And a good victory Monday to one in all in Patriots Nation it’s been a while since we got the family together for an oh yeah and belated as it may be dare I say Mr Hart it feels as though there’s a bit of a A Renewed purpose even though
Your New England Patriots have now officially been eliminated from the postseason the playoffs there will be none this season so don’t bother checking your stocking or under the tree Santa cannot deliver a miracle this year it does feel as though there’s been a bit of an emotional sea change in
Patriots Nation or maybe that’s just me because the Patriots actually scored the other night they scored multiple touchdowns and won a football game and after the football I watched this weekend I’m kind of thinking the Patriots may make the last couple of weeks reasonably entertaining to watch
But is that a good thing that’s what we are here to discuss on the latest episode of six rings in footall football things brought to you by our friends at the FanDuel Sportsbook FanDuel make every moment more don’t forget to sign up fanduel.com six rings once again if
You had used my hashtag not just our promo to sign up but the hashtag fade Fitzy you would have went two and 0 because last week I said Pittsburgh on the money line and both first drives would end in a punt they didn’t the Patriots actually scored a touchdown and
Pittsburgh scored a field goal so again I keep trying to help you people make free money why won’t you just take my free money anyway Andy you were a little under the weather and um had been feel you you’d been feeling like the Patriots had been playing we’ll put it we’ll
Leave it at that and you’re on the you’re on the bounce back you’re on the come up you’re feeling a little bit better is better is better adjacent reasonably O Okay sort of um since we didn’t have a chance to connect with you on the six rings postgame show or on the
Radio over the weekend let’s get a chance to uh hear hear your overall thoughts on what was a stunning Patriots Victory or really was it at Acer field at Three Rivers which is also the big ketchup bottle in Pittsburgh yeah I’m not sure it was a stunning win um it
Felt stunning because I think we had been relegated to such piss poor play at the quarterback position no fun no fun sir were the Patriots of late and just the fact that for the first 30 minutes of football anyway and by the way that’s how starved we are I feel like the kind
Of played half a good game and everybody’s excited um but you had plays you had you know oh my God the ball is traveling through the air more than 30 yards and our guys catching it and we’re making touchdowns and you know not just lamenting field goals whatever it it
Just had a different feel and I give bayy zappy credit for that um you know my thing we beat the dead horse energy effort and attitude I thought bayy zappy brought a great energy effort and attitude to his performance I still think he’s limited physically and
Whatever but now the cynical side of me said you were fortunate that you took on a team whose fans didn’t want their quarterback either they were trying to boo Mitchell trabis off the field from basically minute one in Pittsburgh the Mason Rudolph chance the Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer signs in the
Crowd that was that was part of the story of this game as well oh yeah you can’t there’s no denying that if we were to put together like a a power ranking of the five most important players on the field last Thursday night in the Patriots win over the Steelers trabis
Has to finish in the top four he stinks like really all the tweets reminding people that the Bears took this guy at number two overall the Bears took this guy over Patrick Mahomes Bears ah even you know over creeps like Watson over Patrick Mahomes like he stinks like he’s
Really now I understand why Deontay Johnson allegedly threw a Haymaker at him last season because he wasn’t happy with the QB play and also Pittsburgh has a little bit of a coach in the clutch problem playing against Bill bich problem a wide receiver attitude problem because Deontay Johnson he’s a Sour Puss
George Pickins I’ll still take him over tawon Thorton however he’s got a terrible attitude like terrible Pittsburgh Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago looked like hey the steel curtain’s coming back they got rid of their offensive coordinator maybe you know you can’t blame Canada anymore watch out
This team could be a handful in the playoffs they turned that around into wow we’re the first team ever to lose back to back to two and 10 teams yeah and now you’re talking about Mike Tomlin who’s never had a losing record being fired like that’s the talking point out
Of Pittsburgh I don’t think it’s going to happen but this game was interesting in that it was uh how the mighty have fallen oh the mighty resurgent oh they just playing each other kind of how do you put it all into perspective because I do think it’s probably two Hall of
Fame coaches going at it um one of which in Bill bich the the pregame show had to spend time saying they think he deserves two more years we can talk about that later um the other one the performance actually ended up with Tomlin firing questions and the one thing I will say
And we’ll get into it we get into our grades the Patriots fight for Bill bich I don’t know the Steelers fight for Mike Tomlin I don’t know how much fight there is in that dog you mentioned it I thought it was eye openening um George pickin’s disinterest in that game and
He’s supposed to be a building block for them I just can’t believe that George Pickins and TJ Watt play for the same team the same organization and like just great point it’s unreal so yeah TJ watt takes a an absolute like Leen ham Hawk to the head on the first play of the
Game as Zeke runs up the gut for five knees TJ watt in the in the right in the B right in the money maker he’s knocked out basically gets up takes a playoff gets back in the game now he’s in concussion protocol to which we all say
Yeah no doy should never have gone back in the game in the first place yet still was out there grinding trying to battle on wnu all night long to give Pittsburgh the dub whereas George Pickins is like it’s not coming to me I don’t give a
right and I I I don’t know how those guys share a locker room with Tomlin and the whole the dynamic in Pittsburgh is just so broken right now because I think they’re significantly more talented than the Patriots I think they fielded a lot more talent in that
Game than the Patriots did now you also learned as we started that if your quarterback is a dink if your quarterback can’t play it doesn’t matter how much talent is around him and that dra and maybe that’s what’s dragging Pickins down he knows just how bad trabis is and whatever but you know
Jalan Tavi I’m a professional George Pickins doesn’t have that bone in his body apparently because he did not act like a professional in this football game but just for the overall perspective I know the storyline that a lot of people are like why did it take
So long to go to zappy okay I hate to be Mr cliche radio guy but pump the brakes bayy zappy had a nice half a nice half notice I didn’t even say a nice game it was an it was like it was an excellent half of football like he three
