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EPISODE - 62. 10 IN A ROW.
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Transcript
Introduction and Current Season Overview
00:00:00
Savage Boston
Alright guys, welcome back to the Savage Boston Podcast. We are here today. It is me, Scott, with Savage Boston Sports. I'm here with my guy Brett, as usual, my co-host. um And yeah, we're coming off, this is like, it's getting crazy a little bit now. We're coming off 10 consecutive wins.
00:00:19
Savage Boston
You know, I don't think anybody obviously would have told you this realistically would have happened before the season. I think I had him at 10 7. and Now they're eleven and two which is unbelievable. So, you know, it's crazy how fast the season's going. There's only, you know, there's only four games to go, which is
Patriots vs Giants Game Analysis
00:00:38
Savage Boston
nuts. And and it's crunch time, man. I mean, it's like these aren't, these obviously aren't cupcake games anymore, you know, other than maybe the Jets, but like, and Miami is Miami, but.
00:00:49
Savage Boston
You know, these these games, these teams are trying hard, man. They're playing for a lot. You got games against Buffalo and the Ravens coming up. So, ah yeah, got a lot going on. So I don't i just I guess just off the bat, Brad, what's your initial take on the game? How are you feeling?
00:01:04
Bret
Well, I'm glad they came out with better energy against the Giants than they get did the Bengals. I think that was a clear message that was sent throughout the week leading up to this game. as You know, play with high energy early. The reality was we had it locked up by second half, you know, 30 to 7 halftime, which was just crazy. And then we scored three points in the second half, which means we just let off the gas. We went in cruise control. We're heading into the bye.
00:01:31
Bret
We got some people banged up. so you know, they deserved it, right? They deserve to
Patriots' Performance and Red Zone Challenges
00:01:37
Bret
take off the gas and go through.
00:01:37
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:01:38
Bret
They still won the game by 18 points. 11 and 2 is just insane to think about. i still have to like pinch myself every time I go through and think about where we're at as a team.
00:01:50
Bret
But I also think it's about like how we look. Right. And to me, i would say there's there's gaps. Right. It comes down to red zone offense, red zone defense are probably our our two weakest points.
00:02:03
Bret
And I think not having Milton Williams there, it's noticeable for our ability to stop the run now, whereas we were dominant when he was there. And then the last couple of weeks, We've had our issues, but, you know, by and large, we're winning on like all three phases of the game every single week. It's hard to look at any aspect of it and say we're not. And don't get me wrong. This is a Giants team. They're two and ten when we come up on the matchup. So we were expected to win this game. But the reality is, and we've talked about strength of schedule, this or that, it's still the NFL.
00:02:40
Bret
You still got to go out there and compete. And we had that thing dominated, locked up by halftime. like a good team should and then we just said okay now we're on cruise control and we can just stick around for the next 30 minutes
00:02:52
Savage Boston
And I know they're 2-10, and it's like weird that it's where the people are trying to, again, discredit the game. like First of all, it was it was a lopsided game. I mean, you can't, you know what I mean? like It she
Controversies and Player Critiques
00:03:03
Savage Boston
wasn't close. It didn't feel close at any point. But, like, dude, the Giants just played the Lions really extremely tough.
00:03:09
Savage Boston
You know, and and and I think the the Giants have played a couple decent games. It's not like they've been bad. they Maybe they're better with Jameis. But I didn't think Dart was, like, particularly bad yesterday.
00:03:20
Savage Boston
i thought he he made some good plays, made some nice throws. I don't think he's a bad player either to give, like, due to Dart. But, like, yeah, I'll say the number one takeaway off the bat is just, like, how much energy the Patriots came out with. Like, they were up, dude. They were up for this game. They were jacked. I think, like, Vrabel somehow got through it through to them, like,
00:03:40
Savage Boston
you know, bye week's coming, give me give me your effort, give me one more big one, like, and then let's go take ah a full week off. You know what i mean Like, go home with your families, full week off, take a rest. Because they really, like, they came out, man, and they were explosive. I mean, obviously, the so the biggest one I wanted to touch on was obviously the Ellis hit, right, on dart on the sideline. That's kind of like one of the bigger talking points away from the game.
00:04:06
Savage Boston
Now, I think with the hit, obviously, extremely clean hit. Great hit. Dart was tiptoe on the sideline, but like running up the sideline. like He wasn't he wasn't like going out of bounds.
00:04:17
Savage Boston
There was no intention for him to go out of bounds.
00:04:18
Bret
Thank you.
00:04:21
Savage Boston
So here's here's my my take on this is... Why are Giants fans – I've seen a lot of clips today and it's and it's it's weird a little bit. Not like we engage with Giants fans a lot. But like why are Giants fans pearl clutching to such a degree over this dart hit?
00:04:39
Savage Boston
Like I've seen – saw guys on like what WFAN, like one of their big radio stations that my guy from from college I know who's a producer on a show there. um It basically like – like again, pearl clutching, like being like, this is unbelievably dirty. They came out dirty hits head to head there. It's like,
00:04:59
Savage Boston
Well, first of all, that's as clean as a hit as you can possibly get by Ellis. Literally shoulder hit, no nowhere near the head, inbounds. But again, like it was the intention. Dart wasn't heading out of bounds. It wasn't like a Mahomes auto roughing the passer penalty play where he's trying to go out, but he lingers a little. You know what i mean? He's trying to – like Jackson Dart – Wasn't trying to draw the call. He was trying to get yardage. he's He's running. He's a runner up the sideline and he got smacked up by Ellis. So big takeaway on this is like, are Giants fans like soft about this? Like what, what is the deal? don't know. How did you feel about that weird response by them?
