Greg Bedard: 10 Questions from Around the NFL
Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal joined Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti on Tuesdays show for his weekly 10 questions segment.
10. Who was/is your favorite running back of all time to watch?
Greg Bedard: The only running back I ever tuned in to watch every time I could. Barry Sanders. No question.
Jim Murray: Barry Sanders. Best moves. Most evasive, Pure electricity. Love. Barry.
Mazz: Bo Jackson. Best combination of power and speed I’ve ever seen in any athlete.
Felger: I’m more interested in guys like Earl Campbell and Derrick Henry and sort of guys like that speed power combo
9. Who was/is your favorite Dallas Cowboy of all time?
Greg Bedard: I grew up a Gators fan, so. Emmitt Smith. I loved Emmitt when he was at the University of Florida, and then I followed him to the Cowboys, even though I wasn’t a Cowboys fan. But I loved watching him. I loved his balance. I just he was just always so good.
Jim Murray: Safety. Darren Woodson, who I think might be the most underrated player from those nineties wagon cowboys tough, smart, could play the line could cover blitz do it all.
Mazz: I get about five of them. Dorsett, the Pearsons, Drew Pearson Preston Pearson. I love those guys. And they you know something about a good player like that in the Cowboys uniform just takes it to a whole new level.
Felger: Roger Staubach, Roger the Dodger, one of the underrated quarterbacks of all time, doesn’t get mentioned with the all times, all time greats. I think he showed one of the great winners in league history.
8. What was the most awkward/out of place running back end-of-career stint of all time?
(For example: Emmit Smith to Phoenix)
Greg Bedard: Thurman Thomas in Miami at the end after being in Buffalo for so many years. But for me, the most awkward thing and you just explaining it just brought it home. Stephen Jackson with the Patriots those two games that he had including the brick wall game down in Miami where Belichick and I know this Belichick gave orders were not throwing the ball until we get a first down running and they couldn’t do it 14 carries 35 yards they lost 20 to 10 and then Stephen Jackson was gone.
Jim Murray: Thurman Thomas was my original answer because, I mean, there was real hate between those bills and Dolphins teams in the nineties and his final year with the Dolphins, it’s like it just looks so stupid. But another one, LaDainian Tomlinson on the Jets, he was so electric with the Chargers in the in his last year with the New York Jets he was useless.
Mazz: Franco Harris with the Seattle Seahawks.
Felger: That’s on the list. Franco Harris, Seattle Seahawks, one year 1984. O.J. Simpson in San Francisco, right? In 78, 79. Does anyone remember Earl Campbell with the New Orleans Saints in 84, 85? No, no, I do know. Do you remember where Tony Dorsett finished up his career? I don’t. Cup of coffee with the Denver Broncos in 1988. I do remember Dorsett in Denver in 88. Yep. How about Herschel Walker as a Philadelphia Eagle? Does anyone remember that?
7. Bills head coach Sean McDermott will take over defensive play-calling duties for the Bills this year.
Good idea or bad idea?
Greg Bedard: Very good. I think he’s I think he’s a spectacular defensive coordinator and playcaller and I think he’s better than Leslie Frazier. I think they’ll be better because of it.
Jim Murray: I think it’s a good idea. How can it be any worse these last couple of years and how they collapse the 13 seconds in Kansas City and then they couldn’t stop Cincinnati in the playoffs last year? Good idea.
6. Scale of 1-10: The Patriots new North End zone construction: the scoreboard, the lighthouse, the new function space, etc. Give us a review.
Greg Bedard: Oh, well, first of all, the smeltzer isn’t finished yet, so I can’t give you a review on that. But the scoreboard, seeing it in action in the game, I got to tell you. I thought it was I thought it was weird. Like, you know, for most times, like, they shrink down the video that you’re watching. It’s just in the middle of the screen. And then you have ads and all these stats and stuff like that. And I’m like, Wait, I thought I was supposed to get a huge video in like HD and like, that’s the whole point of this. What is this cluttered up crap that’s going on here? So I didn’t like it.
Jim Murray: I think the scoreboard is a ten. I thought that was incredibly impressive. We saw it last week. We’re down there. It makes the place feel smaller, which might be advantageous because it maybe it’s going to be louder in there. And I’ll say the lighthouse is worthy.
5. Biggest toolbag Green Bay Packer of all time?
26 Jan 1997: Quarterback Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers celebrates during Super Bowl XXXI against the New England Patriots at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Packers won the game, 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/Allsport
Greg Bedard: Brett Favre.
Jim Murray: Well, I’ll go with the original fat pervert Mark Chmura.
Mazz: Aaron Rodgers.
4. What’s the best part of the Green Bay Packers experience, or “thing?”
Greg Bedard: It’s hard for me to explain. But other than to say all of it, like when you know, when you talk about training camp, when you talk about fall up here, like it’s just different. It’s completely different than anything else in the National Football League. It’s so intimate. You know, it’s public property. You got guys the players riding on kids bikes to practices. I’m sure we’ll get some pictures of like Matthew Judon and stuff doing that. They walk amongst the people here all over the place. There’s access to it. The history just drips from this place. There’s nothing like it. There really isn’t. It’s just it’s the most special football atmosphere in the country.