Touchdowns the two touchdown passes to like the first one Zeke makes a really nice play and he showed that he still has some life in those legs as well but uh he has now officially entered the conversation of should this guy stick around for next year or you know is he G
To be one and done that’s obviously going to be up to him and we’ve got plenty of time to break that down as well but the two touchdown passes to Hunter Henry were beautiful passes the third like the second one being the third touchdown on the first half that
Was an absolute dot that was a beautiful play blown coverage by the safety Shore but hunter Henry on his birthday hell of a way to start your 29th birthday as well two touchdown passes and a long overdue dub in Pittsburgh uh yeah bayy zappy played well but we started the
Postgame show Andy I’m sure you probably had passed out at that point but like we we started the postgame show you know asking the question I think that was on everyone’s mind like I does anyone know how to feel about this like there was Joy there was actual fun
Watching the game I think I’m happy with but I also know we have a lot of problems and we need a better draft pick so I don’t know if I’m happy that they won this win where was this all season oh you really just needed to switch to
Zappy Billy zappy is not the answer to all of the Patriots als’s needs and questions by any stretch of the imagination but I’ll ask you if you think bayy zappy has played his way into being part of the team the starter the rest of the way probably pretty damn
Sure about that so long as he’s healthy but do you think he now has a place on this team next year and could he be the sort of bridge QB to whoever they draft and develop over time um I think he probably has a spot I mean it’s hard to
They clearly don’t think all that much of him they cut him they put him out there for anybody to have they waited forever before they turned to him there was certainly a hesitancy there um I know some people believe Bill O’Brien hates him and then everybody was like
Look at this hug that they have in the postgame locker rooms breakdown so fascinating did you catch that video of like yeah so yeah walks off the sideline with Bill O’Brien Bill O’Brien has that grumpy like yeah you kids are lucky you got away with this one and zappy super
Happy uh and zappy showed a lot of fire during the game after the first touchdown pass to Hunter Henry touchdown number two in the night turned to the sideline and pumped his fist saying let’s effing go like that signature fire that enthusiasm had been missing it was
A a terrible version of the gritty with Mack and giki and everyone like it was really it was it was fiery and fun but then you get to the locker room and Bill O’Brian and bayy zappy are like hugging and like they’re joyful and then zappy
Turns around yeah yeah here yes Mr B like a very business-like yes Mr belich handshake with the coach afterward even belich walking into the locker room like one of his kids tried to high five and hug him and belich wanted nothing to do with it well because it’s weird right I
Mean yeah you should celebrate it there’s no no doubt in my mind you should celebrate it you you put everything and I do believe they’re not tanking we’ve talked a lot about that tanking doesn’t happen on an individual basis or like no one’s telling somebody not to try and play like they’re trying
Jabril peppers and jany Tavi who uh I didn’t I kind of missed it along the way had twice as many tackles as anybody in the football game um continues to just ball out as a as a revelation on that defense yeah he he has been tremendous
He really has I think all of us grossly underestimated galani Chi’s talents and his contributions to this team this year but it’s it’s also kind of funny Andy because galani Tavi also tried to be part of the solution for the tank crowd Pittsburgh stealing the wi because he
Was the one who was off sides on the punt where it was ultimately ruled false start by Pittsburgh where the center picked up his head and they said oh he made a sudden movement indicative of a false start which he did not he just literally looked down looked up to check
Before he could snap which is completely legal and another blown call on a weekend where referee and zebra controversies are just overflowing like Madness right now uh you know but by and large special teams we’ll get to our grades in just a second special teams again a not so very special night for
Them but galani chvi on the whole he can stick around oh he definitely gets a slice of cake and he gets a he gets to call First Slice from the pizza pie next year for sure but in the end I would say this game was about zappy you you
Mention it I think he brings energy um you I know and everybody’s going to overreact it’s what we do oh Chris shine was right or this guy was wrong and blah blah blah and Mack and zappy I still think zappy I think even his plays I
Think he’s always a hair away from them being picks in the other direction like he’s like he giveth and he taketh at some point um great like that was a stunning throw to Hunter Henry for the touchdown so stunning I would say if he tried that play 10 times I think five of
Them end in interceptions or something like that yeah they don’t they don’t no they don’t end up like that’s almost almost too pretty for Words especially coming from a team that has been so offensively anemic all see I mean my God they scored 21 points that’s eight
Points more in that game than they had scored in the previous three games combined right and I wish they had done something in the second half something anything yeah didn’t like the way that they turtled in the second half no I did not like the ultra conservative approach
But if you go back and you think how many patriots G have I watched in this lifetime that is almost a quintessentially bichi and game plan to go to basically just say okay we’ve got a lead let’s protect the lead We Believe Pittsburgh and trubisky will make enough
Mistakes to help seal the deal for us they did in the end but again the Patriots almost look like they had a half where they said hey guys we actually do have this in us now let’s make sure we get the loss uh so that we
Can get a better draft pick and tried to give it back to Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh was like nah you know actually we don’t really want this win either like actually the refs were also like as you pointed out I I firmly believe if that false start on the punt
The Snapper doesn’t I mean you may lose this football game you were that you were that close so that was a big play whatever but I want to focus on the positives because I do think the energy and the the jabril peppers you know did this for bill because he’ve been taking
Too much flak I don’t necessarily agree with that I think bill has earned the flak he has taken um of late I agree with that as well I also think it’s a good sign just for everybody involved that they are fighting and guys do feel like they got to get bills back and
There is there is certainly more of a cohesion in the New England locker room at three and 10 than there is in the Steelers locker room at what are they seven and six now like you know which locker room would I rather be a part of the Patriots locker room because I think
The Steelers locker room is an absolute crap show oh an absolute mess indeed all right so those are our uh still too Never Too Late thoughts and recap on the game as well any lingering thoughts or whatever has come up in your mind Pats people you can always give us a shout at