00:05:40
Bret
Well, I think it's just being local fans and being fanatic about their guy. The reality is, is anyone else outside of New York is going to look at that and put the blame on Jackson Dart as it should be. Right. The guy clearly was going upfield to get extra yards. And he even got asked about it post game and the why he doesn't slide. And he goes, this is just how I play. This is how I play for years. This is football. This isn't soccer, yada, yada. yada like He plays on the edge, which you can respect to a certain point from a compete level, but the guy is never going to last more than three years in the NFL playing at the level he's doing.
Drake May's Impact and Team Strategy
00:06:21
Bret
It's just insane. And you juxtapose his comments versus like Drake maybe and ask the same question about it, and he's basically like, yeah, you just got to learn to protect yourself.
00:06:31
Bret
So I just I think it's one of those areas where you just look at the guy and he's just a tool across the board.
00:06:31
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:06:38
Bret
I mean, just from the outside with that one line black on his side of his face, he's got the freaking chain right underneath his pads like he just looks like a tool, acts like a tool.
00:06:51
Bret
ah And you just look at him like, thank God he's not my quarterback because that is not the franchise future of the Giants. So these are just fans being fans. I do think from a Pat standpoint, when you talk about setting the tone, I mean, Ellis was setting the tone all night.
00:07:07
Bret
I mean, he did that. He was also the one that had the hit on Gunner, which fucking took the N off his helmet. So like...
00:07:13
Savage Boston
Yeah. Well,
00:07:14
Bret
Just crazy laying the laying the stick down. And it was obviously great to see to get from a hype level. You hate the Gunner one because obviously he got concussed. But with the Jackson Dart, you look it and you're like you're just an idiot, dude.
00:07:27
Bret
Like you deserve to get absolutely lit up.
00:07:28
Savage Boston
yeah
00:07:29
Bret
And it was just ah such a great hit.
00:07:31
Savage Boston
Well, a Barstool guy who I've seen, i don't like you know consume his content because he's a New York guy, but was it Marty Mush, who apparently is a Barstool guy, and I assume a New York fan, but he said something about like, oh, Patriots fans, like disparaging Patriots fans. you know And then again, saying stuff, the comments like, but this was the big take. If that was Drake May, if that was Drake May. And I even saw Hogdale interacting with him, our guy, friend of the pod, Hogdale.
00:08:01
Savage Boston
you know Saying, like listen, like we're not we're not trying to be hypocrites. It's not the point. like And and i'll I'll be mad for certain if I think Drake May takes an unnecessary hit. That's not the point. The point is...
00:08:15
Savage Boston
What was he doing on the sideline at the time? Where did he get hit? was What was his intention? if
Future Prospects and Playoff Expectations
00:08:22
Savage Boston
jackson you Go watch the play. Jackson Dart is intending to try to get more yardage running and bounce. That's the intention.
00:08:31
Savage Boston
And took an extraordinarily clean hit. If Drake May is intending to try to get out of bounds and takes a late hit up high, that's different. That is a difference. Like trying to give yourself up, trying to end the play and taking a lick is different than trying to stay in bounds and getting fucking jacked up by Ellis, who was out to somebody pissed in his Cheerios that morning. i don't know why Ellis like came out to play, man. I love that attitude. And and we know variable does like talk about violence and But Ellis was violent in that game and in the best way, man. It was violent but clean. And as you say, he smashed Gunner. It's crazy. I just put my kid to bed. I literally tweeted this. I put my kid to bed. I was like, all right, you know, just scored, kicking off. Let me get my kid to bed. Come down. Patriots had the ball again.
00:09:19
Savage Boston
i was like, what the fuck just happened? I was like, how did we get – and then I watched the the highlight and I was like, oh, my God. So just just aggressive, you know.
00:09:25
Bret
Yeah.
00:09:28
Bret
Well, and the thing is, and the gunner hit again, it's tough because gunner was going down with his head down, which is why it was a legal hit, even though it was a brutal helmet to helmet.
00:09:36
Savage Boston
He was a run. He was a runner and he was like leaning his head down.
00:09:38
Bret
Yeah, and he was going down. it was just It's hard for – the same thing goes for Ellis.
00:09:40
Savage Boston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:43
Bret
Like Ellis did not intentionally try to go at his head. So that's fine.
00:09:47
Savage Boston
He
00:09:48
Bret
The other thing that you look at from the standpoint with regards to that hit on dart is it's not only did Dart like not go out of bounds, but he didn't like dip his shoulder into like, you know, try to dive forward or do anything.
00:10:01
Savage Boston
wasn't trying. He was just running.
00:10:03
Bret
Like sometimes you see Mahomes do some that – stupid shit where he does that on the sideline.
00:10:09
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:10:09
Bret
He kind of like fakes a loud a little bit and then kind of braces up, but he's doing it to protect himself, but he's also kind of goading the defender and he gets flags on it, which is annoying when it comes to like past fans reactions.
00:10:21
Bret
If that was Drake may, we'd be ridiculing Drake, man. We've been ridiculing him all season about his, this being an area of opportunity for him developmentally.
00:10:31
Bret
He's got to learn to get down. He's got to learn to protect himself. This has been the narrative for him for over since he came to the team. From all levels. So for Giants fans to somehow come around and say, like, if this happened to May, like, we would understand.
00:10:46
Bret
It's like, no, we wouldn't be criticizing the defender. We would be looking at May saying, you have to be smarter. Just like we're telling you, dart has to be smarter. But thank God May's love.
00:10:57
Savage Boston
But that's clear though. but that's That's clear. And that's a real that's a real take. Like if Drake may, at this point, we've seen it too many times. So like at this, like every fan, ah you know, Barstool people included,
00:11:10
Savage Boston
If Drake may goes and gives him and doesn't give himself up and dives head forward,
AFC Playoff Rival Analysis
00:11:16
Savage Boston
we're going Drake. It's not worth your health, man. Like you're more dangerous when you can play.
00:11:18
Bret
Yeah.
