn't the most high power passing attack, especially down the end.

They couldn't really push the ball down the field all that much, and then all of a sudden, you know, it just takes a couple of plays in all their in field goal range.

So, you know, just some some situational football where the defense was was not as tight.

And you know, again, I just I go back to, you know, is this a tired team?

Is this, you know, a team that is a.

Little rusty because they had a week off, and you know, or is this you know, a sign that this is teams start to become who they are around this time of year.

And I mean, I you know, I don't.

I mean, Paul mentioned the seven Patriots, but I just not completely apple Staples.

But I remember in December that was a different team.

That was a team that was kind of holding on by the skin of their teeth, grinding wins out.

And if you really looked, you said, you know what, this isn't the high flying team that it was earlier in the season.

And you know, this Patriots team's a young team.

They have a lot to figure out, and it's hard for a young team like that to establish consistency.

But I just hope that they're able to get right over these next Monday Night football and the bye week, which is kind of a weird schedule.

Now they have a little bit of an extended week now and then they'll have a full week off.

So can they get a little bit more healthy, Can they get a little bit more sharp?

Can they get back to the way they were playing?

Because I feel like the last few weeks it's been good enough to get wins.

But if you're really paying attention and you really want this team to make some noise in the playoffs, I think that there's some things that you can pose to.

And it's funny because when we talked about the good list, we had a hard time coming up with a lot of different things, and I'm I'm the same with the bad list, Like with specific things.

I mean I had like early in the game, you know, Chasin goes off side, you know on a fourth, you know on a fourth and five, you know, not an easy conversion.

Make them get it, they draw you off side.

That can't happen.

Now.

They ended up getting the stop because they ended up getting I think a drop pass and they got off the field anyway.

Then they got a sack.

But these are the kinds of things that I know people are gonna laugh, like, but these are the kinds of things that get you beat.

You're playing against the worst teams in the league.

And I know everybody hates to hear that, but you are playing a steady stream of the worst teams in the league.

And it's good enough to win by six points against one of the worst teams in the league.

But it ain't good enough to be good teams.

And you know, hopefully they can clean these things up and we won't have to find that out if this kind of a performance is good enough to beat a good team.

But my guess is we all know the answer to that, Like you can't jump off side on fourth and five.

Yeah, no, it's it's stupid.

And we got a player I know.

I'm hold my breath.

We're on the back.

Maybe we won't get one today.

I don't know.

Maybe they'll maybe they'll be uh, we'll talk to Hunt.

Maybe they'll be they'll be.

Pouting because they didn't play as well.

Yeah, it was.

It was an interesting game.

I mean, like I said, when you don't play really well, when you find a way to win the game, there's something to be said for that.

And I don't want to dismiss it.

I think Mike Rabel, you know, for the most part, made really good decisions at critical times today and they were Mike critical, critical, stress.

To the win end.

How we do uh geez, I don't even I mean, probably the worst part of the whole thing is having to talk about these injuriest the most significant injury that we've had, so Jared Wilson, your rookie starting left guard, was carted off.

Looked like a.

Right right uncle uncle.

The first Morgan was a little sick.

He came out, but he returned.

I think he played the rest of the game this much.

Brendan schooler out ankle injury.

Uh yus, I don't believe we saw him return.

That was a chest injury.

And then the worst one was was Will Campbell kind of saw it as it was happening, you know, the camera cut away.

But that wasn't bad to me.

I thought they were doing the A C L test on the field.

Cut it off.

He's got the It.

Came up for a second and it looked like he may have.

Been I don't show it.

Don't show.

We don't want to.

See it again.

I know you're doing your job, though.

You know the best.

I think that you know, clearly there's something you know, you remerated here.

Yeah, you could see the reaction around him.

You know, maybe maybe this is a sprained m c L or something like that which the power pushich No, but it might have him on the shelf for you know, a month or so, but maybe not season ending.

I fear the worst because that's what I do.

You know, I've seen enough of these that I kind of feel like, I know the that's yeah, the Wes Welker one comes to the mind.

And iland and I do think that's a magnificant one because you know, I like you can make an argument.

I know some of our listeners have Jared Wilson, Ben Brown.

I'm not sure there's an enormous difference there.

I do think there's a difference between anybody else you have at tackle, you know, in Campbell.

But we'll see.

I thought Vederian Lowe did a fine job, by the way, when he went in.

Yeah he did.

I mean, it's gonna thinking the worst.

I mean, that's gonna test this team for sure.

This is you know, that's how the season suddenly can go sideways and be a completely different season in one game and you know, I think this is a good coaching staff, and I I mean part of me, I can't lie, is interested to see how this oline coaching staff that has been revamped, you know, what they're able to do if they have to.

You know, go some time with the new left side of the line.

But I grew with Paul about Ben Brown.

I've always kind of liked him.

I just think he's a good sized player and you know, got some good experience last year.

But you know, just it's not even just losing Will Campbell at left tackle.

It's just it's a little bit of an emotional blow because that kid was really rookie.

The kids around and the.

Best friends and you know, so it's just look, it's you know, no what's gonna feel sorry.

This is every team in the league deals with this.

You just hate when this game suddenly arrives.

And you know, in two thousand and eight, it was game number one about a minute, you know, five minutes in and going.

To be like the three of us were sitting here, I players long and and they're like it was it was comical.

At the beginning of the game, it was play injury play every time Patriot down Bengal down, Bengal down, Patriot down.

It's and I do think part of it is what Mike's talking about, Like, you know, it's week twelve, you know for the Patriots, they haven't had a bye week yet that you know, it's starting to you know, it's starting to pile up.

The wear and tearror starting to pile up.

I always used to say, like, you know, it's it stinks when you go into the season banged up because you don't get healthier as as an NFL season progresses.

So hopefully these these.

Don't all turn out to be significant, but you're starting to see what the rest of the league is going through because this is what everybody else is dealing with their week.

And I'd say, I mean, I don't you know, I will see with school or two, but I don't think that that's insignificant.

As you know, leader on special teams, a guy who can all ass and get downfield.

And he had an ankle too.

You know, so that's that's that ain't great either.

That ain't great either.

And Tonga, I mean, you know they already lost Mill Williams.

We talked a lot about Tonga being a guy to step up well, you know, to get back to back losses of two of your top three rotational defensive tackles in two weeks, that ain't easy either.

So you know, look, let's cross our fingers and hope that you get Look, Monday is a long week, maybe, but even then three weeks maybe before you can get with some of these guys back.

Hopefully that that that that time gives them enough time to get healthy.

And these aren't all critical season ending injuries.

And that's on a day where you allow, you know, your first one hundred yard rusher of the year nineteen for one or.

Maybe that's the better thing to point out with Tonga.

Is yeah, Williams, you know that, you know, significant, significant.

Getting Eric Gregory in there, you know, young kid.

I mean, it's just, you know, it's not easy, not easy to manage this many injuries.

But yeah, especially because earlier in the pregame we talked about letting the depth get reps, but unfortunately it was yeah.

But no to make a stop.

Yeah, and everything else you said ended up being right.

Ern got it.

I was like, what you were right about, I mean, Flacco clearly was not help.

I mean, you were right, and I don't need to see his finger either.

And yeah, I had nothing to do with it the finger.

It was more the shoulder, like he wasn't throwing the ball at all early in the game.

And you guys were right.

I mean, it's funny, like all the numbers that we pick are really good.

Like, you know, we're looking for a thirty seven and a half yard completion, but Drake may he has one for thirty seven.

Joe Flacco's attempts with thirty eight and a half, he attempts thirty seven.

Oh and by the way, Jake Browning comes in for one.

Yeah, so that's thirty eight.

You know.

So the numbers are right there.

But but you guys were right, I thought.

I mean, if you had told me nineteen thirteen this game was going to be, you know, take away the two pick sixes, I would have said, there's no way, no way.

But that's what we saw.