Jumbohart at fitzygfy and of course at six rings pod and now it is time to get to the grades all right Andy here on the old six rings of football things podcast presented by FanDuel Sportsbook FanDuel make every moment more each week we hand out grades for the Patriots efforts in
Their previous professional football contest we run through the offense defense special teams quarterback and coach as well it is a win only their third on the season bringing the Patriots to 3 and 10 with four games to go once again the Patriots have been eliminated from the postseason oh my God
Why oh when will it stop poor Mr craft and his preseason prediction wants and wishes they didn’t come true we’ll get to Robert Craft’s words from game day a little bit later in the final leg what we like to call patz perie but right now let’s hand out some grades we will begin
Andy with the offense what grade would you have given the offense def overall so I went with a B here um I’m giving him a little bit of the benefit of the doubt with this B um as I said I thought the second half was not very good they
Weren’t very good on third down um they ran the ball enough to stay balanced my guy Ezekiel Elliott I thought had a nice night but was more impactful in the passing game than he was with his carries um but I’m giving them credit for the fact that they had no receivers
They were banged up they you know the backup running back is it like you’re backup quarterback backup receivers like when when you’re not that good offensively anyway and then all your backups are playing you go on the road and boom you burst for three touchdowns in the first half when you’ve in TR
Trouble scoring I thought Bill O’Brien did a pretty nice job calling the game early um so I I think it was a a good solid performance for the talent that they had it wasn’t perfect I again I hate the second half that it was all punts and one turnover I hate the
Interception was a bad throw bad decision by bayy zap held the ball for a good full second too long that ball needed to get out he took too long on that one so you know there were some negatives there but you won the game and you laid the foundation very early
Offensively to win the game driving right down the field um getting the ball to Ezekiel Elliott a couple times including the touchdown on that opening drive to sort of break the seal there had been that seal you know take the take the cover off the rim kind of thing
So my shot can go in you got your shot to go in so oh and JuJu Smith Shuster finally showed up finally balled out that 30 sevenard play where he went up and gut the football strong catch I don’t know if it was because he was playing his former team or whatever but
Right he had his best game as a patriot so I give them a solid B yeah where had that been Juju Smith Shuster so just to recap statistically zappy was 19 of 28 240 three Tes and a pick your leading rusher was Zeke 22 carries 68 yards uh
Zappy had three scampers for a total of 13 yards as well did move well on a couple third Downs uh as well during the game zappy climbing the pocket and playing well we get to the quarterback grade in just a little bit your leading receiver was Juju four for 90 where had
That been maybe it was a little bit because he got to go back and play in front of his old fans because he spent the first uh five years of his career in Pittsburgh before making his way to KC for a year boy they could use him right
About now uh Zeke went seven for 72 and Hunter Henry was three for 40 with the two touchdowns I gave them a b as well and that’s because I gave them an A in the first half and a c minus in the second half put it together makes for a
Rock solid B the defense Andrew what do you have so I went B+ for the defense um they’re kind of the opposite I I think they played really well I think they did a lot of things well they were good on third down um now I I grade on a little
Bit of a curve or whatever you want to call it because you are playing Mitchell trabis and he sucked and I I do think the home crowd was right to boo him off the field and want someone else to be playing quarterback because some of the throws and the decisions he makes he
Just looks like deer and headlights over overmatched like the game does not come easily to his brain he’s playing football right now in a lot of ways the way M Jones is like you’ve got enough you’ve got enough arm I think trabis has even more arm he certainly C can move
Well he’s very athletic but he’s playing fear he’s playing not to lose which is the single worst way to play quarterback or any play any position in professional sports and the Patriots found out in the second half when they went into ball control play not to lose mode and they
Almost lost and probably could Shoulda uh yeah he’s busted too like he’s he’s dun he’s dunsky as far as as far as I’m concerned in the NFL at this point unless someone else wants to take him on as a Reclamation project maybe his old buddy Brian deall would want to do so
But I don’t see that working out for him at all uh let’s see how about uh defense I gave them an A minus because I don’t even put that last touchdown on them I mean when they needed to get the ball back terrible call fourth and two with
Two minutes left and Pittsburgh Chucks it down the field as opposed to trying to get the first awful like the Pittsburgh coaching gets a flat out f for how about that uh tight end Sprint Out Pass where the tight ends throwing the ball on the goal line on the goal
Line and H Jonathan J Jon Jones or tii who knocked it down I forget who it was yeah it was but it was an excellent play oh no it was Mac Wilson Mac Wilson Jr excuse me uh or senior whatever you call him that that
Was a Mac Wilson play good play by him terrible call by Pittsburgh as well well they have that weird setup too where they fired Matt Canada the guy who’s the offensive coordinator hasn’t called plays so he’s not calling plays they have a different guy who’s calling plays because he has some experience calling
Play like they’re kind of a crap show on offense yeah no they’re just an absolute disaster um Patriots defense I mean the Special Teams which we’ll get to in a minute uh put them in put them in Dire Straits again with another bad play like and the defense did the best they could
Again you’re talking about on offense they were so undermanned they only had three healthy receivers to me it’s addition by subtraction by not having to Devonte Parker out there I’d be good without him the rest of the season and just see them Trot out who they had and
And give it a go with what they got uh and as far as defense goes yeah you know who’s missing you know who they got Christian barmore uh sean Shawn Wade was again uh scratched due to his illness but the bar Moores and the God shows and
The guys of the world are giving it all and then some on the line jail Peppers is my again he’s my favorite New England Patriot 2023 Jawan Bentley’s playing his ass off uh there you know Anthony Jennings also like Josh uch me Anthony Jennings looks like somebody who looks like he wants to
Be a part of the solution not the problem going forward I may may entertain a little bit of that but by and large this defense continues to impress and they deserve their flowers so that’s an A minus for me special teams d c minus I guess I went D I went
