Bedard ENCOURAGED by Patriots Schedule | Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast - video Dailymotion

CLNS Media Sports Network

In the latest episode of the Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast with Nick Cattles, Greg and Nick react to the Patriots 2024 schedule and discuss when Drake Maye could play this season.  0:00 David Andrews Extended  5:00 Trade Judon?  7:32 Schedule Reaction  23:55 When could Drake Maye play?  28:47 Patriots Defense playing tons of ELITE QBs  Check Greg's Coverage out over at www.bostonsportsjournal.com, for $50 on BSJ's annual plan. Not only do you get top-notch analysis of all the Boston pro sports, but if you're a Patriots junkie — and if you're listening to this podcast, you are — then a membership at BSJ gives you access to a ton of video analysis Bedard does on the coaches film, and direct access to him in weekly chats.  This episode of the Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast w/ Nick Cattles is brought to you by:  PrizePicks! Get in on the excitement with PrizePicks, America’s No. 1 Fantasy Sports App, where you can turn your hoops knowledge into serious cash. Download the app today and use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100! Pick more. Pick less. It’s that Easy!   Gametime! Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase. Download Gametime today. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed. Terms apply. Go to https://gametime.co ! #patriotspresspass #clns #patriots ______________________________________

Transcript

00:00 This is the Greg the Guard Patriots podcast with Nick Cavins.

00:08 This episode is brought to you by PrizePix, largest daily fantasy sports platform in North

00:12 America.

00:13 Download the app today.

00:14 Use code CLNS for a first deposit match up to $100.

00:19 Also take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with game time.

00:22 Maybe you're looking at the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight

00:27 year, six years out of the last eight.

00:29 Well download the game time app, create an account, use that code again, CLNS for 20

00:34 bucks off your first purchase.

00:36 Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.

00:38 Greg, we're going to spend a lot of time today talking about this schedule that was released

00:42 last night.

00:43 But first, we have a bit of breaking news.

00:45 Just a little while ago, it was broken by Field D8s of ESPN, of course, former Patriots

00:50 employee that David Andrews has signed a contract extension through the year 2025.

00:57 You're looking at $12 million, Greg, the next two years with $8 million fully guaranteed.

01:03 Your reaction on this deal that was just broken.

01:07 So a couple of different things.

01:10 You know, as it stands right now, like David Andrews cap number was supposed to be 8.4

01:18 million this year, which I'm not all that concerned about the cap or even like, you

01:22 know what his cap number is because, you know, there's value in it.

01:25 I'll be very interested.

01:27 This should save them some money on the cap, about three and a half million.

01:32 Normally, when you get to this point and you extend, like, I'll be interested to see if

01:36 like there's a dummy year or two on this to really, you know, I think it's so I think

01:43 there's that aspect of it.

01:45 I think that's really the aim of it.

01:46 I think a secondary aim of it is to kind of reward a guy who's done everything the right

01:53 way, been a really good player here.

01:57 This is a guy who remember Belichick, you know, pretty much screwed him when he got

02:04 when he gave him his last contract extension.

02:06 He he he he originally Belichick originally offered Andrews a higher number and when off

02:13 Andrews turned it down basically to go into free agency and listen, which he didn't have

02:18 much of a market.

02:19 So Belichick ended up being right.

02:21 But then Belichick was reduced the contract that Andrews eventually signed with the team.

02:28 So I think that also factors in and I think my other sort of takeaway is this is another

02:33 move that I don't think Bill Belichick would have done.

02:37 Not even close.

02:38 I think he would have been content to make Andrews play out this contract.

02:45 You know, possibly even look at him as a cut candidate if somebody else emerges that sort

02:50 of thing.

02:53 But this this front office, this coach, I don't know who's who's making what decisions,

02:59 but let's just say Elliott Wolfe, because this is sort of another Packers type move

03:02 rewarding your own.

03:06 Things are being done very differently around here now from a contract standpoint.

03:10 And I think I think it's we've talked about it before with the winning extension, the

03:14 Kyle Duggar extension, the Christian Barmore extension.

03:17 Romandre Stevenson is probably not too far off, you know, rewarding these guys who do

03:22 the right things, who are good players with you just sort of gets them in the right mindset

03:26 to start this rebuild.

03:29 That might be a little bit tough.

03:30 You're going to need these guys to see you through some lean times and making sure that

03:35 they feel valued is important.

03:39 We've talked about it before, but, you know, a lot of people, some people scoff at like

03:44 the contract stuff and, you know, all the players getting paid, all this stuff.

03:49 There's there's only a few ways that you can show a player how much you respect them and

03:55 contract security and giving them what they are worth is a big part of that.

04:00 It's part of the reason why Tom Brady didn't want to stay here anymore.

04:03 And so I think I think all of those things combined are a reason to do it.

04:08 It's a minor thing, but I think it's a good thing and sort of helps the program along.

04:15 Good luck, Jake Andrews.

04:16 This might be another signal that that front office not necessarily in love with the offensive

04:21 line picks in last year's draft.

04:24 You would figure that Andrews was going to replace Andrews.

04:27 At least that looked like the plan from Bill Belichick.

04:31 Doesn't look like that's going to happen.

04:33 Maybe Andrews, the Jake version can find a spot at guard.

04:37 Also, I think this tables any conversation, any thought about the idea of Cole Strange

04:43 being moved to center now that you're keeping David Andrews.

