MTP Boston: The Patriots Panic; Maye, Vrabel and the Buffalo Horizon

Welcome And The Season Turns Dark

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to MTP Boston. I am Michael Marcangelo, and I am also joined by Matt Wilcox. You may know him as Matty Ice, Marty McFly, I know him as Dipchit. And before we do the pleasantries, let me just set the scene for you. Three weeks into the season, the defending AFC champions are one and two. Drake May has gone from MVP runner-up to turnover machine, and the Patriots just got humiliated by the spineless Jacksonville Jaguars. Now they get Josh Allen and the undefeated Bills. So, Matt, what the hell happened to this football team?

SPEAKER_00 1:00

So let me start by saying that, as you know, I was very I was shockingly high on this team coming into the season.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

Wasn't it didn't you have them at like 15 wins?

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Uh I did. I did. Yep. She was podcast host, uh supposed to be somewhat informed on the sport. I totally did. Um here's the thing, I'm a big fan to buying into preseason hype. So when I hear that AJ Brown and Drake are connecting for eight for eight against the Eagles, something happens inside of me where I'm ready to be hurt again, and I give everything I have into the team. And then what do they do? They rip it out of me like sadistic assholes and they stomp on it and they crush it into a fine powder and then blow it back in my face. Um, I'm devastated. Uh I'm thinking about reading for the Bears whole like full force at this point.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

No, no, no, no, no. You can do the the Chicago erection show tomorrow with Dave. Let's just let's focus on the downer stuff today, please. Let's talk about where do you want to start? Well, let me let me uh I prepared a little something for you. That way I could lead you through the wilderness into the dark abyss. Um the New England Patriots followed their 20-3 victory over the science-denying closeted Aaron Rodgers with their worst performance of the young season. Drake May finished 14 of 25 for 199 yards, two interceptions and a lost fumble where nobody touched him. The offensive problems obviously extended beyond the quarterback with several starters unavailable, including AJ Brown, Mike Owenu, and Draymond Jones. So let's just, the scene is set. What was more concerning to you, Matt? Was it the three turnovers, the six points, or just the way that the Jaguars dropped their nutsack on our foreheads and we allowed it?

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Um what was more concerning? What was more the most concerning thing to me was that everybody on the team looked fucking incompetent. Every single aspect of the game looked flawed. So I guess I'm gonna give it to Drake May because you're

Preseason Hype And Instant Regret

SPEAKER_00 3:05

the like somebody put like many people voted for you as MVP last season, and you can't connect on a simple curl route. Fuck connecting. You can't even watch a simple curl route and see that that's the defender making the curl to make the play. You're throwing the ball straight to defenders, you're fumbling the ball all over the place, and you're making a stupid look on your face, this, oh gee gosh, can't believe well, you know, I'm a quarterback.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

He cried. He cried. And in a week removed from when I questioned the moral, uh, the test, the testicular fortitude uh of uh of Dave's quarterback um for being carted off and basically medevaced for a uh a sprain. My my run my runner-up MVP quarterback from the exact same draft is crying because the Jacksonville Jaguars emasculated him. Um I guess the the best place for me to start, I'm not sure if if uh if maybe you felt this way, but I think after that, after we beat the shit out of the Steelers, I was like, okay, you know, listen, that game against Seattle, we never thought we were gonna win. We should not have lost to a backup quarterback anyway, but whatever. We're back on track. The offense didn't look great, but we still found a way to win. So did do you think that win disguised like how much trouble the Patriots offense was already in?

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Yes, I do. I because I think that that win largely goes to the defense, and it showed their fortitude to stand up, to break through the line, and to cause havoc when they're playing a team that's lesser than than them. Unfortunately, I did not see a lot of effort out of the offense on that in that game, anyways. Against the Steelers, I still was talking to myself, like, what is going on with Henderson? What is going on with Henry? Why aren't we getting open in the flats? Why is every throw over the middle and we're not checking down? What like what are we doing on offense? The defense just was able to stand up because I'm sure Rogers was distracted by fake girlfriends and his girlfriend's new TV show, Shout Out Woodley. Um, you know, I I didn't leave that game with the warm and fuzzy feeling in my stomach about the offense. I still felt like we were laughing.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

Yeah, I think I just felt after watching that game, I'm like it it didn't matter how bad Drake would play. We were still gonna beat them. And I only say that because that's reinforced by last year when the offense turned the ball over five times and we only lost in the in the last in the last couple of minutes, right? Yep. So uh I hate Aaron Rodgers. We all know that. Um you know, obviously, best of luck to him and Mantiteo's ex-girlfriend's twin sister. I'm gonna keep saying that all fucking year because fuck him. Um but there was there was a part of this game that felt very the whole part of it, the whole thing felt sloppy, you know, offensively. But the thing that really stuck to me was that ending sequence in the first half, right? Where, you know, the Patriots have been doing this since Bill. You defer, you get the ball at the end of the half, because then you theoretically you could score twice. You're down 14 to 3, so you're thinking, okay, they haven't, they actually had the opportunity over the next two possessions to take a lead. They're down near the goal line and two runs up the middle with the sole purpose of getting Jacksonville to take timeouts or to drain the clock. They weren't even trying to score in those plays. So what you do is you put your offense in a position where in third down, the defense knows you have to throw it. And with Drake May's, I don't know, mental fucking breakdown, which we are very familiar with here at MTP, I think you put him in a really tough position. Am I reading too much into this? Did you feel the same way?

