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00:00Missed TP, man. Missed that guy.
00:03He did a halftime show, right?
00:04Super Bowl halftime show.
00:06I'm sure he did. I know he did.
00:08I just don't remember which one exactly.
00:10And not a big fan. 42, guys.
00:12And not a big fan. 42?
00:13For a halftime show. Oh, hey.
00:15I don't think he's got enough entertainment value.
00:18My God. Texas born and bred, man.
00:20Yeah, right. Anyway. He is an absolute legend.
00:23Let's go to the guest line
00:24for our weekly chat with Tommy Curran
00:26from NBC Sports Boston.
00:27Brought to you by Drains by James.
00:30Eastern Mass' top provider of
00:31drain and sewer cleaning and repair
00:34by your New England Chevy dealers.
00:36Together, let's drive.
00:37And Tom E. Curran is powered by Verizon.
00:40What's up, TC?
00:41Hey, what's going on?
00:43I like Tom Petty a lot, but I kind of agree with you.
00:46Andy, that's not really a halftime.
00:48I mean, I love Tom Petty.
00:49Love Tom Petty.
00:50There's a certain vibe and energy I want at halftime,
00:53and I'm not sure he brings it.
00:54But anyway, we've got a big football game
00:56to talk about.
00:57So, Tom Curran,
00:58I'm going to start with a matchup
01:00that I think is probably
01:01the most important in this game.
01:03That would be the Patriots' offensive line
01:04against the front of those Houston Texans.
01:08Coming off the performance of Will Campbell
01:10and Jared Wilson last week,
01:12how concerned are you
01:13with the offensive line right now?
01:16It's a concern,
01:17and if I ranked them,
01:18I'd probably have them high.
01:19But I've seen this movie
01:21way, way, way, way too many times before
01:23where we spend a week
01:25looking at the unbelievably talented
01:28and destructive players
01:30on the defensive side
01:31and say,
01:34oh, my God,
01:35what are the Patriots going to do?
01:36And forget that they're looking
01:37at those players too
01:38and that they actually,
01:40as coaches,
01:40have an opportunity
01:41to do something about it.
01:43So,
01:43I think Dante Skarnecchia
01:45spoke very well
01:46to Karen Garegian
01:48about that at MassLive today.
01:50McDaniels will just throw humans
01:52at the problem.
01:53You can,
01:55in my estimation, Andy,
01:56and I'm sure you agree,
01:57you can
01:59give things up
02:01in terms of production
02:03and moving up and down the field
02:04and things you want to do
02:07in order to take care
02:08of that problem,
02:09and you'll happily do that
02:10instead of taking the risk
02:11and having a game-wrecking play
02:14or a player-wrecking play.
02:16Yep.
02:16So,
02:17I think they're just going to
02:18send players at that
02:19and they're going to try
02:20and run the hell out of the ball.
02:22That's basically
02:23what I was going to ask you, Tom,
02:25is what do you think
02:26the Patriots'
02:27best strategy is
02:28against that defense?
02:29Because they do,
02:30they don't blitz a lot,
02:31they play coverage.
02:33I mean,
02:33how do you see the Patriots
02:35moving the football
02:36and scoring points
02:36against that Texans defense?
02:39It reminds me, Teddy,
02:40of the Steelers
02:42for so long,
02:43you know,
02:44with Dick LeBeau
02:45as their offensive,
02:45excuse me,
02:46defensive coordinator.
02:47They do what they do,
02:49they're extremely aggressive,
02:51and you eventually
02:51use their aggressiveness
02:52against them.
02:54And Kwame Lass,
02:55excuse me,
02:56Lasseter,
02:57it's not Kwame,
02:58it is Kwame?
02:59No, no, no.
03:00Anyway,
03:00Kamari,
03:01Kamari Lasseter,
03:02and Derek Stingley Jr.,
03:04incredibly aggressive corners.
03:07Petra is a very aggressive
03:08secondary player as well.
03:11So just use that aggressiveness
03:13against them
03:13by continuing to make them come up,
03:17make some short area coverage plays,
03:19but then hit them with a double move.
03:21Listen,
03:22and it sounds a little bit
03:24cavalier on my part.
