The REAL THING Patriots Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Packers Preview: How to Avoid a SNF Upset in Foxboro Nov 03, 2018

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Choo-choo...hype train coming through! Brady and Rodgers and the Packers, oh my! In depth look here at all the things that will decide this Patriots-Packers SNF thriller, the quarterback battle, sure, but also all the inside details on the Patriots adjust during a time of running back uncertainty, how the offense changes without their best offensive lineman (Shaq Mason), and how the New England defense prepares to contol a Pack offense with a high ceiling, but middling output in 2018. Let's dive in!

Buffalo Preview: MNF Mismatch, How Patriots Keep Bills Down Oct 28, 2018

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Playing in Buffalo is always a test. Playing on Monday Night Football in Buffalo adds even more juice to the matchup. Unfortunately, this year's Bills squad has been trending towards the bottom the NFL in advance of this primetime AFC East contest. The Bills have been forced to turn to street free agent and respected veteran QB Derek Anderson midseason after mismanagement of the their young QB situation--this in the midst of an unusually paltry month of offensive football for Buffalo. Trying to recover a semblance of an offense in a week where Tom Brady & Co. come to visit is about as a bad a combination as one could as for in the NFL, but that's the challenge that lies before the Bills. It's a personnel-challenged offense in Buffalo with as many offensive question marks as any group in the NFL. For the Patriots defense, this needs to be a week to flex a bit and clean up some of the inconsistencies of weeks past. On this show, we dive into all the ways the Patriots avoid a step backwards in this important division game, giving you a viewer's template for things to watch for Monday night to help the Patriots keep trending upward. Enjoy!

Getting to Know You: Chicago Bears Preview Edition Oct 19, 2018

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The Patriots travel to Soldier Field in Chicago for a rare New England trip out to the Windy City. It's going to be a fun matchup of a salty Bears group that seemingly let one go last weekend against the Dolphins in Miami, against a Patriots team that knocked off the NFL's hottest team in the Chiefs, but still looks like a major work in progress that hasn't yet reached their full stride. Weeks like this are always a challenge for players in that you have to get up to speed quickly on a team you're not familiar with, but fortunately, many of the concepts should look similar to stuff the Pats saw against Kansas City, and even the Jaguars. How will the Patriots offense attack a talented Bears D that gave up a big number on the ground a week ago and brings a hobbled star to the game in Khalil Mack? How will the Patriots defense be attacked after a very solid showing against the Chiefs undone in a flurry of late-game huge plays a week ago? And can the Patriots quickly fix their kickoff team letdowns that had typically been an area of strength, but may be seen as a big opportunity for the Bears to jump on and flip the field. Enjoy!

Patriots Exhale: How New-New England Can Handle the Chiefs Oct 08, 2018

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The Patriots are back to their winning ways, and the Chiefs come to Foxboro on a roll. Something's gotta give. Let's dive into the details, how New England can chop down Kansas City... There's a very specific way that Patrick Mahomes must be played. Matt Chatham walks through the "musts" in overcoming this Andy Reid offense with all its different weapons and an electric young quarterback. There's a formula, and it takes disciplined play. If you stray from containing these certain elements as a defense, you have no chance. Jacksonville's gameplan and execution provides a very nice recent example of what not to do... As explosive as the Chiefs offense has been, the Pats' O has just as much, if not more, potential as they integrate Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon into a group that's growing with their new stud running back, Sony Michel. The biggest mismatch of the day may very well be New England's offense vs the Chiefs struggling (and suddenly banged up) defense. This is gonna be a fun one, let's get into the dirt... Enjoy the show!

How the Patriots Reverse Their Early Season Fortunes Sep 30, 2018

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It's Dolphins week! And the Patriots reeeeeeally don't wanna lose 3 games in a row. Ya squish the fish--especially when they come to Foxboro. But this is a team with a lot of growing to do after 2 weeks of mostly pain. So here's how they reverse course... First we look at the offense and what needs to change now that Sony Michel has a couple weeks of work under his belt. There are some very specific things they can do to take some pressure of the guy and keep teams from teeing off on him on every run, let him return to the player that ripped up space in college. Will Josh Gordon play? Maybe...but that's far from the most important thing NE needs to change their fortunes. We walk through the play types and presnap stuff that can get the Patriots and Tom Brady back to keeping defenses on their heels... Defensively, it's really prove it week. Expect some shuffling of personnel. Expect a new face or two. Expect the scheme to restrict to the fronts that worked, and for some of the stuff that's been bad for this group to be put away for some time. Guys gotta get off blocks, create penetraton and start making plays. There are some scheme way to make that happen against Miami...we'll walk through them. And for the special teams...IT'S TIME TO MAKE PLAY! These are the fun weeks for special teams guys. Both the O & D are struggling, time to provide a boost. Enjoy the show!

