Patriots Postgame Show 12/24: Comeback Falls Short, Year End Thoughts

following every Patriots game. Drop the staff to Mac Johns fires to be John caught at the call Lin, HiT's a touchdown Hunter Henry as the Patriots at to their lead. Join the conversation by calling the Aceticket hotline at eight five five PATS five hundred, or email this show at web radio at Patriots dot com. I hope y'all keep that same energy for tonight, Babe. Can't wait by from our studios inside you Lette Stadium. Here's Hardy slipping and sliding.

He was like a captain. Pop pop bang. Now the Patriots lose an exciting game that was not exciting for much of it. Welcome into the Patriots postgame Show presented by Cyber Reason. The Patriots outscored twenty two to nothing in the first half. And then hold the Bengals scoreless. In the second half, they put eighteen on the board and were just yards away from the go ahead touchdown when a Romandrea Stevenson fumble turned the ball over and

your final twenty two eighteen. As the Patriots fall below five hundred. They are now at seven and eight on the season. Welcome into the Patriots postgame show eight five five Pats five hundred web radio at Patriots dot com. If you'd like to email the show. You could make the argument that the Patriots off and still for the most part, did not show up and that a couple of those touchdowns, one in particular, was the result of a desperation heave toward the end zone and the deflection.

But the fact is the Patriots, seemingly out of this game at halftime when it was twenty two to nothing, came back, made it a game and showed something. And I said in the pre game, I said, you know,

that kind of showed me something. And whether it was what I saw last week or just something within the makeup of this team, certainly defensively they still have enough to hold good teams in check and give your team a chance if something can be sparked offensively had the Patriots offense been able to do anything in the first half.

This is a ball game. This is a ball game that either goes to overtime or the Patriots have a chance of taking the lead in But a twenty two nothing deficit against a team as good as the Bengals just proved to be too much for them to climb out of. And that's what we're left with here is a twenty two eighteen loss at home on this Christmas Eve game at Gillette Stadium. Paul Parolo and Mike Deso will be joining this year shortly. We'll get to the coach and quarterback here a little bit later, but I

imagine you'll have a lot to say about this. So eight five five Pats five hundred Web Radio at Patriots dot Com will wait for Paul and Deuced to get here before we get to our keys to the game, or excuse me, are good the path and he injured. Keys to the game would really be more of a pregame type of thing, but keys to the game were to essentially from three of the four of us were to get to Burrow and pressure him early that that

didn't really happen in the first half. The Bengals were able to move the ball pretty effectively in the first half, and the you know, the blitzing and the pressuring of a burrow, it wasn't enough to put them in a position where they felt uncomfortable. Now, Matthew Jude on the way he was celebrating, he knew would think that they

were certainly holding them in check. But twenty two points on a day when your offense, you know, doesn't give you anything through the first twenty four minutes of the first thirty minutes, I should say of the game, isn't quite enough. Second half different story, and holding that Bengals team scoreless in the second half, I think you have to give the defense a lot of credit and any optimism you may have had about this team going in started with the defense, and they certainly gave you a

chance in the second half of that football game. Mike, just so, Paul Parola joining us Now an exciting game, guys, exciting finish? Who was I'm still trying to wrap my head around turned up? Exciting We're going down? The other day, I'm like, did reminder Steves it just fumble the game winning touchdown? Away on that last place I was, I was suggesting that the Bengals should let him score. Well,

let me tell you something. Once the Bengals challenged the spot of what would have been a first that's not a challenge. That's a booth challenge, both a booth review in the last two minutes, think I thought that I thought the Bengals were screwed. Well when that when that play went against him, like they moved the ball back, that gave them another play to get a first down, took the time out. Like I said, this is it. They're gonna score, There's not gonna be any time left.

I thought that totally worked at the pa 's ad manage. Except it didn't because I think the Patriot well, no, no, no, no, right, but no, But here's why. As as they put themselves in that third and very short situation, the Patriots seemingly called plays number one to pick up a first down, which they did. But I'm thinking, what, why treat this like you need a first down, you need a touchdown? Why to take a shot at the end zone here,

want to try and find Kendrick Bourne again? Why instead, Stevens that's a very fair second guess, Well, that's it's not it's it was a first guest, not in the moment. No, No, that's what I'm saying, like you're saying. I questioned the strategy. Yeah, I think that's a very logical way of looking at it. And when I kept the pedal in the medal and said we're going to score right, oh godless, oh god, Now we need a first down. Okay, well let's give it to Ramandre and run him up the middle for

a half a yard game. So what I don't care about first in goal? You have to go ahead and take a shot at the end zone, even on third and inches. What are we doing? You're you're lucky to be only down for at this point, and I think you would have a caught them off guard and be you would have been playing to what very little strengths you have on offense right now, which is some kind of desperation heaves either towards the sideline or the end zone. That's all they had. They said, guess what that. I

don't mean to sound negative. They still don't have an offense. I don't care what we should we saw out there, they still don't have an offense. I know we're gonna get into good, bad and the injured, and I know there's gonna be a lot of talk about all the different things. This was like exciting as all hell. Yes, okay, I would be able to get a little bit more excited if I thought the Patriots did anything to really

create the excitement. I think the Bengals and I know people are gonna and I'm listen, I'm prepared for it for the whole postgame show. I know you guys are gonna make fun of me, not just you two, but the listeners if we have any on Christmas Eve. I just the Bengals like just completely did everything that they could over the span of the last twenty minutes of that game to just hand it to you. Yes, like it's nothing like I'll give the Patriots credit for you know,

it's it's third down the Bengals. It's twenty two to nothing. The Bengals easily convert the first down, there's a hold, makes a third and one third and eleven, and then they emptied the barrel and they gave a like a zero blitz and Burrow just threw it without looking off his back foot, and Marcus Jones makes the pick like if that play doesn't happen. You lose that game thirty five to nothing, Like you never stopped the Bengals the whole game, Like I know that they didn't get any

points in the second half. That was all the Bengals fault. Like all the Bengals fault. Like you miss a field goal, you drop a touchdown, you don't get a third and inches, you punt on fourth and inches and get a delayed game, Like I would be more excited about the comeback if I thought the Patriots had something to do with the comeback, You know what I mean? Yes, I mean, I hear what you're saying, Paul, and I don't even need to

kill Cincinnati's offense. I just I'll just kill the Patriots offense. I mean what they got was like, I mean, what a reflected thirty That's what I'm saying. The Bengals like they were the Bungles and you still let them win. They were the old time Bungles today and you still let them win. I mean, the way that came out on both sides of the ball, it just seemed like a carryover from how last game ended. And I just

I can't quite wrap my head around that. They would blow a second game with Remandre Stevenson again directly involved in the closing minutes when they you know, snatched defeat from the jaws of Victoria. So why don't we Why don't we get to that before we continue? Right, why don't we get to good bed? Sure? Yeah, before before before we get to the third down call, which was supposed to be a screen to Remandre and I said, oh my god, it's the same position on the field.

They're good, it's the same thing about to happen. Thank goodness, he just dropped the past this time. We didn't have to watch that on the fold. All right, here we go. Now it's time for the good, the bad, and the injured. Ah, you are right, guy, Good, the bad, me injured brought to you buy the good players, bad players, and the injured players in the twenty two eighteen lost to the Bengals at Gillette Stadium. Today, Deuce, who's your first? Good? Um?

I think there's been a lot of qualifiers on a lot of these, but I'm gonna I'm gonna put Kendrick Bourne on there. I mean, made one hundred yards, but I mean it's just you know, instrumental in the comeback, got the first third down conversion of the game. When I mean it took him until like the third quarter to get a third down conversion. Uh, caught that thirty two yard er um, you know, so that was a big one, setting up the first TD of the game. So you know, I think he had a twenty nine

yard run. Yeah, he had a nice a nice a nice game. Not a lot to write home about offensively, but he was one piece, six six hatches hundred yards. So so nice day for him. I absolutely had him on my list of goods. And he you know, he made some because some of the plays he made were not easy, Like there was some difficult catches that he made correct, contorting his body getting in bounds on the one on the sideline, the Bengals challenge the one, and even in the end zone, like he was pretty well

covered in the end zone and salt. Yeah, I think Kendrick Boone was one of the very few. But I don't have a lot of goods today. I don't have a lot of time. That neither do I. I just say too sorry, but he's one that I had. I agree with you. I just say, this game is it's just frustrating because I think you just see that. It's just an example today of this guy's a more talented receiver than whatever he's got this year fift twenty catches out.

It's just you know this guy can make plays. Um, it's just you don't have an offense right now that can consistently get on the ball. Now, paul as is our custom, you get the next good. But if you take my only one legitimate good, it's going to be a very short good lay. Okay, then I'm pretty sure I won't. Then, like I said, I have a very small list, okay, um, and I'm gonna put Matthew jude On on it just for four good? Is that it did? I say, no, okay, But I mean sometimes you get

on for one play, like it was desperation time. It's third and four. They throw a quick pass out to Jamar Chase and Matthew jude On strips him. You get on for one play sometimes when it's that important of a play, they were dead lifeless. They had to come up with a play and he made it. Um, I don't think he was really all that good in the game. I know he had a sack, but I didn't think he I thought Burrow was very comfortable in the pocket

all day um for the most part. And this play that he gets the ball back for the Patriots offense umi was an enormous play. Enormous play. And yes he absolutely is on my good list. He's not my only one legitimate but that one play in particular, he was motioning someone in the secondary back with his left hand, which I didn't know if he was telling him to stay back. I think what he was saying was actually,

I'm staying back on this one. I'm gonna spy either the quarterback or over the pascoes if it goes, if it's a screen. And he was there to make the play. I thought he missed the tackle it first. Well, yeah, I mean if he doesn't fumble, he does miss the tack. Yeah, yeah, I guess. But you make up, you make a play. And he had a couple of sacks and uh, I'm I'm I'm growing a little weary of the wiping of the mouth after the sack, especially when you're down, you know,

twenty two to nothing. In the first I thought it was some we could probably get to that later. I thought there was some exuberant celebrations for a team that was getting at their asses beat thank you, thank you throughout the first half and even into the third quarter. Um, I got it. Really you look at some of the I mean twenty eight first downs four hundred and forty two yards of like eight for sixteen on third downs. The Bengals did whatever they wanted. I know, they just

every once in a while they stopped themselves. And I'm happy that you sacked Joe Burrow for a couple of times. He completed forty passes four zero, he threw three hundred and seventy five yards and three touchdowns. Didn't get to him early. You know what's funny, it didn't seem like that. It was that many, like fifty two passes time. I know, I know, fifty two. I know. It didn't seem to just take them. What's there? I mean, I think, but then again, do you remember the ball a whole lot? No?