03:27Yeah,
03:28that's all you do.
03:29Oh,
03:29why aren't you making $5 million a year
03:31as a coordinator,
03:31Jimmy?
03:32But I think that
03:34that would probably,
03:35Ted,
03:36in my time watching,
03:37they seem similar to Pittsburgh,
03:39which means run,
03:40run, run,
03:40and then try and find
03:41Kyle Williams down the field
03:43at some point,
03:43or Kayshawn Booty,
03:44and wait for the slip-up.
03:46So,
03:46Tom,
03:47if you had to pick
03:48a Patriot
03:49not named Drake May
03:51as your most valuable
03:53offensive Patriot Sunday,
03:54who would that be?
03:57Probably,
03:58and I haven't really
03:59investigated and looked
04:00at the numbers
04:01for tight ends
04:01against Houston
04:03this season,
04:03but I would say
04:04Hunter Henry.
04:04I think he's fairly
04:05indispensable now
04:06because he's just
04:09their biggest target
04:10without Matt Collins
04:11out there,
04:11who had been
04:12one of their
04:13under-the-radar
04:14most important players
04:15offensively,
04:17and I'm sticking
04:17on offense right there,
04:18but I would say
04:18Robert Spillane
04:19and Milton Williams
04:20would be 1-1-A
04:21on defense.
04:22Tom Curran,
04:23NBC Sports Boston,
04:24here on WEI Afternoons.
04:27A lot of people
04:28feeling really good
04:29about the Patriots'
04:30defense,
04:31after that last
04:32performance by
04:33Zach Corr and company
04:34sort of spinning the
04:35dial and confusing
04:36the Chargers and
04:37pressure and all that.
04:39Is that who they are
04:40now,
04:40now that they have
04:41Spillane and Milton
04:42Williams and Landry
04:43back?
04:43Is that something you
04:44think they are capable
04:45of doing against
04:46C.J. Stroud,
04:47who looked very,
04:48very human on
04:49Monday night?
04:51Yes,
04:51and I'm glad you
04:52added in against
04:53C.J. Stroud
04:54because that is
04:55something that I think
04:56they'll be capable of
04:57doing against C.J. Stroud.
04:58Would it be possible
04:59against Matt Stafford
05:00to roll the dice
05:03and continue to
05:04blitz,
05:04blitz,
05:04blitz?
05:05Would it be possible
05:06against a team with
05:07an offensive line as
05:09porous as the Chargers
05:11was last week?
05:12And I don't think
05:12Houston is quite that
05:14porous.
05:15It's week to week,
05:15but I would imagine
05:16given the poise
05:20or lack thereof
05:21that we saw from
05:22C.J. Stroud
05:22the other night,
05:23the Patriots will
05:24want to ratchet up
05:25pressure,
05:26give him things to
05:27Phil Perry had a
05:29really good stat
05:29today.
05:30When Stroud is
05:32blitzed,
05:33he's very effective.
05:35When he's pressured,
05:36he's not.
05:37And folks might say,
05:38what the hell is the
05:39difference there?
05:40A blitz is five or
05:42more.
05:43Is that right,
05:43Teddy?
05:43That's it.
05:44You got it.
05:44Yep.
05:45Blitz is five or
05:46more.
05:47A pressure is
05:48defined as five,
05:52four,
05:53you know,
05:53but it really exists
05:55in how much heat
05:55gets there.
05:56So he's fine if he
05:57can identify,
05:58oh,
05:58crap,
05:59everybody's up
05:59around the line
05:59of scrimmage.
06:00I know what's
06:00going on here.
06:01So he's certainly
06:02not overmatched at
06:03the line of scrimmage.
06:04But when pressure
06:04comes,
06:05and he's a more
06:05slight and not very
06:06tall guy,
06:07I think that a
06:08pressure,
06:09an unexpected
06:09amount of heat
06:11can make him a
06:13little bit jumpy.
