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00:00We're joined right now on a Patriots Friday as part of our coordinator series, Patriots
00:04special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer.
00:06He's brought to you by RATE.
00:07Visit shant, S-H-A-N-T, W-E-E-I dot com to learn more.
00:11And by McFarland Energy, a Lenox Premier dealer.
00:14Jeremy Springer, how are we doing this week?
00:15I'm doing great, man.
00:16How about yourself?
00:17We're doing wonderful.
00:20We see all these various situations around the league.
00:22It's funny how they played out.
00:23You guys had a decision at the end of regulation to go for two or kick it.
00:27We saw it again on Monday Night Football in the Bucs and Chiefs game.
00:30We saw it last night where the Bengals actually went for two as opposed to playing for overtime.
00:35I'm just curious, not that you have a say over Jarrod Mayo in it at the end of these
00:39games.
00:40Yes.
00:41But how much of a conversation is that with the coaching staff throughout the week?
00:43If we're in this situation, this is how we're going to handle it.
00:46Take us behind the curtain on that if you can.
00:48I think with all staff, that's always a conversation throughout the week.
00:53Hey, what are our two point plays?
00:54What do we like to do?
00:56Hey, how do we feel about our field kicking?
00:57And then when you go into games, what's the weather like?
01:01How have we been kicking during the game?
01:03And then it's kind of like the momentum of the game is really the most important.
01:06You always look at the, all right, what should you have done, what the percentage is, what
01:11the experts or the statistics say.
01:14But I learned from Sean McVeigh too, this, and we're working for him, it's always the
01:17feel of the game.
01:18You've got to go based on your gut, based on how you're feeling, the momentum is switching,
01:22how your team is on the sideline.
01:24And I think those are factors that are greatly, greatly more taken into consideration than
01:30versus the statistics at the end of the day.
01:32You know, Bryce Berringer had been having a really good year punting the ball and then
01:35last week, a couple of kind of shanks kicks for him.
01:39Anything specifically stand out to you about what happened on those ones?
01:42Yeah, sometimes, you know, it's a long season and at times you go through the game early,
01:49you get a feel for the weather, you get a feel for, all right, how's the ball moving
01:52in my hands when I drop it from this?
01:55And in that game, it was a little breezy, like at times, and it wasn't a consistent
01:57either direction, it was kind of going both ways.
02:00And that made it kind of hard and sometimes the punters, you know, when they're taking
02:03their steps and they drop that ball, that wind kind of moves the ball a little bit and
02:06if their feet aren't aligned with that, it's like a golf swing, right?
02:09One quarter off, one quarter inch off, one little stick off, one bad swing and it just
02:14goes the other way.
02:15So nothing worried about it all because Bryce is such a pro and he's such a great punter
02:20for us and such a vital asset.
02:22At times, that's going to happen and we just got to grow from it and learn from it and
02:25say, hey, we're going to play a lot more win games.
02:27It could be like that in Chicago, we're going to grow up here in New England right now.
02:30So we just got to be ready to rock and roll when those times come and have a good plan
02:33and make sure we stay locked in throughout the game.
02:35We've been describing Marcus Jones as a weapon in the kicking game.
02:39What makes him such a special returner?
02:42Man, there's so many things that he does well.
02:47I think it's prep, first and foremost.
02:49He studies these punters.
02:51He understands where they're putting the ball.
02:52So he's got a really good beat when that ball is put in to get underneath that ball.
02:56And that's just that little thing right there for him to have a little more space to react
03:01off the first guy he's got to make a miss and get to the returner is first and foremost
03:05really important.
03:06The second thing is he just got that natural vision.
03:09He's got a natural feel for the directions that we're trying to hit, how to set up his
03:13blocks.
03:14And that's something a lot of times it's hard to teach, those guys just have a natural feel
03:18back there because punt returns totally didn't make kickoff return.
03:21I'm glad we got the guy.
03:22I'm glad our guys in front are blocking their butts off for him.
03:25And I'm glad we're getting him opportunities because at the end of the day, he's a huge
03:28weapon for us.
03:29We got to keep him healthy, keep him confident, and he's going to help us throughout the season.
03:32Yeah, he's been incredible.