But when they did it was reasonably effective, Like Joe Joe Mixon, I thought, was it was good enough? Oh yeah, they do a good list for the Bengals. Actually, but that wouldn't be all that long either. Um. I mean, you have a few players, but it's not like they had some really really really dumb played. That's the anatomy of how you lose a game today. Oh with the Bengals, some of the stuff the Bengals did in the second half, But do you think it's a sign of a team

that they mess around they play? I do think that they got a little But like you know, Jamar Chase drops what would would have been a big play, maybe a touchdown. Tee Higgins drops a touchdown. They ended up getting a touchdown shortly thereafter, and then the other kids drops a touchdown. Like this is the NFL. You don't have that many chances to drop touchdown passes and win games,

do you know what I mean? And I'm talking. I'm not talking Like there was a play that Chase had in the first half where he try to catch one with one hand. He was behind um Jonathan Jones and try to catch it, but I'm not counting that Like that should have been a touchdown too, I said it. Oh my god, Paul. It's the one thing. There's, like, you know a couple of things that are you're going to force you to stop watching sports. Receivers insisting on catching the ball with one hand might force me to

stop watching football for a time. The Bengals could have been up. I'm not exaggerating. Thirty to nothing. Oh god, they could have had such a bit if they had just there were two now one of them. They ended up scoring the last touchdown they scored. They ended up scoring anyway. But it was it wasn't Chase, it was it was someone else down in the Higgins dropped one in the end zone and and one on a wye.

Then later they dropped. They threw another touchdown to or Okay, so we saw Chase try to one hand one Do you know why Higgins dropped his He's trying to one hand it. I thought it hit him in both hands. Do you know what? Do you know why he was trying to one hand it. I don't know, style points, ESPN. I don't know. I think Chase tried to one hand because Jonathan Jones had the other he did not. I watched it. I watched it. It's look he has it

for his second, but the hand comes loose. Yeah, these guys, these guys, and it's it's a league wide. It's an epidemic. They're trying to go They're trying to catch the ball one handed. I for what so I didn't steal you a good I didn't steal you good so good. Oh Marcus Jones. Yeah, Marcus Jones with the with the first of all make my list. Yeah, with the caveat that. He gave up a lot of catches. A lot of that three seventy five was on Marcus Jones. Man. Well,

and that's what he's out there for. Okay, But here's here's the thing. When you when you give up that many completions, you get a lot of tackles. So he let the team in tackle. He's not on my back. He's not on my bad list, simply for the two plays. Come on, he's that the run after the pick was unbelievable and the run on the little screen pass was unbelievable. Like two unbelievable plays. Yeah, yeah, I don't like the spot. Yeah that that that's like again, he's not on my

bad list. I'm just saying. I know, I asked him to cover guys. He couldn't do it. You know what. But he's doing so much. He's out there. He's returning punts, he's returning kit well, there's that many punts. He's returning kicks. He the pick six he's making tackles. I mean, come on, come on, yeah, yeah, And I'm not arguing with you. I'm not that's that. I'm certainly the ball. But he recovers the fumble. I mean, what do you want for?

We are from him? But I had made the comment like because the Patriots have had like he became the first guy since Jules to have an offensive touchdown, a defensive touchdown, in a special teams touchdown in the same season. Right, What he's doing is so in my opinion, just my opinion, so much more impressive than what like Troy Brown and Jules did because his impact on offense is far greater

than their impact was on defense. In my opinion, again, just my thought, what Marcus Jones is doing plus all of that as a rookie is borderline re god damndiculous. I mean, like he has been unreal to be doing some of the things that he's doing. I think it's I think it's funny that Paul purposely stayed away from what he knew my only good would be and it wasn't on his good list. Oh, I didn't know what you're only good would be. That's why when I said Jude on I didn't know a few. What I didn't,

I really didn't know. Okay, I was hoping I stayed away from me, all right, but yeah, I mean those those I mean, the Patriots have no sniff in that game without his pick sex Yeah, okay, no sniff, all right, let's uh. And it was an amazing run. Oh that's I mean, that's the thing that gets I mean that the pick itself was just the pick was thrown to right,

but it's but it's a sixty nine yard run. Um, that was incredible, boss man Fred Curse joining us now, as we've gone through our first round of goods here with Kendrick Bourne, Matthew Judean, uh, Marcus Jones, which not everyone had on their good list? Did you have your good? Okay? All right, Fred, do you have any anybody to have good more than those three we just started? Freddie, So

what did you have Marcus Jones, Matthew Judean and Kendrick Bourne. Um? Yeah, I was gonna say born Um, yeah, I guess all right, Well defensive played, No, you get yourself so I'm terrible. Mom, Oh you're done, tas Okay, Yeah, I had I had um, I had myers just because I thought he was his typical, like really hard nosed self. I know his numbers were good, but that's really inflated by a fluke. Hail mary um.

And I had There's only one guy on defense that I thought did anything worth the damn and that was Joan Bentley. I thought he was really active in the game and fill in holes um. The rest of the defense was completely and utterly overmatched, utterly overmatched. They had no shot. I flirted it in the second half, no shot. I flirted with Bentley a little bit. I just point the pass break up the first stop they got, like, you know, I thought that was a big play. But

I flirted with Bentley. No, I didn't really technically put him on, but I flirted with him a little bit. Oh, just a little, a little slap and tickle. Well, hold on, why didn't they have a chance of the second half? They couldn't stop him. They didn't score any points. Yeah, I know, we all know how that unfolded. Wow, Well, I dropped a touchdown pass, they missed a field goal, they had a third down and one that they ended up getting called back and had to end up punting.

Like there was like they did very I mean, Fred, did the numbers speak for themselves. Well, I mean eight for sixteen on third down four two yards, I think, couldn't I couldn't stop. I kind of agree with Fred though, in that keeping points off the board does count for something, and as much as if you do something to keep them off the board, I would agree when the other guy drops a touchdown in the end zone, you didn't

do anything to keep points off the board. Okay, that's that's what I'm That's like if they just came out in the second half and it was a complete role reversal, I would say, Wow, I don't know what they did it to me. I was stunted the first drive of the second half when they just did the same exact stuff they did the whole first half. I was like, what did they talk about at half time? I don't when you had the last real possession that they had and as I was watching it said they got to

turn this ball over before the fifty. If they get across the fifteen, there's less than three minutes on the clock that get the game is over and they turn it over. So it's like that's doing something. That's why I put Matthew Jude. That's why I put Matthew Jude onto the good list, but he's on the defense. But that was that was the play. I said, sometimes you get on for one play, okay, and I put them on. I think they showed a little something that when you

do it was better in the second half. In the first half, okay, yeah, when they don't punt it all in the first half, and then you know you at least I'm not saying they forced three punts, but when the other team does have to punt at least three times in the second half, the defense gets some credit. They showed some fighting in the second half, the defense,

and one of them was the last tray. Do you really think that they would like if they just threw the ball, they would have had the three and out. Do you like they're just running the ball to run the clock out and make them take their time out. I was making my way down here at that point, so I didn't, okay. The last one of the punts was kind of okay, all right, kind of a concession, but I was I was fighting my way through the crowd, which all uh. I left the booth and the crowd

left right after the Stevenson fumble. That was it. That was a good time to leave, all right, So we should go right to the bad. All right, let's go to the bad. Let's just go right to Stevenson. Um, you know, I mean, I just go back to early last year when he got benched early on, like where Stevenson ben he fumbled once and we haven't seen him

in two weeks. You know, not to connect it totally, but just how do you do this two weeks in a row, at the end of the game, with the game, the game is in your hands, and twice, you know. I mean, I don't want to put it all on him, because I think the offense came out absolutely like trash

with with how they performed in the first half. Um, but this is just it's it's unfortunate because he's had one of the few really good seasons of offensive players on the Patriots right now, and he's cost them two games with stupid, stupid decisions that that cannot happen. They just like this cannot happen for last year. Well, I last year. No, I didn't say that. I'm just in the last two games, the last two games he's made stupid I was actually No, that's a good point. I'm sorry.

I was thinking of the Miami fumble, like his rookie his first game, right, and remember we were like, wow, that's so like why does he get fumbled? And it's like, well, it's just weird now that all of a sudden, here we are. He's got a bunch of good games and then all of a sudden might have fumbled. And I fought back on that against some guys. He might have a fumbling problem, like he had the one against Buffalo, not the one in the handoff, the one on the

little screen he dropped. He had one today that went out of that went out of bounds, right, it was the first play after halftime. Yeah, he might have a little bit of a fumble. And I don't even know if it's a fumbling. Maybe this is what, but it's it's mental. Can I do what I do best real quick and we'll get with the bads and everything, and you guys can call me a random sword play that you're going to round, just a random time where I like to beat the beat the living crap out of

the officials. At what point is it forward progress? Yeah, like push back. I'm not trying to like say, like Sunshine dot com, you know that you guys know me well enough. I'm not doing that. But I've seen that play blown dead many times. Yeah, well, usually he gets hit and he's getting pushed back like three four yards, but Paul, not often enough because we sit here especially, that's not forward. I mean he's still he's still fighting

for yards. But like Fred said right away, like he definitely loses the ball, but you know, did the whistle blow? I think that's what progress right we It comes up most often we're sitting here watching the away games, We're like, would you blow that play dead? The guy's gonna get killed? Stop it already the place. And I do think that they afford quarterback that more so because the quarterback isn't fighting for yards, yes, whereas the running back is fighting

for yards. But I don't know. I just i've seen this play called forward progress before. I'm just gonna beat the crap out of the officials because that's what I do best. While we're here with the video, can I just ask, did you see what Mac did to get the penalty after this whole I didn't, but I was watching, did you see I didn't see that? Mike but I saw a very cheap play that Matt got away with on that play where it was disputed whether or not

he fumbled on the intentional grounding them. The player for the Bengals returned that for a touchdown, right, and he just dives at a guy's legs like twenty yards behind the play like a really First of all, it's a penalty that they didn't call because you can't take a guy's legs out, even as the defensive team um. And it's like that's an attempt to injure like that you're diving at a guy's legs. Can't You cannot allowed to do that. You're not allowed to pull guys off the pile.

So this so this probably isn't. I think somebody got pushed, So this isn't all of a sudden you see, here's when you see all the flags come out and that like Bengal goes flying. If you if you, if you got call for just pulling guys off the pile, that's not a cheap shot. But that's a penalty. No, it seems like this guy maybe twenty one here, and I'll

tell the left that's an underrated penalty too. By the way, because they just they just ran the ball three times, you know that, So instead of making the punt from the end zone, you gave them fifteen yards. Ye. Well that I mean that that could be a big difference. I'm just gonna I'm just gonna jump in here with my first bat and said, it's the offense. There's still no offense when you're in that position and you're down there.

And I started talking about this before we started the list, Fred when the challenge comes from up above, and they said they actually didn't pick up the first down there. Okay,

now we're third and inches. I say that screwed up the Patriots because I think whether it's Matt Patricio or Matt Jones, there's somebody they say to themselves almost inherently, when we got to get the first down, and I say, no, you don't, you need to touchdown, but they run that stupid play that gets a couple of inches for Romandre Stevenson and that gives them the first down. So what time has clicked is ticked. But we have plenty of time.

Oh was on our side. Sure, And just just like before, you sp all three timeouts and I'm gonna give before you score the last touchdown, and there's seven minutes, six minutes, and it's you know, it's a it's a it's a play, and then it's a huddle and let's wait for the play to come in. And you're standing there and I'm watching the clock. I'm like, you guys don't have that much time. Was you had a new set it down at the time in the world. Time wasn't a fact.