D okay D is I mean when you Tai Montgomery got himself benched and waved within 24 hours because couldn’t block on the punt um which set up a touchdown short field for them um my guy bearinger was sort of inconsistent like he’s he’s fine I think he’s gonna be fine like in
The the grand SCH yeah no he’s a keeper his his he had been on sort of a a rise and I think it’s now kind of plateaued and it’s a little bumpy up and down for him his trajectory has flattened out a little bit and then you got lucky
Because you you jumped off sides like the world knows you jumped off sides they didn’t call that necess neily but you got away with one there and Brendan schoer continues to be by the way kind of a penalty machine in his own right can we calm down a little bit can we Cal
Just can we calm down a little bit I mean he’s supposed to be like the next Matthew Slater which in some ways he looks like it the way he works the the energy the effort all of that but then there’s like stupid penalties and he
Doesn’t seem to be able to keep his head all the time which in a core special teamer if you’re going to be that Slater Larry ISO type guy um you you can’t be leading theam team and penalties in the kicking game so that’s another area
Where they need to clean it up oh for sure as well yeah I mean and just constantly putting the putting the defense on their heels in bad situations you you can’t do that as well so uh I was none too pleased for a unit that so much money and so much attention
Multiple coaches millions of dollars and they continue to be last in the NFL I don’t know how in the world they’re ever going to clean that up because it is curiously bad on to the quarterback what grade did you give young Bailey zapper for the effort he did zappy hours back
Do we have zappy fever again in Pat’s Nation Andy I just had a fever in general there was no no need for zappy um I gave him a B+ um again the second half I need more and do I think this is necessarily who he is like oh he’s
Goingon to throw three touchdowns in the first half every week no I mean he was the first guy since Brady and what 18 to do that I against the Jets in December of 2018 um which by the way in the modern NFL is not a huge number to throw
Three touchdown passes and a half it’s not exactly but it seems like a season’s worth of touchdown passes for the New England Patriots which is why this was such a Marvel absolutely um so but again I think his energy his natural confidence the way he carries himself um
In stark contrast to what Ma Jones had become what M Jones had been beaten into over the course of the season I think that was huge um you mentioned his energy celebrating the plays and the touchdowns I think that was huge I think this team needed some of that feeded off
Feeded fed it needed and it feeded so it fed uh fed off of that but you know it’s it’s based again this is another based on a curve he wasn’t M Jones he was bayy zappy and he brought you a little bit of that zappy fever
Kind of energy that at least for the short term felt good felt entertaining it was a Prime Time game where you didn’t have to worry are they going to score any points are they you know what’s the score going to be at nope they came out right down the field and
Scored I liked what he brought to um that process I liked what he’s brought the last whatever it was two weeks now kind of coming off the the shutout he didn’t play well necessarily but I thought his confidence was good and he talked about himself there’s things I
Have to do and if I do when I do I think he said when I do those will be okay he he made some of those plays he stepped up in the pocket he did some good things in that area now he almost lost him the game I still don’t really know full
Credit to Ezekiel Elliott on the tackle on the interception I don’t know how that guy didn’t beat Ezekiel Elliott to the end zone like you have to there sorry your momentum he’s an old aging running back with like 2,000 carries in his legs you got to get in the end zone
To win the game for your team and he couldn’t so bayy zappy tried to give the game away a little bit there but um in the end all total package give him a b yeah I yeah I gave him a B+ as well I think he deserves it mostly just for
Getting the win and for the first half there are definitely some things he could do better but I again I think he’s given them a little spark on offense on the team overall he look he looks the part of a serviceable NFL quarterback right now and I and I do think the Pats
Will be well served to have him in for the final four games and he may just he may just maybe maybe maybe be around for a little while to come as they draft and develop another quarterback or at least that’s what we think that they’ll do
Next season uh again a long offseason to discuss that and finally as we wrap up the grades portion here of the six rings and football things review podcast following Pats at stellers uh what’d you give the coaching Andy so this was the hardest grade for me to think about
Because there was a lot that kind of went into it I I settled in on for BB I give him a b triple B’s BBB Better Business Bureau bill bich um because some of it is in comparison to what the hell I saw going on in Pittsburgh and
For Pittsburgh um I don’t think this team has not quit on Bill bich they they are still playing for him both uh emotionally and mentally and you know doing what they’re asked to do trusting that what he says and what this coaching staff tells them to do can be victorious
Even though it hasn’t been Victorious like I still think there was some Faith there um so I this is a weird one for me like I thought the offensive game plan early was good so bill is you know as the head of the staff he gets credit or
Blamed depending on how the overall staff works I thought they did a nice job starting offensively yep thought they did a really nice job now you mentioned it the the TJ watt thing you know a week after khil mat kicked Mike on Wu’s ass Mike on
Wenu a half week after like three and a half days later and then he’s was oneon-one with watt a lot there was a lot of Watt on on Wu matchups and on Wu won it now I don’t know how much the early knee to the face I mean we all saw
It if the guy asks you yeah these lights are really bothering me could you give me a dark Shield to to play the rest of the game in that’s probably a sign you shouldn’t be playing in the game but oh smelling salt you need those two to wake
Up to get out there yeah yeah go ahead here good luck I mean what are we playing like in the are we playing like in the Kevin green days or are these like the the TJ watt contemporary NFL like attention to you know mental trauma de you know and and for some reason
People don’t seem to care C he goes into concussion protocol on Friday there’s no like Tua there was all this uproar and all that like where’s the hand ringing and the Uproar yeah where’s the fur over TJ wat just because he hasn’t previously shown he he didn’t go into the fencing
Position on national TV or suffer three three concussion I because he’s not a quarterback honestly I think it’s because he’s a defensive player I think if people were a quarter that’s what those guys do bro well no he’s a person too like his head is just like to his
