Solomon Wilcots, Former Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Back

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Download the Odyssey app today. If we're confused and if players think they did it, no. Belichick saying that there was no lack of communication. How do you think the quarterbacks must feel?

How do you think Mac Jones must feel? We're in a new era of New England Patriots football. You've got some coaches who've come back in and sort of parachuted back in. And they've been given the offense. You know, just about all the offensive coaches from the team a year ago vacated. And that opened up this void for Joe Judge and Matt Patricia to function in the roles, let's be honest, that they've never functioned in before. Quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. One guy was the defensive coach. Other guy was the special teams coach. They're learning some things.

They're figuring it out. I think, you know, we've all given Bill Belichick the benefit of the doubt. He deserves it. Maybe he's even earned it.

Tied to second most wins all time in NFL history. But I think from what we're seeing, they don't have a firm grasp on everything. And I think what we're seeing is very clear. No matter what they tell us, I think we know that this is a problem and it looked that way last night. Well, that's why I opened up the show.

People today are going to have the conversation. Should it be Mack Jones or should it be Bailey Zappi moving forward? I don't even care who the quarterback is. And it should be Mack Jones because you can't even evaluate these guys. Judge and Patricia shouldn't be coaching the quarterbacks and shouldn't be the offensive coordinator. And they don't have number one wide receivers on this team. Like they're not putting either quarterback in a position to succeed.

You're right. I think there's a lot. Look, we give this team a lot of benefit of the doubt. And we would give the coach a lot of benefit. Solomon, I'm a Patriot fan.

They don't deserve the benefit of the doubt this year. This was stupid from the from the start and it's even dumber now. It's getting. Listen, I think that we were to be honest and I think that's what you're doing right now. There were anybody else we you and I both know we'd be still in the mood. We'd be like, but we're like rather sick because of who the coach is.

We do. I mean, listen, I think Bill Belichick has earned enough respect to say, let's OK, let's wait and see. But then last night it was kind of that was the last portion of like, OK, wait a minute. What are you doing to Mack Jones?

Think about it. Mack Jones wanted to get a second opinion on this ankle. We heard reports on that that he had kind of the team and where he was at, what the team was at on this was different. So now the back of the quarterback comes in and plays well. Mack Jones may be still in the pressure. I've got to get out there sooner than before I'm ready and he didn't look ready.

OK, he didn't look ready. Are the other coaches who weren't there to work with Mack Jones one year ago? Are they leaning towards another quarterback who they feel is more open to their coaching, more open to everything they have to say? And anything they say to Bailey Zappi isn't challenged by any of the successes of the past. We're with Mack Jones, who I'm sure is just a marvelous student.

He's an ideal young man. But even he is smart enough to say, well, last year we did this. Why are we doing that? Remember, he said in a report before the season started, there are some new things.

We are doing more zone stuff. We're doing he clearly and I'm sure he wasn't supposed to let that out. But it's not a 100 percent carryover from the things he did one year ago.

So there's some new learning for him. This whole thing, if we were to be honest, it's not probably the best ideal situation for Mack Jones. There has to be some sense of, hey, listen, we can get just as much in Bailey Zappi given the games that he's played. And it's as if anything that Jones did a year ago doesn't count at this point. Is it just simply arrogance and confidence in the way that things have worked in the past?

Because it seems crazy. But it's almost if Bill went into this game, OK, I'm going to start Mack. Mack will have success. We're playing the Bears. They're not a good football team. He'll go have two touchdown drives and he's not fully healthy. But I want to get in the reps. He wants to get back in there and then I'll pull him up.

Bailey Zappi. And it's almost as if they went into that game, not even having any respect for the Bears is the way that I look at it. Listen, here's what I do. And I think what you're saying is true. And another way of saying is that we know for Bill Belichick and his staff at a quarterback, no matter how much success they've had, that quarterback gets hurt. The next guy is in play. And the next guy, if he plays well enough, he can change the chessboard.

We know this because history has taught us that. I mean, all you need to go back to Bledsoe, who was a much higher draft pick than Mack Jones. A hundred million dollar guy.

That's right. He had a much larger investment in Bledsoe than they have in Mack Jones. And they turned away from him when the backup guy who was drafted much lower than Bailey Zappi has been drafted and they turned toward the lower draft pick.

That guy happened to be Tom Brady. So we know that there's a precedent for what could potentially happen here. So, no, I think we're not reading too much into this. I think these are fair questions. You know, these are questions that Bill Belichick does not want to answer publicly.