If you want to go with your momentum thing, I think momentum more momentum more so than time. They had him on the run, you know, throw it into the end zone. So why go for why go for a first down? What's the point take a shot because you don't get it right now the game comes down to one play, then you can okay, but you can run that same play when the game comes down to one play and have just as much success with it. Well, you can play like they did on the first That

is the point. They don't have anything other than that play. They really don't. They have desperation. I think I think it's I liked where they were sitting. I mean, you know, you had a chance. You made the Bengals blow all their timeouts, so even when they got the ball back, they were gonna have no timeouts and you had a fresh set of down So let's say you don't get it on the first try, you get it on a second, third try running the ball, They're not gonna have much time,

you know. And believe me, if Burrow has the time, he's gonna beat you. Yeah, you know, so you're right. I was actually don't score. If I was Cincinnati, I don't know that they were going to beat you the way they were playing, the way they were beating themselves in that second half. And I tell you, if if there's any momentum in that game and you have it as the Patriots offense, stop huddling, stop taking all that time.

And even at the end when the game is pretty much over, they get called for a delay a game because they're wa for a player to come in doing that. There's bad. There's no offense. They can't run an offense. There is no party. It was so bad in the first half. After the third drive, I called for Zappy. Well you were that's something you were, no, I know, but I've always been against that, you know, like, what what's he gonna do? You know, it's crazy. I called

for Zappy because it looked that bad. I think I thought I heard you amongst the chorus of people calling for Zappy. You know, now he looked a little better in the second half, and I just wonder, like how much of this is coaching, you know, because all of a sudden, here's Kendrick Bourne, Like where the hell has he been? You know, it's like it's there. I mean, they're I've always thought there better than what they let let Mac cook. I just let Mac cook. I don't

think Mac can cook, dude. I don't even think he was great in the second half. I think you take out the forty eight yard hill, Mary, and you know, you throw us food two yards in a touchdown. And Fred Paul, I know what you're saying. I understand about the clock. I understand that. You know, the Bengals had used their time outs, and you know it's a minute and you're close. The way this offense runs, or the way this lap of an offense runs, it's not enough time.

They need so much time to essentially do nothing. So maybe it doesn't matter they had three timeouts, but they need but they need every single second, and we've seen them use timeouts and then have to use another one on top of it. They can't get a play in blow it. Okay, but like for a normal NFL offense, you were in perfect position. Yeah, I agree, And that's the key phrase that you just made. Though freddie an offense.

I was talking to our buddy Evan as the you know, as what's going and I'm I'm thinking of it in terms of exactly what Fred's talking about. Like I've Mike, you make fun of me, like I've been in these you know I can do this right, It's like chess. So I'm like, Okay, if you're a good offense, you're not only scoring, you're doing so as methodically as you can.

But that makes a big assumption that you can score, that you're you know you're gonna score right right, And I don't think they knew they were going to score, And that's I think that's why it was driving me nuts. When they were still down two scores and it's seven minutes and they burned forty five seconds in between plays, I'm like, you know what, this team the only way they can reasonably move the ball is via six yard checkdowns, and it takes so much time to do that. You can't.

You can't be huddling and waiting for the play to come in and have it and back up there calling out the middle linebacker and it's all just snap the ball and let's snap. Let's face it, if the Patriots had pulled this out, we would have been calling it the Christmas miracle because you know, the tip ball to mind absolutely, you know, the fum ball and the miss the missed extra points. I mean, all of that had

to add up to make this possibly didn't. I mean, I don't want to say that he didn't want them to win, but it just felt like, you're gonna be

handed this game. I don't care about that I wanted, but like, if you want to win, that people would have I I know everybody's afraid of right now, which is that they were gonna pull something out of their butts and then they were gonna point to this in the last season and be like, well, against Cincinnati, we drive together at the end of the game, like I said, back, like I said, if all of a sudden, they came out in the first drive of the second half and

it was like eight place, seventy five yards, touchdown, three and out, followed by you know, twelve place seventy five yards. That's a comeback. Yes, this Yeah, I don't even know what to like. I think Fred's right. The Christmas miracle. Yeah, Like there was literally seventeen things that touchdown. What was it? It was third and what thirty? That on that play it was not too I haven't I mean other than you guys, I haven't met anybody that didn't think that

was a fumble. But with Matt, yeah, on on that play, like, I mean, the ball was clearly out of his hands before it started going forward. But anyway, even with that, Cincinnati's probably just sitting there. Yeah, just make sure we don't commit any penalties. It's gonna be fourth and a million. And then you let the guy get two hands on the ball on the goal line. It bounces off of

them right to myers. Fred if if wow, like Fred's that's exactly right, it would have been the Christmas Miracle and people would have been thinking, I thought Matt couldn't come back, right, Like, it only would have covered up the real problems. Man, Okay, if it were the Christmas Miracle, let's create the meme right now. The three wise men would be Bill Belichick, Matt Patricia, and I would like to nominate Jerry, who was sitting next to the owner today.

I think that would make a nice mean. I think Jerry was a little drummer boy just because the extra Okay, yeah, Jerry, I would you would? You said, would you admit this, Fred if the mac Jones non fumble in your estimation? Was it at least fumbley? Fred said it was close. He did. Were watching it together and we would just I thought he had possession in the you know, the ball. I think it's an empty hand like any favors now,

but I thought it. I thought it did. He clearly had the ball and it came out, but had it already started its forward? Yeah? And I think there was one of those that that they if they had called that a fumble on the field, I think you're I think they would have stuck with it because I think it was. It was really close. I think Fred's right. I think it was really close. And to me, I thought his hand was empty. When you thought the born catch wasn't a catch, yeah, I was not not the

catch itself. I thought he caught it. Everybody was fixated on whether or not he had the ball when he was on the ground. I not like. To me, he clearly caught it. I didn't know if he had fully secured the ball when that first foot was on the ground, right if you compare it to that on the Hunter Henry touchdown exact the same play. Yeah, Now, I thought the Hunter Henry play was a catch, and I think they're I think I'm very consistent. The catch part, to me,

didn't bother me. I didn't know when he watched this right here, right here, he's got it. I didn't know if he had that first foot when he had actually secured hits his hands right here, but I don't know if it's down immediately goes up, Fredd, he gets his two feet down. I don't think there's any argument. It's whether or not he fully had control of the ball

when that first that foot comes up immediately. Yeah, but after he had control, they're declaring that he has control of the ball as soon as it hits his cloth. That's right. I think that was really close. I would like to see that play called a catch every time. Yeah, I don't. Unfortunately, the rest of the league disagrees with me, because Hardy's right, that play has been called incomplete at

least fifteen times since the Hunter Henry play. Yeah, yeah, that play has been called incomplete more often than not lately. And that should be a catch one hundred times out of hundreds. So that's how you can live with this loss. You know, that one. I don't know if that one really holds up as a catch, you know, half the time even that's a catch to me, I think it is, but you know, but they ever, I'm very consistent when these guys make unbelievable plays to like contort their bodies.

Here's what I'm saying, catch the ball, that's a catch. They ruled it not a catch? Or do they rule it out a bout? Yeah, they ruled him out of bounds? Furious, remember, Yeah, if all they're if he was he first because he had a challenge it like why are you fur? I don't get like he's furious because he can't find his sock or he was just he was screaming at disgustingly. But you can live with it because of that and also the holding call that you got down the left

side line. I believe on this same drive right o, man, Yeah I didn't see that. Well, listen, there was nothing there on that right, because there was nothing to see. He never even there was he never even touched him held he may have hooked a finger inside his jersey. I don't know what the ref called. I don't know why they called it. It didn't happen. So they're now eight, seven and eight. It didn't happen. So nine and eight

still on the table. Fred, Yes, that's your favor it is, that's your favorite line after every long um, okay, let's say one more, just one more thing. People hasn't even done a bad he always done any bad jem. Well, well you had said bad offense. I just by I mean, I just wanted to say, like the first four possessions it was a third and four punt, third and six punt, third and five punt, third and five punt, like and these are down you got him, like third and five,

it's not. Meanwhile, those possessions the other way went five for seventy eight in a touchdown, nine for fifty nine in a touchdown, ten for forty one in a field goal with a drop touchdown in the middle of that. Uh, and then twelve for eighty in a touchdown. So while you were punting every single possession, they were scoring every single possession like it was total domination. It was not even. It wasn't even it was like a homecoming game. It

wasn't even like two NFL it was. It was. It had the makings of one of those games where the other team comes to Foxbrown it's freezing cold, and we put fifty on them. You know, that's the way it used to be. And I just thought, like the whole thing to you a point, Mike about the offense and then the defensively, like the covers was off. They're letting guys run. You know, they've given everything underneath. Every time they ran deep, they got open deep. Tee Higgins was

was opened deep. Uh. You know they're calling timeouts because they don't have the proper personnel out there. First drive at the game, yeah right, you know they're getting caught off. The first two drives were just all full thirty nine yard or a Higgins like right off the bat, like what second play of the game, it was just like here we go. This is what they're gonna do. They're gonna target Marks Jones down the field on those big receivers. And then they missed it. They missed the extra point.

The second extra point by McPherson, and quality gets a personal follow because now they ended up stopping it. But they ended up you know, like just another ten penalties today there was probably eight worth of eight different things worthy of bad on like the in those drives defensively. Let me tell you something before the before the Trent Brown falls start there, I saw him a couple of plays earlier. I'm like, oh, he's checked out of this game.

You can just tell from the body language sometimes from that guy. And I'm like, yeah, we are overdue for a false start or you know, a lazy hold or something from Trent Brown. And a few plays later were popped up. I'm like, yeah, that's what I thought I saw as he was kind of, you know, just kind of like skirting the outside of the huddle, like we're

still doing this, I still playing. I think it was afraid that this was going to be like one of those kind of pullout wins like that, but like ultimately it ended up being a totally twenty twenty two characteristic Patriots loss of This is them right, Like as much as it was about to be this like out of character thing where they pulled it out, it was them all right. Um, other specific bads. Just the secondary in general. I didn't think was competitive in the game. I didn't

think they had anybody covered all. I just think they were overmatched. They were. They're just not as good they were, You're right, I mean, they just they were overmatched, you know. But that's what happens when you have a quarterback who can throw the ball to yes, exactly between and how great the defense is against these backup quarterbacks and two of his receivers keys. That is the type. That's the type of talent where you can just put it up and say here you go, get that. And he he

had like three of them. Yes, the one to Chase down in our corner, and then he hadn't. He had just like a routine like fifteen yard out, twelve yard out in the second half where he threw the ball like a day and a half before Chase even broke to the outside. The one to Chase down in your corner. He threw that ball so early and I don't think Chase had even made his cut yet, and the coverage was there, but Burrow just trusted him and saying, you know what, if I put it over there, he was

he was open. He didn't even have to throw him open, Fred, Yeah, just open. And then the other one on the other side. The other one to Irwin was like the same thing. He had all kinds of room. He just threw it up. Let him make a play. I think it was Irwin. I think that was it. We just saw that the one down in you see him, He's like, you know, there's two yards. That's the one that's the one. Great job, great job on the videos. And the other one, the

other one at the other end of the field. Though, to Chase, the Paul mentioned was like Burrow threw the ball and then you saw like Chase turnaround, see the ball, realize where it's going, and then like like it was just like he the ball was just slow down there for him. Look at that. There's no real want to throw that ball when he did, other than well, I can put the ball exactly where I want to and

I know my receiver. There was an element of sort of and I don't this is going to sound really disrespectful.

