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EPISODE 85 - Patriots schedule release with Fitzy!
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Availability
00:00:01
Speaker
All right, we're live. What's up? What's going on, everybody? Doing another live stream here. We're here tonight. Also, this is a recording of the Savage Boston podcast, so that that'll go live on ah you know Apple and Spotify and whatnot. But I'm Scott, host of the Savage Boston podcast, here tonight with Snooty and our good buddy, our pal,
00:00:24
Speaker
um Very putting out the Pat's content on
Excitement for the Patriots Season
00:00:28
Speaker
Instagram right now. We got Mr. Fitzy, who's also like the face of the podcast right now. I'm the only one brave enough to show my face for the season and for the New England Patriots. And what a beautiful face it is. Guys, I'm so fired up. um You haven't seen this face on the Jumbotron in a while, but you're going see this face all over Patriots content, Patriots tailgates and beyond the season. Because I, like you guys, want to sign up
00:00:55
Speaker
for the Revenge Tour 2026, which begins on winth Wednesday Night Football in Seattle at Lumen Field and concludes in February, just before President's Day at SoFi Field. And so far, so far, I'm effing pumped for everything
Analyzing the Patriots' Schedule
00:01:14
Speaker
Patriots. This this this schedule is going to be like freaking riding the cyclone at Coney Island. It is going to be bumpy. It is going to be rough. But at the end, it's going to be positively orgasmic.
00:01:25
Speaker
Honestly, dude. Yeah, just just looking through it. It was kind of, you know, on paper before you kind of see it laid out in the schedule and order. I was like, all right, this is ah I was like, I think this feels pretty doable on paper. Like it didn't look that bad.
00:01:38
Speaker
Now seeing it actually kind of like laid out in order. There's some tough, some tough fucking stretches in there. And you know what i mean? ah And we can kind of like break it down between it's there's like clear distinct stretches of the season, like where it's tough, where it's easy.
00:01:51
Speaker
um But yeah, and here we got Pats Pro saying F yeah, go Fitzy on here. Thanks for tuning in. What's up, Pats Pro? What's up? Yeah, so ah so yeah, I mean, obviously we'll go we'll go step by step, but there's some like, there are cupcakes on there too. Like I see the bottom bottom should be really like six or seven if we're talking like the bottom of the bottom. Oh, no way you just did a 6-7 this early in the show. 6-7. I'm making the hand things. Can't see me. I'll do the hand gestures. um I do have little kids that do that.
00:02:21
Speaker
But yeah, like there's there's, as you know, right, there's periods of time in the schedule that are going be like absolutely brutal. So um I don't know. Why don do you give me kids just give me your initial like 50,000 foot view here, Fitzy, on the schedule as a whole and are you feeling about it?
00:02:35
Speaker
Oh, so the Artemis II on launch view of the Patriots 2026 schedule, because, you know, commercial airline 30, 35,000. Look, the NFL is doing the New England Patriots no favors whatsoever, and not just because of the Vrabel, Vrabel, Russini nonsense going on.
00:02:52
Speaker
um Because, you know, look, you're the you're the Patriots. You're the lumber of the league. Now you're the defending AFC champions. And if you want to fight for your right to party once again, then you like Private Ryan are going to have to earn this.
00:03:06
Speaker
It's tough. It is not a forgiving schedule. I know last year they had a historically easy schedule, maybe one of the easiest schedules this century to get to the AFC championship and subsequently Super Bowl 60.
00:03:18
Speaker
But they say this is the 12th easiest schedule. 12th easiest schedule, my partially Greek and mostly Irish untanned ass. This is, look at it at Seahawks, steel like, tell me amongst these teams how many potential playoff teams at Seahawks, Steelers, Jaguars, Bills, Raiders, Jets, Bears, Dolphins. Right there, I got one, two, three, four,
00:03:41
Speaker
five of the first seven weeks potentially playoff teams. That's, new I had to say, that you open one of the frontlet and three of the first four are on the road and the only home game is against the Stellars and let us all not forget what happened last year when they played the Stellars.
00:03:56
Speaker
A, Pop Douglas forgot where the first down marker was on fourth down and B, the Patriots gagged it up a total of six times on their home turf to open o and two for the first two home games. And then after that,
00:04:09
Speaker
You get the Lolphins, but it's in Miami, which is always its own sort of humidor-based house of horrors. Packers at home when Brady returns as a commentator. Lions in Germany, hell of a Spieltag. Then Chargers, Bills, Vikings, Chiefs.
00:04:23
Speaker
yeah You have a brief interlude of the Jets, and then Broncos, and finish with the Dolphins. Like, guys, that is that's some rough riding right there. What's like schedule and a half, man? No bullshit.
00:04:35
Speaker
I know. Snooty, are feeling for your initial kind of your initial thoughts? I mean, but we knew the opponents. I mean, you're right, Fitzy. Like, him I mean, this is – it's a hard schedule, right? You play a first-place schedule. You are the team that everybody's going to be looking for. But to paraphrase Bill Parcells, this why he lift all them weights, right? Like, this this is this what you're here for.
00:04:54
Speaker
I like the fact that the West Coast game, the they there were two West Coast trips. The first
Key Games and Attendance Plans
00:04:59
Speaker
one's week one, and you get a little bit of a mini buy-off for that. So I kind of like that. I like that you're playing the Lions in Germany, so it's not in Detroit, so it's kind of little bit more neutral. Well, they say Munich is the Detroit of Germany, so...
00:05:13
Speaker
Um, and then the second, you know, West coast trip is coming off the buy. So it's like in that regard, it's not too bad. Um, and dolphins at home the last week of the year, just that's a win.
00:05:24
Speaker
Cause I've seen that movie 3000 times. Yeah. yeah let Let me ask you this snooty tang. Um, how many, how many of these games, if you had, and I understand, you know, gas is expensive. we can't let have a run build a bomb. Thanks Obama. All this bullshit. Right. Um,
00:05:41
Speaker
like How many of these games would you love to attend? Because I'll tell you straight, I would love to go to the Seahawks game. I wouldn't mind even going to Jacksonville, even though Jacksonville is nothing more than a a humid dollar store that smells like corn nuts. um i go to love to go to the Bills game to see the new Highmark and watch the Patriots hang an L. Love to go to the Bears game. I was going to go to that, but it's a Thursday night, which makes it tough.
00:06:05
Speaker
um Packers home game, got to see that. Lions-Germany, like, Chiefs, I've never been to Arrowhead or Gahfield, as they call it now. like I'd say there's a solid seven or eight games I really want to go to.
00:06:18
Speaker
No, I'd agree. and There's some really good away games, too. and it's ah It's good because it's the NFC North, which they don't come here very often. right so like To see the Packers here would be cool. Even the Vikings here would be cool.