SPEAKER_00 7:00

No, you're right. You're right. And it goes to an inability of Josh McDaniels to identify the fact that you have a real issue here. Instead of scoring and then letting the defense stand up to whatever they have from the 30-yard line. No, let's we'll fuck around. Let's fuck around with this team. Forget the fact that we've missed three wide open passes into the corner. We're gonna go to Matt Collins again and we'll just try it. We'll we'll try it on third down. Great, good job, boys. And look at what happened. I think it's top to bottom. I think coaching sucks, I think offense sucks. I think this week the defense looked like shit. The penalties were crazy. Um, and obviously special teams. What like what are we doing? What is happening here?

SPEAKER_02 7:40

My first instinct, being a Patriot fan and a lifelong Boston sports fan is probably similar to yours. Like, I want to blame Josh. I of course, however, I don't know like how much, you know, because we you know we're both trying to be functional human beings with you know a family. I don't know how much you've been able to look into this, but the growing consensus amongst Patriots insiders is that those are not the plays that Josh called.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:06

I think that Vrabel overwrote him.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Yep.

unknown 8:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

So what are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 8:12

If you're Vrabel and you know that, first of all, you're a defensive mind, you worked for the Browns as a defensive player, your Titans' defenses were great. Why would you step on Josh McDaniels, who is the proven offensive coordinator? I don't what is happening? It's not good, it's a bad culture.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

Because one of the things that I was saying, like, is McDaniels putting Drake in situations that don't actually play to his strengths. But I I think, listen, I've always called him like he he relies on screenplays too much, but I think he could rely on them more right now because that that's an easy way to get your quarterback feeling good. Uh like trust the flat, trust the drag route with the tight end. That's all you need to do at this point. But my first fucking instinct was to blame him for that end of the half sequence. And then all the insiders come out and say, like, no, no, no, we we're hearing that that's not what he and I'm like, well, okay, Mike Rabel. I understand that you have an ability to uh to focus on multiple things. Clearly, over the last seven years, you have proven that nobody's better than you personally, but professionally, I would not overrule a guy like Josh McDaniels, who has, by the way, is responsible for the resurgence of Brady after Charlie Weiss left.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

Got this team to seven wins with Cam Newton, who couldn't throw a ball more than 15 yards down the field. Got Mac Jones in his first year as a pro bowler. Pro bowler. And got Drake May as a runner-up MVP. Maybe we just defer to him for the offensive play calls.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

You know, I always come back

Why The Steelers Win Lied

SPEAKER_00 9:55

to that idea that Bill Parcell has always said, you are what you are. And for some reason, if this is what's happening, Frabel is overstepping his bounce. He's trying to become something more. You have no reason to not trust McDaniels unless there's something that we don't know. And obviously, there's probably something we don't know. But man, if the rumors are true and he's overriding his offensive coordinator, then just move on. Move on, find somebody you trust because this isn't working. Right. The kid has got time in the pocket. You can't be having him roll out every play when he's got an offen an O linebacker on his ass. It's not gonna work here.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

And again, I also want to blame the offensive line, but I think that this, I think that this year's offensive line, as bad as it was in Jacksonville, is actually still better than it was last year. Right?

SPEAKER_00 10:38

So what well I would agree with you is that I don't know if that's true anymore. I did agree with you.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

This often I if if we if we want to go the route that it that the the reason for the the collapse of both his on-the-field stats and his ability to make decisions is because of the offensive line. Then we also need to question why is he less decisive than he was last year? Is it because last year, no matter what, when shit when shit hit the fan, he knew if play one breaks down, I'm gonna go to Diggs. If that's not available, I'm gonna go to Hunter Henry. Now he has Romeo drops, I mean Dobbs. And then who else? Who else?

SPEAKER_00 11:23

He's got pop, that's it.

SPEAKER_02 11:26

No, Pop Douglas is the greatest. Um I've said this so many times this year, I'm I'm uh I'm going to keep fucking saying it, internet. Pop Douglas is Chad Ojosinko without the fucking hype. He's the greatest practice or training camp player in the history of the New England Patriots. But then he's like an artist that has this great idea, but then when he starts drawing, he develops Parkinson's and he can't fucking do it. So you have to rely on Pop Douglas when I don't I I'm finding ways to not blame Drake May, but is is it really, is it just Drake May?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

You can't have seven turnovers in three games. You just you can't. I don't care what the reason is. And let's be real here the interception to Hunter. I mean, there's no excuse for that. What are you doing?

unknown 12:21

Right.