I don't mean it's not, but like we haven't seen offense like that with I mean, obviously with the way that the Patriots passing offense has been all year but it was like, wow, it was like an appreciation for some of those plays today, like some of those players on the sideline that were thrown with timing well and precise your guys, Zolac in the booth, I think you know, people were saying that he was like, this is the kind of offense we used to have, you know, we

used to be able to do this. Yeah, but like when you had Brady, I don't that's what he meant. I hope he didn't mean last year. No, no, no, no, that's what he meant, because that must have been during the part of the game when he was here, because there is a huge ground like it doesn't you don't hear it anymore. But going into this year, there was a lot of this is what mac Jones can be. Yes, this is Joe Burrow and I'm sorry, I don't see

the same level of talent. I don't. At some point, Zo just started focusing in on the clam chowder, and then then he came back after the after the hail Mary, a little bit of hail Mary, because I gotta be honest, even the pick six didn't like I was like, well, that's nice for Marcus Jones he's he's my pet rookie. I was happy for him the hail Mary. I was like, oh huh, this that happened. We'll still like six minutes left. Bengals are going to have to put a drive together.

And that's when you started thinking. And again I had the same feeling, like I don't know that they're gonna win this game, but something miraculous could happen on Christmas Eve. Oh And that's what it's funny because that's the four of us. You know. I know Fred's usually busy with the blog, but we were just talking the whole time. It's like, I know what feels like, it's fifty to nothing, but the Bengals have made it so it's only twenty

two to nothing. You know, they missed two extra points, they miss a field goal, they drop a touchdown, and instead of thirty to nothing, it was twenty two to nothing. And you know, by the time that tip touchdown happened, a lot of people had left. Oh yeah, And I was thinking to myself, if the Patriots win this, how many of those people say I was there? I was there. It's like the Ted Williams home running don Way. All the people that say they witnessed it. Before we get

to the injured. To add one more good I wanted to get to, and that's Nick Folk. Had he made one of those extra points, I mean bad. No. Had he made one of the extra points, then I think, uh, the other missed one doesn't count as much and he probably would have kicked the field goals so they wouldn't had to have you know, you know, been thinking about the touchdown. So good job by him. Um. I would also add him the special time you got to reach that special team's coverage again. Kick off out to the

forty on one of them. Was it returns all day? They both the kicker a puncher dropping the ball. Well, the thing is they're they're punting it not high and it's going short, so the coverage doesn't even have time to set up. You know, the kickoff coverage has been a problem when it hasn't been a touchback, it's been a problem. Nick Pherson and and Folk were so bad today. Was it wind here down there that I thought something

going on in that south end zone? Holy crap? But I thought our end zones at the south one, yeah, the north one too. I mean they could anything that wasn't affecting the passes. But that was the weird thing. Folks miss to the open end. He just shanked like that was a low kick. I can't okay, So of course didn't get a replay. Why would you get a replay? Um? Sorry, that my fault. No, we just I should have broken five minutes. She talked too much. I know you never

shut up, homeboy, you never shut up. Um. I thought someone got a hand on it and defied. Maybe, but we didn't get a replay. When I saw, I didn't get it. I didn't get a look either, I did. I just saw a low kick. But if that's it, then that that that's different. I think the wind problem was at our end Southend. Yeah, yeah, I mean clearly McPherson's first one was affected by it because it really

pushed right. Then he missed the next one right, and I thought to myself, he's going to overcompensate and miss one left, and sure enough the field goal he missed left. Yeah, but I missed extra point and missed a field goal for McPherson, and then you know, folk just made nothing. So all right, Um, it's bad, bad all around. Injuries. Um, yeah, that's some injuries. We did lost both tight end Henry early knee, you know, and you gotta hand it to

the tight ends, you know. Henry gets hurt while running into the other tight ends. Joonu Smith on the first third down of the game, I believe unorthodox play knee and he didn't come back. And later Um macum really tried his best to kill John U. Smith. He tried to kill him Um and he didn't return either with a head injury. Schooler went out early, came back though. Marcus Jones went out. Yeah, I didn't h was on the recovery. But I wonder if Marcus Jones got like

pebbles in his eyes or something. Yeah, but he looked fine on the play that Jhonu Smith got sandwich. He didn't get hit in the head though. No, but the whiplash when you got hit from one side, the whiplash, alright, he get hit from from the Patriots sideline into another guy. Yeah, if he didn't hit his head, he did kind of like jarred and then he I don't know was that was a pretty big retrospect, but it was a clean hit. It didn't No, No, you're right back, Jones can't throw

that someone explained to me, like I'm a child. How mac Jones throws that ball? Yeah? How do you? How do you pull the trigger on that pass? I what what do you see that allows you? And the things that he doesn't see, Like, you know, they had one angle where on a sack and he steps up and you're seeing it from his vantage point, and there's guy's crossing that if he just gets rid of it, yeah, I mean he could get it there and he ends

up taking the sack. And especially when you when you've got somebody, it doesn't even have to be on a cross Sometimes it's someone opened for a screen, which he loves. You know, he's holding out of the ball. There was one plane. He's rolling out right looking for something downfield, Like look, kid, yeah, yeah, you haven't made one of those throws, you know, on purpose out on one of those he rolled out, there was nobody open. He's about to get sacked and John who he cut back to

his game. Johnno came with him, which was a smart play. But it's just it's not a normal NFL passing offense. It's certainly it just isn't all right. Um, let's let's grab some phone calls here, let's go ahead and do it. We'll start with Eric in New Jersey Patriots postgame show Pats lose at home to the Bengals twenty two eighteen. What do you have for us? Eric? Hey, can you guys hear me? Yes? Yeah, okay? Man. Mary Priston was first and foremost two bass one talk about real quick house.

Marcus Jones love him, but I think he was being exploded out there at the you know five. You know, Martin's just gonna match up big guys. That flooding tight ends on him. I think he's I think he's a heck of a ballplayer. I do think he's going to be out there. If he could stop te Higgins or Jamar Chase, he would have been drafted in the first round. You know, he couldn't do it in college. But the point, I think, the point he's trying to make is he

can't do it because of his size. Well whatever it is, he never was that guy. Yeah, well you know what we've seen it before. I was top five to go birds. I mean against smart teams. Smart teams just gonna match him. It's also but I mean it, see Higgins is a monster, jam Chase, Jamal Chase like six foot like and I mean he's a monster in terms of a player, But like I need my cornerbacks to be able to cover receiver.

You should even good ones. Yes, now there's always match up like a five eight guy against T Higgins can't do it. And and twice they had him on an island on the outside just throwing it up and he couldn't. He was powerless. But like he should be able, he should be able to compete with other guys. I mean, and I think he struggles. I think he's been thrust into a terrible position. Totally a great receiver. He's a rookie.

And I'm not just saying that because he's my bankie. No, I mean, he didn't play outside at all in training, can I mean, they're they're down there they I mean, and we can talk about lack of depth at outside corner, which is certainly a thing, but without Mills, without Jack Jones, you're stuck trying to play slots, slot corner outside. I'm right there with you. But I just think that smart teams is just gonna find that as that matchups that match up, Yeah, I hear you, What do they do?

I mean, what do you want them to do you want to? But Sean Wade out there like that. They don't have anybody else. He got torched for a touchdown when he was out there. Do you feel like, like, how much better did you feel about Jack Jones? Like, I don't think he's that much bigger. No, he's a little he's a little taller, but not. I mean, this is totally fair, totally fair. I think I think Jackson. I think Jackson lilong in the limb. I just think

markings better used. I think Marcus is better in coverage, though I mean it's a given take. He's a fourth round guy. But I think I think I said, I think markings will be better used than on the offensive side. That's just my my puff peep there and then get the offense. I mean, I understand the coaching and everything, but Mackie got a muster up figure a way there at the end. You had a game silver plate, put on the you know, put and put on the line

people just to sit there. And when that you take the ball from the forties. It was disgusting and I'll take it off and I wish you guys the best man happy New Years. I think we start saying Happy New Year? Is that etiquette on Monday? I think there's a lot See this is a catch the tay Kwon threw it and has yeas to make that like this. That's not a hard play, you know, I you know, in fairness I talked about the Bengals dropping plays and run through it. That's point. You don't have to stop

and dive. Keep running. That drop costs you points. And a kind of the kind of that play that they he made once or twice in training camp that made you have a little bit of ENTHUSISAM kind of think it was easier than some of the plays we saw him making training camp. To be honest, I mean, it sounds like you're making excuses. But and the ball wasn't underthrown, but it probably was coming in closer to his body than he wanted to. And you know, he end up

trying to catch it. And here's a bolstered with the hands. But a real receiver makes that catch regardless. That's right. I don't think he has any reason to be going to the ground right there. Yeah, I mean I think he made it more difficult. I'll tell you a ball that wasn't a throne at the end the bomb to Thornton. Thornton had to slow up and run into the receiver defender.

But if Mac had the arm, Yeah, Thornton had the space and he can you imagine if he caught that of God call back for the legal man down fear. I just I mean, like in the end, you know, for a touchdown, because if he caught it, the game would have ended, right if if that last thorn and ball was caught thild like as it was coming down, I was just here it is. Here's the play we're gonna be talking about all offseason of like why we're excited about Taekwon Thornton and then but if you look

at if Mac had the arm, He's off to the races. No, I was thinking defense and OPI one play untimed down from you know, That's what I was thinking. Let's go to Tom and Napa. The way the Bengals were playing in the second half, I thought they were going to do it all Patriots postgame show, Hi Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom Tom, rough year for you, Tom. Let's go this evening. Let's go William and Philly. What's up William? Hey, what's going on there? Willing are you doing good? Thanks for

calling all right now? Uh my question is for Paul. Paul so I didn't I didn't catch the show earlier though, but I courted little pizza. I need you? Could you what you mean? It's not Bill Billichick's fault? I don't understand. Yeah, what do you mean by that? Yeah? What do you mean by that? It's not your fault? What do you mean by I don't? I don't know because I don't know what I don't know when I said it. I still think Bill is a good coach. I mean, if

that's a controversial takeoff, that's I think he'll charge. Paul and I both said that dude would probably agree. We all think that Bill was still a got an interesting little nugget to share. We had ourselves a score of gami today. I saw that the twenty two eighteen has never been done before. It's that weird. What score twenty two to eighteen? No game is ever one? So it only it only took five extra five missed extra points to get there? Rightly, Wow, twenty two eighteen is never

happens on seventy fifth. It's pretty odd, add Chris Berman, of all the games that have been playing I know, I mean twenty two eight signs right, you know, huh, so what's see? It makes a little differ now, doesn't It feels a little different. But that well, at least I saw something I've never you know, I mean anytime you go to the ballpark too, so you could see something you've ever seen. The only three scores that can't happen is one nothing, two to one, or one to one. Right,

those are the only three scores that can't happen. Okay, I'd have to check if there's some kind of time number for football. There's like another prime number in football that you can't quite get. Yeah, I thought there was something about the one to get to four. Something could happen. I will, Oh, yeah, you can get a one. I don't know. I don't only get the extra you can't score it's like an obscure single that you can get us Okay, I don't know. I mean, yeah, you also

can't have a score of negative three to two. I mean it's like if we're just talking about talking things that could not have were talking whole numbers. Okay, well, yeah, you can't score one, that's correct. Yeah, I think I think so. I'm trying to remember what our conversation was about Bill it because it was more nuanced than that in the pre game. I mean just to you know, and I love Willem, But yeah, I don't think Bill

is thou like, like the biggest problem out there. I think Bill still I think Bill still has like an ability to put game plans together and whatnot. Do I think he's been part of the problem. Yeah, I know. I think the decision to make defensive coaches the offensive coordinator was a bad one, going back to not having a plan after Tom Brady, to making Matt Patricia your offensive coordinator to Yes, there have been a series of franchise shifting decisions that Bill has been responsible for it.