04:47 And I like, you know, Greg, when you look at this, it's it's the idea of keeping the

04:51 core of this team, the guys that you think are good players, but not only good players

04:55 on the field, but good for the culture, keeping them in house and keeping them happy.

05:01 And I'm all for that.

05:02 I do have a question for you.

05:04 With all of these guys coming back and these extensions now getting done, you brought up

05:07 Ramond Ray Stevenson, another guy we got to talk about.

05:11 Obviously he's still here.

05:12 He wasn't traded on draft weekend.

05:14 Matthew Judon.

05:15 Should we anticipate him getting a deal done?

05:19 That is a.

05:22 That is a good question.

05:26 I think that might be more of a situation.

05:28 Well, I I don't know.

05:30 I go back and forth on it.

05:32 You know, if they don't do something to him before, like we get the training camp, we're

05:37 going to run in the same situation as last year where he's like, I'm not holding out

05:41 or am I holding in just, you know, I have to get my body right.

05:45 All that bull crap when we knew it was a hold in, you know, he didn't start really practicing

05:51 him and was it Devon?

05:54 Who was the other guy who Lawrence guy?

05:56 Right.

05:57 And then Lawrence guy.

05:58 Oh, yeah.

05:59 Yeah.

06:00 Lawrence guy.

06:01 He didn't start really.

06:02 He never got anything done to his contract.

06:06 But as soon as Judon got something done, all of a sudden he was taking part in everything.

06:12 You know, if I were in charge, I would play this along because I want to see what I have.

06:18 And, you know, maybe I think about dealing Judon.

06:21 If you know, remember, Anthony Jennings is back on a contract extension, multi years.

06:27 Josh Huch is just on a one year deal.

06:30 Is this we don't know how this personnel staff, how this coaching staff use Josh Huch?

06:36 Is he going to be out there every day in every play?

06:39 And you know, are they going to deemphasize how much you need to hold the edge and stuff

06:43 like that?

06:44 Are they going to do things differently?

06:46 You know, I would like Matthew Judon to be back and part of this team.

06:50 But I would want if I were in charge, if I were Elliott Wolfe, I would want to see what

06:54 else I have.

06:55 Does he really factor in that much or do we want to play younger players?

06:58 Do we want to play?

07:00 Do we want to play players that have a chance to grow and be part of this core going forward?

07:05 Where Matthew Judon really has what a year or two, three, maybe it's a designated pass

07:10 rusher left in this league.

07:13 He gets hurt more and more every year.

07:16 I would wait.

07:17 But would it surprise me if they made him a good faith offer, a bump to keep him happy

07:22 for one year?

07:23 Yeah, I could see that.

07:25 All right, let's get to the schedule.

07:27 The Patriots schedule releases powered by game time.

07:32 Let's start with the first five weeks, Greg.

07:37 Pretty tough.

07:38 Pretty, pretty, pretty tough.

07:40 Warren Sharpe tweeted out that when you use projected win totals, the Patriots have the

07:45 third toughest first five weeks of the season.

07:48 They start the year on the road at Cincinnati against Joe Burrow and company come back home

07:55 to Seattle to play Gino Smith, and then they go on the road for two more at the Jets, which

08:01 is a Thursday night game and the Jets home opener on September 19th.

08:07 Then they travel out to San Francisco on September 29th to come back home and wrap up those final

08:15 of the five games we're talking about here.

08:17 They play Miami at home.

08:19 Just your general sense of the first four or five games here for the 2024 season.

08:25 So I disagree with and I understand you're absolutely right to point.

08:31 I like Warren Sharpe.

08:32 I like his stuff.

08:33 I think it's smart for the most part.

08:37 I don't I think that I think the opening is I think first of all, I think the schedule

08:43 is pretty balanced overall.

08:45 And if I'm the Patriots, I'm pretty happy with the schedule.

08:48 Let's do what we're just talking about the open.

08:50 I don't think the open is that daunting.

08:53 Yes.

08:54 Do we expect the Cincinnati Bengals to be good in the open?

08:57 And obviously San Francisco in there is going to be tough and they're going to be I think

09:02 I already saw I think the Patriots are already seven and a half point underdogs to the Bengals

09:07 and that's on the road.

09:09 And Cincinnati is always a tough place.

09:11 That's a that can be a sneaky weather game.

09:13 The Patriots don't have many weather games, but sometimes, you know, that's basically

09:17 like northern Kentucky in September.

09:20 So it could be hot.

09:23 But here's my thing on the Bengals.

09:26 If people remember correctly, and I'm just looking back on it, they the Bengals are notoriously

09:32 even under Joe Burrow, you know, going to the Super Bowl, coming off Super Bowls, all

09:37 this stuff.

09:38 They are a notoriously slow starting team.

09:42 Last year, they started one in three.

09:45 Their opener at Cleveland, they got Pollack's 24 to three by the Browns.

09:51 The year before, this is when I'm pretty sure they were coming off.

09:55 Oh, no, this is the year they went to the Super Bowl.

09:59 OK, they they started.

10:02 Oh, and two, they lost in overtime at home to the Steelers.

10:08 And I just want to check who the hell played quarterback for the Steelers in that game.

10:14 It was Mitchell Trubisky and Joe Burrow played like complete dog crap in that game.

10:21 He had four interceptions.

10:23 That's the 2022 season opener in the.

10:27 I don't think they had a turnover against the Browns, but they got they got killed.