SPEAKER_00 12:22

You're throwing off your back foot moving sideways to a guy that and you're throwing it behind him in front of one of the most highly touted quarterbacks or dual players in the league. It can't happen. Your brain has to know, oh no, this sack here is more valuable than the ball game.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

He looks a lot like Josh Allen did in his first year and a half in the league, where he relied like Josh Allen's in the in his first couple of seasons, his primary goal was to scramble and then find and find a throw that only he can make. Right. The problem is, is uh he evolved into that because you really from that because you realize that when by doing that, all you're going to be is Lamar Jackson, and Lamar Jackson isn't a good quarterback. So he's he he's a stellar athlete, the best athlete I think we've we've seen except for Michael Vick at the quarterback position. However, if you if you look at like Mahomes and Allen now, they live and die at the at the back of their uh drop, and they're always on their back foot. And they're ready to, and they're just ready to fucking fire, no matter where. Drake isn't doing it.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

One of them has Travis Kelsey, who's been ready for that ball for the past seven years, and the other one has Dalton Kincaid, who is just balling out of control. Both of them, two of the fastest tight ends to ever play the game. I love Hunter Henry. Hunter Henry's good at what he does. He's not freestyle, he's not going to sprint across the field for you every time. He's gonna run his route sharp and turn quick. So we've got a different situation going. Oh, and Drake May can't throw off his back foot worth of shit.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

Well, he can do it better than Mac Jones, but I mean, so can I. So uh I I think does this all just boil down to the fact that their their offense was realistically, their offseason clearly was, but their entire offense was centered around AJ Brown.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Yeah, it looks like it. It looks at least, you know what? I was listening to uh report, I think it was um Daniels that it feels like it feels like at least Drake's confidence was centered around AJ, knowing he had him downfield, which is a lot of what was going on with with um with our boy in Buffalo there with Stefan Diggs for a while. It didn't matter because you knew you had a guy that was gonna get to the ball if you had to put it up there in a hurry. And without him, man, he's been a shell of what we saw in the priestess. A shell.

SPEAKER_02 14:45

Yep, I agree. Um so my last question when talking about Drake May, uh we agree that he's broken. Right? Um now I I don't know anything about about anything. However, I just want to I just want to say if it comes out in a couple of weeks that something is going on personally, I want it to be known that I acknowledge that here. Yep, I completely agree with you. However, anything short of that, how many more perform performances like this before legitimate concern like takes place and and we start talking like Dave is again, he's just saying it because I piss in his cheers about Caleb. But is is Drake

Red Zone Meltdown And Play Calling

SPEAKER_02 15:35

a bust?

SPEAKER_00 15:36

I okay, so because I don't believe that.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

I don't believe that you go from runner-up MVP to a bust in a season. I don't I don't believe that.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

Especially after you lose the Super Bowl, everyone gets a pass for a Super Bowl lost hangover. It sucks. He put everything he had into that, the whole team came up empty along with him. I'm not gonna, I can't do that to him. I will say this if we go down by 21 points to the Bills and turn it over, it might be DeVito time for that game. And I think that there's a value in that to showing him that this team is we are not the New England Drake Maze. If you're not gonna do it, we're gonna go next man up. There has to be consequences for your action. He might have something going on, but you can't be secure in the fact that you're the starter. Anybody can be the starter, it's the NFL. You're not gonna get it done. We've got two other guys ready to give it a shot, and they kill to give it a shot. So I'm willing there he would have to lose the like if he ends up with three wins overall, I'll say fine, he's the bust, you gotta move on from other than that. I give him this this year as a pass, as long as we start to see some sort of forward progression, because this is crazy.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

I mean going into this year, he had not had multiple games with the turnover or with with uh with multiple turnovers, right? Right, and that's even including the two and ten season that he started uh when uh when Gerard Mayo was the head coach, and he still didn't have uh consecutive, you know, more more than one game in that season when we had multiple turnovers. So Gerard Mayo. Now we've identified that the line is not as good. Well, I I still think it's it might be a little bit better. Uh Owen breaking his fucking ankle. I mean, that that was horrific to watch. Uh so do does Josh just need to simplify the offense, like lean more heavily on run, or do you think that if if if the uh you know out of the first 11 plays, eight of them are runs, and it's three, three and outs, and you the next play is a run. Is that Josh telling the world that they don't trust Drake?

SPEAKER_00 17:52

So I'm gonna I'm gonna leave with I don't feel qualified to answer the question fluently, but my instinct would be no. My instinct would be it's where anything short of that is you're you're giving up on putting a circular peg in a circular hole here. I think it's gonna take some doing. Um, I think you have to Trey Anderson's not activated. Something's not going on with him. We can't have Ramondre try and bang into the back of his defenders every single play. Again, I point to the offensive line. They're not opening holes, they're not pass blocking. I don't know what the fuck they're doing. I want to see plays into the flats. I want to see Joshua Daniels do the things that activated Tom Brady when Tom Brady was having a lull in his career in making short dink and dunks. Every play, we need three to four yards. If we get three to four yards every play, we get a first down. That's that's just how it works. I don't care how to get that done. Move the ball, close the box, open up the flats, just just get the ball moving forward. This whole looking for a curl route to the outside, I get it. Drake throws a beautiful outside curl ball. Stop doing it. It's not working right now. He doesn't have the time, he doesn't have the confidence in it. It's not working. I'll I'll take a run any day of the week over that shit.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Why is Drake not coming out and saying that his arm is fine? When every insider and ever everyone has reported that not not one player has noticed that his arm is not fine. So I guess I'm only asking you this because I think if I I think that if he's gonna lean into the my shoulder is still fucked up from uh last year and he's gonna try to make an excuse, that doesn't work in Boston. That does not work in New England. You cannot do that. I mean, we're we're literally in the last 25 years, we have seen Tom Brady almost lose a fucking thumb and then play in an AFC title game and beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. We have seen Kurt Chilling bleeding through his sock. We have seen Paul Pierce almost take his shit up, take a shit on the course or on the court and have to be wheeled back out. Right? So we are the personification of toughness and in in in every league that we are in. I mean, not to mention Sean Thornton or Patrice Third Aberger on playing with a collapsed fucking lung. Yep. So for him to put out there. Yeah, you know, my shoulder, you know, it's it's it is what it is. What do you mean? Because the entire because the entire reason that that they fucking drafted you was not for your footwork, because our old head coach basically shit on you at the draft saying that you didn't have any. It was because of your arm talent. So, Matt, I need you to tell me why he isn't just saying, my arm is fine, my shoulder is fine, I am just fucking up.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