00:06:29
Speaker
um and I'd love to go to Arrowhead someday. yeah Yeah, by the way, looking at it I already kind of mapped out. I got five games I've circled that I think I'm going to go to that already mapped out. Got all got all five mapped out, and I have not considered it. By the way, it's not even Memorial Day, and we are wishing away the most important part of the year in New England. That is late spring and summertime. Bring to the fall.
00:06:51
Speaker
God, just get me there already. It sounds so funny. what are yeah yeah Savage, what do you got? Well, i don't know who's going to – I don't know who's who's doing the big away away week this year. Is it – don't know if it's Jacksonville or guys doing Jacksonville. i'm not sure. It's like a big group that does a bunch of away games. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like last year, yeah ah they played in Tennessee. Tampa. In Tennessee, my buddy Jay runs the Tampa Patriots fan club.
00:07:16
Speaker
Yeah. they They did that weekend up right for everybody. I don't know. um Oh, and there's also Cincinnati and the Natty Pats Club is is also a tremendous host as well.
00:07:26
Speaker
I don't see any games where there's a lot of great hospitality on the road for the Patriots, but I will say, ah you know, it's not like, oh, the Duval Patriots fan club is ah is a big deal down in Jacksonville, but I will say the big one probably should be Germany because the, the Deutschland Patriots fan club is awesome.
00:07:45
Speaker
Like there's a huge, thanks to guys like volult Volmer and Marcus Kuhn, there's a huge, huge um uh pats contingent over in germany all right well we got a uh yeah i did hear about germany yeah uh beast mode is a big uh uh big germany international fan of the year guy he's he's a german guy um boston sales guy makes a comment they're going to jacksonville this year um that's cool i think that might be the game i gotta ah i gotta have to ah investigate that um The ones I've circled and as far as in Fox. Pack your breathable underwear, Boston sales guy, because that but place is hot. Yeah, I've not he've never been there. but um i got So this is actually well spaced out. Week two against Pittsburgh, I'm going to go. a Home opener, you got to go.
00:08:29
Speaker
um Week six, just one o'clock against the Jets. I feel like that's a standard. like I'll go with my dad. Just a standard 1 p.m. Jets football game should be a win. then Then there's a few must-attends, I feel like like musted like. You have to go to Green green Bay at Foxborough week nine. Brady will be there. like you have That's an absolute must. That might be a Super Bowl preview. It also could be like Micah Parsons could be like four weeks in just getting his legs underneath him. like The Packers with that – Michael LaFleur is a great play caller. Jordan Love is a ton of fun to see live like that. And it's going to be like early November. Like that is must see gridiron TV. Absolutely. And then there's the 425.
00:09:11
Speaker
Bills game week 13, I believe it is, which is just going be like a national viewing. Drake may Josh Allen down the stretch. Like I expect that to be an excellent game. And the last one I'll go to is week 17 against the Broncos at home, which is just, I don't know. God knows where we're at at that point. You know, that'll be playoff like huge playoff implications. You know, hopefully everyone's healthy at that point, but that's, that's a massive, a massive game. So and there's a lot There's a lot coming, but let's let's chat about just look at, i guess, break it down. Could i ask you guys a real quick question? why
00:09:43
Speaker
little fun game to play um yeah improvisationally on the live stream. Here we go.
Playful NFL Team Game: No Primetime Games
00:09:48
Speaker
Ready? Five NFL teams got zero prime time games. Oh, man. If anyone can guess the five ah Boston sales guy, wonder if the pool will be open this coming year. i heard they're shutting it down. Yeah, that's that's because it's full of unborn babies and syphilis. The Hontavirus lives in there.
00:10:05
Speaker
um ah ah I was told but it were no Hantavirus jokes. Okay. um So five NFL teams got zero primetime games. Can you name them? I can name. i could probably.
00:10:17
Speaker
um I can name at least three right now, I assume. So the Jets would be one. whenever the Whenever the question is about futility in football, you start with Jets. Yeah. Jets, Titans, Cardinals.
00:10:29
Speaker
Are those three? That's three. Okay, boom. all right. Jets, Titans, Cardinals. i'm roll good Dolphins? on my it Snooty with four. All in is one more for the complete Savage podcast sweep. Let's go. so you got Jets, Titans, enough Cardinals, Dolphins.
00:10:46
Speaker
Who else would be? Who's not marketable? Just bad enough. who's who's who's Who's not marketable? is Come on. yeah I mean, listen, these guys, I mean, they're going to try this year, but they're probably going to tuck it in.
00:11:02
Speaker
Raiders? oh Oh, five for five. Let's go. Wow, really? They don't have any? I feel like, well, I guess they're not they're not there yet. You know what i mean? Mendoza won't be there yet. i don actually have no idea if he's playing, when he'll play. You know what I mean I'm not sure what's going on with Mendoza.
00:11:18
Speaker
but Yeah. There you Jets, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals. It could be Kirky 2 Chainz starting most of the year, too, because don't forget ah Kirk Cousins is a backup, too. Mendoza. Dude, the Titans are a miserable watch, I feel like. The the you know the Jets are a horrible watch. The Cardinals are maybe the worst team in football.
00:11:36
Speaker
Like, there's just, like, there's some pretty bad teams here, too. Like, it feels very top-heavy, bottom-heavy. There's not, you know what i mean? Some leagues, like, are are smooth in the middle. Like, this feels like very, lot of really good teams and a lot of really shitty teams.
Early Schedule Predictions and Roster Evaluation
00:11:51
Speaker
And it's, I don't know how it's going to up playing out.
00:11:53
Speaker
um But, yeah, like, just, so I want to look at the first four games to start, right? Because, obviously, you're really important to start your year, right? and I feel like they got just like hammered here. And you could have a case if you want to blame Robert Kraft because I read this tweet and this is apt. Okay. Robert Kraft, because of the world cup, I think felt like he missed out on the summer concert tour.
00:12:16
Speaker
So he scheduled a bunch of concerts in September and early October. So they have one home game in the first four weeks. Right. And so, I mean, there's there's an argument there, but obviously week one against the Seahawks, week two at home against the Steelers, and then it's back on the road against Jacksonville and Buffalo. And that's like, to me, i mean, you got to find two wins in there, but I don't know i don't know where you find them. So, Snooty, where where do you find your two wins in there out of those four teams?
00:12:44
Speaker
Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. I don't think much of Jacksonville. It's kind of similar to Miami. It kind of sucks going down there early in the year. It figures the one year they they're not in Miami, fucking week two, they're they're down in Jacksonville week three. um I don't have any faith in the Steelers this year.
00:13:01
Speaker
So much upheaval. um I sneaky think they're they're going to be better than you think on week one. I think they're four and a half point dogs against ah Seattle. And then honestly with Buffalo, I i feel like with any Buffalo here or Buffalo there, it's a toss up.
00:13:16
Speaker
Like it's two pretty evenly matched teams. Both have proven that they can win in the other person in the other team stadium. I mean, I don't, I don't write that off as a loss at all, even though it's on the road, they won there last year. And I feel like they're a better team this year.