10:31 So the Bengals, at least when Joe Burrow as the quarterback, they do not start well at

10:37 all.

10:38 And so I don't mind that spot.

10:40 Yeah, they're a talented team, but I don't think it's overly daunting.

10:43 I'm not like really afraid of it.

10:45 The Seahawks.

10:47 I mean, who the hell knows what you're going to get with the Seahawks?

10:50 Yeah, they had a winning record the year before and all this stuff.

10:53 You know, they got a that's a West Coast team coming east.

10:57 A new coach, a new I mean, John Schneider is still the GM, but a new head, a defensive

11:03 head coach like do they know what the hell they're doing?

11:07 I don't think that's a bad spot.

11:09 The Jets.

11:10 Who the hell knows what you're going to get out of the Jets and 40 year old Aaron Rodgers

11:14 coming off an Achilles with a rebuilt offensive line.

11:18 Tyron Smith could already be hurt by that point.

11:21 Three games in, you know, at San Francisco, that's daunting.

11:25 OK, you know, going out there, you know, but at least you're going out there with off of

11:32 a Thursday night game.

11:33 You have 10 days.

11:35 You can figure crap out.

11:36 And then the Dolphins at home.

11:40 You know, another team that I think is figuring out a lot, you know, a new defensive coordinator.

11:45 The offensive line is in flux.

11:48 So yeah, I mean, on paper, is that a tough open?

11:52 Yeah, but I think they've had tougher ones in recent years.

11:57 So I'm fine with the open.

11:59 I think they have they have a chance to win some games there and get off to a solid start

12:04 at least.

12:08 I think that the schedule is tougher than you do.

12:10 I will say that just from from listening to you talk about it being balanced and all of

12:16 that.

12:17 I think this is a wretched schedule.

12:18 I think the the teams that we knew they were going to play really tough to begin with.

12:24 I don't think the league did them any favors.

12:26 Yes, I get the idea of Cincinnati slow starter, all that.

12:31 I would also mention Joe Burrow.

12:32 I think in two of the last three years he's coming off of injuries.

12:35 He was injured, I believe, last year at the beginning of the season.

12:38 It wasn't wasn't really ever himself and healthy.

12:41 So I don't know how much to put on Cincinnati and just being slow starters.

12:45 I don't know how much to put on him, you know, being injured and not feeling right.

12:49 I think Cincinnati is a really tough game, really tough at Cincinnati to start that season.

12:55 Seattle, I think Seattle, you've got an opening there.

12:58 I think, you know, Mike McDonald, rookie head coach like you have, you know, Smith against

13:02 this defense in Foxborough.

13:04 I like your chances.

13:06 I think the Jets are really tough and the Patriots had really.

13:09 Yeah, I mean, they had difficulty with the Jets last year with Zach freaking Wilson at

13:13 quarterback.

13:14 Even if you have Aaron Rodgers at 80 percent, he's a thousand times better than what you

13:19 had in Zach Wilson.

13:20 They've added weapons to that offense.

13:22 The defense is not a joke.

13:24 The Jets defense is always competitive with Robert Sala.

13:27 It's the home opener.

13:29 First time since Rodgers blew his Achilles that that crowd is going to see him in action.

13:34 That's going to be absolute chaos in New York.

13:37 And then you follow that up by going against the defending NFC champions on the road against

13:41 San Francisco.

13:42 That's no joke.

13:44 In Miami is always challenging with that offense.

13:46 You know, Mike McDaniel and Tyree kill.

13:48 That's always going to be a challenge.

13:49 I think that's a pretty rough start of the five games.

13:52 Then we get to game six.

13:55 And I want to mention game six just because it is our game time hot ticket.

13:59 Houston on October 13th.

14:01 We'll get into Drake May a little bit later, Greg, and how this schedule might lend itself

14:06 to May and when you might think about pulling the trigger on playing him.

14:10 But I think the game time hot ticket is fun here at Gillette early on in the year because

14:15 you get a chance to watch CJ Stroud and with the weapons he has Nick Casario coming back

14:21 to New England.

14:22 So that'll be a fun storyline game early on.

14:24 Yeah, I mean, I do think I think that extends, you know, if you if you think the start is

14:30 is tough, you know, I do think the the Texans fall into that.

14:35 You know, I do think that, you know, and I do think they're a talented team.

14:39 And I think Nick Casario has done a really nice job there.

14:42 I do think sometimes, you know, and we sort of saw it with Mac Jones.

14:49 You got to remember anything that sort of flashed last year that maybe you weren't expecting,

14:55 like a CJ Stroud type of thing.

14:59 The teams have had the whole offseason to pour over the film.

15:02 And I think you saw some of this with Mac Jones going from his rookie year to year two.

15:06 Of course, there were other Matt Patricia circumstances at play and all that.

15:11 But I do think that's very real that, you know, they the Texans haven't changed a whole

15:17 lot Bobby Slowick has returned as offensive coordinator, but all the teams are going to

15:20 be pouring into the film.

15:23 And maybe they they come up with some things to trip up the Texans and maybe maybe they

15:27 come back down to earth a little bit, but certainly for the Patriots in a rebuilding

15:31 thing, it's it's challenging.

15:36 That would be an interesting spot, you know, for Drake May.

15:40 But me personally, I'm I'm pushing off his debut as long as possible.

15:46 And I'm sure we'll get into when I think I would pull the trigger on that.