I have to imagine, you know, this is a this is a money game. You know, this is a career for him. It's not a career for him, it's an opportunity for him to make money. He has to already be looking towards a contract here. I don't think he wants to label himself as somebody with a bad shoulder, because when that happens, well, now you're a career backup. Congratulations. Um, I would imagine it has to do with his agent. I would imagine it has to do with his managing team telling him, yeah, don't say that. Don't allude to that. We we already know you don't need surgery, we know it's as good as it's gonna get for the time being. Something on that nature.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

Okay, right there, right there, right there. Why? As good as it's gonna get. What do you mean? What did you do in the offseason to not make it as good as it ever will be again?

SPEAKER_00 21:17

Other than put on muscle, which he did. I don't I don't know what he did.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

I don't know what he did to re-so you and I agree that his shoulder's fine.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

I think his shoulder's fine. He's not showing a lack of velocity on the ball, he's showing a lack of smart placement and smart decision making. That ball he threw, that pick he threw, was a beautiful ball to the other team, but it was beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 21:37

Uh Drake said that there was blood on the ball uh that that led him to the fumble. I'm just here to let you know that unless it was passion of the Christ level blood, there is no amount of excuses. Just say again, it was listen, I fucked up. You know? I'm listening, and I how I would approach this if I was his PR agent is. Listen, you've seen me at my best. You're gonna see me at my worst sometimes. Unfortunately, right now, you're seeing me at my worst in a time that you all thought that we should be an AFC title, you know, title game contender. We can still be that, but I have to play better and I will play better. But I assure you, there is not a single throw on this fucking field that I can't make. Why not just say that?

SPEAKER_00 22:24

You know, I remember a plucky young kid. He came in for Drew Bletso when he was hurt. I remember him playing a game against the Raiders in the playoffs, and I think there was like four feet of snow. I don't remember him complaining about the ball being wet or cold. It's just weird.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

There was not four feet of snow.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

My memory's my memory, all right?

SPEAKER_02 22:47

I think that's that's your truth. You're right.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

That's my truth. Um, I don't give a fuck if there's blood in the ball. Shut the fuck.

Drake May’s Spiral And Missing Weapons

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Give me a corner. You got a rag on the on the center's ass, you got you got a ref behind you? Give him the ball, he'll replace you. Shut the fuck up. You threw it.

SPEAKER_02 23:04

Just you know, call the little call the fucking hawk tour girl. Get her to make sure that that ball goes fine. Here's my last question. Uh, and then we look then we look ahead. What what the fuck happened to the defense that dominated the Steelers?

SPEAKER_00 23:17

What was Carlton Davis doing? What there were times where I was like, damn, he's on his gay game today, and then immediately the next play be like, he committed a face mask and a hold? What are you talking about? It's unfucking believable, man. I would have pulled him. I would have put him, I would have put him in the back of the cover for him last week because it was ridiculous. He was all over the field getting fucking blown out.

SPEAKER_02 23:43

Are you gonna be alright, dude?

SPEAKER_00 23:45

No. No. I'm gonna start watching women's tennis. I asked you earlier, is Coco Golf a thing, or is that like a type of surf?

SPEAKER_02 23:54

I don't know, but it doesn't sound like we can say that on the air. So I guess my question would be uh if the if the Patriots struggle in Buffalo, who whose fault is it the most? Vrabel, McDaniels, or May?

SPEAKER_00 24:10

Dude, I hate I hate the people that blame coaches off the rip, but if there is any truth, it's gotta be the coach then.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

That being said, it's gotta be the coach.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

If Vrabel is pulling plays away from McDaniels already in in the first quarter of game three, it's fucking Vrabel, and there's not a debate about it. It's that's crazy. It's Josh McDaniels, it's not some kid you just took out of UTEP, it's Josh McDaniels, okay? The worst head coach and greatest offensive coordinator, maybe in the history of the game. So don't touch him. Let him go, let him cook a little. Yeah, you're coming off a wig. Don't tell me, don't tell me you're not gonna let McDaniels cook. He's gotta cook a little bit. Right.

unknown 24:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 24:54

It's it's not checkers, it's chess. It you build to something.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

How much longer, or how many more losses do you think it takes before the media starts bringing up Rossini again?