00:11:22
Savage Boston
The best ability is availability, whatever equip you want to use. But like, we need him to actually fucking play. he needs to be in the game.
00:11:27
Bret
Which he's generally he's generally learning it. Like, you look at it, the Giants, one of the best pass-rushing defenses going into this game, right?
00:11:31
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:11:37
Savage Boston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:11:38
Bret
He didn't take any brutal hits where he wasn't really prepared for it.
00:11:41
Savage Boston
Yeah, it was good.
00:11:42
Bret
Like, he protected himself. There was there was times when all of a sudden he just had to take a dive in the pocket because he was like – This isn't going to happen. Or he was like stepping up. And he does that, I think, probably too much where he steps up to the in the pocket and to the tackle.
00:11:57
Bret
Like he had one sack where the guy got off of Vardarian low, and it really wasn't Lowe's fault.
00:11:58
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:12:02
Bret
That was May stepping into the sack pretty much. But he's not taking these brutal hits.
00:12:05
Savage Boston
Well.
00:12:07
Bret
he's He's getting better each week. And again, against a team where they were known for being the best pass rushing defense, on a team where we are down our whole left side of the offensive line,
00:12:19
Bret
It didn't show like it didn't look that way at all.
00:12:23
Savage Boston
Yeah, I mean, that's, you know, I think, interestingly enough, couple couple things. One, like, quickest time to throw Drake's had this season. Quickest time to throw. It was like 2.5 seconds or something. Like, he says literally, he was the fastest time to throw in this game. So, like, obviously, coaching point by Josh may be like, hey, man, like, we you might not have as much time Let's get the ball out. Right. And I love, that I love the quick stuff. You know, that's great. Then you got a couple of the shots he's allowed to take with, with like max protect. Like if he can turn into that type of quarterback that can dial it, start dialing up quick.
00:12:57
Savage Boston
i mean, he's talking about, he's dangerous now. He can be even more dangerous. I mean, that's, you know, that's unbelievable. And I, and the fact that again, they didn't, they were missing the left side. First, I expected Ben Brown to be okay.
00:13:10
Savage Boston
you know i really We said this last week. I thought Ben Brown would be fine because Ben Brown will give you what Jared gives you. like Jared, obviously, you're going to grow with and he can maybe be your future center whatever, but like they can hopefully give you comparable stuff. Vidarian Lowe, I didn't think was going to give you what Will gave you. And Lowe, I think, only gave up a couple pressures and and a sack maybe because Drake like ran up the field. But Lowe largely is an okay pass blocker. He's not bad. He's just not going to dominate a game.
00:13:38
Savage Boston
He's not going to run block that well. That's Finarian Lowe. He's an okay pass blocker. Commits penalties. Didn't really in this game, but like he will. I don't think so at least, but but he will in the future. so you know, I think um impressed enough, mostly impressed by Drake.
00:13:55
Savage Boston
And that side, good for them, man. Like they could have given up way more pressures. They could have been worse, but I really think the coaching has been great. And, and yeah, I'm really, I'm really impressed. so I mean, I don't know, i don't know what you thought about low and how they performed, but I didn't think it was that bad.
00:14:11
Bret
No, i again, i didn't feel like it was overly noticeable, um the issues.
00:14:15
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:14:16
Bret
I think they did a pretty good job there. I think what helps is the Giants really don't do well against stopping the run, and there were definitely times where we could just go right up the middle, which helps out a lot to set set the edge a ah set it a little bit better for the offensive line. But No, they didn't seem like an issue. And you talk about Drake May's timing on it. There was a couple of throws I can think of where you know he even like did like ah like a mini pump fake to throw it off and then like you know throws it over the top. Right away, I can think of the one that he threw to Henry in the first half where he basically was like going like he was going to go low to Henderson. He was getting a little bit of pressure as he was kind of fading out to the right. And then he just threw it up over the top because –
00:15:02
Bret
Basically, it was almost like he threw off the linebacker to make them hesitate a little bit and then got
Media Narratives and Criticism
00:15:06
Bret
Henry over the top of the zone. So he's making quick decisions, but not only that, but he's also in the moment.
00:15:12
Bret
like he's It's like he's seeing someone get open before they're open, and he's doing the pump face to start to get them even further open, which is insane to do at the speed which he's doing it at.
00:15:21
Savage Boston
yeah
00:15:24
Bret
So his decision-making is just – off the charts this year it's it's why we're 11 and 2 um and he's put himself as the number one odds to be the mvp this year which is just absolutely wild
00:15:39
Savage Boston
it's It's truly unbelievable we've got to this point. Unbelievable that you know he's the favorite for MVP. And who knows what's going to happen the next four weeks, but it's it's I would not. I mean, we we thought, I mean, there's clips, not like we're going go clip ourselves, but like there's clips of us being like, hey, optimistically, like we think by the end of the second year, towards the end, you know, if we go back in time and looked at our own clips, it'd be fascinating. But be like, I thought, okay, second half of the season, he could develop into being in a top 10 QB this year. That was like my hope. That was where I wanted him to be. Like, okay, I think he can be really good.
00:16:17
Savage Boston
Maybe later in the year, he'll it'll put it together. I did not expect MVP level. No one obviously did. You know, you have to give a ton of credit to Josh McDaniels. and And I know people want to trash him for whatever reason, but like, I get it. You don't like his play calling. I understand. no one likes run, run, pass. I get I get it.
00:16:36
Savage Boston
get it again But, like, you've got to give him credit for helping organize the offense for Drake. Giving Drake the ability to make protection adjustments at the line. It's no longer the center. It's just Drake gets up there, hey, here's the mic. like let's He's like, hey, best case this is best case scenario. He's turning turn Drake into Tom Brady. Drake, you're in charge, bud.