15:51 You'll get back to that idea soon with Drake May and what Greg thinks the Patriots should

15:56 do.

15:57 The Patriots, Greg, they went to the NFL and they said, hey, guys, can you do us a favor?

16:02 Can you make sure that we play San Francisco and Arizona back to back week so we don't

16:07 have to travel from the East Coast, the West Coast twice, two different occasions this

16:10 year?

16:11 And the NFL said, hey, we've got a suggestion for you.

16:14 Go screw.

16:15 We're not going to do that.

16:16 We are not interested in helping you whatsoever.

16:18 So they are not going to the Patriots will not have back to back games on the West Coast.

16:23 They will play San Francisco, which we just brought up on September 29th in San Francisco

16:29 or where they actually play, as we know, not really San Francisco.

16:33 But then you also have in mid-December, you've got to travel after your bi week, which will

16:38 get to the bi week in a minute.

16:39 But then you have to travel to Arizona on December 15th right after the by.

16:43 So your thoughts on not getting those games back to back out there.

16:48 So my my question is, are we sure that was we're sure that was rejected, that the Patriots

16:54 indeed?

16:55 It was reported that they asked.

16:57 Yes.

16:58 OK, I was just looking to see because Reese is normally on top of this stuff.

17:02 If he said anything about that now, you know.

17:08 I'm like, I'm just wondering if that could have been a Belichick maybe request, like

17:14 I don't know how the timing works on all that stuff.

17:18 I I would be surprised if it was some Mariller is summarily rejected by the NFL.

17:25 I haven't heard too many instances of that, but, you know, maybe that's the case.

17:29 I mean, I just if that did happen, that's that's a tough break because, you know, doing

17:37 those back to back things, it's not it's not really about the travel.

17:41 It's more about like that.

17:43 You can gain, you know, the camaraderie and all that stuff of being on the road.

17:49 But the Patriots will have plenty of chances for that.

17:53 I mean, they had the London trip.

17:55 Maybe that factored into it.

17:57 They usually go over early for that.

17:59 So asking the team to to stay out West and go early to London, maybe they just thought

18:07 that was a bridge too far when maybe they withdrew their requests when it when it became

18:12 known that they were going to play the London game.

18:15 But yeah, I mean, I guess we'll have to see how it goes.

18:20 Yeah, I saw it reported somewhere before.

18:24 It was either this weekend or a little bit earlier than that.

18:26 But Reese yesterday and his post about the schedule last night, he added in there, along

18:33 with his biggest takeaway he had.

18:34 And while the Patriots would have liked to have their road games against the Niners and

18:38 Cardinals paired up so they could stay out West, they instead will be making two cross

18:42 country treks in a season.

18:44 So Reese, again, standing by this thought that they did want those games married and

18:50 they didn't get it from the NFL.

18:52 All right.

18:53 Week 14 by Greg, is that awful?

18:58 It's pretty awful.

18:59 Yeah.

19:00 I mean, in, you know, all all aspects except for one.

19:05 And we'll get into that.

19:07 And I just can't I can't believe what the what the NFL is doing with these by weeks.

19:13 Maybe they're setting the stage for the 18 game schedule and double by weeks.

19:19 But I mean, I think they I think I saw they have six.

19:22 Patriots are one of six teams with a biweek basically December.

19:27 What is it?

19:28 Eighth, ninth, somewhere around there.

19:31 Week 14, week 12, I think is the is nobody has a buy in week 13, if I'm correct.

19:38 And week 12 also has another team, another six teams, five or six teams that have buys

19:45 then.

19:47 This is just absurd.

19:48 I mean, to make NFL teams and NFL players have to play 13 weeks, consecutive weeks of

19:56 NFL football, let alone, you know, yeah, you have the gap between the preseason games like

20:03 the last preseason game is August 25th and then they play September 8th.

20:09 So you basically get like that's basically like two weeks from the end of the preseason

20:15 to beginning of the season.

20:17 But I mean, you know, largely you're going every week since the start of training camp.

20:22 And so the Patriots are going to be going like, you know, 13.

20:26 So you have August as well.

20:28 13.

20:29 So that's like 21 straight weeks of football.

20:31 I mean, that's just absurd.

20:35 And you know, 13 weeks of actual NFL games week after week, including one in week three

20:43 is on the short week, the Thursday night game.

20:47 This is just ridiculous.

20:48 It just, it just is like they might as well just go to 18 games with the double buys.

20:52 Like, you know, right now, at least that would give players a chance to get through these

20:56 seasons healthy.

20:57 Yeah, it's regosh damn Diculus.

20:59 It's a Travis sham mockery, whatever you want to throw on it.

21:02 You can put the tent over the circus to have a team play that much football without a break

21:07 is insanity.

21:09 And I'm glad you brought up the 18 game schedule because, you know, Devon got chow made it

21:14 a point to say, yeah, we're not going to talk 18 games unless they want to talk to buys.

21:19 And when you do this kind of thing to teams during a 17 game schedule, it's just the one

21:25 thing that really is a hair across my tuk tuk is how the NFL tries to tell us all the

21:30 time.

21:31 Oh, player safety, this player safety, that they're going to wear the condom helmets during

21:34 games if they want to.

21:35 Now, all these, all these things, right?

21:38 When it comes down to it, you have teams now playing on Wednesday this year for Christmas.

21:44 You've got 18 game schedules that you want to do.