3. What’s the most overrated aspect or your least favorite facet of the Packers “thing.”?
Greg Bedard: The related to what you were just talking about, The big lie about how this is, you know, it’s for the people. This organization team is by the people. They own stock and stuff like that. Like it’s just it’s a lie. They tried to keep it intact, but under the leadership of Mark Murphy, it has completely become complete corporate greed. He brought in and used to be so down home and folksy. Everybody was from here. They were from Green Bay. I used to be able to like, call Bob Harlan, the Packers team president at home, to ask him a question about like Brett Favre and his contract or whatever. And he would pick up and he would answer. And now it’s Mark Murphy who brought in a bunch of corporate head hunters that come in here and are just trying to get every last dollar out of it. It’s just it’s changed under the leadership of Murphy. It’s definitely turned me off on that part of the Packers.
Jim Murray: I’ll say the self-importance of you people, this attitude of without us, there is no football. Like get out of my face. You had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks over 30 years. You get two Super Bowls out of it. I hope Jordan Love becomes Don Majkowski and you go back to hell.
Mazz: I don’t see anything special about the town.
Felger: The town is a dump.
2. Rank NFL stadium experiences and stop when you get to Lambeau Field.
Oct 2, 2022; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; The Green Bay Packers line up for a play during the game against the New England Patriots at Lambeau Field. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Greg Bedard: Lambeau.
Jim Murray: Lambeau.
Mazz: Lambeau, Denver, K.C., those three.
Felger: Are all pretty good. KC is a great one.
1. Who’d you rather have as your QB right now: Jordan Love or Mac Jones?
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love (10) participate in Packers training camp on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
Greg Bedard: Mac Jones.
Jim Murray: Jordan Love
Mazz: Jordan Love. More mobile. Love, love, love, love. Of course. Love he bigger. He’s faster. He’s got a better arm love.
Felger: I might go Mac Jones on that one higher floor.
Listen to Felger and Mazz from 2-6 every Monday-Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with hosts Mike Felger, Tony “Mazz” Massarotti, and Jim Murray “Big Jim”. You can listen live in the Sports Hub App and subscribe to their podcasts here. Follow @FelgerAndMazz on Twitter to keep up with the show!
Patriots Training Camp Notebook: Wrapping up in Foxborough on Day 14
On Monday, the New England Patriots held their final training camp practice of the summer in Foxborough. They’re hardly done with camp, but they’ll leave for Green Bay on Tuesday to kick off a week of joint practices and a preseason game with the Packers there, then go directly to Nashville for another week of the same with the Tennessee Titans. They won’t return to Foxborough until after the final preseason game, which represents the end of training camp.
Monday’s practice served as what seemed to be a preparation for the two weeks ahead. In a fully-padded practice the team worked in a lot of situational drills, mainly two-minute and red zone.
READ MORE:
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Overall, it was a strong practice for the offense. Mac Jones was 16-of-21 throwing the ball and the unit has a whole won the significant number of reps in the red zone.
However, there may have been a long-term hit on the offensive side of the ball. That’s where we’ll start our recap of Day 14…
Injuries
New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki (88) makes a catch during training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
The big story of the day on Monday was an injury suffered by Mike Gesicki. The Patriots’ newly-signed tight end went down during a live tackling drill early in practice and did not return.
On the play, Gesicki was going one-on-one against Jahlani Tavai. There was nothing out of the ordinary about Tavai’s tackle, and at first watch it seemed as if anything went wrong, it would have been with Gesicki’s lower body given the way Tavai wrapped him up around his ankles. However, Gesicki came up favoring his right arm, towards his shoulder. He slowly walked off the field with the training staff, and did not return to practice. It’s possible he hurt it while bracing himself on his fall.
Gesicki wasn’t the only Patriots player to suffer an injury on Monday either. Late in practice, outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings came up in pain during an 11-on-11 two-minute drill. After throwing his helmet off Jennings had his arm looked at by the training staff. He walked off the field and stayed on the sideline, continuing to get worked on by the trainers until the end of practice.
Attendance
Jul 26, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots guard Cole Strange (69) makes his way to the practice fields for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
As for players who had previously missed practice, let’s start on the offensive line. Starting guard Cole Strange took part in Sunday’s session – a first since he injured his knee on Day 5 of camp. That was a non-padded practice, and with the team back in pads on Monday Strange wasn’t on the field for the beginning of practice. He emerged from Gillette Stadium later in the day in full pads, but just observed and didn’t take part in any drills.
Backup guard and center Kody Russey did the same as Strange on Monday, after not taking part in Sunday’s practice at all. Russey got hurt in the team’s preseason opener on Thursday night.