00:16:57
Savage Boston
You make the protection call. You get guys who are a B. You check to the next play. You can check to a run, whatever. But, like, give him the reins. You know, that's that's where we want Drake at.
00:17:06
Bret
deal.
00:17:07
Savage Boston
I want Drake in full control the offense. And then again, i get excited talking about And I, again, don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. I like team building stuff. Like, where do they go with this? Who do they get next year? Like, what direction does Stretch want to take this team in or Cowden? Like, i want to know what type of players they want and basically where they want to take it.
00:17:27
Savage Boston
Can they trade for A.J. Brown legitimately? You know, I don't think that's a crazy take. I really don't. I think his contract is fine and he's going to want out of Philly. I think Philly's offense turned into a disaster for God knows what reason. But, yeah.
00:17:41
Savage Boston
Yeah, there's a lot there, man. And I just – it's been – the expectations blown out of the water. This is – it's already more than we we could have dreamed of this season so far. And people will be like, well, the expectations change and now you should expect the one seed. It'd be just – what was Felger and Maz will probably shift the narrative and say, well, if they don't get the one seed, now I'm disappointed. No, no, no.
00:18:07
Savage Boston
You don't get to say that shit now. Use your, what was your initial fucking take preseason? You said if they made the playoffs, it was a huge win. They made the playoffs and have a playoff game.
00:18:18
Savage Boston
That's a win for this team. They're going to do that. They're almost clinched with four games to go. Mathematically, almost clinched. Probably will be, clinched you know what mean? Like probably soon will be clinched for a playoff spot, let alone maybe be the number one seed. So I don't like the goalpost shifting. I know that's how these shows go, but like,
00:18:39
Savage Boston
You know, this this season to me can't be a disappointment. Can you be mad if they lose a game? Of course you can be mad. But this season cannot. It's already successful. Period. It's already successful.
00:18:50
Bret
Well, it it is, right? And I think as you look back, that's the mentality you would have. But in the moment, ah it's hard not to, again, get upset or shift your expectations to say, 100%.
00:19:01
Savage Boston
Well, everyone wants more all the time. I understand people want more, but like in retrospect,
00:19:04
Bret
hundred percent Yeah, and i and I get it. I mean, Tommy Curran kind of got some heat going into it because he said he wouldn't be surprised if the Pats lost three games in a row, right? And then he was talking about how it's all gravy. We didn't expect this, etc.
00:19:19
Bret
But as a fan, you have the right to basically change your change what you think the outcome going to be. And for us, looking at the Pats... it's hard to look at them and say, we shouldn't be like pushing and want the one seed.
00:19:33
Bret
And if we don't get it, like we're not allowed to be upset because everything's gravy and we well surpassed everyone else's preseason expectations.
00:19:33
Savage Boston
Thank you.
00:19:41
Bret
Like, no, if we don't get the one seed, I am going to be annoyed. And then on top of it, like if we go into the playoffs and we get bounced in the first round, I'm going to be pissed. Like I want them to play well and I want them to do well.
00:19:54
Bret
And I think they have the tools to be able to do it. So, I look at it and say, we're when it comes to the AFC, there's really not a team that I would look at and say, i i'm scared that we would never be able to beat them.
00:20:09
Bret
like There's teams I definitely think will be ah more of a challenge than other teams, but... Even if we went ahead and played against the Broncos, I still feel like we'd have a good chance of beating that team.
00:20:22
Bret
And we should feel good about going against a team like the Broncos. So the expectations, of of course, change. I think it's fair for fans to change their expectations. And it feels great to have those change because we are playing meaningful football in December, which we haven't played in years.
00:20:41
Bret
Freaking years.
00:20:42
Savage Boston
Yeah. Yeah. listen. People can be mad if they want to be mad. You know, I'm not trying to tell people like, Hey, you're not allowed to be mad. I'm just saying like, in retrospect, you're going to look back on the year and say, this was a four and 13 team with a debacle coaching staff and a team that had, as people, many people say, they're so far away. They have no talent. They can't compete. They can't do this. blah bla blah All right. Well, they're fucking 11 and two and they could have the first seed.
00:21:11
Savage Boston
and a bye and a home playoff game. And the dangerous part about this team is to speak. I know everyone's like, Oh, the schedule, whatever. Like the dangerous part is the team does. Okay. And all three phases it's they're like, they're like, it's almost similar to the Broncos, but they have a better quarterback and the Broncos might have a better defense.
Upcoming Games and Fan Engagement
00:21:32
Savage Boston
Right. And it's like, where do you play the Broncos? Like if you play the Broncos in new England, I would say I would give that game to the Patriots.
00:21:39
Savage Boston
You pay the block Broncos in Denver. Much tougher game, right? Like home playoff games matter. You know, and I think and God knows what's happening with that AFC North with the Ravens or Pittsburgh. I think the Ravens have played horribly. They've been playing horrible football.
00:21:57
Savage Boston
Lamar's been not good for weeks. I think he's really hurt. I think like there's something – he's not Lamar.
00:22:02
Bret
Yeah.
00:22:03
Savage Boston
He's not just like – Lamar's been – people don't give him enough credit. He's been a ridiculous player for years. I mean he's MVP. He's been insane, his numbers. so um But he is not playing how he was.
00:22:15
Savage Boston
you know Obviously with the Chiefs, man, like Mahomes we talked about, is he's been reverting to the mean for years. And now it's just like the team is not winning anymore. So like, i don't know. Chiefs fans are kind of like, hey, is this the end of the run? i don't know. Do we need to revamp on the fly? So who knows what they do? But and then since he might not make it, Buffalo, yeah, Buffalo can be dangerous. I think Buffalo is might be the team that you end up looking at, mostly because and we'll see what happens in two weeks when us personally will be at the game, which would be awesome. Can't wait. It's going to be five of us. It's going to great time. Very happy it stayed at 1 o'clock too, which was amazing.