Who picked sixes, twenty five injuries and no red zone offense.

Yeah, pretty much exactly.

All right, Well alla, wait front, Henry, Let's see what Christian la has to say.

Christian, Hey, you guys, how's it going.

So a win is a winner, they say, but you know, some wins don't feel like like victory.

They feel like you got a w in the column.

I was when I.

Called Thursday, I said, I was pretty worried about our interior run defense and who will step up?

And I got my answer, And I'm not happy about that.

I said, I was worried about the ability to get an a cheerier pass rush also, and again I'm not happy about that.

We made Joe Flacko look serviceable instead of old and immobile.

And now with the injuries to the offensive line, this team is at a crossroads in my opinion, and the way we go into next week against the Giants is going to be a very interesting game, and then how we come out of that.

Buy is going to determine if his team is going to make some noise in the playoffs or if we as fans are going to settle with a better than expected season.

How do you guys feel about the rest of the season, our ability to hold on to that number one seed with that change with the the the Cults and the Chiefs today And I'll take it up the air.

I mean, I mean, I think that's I mean, I like to tease Christian a lot.

I think that's one of Christian's better calls right there, because I do think looking today in the micro is not necessarily relevant.

It's the macro, like, do these two injuries on the left side of your offensive line?

Are they first A, are they both significant which we kind of think they are, And do they have an impact?

You see?

I'm just looking at Twitter a little bit, Drake May talking about, you know, the guys that obviously mean a lot to him so mentally and you made that comment Mike Early.

Does that affect them mentally missing those guys potentially and which directions does the team go?

I think that Giants game is shaping up, in my view, to be a very difficult game.

The Giants have played everybody pretty much to They had another just bitter loss today, and they've been able to step up against the better teams in the league.

They went to Denver and had the game in hand in.

The fourth quarter.

Today they go to Detroit and they had the game in hand in the fourth quarter, end up losing in overtime.

So I don't think that's going to be an easy game come Monday night.

And then they'll have a buy and then you find out maybe a little bit more when you get Buffalo Baltimore back.

I think Christian's on that, and I think it could go either way.

Is it going to be a season that you're happy just because you've turned it around and you've become good, or is it could be a special season that you can do some damage in the playoffs.

I think the story is still to be written.

That's what I was feeling, too, is are you going to hold up the team that has gotten to this point one nine straight games, but then injuries happened and we weren't that team?

We didn't and we fizzled out at the end, and you know, but next year, or we're going to get back to that team that we were?

You know?

And what was then?

Really want to be there?

I think if you if you took a poll of most Patriots fans heading into the season and you know, idiots like us, what was the biggest fear we had?

What was the biggest concern heading into the year?

Depth?

Everybody across the board said depth.

And we haven't really had to see it for twelve weeks.

I think I think we're going to have to see it in Week thirteen.

Offensive defensive line too, These are positions every down impacted by these guys.

But you can make an argument that the defensive line has been the strength of the team beyond the obvious of Drake May.

But you just wonder.

You just wonder if these start because they can't run the ball, and it's not going to get better when you're losing your alignment.

Down, no they I mean really it's becoming a season long thing.

A couple of long runs the last few weeks offset some of that.

You know, you could only like the number, but there were no big plays today.

I mean, I thought Henderson was actually better to it was last week.

I know everybody will be fixated because he didn't have three touchdowns this week, but I thought he actually ran hard.

You know, the numbers aren't any different.

He was three point seven today, he was three point three last week.

Again, the touchdowns are all anybody's going to say, Wow, he was disappointing to say, even Trent Trent Green made the comment like he's been hot and he.

Was bottled up today.

I was like, he was bottled up last.

Week too, So this is when your metal is going to be tested.

I think that that, to me, in my view, is beyond reproach.

I think they've sort of proven themselves mentally being mentally tough.

Now physically, can you continue to make plays with who's you know, can Marcus Bryant if he has to play, Vederian Lowe if he has to play I have more faith than Ben Brown because he's played more.

But yeah, I mean that defensive line that you talk about, Mike, all of this is going to start to add up.

Yeah, I mean, I don't want to lose sight of the fact too, that it's pretty impressive to come to a point now where we were the last two years with if the Patriots played a bad game in the last two years, they weren't winning that game, and then they would be lucky to be in a one or two score game in that game, you know.

Even against a bad team, this game would have came down to the wire and the other.

Two Yeah, it still kind of did.

But you know, but I just I think that there is, you know, still signs of progress when you look at it from the view of what this team has been and to come into a game on the road you don't have your best, you lose some of your better players over the course of its injury, you know, it's still a sign I think of a of a team that's pretty mentally tough, and they're just it's great that they were able to win the game, because if they can continue to win games and get a home playoff game and play here, I think it'll it'll make a big difference for them.

You just don't want to see a team that now at the end injuries, they start to lose it and you know, they kind of fall apart.

But they've shown remarkable mental toughness in game over the course of the season.

But you know, as Paul kind of said, they haven't.

Had a lot of real adversity yet and having to overcome things that you know some teams too.

I mean, sometimes injuries happen to teams and overcoming them becomes, you know, the identity of the team.

Now.

I don't know if that's going to happen for the Patriots, but I mean, I think there's a very good chance that they're going to need Vederian Lowe to finish out this season and protect that left side for Drake May.

And you know, how does it look this year.

I know he was he got a lot of crap the last couple of years, but he's in a better system now I think I think he is better coaching and he's had a chance to kind of rest and get healthy.

Wasn't healthy this summer came off of ir you know, into camp at one point.

So you know, there's part of me that wants to see him go out and do well after the amount of criticism that he took and you know, some of the better support that he has around him now.

But big challenge for Drake may too, big challenge for young Drake Bay in a second year to work around this stuff.

But get used to a kid.

This is how the NFL goes.

I want to go back to what you said about the adversity, because they haven't had it in the sense of strength of schedule, as everyone has either complained or bragged or whatever about.

But when you think about today's game, I feel like that was adversity of being able to win in a game where one you were supposed to mentally come back physically, you lose players and still find a way to get it up, which is I think maybe the biggest.

Yeah, and I mean it's but it's one thing to have like a ten point deficit in the first quarter, verus let's see what it looks like a ten point deficit in the fourth.

Yeah, I like that.

That's what.

This was like.

An adversity game, period for everybody that played in.

It, for some people watching it, guyversity.

There were guys dropping in this game left right.

This was one of those games that both sides sort of probably felt like, geez, everything's working against us today.

But I will say they were down two scores today and they found a way to win first time, first time they've done that.

There you go, There you go first, Drake may pick six a bunch of first going on something different exactly.

All right, let's sad to Orlando and see what Chris has to say.

Chris, how are you feeling.

Doing all right?

Yeah, just scraped out of there.

Touch on a couple of things.

I think Drake looked as bad as you ever did look early.

I don't think we're talented enough to consistently overcome slow starts.

I think that's going to build up.

Paul brought up this being Milton Williams related.

I was thinking that the entire game this team is going to need to get healthy down the stretch.

I think these games for us mean everything.

I think we need the number one seed.

I think we need that buy.

That home field advantage will be ginormous to make a serious run.

Although you could also say we're six and all on the road.

So I don't know this team just it gives me too much mixed messages.

We end up winning, but we're not good enough to overcome slow starts.

I think that's that's what we're learning, especially.

With our injuries, right, Yeah, I mean they have been so far.

But I actually said the opposite of about Milton Williams is I'm not sure this was specific to Milton Williams because I think it's sort of been coming on the last few weeks.

I've seen a little bit less stout play up front.

Now maybe it's Milton Williams.

I don't know.

Maybe it is.

I look at him as more of a pass game player than a run game player.

But yeah, I mean I don't it's certainly not helping to be missing him, and I think Tonga as well.

I think he's he's been a really good run for US player for them, this picks away And what this does is it puts guys that are in small roles and it increases that role and can that guy handle that?