You could say that again. If you had to take your best stab at it next week, if both quarterbacks are healthy against the Jets on Sunday, how does Belichick approach this thing? Who's going to play? I mean, I think he's going to probably, you know, Coach wants to win. I mean, I give him all the credit in the world for that. He's going to do what it takes to win. But I do think he has to truly understand that he could be arresting the development of one of these players. Now, you got to ask yourself, does he care about that? Because he might say, look, I'm doing what's best for the team, not for one player.

And that wouldn't be a shocker, would it? So, it's hard to answer which one he's going to do. I know what I would do. I would have the guys practice.

And by Thursday, it's been on that Wednesday practice. I'm going to go with the guy, and I think you give me the best chance. But I'm going to lean into one guy more than the other. And I'm probably going to allow Matt to give a little more time to heal up. Because in this game, if the quarterback can't protect himself, and Matt Jones didn't look like he could move around well enough to protect himself last night, then I will not put him out there. I just don't want to see Matt Jones. All the things that he has accomplished early in his career, I don't want to see him set back. And I think the coaches should be thinking the same way, because to me, you've got to play the long game. And if you think in the short run that you don't have to compromise your ability to win with Bailey Zappi, then say, look, I'm going to give Bailey Zappi a chance to play because he's quicker, he's faster.

He can get away if we don't block them all. But I'm going to need you to stay ready. You're my quarterback. That's what I would say to Matt Jones.

You're my guy. And I would continue to invest into Matt Jones. I would continue to step to the public and say, he's my quarterback. He is the guy.

This is the order of things. And let the way they play, let something happen that really is significant change that, because I don't think anything has happened well enough to be able to come off of Matt Jones as the starting quarterback. They better be revamping this wide receiving room this offseason and do what like the Eagles and Dolphins, even the Jets to some extent have done, because those are other three young quarterbacks that there were questions about. And at least they're putting that young quarterback in a position to succeed, Salvin Wilcox.

Listen, I was screaming at this offseason. When I watched the Patriots in the playoffs at the end of last year, it was clear to me, they didn't have one player that struck fear in the heart of the opposing defense. They didn't have one player in my mind that graded high enough that could really dictate coverage, that forces teams to not want to crowd the box against Damian Harris and Ramon Dre Stevenson, that they were going to be coming into this season with problems, because I thought they were, you know, I do think they're smart coaches, but sometimes they don't give players enough credit.

It's the players. Listen, the Bengals then all of a sudden become smarter. They drafted Jamar Chase, and it made everyone better. T Higgins was already T Higgins.

Tyler Boy was Tyler Boy. But you threw Jamar Chase in there, and look what it did for that offseason, right? Look what it did for the quarterback. Look what it did for the team and the town, right? Not because the coaches all of a sudden got smarter. Allen matters in this league.

You really don't. Who's going to win that division? I know you're a bangle at heart, and you host a very popular Bengals podcast, but what decides Bengals and Ravens as the two best teams in that division this year? You know, I know the Ravens beat the Bengals earlier. Bengals were kind of working and ironing out, you know, some things.

We'd love to just see Joe Nixon, excuse me, Joe Burr, I should say, coming to a season where he's not having to battle. He's in rehabilitation, offseason, appendectomy, just as a going into training camp and four new linemen. You know, the defense is playing really well.

You know, the third defense since 1950 to hold a team scoreless without a touchdown, I should say, in the second half of the first seven games. And you know why? Because these guys have now all been together for a while. They've been in the system under Lou Anna Romo for a while. He can do more things and ask more of them because of the continuity and the deep rolodex that they have from having played in the system and having played together.

It matters. And you don't have that. We had a skill position, but when Joe missed a lot of training camp and you got four new starters on your offensive line, it takes time for that to jail.

And I think that's what you're seeing. So, you know, some of those early games, listen, all the three games they've lost, I'll show you how good they are. It came down to the very final play. They lost on the very final play, one kick, okay? But they held together. They didn't splinter.

There was no finger pointing. They didn't doubt the coaches. This team is better than the record shows right now, but they got an iron that out. They are, I think, the most talented team. But again, these games come down to the wire and they're going to have to win it. No one's going to give it to them, but I do think they're the best team.

My money's on them to be standing at the top when it's all said and done. You know, the AFC North or the entire the entire NFL? The AFC North. Gotcha. You asked me who's winning the division. So, fuck yeah. Just making sure. Yeah.

Salma Wilcott's here with us. Going into the year, it was in the NFC, Green Bay, Tampa, and the Rams. And we couldn't even think of who was going to be the fourth team. All three of those teams struggling immensely. Out of those three teams, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, and the Rams, how many of those teams do you think ended up making the playoffs this year? Green Bay, for sure. Because, you know, they've got some problems, but I think it can be ironed out. And they're in the division that I think is going to be open to capture it. I'm really concerned about Tampa because it's not on Brady.