Head is just like anybody else’s head he’s a man with a head and a brain and a future and children and and all of that so yeah how exactly that was allowed to unfold like that and I know it maybe it just looks worse than it is maybe if I were more
Informed the details oh no no no makes sense smelling salt and a a mask Black Shield or nor like it just looks really bad from afar but anyway the Patriots dealt with TJ watt the Patriots started fresh uh offensively started productively offensively and overall I thought the the the effort in a short
Week when the season is over and it’d be easy to just pack it in and not care the care was there and so Bill Bel gets credit for that yeah they have not like you said they haven’t quit on the coach great early offensive game plan did not like the conservative lead protecting
Approach in the second half special teams were lousy but the defense is grinding so I gave the coaching overall a b myself as well again it’s one of those like at times it was a worthy at times it was CW worthy I’ll meet you in the middle good enough effort to get the
Job done as well and Pittsburgh like we said earlier would have gotten a big fat h overall how do you let the Patriots put up 21 points and a half on you in front of your hometown crowd M just monumentally unbelievable and now Pittsburgh is in disarray and the
Patriots well let’s get to what they’re playing for as we get to the Third Leg of our podcast Pats perie what’ you think of our grades overall everybody I thought they were pretty fair I thought they were uh overall not none too not excessively generous but mostly Fair
Deserved and earned as well uh give us a shout if you like the grades if you disagree with the grades and more we of course at fitzygfy at jumbohart here on the at six rings pod all right here we go it’s everyone’s favorite segment where we clean up everything in Isle
Patriots it’s the best of the rest and everything else that didn’t make the first two parts of the podcast this is Pats perie and Andy we have a lot we’ve got a multiple podcast worth of stuff to get to over the next 15 minutes but basically it’s all to me anything else
NFL related we can get to as the week progresses uh but to me it’s all about the weekend now Army Navy was in town it was a spectacular Affair the uh the pomp the pageantry the circumstance the honor the excitement the Americana the just the pride everyone took in it such an
Impressive display of machinery and Manpower and discipline great seeing the energy in the stadium as well people remarked that it was truly one of like the the best times at the stadium in a long time since the the fever of Tom Brady and GR in the in the playoffs
Perennially had hit the stadium um that’s great but the real Rumblings and stirs in Pats Nation came from college game day being in town and they had basically just one game to focus on and they certainly were not for lack of content because both Robert Craft and
Bill bich appeared on college game day Robert Craft finally making his first appearance since the Frankfurt game and the disappointment therein after getting after spending 10 years to get that to uh to get that happening that was ultimately disappointing however all the time they spent to get
Army Navy at Gillette was worth the investment and then some um let’s uh play right now let’s play the audio of Robert Craft and Pat McAfee’s engagement and I want to get uh your response to it afterward all right Andy so some said that that was a bit of an ambush by Pat
McAfee on Robert Craft saying like yeah you know I don’t envy what you have to do this offseason as well like it does he are you of the he knows something and there have been discussions behind closed doors or is that more like well pretty much everyone knows there’s going
To be a meeting and there’s going to be an owner and Coach referendum where they decide uh what the future of football in Foxboro is like yeah the ladder I don’t think Pat mck he knows anything but yeah I I don’t I didn’t think it was that dir
I didn’t think it was dirty poker either yeah I had I had no problem with it it didn’t seem Robert Craft had a problem with it I mean he smiled and shook his hand um and I found this interview extremely interesting in the way it was evaluated and analyzed by Outsiders
Everybody seemed to fixate on that where McAfee ambushed him whatever insinuated which I think all he’s saying is you got a lot of tough decisions to make I don’t NV you making tough decisions like whatever I do Envy you Robert Craft because I would like to make tough
Decisions with seven billion dollars in my back pocket with which to make those decisions but anyway different topic different day um but people seem to gloss over I thought and equally as notable and maybe more so interesting part of the interview when Kirk herbstreet asked Robert about his
Success overall in his career and Robert said people collecting people and we’ve had one of the best here for 24 years as the head coach and I believe that’s the longest tenur blah blah blah I thought it was really interesting that he said the key to their success was people and
The key was Robert Craft having Bill bich working for him I mean if you want to read tea leaves I think you could say he’s still buys into Bill B’s greatness and he was supporting his Co now I don’t know maybe he was just like acknowledging history and I’m connect
Again connecting two things that shouldn’t be connected but I thought you could leave that interview saying oh wow he really supported bill bich in that interview I think he’s keeping him I I I tell you we ran uh polls uh Thursday night during the game do you want the
Pats to win or lose it was uh 72% lose 28% win Friday did the same with Wei in the afternoon show as part of America’s broadcast and it was still like almost 60% people were unhappy about the Patriots winning versus 40% who wanted them to actually win uh and I think as
We’ve seen with polls that you’ve run that I’ve been involved in the station the morning show everyone do you still want bellich around next year or not and it’s been a little bit more than 50% no people want a fresh start fresh change but I wonder if this game did possibly
Do anything to dissuade some people that wanted Bill belich removed as head coach GM and the entire uh you know the chieftain of Patriots football and if this possibly did stir some feelings in Robert Craft seeing not only them get a w but uh in advance of Army Navy so that
The conversation changed before the big national International audience focused on Gillette Stadium this weekend but did him seeing the Patriots like you said they uh the defense is still trying really hard this team has not folded the tent and packed it in does that make Robert craft think okay if we have a
Good draft and we spend some money and we pick the right people to go to battle with next year and Beyond maybe I should run it back with Bill I dare say I think if you had ask me right now just like go on FanDuel and make a bet is craft is
Belich here next year or not I would say yes now see I would still say no but that comment gave me pause gave me a moment to just assess oh wow he he he’s saying positive things that’s not necessarily a full public support of his future but it’s it’s an interesting
