Mike Giardi predicts how Drake Maye and the Patriots will look against the Raiders | WEEI Afternoons

Mike Giardi predicts how Drake Maye and the Patriots will look against the Raiders | WEEI Afternoons

So, this uh this Patriots season is now upon us and I feel like we’ve been talking about this forever and that they won March and they won April. Then we got to late July and early August and we’ve talked about this. It felt like there was a little bit of a a negative downturn in perception at least locally uh after practices and stuff. So, uh as we enter the opener, how do you feel about this football team? Like good, better than you expected or kind of dubious? I’m optimistic. I I look Yeah. Well, and not this isn’t I’m not predicting playoffs or anything, but I just they’re on the right track, Andy. They got better football players in here and they got a better coaching staff and they’ve got a vision for what they want to do and it wasn’t going to happen in one off season, which is why I’ve sort of pushed back against the people that were 11 wins and all that nonsense. But like you can see it taking shape. And now obviously we’re going to get the real data, you know, the the games that matter the most and and see where they’re really at. But like I just like the way this is going and um so yeah, I have depth concerns. There’s still not enough talent on the roster, but like they’re in a much better place than they were any time over the last three or four years. Well, Mike, I you know what? It’s I’m kind of with you. I’m feeling the same way. I’m a little bit hesitant to go all in just from some of the stuff that’s happened recently, but what would you say you’re most confident? like what what unit, what side of the ball, what aspect of the team uh are you most confident as the season gets started? I still feel really good about the the defensive line, you know, and and this is was someone who expected big things from Kon White and hasn’t seen them yet uh this summer, but like I think Bar is in great shape and they’ve managed him this summer to get him ready for this moment and I think he is ready. um you know, he’s lighter than he was, uh in part because of the system, but in part just because of conversations and it’s better for him. I I think he’s poised. Like I think people forget how damn good he was in 2023. Um and what a blow that was to the team last year. Milton Williams, I don’t know if he’s going to be a $26 million a year player, but he’s still a good player, right? And Caleon Chason seems to have uh you know, sort of found himself as a pass rusher in the last year and a half, and that that’s going to be huge. So, I just think they have enough bodies up front where they’re going to make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks and between that and the attacking scheme, like they’re going to be fun up front. So, obviously, Mike, it’s a concern this week. Let’s not get into whether or not he’s going to be available for next week because we don’t know. But Gonzo’s out week one. Um, I guess I guess you know it’s never a great option to have him out against any team. But how do you expect the Patriots to alter their coverage with Gonzo out against the Raiders who are only bringing four wide receivers, I believe? Yeah. I mean, if you had to not have him for a game, this is probably the game that it’s, you know, there’s less of a concern not having him. That said, I I still kind of escalated how I felt felt about it than maybe earlier in the week because I think in talking to some of the defensive guys, I think they thought there was a chance. And look, they never got to that point because he was never practicing. But I think they got to the point where they figured that maybe Gonzo would get like 10 12 snaps against Bowers on like money downs and so now you don’t have that where you use Davis in that role. And then, you know, obviously if you’re the quarterback, all right, they got Davis on him. Where’s the third corner? Where’s the fourth corner? Where’s that safety that, you know, couldn’t cover in in the in the preseason? You know, from what we saw on tape, can we can we attack those guys? So, um, a little bit more of a concern for me than it was maybe at the beginning of the week, but they should still have enough to deal with that that group. Michael, what were your thoughts on Stfan Diggs uh, little performance at the podium this week, and what did you make of that whole situation? I would say you used a good word to describe it. I think it was a performance. I think Steph is really smart and savvy enough to know that he is getting the people on his side and it’s easy to get the people on your side when most people don’t really care for media these days. Um maybe more so than usual playbook. He did this the Matic Lab who’s the Buffalo Bills team reporter in Buffalo. Um and you know I’m plugged in with the Buffalo people period and it’s just kind of his personality like he he does like the drama a little bit. He does like to feel like he’s the martyr. It’s uh it’s an interesting approach. None of it’s going to matter if he goes out and catches, you know, eight passes for 95 yards and does that on a consistent basis. But there’s a thing that comes with Steph that no matter what people think, uh, you know, whether they think I’m hating or not, like this is who he is and there’ll be more of this at some point this year, whether it’s with media or somebody else. Should be fun. Buck buckle up, man. Um, Mike, do you you your take on on Drake May? Do you think, you know, do they win games because of Drake May? Does he eliminate the mistakes? Does he, you know, is he take the next step in what we think potentially could be a, you know, a great career? What What are your expectations for Drake May before the season starts? So, I think it’s been a decent like, you know, it wasn’t an A summer, but I think it’s been a decent summer. I