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Hello, it's Lena Dunham. I host a podcast called The Sea Word with my dearest friend and historian of bad behavior, Alyssa Bennett. What is up? It's a chat show about women whose society is called crazy. We're going to be rediscovering the stories of women society dismissed by calling them mad, sad, or just plain bad.
Listen to and follow the CWord with Lena Dunham and Alyssa Bennett. Available now, wherever you get your podcasts. It is the JR Sport Brief Show here with you coast to coast. on the Infinity Sports Network. We got a busy night.
We got the conclusion of week five of the NFL season. We got the Jags and the Chiefs. We got game two between the Dodgers and the Phillies. The Dodgers are currently up four to nothing. We got a lot going on.
But one thing that America saw last night With the New England Patriots back in prime time and looking good, coming back to defeat. Of the Buffalo Bills. Looks like the Patriots got a future guy in Drake May that the country has now learned more about. Of course, Mike Vrabel, one of the best coaches in the entire NFL, and joining us right now to talk about what could be a resurgence. Of the New England Patriots is Tom Carroll.
You can catch him on WEEI in Boston. Tom, how are you, man? AR, thanks for having me. What a game last night. Absolutely.
Well, I mean, this is something that you all in New England have started to see. You know, dating back to last year into this year with Drake May, but now you add Mike Vrabel into the mix. What do you think America has learned about Drake May? What have you witnessed from last year to this year? I think we've seen a massive improvement for a quarterback that showed a lot of raw ability last year.
And now it seems like he's finally putting it together. He's using that athleticism to make smart football decisions. instead of just being that gunslinger. that we saw last year, that guy that was forcing plays downfield. when his team was down late in games and now he has that year of experience under his belt He has good poaching around him.
And he has better talent.
So you add that all into the mix. And you get what you saw last night, which is a guy playing like a top 10 quarterback in the NFL.
Well, Tom, you talk about the changes around him. No bigger change than Mike Vrabel coming in to coach, also bringing in. Josh McDaniels. Nobody will will kind of scream and yell about him being a head coach, but an offensive coordinator sounds fine. What are some of the differences that you've seen in the structure around him with Vrabel and McDaniels leading the way?
It's just a professional operation now. And look, Gerard Mayo was not ready for that job. Robert Kraft said as much during the firing press conference. about a week before Mike Vrabel was hired. He knows that he made a mistake giving Mayo that job.
And that's a longer conversation for a d a different day. And Vrabel came in and he just commanded the building immediately and he set a culture in place. He Right. Oh. professional coaching staff with him.
Which is something that Mayo also didn't have.
So last year, the Patriots. were sort of in flux. There was some holdover veterans from when Belichick was here. There were a lot of young guys as well. And there was a lot of inexperienced coaches.
trying to establish a culture when they didn't really know how to do that. And there was an offensive coordinator in place in Alex Van Pelt that had never really pauled plays at the NFL level before.
So it was a really, really bad situation. A rookie quarterback and one. If a rookie didn't have the right head on his shoulders that could have really ruined a guy So break May, luckily. is the type of guy that is a gamer and he's just so focused on playing good football and focusing on what's happening on the field. That He was able to stay immune to that to a degree, and now with Vrabel in the mix and everything that he's brought with him.
that culture It has unlocked the guy, and I think Patriots fans are now getting. Maybe ahead of themselves as to what this team could be this year, but like, look, they have one of the easiest schedules in the history of the NFL. on tap.
So it's it's pretty remarkable the turnaround we can see here. Tom Carroll is here with us from WEEI in Boston. You talk about the expectations of the Patriot fans. They knocked off a Super Bowl contender. We know the New England Patriots have been trying to claw back into relevancy post-Tom Brady and Belichick.
What are your expectations for this team? Are we talking about a wild card, or are there fans that are looking at this going, oh my God, we go in the division?
So it's funny.
So before the season, you know, we do a million segments of Oh, what do you think they're going to win? What's the win total? What's the win total? I was consistent in saying that I I said that Six was the floor. and 11 was probably the ceiling.
I think I'm now leaning more towards that 10-11 win ceiling mark. Just because This team seems to be a little bit more ahead of schedule. than I had anticipated. You know, Drake May has looked, like I mentioned, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. And a lot of these free agents that they brought in are hitting.
A guy like Milton Williams looks to be like one of the best defensive tackles in the league. And you put him next to a guy like Christian Barmore, who is rounding back into the form that he was in 2023, and they're getting. Awesome pressure up the middle in both the run game and the pass game on defense.