00:13:29
Speaker
And I'm not sure if Buffalo really got much better. That's fair. How do you feel, Fitzy? Yeah. I, Like see opening with the C there's ah already been so much online grousing about opening the season with, um, a Superbowl rematch. Like let, you know, the, the point has been like, let, let the, let the Seahawks and the Patriots kind of get up to speed so that like, it's a proper rematch and you have both teams at full operational firepower and strength. I don't care.
00:14:00
Speaker
Like, no, let's, let's catch Seattle off guard. Let's get the Patriots extra motivated. Let's do it on a Wednesday. at, you know, five o'clock Seattle time Pacific time. Like, I don't care about that. And as far as the early schedule goes, like you should be able to beat the Steelers because you could have beaten them last year.
00:14:16
Speaker
But i i will I will disagree with Snoot Sweet over here about like the Steelers. like not I think they've kind of improved the team a little bit. I think McCarthy is an upgrade over disinterested late season Mike Tomlin.
00:14:31
Speaker
um I like the fact that they stole Michael Pittman for a song from Indianapolis. Yeah. the running back that they got from Carolina, Rico Dowdle. I love what the Steelers have done. I think that's going to be a really tough game, but it's gonna be i should be a good old-fashioned knock-em-down, drag-em-out, snot-kick-and-fight.
00:14:50
Speaker
Jags will be tough. like yeah you have to walk You have to walk away 2-2, which is what they did last year ah in their September, right? And then they turned America's heads. as well as the, those of everybody in Western New York with that incredible Sunday night performance in Buffalo. um You got to do the same thing, but then what you need to do is that like get out of the first month with two and two.
00:15:12
Speaker
I think you, I, you may yeah three and one would be incredible. I think they can beat the city. They opened up as minus four as a four point dog. Like, ah Seattle's good. They had defensive attrition because that's what happens to all the Super Bowl champions.
00:15:27
Speaker
You know what i'm saying? Like, ah I'm with Pat's Pro in the chat who just said WWWL. um I could see being WWLW. I could see you winning and at the Seahawks, beating the Steelers, actually getting surprised in Duval.
00:15:44
Speaker
and then beating the Bills once again Crymark Stadium. And then you get on a roll, beat the Raiders, beat the Jets, have a dogfight against the bay Bears, win against the Dolphins. And then you get into the Packers game and you're like, hey, you know what?
00:15:59
Speaker
Five and three, we're feeling pretty good. yeah you know And if you get into the bye, six and four, seven and three, like that's rock solid, man. that's rock that's But again,
00:16:10
Speaker
i feel like um As I pass the mic back to you, Savage, like I feel like this schedule is better suited to test the metal of this team so that come playoff time, they're not like, oh shit, do you guys know how to do playoffs? None of us have been to the playoffs before. Like, Mike, what do we do? Like Houston's defense is really good. um Jim Harbaugh's guys hit really hard. ah It's cold in Denver. Remember Drake may say like, it's hard, Josh.
00:16:35
Speaker
ah Like, yeah, they weren't ready for Seattle. They were almost not ready. they They somehow magically made their way to the Super Bowl. Like this schedule will toughen them up. This will dip them in the the river playoff sticks. This will make them hardened badasses come playoff time. That's why that's why I really like how tough it is.
00:16:53
Speaker
Uh, Hold on quick. Just read question real quick from Zane Hancock in here. Just says, how do you feel about facing the NFC North defensively? They'll be tough. Like toughest division in football this year. And that's over the NFC North.
00:17:05
Speaker
It's a ground. I feel like every team is kind of a grind. I just, you know, with the bears, like, i don't know. I think the bears to me, like, I don't trust Caleb Williams and I know he's had an okay performances, but like, I think Ben Johnson is a good coach. I think Caleb,
00:17:19
Speaker
um i think I think Caleb's inconsistent and has made some incredible plays, but he's wildly inconsistent. If you put him against a tricky defense, like a Mike Vrabel defense, where you know they confuse people. and their Patriots are really tough third-down defense. You get them in third and long, they're tough. so I think you can beat the Bears, even on the road. I do. I think that's winnable.
00:17:39
Speaker
you know The Packers are tough. Again, that's a good game, a really good game. That should be a dogfight football game. Same with the Lions. I think you can beat the lions on the road. That's that to me is that's a toss up. That's not like, Oh shit. This isn't the lions of like one or two years ago, even like two years ago, they're beatable.
00:17:56
Speaker
They don't have Ben Johnson. um So to me, that's a beatable team. And I think the Vikings are kind of weakish. I don't, you know, I don't trust that. No, do not sleep on the Vikings though. Like I want to know, tyler no how no like they were a nine and eight last year.
00:18:11
Speaker
with some of the, they started Max Brosmer, who Max Brosmer. Like that sounds like the name of the guy that graduated college that you're, that you're like, mom wanted to set your sister up with like, Oh, Oh, Max Brosmer. He's making nice money on it. You should get like, seriously, like the fact that Kevin O'Connell coached that team with JJ McCarthy, uh,
00:18:34
Speaker
And all the injuries they had last year to nine wins. Don't sleep on the Cardinals. And he's one of those QB whispers. he's He's from that McVay tree, which is the sexy new tree in the NFL for everyone to cull from and want to grow coaches and coordinators from.
00:18:50
Speaker
So if McVay could do the things he did and reinvent Baker Mayfield, do not sleep on Kevin O'Connell. both a trying to fit cracking the enigma code of JJ McCarthy, but more importantly, getting the call of duty jitterbug. That is a Kyler Murray to actually be an effective weapon.
00:19:09
Speaker
I would think that Justin Jefferson goes back to double digit touchdowns, 1500 yards, like wouldn't sleep on that game. And that'll be a tough one. And it's, you're playing the bills at home Sunday at four 25,
00:19:21
Speaker
You don't start feeling like a human being until Wednesday morning after three hours of car crashes against the the hot sauce orcs from Buffalo. And then on Thursday night, you've got a motivated Vikings team coming in, hoping to maybe scratch out a wild card spot in the NFC North.
00:19:36
Speaker
That's some tough sledding, guys. it's The thing is, though, of those four teams, like... Obviously, Detroit's probably the scariest team, right? But again, neutral field.
00:19:46
Speaker
Or Green Bay. Or who knows? Fine. Then Green Bay would be the other one. You're at home. right Minnesota's probably the toughest defense. You're at home on a Thursday night. Right? So, like, I get it. It's tough. But – just given when the games are and and where they're being played, like that's about as good as an outcome as you can possibly get. The only true road game is the bears. And that's the one that we're all kind of questioning the most just from like, a you know, do i can gets they pulled so much shit out of their ass at the end of games. Like,
00:20:17
Speaker
Snooty and the Blowfish, I can guarantee you, I can guarantee you that the Bears versus Patriots will be 10,000 times better than it was two years ago. And I was at that game, and that game was miserable. The Patriots got half of the sacks that they had for the entire season in that one game. It was awful.