You know, can a guy who plays really well for tens now's play really well for twenty five.

So we're actually gonna switch.

We're not getting Hunter Henry, We're getting Carlos and Davis who joined us right now.

Welcome in and congrats on the win.

Hey, how you doing good?

Hey, carl I just you know big when you guys are able to hang on there, some big pass defenses from you down the stretch though, Just what was the mindset going into that final drive and trying to close those guys out?

Oh?

Man, it was really important for us to win it on defense and come through for our guys.

Man, Coach talk about it all the time that we got to show our identity in these moments, and we just wanted to go out there and show why, you know, we're the defense who we are, And it was honestly just being a dog understanding that the game is on this and that you know it's making a break time.

So we went out there with that mindset.

And got the job done.

He tackles three passes defense today for you, Carlton, But I want to talk about one play that I'm sure that you weren't as happy about, and that was the go route down the sideline to T Higgins.

I see you.

Look, I could see the look on your face right now.

I don't even have a question.

I just want you to talk about it.

Talk about it well.

So you know T.

Higgins is a great player, and just studying his film, he's gotten a lot of go balls, and you know one thing that he does well at the top of them out is he creates space with his hands.

He's a physical receiver, big receiver with a big catcher idious so I've seen guys try to look back for the ball and get lost just with him giving him a nudge.

And you know, I wanted to be stout and courage and I wanted to eliminate that separation.

So I was playing him.

I was playing him tough.

And I went in, stopped in the pot, stops out through the pocket, and I look up, I'm celebrating.

I just see like two flags, and I'm so confused.

You know, sorry that he got hurt on a plane.

But you know, for me, man, I'm just competing at the highest level.

Man, I'm just you know, trying to get the job done for our team and for them to throw that flag and put them in a position and get a touchdown that ship.

It really just messed me up and it kind of made me.

It definitely made me not going into that next possession.

Yeah, Carlton, Obviously a win is a win, but this one was a physical and mental fight.

So what's the feeling in the locker room right now after that one?

I mean it was week twelve, so guys are tired.

We haven't had a bye week yet.

Yeah, and we you know, we really fought hard through that to get that win.

So we are really happy, really relieved that we get a longer week this week to recover and you know, have Thanksgiving with our family because we was playing on Monday.

But uh, you know, we're happy that we were able to show our identity to everything that happened, being down ten zill, not playing the way we want into early on, but ultimately getting to win.

Yeah.

What does it say called and you've been around a little bit, what does it say about your team?

You guys can maybe not have your best game but still come away with a win, your ninth in a row.

You guys are streaking right now.

It just shows our resilience, It shows, uh, you know what we're made of.

It shows our identity and uh, you know, honestly, I'm proud of our guys man, because you know, a lot of people can say, you know, whatever they want to say about as being ten and too.

But you know, we fight hard for every win and we put into work and it shows up on Sundays.

It does.

And I have congratulations, have a happy things together.

Thank you for your time.

Thanks Carling than Travels, congratulations, thank you.

Yeah.

I could just you know, I.

You know, I could see the look in his face and and just to let everybody know, I don't think we ever actually got it was the pass interference call.

Yeah, And I thought it was a tough call.

I mean, to be completely honest, I thought it was the right call.

I thought he got there early and I thought he had I thought he restricted Higgins's ability to make the AT But I don't think it was bad coverage.

And I think that's probably what really frustrated Davis is because that's a that's a big ask on the sideline on a play like this, and you could see him he's kind of playing right through.

You know, I don't know, I I know why the flag came out on this play.

Let's put it that way.

But again, something happened.

How do you respond to it?

And he said it made him mad as hell didn't useport hell.

And he came.

Up with a couple of pass breakups on the on the final drive, diving, you know, to deflect the ball.

I thought, like I said, that's why he was he got a big spot on my my good list.

I thought this was the best game he's had.

I thought he was really good in this game, really physical, really tough.

As funny as I talked to him on Friday in the locker room, we did a little you know, we're talking to him and I asked him the same thing about t Higgins.

He said the same thing to me on Friday, And you know, it's just funny when he talked to a guy two days ago and then here the game comes down to, you know, one of those match plays that we talked about.

Now, great to see him him coming on, and I mean his just veteran leadership there in the secondary.

I think they're going to need to lean into some of those guys as these injuries pile up on defense.

Like you said, they're just tired.

I get it.

I'm tired.

Yeah, me too.

I just feel like you're on the you're on the treadmill right now.

And I don't even know if the buy makes all that much of a difference, but uh, you know, just be good for these guys to finally get I'll.

Tell you, you know, And I didn't even think of it in this way.

That extra day is going to help them a little bit for the Monday night, and then they get the buy, then maybe they will be able to catch up a little bit.

Because you can see it.

They're like they're taking on it, Yeah, taking on water a little bit.

And I think they.

Need they need the buy.

Yeah, they sure do.

They need the buy.

And uh, you know, if you can get there at eleven and two, you know you got a lot to accomplish there down the stretch, even if you slip up once once or twice.

You know.

I know there's a lot of talk about the first round by you know, obviously that's enormous, but to me, the bigger thing is just make sure you find a way to win the division and you are in control of the division.

Now.

We didn't talk about this at all in the pregame show.

With Buffalo losing Thursday, the tie breaker, forget the head to head.

The tie breaker that the Patriots are in control of right now is division record.

So don't lose to the Jets or the Dolphins, and you're almost guaranteed to win the division even if you lose to Buffalo and Baltimore.

If you beat the Giants, Miami and the Jets, you will win the division.

And that to me is vital, vital to have that division round that, you know, a wildcard game at home, or a division round game at home, whatever happens to be.

That's what the focus should be.

If you can get the number one seed overall, excellent, that's gravy.

Feels like you're gonna really have to thread the needle though, and that's maybe maybe you can lose one game and get that maybe the buye Yeah, well I don't know if maybe I don't know if you can lose anyone.

I mean, I mean sure, but that you have to hope other teams lose, you know.

But but that's the way, you know, the way you're looking at it right now.

You know you have a half game lead because you and again I don't when teams haven't played the same amount of games, Like, don't tell me about the tie breakers, but the division is different because the division is a division record, and that is infirmly right now in the Patriots favor.

Yeah, I should agree that should be the goal.

But what do you make of the fact that they are still a good team on the road looking at the rest of the schedule.

Yeah, they are a good team, I mean, and that's and that does that gives me a little bit of you know, hope, and that's something that we'll be talked about.

I mean, they have, you know, some more road games to go.

They got to go to Baltimore and they still got to go to New York.

But going into the playoffs, if they do have to travel, this will be what, oh, they went seven and one on the road, you know, that'll be that That'll be how they how they hype them up, and how you know, you convince yourself that that they're gonna have a chance.

But you know, just you're gonna have to play some good teams on the road, and that's that's probably the biggest difference, exactly.

You're gonna have to play different caliber teams.

I mean, they have, in my my opinion, they have two very good road wins in Buffalo and Tampa.

So it's not like they don't think they can do it.

To Kwannie's point, though, they know they can have six.

They know they don't have to be home to win because they've done it.

Yeah, six and zero on the road.

They know that they can win on the road.

Exactly right.

Don't go anywhere.

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And guys, it pains me a little bit to make this the next legacy today, but guess what it is.

Offensive line depth.

Oh yeah, Brent Ben Brown came in earlier, Vadarian Low came in a little bit later.

I thought they did all right, And unfortunately, I think we're gonna need those guys to continue to play at least alright.

Maybe better to continue this Patriots team win streak playing well injuries part of the season every year.

Patriots have been really lucky to this point, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Talked a lot about depth on the offensive line.

Team retained Vederian line still got Morega Moses, I'm on the right side.

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You are the big parts of continuing to build the next legacy here this week.

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Now back to the Patriots postgame Show presented by DraftKings.

Back into the Patriots postgame Show presented by DraftKings after a win in Cincinnati full House.