SPEAKER_00 25:06

Oh, we gotta be right around the corner. But we gotta be right there. Rossini, she's about it, he would, but um, yeah, no, they're gonna get bad.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

Also, uh, Dits, yes, of course.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

Yeah. The best. Oh, she's the best. What a cutie pie. Um, no, but you're gonna let the news media, you're gonna let the talking heads of the world get bored of you and start start disrespecting you. That's immediately where they're gonna go. There's nothing to be about.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Sunday, 1 p.m. The New England Patriots uh make the trek up to the new high mark stadium at Buffalo. Patriots are one and two. The Buffalo Bills are three-no. I'm just gonna uh give you the matchup by the numbers through week three. The Patriots are scoring 12 points a game. The Bills are scoring almost 34. The Patriots total yards per game is 307. Bills 401. Turnover differential. Patriots minus minus five, Bills minus two. The Patriots opened this game right now at seven-point uh underdogs. Now, again, we are the defending AFC champion. We went up to Buffalo and beat them in Buffalo last year. Uh the Buffalo, you know, the Bills entered the game after beating the Chargers, which again shitbags in week three, 24-16. The Bills lead the league in scoring through three games, but their defense has also allowed 361 yards per game. Can the Patriots establish the run and keep Josh Allen off the field?

SPEAKER_00 26:37

You know, historically, from just an eye test of this team, this is the exact kind of game that they come out and they turn into their game for some reason and they make it a bad fight, right? Isn't it? It just especially turning off a horrible loss. I feel it in my bones that they're gonna show us something here, and they're gonna get everyone talking about how, oh, you know, we were really hard on them. I just I have this funny feeling that yes, they can. On the same level, I think that they could come out here and get 43 to nothing real fast because this Bills team is lined up to put a whooping on a team that can't figure out how to open a line hole and can't figure out how to get to the quarterback or get him uncomfortable. Yep. I think you go either way right now. I really do think we could win a dogfight here, win a 13-3 game, 13 to 10 game. I also think we could lose 40 to nothing.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Yeah, I'm right there with you. I I think if the Patriots win this game, it's something like 28-26, 28-24. But if we lose this game, we're losing 42 to 11, you know, like or 42 to 10. Like that's those are the only two options, in my opinion. Um, you know, the Patriots beat Buffalo 23-20 on the road last October, and then they lost at at uh at Gillette uh 35-31. They've split the season uh series the last three years. So, like this. I just want to let everybody out there know that's listening to this, that's watching this, and that will watch this. I'm upset with them. I think something's really wrong with the quarterback. I think that they're fundamentally a different team than they were last year so far. However, I think them to lose six or seven games this year. They've lost two. They've l and one of them again, we had them all losing week one. Now, Drew Locke, that changes things. It should have changed things. However, if you can get out of September two and two, you know, out of the first four weeks, I'm fine with that. I'm fine with that.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

That's exactly what you thought they were gonna be. I'm fine with that. We hadn't losing week one and this game, but we both did.

SPEAKER_02 28:52

So you know, however, it but there is something about the way you lose a game, you know, and you you could we could lose a blowout and Drake not turned the ball over three times. I know, and you'd be and you'd be like, fine, you know what? We just got our asses kicked, it's completely fine. That just isn't what happened. No, nope, we lost the ball, uh, we lost the game. Drake turned the ball over three times, but he didn't look good at all. He did not look good at all.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

The end of that sequence where where Parker for them had that unbelievable catch that got called back for holding, and then immediately spit back in our eye. Oh, bro, there's a fun, there's something fundamentally wrong with your team. That you had the chance to stand up again and be like, you know what? No, no, no, that was bad. Watch this, we're gonna get it this time. And then you literally showed them ball don't lie.

SPEAKER_02 29:49

So do you think Gonzo can like what does Gonzo need to do and the secondary to limit Buffalo and their explos and their explosive plays? Is that more what they need to do on the field, or does Rabel need to figure out a way to contain them?

SPEAKER_00 30:05

I'm glad you asked this because I was thinking about it. If we could get him over to Boston Dynamics and clone him and get one or two of him, like another one on the field, that would be helpful. Um scrap, but no, he needs he needs Marcus Jones to not have to sit in the slot, and he needs Carlton Davis or whoever's gonna be on the other one. Like, if you're gonna run five defenders, we need three to be able to cover players. We can't gonzo can't be all over the field, he can't just lock up every person. So what the fuck? I need my safeties to step up, I need buyers to step up and to help on the support. I don't know what we're doing here. And by the way, I know we're injured, I know we had some issues through the linebacker core, the box looked horrible. That opened up the outsides for him because we had to stack for the one that ate us alive. Um, the whole defense needs to do their fucking jobs. You have a job on the field. If you do your job, the other guy doesn't have to worry about covering your ass.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

Yep. Now, I know that you listened to uh my conversation with Karen Garigan. The three things that she said on that show were some shout-out.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

What a genius.

SPEAKER_02 31:09

She's perfect.