And we still think he's a good coach. We still think that he does, you know, wonderful job. And if you have one of these scenarios where whether or injury levels the playing field, I like a Bill Belichick coach team and those scenarios. But there have been a few decisions that he has made big picture for this team that have hamstrung you out for three years. Yeah, and I don't ignore those. I don't tell you I've been

pretty great. And I mean for me. I think replacing Brady is it was a really hard thing to do, and I certainly it was not good enough. But that's a really hard thing to do. Um, But you gotta have a plan. But even if because nobody else wanted, but you have a plan, doesn't mean it's gonna work, you know, like like everybody's plan the party compared to they had to what happened with the offense this year. I see that as a way more egregious screw up

because it's a completely incompetent offense, you know. I mean, there are a lot of teams that need a quarterback out there. It's not like, well, and we'll just put that guy in for Brady and that'll work fine, you know. I mean I agree, except except difference if you believe Tom Brady he knew he was gone in August before that season started. Oh yeah, And then they're not having a plan for that is that's that's very It's a big one. They had a plan, they implemented it too soon.

The plan was garoppolo and it blew up, so they never got a chance to implement it. Brady ruined that plan. But when and then they really and then they they screwed up. I think for a year and a half. Right, No, but Garoppolo was going to be the guy to succeed. I know that. But now you have a year and a half to figure out what you're gonna do, and then then they made Then the second part of the mistake was not having faith in Brady and not being willing to pay him. Okay, yeah, I just I think

he left because of money. He also left because the coach didn't want him because he wouldn't pay him. He left because of money. If they had paid him the money, that means they want I agree, But they didn't want to pay him the money, right because they didn't want him, that's right, Not because they didn't want to because they didn't have faith in him, right right, So like it's

both ways, I know, But I agree with you. I think if they gave him the contract he wanted, which I think is was still well below market, say, I think you would have stayed. And if the plan was Garoppolo, the instant you trade him, you start working on the next plan. And they didn't work on the next plan

until they well they started winning super Bowls, remember that. Yeah, But if but that was with Brady, and if you're not going to keep raiding the plan wasn't to keep him, then you have to start working on the next guy right away. They Yeah, they drafted Garoppolo and then they won three more Super Bowls. All right, let's uh, after you trade Garoppolo, that's when you need the next play. They screwed that up too, thank you. They should have

traded him before the drew. You want to give him a pass because there's a well, they did have a plan. It was Garoppolo, Okay, but bet then you trade. I think we all recognized that they had a plan for twenty plus years. That plan was to have the greatest player who's ever played the game be the quarterback so you can win six titles. That was the plan, and it worked, and it worked a perfection. Thank you, Freddie. All right, Marcus Jones just got the wind knocked out

of him, and he said, okay, that makes sense. I thought maybe the pebbles came up. Somebody said somebody said that in the booth. I'm like, I didn't get the win knocked out of him. I liked the I like the pebble theory. I'm sticking with the pebble theory, regardless of what Marcus just sebbles in the eyes, right right, all right, bam bamble, say thank you to cyber Reason

presenters of the Patriots post game show. Great defenders don't just playing on the field, They're also protecting your company and data. Cyber Reason on a mission to end ransomware and keep your business undefeated against cyber attacks. Learn more at cyberreason dot com Slash ransom bonus Phone call time with Deshaun from Virginia. DeShawn, what do you have for us? Hello,

guys one Pierre. How's it going? Good? Good? Okay. The more I look at these games throughout the season, um, I can most definitely concur what you guys about Bill Bulichick, you know, being a pretty solid coach, in which he is.

But the more I look at these games, it just proves my point even more, like they just get somebody else to make the personal decisions, you know, as far as drafting, both dropping and free agency, because look at the team that I think it's just making a few changes here and there on both sides of the ball, like get certain players whatever that I think they can really compete. You know, I have a good side competing in the playoffs next year. I get it. Get some

good players on both sides of the ball. I agree, yeah, that talented few. Let's let's go back to what that would undoubtedly do it. Let's go back to what the owner said in the off season about how Bill does things sometimes in an unorthodox way, you know, and that includes personnel. And we all agree that Bill has a great football mind and he's a great coach. He doesn't need to be unorthodox. That's the problem. Just you know, pick the best guy or you know, do the and

like your great mind will be the advantage. You don't need to be unorthodox to create the advantage. In what way is he being unorthodox personnel? You know, deciding to make the off you know, Matt Patricia, the offensive cornate, whatever it is, any any decision that is, you know, like, that's weird. You know, he doesn't need to do that. His mind is what gives you the advantage. To me, that's the only weird one. Though. The other ones I think are just from a lack of planning or a

lack of an ability to draft better. Yeah, I think that was I'm sorry. I can't I can't give him credit for being eccentric when I think it's just no, that's inept. Well a couple of inept draft and I think some of that is like that period where he, you know, decided I'm just gonna pick you know, from coaches I like in college or you know, that type of thing. I mean, I'm starting to get to the point where and I, you know, one hundred percent agree with the draft is a major problem. But I'm also

wondering now lack of development. I mean, are we even sure that these drafts are as bad as we're saying. Our guys just not developing because they're not getting the developmental coaching that they're needing either, I mean, because you're seeing some guys look pretty good last year progressing now. I don't know, I don't know where it is. I just I think that's the heart of the matter. You didn't you don't draft, you don't have you know, you don't have that elite talent right now. Um, Oh, we

haven't talked to Speed. Well, we didn't talk to him in the pregame. We're talking to him now though, postgame. Speed, what's up, buddy, Hey, that's going Yeah, Mike, I really appreciate your point about the development issue. You've hit that a couple of times this season. It'll be a fun off season topic. Don't know that's fun, but um that what is it? Two minutes to go and you're down by four and I think the Bengals had no timeouts.

I understand, and they're often have been kind of sputtering in the second half, But I still thought to myself, maybe maybe just just let the Patriots into the end zone and then you'll drive it down. You'll be able to score them because you have a great quarterback. And at that moment, I was like, wait a minute, the Patriots have a very very well established bad red zone offense. Why would we can stop these guys? And then lo and behold, the Patriots found a way to stop themselves.

It's like, yeah, I guess My question with that is, like, to what extent were they hampered by the lack of a passing game in the red zone that they had to keep pounding the ball, had to keep running it. Do you guys agree with the way that they call those players on the ground in that last drive them Well, I think once they got the first down, okay, now all bets are off. You don't have to keep running, you know, but like get that first out, give yourself,

you know, four plays. I just think they're still in their own head at this point, that they're just overthinking everything and swinging one way or swinging the other, and the results are just as disjointed as it feeds on itself. It's a it's an unsure of yourself, filmal coaching to the players. It's it really is. It's um you know. I don't want to call it a cancer, but it's

it festers. I mean, do you feel like it feeds into like the lack of an identity and lack of knowing who we are, lack of knowing like what we can do in a certain situation, believing in ourselves. I don't know who we are. We're gonna run what player? Are we running for? This? All right? Let's as you go to player, where's he been? All? You know? Like that's why I said it is not good show. It's just it's just it's just it's a sign of good

as guys. I'm not saying this is like even if they're with a great offensive coordinator, all fights that, I don't know that they're a top ten offense in the league. But they're better than a better than an aptitude that they're showing, So m real quick before you do that. There was another pool report, so it wouldn't be a Patriots game without a pool reporter. Mike Reese talked to

Craig Rolstead, who was the referee today. How much consideration was there a blowing the fumble play with New England running back from Marty Stevenson dead due to forward progress being stopped, so exactly the question that the four of us had. Yes, Roll said said, in order to have forward progress, the runner has to be controlled by the defense. He has to be held in controlled and basically have his feet taken away. We felt that he still had his feet, so we did not feel that he was

held in controlled by the defense. He was still free to gain yardage. And then also obviously there was a chance that he could fumble. Yeah. See, I'm not crazy. I don't. I wasn't upset about that. I like the explanation. I mean, it seems like he had a checklist, and I think Fred just put it right. Like, I don't

think it rises to the level of being pissed off. No, right, But I'm just telling you I've seen guys sort of corralled like that and the whistle blows, Well, what is your definition of still has his feet because he was still moving, still moving. He watched the replay, He's still moving his feet, still trying to break tackles. So so he has to be lifted off the ground like you're controlled and you're no longer moving like I'll give you an example. On the same drive, Hold on one second.

On the same drive, about four plays earlier, on first down, there was a play called and he was completely corralled, and Freddie, you'll know the player I'm talking about, because all of a sudden, the pile moved forward like a like a yard and it went from like a five yard game to a six yard game or five yard game to a seven yard game because everybody just all of a sudden started moving him forward. He was clearly corralled and stopped. But if you blow the whistle, now

you take away the yardage that he gets. That's why I think Freddy's saying, like, yeah, I'm not really pissed off that they didn't, like there was a slim chance he could have like broken free. But if he sports out the side, runs into the end zone, and they blow the whistle. Now you're pissed off that they they called it too early. I'm not that pissed about it. I just I think there is a time to say, look,

he's being moved backwards here and there. If there are guys on either side of him that are helped move him backwards, is he really going to squirt loose? And the only reason why I say it is not because it hurt the Patriots today, is because I I think we look at these games every single week and say, that guy's gonna get killed. You know, if you're moving him backwards like that, that's my thought, that's where that's

where these guys take colacious hits. And now you're asking them to take extra ones, why not even just and they're not in a position to defend themselves. It's like the defenseless receiver, but the running back he just get killed. And it's a different role for the quarterbacks. That's a quarterback man that they're gonna they're gonna blow that dead on a quarterback because the quarterback isn't fighting for yards. That's that's the difference. But I have seen that, I'm

with Hardy, I have seen that play blown dead. Absolutely. I've seen that play. I'll never forget the one in Carolina. It was the Kuki hold game. Yeah. Um, there was a play earlier that they they stopped the Patriots because of forward progress and I always living it was just a bad call and then he fumbled. No, oh James, he broke free and he ran. Thank you for your patience anyone. Paul was yelling at me, go ahead, get

even a gentleman, thank you for having me again. Um. I think when I think about the Brady situation and Belichick and just the team as it current years now, I think historically with Bill Belichick, he has this there's no I in team decision making where I believe besides of money. Um, Blady, you know, to me, at least he left because I mean, he didn't have the personnel that could have been brought to New England. And you can see his frustration through the two Guys nineteen season.