06:14All right,
06:15TC,
06:15I'm just curious
06:16if you think at
06:17all,
06:17because I didn't
06:18think this at
06:19first,
06:19and then the more
06:19I thought about it,
06:20I thought maybe the
06:21Texans do have some
06:22advantage in the
06:23coaching department
06:24when you consider,
06:26you know,
06:26Nick Cayley was a
06:26former offensive
06:27assistant for the
06:28Patriots,
06:29the wide receivers
06:30coach for the
06:30Texans,
06:31you know,
06:31Ben McDaniels is the
06:32brother of Josh
06:33McDaniels,
06:33and then Nick Casario
06:34there.
06:35These guys know how
06:36Josh thinks,
06:36and they can help the
06:37defense come up
06:38maybe with ideas for a
06:40game plan against
06:41Josh.
06:41Do you think
06:42there's an
06:42advantage at all,
06:43or is that just me
06:44overthinking it?
06:45No,
06:46I think there could
06:46be,
06:47but I'd say this,
06:48if they,
06:49because the Patriots
06:50and Josh play a
06:51particular way,
06:52which is to be
06:53week to week,
06:56to change your
06:56offense,
06:57to be amorphous,
06:59to disguise things as
07:00well as they do,
07:02you get five days to
07:03really prepare as the
07:05Texans.
07:05if you're Matt
07:08Burke,
07:08who I think is
07:09their defensive
07:09coordinator,
07:10do you really want
07:11to spend time
07:11downloading all the
07:12things that you
07:13think that Ben or
07:15Nick Caley might
07:17think that Josh
07:18might do,
07:19when you're not
07:19going to be sure,
07:20because he's so
07:22good at disguise,
07:22and you're not
07:23going to be sure
07:23because he changes.
07:25So then you're
07:25going to spend
07:25part of your five
07:26days saying,
07:27well,
07:27if he does this,
07:28then he might be
07:29thinking this,
07:29but sometimes when
07:30he thinks that,
07:31you're going to
07:31start thinking that.
07:33So I don't think
07:35it's as big an
07:35advantage just
07:36because there's
07:37that crossover.
07:38I might be proven
07:39wrong,
07:39but they're so
07:40unpredictable,
07:41and Josh is so
07:42anal about making
07:44sure that everything
07:44is disguised and
07:45he's doing different
07:46things all the time,
07:47that that unpredictability
07:49would work against
07:50anyone,
07:50as would the five
07:52days of prep
07:52that they have.
07:53Yeah,
07:54it feels like this
07:55might just be more
07:56about my strong
07:57versus your strong
07:58as opposed to
07:58Foxborough South
07:59versus Foxborough
08:00actual.
08:01I'm with you,
08:01Tom.
08:03Did you get a
08:03chance to listen to
08:04Mr. Kraft
08:05or RKK
08:06as he insisted
08:06David and
08:07Hoyer call him
08:08on the quick
08:09snap pod this
08:10weekend?
08:10If so,
08:11what did you
08:11think of
08:12some of his
08:13comments on
08:14the idea that
08:14it was very
08:16expensive to
08:17have to move
08:17Ray Boleyn,
08:18but it was the
08:18best decision
08:19he could have
08:19made?
08:21Yeah,
08:21it's funny.
08:21You know,
08:22I saw it
08:22written up
08:23before I
08:24watched it
08:24and it's
08:25funny.
08:26Of course,
08:26people seized
08:27on that
08:28portion of it,
08:28but the initial
08:30point that he
08:31was making
08:31wasn't about
08:32money.
08:32The initial
08:34point he
08:34was making
08:35was about
08:36how difficult
08:36it was
08:37and how
08:37crappy it
08:38had to
08:39feel to
08:40go up to
08:40a guy,
08:41tell him
08:42we're moving
08:42on from a
08:43legend and
08:43we think
08:44you're the
08:44guy.
08:44We wanted
08:45you to do
08:45this.
08:46We would
08:47like to
08:48have it
08:48happen later,
08:49but we're
08:49going to do
08:50this now.
08:50We're going
08:50to give
08:50you this
08:50opportunity.
08:51And then
08:51to have
08:52every intention
08:53of giving
08:55the guy the
08:56latitude and
08:56finally having
08:56to say,
08:57this isn't
08:57working.
08:57It had to
09:03be hard,
09:04but he
09:05understood it
09:05had to be
09:05done,
09:06especially with
09:08Rabel out
09:09there.