Finally, at this point in the show, Matt Smith Palparillo miked, So, I'm Quannie Lunis.

Thanks for sticking with Fat and Matt.

You usually come bearing sound.

So what's the feel right now?

Well, I want to get the feel from you guys.

First, what's the feel in this room?

It's it's highs and lows.

We're happy they won, but not in the fashion that they won.

Yeah, and devastating injuries probably.

I mean, it's it's hard not to think about the injuries that what you're predicting.

But it seemed like it seemed like it.

Yeah, a lot of guys, A lot of guys left this game, right, Yeah, but you know, you had to be double digits in terms of the two teams today had to be a half dozen each side.

Added a good hour to the game.

Seriously, brutal.

I mean, like I hate that the cliche.

It's just like it's a brutal game.

And this is one of those games where it's.

Like today was brutal.

It was brutal.

Yep, guys were going down every other play.

About ten injuries my notes ten and two.

Right, it's pretty so.

And I would say this as we start, maybe with some sound we're gonna hear from the head coach first, who didn't want to comment on the injuries, did not have any updates as far as the injuries are concerned, but started out talking about the field goal operation in Indy Borgalis huge.

Those are those are great, and uh appreciate what he's done and I think he's you know, a lot of confidence there.

And then the operation and we had I don't know, I went through four or five different combinations on a field goal.

I mean, you lose linemen and now you've got farms and you know, dirt in and Morgan's that went, you know, I mean, it's just like a lot of moving parts.

So give those guys credit for being able to jump in there and help us.

We didn't score it, and ay, you know again you got to score with your man, whatever you call.

And you know it'll be a good learning opportunity for us, and a lot of phases and just how important and how critical in a week of practices and being ready to go because you never know when your opportunity is going to come, and making sure that everybody's on the same page.

And you know, a lot of moving parts today you don't give them it.

And uh, you know, I think he you know, he came up big with some with some good throws and uh, you know, I'm sure there's a couple that he'd like to have.

Back on Friday, you had talked about the speed in which the team recovers from a good player for a bad player.

We need some work at that, everybody, me included, starting with me.

I mean, that's just.

Proud to you know, keep coaching these guys and we'll respond.

But I think you know we can focus on that, you know, just the speed in which we recover and just the these are long games, long games, and you know they're decided by a few plays.

So uh, in the end, we made a couple more than they did.

Yeah, a couple of interesting nuggets.

I thought.

They're one that probably most people I put myself at the top of the list, don't factor in.

But when everybody's going down in droves, you got to mix it match in the field goal operation unit.

And I thought that was pretty interesting to point that out.

You know, four or five different combinations.

Don't you really think about the specialty?

Just think about offense defense and then you forget.

What also you just think about long snapper.

Those guys are there, should be fine.

If they're welling guys in in and out.

They proves that I'm one of those guys that wouldn't have thought about that right right here, right, I wouldn't have so that I understand that my cast too, right will?

I think?

I don't think Mike is like overstating anything right there.

You know, he's the coach, but I think we take it for green.

But linemen should block, right, Yeah, if you have if your kicker.

Is not there and someone else has to kick, now that's different.

Yeah, yeah, I felt I could find of feel the weight of the game on Vabel there a little bit.

Oh that's probably part of the injuries, probably part of just the you know, the long grind that they've been on.

But you know, the interesting thing to me too, and the Giants have it the same, but like this is the as late as you can possibly have a buye.

They have it on the Monday night of the last bye week.

You know, giants too, But it's it's been a grind for.

These guys, right.

And the other thing that you know, caught my hair a little bit.

We was talking about you know, good good opportunity to learn, you know, as far as practice is concerned, and being ready, knowing that you need to be ready to play.

I think today was a great example of that.

Like you never know when you're never going to come out.

So I wonder if what he's talking about.

And I'm not trying to put words in his mouth, just like there was a lot of hey.

Patriots are really good this week, you know around here, like.

Stephen A.

Smithy doing that, leve a could.

A bit, you know what, just take a step back focus the whole interesting and important thing that Mike had, like a month and a half ago.

It's interesting, it's not necessarily important.

Why don't you keep that stuff in the back burner and let's let's be ready to go at the start of the gay I wonder if that's sort of what Mike is talking about.

Opportunity to learn here.

You know, we need to be folks.

We're good, we're very good.

We're ten and two, but we got to be ten and two because most of the time we've been ready to go, and today you can make an argument that they weren't ready to go.

Really good point, dear Paul, really good point.

Okay, As for the players, a bunch of them and they think they sort of said the same thing as the National Football League.

But let's kick things off with the quarterback, Drake May you know ballt versity.

Sure, I gave him one other in the game, just battling back that next drive.

And I'm just trying to be a next play mentality, you know.

So what coach is preaching all the time, all the time, it's been battling back from good plays, bace back from bad plays.

And you'll probably defense for stepping up.

They sept up big time.

And like I said, it's next min up.

We had a lot of guys, you know, come in and play and make plays and help us out.

So just proud of them, and you'll just go to get a win and go to get the tenth win.

It's the NFL teams are good.

I mean, it's you know, it's gonna come down to the wire.

Games can come down to the wire, and I mean perhaps to them they did.

You know, they came out and fought, and I mean it's hard to get wins in this league, so it was a good win.

I love those guys, you know, uh, you know, Will and Jared, they've been at meant a lot to me.

You've got to know them in different ways.

And yeah, it turs is disappointed, man, but that's that's that's this game.

That's you know, that's life, and you know they'll bounce back and it will help us down the road.

I was about.

It was a tough one for sure, and I try to just expect that going into each week, not looking at the record.

I don't I don't really pay too much attention to the records of the team because I know in the NFL, every week is always going to be a dogfight, and so you know, thank god we got through that and came out, came out with the win.

All the guys are are not satisfied with it too.

We know there's a lot more ahead of us, and we know that we need to play better too.

I think that we take a lot of pride in that too, that we need to play better.

And you know, the real the real games are coming down here down the stretch, and we got to you know, continue to improve and continue to get better.

I got to be better, gotta better the line of scrimmage, you gotta be better.

Credit to them for for catching the some and and like I said, I think I do my part and help us play football and punched it down there in the red zone, and you know, I take that to heart and I'm gonna be better.

I thought it was good to hear from the quarterback, who you know takes some ownership of his play today, and from Hunter Henry, veteran captain, saying there's bigger games coming down the road.

You know, I thought I like to hear that, like to hear that.

And I would also say that there was a lot of people who are asked about the two offensive linemen that went down in Jelani to via that sounds like that's something that doesn't sound great that he and his family are going through.

And there was a lot of talk from the players that, you know, they want to make sure that they know that they're with him in spirit and understand that he's with them in spirit.

They're thinking about him, and so it sounds like he and his family might be going through a tough time, which why he was.

Did make the trip.

Yeah, I don't like hearing that.

Just also do some lat scene from the locker room, Brettan's schooler and Jerry Wilson spotted in walking boots, Jerry Wilson with a cane as well, kind of helping them walk.

So not sure what that means, but take it for what it's worth.

I think Trent Green's the only one on didn't think that that one was serious.

It's going to take a.

I know, I usually saved this from mondays with you.

Yeah, let's do it.

That was an exceptionally bad call today.

By seeing it was I lost track at about two dozen just flat out errors.

By the way, justin Hooper Whenne's jumping on the pie, because Mike.

Is a little like me, it's kind of white noise for us.

It was so bad today it was hard to no.

One kept hearing stuff, and I'm like, Justin Hooper, Matt Hooper.

Well then, so as the two plays for Wilson, like the most egregious when he sits down and saying the.

Guy can be he's hunched over.

I know he couldn't get off the field under his own like whatever.

I mean, there was nothing worse than than watching them those guys go off.

Did Drake may line that he said, I got to be better at the line of scrimmage.

I think it was really interesting because I think for one of the few times this year the opponent got the better of the Patriots offense today schematically that's a terrible defense, and they caught him a.

