- 7 weeks ago
Fred Toucher, Hardy, Wallach, and Mike Dussault discussed the Patriots’ recent struggles in camp, including kicking inconsistencies, offensive line issues and Ramondre Stevenson’s fumbling history. Dussault noted that Stevenson remains the lead back despite injury concerns, with Antonio Gibson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson expected to have rotational roles. The group also talked about offensive identity under Josh McDaniels, Vrabel’s involvement, and the pass rush outlook once key defenders return.
Image courtesy of USA TODAY NETWORK
Image courtesy of USA TODAY NETWORK
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00:00Hardy, can I steal something from you?
00:03Yeah, go ahead.
00:04I'm reading a recap of yesterday.
00:07Not good kicking.
00:09Oh, that's right.
00:11Good call.
00:13All right, Deuce would indulge my kicker talk every once in a while.
00:17Absolutely.
00:18What's going on there, Deuce?
00:21And again, this isn't kicker talk for kicker talk's sake
00:24when I used to try and wedge it in there during the Tom Brady years.
00:27No, for a team that is potentially going to be struggling on offense,
00:34yeah, field goals will be important.
00:37So what's going on?
00:39Yeah, that was the first day we've seen misses, really.
00:42There's been a couple here and there throughout camp,
00:44but these guys have been neck and neck.
00:46You saw the 57-yarder that Romo had in the game.
00:49So this was really the first day that it didn't look great.
00:52So I was a little bit surprised,
00:53but I think with a lot of things on the team right now,
00:55you're hitting a little bit of those dog days of summer.
00:57And some of it's getting a little clunky,
00:59and we'll see if they can work it out in Minnesota.
01:01Honestly, the main story for me has always been
01:05and will continue to be the left side of that offensive line.
01:07You saw the big mistake they made last Friday night,
01:10and then at practice, based on what I read yesterday,
01:13it wasn't much fun for them either.
01:15Yeah, I mean, look,
01:16they've been getting introduced to the NFL, no question.
01:19You know, that's something they've got to be better at.
01:21You know, I heard Doug Marone yesterday,
01:23the offensive line coach talk about, you know,
01:25we've got to rep them more on those kind of stunts.
01:27It's something that they're going to see a lot of.
01:28Now that it's on film, they're going to see even more of it.
01:31So that's definitely been a work in progress, for sure,
01:33for those guys.
01:34And that's, you know, I think we talked last time,
01:36some of the lumps that they might have to take,
01:37playing a couple of young guys along the offensive line.
01:40But also, you take a lot of the positives
01:42from that performance in the preseason game,
01:44especially Will Campbell and that run blocking.
01:46I mean, the run blocking has been really impressive.
01:48So he's got to continue to work on the pass blocking stuff
01:50and working out those stunts.
01:52But you just hope with the experience,
01:53especially this week in Minnesota,
01:54they're going to get a lot thrown at him by Brian Flores.
01:56So hopefully that'll accelerate their learning curve a bit.
02:00Okay, so this isn't a reaction just to the game the other day,
02:04but it is on a second round pick being used
02:07and also the ball control problems from the starting running back.
02:11If you had to go into the season now and guess
02:15how carries are going to be split between the three running backs,
02:20what do you predict happening?
02:22And what should we be looking for as clues as this goes on, if any?
02:26Yeah, I think it's still Ramondre.
02:28I think Ramondre's still going to get the first chance.
02:30He's going to be the early down back.
02:32He just has better size than the other two guys.
02:35But I think Antonio Gibson's run really hard,
02:37and there's going to be a rotational spot for him.
02:39And everybody's excited about Travion Henderson,
02:41that home run hitting ability.
02:42You saw it in the kickoff return.
02:44You saw it a little bit on offense, too.
02:45So I think they've got a really good mix right now.
02:47Really, just the question is, you know, Ramondre,
02:49it seems like he got maybe a little bit banged up in that preseason game.
02:52We haven't seen him in the last two practices.
02:54We'll see if he makes it up to Minnesota.
02:56But right now, I like that trio.
02:58It really just comes down to can Ramondre put those fumbling problems
03:00from last year behind him and be safe with the ball.
03:03And if he can do that, then you're pretty set.
03:05And if not, then they might have some questions there.
03:07But, you know, I really like what Antonio Gibson does.
03:10You saw him in the preseason game.
03:11He runs really hard.
03:12He's a good balanced backup back.
03:13So I like the three they have.
03:15But, yeah, that's the key, Ramondre, hanging on to the ball.
03:18I know Stephon Diggs hasn't been out there yet,
03:20and I know it's hard to kind of get a feel for it
03:23because it's still relatively early.