21:47 You couldn't care less about having teams travel all over the joint internationally

21:52 and how that impacts players and their rest.

21:55 And it's just it's such a joke.

21:58 And we all know it's a joke.

21:59 And this is just the latest example of that.

22:02 All right.

22:03 We'll get into Drake May in a minute.

22:04 I'll ask Greg when he thinks May should start in his estimation, given this schedule.

22:10 But before we do that, let's tell you about game time.

22:13 Hey, everybody.

22:14 The NFL schedule is out, including for your Patriots.

22:19 I know you want to get to a game.

22:21 I know you want to probably go on the road and see the Patriots in some sort of cool

22:25 place like London, maybe for the Jaguars or Nashville or Miami.

22:32 Or how about Arizona in the winter, December 15th?

22:38 Definitely not Buffalo on December 22nd.

22:40 Stay away from there.

22:41 I beg you.

22:44 But you're going to want to go on the road.

22:45 You're going to want to see the Patriots.

22:47 You never know when Drake May is going to get a chance to play.

22:49 Guess what?

22:50 You should go over to Game Time, the Game Time app.

22:52 It is an authorized ticket marketplace of the NFL, which makes getting tickets even

22:58 faster and easier.

23:00 Prices on the Game Time app actually go down the closer it gets to kickoff.

23:06 With killer last minute deals, all in prices, views from your seats.

23:10 I love the view from the seats.

23:12 I got to see where I'm going to sit at anything.

23:15 Game Time, it's right there on the app.

23:17 I love it.

23:18 So which games are your favorite?

23:21 I mean, if I were you, I would...

23:25 San Francisco, of course.

23:27 Got to go there.

23:28 Great time of year to go to San Francisco.

23:31 London, who's going to join me in London?

23:33 That's a great trip.

23:34 Check it out on the Game Time app.

23:37 Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code CLNS for $20 off your first purchase.

23:43 Terms apply.

23:44 Again, create an account and redeem the code CLNS for $20 off.

23:51 Download Game Time today.

23:52 Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.

23:55 Drake May, Greg.

23:56 We look at this schedule.

23:58 Buy week, week 14.

24:00 You and I, I believe, discussed the idea of maybe waiting a little while with Drake May.

24:06 And if you had that buy week in the middle of the year, it would be perfect to kind of

24:11 insert him in at that point.

24:13 Now that you got a week 14 buy and how this schedule stacks up early, what are you thinking

24:19 about Drake May?

24:20 If you're Gerard Mayo and you want to play him this year, because we don't know if that's

24:24 a given, but if you do want to play him this year, where are you circling the calendar?

24:32 I am the only part of the late buy week that I'm happy about is to me, it's provided that

24:41 the Patriots are out of contention at this point.

24:45 I think the week 14 buy week is perfect to insert Drake May and let him have the final

24:52 four games to get his feet wet.

24:55 Patriots are out of it.

24:56 You know, you got two road games.

24:58 You got the bills two out of the last three games, which is also just ridiculous.

25:03 They don't play the Buffalo Bills until December 22nd at Buffalo.

25:07 But you know, get Drake May out in the cold in Buffalo, get them against Josh Allen.

25:14 A couple of times you got Justin Herbert there.

25:18 To me in an ideal world, if the Patriots aren't in contention with Jacoby Bursette at the

25:25 buy, to me, that's the perfect place to get Drake May his on the job training, get his

25:33 feet wet for next year, build some momentum for next year.

25:37 To me, that's ideal.

25:41 I'm less worried about when the right time is.

25:43 I just think.

25:46 When Drake May is ready, he's ready.

25:48 And no matter where you kind of put him in the schedule or try to slot him in, it would

25:52 be nice if you use the buy to have that extra time to get him ready.

25:57 I would agree with that part.

25:58 You know, maybe you give him that extra week to kind of feel good about himself, even though

26:03 it doesn't seem like Drake May needs extra time to feel good about himself.

26:07 He's a very confident young man.

26:08 He's got plenty of swag.

26:10 But when you look at this, like to me, it's just like, is he ready?

26:13 You know, whenever he's ready, he's ready.

26:15 You can argue that putting him in there against Tennessee because there, you know, there weren't

26:19 a very good team last year.

26:20 So maybe the Tennessee game on the road wouldn't be bad.

26:23 And then you got Chicago and the week after that.

26:27 And then you can build into the buy and then you take that by.

26:30 The thing is, after the bye week, it is kind of difficult because you go to Arizona, then

26:35 you go to Buffalo, then you got the chargers and the bills.

26:39 So you're really facing two teams, at least two teams.

26:42 I don't think Arizona will be there just yet, but who knows?

26:45 They were better than we thought last year.

26:47 You got two teams that are contenders.

26:49 I mean, with the chargers, we always talk all chargers, but the idea is you've got Jim

26:54 Harbaugh now running that shop.

26:55 So it's a pretty difficult, you know, first four games of an NFL career, not even counting

27:02 the weather in Buffalo and that issue.

27:05 One thing that really jumped out at me, Greg, I saw this.

27:08 The Boston Herald last night on Twitter, the Patriots have the fourth most air miles this

27:15 season, i.e. they are traveling a buttload compared to other teams in the league.

27:22 How do you think that impacts them?

27:24 Not necessarily the players, but more the coaching staff like this is Gerard males first

27:29 year as a head coach.

27:31 There's a lot of things that he's trying to figure out.