Few times and blitz.

Same blitz was consistent one early in the game where they move romondre Stevenson up into the A gap, which is something they've done periodically during the year.

As soon as that happened, the whole Bengals defensive line shifted over, got a guy come clean.

Will Campbell executed his block perfectly, and the blitz came because there was no one to get him.

Later in the game, when Vanderian Lowe was in there, same thing.

Vadarian Lowe blocks his guy perfectly one on one and a guy comes unaccounted for.

So I think that's some of the things that maybe Drake May's talking about.

They beat him at the line of scrimmage a little.

Bit today, and Trent Green did a good job on a couple of those.

By the way, didn't bringing that out so that we're just.

Killing did My criticism is more with the play by play guy who couldn't identify a player.

I mean, that's kind of what you're there for.

If you had asked me in training camp, what do you think it's gonna look like for Drake May this year?

That that was the game that was kind of what I was expecting from him.

His rawerability will get him through, but he's going to look overwhelmed dead times.

Today's the first time since Week one that he looked overwhelmed dead times, I thought, yep.

So going forward, I think is it safe to say that what we saw how they ended the game on the left side of the offensive line, that's what it's going to look like for the Giants game And maybe at least yeah, there's a good chance of that.

Yeah, I embrace on myself.

It's going to be Verderian Loan and Ben Brown on the left the side of this line here on out.

Maybe I have a.

Little bit of hope.

And Wilson, we'll see.

Maybe that's a high ankle spring a few weeks something like that.

But the way he was limping, I don't, I don't, I don't feel good.

And just the look of Will Campbell putting the.

Towel over his head, Yeah, it looks just don't want to speculate a dreaded a.

C L when that comes, you know, And that that was the vibe I got there, So I, you know, definitely Will Cambell in my thoughts, he's, you know, great guy, he's been awesome as a rookie.

And it's just you hate to see, you hate to see this go completely sideways just in you know, one play, but again that's what happens.

Sounds cliche, but that's what the NFL is all about.

You just never know who they're gonna take.

You know, you never know who the football gods are going to decide to sacrifice in this one.

I did I and you guys would know because you follow this a little bit more closely than I do.

Did Did somebody come out this week and write a calm about how great their health has been and everything like that.

I don't know, But whoever it is better string up, believe, I do believe the head coach did get a little jab at dem.

He goes, thanks for pointing out the help during the week.

I really appreciate it.

Yeah.

Yeah, But you.

Guys, you know, I mean I think of like, you know, twenty eleven when Andre Carter was like going off and having a great year and everything, and then he got lost.

You know, I don't know.

I think it was in Denver, you know, down the stretch, and you know, it's just those things happen, and you don't know if it's going to be the first game of the season or one of the last games of the season that your team dynamic gets kind of changed.

And the truly great teams are the teams that pull together and figure out how to overcome these things.

Darian Low has been here for a reason, and now it's an opportunity for him to get in there and and and play some solid game.

And I got to tell you, I think that the biggest factor in past protection has been Drake May, and I think that will continue to be the case.

I'm not it ain't great.

I'm not gonna just sugarcoat it.

But I'm not overly concerned about the offensive ones.

I think the defensive attrition is starting to pile up a little bit.

That's more concerning to me.

But the offensive line they'll get by.

They'll figure it out.

That being said, how do you all want them to regroup offensively?

For the Giants?

Knowing the Giants have had an inconsistent season.

Two, they went overtime today, They've.

Seen to play the same game every week.

We're gonna be up by two scores in the fourth quarter and we're gonna lose.

Yeah.

I try not to do that, but I mean, I think, you know what Tavan Henderson said, I thought running true to me.

It's just I don't really try to look at teams records.

This is the NFL.

Every game is going to be a fight.

And after this.

Game against this team and this defense, how can you not and how can you not look at what the Giants have done and not think you're going to come in here on Monday night and be ready for an absolute war again that you know, you don't know some guys who are going to be in certain positions, like you don't even know what the composition your team is going to really be at this point.

And the Giants are just gonna let it rip.

They don't really care that you know.

Jameis Winston I love them.

I mean, we'll see if Jackson Dark gets back.

But you know, even still, this is a team that that's gonna let it rip.

And they got some pass rushers that can disrupt things absolutely.

And this team isn't any worse.

The Giants aren't any worse than the team play today.

No, you bet every ready to go.

I mean Abdul Carter like they don't got an Abdul Carter on Cincinnati.

Let me tell you they need.

That, well, they do.

He's just he wasn't playing.

Till you just like everybody else.

You give Cincinnati a little credit today for not packing it in and playing harder.

I think they needed to win every game, but I think they they did.

They emptied the bucket too bad.

Their coach didn't.

The coach coach very afraid going for field goals, going for punts.

Yeah, yeah, on fourth and inches twice.

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

I Evan is in California.

Hey, Gay, how are we doing?

Good?

Boy?

That was rough?

Thank god Burroughs and uh Zamara weren't playing.

And the coach is an idiot.

That helped the stuff to sleep.

I believe that last part was instrumental.

That's ridiculous, really, but you know, but that's why we have, you know, ten wins, right, I mean, that's that's the deal.

We have a we have a really good coach.

We can beat bad football and as we see, there's a tremendous amount of it.

But it just really sucks because, you know, the one guy we could leap the four to lose on the offensive line, and I feel bad because that guy, he's such a great guy and also our best offensive lineman.

Right, And this team, like livet saying before we can join the ride, you know, you know this this team is taking on water.

And we talked to you know, and you guys have made mention of it as well.

There's not a lot of depth.

And I think that I don't know if the I don't know if the number one see was ever really like I think, to me realistic in a sense because a really good team is going to take us down just based on where we're at.

But at the end of the day, you know, we're still having a great season.

It's just a good try to hang in there.

To me, I look at it, we can get a playoff game and Julette, regardless of what happens.

You know, the aerro is still pointing up and you know we keep going.

So yeah, tell me what that game looks like and who the opponent is.

I don't know.

I mean, I'm at the point now where I don't want to lose to Jacksonville.

Tell me what the game looks like.

I think you make a great point, Mike.

It's just everybody wanted to do this before the season started, and we kept saying, can we see how it plays out?

Like right now?

Yes, I'm not dumb.

If you would said all of this stuff was going to happen before the season, I would have said, yes, I'd be thrilled, but.

I want to see how it unfolds.

Sure, like a you're gonna tell me you're gonna be okay now if they like lose the rest of their games, No way you're going to.

Be okay with that.

Expectations have changed, right and I don't know why the number one seed is not realistic.

You have it right now, You're tied with Denver.

You know, with two losses, you're at the top of the conference.

It's right there for you to take if you can take care of business opportunity.

Is that the tenor of the and the tone of the calls and the emails like Ivan down and out?

Yeah, yeah, I think, well I haven't gotten any emails actually, so if you have any sense in but yeah, it feels as though, from even looking on Twitter, the reaction that fans are putting out is kind of yeah.

I mean he's up and down, talked all week about how bad this team was, right and score, score and score some more, Like they scored.

One offensive touchdown all the game.

So you know, it's just just is.

This a tire team that needs a break and then can get them back on track?

Is a team that can pick itself up and just get back on track within this week and you know, kind of get back on the upswing because you know, to me, the last few weeks it's been good, they've been getting wins, but it also feels like there are some cracks popping in and the caller said, is that there's some water coming on in some areas, and then you add in some injuries and it's all right, is this team gonna turn it around and rally around each other and and maybe even fine, I don't want to say a new identity, but it's something to that effect where you're gonna have some new players that are gonna have to step into roles and maybe step into you know, do things that you didn't necessarily expect two weeks ago.

So you know they're going to have to adjust on the fly, like like all these NFL teams do.

And you know, it's a big challenge for Mike Rabele to, like you said, get you know, put this.

Behind us, good, bad, whatever it is.