00:20:34
Speaker
yeah caleb Caleb is... Caleb is, you know, like your favorite restaurant that has a drunk chef where like one night they churn out the greatest meal you've ever had. And the next night you're like, I didn't remember ordering a cigarette in my hamburger, but okay, i'll
Patriots' Strategy: Running Game Focus
00:20:50
Speaker
I'll give it a try. Like he is wild, man. He's all over the place, but they've got a great run game, a good offensive line. You can score on him for sure. like Like, Drake and the boys will be able to put up some points on the Bears, but that, again, that's just another great – again, this, like, as a – just as a football fan first, let alone Pat's fan, like, just look at this schedule and be like, there's 10 or 11 games where I'm just going to have to, like, turn to my wife, my husband, my kids, whoever, my boss, and just be like, sorry, yo, I can't because I got to watch Pat's charges or, like – It's brunch o'clock and it's Pat's Lions in Germany. And I'm just going to get I'm just going to be stining my way to being obliterated by noontime.
00:21:34
Speaker
Now there's some, there's some tremendous matchups for certain. I feel like you got like a quick window there. Like just again, looking at it, like you have, you're basically the first four where you have to go two and two. Then to me, you have a window where you can go four and up.
00:21:46
Speaker
Like just looking schedule wise, like you almost not like you have to go four and O, but when I look at Raiders, Jets at the bears and then away at the dolphins, to me, three out to four of those are wins. They have to be wins. Yeah.
00:21:57
Speaker
And then again, the bears on the road to me is just so inconsistent. Like we're talking about Kayla Williams again, you know, his final, his final play in that playoff game that they, they ended up losing the game in the playoffs, but he ran backwards 25 yards, turned around and threw a 50 yard dot for a touchdown. To Cole commit in the corner of the end zone with 18 seconds left.
00:22:20
Speaker
Dude, Savage that I, I maintain I've seen Tom Brady, like you know, the whole like Earth is five billion years old and we were lucky enough to live through Tom Brady. And yeah, it's half ah almost half of my life and it's the best half of my life.
00:22:34
Speaker
Both of my kids were born during the Tom Brady years, so trust me, it's the most important part of my timeline. That being said, I don't know if I've ever seen a person throw a better pass than him running for his life in negative 10 degrees Chicago style with three Rams in his face and off his back foot throwing a 48-yard dime to the corner of the end zone to Cole Komet on fourth down with the game on the line. that And that is...
00:23:00
Speaker
that is the Caleb Williams experience. It is just an absolutely wild ride and you have to be ready for it to like, you know, deliver you 15 minutes early and pull into your gate and say, thanks for flying with Caleb Williams Airlines or have the flight literally be upside down for half of the flight, man. It's wild. But that was what I going to say about Caleb. but Kind of like perfectly that in one play encapsulates exactly how he plays the game, which is exciting and erratic.
00:23:29
Speaker
You know what i mean? it's ah It's a player where He has every tool. I mean, coming out, you knew he had the tools. I watched clips of him coming out, you know compared to Drake, and they both had some phenomenal clips. But, you know, ah Caleb had some throws like off one foot, 60 yards, like at USC. I was like, I get why he's getting drafted here. Like his tools are are incredible.
00:23:48
Speaker
He just makes some really silly decisions, and he's not nearly as polished as somehow Drake ended up being. Like Drake ended up developing into the player that they thought Caleb would be. And Drake is right now has developed into a better football player.
00:24:01
Speaker
I know like, um who was it? Colin coward who was doing rankings of top 10 quarterbacks. And he decided to put Caleb Williams at three. and Drake at eight, and that's well weird. I don't know. He's probably doing it for the clicks. I have no idea. i you know He's a national guy. Who knows what he's doing? But, yes, I think that Bears game, man, anything goes, and we've got to see where the Pats are at, man. like I've talked about it all offseason.
00:24:23
Speaker
you know All their moves tell me that they want to be able to pound the fucking rock. like That's what they want to do. They want to run the football. and They want to be able to run, and I know that they felt last year they couldn't run the football when they needed to.
00:24:36
Speaker
That's how they felt. like They needed two yards. They couldn't get two yards. And I think it really pissed them off. Because that's how they need to operate. You can't just have Drake at third and 10 doing miracles. That's not a sustainable way to win games. No, he's not going to be able to run for 38 yards up the gut against the Chargers in the in the playoffs. like yeah um Snoot Dogg, you remember like the the Tampa game?
00:25:02
Speaker
there were i think they had thanks to one, if not two penalties, five or six attempts, first and goal from like the two or the three to raminating against the Buccaneers, and they couldn't.
00:25:17
Speaker
Yeah, no, I mean, last year... It's similar to how the, you know, we're talking about how the Bears lived and died on like, you know, crazy plays from Caleb Williams. It's like last year, the Patriots lived and died on the big play, right? Like in the reference to Tampa game, the big explosive runs from Henderson and stuff that game, but you can't sustain that for a full year again.
00:25:35
Speaker
They did last year. They got away with it, but you can't do that. So I think to Savage's point, that's why they brought in you know the the tight end who's basically just plays tackle. right like They brought in the fullback from Buffalo. they want to be Tell me how you want to play football without saying this is what we're going to do. like they just you They want to punch you in the face and the nuts at the same. They want to go full Kumite.
00:25:56
Speaker
this Like, like it's going to be nice. I love that about them. Don't you? Yeah, no, I mean, like they need to get back to that. and they need more balance. You can't survive doing that. Like, it's good that they have that in their bag. They can do that. You know, they can, you know, wing it around. And we all we all love watching, especially if they get brown. you know, you love being able to, you know, throw it all over the yard. But you have to have some balance. You have to be able to run the ball, especially when the other team knows you're going to run the ball.
00:26:20
Speaker
Like you can't get down to the goal line and not score like they did all year. You're not going to get away with that again. They have to be able to run the ball. They have to be able to have some balance. That's how you protect an O-line. That's how you protect Drake May.
00:26:31
Speaker
I saw Jared Wilson today had a quote where he said he was just incredibly excited to return to playing center, which I like. I just I like that quote, man. It just like shows, you know, he probably felt just a just a tiny bit lost at guard last season. Like he took a guy who clearly was out of position and and struggled. He was their worst O-lineman last year.
00:26:49
Speaker
And, you know, you put him at center and put him next to a guy like Elijah Veritaker, who is incredibly talented when he's not hurt and is insanely athletic. Like they got some they get some serious ability there. I just, again, like we talked about Will Campbell again last time. Like, I don't know how it plays out. I'm assuming he plays – the easy assumption is he plays the whole season the left tackle.