And I think furthermore, she doesn't really give those contracts out that certain guys want that may have earned them, and let walk out the door a bit earlier than they, you know, would have if he gave those contracts. And

I think with the defense, what key people. Do you think that he could build off of, um, you know, in the future, with like a certain personnel that he already has, because I'm afraid that he may make some more disappointing decisions where he will just let guys go and you know, rather than just like, hey, maybe if you somebody already have, then you can build upon that one. Well, yeah, I mean, I like, I hope they keep Myers, you know, I think he's worth keeping. And but there's really not

a lot of high end talent. I mean, I hope they keep Jude on, you know, but they need they need infusion of high end specifically. I think event the defense too. Cornerback Jonathan Jones is a free agent, and we're talking about how thin it is to have to have a five eight guy and Marcus Jones covering big guys. Jonathan Jones has done a lot for you as an outside corner this year. I mean, I don't think it would be as big a loss as like even losing

JC Jackson last year. It was, But now if you lose Jackson and then you know, it was Gilmore and Jackson and now Jonathan Jones, Right, you gotta you have to stop the tiding at some point. I mean they were basically rolling three slot corners out there today. Like I just I think you need a legit. They were under man today outside cornerback. And I mean Jalen Mills. I actually like Jalen Mills generally. I just I don't think that he is a number one outside corner. I

mean he's okay, he's a good tackler. I mean, I've played maybe as a safety, but they need at least one legit outside corner that can match up the Paul and Fred theory on you know, jumping ship millsy I have. I'm watching Jalen m Hay Pats fans date Lion Foxborough. I'm here to tell you about NFL All Day. With the NFL All Day, Oh, your favorite Patriots highlights become

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dot Com. Touch of You Interactive from the Yoker's Company offers New England's leading schools and businesses technologically advanced and easy to use interactive displays, providing enhanced collaboration and improved student outcomes in the classroom and an easy way to foster communication and teamwork in any business environment. Available in multiple sizes, touch View also offers a built in VC allowing for easy use through video conference systems. For more information,

visit okres dot com. This is the Gillette Labs with exfoliating bar. The bar in the handle removes unseen dirtain debris ahead of the blades for effortless saving in one efficient stroke. Defending against cyber attacks requires seen in the dark, understanding and ending every correct to your organization on computers, mobile and the clouds. It takes cyber rason in cyber attacks from inputs to everywhere. A million dollars, but picking

players that's a lot of money. Draft Kings, you know how many jokes I gotta tell to make a million dollars? Probably like a half on one. It's like a free shot at a million dollars with Draft Kings, the leader in daily fantasy sports. Touch for you interact. Join the conversation by calling the a Sticket hotline at eight five five pats five hundred or email the show at web radio at Patriots dot com. The good list is going to be mercifully short. We begin with you Mitouh live

from our studios inside Galette Stadium. Here's Hardy. I feel bad for Juice. I think he missed out on the CB craze culture generation Fred Paul and I'm Scanner. Well we all remember, like the CB craze. Everybody, you know, everybody like I had a friend who had one. I didn't really get into it, but yeah, my dad had one. Yeah that's right. And uh, you know, you had to come up with your handle, you know, a cool name. It's different than just listening to the police. Was your handle, Hardy?

No I did. I didn't never see dad. Hey, Rob, what would your what would your CB handle be? Friend? Uh? Boss man? No? J Were you did you have like the Were you a ham radio operator in your in your bedroom when you're a little kid. I can see yet doing that. No, I've got Hey, don't don't you worry about when I was operating in it's another kind of ham. Paul is operating. Thank you hand radio, hand radio, you know, public good jokes? How about the vikings are

to the point of absurd. So what happened today? Sixty one yard field goal in the last play they won by three? Did they almost blow like what happened? No? I was like back and forth game all but that's just like they were eleven in ozh in one score games. They're gonna lose the first round of the playoffs. I'm sorry, I'm looking to see how he did on the on the picks today, we were all unders hardy, hardy, over under five, I mean five and one in the over under,

thank you, thank you. I was four and two though, so you didn't quite catch me. All right, All four teams from the NFC East, you're one and four have a chance to make the playoffs. That's something. Would that be your first yeah? Because of you would need the new the new wild card right playoff gami. How about your your Jacksonville Jaguars sneaking into the fourth seat here they are in first place now right, they have the tiebreaker currently because they beat Tennessee. They're six and four

and cards, so that's gonna be the game. I think in week eighteen that they'll flex to the night game there because that's a winning get in game. H little worried does anybody heard anything about next? Next week's game has not been touched right, we're one o'clock. But I did see something that they could theoretically move it late. I think these games they have more time, maybe, Freddy. So it's week seventeen, and I know week eighteen they wait till after the seventeen slate is done. That's the

only one. That's the only way. That's the only one. Freddie for ten days, because I know you're all the high levels. Next week we'll be back. Freddie's in all the high level meetings. Hard, we don't know how fun, just to just to know what's going on, be a league official. Not Then when the NFL guys come in and they say, you know something, Freddie gives them the what for. Well, yeah, no, you're not doing that. Only

the most important people. And fred just gets up. He's like, hey, nobe, I don't even feel like anybody one of those guys. I heard that they were going to wear gray pants today, so they came out and blew. I texted somebody who would know. I said, I thought they were wearing grays. It's like, no, they made a decision two days ago not to do it. I actually I was. I was actually on that. Nobody told me, well, I saw. I saw a certain level higher up come around and say

no more throwbacks, no more put gray pants. They should have was a great pants. That's why they lost. That's why Brandon and Atlanta. Before we hear from the head coach, what do you got for us? Brandon? Man man, Oh, I know, I know it's so close to not being sad Brandon today, but um, I just want to, like, I have an analogy of cook analogy, and then I

have like just a short statement. So this game was like I don't know if any of y'all have ever played like a little cousin or a little brother in a video game and you're like, you know, you're about like fifty at the half. The next thing you know, you're like, I'm text on my phone and you know, go get something to eat him or let the computer. Actually we're in a couple of plays. The next thing you know, you look up, you're only up by like six, and then you're like, oh, okay, well I gotta get

serious again. And then of course, because he's only like five or six, he does something stupid and you still end up winning. But um, yeah, I would say that. The statement I have is like, um, I do think Delichick is, you know, a great coach and can turn

this h franchise around. But I just hope, and I mean he doesn't have ten twenty fifteen years to go, but I just hope it doesn't take longer than or as long as that, because you know, we're spoilers Patriots fans, So it's like, we need to get some competence back in this offense, and we got to stop doing just stupid stuff with penalties and and you know, fumbles and and that later will play obviously will never happen again, but like that is something that would have never happened,

you know in the early two thousands or even in the late you know, the early twenty history of two thousands of when we were you know, our second round. I'm just praying as a Patriots saying I love this team. I never waiver, but I just I need them to get competent sooner than later. I think that's an unfair ask. Brand. Yeah, we're like, yeah, we're like one of those tech guys in the Internet boom and you know our Brady bubble

burst and now you know we touched. We knew what would is like to be rich, and now we want to get rich again. We're not pets dot Com. Yeah, I was thinking pets dot Com. Great minds due? How about that from pets dot Com? What am I missing? Went really well? Until it didn't go really until they realized that it costs a lot to ship fifty pound bags of dog? And you probably shouldn't spend a billion dollars in advertising before you've made a cent, right, because

you shouldn't draft a guard in the first round. What are we talking about? What are you doing? Your best line every on this show? Speaking of great minds? Head coach Bill Belichick after the tents to the Bengals today at Gillette Stadium, Here he is and just not don'tough so disappointed? Result? Bill? We saw in the second half the sort of impact that Kendrick Born can have when

he's made the focal point of the passing game. Why have the opportunities for him to be such a regular target in the offense been so few and far between this year? Yeah, no particular reason. Hey, Bill, I'm just sort of curious what your impressions were of Joe Burrow first time you faced him. First time he's faced you. Was it any different from what you've seen on film? Oh no, that's the same on the Bengals one of their drives earlier, third and seventeen far from your sideline?

Was there? How much consideration did you give to possibly challenging whether he came down and controlled the ball there? Didn't see anything that We'll give us a chance to do that. And I'm at the end of the first half. At the end of the first half, can you explain just sort of the sequence there where you had the quick pass and then took a time out and then

kneeled from what was behind that thought process. Let's see what happened at the end of the sandwichter gain on that play and in the end, didn't feel like it was really so much we could do there. Hey Bill, you made adjustments in the second half. Defense played great. Um, what was a big change there in the second half, you know after giving up twenty two points? Yeah, no big change, same calls, hy bell Um. What have you seen from Marcus Jones and how he's progressed this season? Yeah,

he's talked about him a lot. He's done a good job for us. A little bit more each week and some play of defense over You're going right, Bill, You've repeatedly taken responsibility for the offense this season. When you don't cross midfield till the end of the third quarter, you get twelve points here today. How much of that is your responsibility? Your players were well positioned enough to win today. On the head coach, Bill, you said it was the same call as in the second half. Obviously,

Joe Burrow had a great first half. He threw for two hundred and eighty four yards and three touchdowns. So was the second half you guys slowing him down or was that the Bengals stopping themselves. I don't know. Call it whatever you want. I want to know what you call it. I'm gonna shot about in the second half to play a good defense. Call whatever you want. The left, Bill, what can you do? How do how do you make sure that the players stayed together these final two weeks

of the season. Here do we've been doing? Coach? Had four straight runs there? Us you guys got in the red zone on the offensive final drive. Was running clock also a consideration there? Or just simply trying to score? Yeah, we'll trying to score and trying to control the clock, yet they used their time out, so you know, we're control of the clock and in the field position. You know, on the last was the first down play? What was the Bengals defense able to do to slow down your

group for three quarters? And you couldn't convert up there down the first half, so that was that was the biggest problem. Yeah, all right, and there goes the head coach, which is brought to you by Microsoft. Surface, the official sideline technology provider and laptop of the NFL and the New England Patriots, provides players and coaches with the tools

to succeed both on and off the field. Check out the powerful Surface Pro eight, combining the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet at Surface dot com. A little uh well, little testy back and forth a couple of times there, you guys only scored twelve points offensively? How much of that is on you? And his answer was the head coach all of it and just put it all on him. Also the the Chris Gasper exchange there with you know the different you feel, Yeah, don't

know what you call it. What changed in the second half, you know with Burrow and was it you or things that the Bengals did to themselves. Call it whatever you want. I want to know what you call it. Call whatever you want, all right, Yeah, and you know we talked, Yeah, we talked a little bit about, you know, the defense in the second half. And it's inarguable that they got shot out in the second half. The Bengals did. So you could say, well, the Patriots made some improvements in that.

I'm sorry, I can't give you the Patriots offense suddenly caught fire in the second half. I can't, I can't. I know that they scored some points in the second half. Six of them were a picked six and six of them were a hail Mary. I mean, call it what it was. That's a hail Mary on third and whatever. I think it was twenty nine after the penaltif again, I can I can live with Fred, you know, saying, well, you know, they shout them out in the second half.