27:34 And now he's got to deal with flying all over the joint and trying to steady the ship, so

27:39 to speak, during game week.

27:41 How challenging could that be?

27:45 I don't think it's that big of a deal.

27:48 I mean, look, I mean, really outside.

27:52 It's really three games.

27:53 It's the London game is the two West Coast games.

27:55 And so, you know, you know, is that tough?

28:01 Yeah, but, you know, I don't think it's that big a deal.

28:04 I think it's I think it's good to you know, that the that the London game is a divisional

28:10 opponent.

28:11 Excuse me.

28:12 The London game is is the Jaguars and is sort of in the middle.

28:19 You know, I don't think it's all that daunting.

28:22 I just most of their you know, they're at Cincinnati at the Jets at Tennessee, as Chicago

28:29 at Dolphins at Arizona at Buffalo.

28:33 You know, so it's really the two West Coast games in London.

28:36 I don't think it's that big of a deal for an NFL team.

28:39 And, you know, look, is it is this coaching staff going to be challenged this year by

28:43 a lot of things and trying to figure things out?

28:45 Yeah, but I don't think I don't think travel should impact that very much.

28:49 All right, let's talk about this defense, because I think it was on the podcast earlier

28:54 this week.

28:55 I mentioned just the murderers row of quarterbacks that this team is going to face.

28:59 And now that we have the schedule, we can kind of clump some of these games together.

29:03 So five of the first six weeks, you have Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Brock Purdy, and it's

29:09 not necessarily Brock Purdy.

29:11 It's that San Francisco Kyle Shanahan offense to.

29:14 And I say again, it's not necessarily to on his own.

29:17 It's the two Mike McDaniel Miami offense and then CJ Stroud.

29:22 Then you look at post by Kyler Murray, not the easiest guy to face because he can extend

29:27 plays and all that stuff.

29:28 It's going to drive you crazy running with the football.

29:30 But you've got Kyler Murray and then you've got that ending of the year that we've mentioned

29:34 a couple of times.

29:36 So you've got Josh Allen, then Justin Herbert and then Josh Allen again.

29:41 So Justin Herbert is, you know, the meat in the sandwich there.

29:45 But you've got Allen, Herbert and Allen to end the year.

29:48 And Greg, last season, this defense was ninth overall in DVO.

29:53 I would say this, if they are a top 10 and DVO way this year, they are sure as hell going

29:59 to earn it.

30:00 Yeah, yeah.

30:01 You know, I could say that's true.

30:05 I mean, and they were also, you know, top 10 without Christian Gonzalez and Matthew

30:10 Judon.

30:11 Um, right.

30:12 Who we think that they're going to have back.

30:14 Um, you know, I'm, I just want to see, I'll be interested to, you know, one, a few, I

30:21 don't know, you're pointing out because you do think that the schedule is tough, especially

30:26 the, the, you know, the, the open to the season.

30:30 But you know, I do think, um, I do think that there's a soft middle, um, you know, I, again,

30:38 Houston, I don't know how good they're going to be.

30:40 They could be really good, but then at Jacksonville, I'm not never enthusiastic about the Jaguars,

30:46 you know, they have talent, but they never seem to achieve it.

30:49 I don't think that much of the jets, especially the second time around, you know, who knows

30:53 what their injuries on how old that roster is.

30:56 And Robert Sala, like, you know, in that offensive coaching staff, like, I don't, yeah, the defense

31:02 is good, but I don't think Robert salad can coach game coach at all.

31:06 I don't think that the offensive coordinator is any good.

31:08 Tennessee is sort of like your mirror image in terms of, you know, they hired the, they

31:15 had, they got rid of a Patriots tough guy, hard ass head coach, the Patriots go with

31:21 the defensive head coach, the Titans go with the offense.

31:24 They spent money in the off season.

31:26 Um, you know, we're aggressive in the draft, like, you know, all that stuff, everything

31:31 that you didn't do, but you know, you know, which, which program do I have a more enthusiasm

31:38 for, I would say the Patriots and then at the bears.

31:40 Yeah.

31:41 You know, a lot of talent on paper and we got Caleb Williams and Roma dunes a, and you

31:46 know, they have a bunch of guys coming back DJ more.

31:49 Um, the defense is usually pretty good under Eber Floos, but like, you know, if, if their

31:54 program, if the Patriots are moving in the right direction with their program, they should

31:58 have an opportunity to, to, to win some games.

32:01 I mean, one thing we haven't, I also think they got to, they got to benefit from, um,

32:07 there aren't really any bad weather games outside of Buffalo.

32:10 Um, they go at Jack at Jacksonville in October and at Miami, November 24th, those, both of

32:17 those games could have been in September.

32:19 We've seen that in years past where they've had to go there in September.

32:22 Um, so I think they got, they got lucky.

32:25 They also get soft dome teams, the Rams, the Colts and the chargers coming to new England.

32:32 The Rams is November 17th.

32:33 So maybe the weather's still good with global warming, but you know, you have a chance to

32:37 get the Rams are coming from the West coast.

32:39 Like I think those are, um, you know, advantageous.

32:42 And of course we haven't talked about yet that the Patriots got one primetime game,

32:48 a Thursday night game, which almost every team has to get one Thursday night game.

32:51 I guess that, I guess that's not a rule anymore.

32:53 Cause I think there's one, one or two teams that don't have any primetime games.

32:58 I want to go back to your Tennessee, uh, your Tennessee point and then jump to the, the

33:03 primetime idea.