03:24But what kind of offense is this?
03:26Is it ball control based on the personnel?
03:30Or is Josh McDaniels going to open things up the closer we get to opening day?
03:36That's a good question, Don.
03:37Right now, that's what I'm really thinking about because, like I said,
03:39they've been a little bit sloppy these last few days.
03:42As things have gotten competitive at the end of practice,
03:44really the defense has carried those moments,
03:47and they've been up and down.
03:48But they've said, and you heard the quote you guys played
03:51right before I came on with Josh, that, you know,
03:53they're working through things.
03:54They're trying out some new things as well, so that's part of it.
03:56And what kind of offense is it going to be?
03:58I think it's going to be a lot of what we saw with Josh McDaniels.
04:01And, you know, the ability for Drake May to take the easy reads,
04:04make the profit, and hit those big plays when they're there.
04:08Saw really good stuff from Drake early in the spring
04:10and into the early part of the summer, middle of the field, early down stuff.
04:14He really looked like he was grasping the offense.
04:16And, you know, now as we've gotten into the red zone,
04:19into the competitive stuff, you can see that now it's getting
04:21a little bit tougher for everybody.
04:23So probably growing pains we should have expected a little bit.
04:26But, again, I'm really excited to see how they look up in Minnesota.
04:29They're going to head up there for a couple days of practices.
04:31And, you know, like I said, Flores is going to throw a bunch at them,
04:34and they've got to be on top of the offense to know how to get plays off.
04:38Garrett Bradbury said a couple days ago when he was in Minnesota
04:40he saw other teams come in for joint practices without a plan
04:43and get embarrassed by that defense.
04:44I don't think that will be a problem with Josh, though.
04:46I think I heard Zod talking about Ramondre Stevenson just back to him
04:50for a moment, how he came into camp looking a little more in shape.
04:53And maybe he had done, you know, some really good work in the offseason.
04:56And now he's not practicing.
04:58Yeah.
04:58I mean, I wondered if that was all like kind of like writing on the wall.
05:04It's like, ah, might be called into service a little bit more
05:06than I had anticipated based on what was done or wasn't done
05:10in terms of the offense in the offseason.
05:13Yeah.
05:14I mean, he did.
05:14He looked really good.
05:15I mean, really, unfortunately, it's just that that fumble he had
05:18in the in-stadium practice, I think, brought back the yips for a lot of people
05:21for a second, reminding them, you know, of that issue
05:23because he's been really good.
05:25He's looked fast.
05:25He's looked, you know, quick through the hole.
05:27He has experience with Josh McDaniels.
05:29So, you know, really a lot of this offense, I think, hinges on his ability
05:33to be that guy on the early downs.
05:35And if he is able to, then you can sprinkle in Travion Henderson
05:38and really exploit matchups with him.
05:40So, we'll see with Ramondre in these coming days.
05:44He wasn't out there the last two days.
05:45Something must have happened.
05:46I mean, he did get a pretty good run there in the preseason game.
05:49So, we'll see.
05:50We'll see how it comes together here over this week.
05:53But I still think week one, Ramondre's going to be early down guy.
05:56Okay.
05:57So, you know, you're talking about how the offense is going to be hard.
06:00He asked you about it.
06:01Or John asked you if it's going to be ball control.
06:05With Vrabel and McDaniels never working together,
06:10is that a concern with you?
06:12Do you, like, as the season goes on, the communication,
06:16how important is that between coordinator and head coach?
06:20And how long does it take to, like, kind of develop that chemistry?
06:26Yeah.
06:26I mean, like, they – I mean, they were – obviously, Denver played under him.
06:30But, I mean, they worked with each other, the Patriots.
06:32So, there is, I think, like a familiarity between the two guys just as a baseline.
06:36You know, you see Mike Vrabel spending a lot of time with the offense.
06:39He said, you know, that's the side of the ball that he isn't quite as up to speed on.
06:43And he's trying to, you know, learn all the ins and outs of this offense as well.
06:46That's one thing that's really impressed me with Vrabel.
06:48He just – no problem going to any position group, any, you know, particular guy,
06:51going up, giving them coaching points.
06:53So, I think they're pretty much on the same page.
06:56I'm not too worried about that.
06:57I think the biggest, you know, concern right now for me is just how much of this offense
07:01can you get firing on all cylinders here over the last – you know,
07:04we have two weeks of preseason and then, you know, a week and a half of practice
07:07before they're going to get into that first game against a very – you know,
07:10there's some talent on that Raiders team, especially Crosby,
07:13that you're going to have to deal with.
07:14So, not too concerned about the relationship between those two.