Let's get back to back to neutral.

And I think that's that's the biggest challenge for this team right now, getting off of this.

And you know, it's hard because you're winning games.

You know, you don't want to say like, oh my god, we're going down to the drain.

But I think if you watch these games closely, you listen to the players, you see the injuries.

That are adding up.

You know you know that they're they're kind of up against it.

Right now.

And this is this is the adversity they're going to.

Have to push through if they want to be a team that gets to January and make some noise.

This is a team that looks like they could desperately use a second wind.

Don't they look like they could.

Just give me a second win?

Yeah, you know, like they're just they're still trying to grind them out, and you know, but it's.

Just like a fight every week.

The lack of the offensive run game, the way the defensive run game is starting to open up a little bit.

You know, some of these drives where it's just all too easy for another team to go down.

You know, it's it's just these little things.

And if you're paying attention, you see those things and you say, I don't like it, Like you got to get rid of that, right?

All right, let's see, we're gonna head to Virginia.

Hi, Emery, are you underwater?

Good evening, everyone, good evening.

Good teams trying a way to win football games, and it's hard to win in the NFL.

Everything I'm hearing from the players and from coach bay Ball and his staff, I don't know, have y'all been watching the NFL this season, it's been a lot of bad football, but coach Baby was building an identity here and I'm really encouraged by it.

This organization won a total eight games this past two seasons, so there's no no dooming bloom energy here.

A win is a win, and all wins are good.

We're on to the Giant Go patsall.

That's true.

I mean, you know it is.

It is really hard to win in this league.

But you know, at a certain point you go from I'm going to be satisfied with just nine wins.

We had a winning season.

Two, Hey, it's lining out this year.

We've had good injury luck.

Quarterback, you're playing like an MVP.

Make the most of your chances because you just you never know when these things are gonna line up.

And I don't think it's the kind of thing.

Stop jumping off side on fourth and five, right, I'm not asking for a lot.

Yeah, I'm not asking for a lot.

Don't beat yourself, But yeah, I think they have an opportunity to not just get into the playoffs, but but win a game.

If they play the way they're capable of.

But if they continue to there's no reason for them to not think that they can beat anybody.

Correct, There's nothing that's happened in this league to tell them that they can't compete with anybody.

So I'm not satisfied with this.

That's becoming one of my top five cliches that I hate.

Hard to win this league.

Sixteen teams do it every week, Like don't jump off side on fourth and five.

You know, the other team made more mistakes than you and they lost the game.

But like, you can do better than this.

They can, they can play better than they played today.

If this was Week one and they found to win the game, I'd probably be sitting here whistling Dixie saying.

How astatic I am.

But now I'm ten and two and I have fascinations for more.

Yeah, so true.

Okay, Frank in San Diego, how are you feeling?

Hello?

Hey Frank, Hey, hey guys, great show, Paul, Mike and Kwannie, Great, great show.

I'm a first time caller.

I'm from sunny San Diego.

Thanks.

Only in New England.

Only in New England are we so pessimistic?

There's not a single team in the NFL that would not like to be ten and two have nine straight wins in a row, and that are six and zero undefeated on the road.

There's not a single NFL team that would like to change places with us.

Remember when coach Belichick used to say we are onto Cincinnati, Well we are onto New York.

That was a tough game today, but there's still nine straight wins.

Stop being so pessimistic.

I mean, the glass happen.

The only pessimism is about injuries.

In fairness, no one's pessimistic about winning nine in a row.

The pessimism is being disappointed that they lost potentially three starters today.

Yeah, yeah, you know what, but nothing's happened.

We continue to win.

We're gonna beat New York.

We're gonna get healthy in our bye.

Okay, Well you know more than I do.

I can't see the future.

Yeah I don't.

I don't know that.

I mean, I think Bill Campbell and Jared Wilson have significant injuries, so I don't know that they're going to be okay, but I guess you know, so I don't know.

No, no, no, I don't, I don't.

You just said it.

They're gonna be healthy of.

Everything, win and win and takes care of everything.

Okay, we are winning.

It's good.

Nine straight win.

Good life.

Lesson learn, learn from that one.

Hey, here's my last question to you guys.

See if you can answer this, see if you can figure this out.

It's more of a coaching question.

Why when we know that we're gonna run the ball, when we know it's going to be a running play and the defense knows because they're stacking, uh, the the defense, why don't we spread out?

Why don't we spread out so everyone is not right there when we try to do a running play for one yard?

Hey, thank you so much, Thanks Ran.

Thanks Frank.

I don't know, are you saying that you didn't love the short yardage running situation?

Right?

They weren't happy with the rest after they run it.

They didn't today, No, the Patriots, Yeah no, but I mean to pause point and I was, you know, just kind of looking at the thing.

I mean, Paul was, Paul was right.

I mean, you know, as they graded, Henderson had ten successful runs.

I mean, it wasn't overly productive, sixteen carries for sixty six yards, but you know, did have some situations where.

You know, gain more than four yards or whatever.

The you know, the criteria is per down so professional runners.

They had twenty twenty four care for seventy one yards.

So May sorry.

Twenty twenty five carries for seventy.

One yards, so the May scrambles in the end around to Douglas.

And even then there was three point five a carry counting that.

Yeah, those are only the only ten plus yard runs in the game.

There's nothing from the running backs.

But I mean, when you're on the goal line, you're inside the one yard line, like they know you're running.

You know you're running.

Your job is to get the yard.

I actually hate when teams get tricky down there and try to finesse it in like you need to run it now.

Last week they gave the ball to triviaon Henderson twice in those situations and you got two seven yard touchdown runs because you were able to physically push the Jets into the end zone.

Today they weren't able to do it.

I mean, I'm not going to lose, you know, my faith in the team because they weren't able to get it.

Was bad execution down there, no two ways about it.

But you got to get a yard.

You had how many mic five plays from the one yard line?

Six if you count the penalty.

Yeah, I mean, I mean that one drive they had nine plays, nine plays total from the five.

And from the five and in and you you got to score there, you know.

But give give the Bengals credit.

They I thought they got aggressive down there.

I thought they were tight with their coverage.

They made him work for it, even the hold on Booty.

You know, it was a good call.

He got held, but it was good coverage.

It was good coverage.

Guy didn't get fooled.

You know, we've seen guys get fooled on those where like mac Hollins just slips out uncovered or someone else does they they did a good job.

Sometimes the other team's gonna gonna win those battles.

I really like that play though, that shovel past the hunter Henry, which man stop a yard short?

Like this is a that's a good hard run right there by Stevenson.

He just got he got stacked up.

They kept him out two guys in the backfield.

Like you can't, like you got to be better than that down there.

When it goes to like what you said about last year where Steven so was able to break some tackles in the you know those tackles getting hit in the backfield, slip out and you know, pick up some artists, it's not today.

Not today.

They had at least three tackles for a loss and probably low on them.

The red zone offense is a concern, yes, but it's a minor concern for me because I don't think it's been that bad today.

It was yeah, now, you know whatever, the nine places from the five yard line.

That's inexcusable.

But I don't think that's been a huge problem this year, and it certainly wasn't a problem last week when they were running it in.

So to the question on from the collar, what would you have liked to see them do in the red how would you have liked to see them regroup?

I would like to see them block better and just running from inside the one yard execution.

Executing all these highlights that were showing in the game.

I mean, it's just the common theme.

To me, looks like you're getting overwhelmed at the line of scrimmage.

You're losing the battle on the trenches.

Yeah, but I didn't like.

I didn't want to do anything different.

I did no problem with.

The only play call I didn't like was the one the sneak to may Somewhere.

There was a fourth and third in the inches, the alleged push and maybe just not run quarterback sneak.

Well, he turns and that puts the ball behind, you know, like you know where he was.

You know, this is like you just losing the battle with the last skimmage.

Like Mike said, Look with the guys making the tackles in the backfield.