33:05 I think the Tennessee game's interesting just because as you mentioned, uh, two teams

33:08 and kind of similar spots walking into this off season and you couldn't have two polar

33:14 opposites, how Tennessee attacked the off season, how the Patriots attacked the off

33:17 season.

33:18 And it's fascinating that that game is smack dab in the middle of the year.

33:21 You're talking about nine, uh, in early November.

33:25 So it'll be fun to see where those teams are, who's performing, who's not performing.

33:30 That'll be fun for us to take a look at.

33:32 It's a big scoreboard game.

33:33 It's a big scoreboard, like right in the middle, they've had enough time to work out the kinks

33:37 and all that stuff.

33:38 And you know, new offensive schemes and all that stuff.

33:40 Like we should get a good test about like, you know, it's what we'll call a Felger bowl

33:44 because Felger was pants off about how, what the Titans did, um, all off season and hated

33:50 what the Patriots did and just, well, I can't, I can't, if the Patriots beat the Titans that

33:54 week that Tuesday on Felger and mass, I am just going to laugh my ass off in his face.

33:59 Maybe I'll bend over and wave my ass in his face the entire time.

34:04 Oh boy.

34:06 Uh, so, all right, let's get back to the prime time game now.

34:12 One prime time game.

34:13 You mentioned it and it's, it's week three.

34:15 You get it right out of the way.

34:17 It is the home opener for the jets.

34:18 As I said earlier, I think that place is going to be going bananas Rogers, you know, coming

34:24 back and all that stuff.

34:25 Uh, given if he's, if he's healthy, if he gets through the first couple of weeks, but

34:29 it's early enough that fireman it's early enough that fireman Ed won't want to, uh,

34:34 jump off a bridge someplace.

34:35 He wouldn't, he won't quit the season just yet, but, but you do look at this and I would

34:40 imagine Greg that Robert craft is not thrilled, uh, having one prime time game, especially

34:44 it being on Thursday night, but this really is the NFL telling everybody what we know

34:50 coming off of a four win season.

34:53 I don't think anybody would deem this Patriots team sexy to watch.

34:56 You don't have Brady, you don't have Belichick kind of is what it is.

35:00 I'm sure craft is just, just pining for those days of, of Monday nights and Sunday nights.

35:07 Yeah, for sure.

35:09 And that's, that's where Drake man comes in.

35:11 Um, you know, as soon as Drake may is ready to go, um, and to your point, you know, when

35:16 he's ready, he should go.

35:17 I just worry about, I push it off with Drake man, cause I'm worried about, I've seen it

35:21 too many times where the, the bad habits that you work out that you get rid of that lay,

35:28 when you put these young kids under stress too much, it all comes back and you've almost

35:31 like gone backwards in terms of wellness.

35:34 So that's what I'm focused on.

35:35 But like, that's the importance of whenever Drake may gets his chance, you know, if he,

35:40 let's just say it's when I say the week 14 by and he comes out and they go to Arizona,

35:44 they win that game.

35:46 And then he goes toe to toe with, if he goes toe to toe with Josh Allen, who, by the way,

35:52 it could be a blessing getting the bills late because you know, they're in sort of a transition

35:57 period, you know, with the whole Stefan digs, you know, they lost a lot on defense.

36:02 Like you could be looking at, you know, Sean McDermott's a dead man walking if he's not

36:07 fired already by this time, like in terms of where the bills are.

36:12 Um, we'll, we'll have to see how that goes, but back to may, if he can finish up with

36:19 going toe to toe with Josh Allen twice and Justin Herbert, all of a sudden that sets

36:23 up the Patriots, not only, um, you know, as a team and the enthusiasm for them going forward

36:28 for the next season, but just in terms of now you have a face to put on the marquee.

36:33 Like when you, you know, get into these division battles with Aaron Rogers and Tua and, uh,

36:39 Josh Allen, like now all of a sudden you have, you know, Drake may and you know, he's the,

36:45 he's the Hick from North Carolina and you know, goofy and all that stuff.

36:49 Yeah.

36:50 Uh, now you got somebody up there.

36:53 I mean, but he's a good looking kid.

36:54 He, now you have something to sell and now all of a sudden the Patriots are back in business.

36:59 Just you bringing up the Buffalo thing.

37:01 Imagine if it's off the rails, you know, for a fact towards the end of the year, if it's

37:04 off the rails is bill Belichick Buffalo bound.

37:08 That'll be the, for both of those games, the entire game is bill an option.

37:13 I can, I can feel it deep in my, what if Bill's the, uh, the interim coach, they bring them

37:21 in just to piss everybody off in new England.

37:24 Yup.

37:25 He's there.

37:26 So they fire McDermott, the season's lost.

37:27 They bring bill in just to start.

37:30 Um, you know, they bring them in just to start being in the building and figuring out like

37:35 what they need to do, uh, going forward, that sort of thing.

37:38 And he's like just the overlord, like watching the Patriots and the bills.

37:42 That would be awesome.

37:43 Talk about wrestling and he comes running out of the stands with a steel chair and he

37:46 nails the drum on the back.

37:48 Yup.

37:49 Thanks for here.

37:51 Thanks for shiving me in the back.

37:52 Here's yours.

37:53 Oh my God.

37:56 It can't be, it is it's bill Belichick.

37:59 Uh, all right.