07:17And I think as Mike Vrabel gets more of a grasp of, you know,
07:20Josh and his philosophy and how he wants to do things,
07:22I would hope that it gets better.
07:24But I think they've got a baseline.
07:25So, not a big concern for me, those two guys.
07:27Mike, I wanted to ask you about the defense.
07:29And one of the concerns is the pass rush.
07:32The Patriots really don't have a game wrecker on the edge.
07:35And Washington really didn't play anybody on the offensive line,
07:40none of their starters.
07:41And the Patriots had their starting defense out there.
07:43And I'm looking at the box score here.
07:45They had no sacks and one quarterback hit.
07:48That, to me, is not a red flag but definitely a concern.
07:53Well, I'd say the Patriots didn't have, you know,
07:55Barmore, Harold Landry, and Chason, who's back at practice.
07:58And I'd say those are their top three pass rushers right now.
08:00So, I'm not – I'm excited about this pass rush.
08:04Really, if there's anything, I'm more concerned about it.
08:06So, you know, how are they going to stack up against teams
08:07that really try to run against them a little bit,
08:09which, let's face it, in today's NFL, not the biggest concern.
08:12But, you know, between Barmore, Milton Williams, Harold Landry,
08:15what Chason has shown.
08:16I mean, Chason's been a nightmare off the edge.
08:18It was great to get him back at practice this week.
08:21Had a little – you know, after a great start,
08:23was dinged up there in the in-stadium practice.
08:26So, I'm not totally concerned with that right now.
08:28I think right now they've got the pieces up front,
08:31especially with Chason emerging.
08:32That was a huge question for me going in.
08:34But seeing Barmore back to full health
08:36and how he's getting off the ball
08:37and just being consistently disruptive
08:39and what Harold Landry still has in the tank,
08:41I was really impressed.
08:42I thought he was the player on defense
08:44that stood up the most to me in the joint practices.
08:47But they're taking their time protecting him a little bit.
08:49So, I'm not too concerned.
08:50Once they get those guys back,
08:52and really, I think once you see Chason out there,
08:54I think they've got some options with the pass rush.
08:56All right, Mike Dussault, you got something for him, Hardy,
08:59before we go?
09:00All right.
09:00Oh, no.
09:01Listen, did Perillo even talk to you
09:04after you got the Louisiana license plate wrong?
09:07Oh, my gosh.
09:08No, I haven't lived it down yet.
09:09I feel like I'm not worthy of Jaws trivia anymore.
09:11Jaws trivia, the state that the license plate,
09:16they pull out of the shark,
09:17what state was the license plate from?
09:19Okay, and the answer is Louisiana.
09:21Louisiana, which everybody knows.
09:23Yeah, of course.
09:24Mike said New Jersey, I think.
09:25Yeah.
09:25All right.
09:26So, this is a chance for you to really redeem yourself.
09:30Okay?
09:30Okay.
09:31Okay.
09:31Leading up to Quint's big speech there on the Orca
09:35about the USS Indianapolis,
09:38they're comparing injuries.
09:40And Hooper makes a joke.
09:42He pulls open a shirt.
09:44He said, you see that right there?
09:46He said, blank, blank, blank.
09:49Mary Ellen Moffat?
09:50Oh, yeah.
09:52Oh, yeah.
09:53Oh, I thought you were going just one of the guys
09:56where it says, I'm a girl.
09:58And she was a tremendous bosom.
10:01You know what the hell of that movie is?
10:03I didn't realize it was a girl the whole time.
10:05I was surprised as he was.
10:07Oh, then you weren't paying attention.
10:08I guess not.
10:09I didn't even know.
10:10Because she had a hunk boyfriend, a college guy.
10:12All right.
10:13It's a great one.
10:14In what type of contest did Quint injure his arm,
10:18and in what city did that contest take place?
10:21Same scene.
10:23Hint.
10:23Circle is one of the words.
10:25Arm wrestling.
10:25Arm wrestling contest.
10:27It pulled me right over.
10:28Right.
10:28But what city were they in?
10:31That's where you're going to get me again here.
10:32Oh, man.
10:33I don't know.
10:34Chicago?
10:34San Francisco.
10:36San Francisco.
10:37All right.
10:38That was pretty good.
10:39Oh, San Francisco.
10:42Arm wrestling.
10:43Oh, man.
10:44Yoo-hoo.
10:45Yoo-hoo.
10:47You know it's San Francisco.
10:49Very gay.
10:50All right.
10:51Mike, thank you so much.
10:54For all the latest from the Sports Hub,
10:55download the app at 98.5thesportshub.com.
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