00:27:09
Speaker
That's easy assumption. Like, yep. Love variable loves him. He'll be there. But you don't know how training camp plays out. We don't know how Lomu looks. We don't know if if Campbell's knee, if he still can't anchor. What if, what if Gabe Yakis is fucking yakking up him at training camp and smoking them Like you don't, you don't know, you don't know how it's going to go.
00:27:27
Speaker
So Yakis is a great Yakis is a sneaky rate pick by the way. Yeah, i like that pick a ton. But again, like, I don't know how Campbell, I'm hoping he recovers, but like, we all know his body type fits guard. Everyone has said it's a fits guard from day one. We know, it we all know this. Okay. He would be a perfectly, a perfectly fitted guard with like Elijah Vera Tucker one side. Cause again, you, you play out in a year from now, Mike and when he was probably not on the roster.
00:27:56
Speaker
And he might do a hold in. He might hold in this season because he has no guaranteed money left and and and nothing on the deal. like So I don't know. There's a little bit of question marks with Dunwenu. I don't know how Elliott Wolfe is playing that out. Maybe they assume he just plays out the deal. I don't know.
00:28:11
Speaker
But there's a lot there. Yeah, see i think i I think that the offensive line is going to be markedly better. and And you gave it like, you know, the old classic Joe Namath line, if, if, if, if if such a big word for only two letters, if Elijah Vera Tucker is healthy. My number one want and wish in the offseason, guys, was for the Patriots.
00:28:34
Speaker
To get a big badass guard. I wanted either like Wyatt Teller from ah Cleveland, you know, z ah Zion Johnson, and they get Tucker.
00:28:45
Speaker
And my concern, obviously, is that the guy is, you know, he's an elf on the, he's a very large elf on the shelf half of the time. But everybody says when he's healthy, and I know they're going to do everything they can to, you know, prehab him and make sure that he's on the field as often as possible. Dude's a badass. He's a first round pick.
00:29:01
Speaker
And that like if he occupies that much space, it's easier for Will Campbell to just focus on one guy. If Tucker's like, it's OK, dude, I got to. It's like it was easier for Patrick Swayze to fight one guy at the double deuce when Sam Elliott was taking on two dudes early early on in the heydays of bouncing. And then you've got Jared Wilson at center. That's his natural position.
00:29:23
Speaker
That's where he belongs. yeah So the left side of the line should be markedly better. And if old man Moses finally shows his age this year and can only play 12 out of 17 games, Loma being over there,
00:29:36
Speaker
And his flexibility, like, you know, ah dancing Nate Solders, I like to call him. I think the kid's going to be great. I love was such a great pick. Dudes, I think they did such an awesome job restocking the pantry and building the middle class, the blue collar workers um in free agency and the draft that they stocked the pantry adequately to be able to do what they wanted to do again.
00:29:58
Speaker
I think a sneaky under underrated aspect of the O-line is ah between if you have Campbell, Barrett Tucker, Wilson, then if Lomu has to play that right tackle, that's for phenomenal athletes for the position.
00:30:10
Speaker
yeah Like that's for really, really good athletes by, you know, by comparison for the position. like Yeah. So, um I mean, you're not talking, you know, and when he was the outlier there in terms of like just being huge and being able to, but he can move a little bit, but like, you know, maybe that opens up a little and stuff in the offense. Maybe you can do, maybe you can actually run the zone a little bit this year.
00:30:31
Speaker
He weighs like 350. He's a
Speculation on Trades and Historical Reflections
00:30:34
Speaker
moose. Right. What I'm saying is like if you have the unit, like that's what you need to run like an effective zone scheme. Like they tried running a zone scheme with gap duo type linemen, just big linemen. Hold on, Studi. But if you look at who they've acquired and who they've drafted, right, if we play the game of like what type of player they're acquiring on the O-line, who's the odd man out?
00:30:57
Speaker
it's The only reason it's hard with Nguyenyu is he's your he was your best lineman last year. Yeah, he's good. And it's hard to do that, right? It's hard to get rid of your best lineman when you don't have a ready-made backup ready to go.
00:31:11
Speaker
Like, who if he goes, who are you going to play? Well, you you slide slide Campbell down and put Lomo a tackle. That's what everyone here in this town will be yelling about. You know it. Like, you know the whole season. If if a guard goes, you're like, just slide Campbell down.
00:31:24
Speaker
Don't you guys think, though, like we're going to see – we're going to see – like should we should we just take bets now? Like we're going to see Lomu at left tackle before the end of the season? Like I i expect that we will.
00:31:38
Speaker
Do think so? do you Do you think honestly like dead serious take, do you think that Campbell at some point shifts down to guard this season? No. This season, no. Eventually, yes. it it's a possibility. If he has trouble this year, then they'll go into that. It's tough to move, tackle the guard like that mid season without, you know, if you hadn't repped it before, you know some guys, yeah. Like remember the, the scrot ski guy that they drafted in yeah like that, that's what always con confused me though, about Vrabel falling. So head over heels in love with Will Campbell's like, you've been through this before where there was a college tackle that everyone said had short arms.
00:32:17
Speaker
And then when you drafted him, you shifted him to guard. So why are you so hell bent on like proving a point this time? That's his flaw. That's Vrabel's fatal flaw. He loves players. It's for good and bad. You know, that's where Belichick was a savant. Belichick was like, you know, what can you do for me?
00:32:35
Speaker
and what What can you do? And Vrabel loves his players. And I think it's great. because guys want to play for him. He's a completely different type of coach, but it also can be a flaw. Like again, we, we talk about AJ Brown, right? So if they make the AJ Brown acquisition and AJ's knees act up and he deteriorates, then you're going be like, oh, fuck, we fucked this up and Vrabel fucked this up. And he used his rose colored glasses and love for AJ Brown.
00:33:03
Speaker
You know, let's say this is worst case scenario where you give up, you know, let's say they give a realistically a first rounder in 2028 and you get back a fourth, something like that, blah, blah, blah. Right. A projected pick. But if AJ gets hurt or his knees can't go and he deteriorates quickly and catches like 800 yards this year and it's not a one at all. You're like, you have, that's criticism for Vrabel.
00:33:25
Speaker
And that's something that it hasn't happened yet, but I'm saying like, these are the things you have to play out. This is like, this is what analytic people need to, you know, should be doing. And I'm sure they have, but like, how does he, how does AJ Brown project?
00:33:38
Speaker
Like, where is he projecting? You know what i mean? i I see. I think, I think that AJ Brown still projects as a legitimate number one. I do. I think, I think he projects that, you know, my, my thinking. So he had 1500 yards, a couple seasons, then at dip down.
00:33:55
Speaker
And last year i had just a little over a thousand had some knee issues as well. And there's been all the talk of like, is that a degenerative knee condition? Is that why the Rams backed out and didn't want to offer Devante Adams and some draft compensation for it?