09:09With the
09:10state of
09:10the team,
09:11and I do
09:12believe the
09:12state of
09:13the coaching
09:14staff slash
09:15personnel
09:16department,
09:17where there
09:18was a lot
09:18of finger
09:19pointing going
09:19on, it
09:20wasn't going
09:21to sustain,
09:21and they
09:21were going
09:21to go
09:22further down
09:22into the
09:23tank.
09:23It was
09:23very unlikely
09:24that things
09:24were going
09:25to drastically
09:25improve this
09:26year.
09:26maybe not
09:28even improve
09:28at all.
09:29So it was
09:30a tough
09:30thing for
09:30them to
09:30do.
09:31Financially,
09:31yeah, it's
09:32a good
09:32point.
09:32And we
09:33actually had
09:34the conversation
09:34on early
09:35edition last
09:35night about
09:36whether or
09:36not, boy,
09:38did Kraft
09:39surpass John
09:40Henry, you
09:42know, as an
09:42owner in this
09:43context because
09:44he's willing to
09:45spend the money.
09:45I'm like, how
09:46can that even
09:46be a conversation?
09:48Why would
09:49they even be
09:49in the same
09:49universe in
09:51terms of
09:52ownership?
09:54I was
09:55gobsmacked by
09:55that.
09:56I think
09:56the Kraft
09:56is criminally
09:59underrated
09:59locally as
10:01an owner.
10:02Tom, you
10:03know I
10:03don't blow
10:04smoke often,
10:04but you
10:05nailed the
10:05hell out of
10:05it last
10:06week when
10:06you said,
10:07I fully
10:07expect Drake
10:08May to
10:08make a
10:08mistake and
10:09I fully
10:10expect Drake
10:10May to
10:11handle it
10:11well, bounce
10:12back.
10:12Like he did,
10:12that's how that
10:13game played
10:14out.
10:14Now a week
10:16later, with a
10:17win under his
10:17belt, not his
10:18best performance,
10:19even though the
10:19numbers kind of
10:20look pretty good
10:21on paper in a
10:22way.
10:22What are you
10:23expecting from
10:24Drake May in
10:25particular this
10:26week, this
10:27challenge, this
10:28defense?
10:29His retention
10:30and ability to
10:32just move on, as
10:32I've talked about
10:33with you guys, so
10:34I don't want to go
10:34over the same
10:35ground, but his
10:36ability to go,
10:36yeah, did that
10:37wrong, not going
10:37to do that wrong
10:38again, and he
10:39fixes it.
10:39A lot of us
10:42would be sitting
10:42there, you
10:42know, navel
10:43gazing, he
10:43just moves on.
10:45So my guess is
10:46this year, this
10:46week, you might
10:48see one of
10:49those 18 for
10:5224 or, you
10:55know, 15 for
10:5623 for 177
10:59yards, no
11:00touchdowns, no
11:01picks, just
11:04clean, clean,
11:05clean.
11:05And I think
11:06that the Patriots
11:07fans should
11:08celebrate the
11:09fact that they
11:10might have a
11:10quarterback, and
11:11I'm stealing
11:11Phil again, we
11:12were talking
11:13earlier today,
11:14the ability to
11:16be an amorphous
11:16kind of player.
11:18There's some
11:18weeks where you
11:19can be, you
11:20know, Kurt
11:21Warner in 1999,
11:23and there's
11:24other weeks where
11:24you need to be
11:25Tom Brady in
11:272003, and just
11:29get the car
11:31into the garage.
11:33So I think that
11:34that will probably
11:35be, I don't
11:36think May will
11:36have the same
11:37kind of gas as
11:38he did last
11:39week.
11:40All right, TC,
11:40I'm curious what
11:41you think about
11:42the, what's
11:43going to be an
11:43epic game, I
11:44think, on
11:44Saturday, the
11:45Broncos and
11:46the Bills.
11:47Who do you
11:47like in that
11:48matchup, and who
11:48do you think is
11:49the better
11:49matchup for the
11:50Patriots if they
11:51were to advance
11:51to the AFC
11:52championship round?
11:54Yeah, that's
11:54great.