Assessment of what has led to the success in New England but the one thing I would say is I think it’d be a mistake if the game played any role in his decision like this is a big picture decision about the last five years the next five years him being 71 the drafts
Like this is more than about well you went out and beat Mitchell trabis so I’m going to keep you now that was a really good win in Pittsburgh Mitchell Tris points Thursday Night Football as Al Michaels and Kirk herb Street watched in awe no no no right so I don’t really
Think it should have any bearing other than the one aspect of I do think it’s impressive the way the team still fights for Bill bich in comparison to what’s going on in Pittsburgh with Mike Tomlin another legendary long tenard head coach so that that comparison is at least
Worth filing away but I don’t think you should make any of the decision based on that game because it’s too big a window like you said if we have a good draft well if we had a good draft it would be uncharacteristically Patriots like yeah
If we had a good draft any the last couple of years my God I mean look at how bare some of the cupboards are yes at receiver and the secondary you know when you’re like oh Shawn Wade quick come back and save the cornerback room like that I mean obviously bad yeah you
I mean Gonzo down for the year with the labam Marcus Jones as well like these are things you couldn’t have foreseen but it’s also life in the NFL a league where I believe the 54th starting quarterback uh went under Center this past weekend with Drew lock taking Snaps
For Seattle like it’s just a bananas year you need depth everywhere side note it’s getting Rod damn diculous as they say in Anchor Man on Panda watch 2000 whatever like Rod damn diculous can can we have any good players make it through to the end of the year I mean even
Justin Jefferson like he comes back from one injury and boom gets hit in the back and he’s right back in the sideline going to miss time like this is why we can’t have nice things and this is why flag football is coming because the league is going to overreact at some
Point to all these injuries and I know people think I’m making fun of this and Ben Watson actually now agrees with me and there’s more and more people that I’m telling you flag football is coming this is not an Andy Hart om Hardo overreaction it is coming prepare for it
This is not a an unsponsored section of the podcast we would call harto where the hardto heart uh does his thing like you first floated that theory here a while ago on six rings I think we’ve even brought it to the fitan heart program on the terrestrial Airwaves so
Whenever It ultimately is take snaked on a national level I want everyone to remember you Hur like with most good football takes you heard it here first on six rings I agree with you Andy there’s also four games left to play let’s see how the Patriots respond to
Coach belich uh the remainder of the Season let’s see what how they’re in these games if they pull off any more wins any upsets but yeah you have to take a look at the whole picture basically from 2019 to present no succession plan for grank no succession
Plan for Tom Brady no succession plan for Julian Edelman no succession plan for James White like the pillars upon which basically the Patriots dynasty was built upon or that kept the engine running for all those years ASI aside from like having a very competitive defense all the offensive issues have
Really not been addressed and like that’s an issue and like Robert Craft and Bill belich are GNA need to sit down and address Bill’s offensive deficiencies as well as the succession plans and and the overall if they can’t come to I think they’re I think each
Side is going to try to convince the other one why they probably should stay but do you think if they uncouple is it gonna be a bill bellich decision or a Robert Craft decision or Mutual I Think Mutual I do yeah um that’s the other part of the game day uh interaction we
Should probably touch into Bill belich obviously um made his pick of Navy which was a stunner I never saw that coming I was never saw and and I gotta say I gotta say like we’re looking for just every little Silver Lining every just little piece of Golden Fleece that we
Could possibly Divine some Joy from at least bich put on the Navy helmet pulling a leite Corso launching a thousand memes on Saturday morning which was fun they were all laughing Pats all the fans there the cadets were cheering that was great uh they laughing with him
Or at him a little bit of both yeah I agree he stole my stick night before Thanksgiving I wore my helmet on Wei on the rich Keef show and Bill said that’s a good idea I’m GNA wear my Navy helmet I it’s Pro you know again like all the
Ideas come from Wei yes uh but of course belich pulling out the Jolly Roger having to give everyone you know the Navy lesson but um here let’s play a little audio from Bill bich on game day uh talking about his football Journey right now and where things are at for
Him all right Andy so what did you make of belich saved for the Jolly Roger and the Lee Corso and all the meming and stuff what do you what do you make of his appearance on game day and where he seems to be following the Pittsburgh
Game well well I mean obviously he was in a good mood and it helps him be in a good mood to come off a win I think he probably would have been in a good mood either way because this is that’s his bag baby yeah this is a unique situation
Army Navy at his Stadium um that’s that’s just gonna Trump the feelings of oh we lost to the Steelers I’m gonna be a kudin for 10 days like it I think that would overwhelm um obviously sitting next to Lee Corso the footage of Lee Corso they showed earlier on the program
Did you see that the extended h like two hugs like Corso was like visibly emotional getting to see bellich well and you realize like that military world is special the football you know it’s one fraternity of just football fraternity then there’s the the Naval Academy there’s like multiple fraternities coming together there for
Those guys and I think probably two guys that you know they’re not getting any younger and sort of really appreciating certain things and memories and aspects of their life even more so as they um come closer to the end unfortunately and Lee Corso the emotion that he shows if
There’s nobody who loves football more than Lee Coro like he is just a an absolute um just a joy to watch just because even if he doesn’t have his fast ball anymore that you know like makes him a little sympathetic it’s have it’s one of those like ah grandpa doesn’t
Have what he used to but like just seeing him makes you think college football seeing Bill bich makes you think NFL so like having two PE two people like we lost Gil Brandt earlier this year I used to always say that Gil Brandt like a virtual Gil Brandt should
Welcome you in you know when you walk into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio like Lee Corso and Bill bich are all-time football figures in America so we can’t overstate really how special it was having them together there for that moment and what a big deal this was
For them individually for the game day program obviously and for the football culture of the Patriots and here in New England overall that was that was great I do want to bring up though uh I’m not sure if you heard it this morning belich did his normal Monday morning appearance