This is the this is the you know, like I don't like the way he turns.

I don't think he likes I don't like the way he turns.

His back has no chance.

But you know, for the most I don't really have any I don't have any problems with the play.

Calls themselves for the most part, that the execution was not good today, understand.

Okay, let's take it to the Poconos.

I used to summer there at my family ron.

How are you well, But like it was a summer.

I think it was the most affordable trip.

We could go.

Were you in dirty dancing, well run then know?

Hell about you all?

Thank you for everything that you do.

I just want to say I agree with everything that ever has been saying, you know, the the late by, the tiredness, the injuries, all of it.

I think it's down to the coaches now to keep everybody focused and going forward in the right way.

And I believe in the coaching staff, Rabel, you know, I believe in him.

So we'll see what happens.

We don't know where it's going to go.

But I wouldn't trade our staff for anybody.

Yeah, I'd agree with him there.

And I think another one of the challenges that they have is and people mentioned a couple of weeks ago, they've got a weird week again this week.

You know, there's a holiday coming up on Thursday.

And with as close as this team appears to be, and I think everybody's commented that's very close, you want to give them that time to be with their families and everything like that.

Then you got to get them to rimp back up.

And you're gonna have to have a you know, like.

A practice on Saturday, which is not part of what your routine has been, to play on Monday night with a carrot hanging in front of you.

After that Monday night game, knowing there's more time to be had after that, there's them scheduling.

One of the few things though, that benefits them is that like they get and you heard Carlton Davis say it like they get to spend the Thanksgiving with their family because because it's a Monday.

Night game, or they'd have been practicing.

They've been practicing, they're practicing Saturday because you practice Saturday when you have a Monday night game, Saturday is Friday.

So that's that's a like a quirk in the schedule that is highly beneficial.

I'm sure every one of those players is very excited about the fact that a Monday night game fell on Thanksgiving week and they get to enjoy the holiday.

With their family.

Needs to check on the healing powers of mashed potatoes, seriously, on Will Campbell's leg wi Jake White's got a big something and get these guys healthy.

Yeah, but hopefully it is a reset that they need mentally too, of just like taking a break and then getting back into it knowing that they have to finish off the rest of the season stronger.

You know.

It's funny though, because it's like you say that, but then at the same time, it's like they've been on the schedule.

Where it's like my routine and I'm down, and.

Then Monday, I go to this and it's a young team and so some of these guys it's such a common refrain you hear from young players when they come into the league, and my experience and area of oh, you know, I talked to this vet and he told me, get your routine down.

You know, this is when you get your massage, and this is when you go and do workouts your body, get your body right that for a little bit, right right, So now it's a challenge for I.

Usually I get my massage on this day, you know, and that sounds kind of maybe like I mean.

Maybe massage is the bad exactly, well, do I.

Get my massage?

Excuse me?

You know, when do I get all my cupping stuff?

These guys walk out and you're just like, my god, there's just these like lines up their backs and you can tell all the things that that they.

Have to go through just to get ready to play.

But you know, I do think even though it's challenging to do it every Sunday at one, there's also just I mean I felt it when we were doing our show.

You know, you just get into the rhythm and all right, and yeah, it's maybe hard to get better on a short week, and so.

You know, we'll see how they manage it.

Because now it's you have one game in the next like basically three weeks that you know you've got to get healthy, but at the same time, you can't lose the edge.

All right, Cindy and mass how are you hi?

How you doing?

Hey?

First of all, thanks for doing what you guys do.

Short call a win is a win, right?

Yeah?

Okay, So I'm gonna be a Lenny Belichick.

Oh well, we're moving forward to a week from tomorrow.

We have to focus on the Giants, right.

Good impression.

So question I looked.

Up their record?

Are they two and ten?

Correct?

Okay?

So question is this going to be a trap game?

Yeah?

That I wish you guys the best.

You take care.

I mean, I think that's kind of what we're just talking about like that.

I think it is a tra I think this week was you're looking forward to the buying.

No.

I think when you, yeah, when you have something that you're looking your head too, and you're playing someone in fear out time, that's that's to me the definition of a trap.

You're playing a bad team when you're looking forward to a bye.

Now.

I think that I don't have any data on this.

I'd i'd like to see it teams that are heading into.

The bye but the Giants are heading into the bye two.

But the Giants.

The Giants are two and ten.

The Giants are just playing a string out.

Like Matt came in and he made the comment about like, were you surprised that the Bengals played like a little bit, Yeah, And I was, especially with how badly they played.

I thought, if they played well, maybe that you know, you know, you kick up.

But they played so.

Poorly at times in this game.

But they just kept fighting, they kept scrapping.

Well that was to me, winning the line of scrimmage.

I mean, that's where you see whether or not a team came to play or not, Like whether or not a cornerback is like good point tonight, and they were ready to get into But you.

Were surprised by Cincinnati.

You're not surprised by the Giants because of the way they have been quote fighting over them.

I was surprised that the Giants kept I mean the Bengals kept playing, you know, like I would have thought for sure when Flack go through the inexplicable handoff to Marcus Jones, that that would be game, you know, And it wasn't.

Like they they were able to stop them and force a field goal at the end of the half, and stop them at the beginning of the third quarter, you know, you know, after they had you know, had go three and out to punt.

I was surprised.

Patriots gave them opportunities to stay in the game by not catching it.

I was surprised.

I am, Like you asked that question right off the top, and my answer is yes, I knew that this was like a desperation game for the Bengals because they looked at it as if we can somehow.

I mean, you know who's in first place in that division now, right, Baltimore?

Yeah?

You know, like then, that's the way the Bengals looked at this is that team stinks and we're going to catch them because they're going to come back to us.

If we can win out, we can catch Pittsburgh.

Correctly, now that's probably out the window for Cincinnati, but you know, Baltimore was right there six and five place.

All right, Jake, how's South Beach looking right now?

I could use that one, Johnny South Peach, bro what's up.

Outy?

Everyone just calling in for a tiny bit of sort of what I would call like faller on Faller crime.

Not gonna tell anybody else how to feel about a victory.

I generally feel okay, But what I will say is that the Bankers were down like their four best offensive players and almost scored a touchdown on us with seconds leaning we lost potentially three excellent players.

So I'm just kind of like, I don't know why people would be confused as to why some folks might feel a little less than psyched about the way this victory happened.

Yes, a w is fantastic, but they are not all created ego.

In my opinion, stuff.

That's yeah, all said, thank you, Johnny.

I guess as a head coach you district with him on that.

I guess as a head coach would disagree with the phyic victory phrase hard to win.

I know Paul loves that line.

No, I just my thing is today, like I understand why fans are a little bit disappointed to get it, but not because of the game, but because of the injuries.

Yes, like that to me, like, it's different, what can derail you?

What is one of the biggest in my view anyway, one of the biggest things that's been on their side is they're playing against a lot of teams that are coming in at well below full full strength.

You're not one of them right now.

The next game that you play, you're gonna be at less than full strength.

That's sort of worrisome.

Sure.

And also, Mike ree I just looking at this week from Mike Crease, he said, Mike Grabel, as we know, usually ways outside of the locker room and greets every single player postgame, but this one, it looks like he went straight to the locker room, possibly to check on Will Campbell.

Of course the first fly thing.

There are three guys here, but he's only checking on Campbell.

But I again, Reese just kind of reporting he went in there most likely to check on all of the players that were injured in this one.

That's really interesting.

And don't you find that significant?

Yes, because it's been their routine over the last time.

That's my point.

And and and what Mike's done, which I agree with one hundred percent.

If after you know, every game hasn't been alarping, you know where they you know, just come out, put the pedal of the medal and win.

Most of them haven't been.

And he sits there and he goes, hey, be happy we won, you know, you gotta win in the National Football League's okay to be happy.

We can celebrate this for a couple of minutes.

Let's be joyous.