00:34:09
Speaker
Whereas I think Vrabel knows I'm getting this guy for two years. I'm going to get him the first year. with that sort of like 2007 Randy Moss inspiration to leave someplace where he was immensely frustrated, go and just flourish with Drake may go full f FU mode. And you'll probably get like T-Mu, AJ Brown next year, but that's fine. That's all you're paying him for. And that's what I guess they'll probably end up given maybe a second and a player, third and a player or a first round pick of the future up for it. But I think he's going to be awesome.
00:34:41
Speaker
And just think, but, we're Like moving aside from just what the player is going to give you, think about what bringing that player in is going to do for every single other person on offense. How much better? I still think they're going resign Diggs. Think how much to help that'll help Diggs if Diggs occupies his slot this year.
00:35:01
Speaker
ah Romeo Dobbs should have his run of the land this year. like I think Deion Branch 2.0 is going to just feast this year in the Drake-Made-Josh-McDaniels offense. All those guys are going to benefit from Brown coming to town.
00:35:14
Speaker
Well, can you imagine if they... So Brown, to me, is like ah it's like a done deal. I've talked about that. couple of days ago. That to me is like, as done of a deal as you can have a done deal. You know what I mean? Without pen on paper. yeah like We're taking over Greenland and AJ Brown is coming to Foxborough. The deal is there. you know what i mean the It's drawn up. Schefter doesn't come out and say, like yeah, he's going to Foxborough um you know without having that be pretty effing set. I think the Diggs thing, I think it's weird. The whole Kyle Williams switching his number back, I don't know. That was like that was kind of interesting. I was like, all right. I wonder if someone's like, hey, buddy, you know just you know let's not let's not get too hasty here. Let's let's switch you back to 18 you know, cause maybe digs comes back. So if there's any off chance that maybe a one year deal for digs at 15 million, you know what i mean? Like just, just guarantee it here. You got the 23 that he was supposed to get on that three for 69. Right. Yeah. Like you just say, Hey, all right. Like I didn't think it was, yeah. Like he was going to get paid too, too much. And I think, you know, if you get them on 15 and you get Brown in here and you can afford these things, you have, if if your room is truly AJ Brown, Romeo Dobbs and Stefan digs,
00:36:27
Speaker
Like, I don't know, dude. you you got You got some big dudes. You can run. You can throw your lines better. Like, that's a dangerous unit, really dangerous unit. And I think that would go toe-to-toe with anybody. I mean, who wouldn't you take that unit going toe-to-toe with, honestly?
00:36:44
Speaker
yeah And I think that's kind of why, like, people say, like, why would Diggs take a pay cut to come back here? And it's like that's why. Guy wants to win a Super Bowl, right? Like, he's – I know he's a dealer. He just got there, right?
00:36:55
Speaker
Yeah, but like, he wants to win. Like, I have a ton of respect for him as a competitor. Like, he fights his ass off, he plays hard, and he wants to win. So that's how you get him back here. You go, look, you're – like, last year you were really the only option at receiver.
00:37:10
Speaker
You know, now you're in the mix with a whole bunch of guys and, you know, you guys can actually open stuff up for each other all over the field. Yeah, it's it's obviously, yeah you know, there's a ton of potential with the team. It's it's tough when you get to the Super Bowl.
00:37:26
Speaker
And you lose and it's like how to rebuild the pieces. Yeah. i remember doing it in the years where Brady lost, you whether it's 07 and 11. And remember being like, I recall in Snooty after, I think after 2011, I mean like, Oh, how did, you know, we couldn't, we couldn't get it. You know what mean? Like we were there. They should have wanted, like you watch back to 2011 with the Wes Welker drop and stuff. You're like man, how did they not win that football? Get like that team was nasty, dude, all year. They were nasty. So it's just so hard to win. And that's why, you know, I think ultimately like Brady appreciates it so much, right? Cause he started, you know, winning more than almost not winning. And it's, and it's really fucking hard to win. i mean, even Tom Brady in the middle of his prime didn't win for 10 years, a whole decade.
Tom Brady's Legacy and Controversies
00:38:12
Speaker
Literally went an entire football player's career yeah without winning a Super Bowl, yet went to multiple in that time and still couldn't bring it home. that I mean, yeah of the umpteen things that make Tom Brady's career so remarkable,
00:38:29
Speaker
I think the fact that he survived a an emotionally cataclysmic moment like having a perfect season end in Super Bowl XLII, coming back to then have your knee explode, bounce back, and go to another Super Bowl years later, still not win, survive, watch the team draft your replacement, and use that as inspiration to better yourself and and come back at at almost the age of 40 and be the best version of you,
00:38:59
Speaker
yeah What a fucking legend. And also, like what a roadmap for all of us to try and follow to be successful or just be 1-900th as awesome as Tom Brady was. i mean the I think it was his sixth season, his fifth as a starter before he lost a playoff game.
00:39:16
Speaker
I think you remember well. It was January 2006 in Denver. And by the way, I'll go to my effing grave saying that Ben Watson got Champ Bailey and it was at a fucking touchback.
00:39:27
Speaker
That was a touchback. We're old. Thank you. Now, this is where we lose the young people. Just saying, like, this is where is where we we lose the younger people because we all remember that play. I'm pretty sure I watched it with Snooty.
00:39:40
Speaker
Like, were we in the same room? we might Or maybe we were in college. i don't remember. Oh, no. Wait. Yeah, we were probably in 2006. I don't remember. Anyway, so, but like that, that's like, it's hilarious. That's 20 years ago, dude. 20 years ago.
00:39:55
Speaker
2-0, like 20 years ago. And you remember it. You're like, fuck, Ben Watson. do like you like You remember it that strongly. And I can i can see him chasing down. Was it Champ Bailey or whoever that is? I remember seeing it. And I wish they had review because they would have turned that over. But – uh it's crazy man the run was the run was incredible it's be weird to see brady calling a patriots game again you know especially after his comments um don't know we people haven't like touched on that story that much i yeah does he have a dog in that fight guys yeah dude other players he played with did not take well to that um at all i mean many and even publicly like teddy brewski had some um scathing public comments. and He was not happy about that
Defining Games and Season Predictions
00:40:39
Speaker
at all. If you talk to him in person, he would have probably ripped Tom and because he knows Tom knows, knows Tom.
00:40:45
Speaker
And, and, you know, that's not, that's not who Tom was. You know, Tom was an incredible competitor and team player, incredible competitor. And I'm sure Bruce, he's like, who's this guy? Like, who's this politician?
00:40:59
Speaker
Yeah. You know, and it's mind blowing to me. So, it felt it felt It felt a degree soulless. And I know there' is a there's a business-like um capitalistic calculating element to Tom Brady in general, let alone in Tom Brady's post-playing career.