00:22:51
Savage Boston
And didn't get flexed till like 8.
00:22:52
Bret
Very happy about that.
00:22:53
Savage Boston
Very happy 1 o'clock game. so we can go tailgate early.
00:22:56
Bret
no one No one wants to go to 8 o'clock game. Like, let's be real.
00:22:59
Savage Boston
No, I don't i don't personally.
00:22:59
Bret
and we'll Unless you're like mid-20s.
00:23:02
Savage Boston
Let's like 22. Yeah, 22.
00:23:03
Bret
Yeah.
00:23:04
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:23:04
Bret
No kids and you're like, let me go at it.
00:23:05
Savage Boston
Really old man river here. This is the Unk pod.
00:23:08
Bret
Sure. 100%.
00:23:09
Savage Boston
We're like Unks. This Unk now, as the children said.
00:23:12
Bret
Like, there's no way we want to touch that. 1 o'clock game. Freaking perfect, right? Absolutely perfect.
00:23:18
Savage Boston
Yeah, 1 o'clock would have been legit. Even 4 would have felt kind of late.
00:23:20
Bret
We'll get in. We'll we'll we'll start early. Get a little toasted up. Get into the game.
00:23:25
Savage Boston
Oh, yeah.
00:23:27
Bret
know, post-game celebratory tailgating. Like, it's perfect. Absolutely perfect.
00:23:31
Savage Boston
Yeah, it's going to sick.
00:23:32
Bret
8 o'clock, you're getting home at 2 a.m.
00:23:32
Savage Boston
It's going to be sick.
00:23:34
Bret
Like, it's just it's not happening.
00:23:36
Bret
And we'll see. This is a shirt and hat game.
00:23:36
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:23:38
Savage Boston
I think, but but but back to the point, back to the point with Buffalo, I think Buffalo is dangerous.
00:23:41
Bret
This is a shirt and hat game.
00:23:45
Savage Boston
And I think they've had weird hiccups this year. Like they could be 11-2 right now too. And then you'd be like, shit, this is a crazy game. You know, but like they're what? Eight and four. If you beat Buffalo, apparently in that game, you're, you, you clinched AFC East, which is amazing.
00:24:01
Savage Boston
um But like with Buffalo, the dangerous part about Buffalo is I don't think, well, A, i don't think their defense is that good.
00:24:01
Bret
Yeah.
00:24:09
Savage Boston
They're okay. And that's, that hurts them. Their defense isn't great. But on offense, it's like they pound the rock and, And they have James Cook, who's a very good running back. And that is they just bludgeoned the Steelers. I mean, they just smashed them. know Steelers' offense was horrible, but they got ran over by the Steelers. They ran over the Steelers. And then obviously with Josh Allen, like you just don't know. Like he gets out of the pocket. He runs the ball. He's a monster. And he's still, no matter what, he's hard to stop.
00:24:36
Savage Boston
No matter, unless he's injured, he's hard to stop.
00:24:39
Bret
No, he's definitely – he's always going to be a threat, and you're right. The running game that they have with James Cook is a concern, especially, again, not having Milton Williams. It's just – it's noticeable. So I am concerned about their ability to run the ball, and I'm always concerned about Josh Allen's just ability to make a freakish play and, you know – put them team on his back and just go ahead and try win a game.
00:25:03
Bret
The other thing I will say about Josh Allen is he's also been like reverting back to some of his bad habits and just giving away brutal turnovers. Like even in that Pittsburgh game, he just gave away like a brutal turnover.
00:25:13
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:25:15
Bret
We threw it right to the guy. So I still think you're, you're good to get some of those.
00:25:17
Savage Boston
Yeah. He's been worse.
00:25:21
Bret
And then I agree about Baltimore. Baltimore just doesn't look like the Baltimore of old So, yeah, if you look down the stretch, our final four matchups, this matchup coming up against the Bills is going to be the one that's the most concerning for us on and going to be our toughest opponent, I would imagine.
00:25:38
Bret
I do know that Baltimore game is away. So that is a little bit tough, but we're a better road team right now this year than we
Defensive Strategies and NFL Matchups Preview
00:25:46
Bret
are home team. So. You know, I think ultimately it's it's going to be a huge test and we'll see what ends up happening.
00:25:47
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:25:54
Bret
I think my overriding concern here with regards to the team and something that we need to, again, work on red zone offense, red zone defense, you know, we're one of the worst teams when it comes to red zone defense.
00:26:05
Savage Boston
Yeah, it's better.
00:26:07
Bret
Like we just can't stop teams when it gets in the red zone, which is highly concerning. And then from an offensive side of things, we're just not as efficient as we should be. And, And that part I don't quite understand. i think it kind of lends itself a little bit to the play calling and Josh.
00:26:24
Bret
And we talked about that before. I'd rather them trust more in Drake May to make the decision than to just try to run it because we're just not a running team when you got to have it. But that is the biggest concern I have down the stretch. Can we clean up that part of the ball?
00:26:40
Bret
Because that is where we're letting teams back in and we're not closing the door. Like just can't have those happen.
00:26:48
Savage Boston
Now, why can't they run for one yard when they need to run for one yard? This is like my – it's just killing me. I mean, like they got to improve the run block and the run blocking at some point. Like when when they line up to get one and teams know they need one, they can't get it.
00:27:09
Bret
Yeah.
00:27:09
Savage Boston
has It's been weeks I feel like. They they run this weird ah little – So Reed, draw, i don't know, their RPOs to Ramondre, just constantly getting stuff. I don't, in those situations, I would just put in Travion. I know Ramondre is supposed to be bigger or more explosive. i just don't see it. I haven't seen him run that way. yeah He had a nice wide open reception. Drake found him and he rumbled down the field because he was wide open, but I just don't see a lot from him right now.