So it's looking like a complete team and that schedule. Is extremely winnable. And some of those games that were circled. As losses to start the year are now looking like much more winnable games. A game like Baltimore late in the year.
They look to be a mess with all the injuries that they have on the defensive side of the ball. Cincinnati, now with Joe Burrow, no longer in the mix. I mean, there's games. That before were kind of scheduled losses, so to speak. that New England can now maybe on paper Put in that win category to go along with games that they have against the windless Jets, and they get to play the Dolphins again, and they get some NFC South action.
So there's. All sorts of scenarios hanging around here that have the Patriots looking like they can be a double-digit win team and compete for that AFC East Crown. And Tom Carroll is here with us from WEEI. Is that a little bit of a fool's gold given the strength of schedule? Is that going to make fans even more delusional?
So I I I'm usually the type of guy that doesn't like to put a lot of stock into the schedule before the season. But now that we're like a quarter of the way in, it has kind of bared out to to meet the expectation of this being a really easy schedule. Like the the teams that were on The list that were thought to be bad teams have Become bad teams, like a team like the Browns. And like I mentioned, the Jets look. That 365 is paying out before the final whistle.
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Hello, it's Lena Dunham. I host a podcast called The Sea Word with my dearest friend and historian of bad behavior, Alyssa Bennett. What is up? It's a chat show about women whose society is called crazy. We're going to be rediscovering the stories of women society dismissed by calling them mad, sad, or just plain bad.
Listen to and follow the C Word with Lena Dunham and Alyssa Bennett. Available now, wherever you get your podcasts. Botox Cosmetic, Atobotulinum Toxin A, FDA approved for over 20 years.
So, talk to your specialist to see if Botox Cosmetic is right for you. For full prescribing information, including boxed warning, visit Botoxcosmetic.com or call 877-351-0300. Remember to ask for Botox Cosmetic by name. To see for yourself and learn more, visit BotoxCosmetic.com. That's BotoxCosmetic.com.
Just absolutely lost out there under Aaron Glenn. And then you have the teams that were supposed to be good. that are struggling.
So I'm with you. Like before the season, I think going through and going win-loss, win-loss on a on a schedule is a fool's errand. But once you're into the meat of the schedule, I think that's when it's okay to use some nuance and say. This looks like a game that you should win. This looks like a game you shouldn't win.
Well, Tom, you mentioned a lot of the additions that they brought onto the team to help them win. And we know Stephon Diggs back in Buffalo last night hauling in 146 yards in the air.
So far, so good in regards to being in the locker room. And it seems like this is the same thing. In Buffalo, what's the expectations uh w with Diggs on this team? I think what you're getting from digs right now is bravey at the moment, right? I mean, When they signed him.
I think a lot of people didn't even expect him to be back. Until maybe week five. against the saints and You know, maybe this was going to be the first game back, that that game. in Buffalo, you knew he was going to get up for that one, right? He's really just exceeded expectations.
the way that he has performed through five games here. He's running incredibly crisp routes. His hands are like velcro out there. And he's really looking like the Stefan Diggs of old. I wouldn't say he's Eke Stefan Biggs.
But Look, Drake Bay has never had a receiver like this in either his college or pro career. And the Patriots really haven't had a guy like this. You know really long time. I mean Some might say since Edelman, but I think Diggs is... A different type of receiver from Edelman.
I don't even think that you can. put them sort of in in the same category. They're almost like different positions. the way that they play the game.
So it's really special to see what Diggs did last night. Um I'm excited to see how that process continues as May and Biggs keep developing that chemistry but So far, so good. It's been kind of like a slow build towards... what we saw on on Sunday night in the last two weeks. Stefan Diggs has really looked like a guy that's going to be an important piece for this team as they continue moving forward.
Well, Tom, you talk about moving forward. If we look back, we know that the Patriots for two decades, they pretty much had an unprecedented stretch. in and competing in the NFL. With Vrabel here and then Drake May and some of these other pieces, you know, Stefan Diggs may not be around for the long haul, but are the Patriots have they built themselves back up? And do they have that base to really start competing over the next couple of years and and keep building?
So that I'm reluctant to say at this point. I I feel like they did a good job sort of Like slapping the flex seal tape on the tank, you know, like it it. They fixed the problem at the moment. They had a dysfunctional organization with Gerard Mayo at the helm. They got Vrabel in here.