00:41:18
Speaker
i don't care. That's fine. I, you know, yeah, he, he, like he, he bought so much amnesty. He delivered so much great, so much joy for us that, you know, like save for coming to my house, kidnapping my kids and lighting the house on fire. Like, honest to God, do what you want, Tom Brady. That's fine. I'm good with you, man. It's okay. Yeah, the positive... Your top fucking Brady. The positive emotion greatly outweighs the negative emotion by the yeah bias his comments, for sure. Hey, ah quick question. So I know there's like tons of great schedule release videos that are out there as well, and a lot of other fan bases are chirping about their schedule and how difficult it's going to be and blah, blah, blah.
00:42:01
Speaker
um So Patriots supposedly... So they travel the fifth most air miles this season. They have the fourth... most difficult schedule um to start the season over those first four weeks.
00:42:13
Speaker
What do you guys think though? Like looking at the whole thing, what's the one game cause I still think it's going to be Packers. Like it's, it's the ninth game. it was like the, literally the mid, the fulcrum of the season.
00:42:26
Speaker
What's the one game that's going to be like sneaky, huge for these Patriots. Like the biggest like potential win. Yeah, like the the one where it's like, oh man, if they won that or thank God they won that game.
00:42:39
Speaker
um I mean, i think week 13 against the Bills at home, 425, because like you got that run of games before and then leading up is tough with Green Bay, Lions, and Dubai, then Chargers. Like it's a tough stretch.
00:42:53
Speaker
You get to the Bills, you beat the Bills at home. yeah You're still looking down the Vikings and Chiefs directly after that, and and I think you need to win at least one of those games. And then it it it doesn't even necessarily cool down. You've got Jets and Miami the last two of the last three, you've got the Broncos in there at home. like and So I don't know. like That to me is a turning point, but this schedule feels like – I would say fairly well balanced towards the second half of the year with pretty difficult teams on paper.
00:43:20
Speaker
We could look at this after the season goes, right? And and you could find, you could find 11 wins on here somewhere, right? Like you could go through team by team and we can do it now if you want, but like you could find your wins somewhere and be like, okay, um you know, like,
00:43:36
Speaker
There's guaranteed six wins of the lowest teams. Like they're going to beat a few of these teams that you don't think they're going to beat. They might beat Seattle week one. And you'd be like, oh, all right, shit.
00:43:47
Speaker
Like, we you know, we didn't put that in the calculus. You know what i mean? Like, and a lot of these teams are going to be around 10, 11 wins this season. I don't know how many teams, like who's winning 14 games in the AFC. Buffalo's going to win 14 games. No. Denver's going to win 14 games. like i don't I think they're going to end up losing some of these. so have The Chiefs are back. The Bengals with Burrow. Lamar is healthy with Baltimore. like You have a bunch of teams that are pretty competitive and have a lot of good players. so I don't know. there's a lot There's a lot here. I don't know. you know
00:44:19
Speaker
There's a lot to it. what's yeah whats what was your What's your boy's early prediction i got twelve and five I'm going to say, i think looking at it, hold on, I'm literally going to do it like, well i hey, listen, to now now's the time to do that line item action. like Yeah, let's do it. okay Okay, week one against the Seahawks, I'm actually going to say win.
00:44:42
Speaker
I'm going say they go on the road and win. i think they're going win. It's a weird week. It's weird. It's week one. yeah we i know variable teams lose week one. I know that, but i just I'm going week one win.
00:44:55
Speaker
Uh, and um I'll start two and O gets the Steelers week two. I got two and O. um I get sneaky loss on the road against Jacksonville. Jacksonville is tough. They're tough. They can run the shit out of the football. I think that's that's tough against your linebackers.
00:45:10
Speaker
I'll say loss in Buffalo. So there's two and two right there. Wow. Okay. um Raiders, Jets at home. Easy. It's four two I got a win on the road against the Bears, 5-2. A win ah ah win away against the Dolphins, six and two So I got them 6-2 going against Green Bay at home.
00:45:29
Speaker
um Man, I'd love to make that a win as well. ah I'm go i'm go to say a win at home, seven to two I'm just going to have them win in 15 games. I'm going to say Lions on the road. I'll give them a loss, although I think they can win that game. I'll give them a loss, seven and three Chargers away. um I'm going to give it a loss, 7-4. Uh-oh, and that's a perfect time for it. Patriots losing on the, ah you know, they've broken the bye with losses. Is there trouble in Vrabel Paradise? What's going on? Losing focus. um
00:46:05
Speaker
Win at home against the Bills. Get right game. eight and three Or, sorry, 8-4. Win against the ah the Vikings at home. nine and four Oh man, I got to win in too many. 10 and four, 11 and four, 12 and four. I don't want have them win 12 games. It's like too many.
00:46:22
Speaker
I don't know. I didn't do my math. I'll have them losing one of those. I think they beat Kansas City on the road. Maybe they lose to the Broncos. Could it be a surprise loss at the Jets? I'll say, I'll say 10 or 11 wins. That'd be my fair take 10 or 11. There's going to be a couple of losses in there. Although I'm going through it. I'm like, you just punted mid-skate.
00:46:39
Speaker
I'm like, in the I'm going through it. I'm like, they're going be like 15 and two. no, I'll say conservatively. I'll say 10 is you have to hit 10, get the, get in the playoffs. I I'll guess 11 upside is 12. That'd be my range. 10 to 12.
00:46:55
Speaker
I got 12. What do you got? I got 12. I also, I said this before, I think Denver is not going to make the playoffs this year. Wow. That's that's a good. I like that take. That's a good take. just sea Sean Payton fucked everything up when he decided to like go for it on fourth and one. And then like, just think that he was being so arrogant. Like I can beat Rabel and Drake may and Josh McDaniels.
00:47:19
Speaker
with ah With Long Dong Jared, like, no way. like I just feel like maybe I ought to get clowned later in the season, but I feel like, i don't know, he fucked a bunch of shit up and in New Orleans when he was there. They lost the AFC Championship game, which historically that team usually drops off the next year. i feel like they, Sneaky, had almost in as easy a schedule as the Patriots did.
00:47:42
Speaker
They also were equally as, you know, had pretty good injury luck overall, um which tends to even out. potentially negative for voting for the Patriots. But I feel like they're just an overrated kind of like team on paper. I just feel like that's the team that's going to fall off. i They could go three and one to start the year. I figured they're going to beat Pittsburgh and Jacksonville.
00:48:04
Speaker
um And then I think they're going to clip one of either Buffalo or Seattle, one of them. um And then sneaky, I could see them losing to the bears just because they're the away team on Thursday night. I don't see them losing to Miami, probably split green Bay and Detroit.
00:48:18
Speaker
Um, And then i think they beat the Chargers. Chargers are one of those teams, like, i just don't have respect for the Chargers. I just can't until they actually win something. I just can't do it. And I like Jim Harbaugh, and I respect Jim Harbaugh, but I just can't do it. Mike McDaniel makes a difference, though.