Ty Montgomery, Jonathan Jones, Pierre Strong, Ronnie Perkins, Michael Onwenu (PUP), Cody Davis (PUP), and Calvin Anderson (NFI) remain out. Recently-signed defensive end Trey Flowers (PUP) was on the field for part of practice but didn’t participate in any drills.
Highlight catches
New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker makes a catch during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
There were two highlight catches made on the day. Both were on throws from Mac Jones.
For the first, the offense was working in the red zone. Kendrick Bourne ran a fade against Myles Bryant, but Bryant had him covered well as he got to the back of the end zone. Despite Bourne not having much room Jones threw the ball out in front of him, where only he could make a play on it given his length advantage over Bryant. Bourne reached out in front and snagged the ball with one hand, keeping his feet in bounds to complete the score.
The other highlight catch came from DeVante Parker, and was a pure strength play. Running an out in a two-minute drill, Jones slightly underthrew Parker. That allowed Marcus Jones to get in position to make a pick. Jones leapt up and caught the ball over his head in front of Parker, but Parker then ripped it out of his hands before he landed, completing the catch for himself. It was another ’50-50′ win for Parker who has had plenty of those this summer, and another tough play for Marcus Jones as the team continues to test him on the boundary against bigger wide receivers.
Teachable moments
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien head to the practice fields for 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
It was a good day for the offense, but not perfect. Their biggest miscue came during a ‘two-minute drill’ late in practice.
‘Two-minute drill’ periods refer to any period where the offense has to move the ball the length of the field with a limited clock, but it’s not always two minutes. On Monday the offense was working on going 75 yards in 45 seconds.
The projected starting offense got to around midfield with about 20 seconds on the clock, and had already used its timeout. Mac Jones hit Rhamondre Stevenson out of the backfield for a big gain. As he got inside the 20, instead of going out of bounds to set up a field goal Stevenson cut back inside, trying to score a touchdown. The coaching staff ruled he would have been down (there was no live tackling) and the offense instead had to hurry to the line to try and spike the ball. They didn’t have enough time, and the clock expired just before they could get the snap off.
After that period, offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien spoke with both Jones and Stevenson. It was a teachable moment, and we’ll see how the unit responds if/when presented with a similar situation in a game.
There were also a couple of times offensive linemen had to run laps during practice. Rookie center Jake Andrews was sent around the field after a couple of bad snaps, and newly-signed guard Micah Vanterpool had to take a lap after a false start.
More on Malik
Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Malik Cunningham (16) during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
As was the case on Sunday, we saw Malik Cunningham get into the mix at quarterback in team drills. Rather than run full drives, he would sub in for a play or two at times for both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
Based on the way he’s being used right now, it looks more like the Patriots are preparing an offensive package for him rather than setting him up to compete for a full-time depth chart spot. Still, it’s another encouraging sign that there’s in fact a long-term plan for him in Foxborough.
Standouts on defense
Jul 27, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche (55) works with a weight bag during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
On the defensive side of the ball, it was a standout day for outside linebacker Josh Uche. He had a pair of would-be sacks, leading the team. A good sign for him, as he ramps up with the start of the season getting closer.
The other defensive standout for the Patriots was cornerback Shaun Wade. He had a couple of nice plays in coverage, with his best being a perfect read on a running back screen that allowed him to intercept Bailey Zappe in the backfield for a would-be pick-six.
Since being acquired by the Patriots from the Baltimore Ravens at the end of his rookie training camp in 2021 for a fifth-round pick, Wade hasn’t seen much time on the field during the regular season. But with boundary corner depth a need, that could change if the 6-foot-1 Wade continues making plays.
One kicker gets all the work
Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots place kicker Chad Ryland (38) kicks the ball to the Houston Texans during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots attempted plenty of field goals on Monday, between their special teams work and the two-minute drill periods. All of those attempts went to rookie Chad Ryland.
Ryland went 7-of-8 on the day. His lone miss was slightly to the left on one of his longer attempts.
Hang times
Punters Corliss Waitman and Bryce Baringer wait on a snap from long snapper Tucker Addington at Patriots training camp. (Alex Barth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
There were two team punt periods on Monday. Both were heavily situational, with the punters either kicking out of their own end zone or from the plus side of the 50. Keeping that in mind, here are today’s hang times…
Bryce Baringer:
5.06 seconds
3.43
—
3.68
3.94Corliss Waitman:
4.80
4.40
—
4.66
4.34A rookie tradition
New England Patriots guard Atonio Mafi makes his way to the practice fields for 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
To wrap up practice, the Patriots had some fun with some of their rookies – in particular, offensive linemen Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi, and defensive lineman Keion White.
With the entire team watching, all three players had one chance to catch a punt. Sow got the ball lined up but it bounced off his left shoulder. Mafi and White were both able to make the catch, which got the rest of the team celebrating. After practice, veterans noted that the reward for the rookies completing the catches was less meeting time following practice.
What’s next?
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love (10) participate in Packers training camp on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis
As mentioned above, the Patriots will now back there bags and head to Green Bay to begin joint practices with the Packers. The first of the two joint practices will be held on Wednesday.