Uh he didn’t do it on Friday we did the typical Patriots Monday here at Wei belich was asked um on the Greg Hill show this morning about Robert Craft’s uh rather Pat McAfee’s were lines I don’t envy your position with what’s about to happen we know we don’t have to
Ask so he was belich was asked you know what does he know uh how you know how do you feel about those cryptic remarks and belich said like you said it’s week to week here this week against Kansas City we’re going to focus on everything we
Can do to go out and play our best game of the year against KC I mean just classically bellich and like you know that’s all you’re gonna get he’s not gonna say like well Mr craft has a right to feel that way we’ve obviously underperformed this year I probably
Could have done a better job with the draft in recent years I need to address some blindsides that I have in my overall program building and I would have possibly even moved on from me before so yeah we’re going to have a t a tet after the season and discuss my
Future yeah please yeah you’ll see that when you when you see Cam Newton back under center for the Patriots come on you know he’s been so consistent for so long in this way like deflecting questions one game at a time mentality why would he break it now like I
Understand you asked the question obviously you asked the question just to test to see if he still maintains his consistency but the finish line of this most difficult season is near he can see it now is the part it’s like when you’re doing that 5K and you pick somebody in
Front of you you’re going to beat to the Finish Line like that’s the part where bich is now he’s not going to say all those things you just said now and throw away like 24 years of a certain mentality and philosophy so yeah this this particular this particular tiger
Will not change its stripes at this juncture in his career or the season and and nor should he because he still has I think that would be hypocritical and disrespectful to uh jabril Peppers gilany Tavi those guys that are still giving him week to week effort game by
Game effort to try to win that game regardless of the draft pick and the tanking and the the the noise ignoring the noise from outside the stadium if he then fed the noise became the noise that would be disrespectful to those guys so he owes it to those guys to try to put
In a 10-day prep period to beat the damn Kansas City Chiefs who by the way are more beatable now than they once appeared I could not agree more uh really really interesting stuff from coach and owner on game day uh and I just want uh belich also in his Monday
Morning appearance uh talked about bayy zappy although zappy has not officially been named the starter for Sunday or the remainder of the season I think it’s pretty safe to assume that he will be uh on bayy zappy on the morning show today he said quote Bailey’s been pretty
Consistent for the most part he’s done a good job of taking care of the ball at the quarterback position read into that all you want folks that’s an editorial note we haven’t had a lot of negative plays turnovers and just negative plays penalties that are related to the
Quarterback back position like delay of the game things like that he’s done a good job of managing the team and taking care of the ball and therein ladies and gentlemen is everything you need to know about how Bill bich feels about what M Jones did with the football last year
And most especially this year as well and why bayy zappy is likely to hold on to the job the remainder of the Season should his health uh and you there’s no guaranteeing that the NFL uh stick with him Andy last thing real quick in preparation let’s take a quick too early
Look at the Chiefs game on Sunday everybody bore witness in what was a massively televised 4M slot on Sunday um very couple of very interesting games uh on Sunday a couple thrilling finishes as well but uh Chiefs bills continue every time these teams meet up we get
Something to remember we have 13 seconds from a few years ago um bills do a great job in Kansas City uh then things change oftentimes come playoffs but yesterday we get the momes Meltdown at the end end of the game cadarius Tony who apparently
Is still on the team so that he can cost the Chiefs games drops balls in the opener against the Lions and yesterday his foot is clearly off sides it’s a defor moment uh now on offense for the Chiefs it it it negates an incredible an incredible play as Travis Kelce was down
The uh went down the middle turned around lateral to garius Tony with a almost like jacobe Meers to M Jones length pass across the field Tony Sprints to the end zone could have been a game-winning touchdown as the Chiefs barely were hanging on against the bills and it’s all negated because kadaria
Tony’s freaking left foot is past where the Cent Creed Humphrey has the ball down like it’s such an idiotic move it’s a penalty clearly um and then afterwards I think Patrick mahomes’s freak out like yelling to Josh Allen at their hug like freaking worst call of the year like
Offensive offsides give me a break bro and then just like y in on the sideline having to be restrained didn’t that wreak to you of being more frustrated overall and not just with the moment and also why didn’t he freak out last week when Green Bay was clearly committed
Defensive pass interference and it wasn’t called like this just has to be General frustrations overall more so than it was that play right yeah he boiled over like there’s just so much going on he feels so much pressure because he’s in um that world of oh they’re taking your weapons away but
They still expect the dinner to be the same quality of food and presentation and it’s just not realistic um but the the first thing that jumped into my mind excuse me was you know this there were sort of the comparisons like Brady always pops up when it’s Mahomes whenever it’s your timeline there’s
Going to be like Brady um I have been maybe the biggest critic of Brady in New England forever I do not recall Tom Brady acting like this voicing this publicly the closest thing I can even recall and I don’t remember the opponent is the one postgame press conf where he
Stepped to the podium and said my mother always said if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all so good night guys I’m going to go home and see my kids Patrick momes embarrassed himself and more importantly Andy Reid I thought embarrassed himself
But I will say bich has done the same thing this made me think of belich the west Welker um akib Talib hit where he called it the dirtiest play he’s ever seen in football in his career or something like so I think the person that comes out looking good in this for
Me personally is Tom Brady because I never saw him act this way even though I know he felt internally that he got screwed and felt this way he never voiced it and showed it so that was my immediate reaction too Tom Brady you you deserve to be praised here because even
Brady has said the closest thing to Brady right now is Mahomes and we’ve all talked about it they roll out of bed they go to the AFC title game in theory although God forbid Mahomes might have to play a road playoff game this year something he’s not uh familiar with but
The they embarrass thems eles late and I understand the energy I’m okay even on the sideline but when you when the game ends and you’re going to shake Josh Allen’s hand stop it say congratulations say hopefully we see you again in a month and a half or whatever in the