11:58It's a great
11:58game because I
11:59do think it's
12:00going to be what
12:01you say, it's
12:02going to be a
12:02flawed game
12:03between a flawed
12:05Bills team with
12:06the best player on
12:07the field and a
12:08great coach in
12:09Sean Payton and
12:10a very good
12:11defense that he
12:13has on his side
12:14to deploy.
12:15So it's a
12:16matchup, it's
12:17just a great
12:17matchup between
12:19two sides that
12:20are complementary.
12:21I would not be
12:25surprised, it's
12:26tough to bet
12:26against Allen, but
12:28I just think
12:29there might come
12:29a point at
12:30which enough is
12:31enough and
12:32they've suffered
12:33too many injuries,
12:34they're not as
12:34talented, their
12:35defense is a
12:36little bit
12:36slothalized, Payton
12:38has had a week to
12:38get ready, he's
12:40such a good coach
12:40in my estimation.
12:43Denver most
12:43likely, I think,
12:44I will probably
12:45say like a
12:45Denver 24-23
12:46kind of mess.
12:47Tom, just
12:49because we have
12:50discussed it so
12:51much on our
12:53airwaves this
12:54week, I'd be
12:55curious to get
12:55your spin on it
12:56as well.
12:57Did you hear
12:58the viral
12:58comments from
12:59the Jacksonville
13:00Jaguars
13:01reporter after
13:02the Jags were
13:03upset by the
13:04Bills last
13:04Sunday and
13:06what did you
13:06think of it as
13:07she sort of gave
13:08a little pep
13:09talk to Liam
13:09Cohen in the
13:10press room?
13:11Yeah, I heard
13:12it.
13:12Everybody, look,
13:14there's been
13:14occasions where I
13:15go into a press
13:15conference and
13:17grab ass around
13:18or ask questions
13:19that might not
13:20specifically be
13:22about football
13:23or necessarily
13:24germane to what
13:25everybody else
13:26wants to hear.
13:27So I'm not
13:28going to, you
13:29know, cast
13:30aspersions.
13:31I think
13:31personally, that
13:34seemed like a
13:35personal message
13:35that, but she's,
13:37you know, noted
13:37as if she was
13:38speaking for the
13:39community.
13:40Look, I didn't
13:41think it was
13:41great, but it
13:42certainly wasn't
13:43worth the
13:43panty bunching
13:45that we saw
13:46coast to
13:47coast.
13:48I was surprised
13:49that what
13:49germinated the
13:50whole conversation
13:51was Adam
13:51Schefter.
13:52Teddy pointed
13:52it out to me
13:53when we were
13:53at, uh, last
13:56Sunday when we
13:57were in the
13:57studio and I
13:58looked at him
13:59like, you know,
14:00Schefter is kind
14:01of a big J
14:02journalist and
14:04for him to say
14:05this is awesome
14:06seemed weird.
14:08It wasn't bad.
14:09I would have
14:10probably said it
14:11on the side and
14:11I certainly have
14:12over the course
14:12of time said
14:13many things to
14:15coaches or
14:16players that are
14:17complimentary, um,
14:20on the side, you
14:21know, treat them
14:22like humans.
14:23I have to work
14:24with them.
14:25So anyway, I
14:26hated the
14:26conversation, but
14:27I'm glad you
14:28asked, but I'm
14:29glad to have it
14:29here a few days
14:30later.
14:30Uh, well said
14:31Tom, couldn't
14:32agree more.
14:33Um, before we
14:34let you go, how
14:35does this game
14:36play out?
14:37What's going to
14:37happen on Sunday?
14:39Hey, Patriots are
14:40actually going, this
14:41might, uh, it's
14:44going to be a rock
14:45fight early.
14:46Then they're going
14:46to hit some big
14:47plays and then
14:48there's going to
14:48be some mistakes
14:49where CJ Stroud,
14:50um, really gets
14:53a little loose with
14:56things and the
14:57Patriots.
14:59Oh my God.
15:00The ultimate
15:01cliffhanger.
15:02That's like one of
15:02those TV shows.
15:03Dot, dot, dot.
15:04Bad omen.
15:05What the hell
15:06happened?
15:06Verizon.
15:07I thought we
15:07were back up and
15:08ready and rolling
15:08and everything was
15:09leaning towards
15:10Patriots though.