About this that didn't happen today, and they just the Patriots just posted the Mike Crable sideline or the locker room greeting guys look like in my in my opinion, the vibe is very much like what you're saying, Matt.

It looks like a lot of guys who are exhausted and not celebratory.

And you know, it's just you know, people can watch it and have their own opinion on what they think, but it's definitely not the I mean we've seen in the past.

You know, even last week, I felt like I get a win over the Jets and that wasn't but you could feel like it's the excitedness.

But these ones look like a lot of tired guys who just fought a battle that that you know because they did so because they did.

But Man, when you came in and one of the things that you said was that Mike didn't get into the injuries, so he didn't have any jurn update on anything.

That in itself to me told told me that it was serious and be different than what normally happens.

You know, I'm not telling you.

He comes in and says, well, you know, it's like Tom, he's got a Grade three sprain, like, he doesn't do that.

But he's usually pretty forthcoming, you know, with what's going on.

He's very forthcoming on Fridays.

Yes, but even after the games he's generally telling, yeah, you know that one we'll have to look at, you know, we'll see.

He had no updates on this one.

That tells me that this concern at the very least, this concern.

Yeah, Hunter Henry a little bit of a smirt, but otherwise guys look like and they are exhausted and just beat.

So it's me and again, I like me personally.

I can't tell fans how they should feel.

This has got a lot less to do with how I feel about how they played.

I don't think they played exceptionally well today.

I've been pushing back every week when people have been saying, well, jeez, they play they're winning well.

They aren't even playing their best.

I think they've played pretty good for most of these games.

Today they didn't, and they found a way to win.

That's impressive.

That is that's impressive to find a way.

I know the other team played worse.

I'm not saying that you played you know, again, the seven Patriots today, you didn't.

You played a terrible team who was missing most of their good players.

But you did what you had to do to find a way to win while guys were dropping like flies.

That's impressive to me.

You know what, Paul, you mentioned that.

It was something I was thinking about earlier today.

Again, say what you want about it, but ten game winning streaks don't happen very often in the National Football League, and I was thinking about this.

For Mike, we're able to coach it's a ten game winning streak.

As a player, he was on a team that won eighteen games in a row.

Like those things don't happen very often.

You know, That's that's pretty interesting that you know he's been able to do that.

I don't.

I don't know.

Maybe they are.

Maybe ten game winning streaks are common, but.

I don't think it's common.

I mean, there's two teams that have won nine in a row, well eight in a.

Row whatever right right now.

But to me, I'm far more just like Rabel, just his ability to get this team focused like, I think he's done a fantastic I made map before you came in.

Just some little things that he did in the game today that were sort of broke from the norm of what we've been seeing most weeks.

Kick some field goals today because it was apparent that points were hard to come by today.

Your coaches got something going on.

Your coaches in tune with what's going on.

He knows his team, knows the situations.

You know, I'm not saying I don't go as far as these other guys, like teams would no one would want to switch play.

Yeah, I think there's there's plenty of teams that like their situations too.

But if I were the Patriots, I'd be very happy with the situation there ten and two, with a coach who has his finger on the pulse of everything that's.

Going on in that locker round, every guy in the rush.

I think.

I think that they've shown the ability to win in some different ways, and and he's shown the ability to do it in different ways, which I think it's impressive.

And I mean, I get look, I feel the same way that the fans calling in you feel overwhelmingly positive about the season right now, But Please don't look at us taking apart their games to say that we feel negative about this team.

But I'm looking at the number one more.

I'm not looking at it they want.

I don't care about the wins about.

I don't care about the sid staff, the notes don't do anything for me.

But you get the number one seed, you win the AFC East, you get home playoff games.

That does something for me.

That gives me some juice heading into the playoffs, knowing that I can be at home, I can win a game and be in the AFC Championship game, you know, like that's that's big stuff.

No one, no one really expected that.

And so those goals right now, those achievements, those are on the table.

Yes, they're on the table.

With five games left.

You could argue that they'd have to blow it to not get some of those things.

I'm not saying the number one seed, but to win the AFC East, that's in your hands.

Like I said earlier, just don't lose to the Jets or Dolphins and you're going to win the AFC East.

Yeah, but that's what's a little intriguing to me of what you have the opportunity to do.

But it feels like, you know, to get the number one seed, I feel like they're going to have to like reassert themselves, maybe with a little bit of a new identity to you know, win out or potentially maybe just lose one more game to get to that point.

I mean, I like what Paul's saying.

They could probably play a fact similar to what these games have been and beat the Jets and the Dolphins at the end of the season.

But I don't know if those are good enough to win on the road in Baltimore.

But if you lose to Buffalo and Baltimore, you're still forcing Denver to win games.

You're still forcing Indy to win games, you know, And that's not like you guys keep telling me how hard just to win games, So ain't gonna be easy for them to win neither?

Didn't you say, Mike, Did I hear you saying the pregame show that you've got to you got to make sure that the champ is dead, Like seven times they were on the ropes and they found a.

Way to win.

You know, it's a big game for the Patriot.

I'll be interested to go back and positive.

Yes, yes, for Kansas, but I think to the point.

Even the caller that said New England is very much known for being negative after a win and.

San Diego exactly, I was not watched.

I don't see that, and I don't really think.

I don't think our fans.

I don't think that's a.

Correct That's what I was going to say.

I don't agree with it, but I.

Don't think even today, I don't think that's a correct assessment of the way the fans have been.

The fans a little worried about the health, yeah, and I don't think they're worried about being ten and two.

No, And that's the point that was going to make.

Just overall, I think what we have the building the legacy segment for a reason.

With every win, you still want to know what can this team do to get better?

And that's why shows like this exists, because you want to talk through it, see what can be approved upon.

That's what the coaches do on a weekly they we're going.

To football game.

There's wine.

I mean, there's but that you know everybody's right.

Yet nine in a row.

You've got ten wins on the season, on the season that many people said if they get six or seven, I'll be throwed you know, so you give them a ton of credit.

But again, as I.

Would have thought, I was about the ceiling.

To be honest, I'll I'll cut myself out.

If everything went well, I would have said nine, would.

Have would have That's what I said, nine and eight, I mean, And I'm a pretty optimistic guy.

And it's nine in a row, not ten wins in a right.

But still yeah, And I thought you were just teeing it up, Matt for Monday night football.

Because I think that that game is going to be a dogfight.

I do, But I think I think they're now at the point time where you can't expect them to just They're not going to cruise right now with what's going on.

I don't think they're going to be able to.

So it's how do you handle adversity?

How do you grind your way through it?

That's what they're gonna have to try to bear them.

It'd be an amazing cap to the pre buy part of this season to go out.

On a Monday Night football in a national stage.

I don't care who the Giants are, go out there and get another win, get to eleven wins before your bye week, and then get a break.

See who can get healthy, see how you can recruit mentally, and what team are you to come out of that bye week and say we got four games right now, it's everything's on the play for us.

Every we put ourselves in position to achieve any goal we want.

As far as getting into the playoffs, playoff seasons, all that thing, it's all right there.

I just it'd be great.

To finish it off with a win here at home, good point, in front of a national audience.

We know the juice that comes with that, all the you know, all the game conversations, you know, the videos that go out everything.

You know, it's a much bigger audience.

People are here are going to be psyched.

I mean, it's it's been a while since you've had some Monday night game with some juice here.

So you know, I'm not going to try to get too carried away thinking about Baltimore and Buffalo and the division and the conference and all those things.

Let's just focus on finishing up this part of the schedule, right, Get that tenth straight win, perfect, nice little roun number.

Get to eleven and two.

We'll see what happens week to week.

So we like to hear any final thoughts, prayers.

I just get cerned.

That was a.

I think it did well.

That does it.

For this week's edition of The Patriots Postgame Show presented by DraftKings from Matt Matt Smith, Paul Parillo, Mike du So, and myself Kawandi Luinis.

Thank you for watching and have a great Thanksgiving.

Hey this is Alex.

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