Shoulder Talk Toughness And PR

SPEAKER_02 31:10

She's perfect in every way, which is why we love her, and which is why she always comes back. Um, number one, they have 24 great players. If one of them goes down, they're fucked. No, okay, great. We've AJ Brown, they went out. Their biggest liability on defense pass rush, run stopping. Oh, what have we seen over the last couple of weeks? The third thing that needs to happen to make sure that they that the Patriots uh continue to, you know, they're winning ways. Drake May needs to show a mastery of Josh McDano's offense. He's not.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

Is it Josh McDano's offense? Is that what we're even watching right now?

SPEAKER_02 31:55

Yeah, can it be your offense if if in the red zone you're overruled?

SPEAKER_00 32:00

Nope. Nope. Because it's it's fucking chess. It takes build-up, it takes timing. It takes if we're gonna play a game where we're shortening the field and to where we have a red zone strike and then you're taking play calls away from him, that's not his gameplay. That's you riding him all the way to the end. It's like if you're playing Madden and you sim until you're in the red zone, then you take over and fuck up what your team just did. It doesn't make any sense.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

That's a great fucking analogy. Um do the Patriots need to beat Buffalo to restore confidence, or would a competitive turnover-free game, even if it's a loss from May, be meaningful to you?

SPEAKER_00 32:42

Nope. I they don't need to win this game. They need to make the predator bleed, just like Ronald Torchinger. If it bleeds, it dies. They need to make the big bad wolf lose a tooth here. You can lose this game, it's not the end of the world. I'm three and one. There's a long season, a lot of game left. You have to smack them in the mouth.

SPEAKER_02 32:59

One and three. One and three.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

God, that one hurts. Oh man. No, you have to smack him in the mouth. Dislike, it's fine. You can lose a fight to a bully, but he should walk away going, oh Jesus, that was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 33:13

Yeah, just make sure you kick him in the dick before you lose that fight. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 33:16

That's all you need to do. I might die. You're coming with me. What's your prediction for the game?

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Uh, I love this team. I love them to death. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say 16, 13 pets.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

I'm going to say 35, 28 Patriots. And then the national media is saying, oh my god, Drake May's back, the Patriots are back, it was a blip. And it's just like, maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I don't know what's gonna fucking happen. I just know that Drake shows up for these games.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

He really does.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

He has at least he has three years in a row, the last two, the last two seasons in a row. So um, you know, I think there are a lot of good things here. I want to what we do here at MTP Boston, uh, Matthew, uh I know that this is your first time here, uh, but we we also run through the rest of the league, the schedule. And I'm gonna give you the spread. And you can tell me, do you want to pick them flat out or do you want to pick them against the spread? Uh Thursday night football, Steelers at Cleveland. The line right now is Pittsburgh, two and a half.

SPEAKER_00 34:28

I'll take Cleveland outright.

SPEAKER_02 34:31

I love that. Me too. Fuck Aaron Rodgers. Uh, we have Sunday, the Colts at Washington. And at is in quotations because this game is being played in London.

SPEAKER_01 34:42

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 34:42

Uh Mario's looked really good. Uh, you know, I you and I talked about this. I think he is the best backup quarterback the NFL has to offer.

SPEAKER_00 34:50

Um except for maybe Famous James.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

Case Keenan.

unknown 34:56

Oh, Case Keenanum.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

That was fucking crazy, wasn't it? Tom Brady, but it's fine.

unknown 35:00

No.

SPEAKER_00 35:00

We're not going to tell DK, but holy shit.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

Yeah. Oh, Dave's getting it all lubed up for tomorrow. It's going to be, you know, congratulations. You're going to be it's going to be a slippery slip for you on the show tomorrow. Uh, so the Colts and the Commanders in London. Indy is a three and a half point favorite.

SPEAKER_00 35:20

I'll I'll go with I really like the way Indy looked last week, but who are they playing? I'll I'll take I'll take Commanders and the points.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

Okay. So you think Indy could win? Uh yeah, you think Indy's gonna win this game? I think they could win the game, but I I I But by field goal, you're you're limiting yourself to a field goal.

SPEAKER_00 35:39

Yeah, I'll take it. Yeah, I'll take the points. Yep.

unknown 35:42

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 35:43

Patriots. We already talked about the Patriots at Buffalo. Uh the Jets travel to the Windy City to play Tom Brady. I'm sorry, Case Keenan, and the Chicago Bears. Chicago's a three and a half point favorite.

SPEAKER_00 35:57

Yeah, I'll take the pit. I'll take uh Bears outright.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

Give me the Jets to cover.

SPEAKER_00 36:04

Oh baby.

SPEAKER_02 36:06

They have looked sharp, they look they're making teams play their game, and they they look they just look fine, they look they look like they know how to play football, which is something that they have not looked like in a very long time.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

Competent. The word is competent, and we don't see the side of them.

SPEAKER_02 36:19

Yeah, I agree. Uh Jacksonville at Cincy, Sincey's two and a half point favorite. Uh, gimme Since outright.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

Fuck the Jaguars. Fuck the Jaguars. You know, I was told on them at the beginning of the season. I do think Trevor Lawrence is coming into his own. Uh fuck them, they're dead to me. I hope they lose the rest of the games.