00:27:36
Savage Boston
And at least with Travion, like, you get a lot of burst. And I think he hits a hole better right now. He's he's hitting a hole. He's fresher. So, yeah, i don't I don't know. I wouldn't have Ramondre in the goal line. I would have Travion. think it's a real problem. You're going to get in the postseason and be like, again, we said, like, why don't just roll out Drake?
00:27:54
Savage Boston
Play action. Roll him out.
00:27:54
Bret
Yeah.
00:27:55
Savage Boston
Put him in space.
00:27:55
Bret
Well, see, that's where I'm looking at from getting a guy like Travion in. it na no he He's more of a dual threat than Ramondre. Like, he really is. So he's more of a dual threat.
00:28:07
Bret
I agree with getting Henderson in. And then, yeah, Drake May is extremely lethal when he's rolling out of the pocket. So you can absolutely put him in and like run him out, and he could either run it in or he could throw it.
00:28:20
Bret
And I have no problem with that guy throwing him backside across the field because he clearly has the arm strength and the accuracy that even if you rolled him out, but you had someone else on the backside doing a slant or dig, like there's still an option there in that play. So I don't see why we're not going to Drake more often. I don't know why we can't run the ball.
00:28:42
Bret
I really don't. I mean, it's just it drives me crazy on the got to have it moments. I've been preaching all year about running and that we can't abandon the run. We need to stick with it because we need to have at least the threat of a run.
00:28:55
Bret
But when it's a got to have it moment, we suck. Like we just absolutely suck at those moments. But then statistically, you look at it's like our efficiency on third down conversions. It's like amazing when we decide to throw it to Diggs or Henry.
00:29:10
Savage Boston
It's because Drake May is the MVP.
00:29:13
Bret
Yeah.
00:29:13
Savage Boston
i mean but I mean, period. It's like literally – I said that too.
00:29:16
Bret
But Diggs and Henry...
00:29:17
Savage Boston
I was like they're better on – dude, they're better on third and eight. sure Someone has this metric. They're better on third and eight than third and one.
00:29:23
Bret
yeah
00:29:23
Savage Boston
Like they can't convert third and one, but Drake can convert every fucking third and long.
00:29:28
Bret
And that's what I look at and say, why are we not trusting our team to go out here and let Drake make the throw? Because I trust that to happen, and I trust Diggs and Henry to make the play.
00:29:39
Bret
Now, mind you, I just criticized Red Zone, and Henry had a clear drop where i hit him, like, in the head that Drake threw right before.
00:29:45
Savage Boston
Oh, that's right.
00:29:46
Bret
So, but...
00:29:48
Savage Boston
And then they got one called back where Hunter, that should have been Drake's, it's collusion, dude. That should have been Drake's 300-yard game with a touchdown, and they got like an illegal motion. I was like, collusion.
00:29:59
Savage Boston
It's like 11 at night, no one's watching anymore, and I'm just pissed.
00:29:59
Bret
Yeah.
00:30:02
Savage Boston
I was like, that was it. That was the 300-yard game.
00:30:06
Bret
But then, so then reverse it to the other side of the game, right? Defensive side. And again, red zone defense, it's a problem. What are you what are you seeing from a red zone defense that we need to clean up? Like, what's our issue there? Because we seem to do well with regards to points per game, and we're doing well stopping them from getting in the red zone.
00:30:25
Bret
ah But when they're in the red zone, we're the worst team in the league.
00:30:29
Savage Boston
I honestly don't know. It's got to be scheme or even play calls. like Sometimes they call like a random zero blitz. You're like, why don't they, why'd they do that? You know, like it's, it's when they dial it up, it just, sometimes it doesn't work, but I know it's hard to, it's hard to nitpick it when most of the time they're, they're playing pretty well. And and I know like you wish this was like, oh, they played some insanely amazing schedule and they're still 11 and two and everyone wants you know People online now, this is what they do.
00:31:00
Savage Boston
like They create their own narratives ah around players, around teams. and you Now it's going to be like, this is like, again, what Felger did forever. like You basically can't root against one team.
00:31:11
Savage Boston
you're like They're never going win. They suck. and like the The Patriots this year could get the AFC championship. and If they lose, someone's going like, look, I told you they were fake. well they They weren't fake. like Sometimes you lose games.
00:31:23
Savage Boston
There's 32 teams.
00:31:23
Bret
Yeah,
00:31:25
Savage Boston
Like, it
Media Influence on Sports Perceptions
00:31:26
Savage Boston
doesn't mean you're fake. Like, if you get to a championship game, you're a good team. Like, that means you're a good team. No, you didn't win it, but you're a good team. Like, I just think it's odd, the dialogue. Like, again, the Cam Newton weird dialogue about fool's gold and and and saying they're fake.
00:31:40
Bret
yeah i don't know. don't know why.
00:31:41
Savage Boston
Like, I don't know why he fucking hates Drake. I don't i don't know. It's such a weird thing.
00:31:47
Bret
Yeah, I don't know why he's trolling at all. It's the it's such an odd thing, too, because Drake was clearly a kid that grew up a Panthers fan and grew up a fan of Cam Newton.
00:31:53
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:31:59
Bret
And Cam Newton played for the Patriots, by all accounts, like pretty well received, seemed to like it here. why he's deciding to troll on the Patriots and act like they're not good is beyond me.
00:32:12
Bret
Like, I just don't know.
00:32:13
Savage Boston
I don't Yeah.
00:32:14
Bret
The only thing that I can think of, and I know Murray came up with it the other day, is this is an ESPN narrative that you're trying to push out there.
00:32:14
Savage Boston
yeah
00:32:21
Bret
to basically drum up the Pats fans and the drama on the Boston side of things because they look at a guy like Drake May, who's similar to Tatum, like a ho-hum guy, like not a flashy guy, just goes out there, does his job, goes home and calls it a day.
