Tom Curran’s Patriots Talk Podcast

1:00 - Tom Curran takes us back to the Patriots 2017 season, discussing how strange the year seemed from the very beginning and how the Pats Super Bowl LIII victory over the Rams was cathartic for the team.7:05 - Matt Cassel joins Tom to talk about how watching a weekend of football without the Patriots made them realize just how disciplined and organized Bill Belichick's team is.14:31 - With the fallout of Jimmy Garoppolo losing his first game of the season on Monday night, Tom wonders if there is extra pressure put on quarterbacks formerly in the Patriots' system. Matt gives deeper insight into what it's like being Tom Brady's backup.24:10 - Who is your NFL MVP through 10 weeks? Tom and Matt debate if Russell Wilson or Lamar Jackson has a better claim.28:01 - Matt says the Patriots upcoming game against the Eagles will "set the tone for the rest of the season." Matt and Tom talk about the last time these two teams played - Super Bowl LII - and how that loss affected the Patriots. WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1:01 - Tom Curran and Phil Perry quickly hit on Phil's most recent story on what fixes the Patriots have to make for the remaining seven games of the season.7:53 - With the Patriots at the halfish-way point of the season, Tom and Phil are handing out awards, including: best offensive player, best defensive player, most underrated defender, funniest play of the season and more.25:28 - Tom and Phil field a handful of questions tweeted to them and the pair are joined by surprise guest Kayce Smith from Barstool Sports (formally NBC Sports Boston).33:04 - Next up is the voicemail questions, including inquiries about the Patriots offensive line, the status of N'Keal Harry, the loss to the Ravens and more.You can leave a question or comment for Tom or Phil on Twitter (@tomecurran - @PhilAPerry), by leaving us a review on Apple podcasts, or by leaving us a voice mail to use in the show by calling 781-214-0753. WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:50 - Tom E. Curran gives his quick take on why the Patriots lost to the Ravens in Week 9 and we hear from Tom Brady and Devin McCourty on what the Pats can take from the loss.4:25 - Matt Cassel joins Tom to break down what he saw out of the offense and defense in Baltimore and talks about how the Patriots approach the bye week after suffering a loss.12:10 - Would the Patriots ever hold back on an opponent to save their scheme for the playoffs? Matt explains when that would ever remotely be a possibility.15:02 - Matt gives his impression of Mohamed Sanu and talks about his importance when it comes to giving Julian Edelman a break. Tom wonders how the Patriots approach load management as the season moves forward.20:39 - Bye Week Awards - Tom and Matt name their best offensive player, best defensive player, biggest surprise and biggest disappointment of the "first half" of the season.28:08 - Tom talks about the defense's shortcomings vs. the Ravens with Kyle Van Noy.You can leave a question or comment for Tom or Phil on Twitter (@tomecurran - @PhilAPerry), by leaving us a review on Apple podcasts, or by leaving us a voice mail to use in the show by calling 781-214-0753. WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:27 - Tom Curran outlines his argument that the Patriots defense, from a statistical standpoint, should be considered to be in the running for 'best defense ever.'2:59 - Sunday Night Football analysts Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison answer Tom's questions about where this Patriots defense stands in the conversation of best defenses in the history of the game.8:04 - Does the number of of Pro-Bowlers, All-Pros and Hall of Famers matter when determining if a defense can be considered historic?11:21 - The one knock on the Pats defense is that they haven't "played anyone yet." Tom goes through the details of each opponent of the historic 2000 Ravens and compares them to what the Patriots have faced so far this season. WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1:57 - Tom Curran is joined by Jamison Hensley of ESPN Baltimore to discuss the upcoming Patriots-Ravens Sunday Night Football showdown, beginning with the anticipation of the game in Baltimore.10:43 - Jamison discusses what has made Lamar Jackson a never-before-seen-type talent as well as how a team could limit the young quarterback.17:52 - Tom and Jamison get into the comparison of the current Patriots defense and the 2000 Ravens defense. Do the Pats have a chance to break that team’s record and is it even a fair comparison?24:16 - Phil Perry gives an in-depth breakdown of how the Patriots can succeed against the Ravens, starting with the offense and then hitting on the defense (32:51). WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:52 - Tom Curran breaks down the Patriots cutting kicker Mike Nugent and Bill Belichick's comments on why a lack of cap space limited the Patriots at the trade deadline.5:22 - All season long the Patriots running game has not been up to its normal standards. Tom asked running backs coach Ivan Fears if the Pats have enough artillery at the position and how he thinks Sony Michel can improve.8:51 - Matt Cassel joins Tom to talk about the structure of the team following the trade deadline. Will the addition of Mohamed Sanu be good enough for Tom Brady and