Playoffs you got us again you got us again bro I hope we meet again and that as a football fan I wanted the bills to win because a I like Josh Allen but B I would like to see bills Chiefs in the playoffs and the bills are hanging on
For their playoff lives they lose this game it becomes more difficult so they win this game that enables the possibility that I could see this again because the other thing is in a a year where the league stinks Brady was right and now a big part of it is as you
Mentioned 54 starting quarterbacks or whatever the hell it’s going to do be when we get to that point stars dropping like flies I’m sure we’ll get to 60 yeah we need momes Allen this year more than ever because there could be some bad playoff games that continue the Bad
Season we may need some of these Marquee playoff matchups so but I’m sorry like I i’ like to think I’m hoping Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes say my bad I would been a tough year but I don’t know if they’re gonna they seem like they’re going and then for momes to say that
This is affecting Travis Kel’s Hall of Fame candidacy and Legacy because this film won’t be shown and like you took away one of the great yeah you took away one of the great plays of the year one of the great plays in history his stats
Are affected like no it was a great you took it away you your freaking receiver to line up on sides right it like that is something that is taught from Pop Warner On from when you step on a field at 8 nine 10 years old like here’s the
Ball just make sure your feet are me in my Flag Football League this year we had kid we were you know fastidious in our approach to making sure the kids knew where to line up and they got called for it sometimes and but at least when the
Kids are nine and 10 years old the refs will say hey uh you know hey 81 back up up you’re on the line of scrimmage like okay you’re N9 years old cadarius Tony your fundamentals uh your rules and your Basics don’t seem to be uh too well too
Well taught and too tightly wrapped you should probably know at this point you’re not allowed to line up on the line of scrimmage or past the football where the center snaps and it’s one thing if look I I I I tweeted the same after the game as well my immediate
Reaction Andy was um it just makes me appreciate the way Brady went about his business all those years especially when dealing with inferior weapons and talent like come on 2006 2013 did he ever run onto the field and yell at the other quarterback and then carry on with
History onics all the way through a postgame press conference no even though he wanted to he is the big you know he wanted to he’s the biggest baby as a competitor sore loser I know that for a fact but he was able to take a deep breath mask it professionalize it put
Forth a facade of of how you’re supposed to act like those of things whereas momes didn’t and all the way through the he was bitching the whole post game too like it just sideline we’ve all done stuff and said stuff in the Heat of the Moment that I
Shouldn’t have said that H the BET like but at some point the the the the energy should fade and reality should set in and you should like catch yourself but you’re right that was a good half hour of uncontrolled sore loser baby mentality that yeah I didn’t think we’d see from
Mahomes I thought Mahomes was better than that and apparently he isn’t Unbecoming of maybe we were all waiting for that moment I mean you know like that see like and then Britney momes doing on her story zooming in on the ref and writing MVP well see I didn’t think
She was better than that that’s no but now I’m wondering like is that poisoning the watering just it was Unbecoming of the poster boy I used to blame jezelle for ruining Brady maybe I should blame his wife for ruining momes I mean like they’re not they’re not Mar they’re not
Married they’re not intertwined by accident like they the water seeks its own level sometime more often than not I I I just it’s Unbecoming of the poster boy of the league the most talented player to act like that and to display poor sportsmanship now it’s one thing to
Get upset throw your helmet on the sideline break some drop some f bombs but at the middle at Midfield like you said shake hands with him say good game bro and afterward you know there should be a huge there should be a fine forthcoming to Mahomes maybe to re to
The Chiefs organization like and and I’ll say this because uh we have plenty of time to preview the game later this week um I already thought the Pats had a chance to stick around with the Chiefs this weekend I don’t know what the uh you know what let’s take a look right
Now as we wrap up the podcast it’s 10 and a half get out of here I believe I saw an initial number okay I’m looking right now it is down currently right now it is nine and a half Andy okay N I am going to yep money line bet is minus 450 on
The Chiefs the spread is 9 and a half the over under 37 and a half I’ll tell you straight up right now I think the Pats cover that one easy um it’s definitely plausible I think the way their defense is playing combined with the way the Chiefs offense is playing
Anything is PL no I def I definitely think it’s possible and now I also think it’s possible that the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes comes in with the world against him and we’re going to go on a revenge tour I I actually think that’s possible I think there’s a chance that they all I’m
Going to say is now the NFL should be sorry that they flexed this game out the Patriots uh oh do they got something with the zapper and a resurgent bellich wearing the Jolly Roger Patrick Mahomes Travis Kelce they’re super pissed this would have made him more I think now
Seahawks Eagles two teams that have their tails and their feathers tucked between their legs may not be as interesting is Patriots Chiefs that’s what you get for flexing the Patriots out but we’ve got plenty of time this week we’ll have our preview we’ll have our bet we’ll be back on Wednesday with
A mailbag to answer your questions this has been a long super siiz extended six rings in football things we hope you guys enjoyed our final Pittsburgh and Patriots thoughts the grades and of course everything that went on this weekend with Army Navy the Chiefs and so
Much more always a pleasure Andy I know you’ve been under the weather you were probably saving up the energy for this it probably felt really good to get back and connect to your people uh and talk your sport now you can go take a super long nap and recharge your battery for
Wednesday yep and when you’re back on Rich Keef’s program tomorrow night uh thanks very much for everything TP our producer extraordinaire as always and ye the good people the fox bro faithful the Patriots Pals who stick with us and have helped make this a growing Patriots Community we love connecting with you on
So frequently for heart for turp for Fitzy this has been six rings in football things brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook FanDuel make every moment more sign up today at fanduel.com rings to take advantage of their no sweat first bets same game parlays and more with we will talk to you soon we’ve
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