Has your opinion changed on the Patriots?

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Has your opinion changed on the Patriots? How many wins? Has Gonzalez and the defense changed your win total?

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00:00or extraordinary play of Christian Gonzalez for that football team on Sunday.

00:06And I will say this, because you brought it up, has my opinion changed?

00:11My opinion has changed, and I think they'll go over the four and a half wins,

00:16but if they do, it's going to be because of their defense.

00:19All because of defense, or mostly because of defense.

00:22Or could you say the offense isn't killing them anymore?

00:26Yeah, the offense is not going to make any mistakes.

00:28I don't know if Ramondre Stevenson's going to be able to, I know Mayo said we're going to run,

00:32run, run, but I think defenses are going to do their best to try to slow that down.

00:38But it's really going to be about their defense, and if they do go over four and a half wins,

00:43it's going to be because the defense carried them.

00:45That is alarming, because you and Chime have told me repeatedly

00:49that defense cannot win football games.

00:51No, they can't win championships in this league any further.

00:55No, they win games.

00:56Pittsburgh Steelers are evidence of that.

00:58They just can't win championships.

00:59That's why Tomlin doesn't want a playoff game in like six years.

01:02They make the playoffs almost every year, the Steelers.

01:04And then they lose right away.

01:06And I would also say that the new kickoff is the latest and greatest way to say that

01:10it's about safety when it's really about offense, because it was 20 yards for a

01:14touchback for my entire life.

01:16Then five years ago, it was the 25.

01:18Now it's the 30.

01:19Wiggy and I were talking about this yesterday.

01:21The new kickoff rule is stupid.

01:23So dumb.

01:24I don't get it.

01:25Like all they do, they kick the ball out.

01:28Nobody kicks the ball in, doesn't create a play, doesn't keep anybody safe.

01:32It's stupid.

01:33Well, I will say the safety of the kickoff is better in the sense that it cuts down on

01:40the distance between the collisions.

01:42I will agree with that.

01:44But the question is, what is it in play for?

01:47Is the new kickoff rule because you want to see more returns?

01:51Is that why you made it this way?

01:53You have this zone.

01:55No, they want the ball at the 30 because they want more offense.

01:57That's why it's there.

01:58They always say they care about the players.

02:00Well, there's going to be a Thursday night game tomorrow.

02:02They don't give a damn about the players.

02:04But so then it's not about the players.

02:07It's more about the offense.

02:08Right.

02:09Okay.

02:09So it's not about the safety of the game, because I believe it's safer this way than

02:14it used to be.

02:16But what's the difference, right?

02:17If you run it, I guess the collisions are shorter.

02:20I think Rich had a good idea.

02:22We talked about this off after the crossover, and I want to see more kickoff returns.

02:30So he made a good point where he said kind of gave him the idea.

02:36If you kick it in the end zone, the offense should get it on, like, the 40 yard line.

02:42So you basically like the flag for kicking it out of bounds.

02:45Yes.

02:45How would I call it?

02:46The John Casey.

02:47Yeah.

02:47When I played, if the ball went out of bounds, used to get it at the 40.

02:50So what you do is you tell the teams, if you kick the ball into the end zone, if it's

02:54a touchback, the offense gets it at the 40 yard line.

02:58That would mean more teams would kick it into that 25 yard zone, and we would see more returns

03:04because I'd like the return element coming back to the game.

03:07And that's why I thought they changed that rules, because they wanted to see more returns

03:12and make the kickoff return, bring it kind of back into the game of football.

03:17So if this team ends up going over, ends up winning Sunday, it's in your mind.

03:22All defense.

03:23It's all defense.

03:24And it has to be that way all season long.

03:26Well, their offense stinks.

03:28Yeah.

03:28I think that's why.

03:29I mean, they don't have much talent there.

03:31But if last year's Patriots team was yesterday's offense or Sunday's offense, they would have

03:37won four more games.

03:39I mean, easily won four more games.

03:41They would have beaten the Giants.

03:42They would have beaten the Colts.

03:43They would have beaten the Chargers.

03:45Those are three.

03:45Probably the commanders.

03:46And the Raiders and commanders.

03:48That's five wins.

03:50Right.

03:50Am I wrong?

03:51Am I being over?

03:52Am I overstating?

03:53I wouldn't say the offense.

03:54I would say the quarterback, because I actually think this is just you're talking about turnovers.

03:58Like, yeah.

03:59And that's it.

04:00Because I think last year's offense, are they ever going to try to throw the football this

04:05season?

04:07At some point, they don't have to.

04:08They're going to have to at some point throw the football more than five yards.

04:15That's why it's dangerous after one week to determine it.

04:19I mean, they lost a game at home six to nothing.

04:22And in that game, Bailey Zappi threw 141 yards.

04:26So, I mean, the Patriots lost how many?

04:29They were shut out twice at home against the Saints and the Chargers.

04:33They lost to the Raiders, a game that was, I think, a four three-point game at that point.

04:38They lost to the Colts after the worst pass in the history of the NFL.

04:42The interception that Mack threw, not an overstatement.

04:45If they just do what they did last Sunday, they would have been a borderline playoff

04:49team last year.

04:50Well, and see, it's about the quarterback.

04:51Because I actually think this year's offense could be, I mean, last year's offense is going

04:57to be better when it comes to throwing the football.

05:00Because I think Mack Jones is a better quarterback skill-wise than Jacoby Brissett.

05:10It's just Jacoby Brissett won't make as many bad decisions.

05:14But you're not going to throw the ball with him.

05:16He's going to average, what, 125 yards a game?

05:21I mean, that's what their passing offense looks like.

05:24And you can't win football games like that.

05:27Gerrard says, I think, that you can.

05:29Because he basically has said that they're not going to throw the football much unless

05:33the defense is able to stop them running.

05:36So, I mean, that is their mentality going into the season.

05:40So I don't think he cares that 125 yards is going to be a stat line for Jacoby Brissett.

05:45If he feels that way, then that tells me that you're going to be one of the leading rush

05:51teams in the NFL.

05:52Correct.

05:53That's kind of their idea.

05:54That's their plan.

05:54They're going to run the football.

05:56They're going to not turn it over.

05:57And they're going to play defense.

05:58That's the goal.

05:58They're going to do what the Steelers are doing.

06:00The exact same thing.

06:01And that'll get you wins.

06:03But that won't get you over the hump.

06:06You know?

06:06Well, right.

06:07This year is a year for the Patriots to develop the offense, figure out the new system, get

06:13it ready for Drake May, and to lean on what they believe to be one of the best defenses

06:18in football.

06:19And I also think, Wiggs, tell me if you agree, it feels like the offenses are somewhat coming

06:24back to normal.

06:25Like, the years...

06:27That's how week one always feels.

06:28No, but last year, who led the league in touchdown passes?

06:31In touchdown passes?

06:32Last year?

06:33Was it Dak?

06:3417-game season.

06:35It was in the 40s, I believe.

06:37The low 40s.

06:37Oh, you're talking about players specifically?

06:39Yes.

06:40Which player led the NFL in touchdown passes in 2023?

06:43All right.

06:44And my guess is, because we were at a period where it was 50, then 55, and now it's with

06:50an extra game, it's still not even where it was then.

06:53So let me...

06:54All right.

06:54I got it right here.

06:55You got it?

06:552023 regular season.

06:57Bang.

06:58I thought it was like Dak with 36.

07:00It was.

07:00Dak Prescott, 36.

07:01So in a 17-game season, 36 led the league.

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