00:48:33
Speaker
Like, if they lose to Buffalo before, I see them winning the next one. Minnesota, I think they win that one because it's Thursday at home. At Kansas City, that's a tough place to play. i'm not I'm not super high on the Chiefs or anything this year. I think they're sneaky overrated. I'm not high on the Chiefs at all. But that's a tough place to play. It is, theoretically, Mahomes. yeah When is he coming back? That's the thing, because Schefter keeps pumping out the, the oh, he's ah you way ahead of schedule. like It's going to be miraculous. He's going to start week one, like nine months off an ACL for a quarterback who uses his legs in the clutch to like deliver victory from the jaws of defeat. I don't know about that.
00:49:11
Speaker
yeah's not gonna be I don't think he's the same guy. You know what I mean? like and And to be honest, you can look at his stats. like There's reasons for it, but like he's been basically average for three years. Statistically. Average. and i know like no He like leads the league every year in passes that should have been interceptions.
00:49:27
Speaker
Yeah, he he fucks up all the time. I mean, like literally look at his statistics. It's not even like an emotional argument. It's actually the opposite. Like look at his statistics. He's had a pretty average, and even last year he was below league average. Like he has not been great.
00:49:42
Speaker
um They rely heavily, kind of like the Patriots early dynasty in some way, they rely incredibly heavily on defense and really good coaching. And that's how they won two of those Super Bowls there. They was all – fucking Chris Jones being an absolute maniac Hall of Famer.
00:49:58
Speaker
And, you know, that's how they won those games. Well, like the early Mahomes has not been the guy. I know like you can't you can't change the narrative once it gets going. Everyone says, oh, he's the GOAT. He's this, he's that. Like hard to change the narrative, but like hasn't been great.
Final Thoughts and Fan Engagement
00:50:12
Speaker
And so maybe he'll turn around, he'll get back to full strength, but I don't see it with that roster necessarily. Like I don't love their offense. So know. How many wins, Fitzy? What do you got?
00:50:23
Speaker
For me, I got 12. For the Patriots, 12-5. That's a great season if they do that. It would be. And the crazy thing is, like, people are going say, like, are you coming off a Super Bowl season? you're You're supposed to go better in the draft and free agency and freeable and revenge. to it Like, you're going to lose. You're going to have one or two hiccups, like Snoop was saying, and you're going have... I'm glad I'm psyched that we're high of mind on 12-5.
00:50:46
Speaker
And it's also tough. Like, it's just, like, that's a freaking... That is, like, you want to talk about just, like... John McClain having to run his way through the broken glass to get to the bathroom to, like, find a way to save the Nakatomi Plaza.
00:51:00
Speaker
At Seahawks, home Steelers, at Jags, at Bills. Like, brutal September to kick off the season. There's a couple of wicked stretches in there, like... like Packers, Lions, by Chargers, Bills, Vikings, Chiefs. Damn, son. Damn, son. You got to go three and three there?
00:51:18
Speaker
that that That was my point earlier in the pod too. Like what I love about this schedule and I don't mind if they lose a couple of hard fought games along the way. Like, sorry, everybody. I hate to like, I hate to burst your Foxborough precious Drake may unicorn and, and, you know, and may delicious bakes in this bubble, but like, it's going to be tough.
00:51:37
Speaker
It's going to be hard. Like this team can't just go on the magical mystery tour that they did last year. and land at 14 and three and coast their way with thoughts, dreams, vibes, and miracles through the playoffs. They're going to have to freaking fight their way to get back. Like this is going to be full blown fight club to get back to where they want to go.
00:51:57
Speaker
I think they have the team. I think they have the coach. He's going to be so pissed off this season with everything that everyone has said about him. And he knows that he ate shit. He knows that he deserves a lot of it. Drake may is going to be out to prove it as well.
00:52:10
Speaker
A lot of those guys are going to get behind him. And, you know You know, hell hath no fury like a Vrabel scorned, and they're going to get after it. It's going to be so fun. And I think when they re-sign Diggs and they bring in A.J. Brown, watch out.
00:52:25
Speaker
um done like Legitimately, let me ask you this. Do you think there could be a better, more potent, more fun receiver trio in the NFL than a Dobbs-Diggs-Brown combo, the DDB?
00:52:37
Speaker
I think that would be the first time in years we felt like they had more than enough talent. Like, you know what i mean? As like, just to describe it, right? Like how, when's the last time you've been like, that's a pretty good offense. Like that's, that's enough.
00:52:52
Speaker
Yeah. know, you gotta go back to maybe like. 2014. Edelman. i think like when they had Edelman, obviously Brady, but like, you know, Gronk, a healthy Gronk, Edelman, Chris Hogan and, uh, well, I'm missing one, but, um, but yeah. twenty four The 2014 Patriots offense that had Edelman.
00:53:11
Speaker
And Amendola, and Gronk, and LaFell, and Blount. That was a damn good off and that was a good offense. 2016, where they averaged. I think they were like first in league in scoring and like first in defense. It was a disgusting 14th. You forget how good they were. Brady only played 12 games, and he threw 32 touchdown passes and had four picks. like you like People truly forget. You go back and look at their first in ah offense and first in defense. like It was like they were...
00:53:38
Speaker
so disgusting it was you know it's crazy to go sometimes I go look at the stats and just look at how you know it was unbelievable but people people truly forget how the the time was here they were that was no Gronk that year too right or most of that year uh which year 2016. late November and then Martellus Bennett had to Marty Soros Rex had to take over yeah he was not in the Super Bowl right yeah unfortunately but All right Well, let's, ah let's wrap it. Cause we'll take enough of a Fitzy's time here. Fitzy. This is the best sports bar that I've been at for an hour. you this is awesome, dude. Tell the, tell the people, whoever's here, tell them where they can find you and what you're up to and and what you got going on. Yeah. Yeah. um ah Thanks for having me boys. This was a lot of fun. I'm fired up for this football season. Like I said, you got a, a long way to go of, yeah Warm weather, beaches, putting them in the putting them in the lake and the sand trap at the Muni and everything that's awesome about spring and summer in New England at Fitzy GFY all across your socials.
00:54:40
Speaker
Got some fun football stuff, some pop culture stuff and more coming up in the post-terrestrial radio landscape of my life. um ah it's It's a weird place to be, ah but it's also a good place to be. No, I will not be hosting the post-game show on WEI.
00:54:56
Speaker
or beyond, i will be going into more football games, more tailgates. I'll be hanging with Snoot Dogg and Savage wherever they'll have me at the tailgates. Just back to doing what I did, which is just being an authentically absurd, ridiculous super fan of my favorite teams in the world.
00:55:12
Speaker
Cold beverage in hand. um And i'll um I'll just say now, book your tickets for Los Angeles next February. People, let's freaking go Let's go! All right, guys. Thanks for tuning in. We appreciate it. We'll catch you next time. Peace.
00:55:29
Speaker
And string.