00:32:37
Bret
And they're just drumming up the narrative. And i Joe Murray did this like last week. I forget what it was, but and he was just that was his take on the Cam Newton you know situation – It's an ESPN narrative that they're pushing out.
00:32:51
Bret
That's the only thing that would make any sense. It just doesn't stack outside of that.
00:32:53
Savage Boston
No, I don't – I'm not – listen, I don't know guys that work at ESPN that like – I don't know the depths of ESPN creating narratives. i don't know if it's like there's producers in the back who say, all right, like here's what we're going to drum up today or you know what I mean? Or is it literally these guys? Like Cam, I don't know.
00:33:17
Savage Boston
I don't know if Cam is a guy that's a well-reasoned person. Is Cam Newton a logical person? Is he well-reasoned?
00:33:24
Bret
Probably not.
00:33:25
Savage Boston
Can he create a coherent argument?
00:33:25
Bret
No.
00:33:29
Savage Boston
Can he defend a position? Can Cam say something like Drake's not a good deep ball? Like, so Damian Woody said, Drake's the best deep ball thrower in the league with, you have real statistics. statistics he's amazing He's been amazing throwing the past 20 yards. One of the best in history. And Cam had a 90-second segment about, like, you don't tell me.
00:33:51
Savage Boston
And it it was not, it was like, he didn't have any substance to it. So if they want to put this guy on television and have him ramble about nothing, that's their priority. Like that's, ah that's what yeah ESPN want. Like someone you're telling me the, the higher ups that look at that and say, yep, that's what I want.
00:34:06
Savage Boston
I want Cam Newton up there just saying silly stuff and making everyone pissed. If that's what they want, it's then we've come just full rage bait everywhere. Like, is there, is there a medium now that's not just rage bait being serious? Is there a, is there a medium, ah whether it's tick tock Twitter, you know, all of it, like, and I'm not saying I'm, I'm,
00:34:29
Savage Boston
not guilty sometimes either. Like that's part of like, is there a medium that's just professionalism or doing due diligence? Is it, you have to go deep dive podcasts for like 90 minute conversations. Like that's how you get something real. but Like this ESPN, like rage bait now,
00:34:46
Savage Boston
maybe created by CNN 20 years ago. i what i don't know. like But um'm I'm sick of it. I don't know anyone who watches it, frankly. I like a couple of the shows. a couple guy i like Dan Rovlovsky. I think Dan likes football. Dan watches tape. You know I mean? like I like guys who actually like football or they like players. They want to watch good tape. they want to be They want to analyze tape. like they They believe in people. Just this silly like Stephen A. Smith again being like, a like oh, Drake May is a liar.
00:35:16
Savage Boston
Shut the fuck up, dude. shot the Are you that fucking self-absorbed?
00:35:19
Bret
Yeah.
00:35:22
Savage Boston
And the answer is yes, he probably is. It's fucking embarrassing. It's embarrassing.
00:35:28
Bret
Well, it's a the reality is, and and I know there's clickbait. It's all clickbait, right? That's all that they're looking for. The reels, the hot takes, it's all to try and drum up attention, which in their business, that's what drives the views and their viewership drives their revenue.
00:35:37
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:35:43
Savage Boston
Revenue.
00:35:46
Bret
So it's it all makes sense for why it happens. But it's just, again, the whole Cam Newton side of things, it just doesn't stack up. Like I don't understand...
00:35:58
Bret
where it's coming from, why it was coming from. So I'll buy into that theory
Podcast Conclusion and Future Outlook
00:36:03
Bret
either way.
00:36:03
Savage Boston
That they're telling him like, hey, like let's keep keep at this angle.
00:36:03
Bret
Yeah.
00:36:06
Savage Boston
Like you think it's that?
00:36:08
Bret
The, the thing I'm most impressed about all of it is how Drake may is just such a grounded 23 year old kid.
00:36:17
Savage Boston
wild.
00:36:17
Bret
Who's like top of the world right now in the NFL. It's just, it's next level. So I don't know.
00:36:24
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:36:26
Bret
Thank God we have a quarterback.
00:36:26
Savage Boston
It's... Well, I know. no it's a Yeah. It's amazing. I don't... I don't know. I get, I get, I get sick of every, every, not every medium is supposed to be rage bait.
00:36:38
Savage Boston
Like, and, and people have discovered, I don't know when they figured it out, but they discovered that rage and outrage sells tickets, outrage sells, it gets eyeballs. And it's like, you can't have ah can you have a substantive show? Can you have something that people want to watch? It's actually high quality.
00:36:56
Savage Boston
And that's, that's the hard part. That's the difference. And, and certainly whatever it is, Stephen A. Smith and Cam Newton are doing on that show, uh, is not that. So, you know, not like they're going listen to this podcast and, and get mad.
00:37:11
Savage Boston
They're never going to hear this. I, or at least I really doubt it, but, um,
00:37:16
Bret
way.
00:37:16
Savage Boston
But yeah, I think it's embarrassing. i think it's really embarrassing for them personally to try to drum up of a fake conflict with a 23-year-old who's trying to win football games. Like I said, it's embarrassing it's truly embarrassing to me.
00:37:29
Savage Boston
So anyway. ah So we have bye week next week. um I think we'll still be doing a pod. I assume next week, Brett probably won't be here. Rare mess for Brett who is doing something fun.
00:37:44
Savage Boston
And then, ah yeah, maybe we'll have snooty back and see who else wants to come on. So we'll see how it goes. But so no game knows, no score prediction, but I think we're all a little under our predictions this week. The Patriots beat them by a little more than we thought. I would, I thought it was going be a closer game.
00:38:00
Bret
Well, so let's have a fun one because there is a marquee matchup that we have to figure out and see what happens.
00:38:04
Savage Boston
Yeah. <unk> gonna Which one?