He stabilized everything. He got May going on the right path. They spent a bunch of money in free agency, and it looks like it's paying off at the moment. Guys like Carlton Davis and Robert Spillane and you name it, you know, the guys they spent money on are having an impact. but they really need to start hitting on the draft.
in a big way. past draft here, Kyle Williams in the third round. We haven't seen him really do anything. Trayvion Henderson.
someone who popped in the preseason hasn't really given us anything to look at in the regular season so far to say that he's going to be A big success in the NFL. I'm not saying he's a bust yet, so to speak, but the classroom this year hasn't popped yet. The classroom the year before, I mean Most of that class isn't even on the roster anymore.
So you can't have drafts like that year after year after year and Think that you're going to be able to build a foundation. They really need to start hitting on these guys. And you know, Christian Gonzalez was awesome, and Will Campbell looks like he's going to be good, and Drake May was great. But it's easy to hit on the first round pick, right? It's those middle rounds that the Patriots have whisked on, and they really need to start stacking drafts here if they want to.
truly build something sustainable around May.
Well, it looks like Bill Belichick is not around to pick centers and punters anymore. I think things will be different. What is the fan response? We know Belichick is getting his behind handed to him in North Carolina. There's all these stories about Belichick, just no Patriots, anything, acknowledgment down in UNC.
Do the fans in New England care, or is Belichick kind of in the rear view? I I think the fans in New England are are sorta embarrassed. by the whole situation for Bill. secondhand embarrassment. I think when he initially got hired at North Carolina, Fans were excited.
And they wanted him to do well. Because You know, he's Bill Belichick, right? And it's a cool story. And it sort of goes back to when Brady went to Tampa. Most Patriot fans wanted him to do well.
for the Buccaneers. I know in my personal life, Most of the Patriot fans I knew were also watching every Buccaneers game that he played in the three years he played. In Tampa.
So it was sort of the same vibe with the North Carolina thing. And then over the last Six, eight weeks or so as this thing has developed, and the stories have come out about banning Patriot scouts. And now there's the story this week of him. Mm. Putting the ban on tweeting about the Patriots and tweeting Drake May highlights and then Clearly they Walk that back today.
I mean, the fact that we're even monitoring things like that, it's just so petty. And I think everyone's just sort of like, what are we doing here? And on top of that. Bill looks washed. And the team looks awful.
And He's not. running an organization down there at North Carolina the way that college football today needs to be run where You need to be showing these kids that It's a destination to come and Be in a position to get to the NFL and have all these NFL relationships. And if you're banning scouts from games and you're putting out, the depth charts on game days when you're on prime time with like empty names in the boxes. I mean, it's just. Belichick being weird, man, and it's embarrassing.
I feel bad because the guy. You know, he brought this region six Super Bowls and you know, 24 years of unprecedented success, and now it's just sort of. Ending In a weird way that no one ever saw happening. And I'm not even going to get into the Jordan Hudson of it all. Yeah, well, I guess whenever they throw that statue up, that'll make things better for Belichick.
I guess. We'll see. I guess. We'll see if that happens while he's still alive. I don't know.
I know Kraft said he would be willing to do it and want to do it, and that was always the plan. But I feel like he'd probably need to get. sign off from Belichick first. And I don't know if Belichick is... Ready for that.
Ready for that type of embrace from Kraft. It's really frosty between those two. Yeah, we'll see. Neither one of these guys is getting any younger, so hopefully they can kiss and make up before it's a little too late. Hey, Tom, thank you so much for the time, lending your expertise about these Patriots and what we can expect moving forward.
And tell everybody where they could follow, listen, keep up with everything that you're doing. Absolutely, man. Yeah, find me on WEEI.com. I cover all four teams. In Boston, as well as Boston College Football.
You can read me there, check me out on the WEEI socials. And you can follow me on my personal socials. At Ya Boy T C Fresh. That's Y A B O I T C. TC Fresh, and that's a longer conversation for another day.
Hey, Tom, we appreciate you, man. We'll catch you soon, okay? All right, J.R. Thanks, man. That 365 is paying out before the final whistle.
Check out Bet365's unrivaled early payout offer. When you bet on the team to win and they take a 17-point lead, you get paid no matter the final score. Forget the final whistle and start counting that cash. Hold up. You get early payout on parlays too!
Download the app and see why it's never ordinary at 7365. Gambling problem? Call 1-877-718-5543 or visit morethanagame.nc.gov. Must be physically located in North Carolina. TNC's applied.
Hello, it's Lena Dunham. I host a podcast called The Sea Word with my dearest friend and historian of bad behavior, Alyssa Bennett. What is a It's a chat show about women whose society is called crazy. We're going to be rediscovering the stories of women society dismissed by calling them mad, sad, or just plain bad. Listen to and follow the C-Word with Lena Dunham and Alyssa Bennett.
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