They had to do something right. I mean, I personally think the Bengals just dropped a bunch of passes and committed a bunch of penalties and started fumbling the ball. But shout out to shout out, like I can tell you that Joe Burrow only had one hundred yards in the second half after having two hundred and eighty in the first half. So I can say Patriots, but defense

was in the second half. Yeah, I can't tell you the Patriots offense did anything better in the second half of the They would bad and bolt and that's the other bad. I would really push back on Paul Is because yeah, and I'm fine with that. You know, at the beginning, I don't think you even wanted to give them the defense much credit in the second half because I personally don't. But I understand. Yeah, I totally can understand the argument. Yeah, even the interception, which was a

bad throw by Burrow, good call. It was a good play play call. They win zero blitz and they got Burrow on his back foot throwing it there. Give him credit for that. Absolutely, Okay, absolutely, all right, Now we step aside. Now we step aside again, and we'll get

ready to hear from mac Jones here in a few minutes. Now, Again, if you're looking back on this game months from now or next year, and you kind of forget the particulars of it, this is another game, will you look at the numbers from mac Jones and say, oh, not too bad, right, what were his numbers? What wasn't an awful day? Of course they just went away. Amy here, I want to say it like two twenty two of thirty one, about

two hundred and forty yards. Ye, two to thirty one, that's right, two twenty two okay, yeah, yeah, you're right. I mean statistically, the numbers would tell you he had a good touchdown. Tell you had two touch that's acceptable, right, the two john Again, if you take out forty eight yards, was his play acceptable today? No, it was not good. I said, But if you look at the numbers, and again, if you go strict, you know this column it says this,

it is passer rating. I'm sure it was in triple figures. Yeah, two forty and two touchdowns with no picks. I mean, I mean that that's one hundred plus passer rating. I bad. I don't see it. I don't have in front of it is one of five points. Yes, but I agree with Fred, I don't think it was very good. We'll hear from Mac Jones when we return on the Patriots Postgame Show, which is uh brought to you by NFL

All Day. With NFL All Day, all your favorite Patriots highlights become digital video collectibles called Duce Moments Thank You. Not only can you buy and sell them on a secure marketplace full of thousands of NFL fans, you can compete in epic game day challenges their epic check come out. Find some moments from all your favorite Patriots players on

NFL allday dot com. Touch of You Interactive from the Yoker's Company, offers New England's leading schools and businesses technologically advanced and easy to use interactive displays, providing enhanced collaboration and improved student outcomes in the classroom and an easy way to foster communication and teamwork in any business environment. Available in multiple sizes, touch View also offers a built in VC allowing for easy use through video conference systems.

For more information, visit ookers dot com. This is the Gillette Labs with exfoliating bar. The bar in the handle removes unseen dirt and debris ahead of the blades for effortless saving in one efficient stroke. Defending against cyber attacks requires seen in the dark, understanding and aiding every correct to your organization on computers, mobile and the clouds. It takes cyber reason in the cyber attacks from inputs to everywhere a million dollars, but picking players, that's a lot

of money. Draft Kings. You know how many jokes I gotta tell to make a million dollars? Probably like a half on one's take a free shot at a million dollars with draft Kings, the leader in daily fantasy sports. Join the conversation by calling the A Sticket Hotline at eight five five Pats five hundred, or email the show at web radio at Patriots dot com. Ultimately, they may have punched their ticket out of the postseason because of abject stupidity Ender France. Go ahead, live from our studios

inside Galette Stadium. Here's Hardy back on the Patriots postgame Show presented by Cybery's in twenty two eighteen. Patriots fall to the Bengals today at Ailed Stadium. Before we hear from Mac, We're gonna hear from George in Los Angeles, Hi, George, George, George. I'm gonna give you the goodbye George, goodbye, George. It's another hearty call. You know what, a lot of people want to talk and they'll hold on for a long time and then eventually they fall asleep. D in Baltimore,

what's up? D? How you guys doing good? So I got a question, do you guys think it's time to reramp the whole coaches, fans, the whole coaching staff. Well, if Bill goes, it will be revamped. But I don't think Bill's going so, but I do think on offense they need to make some changes. Absolutely, yes, I think they need to bring some people outside of who Bill knows because he don't want to bring nobody in because

he wanted to be in control. So I guess him being stuck in it way, you just starting hurt the franchise. That's a theory. A lot of people agree with you. I love that theory. And Bill O'Brien. Oh, let's get Bill O'Brien in here. No, no, no, no no, we need somebody differently, Thank you, thank you, d thank you. Yeah. But at least Bill O'Brien will will stick up for himself, you know. Change. And Bill still think he's the smartest person in the room. Well he is, usually it ain't

no more and that's what's starting to hurt him. So I think it's time to something different. Okay, I think a lot of people agree with you. D uh and sorry about that turn your mic on. Yeah, I think it's kind of funny that there seems to be no in between with this. Yeah, there's a lot of people that feel like that that it's time, We'll just it's just time. And then there's other people that are like,

how dare you even suggest it? There's no real in between, Like I don't really love the direction of the team, and I still think Bill could coach, but well he's not that. That's when when remember when Bill's you know, they asked him why he drafted rappol and he said, you know, with Tom's age and the you know, contracts contract, do you think the Crafts have a plan as we sit right now? Oh, with Bill to replace, I have

to think they have a couple of guys in there. Yeah, let's just say Bill decided to leave, Like that's it, I'm done. Did you ever ask him when you're in your high level meetings? They wouldn't tell me. Sprought it up randomly, what the rob But I've been meaning to ask, what's the plan that the conversation I have like a couple of names in mind, They're not gonna I think in the preseason the conversation was part of the plan.

Was Matt Patricia would take over the team. That's why, that's why you bring him, that's why you bring him back in this capacity. And Bill brought him back. Yeah, I don't. I mean that's without telling ownership. Yeah, it didn't cost him any money, that's care being. It's a very common theory, and I know it's it's it's out there, and I know somebody really strongly at your station believes in that. I don't. I don't buy it either. I don't buy it. I look, I don't buy it either.

And even if there was an inkling that that could take place. I don't want Matt Patricia anywhere near this team next year. I don't want himself. I don't want him in the Earnie, I don't. I just don't think he's in the right position. He's not. He's not an offensive and you would have to convince me what position is right for him. How about the yes, the Mike might do so up in the not seen he was doing that on the mind last year, two years ago. Yeah,

how'd that work out for you? Was last year? Yeah? Last year? Yeah, I don't know. I didn't care it. We didn't have to hear, did you not see any of the games last year. I can recap them for you. They looked good against a bunch of average talent and when it came. But is that because you didn't have the right communication coming down like just to win, to like call time out or something like here, I don't want him on offense, I don't want him back on defense. Might just do the why am I? Why am I

mean for calling out? Look, he was part of a great run here and and we thought Matt was, you know, doing a great job defensively. And then when Brian Flores took over, the defense actually looked better. Matt had a chance to run his own team at Detroit and it was a total failure. Oh okay, comes back back here with you know, to run the offensive line and to run the offense, and it's a it's a complete disaster. Over the last eight years, what year did the offense

look the best? I mean, the defense looked the best. Twenty eighteen, No fourteen, when they had reeves to me, you asked me a question. I gave you the talent. Okay, they had talent in twenty fourteen. The best and that's the best defense played was eighteen. You've you've you're contradicting yourself, Paul, because you told you you've no, I'm not yes. Because you said eighteen didn't give up forty one to Kansas City. You said all of a sudden, Yeah, you said all

of a sudden. The only game they played well was in the Super Bowl. You said they stunk leading up. I didn't say that that was the only game the defense played well. I said, the offense carried you to the super Bowl except for the Super except the actual game because of the defense. Wasn't that good? You said? You said that that is so hypocritical, said, that's not what I said. That often when they people say that they won they won the Super Bowl last time because

the defense, And I said, that's not true. You said their offense was phenomenal in the playoffs except for the Super Bowl. I didn't say anything bad about what the defense did in the Super Bowl that year, but the defense was that that was the best year of deep point is that, Matt, everybody thinks that Mapatris was this terrible defensive coach. You know, wasn't That's like you? I see I hear that all the time. You make fun of me for coming up with the strong and the

straw Man arguments. That's the ultimate straw man argument. Are you kidding me? I hear it over and he stunk on defense. He can't do anything. I think he replacement was better than him. That doesn't mean he stuck. And I think he gets too much credit for the defense, sometimes from himself responsible for Super Bowl history Tree, when if there's any argument that prevails, it's not that Patricia Patricia stunk on defense, is that it's Bill's defense that's right,

and whoever's he's just doing what Bills. So what do you want to bring him back doing anything? For? What has he proven that he can do on his own? Forgetting the Lions hate here? What is he proven that he can do on his own? Just piling on what you're saying that, like you know, I know Cookie, you're saying that, you know, the teams that were interested in him as a head coach was simply because he came from Bill's tree. Well, that I actually agree with. I mean,

what did Eric Mangini do? I think he actually was. I think he gets drummed out of the lead, but I think he was actually a pretty good coach. Eric Mangini, do you want Bill O'Brien to come back. I mean Eric Mangini, he got like a job out of here as like the safety's coach, like and then they made him like a coordinator for a year. Embody was going to leave to be the raiders of a defensive coordinator. We blocked him. Yeah, like that's just because you're with

the Patriots. Sorry, do you want Bill O'Brien to come back? If if if that, if my choice is him or Patricia again, I want Bill O'Brien. So what do you want? And don't you don't have to say like a name, yeah, because that's not that's not our job. I want an infusion the talent in the offensive coaching. Yeah, So you want somebody knew from the outside, that's got a fresh perspective, somebody who can get the best out of talent. Yeah,

I want somebody else. But you don't think that's Bill O'Brien. No, it could be, like I said, if it was between him and Patricia, I want Bill O'Brien. I want somebody else. And and I hear what d was saying. You know, he's afraid that someone's gonna come in and they're just gonna be a yes man. I don't think Bill O'Brien would be I think he talks back. I don't know how much you talked back to Bill though he talked back to Brady. That's Mack. Yeah. Oh god, that that

could be very quickly, Will. And then we'll get to mac Jones Will in Hawaii? What's up? Will? Oh? How you guys doing? You took my call? Yeah? Are you on the beach? Are you on the beach? Will? I'm not I'm asking in my backyard? Are you hanging ten again? Are you hanging ten? It's Christmas? Eve? Can we can? We even let him get his point out and then

we can all go home. Now, here's the thing, guys made my call at the first time because since we're all discussing what we want, okay, yeah, I want day leaves appy, all right. So that's point number one. The second point is you guys already kind of hit on it. Um. I don't want mac Jones's numbers to confuse people out there. I don't because there was kind of a slighter hand in this game. Yeah, we're not going to we just

talked about that. Well, that won't happen. And thank you guys, because I yeah, I heard that, And the second thing I wanted to say is, Um, as much as I want Bailey's Appy to play, I did not want him to come in at the half, even as bad as Mac Jones look, because um, yeah, I don't want Bailey's Appy to have, you know, the floppy. Second, I want

him to start. I want him to get a full week with the starters, because when he's done that this year, it's the only and I repeat, the only time I felt good about this team all year is when Bailey's Appy started. It's farewell, It's fair enough. And if you want to extrapolate that, one week isn't even enough. Zoe's talked about this a lot of you need three weeks.