Jaguars Game Review: The Film Don't Lie Sep 17, 2018

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The Jags knocked the Patriots off in impressive fashion in Week 2, and the overreaction wildfires have started to spread across Patriots Nation. Matt Chatham reviews the tape to get at what really went wrong--the good, the bad, and the ugly. Most importantly, Chatham dives into what happens next--how the Patriots must respond and adjust to the mistakes that killed them on this hot September day in Florida. No hot takes, just football. Let's dive in...

REAL THING Texans-Patriots Game Review Sep 10, 2018

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The REAL THING is back! The Patriots knocked off the Texans to kickoff the '18 season and former Patriot Matt Chatham is here to break down all the details ya can't get anywhere else... Chatham runs through the roster drama that brought us to gameday, the surprises inactives and how that affected the gameplan against Houston. He then looks at the scheme choices the Patriots made in defending Deshaun Watson and the Houston offense, the approach the Pats offense took in lieu of Julian Edelman's absence, the very solid work of the revamped Patriots defense, and the new faces on the reworked offense that really stood out. Chatham also works through the mistake and problems that arose in the game, what went wrong, and how those are resolved moving forward. The most credible, in-depth New England Patriots podcast on the internet is back and ready to roll. Let's goooooooooooooooooooo

Super Bowl Hangover: How the Eagles Flew Past the Patriots Feb 08, 2018

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The New England Patriots come up short on their 2017 championship dream, falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in heartbreaking fashion to Nick Foles & Company. Both offenses soared, as both defenses played well below their standard, but the Eagles defense made a big-time play when they needed it most. Losing sucks, but we take you through the important lessons of the game tape--where it all went wrong for the Pats, including how benched CB Malcolm Butler could have reasonably helped this defense (and where he reasonably couldn't have). As is often the case in a disappointing lost, there was plenty of brilliant football by the Pats that is bound to get buried in the rubble, so we highlight the good with the bad. They didn't quite get it done this time around, but only the tape can tell the true story. Let's dive in...

Super Bowl Preview from the Mall of America w/ NESN's Courtney Cox Feb 02, 2018

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The REAL THING Patriots Podcast comes at ya live from the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, welcoming Courtney Cox from the New England Sports Network to help sift through this Patriots vs Eagles Super Bowl matchup. This show concentrates on the "MUSTS" for the Patriots three individual units in this game: offense, defense, and special teams. We've organized a bulleted list of things in each of three areas to look for as you watch this huge game to decide if Patriots Nation get to welcome another trophy into the collection. It's Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and crew back at it again with a new challenge before them. The REAL THING pod gives ya all the nitty gritty for gameday...enjoy!

How Patriots Secured Another Super Bowl Berth: AFCCG, Jaguars Autopsy Jan 25, 2018

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The Jacksonville Jaguars presented a formidable challenge for the New England Patriots, and the visitors stuck with the defending champs for most of the game. Until it mattered most. Matt Chatham breaks down an at-times sluggisth Patriots performance sprinkled with moments of situational brilliance that helped this Pats squad advance to Minnesota for an opportunity at another league crown. On this show, we run through all the critical drives of the game, picking apart all the good and all the bad illuminated on the game tape--from Brady's big-moment brilliance, to Danny Amendola's clutch play, to Gronk's concussion, to the timely situational stops by the Patriots defense, and the role players that stepped up in big spots to help secure another AFC Championship in Foxboro. Let's avoid the temptation of looking ahead too soon to the Philadelphia Eagles--there will be plenty of time for that next week--and instead find a greater appreciation for how the Patriots got to this next step. Enjoy the show!