SPEAKER_02 36:37

Uh Arizona travels to New York to play the Giants. Arizona is a one and a half point favorite, so it's a pick him. Realistically, this is a pick'em.

SPEAKER_00 36:45

Um I'll pick Arizona.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Me too. I there, you know, uh Jacoby Brissett is a really good backup, too.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

He he really is, dude. He's six, what, six, six, six, five. He's fast and he knows how to put the ball down the field. He makes cheap decisions, but you know, you're playing against seven, you should win by seven.

Defense Collapse Penalties And Effort

SPEAKER_02 37:05

That's right. I agree with that. The Rams. Yeah, the Rams travel to Philadelphia. Uh, the Rams are a three-point favorite. I think you got to give me the Rams all fucking day.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

Yeah, yeah. That feels like a gift.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

Philly looks inept.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

They really don't look great. They're not a sharp-looking team that they have there. That was awful.

SPEAKER_02 37:25

But they again, they do do this every year with Sirianni. They they just stumble into Halloween and then they rattle off like seven straight wins.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

And that defense is devastating for good offenses. They they are just fast and strong, but yeah, they don't look at it together, and Ciriani looks like he's in a mental weak point, which most of the time is, but it looks particularly bad right now.

SPEAKER_02 37:47

I think you're gonna talk about this team a little bit tomorrow, uh, because I think we're also really shocked by this. Uh, but the Packers travel to Tampa Bay. Uh, the Packers are a three and a half point favorite. What the fuck's going on with the Buccaneers? Uh what the fuck's going on with the Packers? But again, Green Bay's three and a half point favorite. I still think Green Bay is a better team.

SPEAKER_00 38:06

I think they are, but I I really do think not having Parsons or Jacobs is killing me. I think the locker room has a real issue with this. And Jordan Love has this ability to kind of shrink into himself in an immaculate kind of way. Um, you know what? I'm gonna take the Bucks outright. I just don't see Green Bay turning it around yet.

SPEAKER_02 38:26

Well, you love Baker.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

I do love I am a Baker guy, and I'm an OUI guy because by the way, I didn't I didn't know that, but I knew it. You know, shout out to Loyson Wilcox if you have an OUI calls. But no, I'm a big, I'm a big supporter of those that fucked up and trying to redeem themselves. I'd love to see it turn them on. I'd love to see it.

SPEAKER_02 38:42

What did Baker do? He had no UI.

SPEAKER_00 38:45

He had an OUI.

SPEAKER_02 38:46

Oh what? I love Tiger Woods and he literally he literally can't drive anymore. So for like nine years, yeah, even a golf cart, so it's fine. Um, Titans at Baltimore, Baltimore's an 11 and a half point favorite. Give me the Titans.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

Give me the Titans, give me the Titans. 11.11 and a half points right now is crazy. They showed glimpses last week, like strong, strong glimpses. I don't think that that kid is out of the water yet, as far as being a bust of a pick. Yeah, I'll take the Titans.

SPEAKER_02 39:14

I also just love Carnell Tate. I think he's turning it around too. Um, but as you will learn as we get closer and closer to playoff time, I just don't like Lamar Jackson.

SPEAKER_00 39:26

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

SPEAKER_02 39:27

And it's I like him. I don't like the praise others put on him, and they force me to say, you know what? He's actually not the a top five quarterback. He's not. He is not.

SPEAKER_00 39:38

No, he's not. Nope, he's not. But I will say this because me and Dave did talk about this. Didn't wasn't there supposed to be some sort of revamping of the offense where they were going to design an offense around him? Because it kind of looks like Harborough's offense. I don't know, but but I don't see a lot of uh line stacking run plays on him. I don't see a lot of rollouts to the flats, but what do I know?

SPEAKER_02 40:00

I'm just no, they they're they're trying to make him into a pocket passer, but he isn't.

SPEAKER_00 40:04

Great, great, good, good for us, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 40:08

Yeah, uh the Cowboys travel to Houston. Long trip to take on the Texans. Texans are 0-3. Houston is favored, two and a half points. Give me Houston.

SPEAKER_00 40:22

Give me fucking Houston. Oh, dude. They look so good against the Ravens, though. The Cowboys look so good against the Ravens. Oh, they didn't look so good.

SPEAKER_02 40:34

Do they win against the Ravens?

SPEAKER_00 40:36

No, but they brought them to overtime and they almost won.

SPEAKER_02 40:39

And I also they did not bring them to overtime.

SPEAKER_00 40:43

It went to overtime.

SPEAKER_02 40:47

No, it should have gone to overtime.

SPEAKER_00 40:49

Oh, it didn't. You're right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It didn't go overtime. It almost went to overtime. Then the field. Here's my thing.

Bills Preview What A “Good Loss” Is

SPEAKER_00 40:55

I've never been more proud of Dak Prescott because I think he sucks ass and like he's just looked somewhat competent here, and his wide receivers are working their asses off, catching short passes, and turning into yards. I'm gonna go with Houston because I'm super high on Houston coming into the league. I I don't trust them.