You need three weeks to you know, kind of get into that rhythm and do a week's worth of prep and then kind of go back on what you did wrong in that week and kind of do it again three weeks. So it's done for it's done for this season. Um, don't even look at him. We're not we want you. We want to talk about Bailey. Is that instead, we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna talk about Mac Jones. And

here from Mac Jones right now, Mac. With about six and a half minutes to go in the third quarter, the team had a total of about seventy yards total offense. Obviously you finished with two eighty five, which means a lot of offense in the last eighteen twenty minutes or so of the game. What clicked? Was it different play calling, personnel groupings, but what clicked in your eyes? Yeah, I think, Um, obviously tough loss for us here. Um, definitely things I

want to do better and just gotta keep working. Gotta watch the film and keep working together. I think we didn't quit. Um, we fought hard and at the end of the day, Um, we gotta score more points and we got we got the ball moving a little bit, but I just want to capitalize and score more points. So falls on me as a quarterback and super disappointing, but also a lot to look back on and realize that we have fighters on this team. Um, And that's tough to say in a loss, but we do. We

have fighters on this team. I thought everybody on our offense and defense and special teams fought to the end and um, yeah, Mac, just your interpretation or what led to you at the unsportsmail a penalty on you at the end. Yeah, I think, Um, obviously there's a little bit of a you know pile there and then the ball scored it out actually into another pile. So I went over there and try to grab the ball at a you know, save the game. So at the end of the day, you gotta take your chance and try

and get the ball. And you got to compete for the ball because it's a live ball until somebody holds it up in the ear, So you gotta go get it. And that's what I tried to do. And yeah, and Mac, we saw the impact that Kendrick had when he was a focal point of the offense. Why do you think those opportunities where he's been getting the ball consistently in big situations like that have come so few and far between,

especially when it comes to throwne downfield. Yeah, I think KB is just a he's a great teammate and he's one of my closest friends. Every time I've seen him, he's had a smile on his even in a situation like that, you know, at the end of the game where we're trying to fight back and there's a lot of pressure, he's in there kind of smiling, like, let's

go do this. You know. So when you see that from a guy and you know I'm saying the same stuff in the huddle, you know, I want to look for a guy like that who wants to compete and play and play with effort. So thought, he's one of those guys. And we have all those guys. The receivers did a great job. Obviously had some tight end injuries, and I hope those guys are okay. And the running backs competed, and Scottie went in there obviously did a great job. That's a tough situation as a guy who

hasn't played all year jumps in there. So I thought the old line did good and just super disappointed and kind of watch it. You gotta watch the tape and grade yourself as an individual and then grade yourself as an offense and as a team. So we're gonna do that. I think we just kind of move on from it. Mac.

When you've had a lot of crazy finishes this year as a team, when you look at this one, three time outs in the red zone, chance to score, obviously it's frustrating, but when you look back on it, it must be hard to believe you guys didn't punch it in there, right, Yeah, I think Um, first of all, no one probably believed that we would come back from twenty two points, but we fought and we're right there right you score, and it's a totally different game. So

it's a tough situation. Just gotta execute better, falls on me and do things better then when we get the ball back, just at that point, you gotta have better execution, you know, got to know where to go, got to know where to throw it in that situation, there's not a lot of time. So just the same same thing. Just got to learn from it and be better at situational stuff. And starts with me, Hi mac Um, how do you feel Marcus Jones has been a spark for

you guys on all sides of the ball. I mean, yeah, he's just ridiculous, great player, great teammate, explosive, lines up, runs full speed on offense, lines up, goes full speed on defense, same thing on special teams. So um, love the guy. You know, bummed when you have a great performance like that, we can't pull out the win. So he's a great, great person, great player, and um, we got a lot of good dudes. Like that on our team. So it's tough when you lose, but falls on me

as a quarterback and got to do things better. So I know you're running and rolling out there. Did you actually see the tip on the Jacoby Wires touchdown? Yeah, it's just a great play, So it was. It was good to see. That's an example of competing, right, Scottie jumps up there, tries to make a play, then Jacobe's right there waiting for it. So and the offensive line on that play when you watch it, did a great job of just competing. Right. I rolled this way, I

rolled that way. They're throwing blocks left and right, So I love that for those guys. And at the end of the day, just came up short and other situations and got to get off to a faster start and and maybe the game's a little bit different. So definitely disappointing. You know, hey, Mac, it looked like you guys are rolling with a lot of tip personnel. Initially, Hunter obviously goes down. Did his injury almost kind of put you in a pickle there, knowing that might have been a

big part of the game plan. Yeah, I think Hunter is one of our best players. Same with John U and UM. When they're on the field together, it puts matchup issues on the defense and UM once again, Scottie steps in there, hasn't played all year, probably didn't expect to be in that situation, but he planed for it and did the best he could. So UM, just proud of those guys. It shows you that that group is really well coached and and all of our guys are. So we just gotta do better and execute the plays

better and all that stuff. Back on the on the forty eight yard touchdown pass, Just how much pride do you put, you know, in yourself to Hello, Hello, there we go. We're getting into We're getting into the weeds now of the how well some of these players are coached. And I can only take so much of that. Wow, heart, he's had enough. Well, come on, it shows yea how

well coached they are. I have I have a question that's brought up twice on the emails here that I want to ask you when we return about a player You're actually going to read an email I'm getting, Wow, hurtful? He gets Christmas Eve, my Fred. You can't do that? Why not? He's not like you? He doesn't let a role offa that he has a fin skin. Yeah, he's a very The show's done. Radio personality drops his pen from him. He's on double Tama flu too, Come on

true playing hurt I had? That's fine. I had the flu for six hours last night. Is the strangest flu I've ever had six hours. I'll tell you the story during the break, but then I will ask a question that's been brought up a couple of times on email about a player that needs to be benched according to a couple of emailers here not named Mac Jones. That and the final thoughts on today's lost to the Bengals

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Live from our studios inside Galette Stadium. Here's Hardy, all right, we got Craig in New Jersey. We've got another one from Tommy here, and then we finally have uh this, Oh it's Craig and Hoboken who said, look this is a second Fireabowl offense for Romandre Stevenson. It was the fumble last week, it was the lateral last week, and then we have an emailer saying, look up until today, I would have said, get rid of everybody on this team that you want to keep Marcus Jones because he's

fine and Romandre Stevenson. Now, I can't make a case for Romandre Stevenson. How bad have these last couple of weeks been for Romandre? He's under the radar right now. I feel like he's getting overshadowed. But I mean I, like I said at the top, I think they're key, key plays, game deciding plays. I mean, it's just it's the kind of thing it doesn't inspire trusting you. Chad Forward. It was Chad in Atlanta who said I would have said Stevenson, but now I don't know. You know, he's

just done so much. I mean without him, where would we be as bad as it is? Probably seven and eight? No, he's I can't that, Paul, you know, let me have my put so much of the load on him, it's it's yeah, No, I didn't think that's why people are hesitant to kill him. Um, I mean didn't really get killed last week either, But I mean, I mean, I haven't been on Twitter, but I did think he flew under the radar last week for starting the tom food. He started it all. This to me, I don't put

at the level of last week. Last week was stupid. This is a fumble like it happens, it's it can't happen, and that you know, put him at the top of the bad list. He cost you a chance to steal a game. But I mean, is that a symptom of we need to get rid of this guy, no symptom of the whole team. I think that's a little strong. It is, okay, final thoughts on the game, and also

final thoughts on the year. The next time we meet up it will be twenty twenty three, So use this as an opportunity for your year end thoughts, Mike, do so, would you please begin? I will just because I feel like we saw a terrible loss in twenty twenty two against the Bills and the playoffs, and as I said at the top of the show, this has just felt the season has felt like a continuation of this into

twenty twenty two. Two games left a team two teams that have owned the Patriots over the last two years plus m So you know, one hand, I'm glad that, like just it's this is who this team is. But they're gonna be out of the playoffs. There's gonna be major changes needing on offense, and we'll see. I don't know what can happen in these last two games, what kind of fight they're gonna show, but two teams that are gonna need wins, that know how to beat them. Um,

it could, it could get worse, you know. Unfortunately, Yeah I could. Fred, Yeah, I mean everything that Duke said. There's gonna be major changes to the offense in the off season. Yeah. Yeah. I felt like, if you were going to pull off an upset today, your offense was going to have to play in a way that they hadn't really shown all year. And they didn't. And Fred's right, you need you need changes, and in some ways I

think they needed changes no matter what. So I didn't necessarily want to see it all of a sudden click these last three weeks and possibly lead to Bill Belichick say and see, I told you just stay the course. It was getting there. I knew this was going to happen. No, they have. They have fundamental problems. Their offense is broke. I mean, look at it's just look around the NFL. There's a lot of teams and I'm looking at run right now. The Commanders. Heineke is not a great quarterback,

but they're scoring points. They're competitive, they're finding ways to I mean, they do have an outstanding defense, but they're finding ways to stay in game. Yeah, there's you know, it's a gamer. There's a lot of teams that don't have great quarterbacks. But in the NFL you can have you can score points, you can pass like a normal NFL team. We're just not there. I know it was for the majority of that game. You didn't get past the fifteen. I mean, the Bengals are a good team.

They have a pretty good defense, but it's not a great defense. And we could we could barely muster twelve points, and and six of them were like a hail Mary tip play, you know, so like really six real puss six points again on offense. I mean, that's not that's not acceptable. I don't care who your quarterback is. It's not acceptable. You're getting me all upset now, and right had all this time to prepare for another big game. I mean, this is just and they don't even fool you.

They don't even come out and like, hey, they scripted a drive well right out of the gate, and like it doesn't even get to that point. They come out, they look like crap, And I'm not gonna take it anymore. There is one player on the team who has more touchdowns than Marcus Jones. That sentence, it's acceptable. Stevens defence has as many or close to as many touchdowns as Mac Jones has throwing touchdowns. Defense I think has six touchdowns.

But Stevenson has six touchdowns on the season and Mac and Marcus Jones, Marcus Jones has three the defensive guys. It's not acceptable. And and I'm hoping that when it's all said and done, Myers had one today, So Myers has four when it's all said and done. And Robert has his end of season meeting with Bill, Bill says those words, this was not acceptable. And then my next question, if I'm Robert, is okay, we agree, what are you

going to do about it? And Uh, that's not quite where we will begin when we meet up again on the first of January. But it's something to start to look forward to is The next time we meet up at will be twenty twenty three, and it would be week seventeen from tomorrow. We'll see what the Patriots can come up with here for their final two games of this season. Thank you everybody involved in the show today, Mary Christmas, everyone a happy holidays. Your final score for

the final time Patriots eighteen Thank Hels twenty two. That's for you, Paul Score. Thank you for listening and watching. Thank you for downloading this podcast. Subscribe on Apple, Google Play, and everywhere else you listen. Like the show, Please rate and review us. Listener comments and ratings help keep us high in the podcast rankings so new listeners can find us. Be sure to check Patriots dot com for more news and more podcasts.