03:33And I know a few weeks ago, we asked you about him not returning kicks and you had a great
03:38answer about those guys get smashed on kickoff.
03:41But I'm curious, is there an opportunity, maybe it's overtime, trying to start, tilt
03:47the field a little bit.
03:48Now, I know the opposing team might just see him back there and blasted through the end
03:51zone anyway.
03:52But is that something he's worked on at all or is he strictly a punt returner?
03:55No, he works on kickoff return too.
03:58He's a backup for us.
03:59And that's always a situational thing.
04:01We can always put him back there.
04:02But I don't know if you guys saw a schoolers play on kickoff last year, he smashed a returner
04:06in overtime.
04:07The dude was, I mean, it's those types of hits right there that I want to keep him off
04:11of.
04:12Because at the end of the day, he's a weapon on offense for us and he's a damn good defender.
04:18And the last thing I would want is for him to get hit like that.
04:20And he's out, you know, the rest of the season with a broken rib or something like that.
04:23You know what I mean?
04:24How is Javon Baker taken to it?
04:25Because I know he had a return and hasn't been able to really crack the lineup as a
04:30wide receiver thus far.
04:31But how has he taken to returning kicks?
04:34Great.
04:35I mean, great.
04:36He's been solid the last three or four weeks for me.
04:38Just building him up, building him up, getting him to understand what we're trying to do
04:43We haven't had opportunities but one with him right now and the more he gets, the better
04:46he'll get.
04:47I think as the weather changes, we're going to get more opportunities here in the Northeast
04:50and also in Chicago, I think.
04:52So I'm excited to see his progression.
04:54He's been unbelievable in the meeting rooms and I'm excited about the kiddies.
04:57He's definitely a dynamic weapon for us and he'll just continue to get better and progress
05:01as the season progresses.
05:02Speaking of Chicago, it's a world-class city, fine dining throughout the city.
05:07Chicago dog, deep dish pizza, what's your go-to there in Chicago?
05:12Deep dish pizza all day.
05:13Yes.
05:14Not even a question.
05:15Not even a question.
05:16Deep dish pizza.
05:17I agree.
05:18Some people say it's too much.
05:19To me, it's never enough.
05:20Not too filling for you?
05:21No.
05:22Never.
05:23I mean, right?
05:24Even if it's cold, hot, I mean, there's never a bad time for pizza, in my opinion.
05:26If you're sad, you're happy, whatever.
05:27Pizza's always good.
05:28I'll tell you, you're not sad eating that pizza.
05:29Can't be.
05:30Maybe before that first bite.
05:31That's true.
05:32What about this?
05:33The dopamine hit.
05:34That's true.
05:35What about the Chicago dog?
05:36I don't like the Chicago dog.
05:37There's a lot there.
05:38Too much going on.
05:39Too much.
05:40Yes.
05:41A little overrated.
05:42A little overrated.
05:43Yeah.
05:44Overrated, he says.
05:45All right.
05:46Well, strong opinions, always, from Jeremy Springer here on Jones & Keefe, part of our
05:49coordinator series.
05:51Best of luck this weekend in Chicago.
05:52We'll talk to you down the line, Jeremy.
05:53Thank you very much, guys.
05:54Have a great rest of your day.
05:55All right.
05:57Jeremy Springer, brought to you by Chant and also McFarland Energy each and every Friday
06:01on Patriots Friday.
06:02Loves a deep dish.
06:03That's why he's the GOAT!
06:05Loves Springer.
06:06Yeah, Springer's great.
06:07Yeah, Marcus Jones is their second best player.
06:10He's way up there.
06:11He did call him a weapon on offense.
06:14Did you catch that?
06:15Yeah.
06:16I think he meant as a returner.
06:17No, he did.
06:18I didn't press him on that.
06:19But they should.
06:20That's why I have a question for Van Pelt next week.
06:21Yeah, let's do that.
06:22We'll ask him about Marcus Jones.
06:23It's an odd question, Rich.
06:24Maybe.
06:25He doesn't know who we are.
06:26I shouldn't throw the name.
06:27No, he doesn't.
06:28That's an odd question, you host, radio person.
06:31All right.
06:32Well, I'd like to see it.