15:10I actually think he
15:11was going to give a
15:12wider margin at the
15:13end there because
15:14CJ Stroud was going
15:15to make some
15:15mistakes late that
15:16allow the Patriots to
15:17maybe pull away a
15:18little bit.
15:19Are we getting Tom
15:20Caron back?
15:21Because I feel like
15:22we need this
15:22cliffhanger.
15:23We got to know
15:24what the final
15:26score you think
15:26is going to be.
15:26We can't assume
15:27what he was going
15:27to say.
15:27Tune in tomorrow
15:28when we find out.
15:29What people think
15:30the final score is
15:30going to be.
15:31Because, I mean,
15:32I think 17 is the
15:34number.
15:34Yes.
15:34If the Patriots
15:35score 17 points,
15:36I think they win this
15:36game.
15:37Schlereth went with
15:3717-16 Patriots and
15:39I think that's fair.
15:41We talked about it
15:42earlier and we'll
15:43revisit it in a little
15:44bit after we talk to
15:44Curran here to get
15:45his pick.
15:46But the 20-point
15:48window, 11 games
15:49they've held
15:50opponents less than
15:5120 points, the
15:51Texans.
15:52Nine games they've
15:53scored 20 or fewer
15:54themselves.
15:55So that 20 is kind
15:56of that key number
15:57hump barrier up there.
15:58And just to let
15:59people know, that
16:00defense for the
16:01Texans, it affords
16:02the Texans to kind
16:04of have a lot of
16:06mistakes on offense.
16:08They won that game
16:08with three turnovers
16:09last week.
16:10And then the week
16:1217 against the
16:13Chargers, C.J.
16:15Stroud threw two
16:15interceptions and they
16:16still won the game.
16:17So they can overcome
16:18C.J.'s mistakes because
16:20of how good that
16:21defense is.
16:21All right.
16:22617-779-7937.
16:25We'll get to your
16:25phone calls up next.
16:27But right now we get
16:28the conclusion of Tom
16:29Curran's prediction.
16:30What's up, Tom?
16:32It's funny because I
16:33just burped out 20 to
16:3412 at the end.
16:36And I said to myself,
16:37and I said to myself,
16:38it's going to be 20 to
16:3912.
16:39But then I realized
16:40that I dropped off.
16:41So now I get to
16:42change it.
16:44Let's go 23-16,
16:45Patriots.
16:4623-16.
16:47Ted Johnson just
16:48said 17 might be the
16:50key number.
16:50You get to 17, you
16:51win, and your
16:52prediction would say
16:53that.
16:53All right, Tom, we
16:55will talk to you
16:56next week.
16:56Have a good
16:57week.
16:57Enjoy the game.
16:59Okay, buddy.
16:59Have a great weekend.
17:00See you, Tom.
17:01Thanks, Tom.
17:01Tom Curran, NBC
17:02Sports Boston.
17:03We've got to get to a
17:04quick break.
17:04We're running a little
17:05bit behind here.
17:06Up next, your phone
17:07calls, breaking down
17:08the prediction from
17:09Tom Curran and
17:10continuing to break
17:11down this matchup in
17:12which fans feel better
17:13and better about the
17:14Patriots winning.
17:15That's next here on
17:15WEI.
17:16Bye-bye.
17:16Bye-bye.
17:17Bye-bye.
17:17Bye-bye.
17:17Bye-bye.
17:17Bye-bye.
17:17Bye-bye.
17:18Bye-bye.
17:18Bye-bye.
17:18Bye-bye.
17:19Bye-bye.
17:19Bye-bye.
17:19Bye-bye.
17:19Bye-bye.
17:20Bye-bye.
17:20Bye-bye.
17:20Bye-bye.
17:20Bye-bye.
17:21Bye-bye.
17:21Bye-bye.
17:21Bye-bye.
17:22Bye-bye.
17:22Bye-bye.
17:23Bye-bye.
17:23Bye-bye.
17:23Bye-bye.
17:23Bye-bye.
17:24Bye-bye.
17:24Bye-bye.
17:25Bye-bye.
17:25Bye-bye.
17:26Bye-bye.
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