38:00 So a couple of things, cause I do think the schedule is tough, very tough, but there are

38:05 a couple of things that, uh, some silver linings.

38:08 First of all, in October, I find this interesting.

38:10 Uh, you only leave Foxborough once in October and that's to go to London.

38:15 So you're not really playing on anybody's home turf in the entire month of October.

38:20 You play Miami at home, you play the Texans at home, then you get that trip to London

38:23 against the Jags and then you come back to play the jets at home on October 27th.

38:29 And the other thing I would mention this from, this is from a Brian Burke of ESPN.

38:34 Greg, uh, he posted last night, the, the net rest differential.

38:39 So how many days do you have off, uh, more than your competition has in a given week?

38:45 And the Patriots have the second best net rest differential since 2002.

38:51 The only team that has a better number is actually this year's Baltimore Ravens.

38:56 And the Ravens have, I think, uh, multiple Thursday night games and they also play on

38:59 Christmas.

39:00 So they have that Wednesday game.

39:02 So that kind of swings it to their side, but still that the Patriots have the second best

39:07 net rest differential since Oh two, which means they're going to have plenty more rest

39:12 than their competition a week to week this year.

39:15 And that is something that is very significant.

39:18 Yeah, for sure.

39:20 And you know, before you said it was, it was the Ravens.

39:23 I was like, well, this is what you get when you're not playing on Monday nights or Sunday

39:27 nights and you know, you, they only have you on Thursday once and nobody wants to see you

39:31 on Christmas or, uh, Thanksgiving.

39:34 And so it's sort of like a net benefit to, uh, being at least underrated as far as the

39:41 NFL goes.

39:42 But that, that, that is for sure.

39:43 Um, a big advantage.

39:45 We've seen them get sort of screwed in that regard, but that's what happens when you're

39:48 good.

39:49 And it just amazes me that the Ravens are better.

39:51 Um, of course I'm sure that nobody will bring up like conspiracies theories on how the NFL

39:57 like loves the Ravens and I mean, it's beshadi for some reason, but

40:01 you got another question for Greg, but before I get to it, check out Greg and Mike Giardi

40:07 who just landed a job, even though you don't like me, Mike, congratulations.

40:11 Check out BSJ, a side gig, not a job side gig.

40:17 Congratulations on the side gig.

40:18 Giardi, uh, 50 bucks over at BSJ for the year with those two guys tag team in the Patriots

40:23 with film.

40:24 Uh, obviously Corrales gets to cover another Eastern conference finals, tough life for

40:28 him recently.

40:29 Uh, Hagerty is, is covering game six tomorrow night at the TD garden between the Bruins

40:35 and the Panthers.

40:36 Looks like Marshy will be back on the ice for that one.

40:38 So check out BSJ, tons of great coverage.

40:41 Anything about this, uh, schedule Greg that we haven't touched on just yet that you wanted

40:46 to mention?

40:47 Hmm.

40:48 Um, no, I mean, again, I, uh, like, you know, I do think, I don't think the schedule is,

40:57 you know, all that daunting.

40:58 I do think they have a chance against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

41:01 I think they definitely have a chance to Seattle at home.

41:04 So you know, they have a chance to start to an L I'm not afraid of the jets.

41:08 Um, and even being there on Thursday night in the big Apple, San Francisco will definitely

41:12 be a loss.

41:13 Dolphins are probably a loss.

41:14 Texans are probably a loss.

41:16 And then, you know, then you have a bunch of handful of games where, you know, we'll

41:20 see.

41:21 I think there's, there's a lot of toss up games for this team.

41:24 And you know, you get the Rams later in the season coming here, you know, who knows, um,

41:29 if Stafford's going to be healthy at that point with an elbow, that's basically like

41:33 hanging on.

41:34 So, you know, in the Colts, you never know what you're going to get.

41:36 Anthony Richardson could be hurt, uh, by that time.

41:39 So I just think in general, like I like the schedule.

41:42 I don't think there are any too many stretches where you're just like, Oh my God, they're

41:46 going to get there.

41:47 They're going into a wood chipper.

41:48 Um, so, uh, I'm encouraged by the schedule.

41:52 I just, uh, the late by is just absurd.

41:56 Don't ever say that Greg Bedard doesn't surprise you out there because we're thinking wet blanket

42:01 Bedard and a lot of people, including myself, look at the schedule and said, Oh, well, that's

42:08 awful.

42:09 But here's Greg sprinkling in a little positivity for all of you.

42:13 And I must say, I must say that you, you've made me feel slightly better about this schedule

42:18 that I did before we started recording this podcast, Greg.

42:21 So job well done, sir.

42:22 I still think it's not a good one, but I give you credit.

42:25 I give you some points.

42:26 Uh, don't forget this episode brought to you by prize picks largest daily fantasy sports

42:31 platform in North America.

42:32 You can download the app today.

42:34 Use that code CLNS for our first deposit match up to a hundred bucks.

42:38 He's Greg.

42:39 I'm Nick.

42:40 Everybody have a fantastic weekend.

42:42 We got the Bruins on Friday night, might have the Celtics on Sunday.

42:46 Depends on what happens in the NBA tonight.

42:48 But everybody enjoy yourself.

42:50 We're back early next week until then.

42:51 It's the Greg Bedard Patriots podcast with me.

42:54 [Music]

43:14 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Bedard ENCOURAGED by Patriots Schedule | Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast

Category

Transcript

Recommended