00:38:07
Bret
So there's there's probably about two games that I would say are marquee, right? You got Bengals-Bills, which Bengals are coming on. you got Borough. It's got to have it for them.
00:38:18
Savage Boston
like that I like that. like that.
00:38:19
Bret
So Bengals-Bills. And then you got Texans Chiefs. lot of implications. That game is essentially win or go home type game. So.
00:38:30
Savage Boston
so to touch, so touching on the Texas chiefs, cause that to me is just an amazing game. Like I really, don't, is that a one o'clock? Is that a four o'clock?
00:38:36
Bret
No, that's primetime 820.
00:38:38
Savage Boston
Oh my God. Is it?
00:38:39
Bret
They were hyping it up. If you watch the Washington Denver all Sunday night, they're like next week, next week, next week.
00:38:45
Savage Boston
Oh my God.
00:38:46
Bret
it's That's primetime.
00:38:46
Savage Boston
love that. I'll actually be able to watch the game. Great. Um, versus if it's at like four o'clock with the, with the kids, like I can't, like, it's so dicey whether you can watch the game or not, but, uh,
00:38:57
Bret
Yeah. Quick corrections. No one wants to go to an eight o'clock game. Everyone loves watching an eight o'clock game at home.
00:39:02
Savage Boston
Sitting on your couch and chilling and yeah, hundred percent. So absolutely watching that. um I think the Texans are going to beat them. And I think it's, I think the chiefs are an easier bet because it's my home's winter go home situation. And it's in Arrowhead, I believe.
00:39:17
Bret
Yeah, it is.
00:39:17
Savage Boston
um And the all the remaining chiefs games are, or in arrowhead that are important games. So, but I think the Texans are coming on.
00:39:23
Bret
hmm.
00:39:26
Savage Boston
Their defense is really, really good, really, really strong. And the chiefs are down. They're starting at left and right tackle. Like I just, I don't know. I think my home is going to get hit a bunch and we'll see, but I'm going to go, I'm going to go Texans in that. And i hope the Texans win. I'll be rooting for them in this game.
00:39:45
Savage Boston
um But that'll, that should be like a nail biter. I think.
00:39:49
Bret
Daniel Passamanecki, bills.
00:39:51
Savage Boston
Bengals, Bills, ah man, i'm so I would be so tempted to take the Bengals.
00:39:54
Bret
Daniel
00:39:57
Savage Boston
I just just like some Joe Burrow magic while he's like already basically out of the playoff race.
00:39:58
Bret
Passamanecki,
00:40:02
Savage Boston
um Or maybe not because that conference is horrible. um But. Yeah, I think – let's see. I mean it's possible the Bills come out and absolutely bludgeon the Bengals and run for 300 yards and you're like, okay. So, you know what i mean? That could be tough to keep them down. So, I don't – geez, on the prediction of that, I would say Bills probably take that game home. But I'd be looking for the Bengals to make it interesting.
00:40:26
Bret
Yeah, I mean, i think that one's going a high-scoring game because, again, the Bengals have shown their ability to be a high-scoring team, and I think Barrow's coming on. So I think that's going to be ah a shootout.
00:40:37
Bret
But with it being in Buffalo, I think Buffalo takes the win.
00:40:41
Savage Boston
Yeah.
00:40:41
Bret
And I agree, man. I've watched the last couple of weeks with the Texans. That team is clicking, right? they're one of ah They're one of the hottest teams right now. Right so ah right outside of the Patriots because the Broncos are just barely beating teams.
00:40:55
Bret
The Texans are coming out there, man, and they just look like a well-rounded, really good team. I think C.J. Stroud, while he's not as flashy as he was earlier on, i mean, he still is a solid QB, and that defense is just – D'Amico Ryan, man, he's he's got that defense flying.
00:41:13
Savage Boston
if If Stroud comes back to a a reasonable level of play, that team is extremely dangerous. It's really if Stroud just doesn't return to what he did with his rookie year I forget which year.
00:41:19
Bret
Yeah, right.
00:41:25
Savage Boston
think it was his rookie year. But he came out so hot and then obviously things kind of settled for him. But if they play reasonable football, they're such a tough team.
00:41:35
Savage Boston
And then we'll see if the Chiefs lose that game. It's... I think pretty over for that, you know, pretty much over. Like even if they went out, it's yeah, it's almost over statistically.
00:41:42
Bret
I feel like statistically and it would be. Yeah. Like I just look at that and say, well, like how could they come from behind on that one?
00:41:53
Bret
At that point you're six and seven.
00:41:55
Savage Boston
They would be 10 and they'd be 10 and seven. They'd have to finish 10 and seven, but then they'd still be behind the Texans behind like the jet. Like they would have to have a lot of things go right almost perfectly, but they, they might,
00:42:07
Savage Boston
be out of it. So that would be, that would be fascinating to me. The Mahomes team missing and all this stuff that comes up.
00:42:12
Bret
Yeah. I mean, hey, the Jags look at another. This is going to interesting matchups. You got the Jags going against the Colts. So and Daniel Jones did not look good with the freaking fractured.
00:42:20
Savage Boston
Yeah. That's a big matchup.
00:42:25
Savage Boston
Colts are on the downside. They've lost two in a row you know?
00:42:29
Bret
Sauce Gardner is not going to be in that game.
00:42:31
Savage Boston
Yeah. lot of drama. So we got a good week.
00:42:32
Bret
So.
00:42:33
Savage Boston
ah I'll still, we'll still be watching some football. That's for certain. All right.
00:42:37
Bret
I mean, hey, it's the second sunday second Sunday in a row.
00:42:38
Savage Boston
Well, we'll end it here. yeah And we'll, we'll be going to the paths in two weeks. So that should be a blast. So, all right. Thanks guys for tuning in. We'll catch you next time. Peace.
00:42:48
Bret
Peace.