SPEAKER_02 41:13

Let me just ask you a question right now. Gun to your head. You can't think about this for too long. Would you rather have Dak Prescott or Lamar Jackson as you can? Lamar Jackson. I would rather have Dak Prescott. Now, uh I just think his abilities as a quarterback.

SPEAKER_00 41:25

As a thrower.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

As a quarterback.

SPEAKER_00 41:28

I can I could use Lamar Jackson more creatively than he's being used, I think.

SPEAKER_02 41:34

No, you'd make him run and he'd get hit and then he'd get injured.

SPEAKER_00 41:37

And then if if if Michael Jordan got played at the five, you'd never know what he was capable of.

SPEAKER_02 41:42

Right. That's why Magic Johnson's the best point card of all time. However, uh Miami at Minnesota. Minnesota's a 10 and a half point favorite. You know what? Give me Kyler and the points. I think Miami is a they're just they're just a shitbag team. And with uh eight Hand just his knee exploding, thanks, fantasy. Uh no. They're out.

SPEAKER_00 42:06

Great pick by you. Because how else are they gonna move the ball? But damn.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

Correct. Yep. No, he got me 1.7 points last week. That was that was excellent. Uh Kansas City traveling to Las Vegas. Listen, the Raiders and Kirk. This is what Kirk Cousins does, by the way. I know. He's not a bad quarterback.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

He's not a great quarterback, but he's not bad.

SPEAKER_02 42:30

No, he's a he's a white Dak Prescott.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

He's a bridge guy. He can give you eight games.

SPEAKER_02 42:39

What's his name? Vegas? Yeah, Casey's a four and a half point favorite. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 42:43

I'll take Casey.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

Give me Vegas with the points.

SPEAKER_00 42:48

Okay, that's fine, but let me just say this. I am so happy. I I hate him so much. But so many people wrote off Mahomes, and boy, oh boy.

SPEAKER_02 42:59

Yeah, you can't do that.

SPEAKER_00 43:00

Like he's coming back.

SPEAKER_02 43:03

Well, he's he's just he's just a great quarterback. You know, like he's just he's just great. I I don't know if is Brady great. Time will tell. They're career their careers are taking a very, very similar parallel with the three Super Bowls, ACL. So that means like a revenge tour is is gonna happen here soon. Remember 2009, Brady. They went, we went 10 and 6, uh, and we got we got gassed by the by Ray Rice before the elevator and uh in the wild card. 2010 Brady went 14-2, and that team was all gas, no breaks, until West

Week Four Picks Around The League

SPEAKER_02 43:45

Welker couldn't stop telling the fucking foot jokes, and we lost to the Jets.

SPEAKER_00 43:48

Oh, they shouldn't have fucking benched him for it. Who gives a fuck? The guy was on camera sucking toe.

SPEAKER_02 43:52

I think I but I think I think Brady was a unanimous MVP in 2010. So all I'm saying is like this year is the rebuild for Mahomes. Next year is gonna be out of the I mean the the league should be on notice.

SPEAKER_00 44:02

Uh Denver at as long as Travis is still there, he's he's capable of doing anything.

SPEAKER_02 44:08

Denver at San Fran. San Fran's favored by three points. Give me San Fran.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Give me San Francisco. I agree with you. I agree. Although I don't hate Denver at all. I just I don't trust Bondic. I watched that idiot for eight years in college. I I just didn't end up fucking up horribly. I just I can't trust him, man. I saw the Auburn days, I saw the I saw Oregon, I saw it all.

SPEAKER_02 44:34

I know him. I wasn't ready for that. The winless Chargers traveled to Seattle. Seattle's seven-point favorite. I don't think that's enough points. Give me fucking Seattle. I I would say Seattle by 10 in this game.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

After last week, give me Seattle by 10 as well. They're they're gonna come out and prove a point here.

SPEAKER_02 44:53

Detroit at Carolina. Detroit's three and a half point favorite. Give me Carolina outright. It just feels like one of those games, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 45:04

Yeah, it does, but give me Carolina the points.

SPEAKER_02 45:08

All right, and then Monday night football to end it, uh, AFC South showdown. The the Your Dirty Birds take on the surprising Saints of New Orleans. Uh the Saints are a three-point favorite. I listen. You get it? I get you get to give me the Saints.

SPEAKER_00 45:28

No, you're gonna take the Saints. I'm gonna take Atlanta. I'm gonna ride with my Michael Penis pick. Um listen, listen, I'm riding with my guy. I picked him preseason in a game that we played that you guys haven't heard yet. We'll be hearing that at some point. Uh, I'm riding with Panx. I don't think it's over yet. I think a 34-year-old second-year player is capable of doing this.

SPEAKER_02 45:49

All right, we just did it. We picked week four. Uh, I think that to close this all out and put a nice little tidy fucking bow on it. Last year, this team gave Patriot fans a Super Bowl run. Three weeks into 2026, we're asking whether they can score a fucking touchdown. Welcome back to the NFL for Matt Wilcox. I am

Final Takeaways And Sign Off

SPEAKER_02 46:10

Michael Marcangelo saying thank you so much for listening to Missing the Point. We'll talk to you next week.