think there’s been progress. I think he’s I think he’s still at the point of his career, Ted, where the turnovers are just going to be part of who he is. Like, I don’t think that that’s just necessarily going to disappear. He continues to try to strike the right tone at the microphone. Um, you know, including this week when he was like, “Look, I was we’re asking about Max Crosby, but the answer was basically like, you know, my first read there, I got to take it.” Like, you know, last year when I did that, we moved the ball. Well, you know, and the the counter to that is when you started to run around and do some crazy stuff. We saw some awesome plays, you know, 12 second play or whatever it was against the the Titans when you had to have it. But we also saw, you know, running out of the back of the pocket, taking big sacks or throwing the ball off the back foot and getting picked off like or getting stripped. Like those are the things that he has to reduce. I don’t think he’s going to eliminate, but reduce. Uh they’ve been in his ear. You can tell like when he says that I’m hearing Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrael tell him the same thing. Oh, no doubt. Now we’ll see what happen. Yeah. Now we’ll see what happens when the adrenaline starts pumping, right? And when you’re like, “Hey, I could run around a little bit more. I can make that play.” And then the next thing you know, it’s a negative and you’re going, “Oh, you gave the defense, you know, their their short field and, you know, we’re in trouble here.” Kind of a football guy type of question, Mike. But aside from, you know, all of the I know, great preface, right? Um um but this is the place for it. So, uh, aside from obviously with the immediate impact on on on Drake, uh, like you were just discussing, where else do you think we’ll first notice Josh’s return and thumbrint or imprint on the offense? I think there’ll be more answers for for Drake that we didn’t see last year that I mean, and and we can talk about the talent and the offensive line, but I think there were things that weren’t in place for Drake when things were in trouble or he didn’t see a look that he liked that he could just turn this little click this little button, right? you know, touch this button, we’re we’re good. You know, it’s like, hey, it’s a three- yard game, but what we were in was going to be a six-y loss or a turnover worthy type play. And I think Josh will give him that. I think um I know they’re working hard together. I know that even though we don’t love Josh Dobs, the backup quarterback, in terms of what we saw on field, Josh Dobs behind the scenes, has been a good influence there. So, I just think he’s going to be in a better place, and Josh is going to give him more answers. and if he’s willing to take those answers and accept those answers. Again, you know, two- yard play no one gets excited about, but if it keeps you on schedule versus the six-yard loss, like those are the things you have to do over the course of a season to eliminate those those negative plays and bad spots you put your team in. Mike, you’ve been uh in the football media for a long time, NFL Network, a lot of different cities and stories. And we’ve had some texters yell at us that we’re making too much of this Bill Bich story that he banned Patriot scouts at UNC. Um, are we making too much of it? Is this a big deal? Put it into perspective for us. Uh, very few schools do what Bill Bich is doing to the scouting community. I, you know, people don’t care about the media stuff, like, you know, whatever. But the scouting stuff is is real. They’re talking about being the 33rd NFL team and they’re shutting out not just the Patriots, but they’re really limiting the resources they’re giving all the other 31 teams that come in there and want to talk to their players. And look, their their roster is not very good. So, there’s not a ton of players that that people are going to come see. But, you know, for the for the for the seniors or the fourth year juniors who, you know, maybe they’re a fifth round pick, sixth round pick, like him shutting them out, they don’t get the background information. They don’t get to see these guys up close and personal. They don’t get to talk to the position coach. That’s dirty. That’s cheap. cuz teams will move on cuz there’s a billion guys like that guy that I’m just talking about, this fifth year guy or whatever that they’ll go find it from a school that lets him in and they can sit down face to face with him and his position coach and the head coach and somebody else and be like, you know what, that kid’s worth betting on in the sixth or seventh round. He may not be a star, but he could be someone who’s in the league for a long time and helps us win games. And Bill’s not allowing that. So to me, screw the the the it’s he’s hurting his own kids that he claims that that’s what he’s there for. So, I I don’t get that. So, before we let you go, uh, who you picking Sunday? So, I I would have told you maybe two, three weeks ago it was going to be the Raiders, but just the more I look at the way the Raiders are aligned defensively in the back seven particularly, I think their linebackers are run stuffers and nothing else, and I think their secondary is god awful. So, uh, I think the Patriots are going to score some points. I don’t know. 28 24 sounds about right to me. Oh, he’s such a homer. He’s such a homer. Oh, they I That wasn’t me. I don’t know how that happened, but that automatically reacted. You’re such a homer. You’re taking the Patriots. Mike Gerard, we appreciate it. We’ll talk to you next week. see if you were right.

Mike Giardi joins WEEI Afternoons to predict how Drake Maye and the Patriots will look against the Raiders, the biggest strength on the Patriots, and Stefon Diggs’ comments this week. #nfl #football #patriots #newengland

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