to overshadow the running game.18:05 - Tom Brady has reiterated that he wants to play until he's 45, but he does seem more aggravated this season than ever. Matt explains how Brady has his good and bad days like anyone else and that can't be overanalyzed.24:10 - Is there any scenario in which Brady ends up somewhere else after this season. Matt says there's only one.29:11 - Tom has been calling the Patriots Week 9 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens the "Patriots season opener" because it's their first "real" opponent. Matt breaks down what he predicts the Patriots will see from the Ravens on both sides of the ball. Tom quickly hits on the addition of kicker Nick Folk. WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1:03 - Tom Curran quickly dissects Jarvis Landry's comments about guaranteeing a win in Foxboro in Week 8.2:32 - Phil Perry joins Tom to discuss why exactly the Patriots might not want Josh Gordon anymore. Was it the Sanu signing, his lack of dependability or something else?10:08 - Tom argues that the Patriots are just winging it on offense this season for whatever reason. It's a very abnormal approach for Bill Belichick.15:47 - With Adam Schefter strongly voicing his opinion that it's very likely Tom Brady will not return next season, Tom and Phil discuss why it seems Brady's happiness is dwindling.25:00 - Matt Cassel joins Tom to give his take on the addition of Mohamed Sanu and breaks down the X's and O's of where he'll best fit into the Patriots offense.34:22 - As someone who's been in the Patriots organization, Matt talks about why Belichick might have made the decision to place Josh Gordon on the IR and effectively end his season in New England.38:10 - While it seems that Tom Brady's future in New England is a focus point for the quarterback, Matt thinks that there's no way Brady is letting it distract him. But does that mean Belichick and Kraft aren't? WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1:48 - Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News joins Tom Curran to talk about what exactly went wrong for Sam Darnold in the Jets 33-0 loss to the Patriots. Is he to blame? Is he broken? Does he still have a chance to be an above-average signal-caller in the league?11:03 - Tom goes deep into the analytics behind Mohamed Sanu's success as a receiver, quantifying his production out of the slot, his ability to separate from his defender and his sure-handedness.16:42 - D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution joins Tom to discuss what exactly the Patriots will be getting in Sanu and what makes him so dependable on the field.23:07 - Phil Perry gives his take on the addition of Sanu - "The Patriots were perilously thin at receiver." How does the increased depth at the position affect guys like Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett or Jakobi Meyers? Would he have preferred Emmanuel Sanders?34:25 - The only negative takeaway from the Patriots win over the Jets was the continued lack of production from Sony Michel and the running back position. Should Belichick make a change or ride it out?38:34 - Who popped and who dropped from the victory over the Jets? WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2:46 - Tom Curran is joined by Matt Cassel to discuss the Patriots one-game suspension of Michael Bennett. How do organizations determine a punishment for altercations and how does a player acting out affect the rest of the team?13:41 - Matt talks about the perfection Tom Brady expects on the field (from everyone) and how that relates to N'Keal Harry being reintroduced into the Patriots offense. 21:01 - Curran wonders what it is that new or young receivers consistently mess up as they try to learn the Patriots offense. Matt gets into the Xs and Os.24:49 - Is 'laces out' really the golden rule when it comes to place kick holding? Cassel questions this andtalks about his experience as a holder.29:31 - Tom and Matt give their picks for second-best team in the AFC. One of the contenders may shock you (hint - it's in the Patriots' division).You can leave a question or comment for Tom or Phil on Twitter (@tomecurran - @PhilAPerry), by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, or by leaving us a voicemail to use in the show by calling 781-214-0753 WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2:18 - Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry discuss the one-game suspension the Patriots placed on Michael Bennett after an apparent "philosophical disagreement" the defensive end had with coaches last week. Did the Patriots know what they were getting into when they signed him?16:27 - N'Keal Harry returned the practice field after sitting out the first six games of the regular season. Josh McDaniels answers Tom's questions about how much the Patriots are able to rely on the rookie receiver.27:53 - Tom and Phil cycle through which receivers are out there that the Patriots are likely targeting before the trade deadline.35:53 - Rob Gronkowski may have finally put an end to the possibility of his return with the comments he made on WEEI. Tom talks about why it's finally time for Patriots fans to let him go. WATCH every episode of the Patriots Talk podcast on YouTubeFollow NBC Sports Boston:NBCSportsBoston.comX @NBCSpatriotsFacebookInstagramTikTok Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.