People, everyone's looking at it. No. The quarterback needs the most help of any player, especially if you're 43, 45 years old.

I'm sorry. He's 45. You know, he needs this. He needs help. He needs better offensive line play. The interior portion of his offensive line has been decimated with injuries and defects in via free agency and retirement that these aren't even close to the same guys that Tom had, you know, over the last two years. So why receiving corps has been up and down and they haven't really produced up to their level. Now, some of it is injury.

Some of it is suspension. Some of it is just new guys rotating and not knowing Tom well enough. But the defense is the part that concerns you the most and what they've been doing there. And they're in the poor running game. They have one of the worst running games in the league. So does the Rams. So those teams are struggling.

Matthew Stapp is turning the ball over at a higher rate because he's still trying to get with his receivers outside of Cooper Cup. There's not been anyone consistently productive and they can't run the ball. So I don't know how they're going to be able to win.

I just don't know it. But they've got to lead more into a run game. But the offensive line is they lose Joe Noteboom, another injury on the offensive line. So some of those problems, I don't know how they're going to fix it.

In fact, I don't know if it's even possible to get it fixed over, say, the next eight weeks. Before we let you run, Simon Wilcox, just want to get your thoughts on two more teams, the Giants and then also the Minnesota Vikings. Love the Giants. And I love the way they're being coached. This is a guy that shows you. Coaching matters in this league. You know, you got a coach that shows up that makes coming to work fun where that coach knows how to make you better.

He's giving you the tools in the game plan that's going to help you perform. Listen, I saw Daniel Jones smile this week. Come on, man. Daniel Jones cracked his mouth. He's actually showing some personality now. Well, I'd be smiling if Joe Judge wasn't my coach anymore, Solomon.

That's exactly right. So now that should answer some of your questions with what's going on with Matt Jones. So I'm telling you, man, it matters. And I don't want to speak disparagingly of coaches, particularly I don't know him that well. But look, man, I've been around this game a long time. And you can see it. See it. You can tell when coaches have this infectious part of them that they're able to leverage that and make players better.

Okay. There's a reason why Kirk Cousins is playing better. Yeah. He didn't get along with the previous coach. Previous coach was a little bit of a hard ass, right? Now he's got a guy that's breathing life into him.

It matters, man. So the Vikings are going to be there. I think the Vikings might win the division.

I certainly, I think they're trending toward the playoffs. So if Kevin O'Connell, all the prop, he's made his quarterback better. Brian Davos made the quarterback better. And the defense is still blossoming, still growing. But Don Week Martindale deserves a lot of credit too for what he's doing over there. And they've got a lot of young stars who are now blossoming.

Their careers are going to the next level. Last thing I'll ask you, the move in Indianapolis this week to bench Matt Ryan, when you first saw it, did it catch you by surprise? Because I know Matt Ryan has not been playing well, but geez, the owner of Sam Ellinger, that did catch me by surprise a little bit.

That's, I wasn't surprised because I think it's ownership drift. I think Jim Erce, who, you know, he said it, he said, we should, we can win a Super Bowl. I can tell you, I was there for training camp.

He was so high on Matt Ryan. He uttered the word Super Bowl. And then to come out and lose opening day, well, they tied.

He's detected. That's pretty much a loss. Get shut out by Jacksonville.

That got it on the wrong track. And then the two interceptions and the waning moments of the game this past Sunday, I think, I think the owner had seen enough. And he says, look, we got seven different quarterbacks in five years.

We got to do it differently. And he's not going to sit around and watch it anymore. Simon Wolcott, it's always great to catch up with you, always loving you come on the show. And thanks so much. We'll do it again soon. You're the best, Zach.

Keep up the good work. Football season is here. The new Odyssey app lets you stay connected to your NFL team, your station, your shows, follow your favorite stations and come back again and again. Get real-time updates on everything you care about.

Miss your show? Jump back to their awesome re-wide feature. The Odyssey app is NFL football, live and on demand, wherever you are, whenever you want. And do we mention it's all free? Download the Odyssey app today.

Football season is here. The new Odyssey app lets you stay connected to your NFL team, your station, your shows, follow your favorite stations and come back again and again. Get real-time updates on everything you care about.

Miss your show? Jump back to their awesome re-wide feature. The Odyssey app is NFL football, live and on demand, wherever you are, whenever you want. And do we mention it's all free? Download the Odyssey app today.

Football season is here. The new Odyssey app lets you stay connected to your NFL team, your station, your shows, follow your favorite stations and come back again and again. Get real-time updates on everything you care about.

Miss your show? Jump back to their awesome re-wide feature. The Odyssey app is NFL football, live and on demand, wherever you are, whenever you want. And do we mention it's all free? Download the Odyssey app today.