Felger & Mazz: Are you scared of Matt Patricia on Sunday?
Former New England Patriots defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, is currently on the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff as a “Senior Defensive Assistant”. Patricia also spent the 2022 season with the Patriots on the offensive side of the ball calling plays. As the Patriots get set to take on the Eagles on Sunday, Felger and Mazz ask the question: Are you scared of Matt Patricia?
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Are you scared of Matt Patricia?
Felger: Are you scared of Patricia this week?
Mazz: Little bit. Yeah, a little bit. He beat them when he was in Detroit.
Felger: So I’m not because I think he’s incompetent and he’s never scared me ever. Not once. I know they won that Detroit game, but ah, for Pete’s sake, the Patriots in those times often lost a game in September or October that had you scratching your head and that just happened to be that year. I don’t give Patricia much credit.
Mazz: Yeah but don’t you think he knows how Bill thinks?
Felger: Yeah.
Jim Murray: I mean, institutional knowledge, that helps. I mean, I think he’s a buffoon, obviously, but I can’t get that Detroit game out of my mind. They got pantsed in that game.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 18: Senior football advisor and offensive line coach Matt Patricia (L) and head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots walk onto the field for a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Patriots 30-24. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Felger: The Eagles don’t need it. They own most every matchup. I mean their O-line is better than your D-line. Their D-line is like night and day with your O-line. Their receivers are better than your corners. Their corners are better than your receivers. They have the better quarterback. Like I don’t know, they need Bozo up there saying, “yeah, but Mac likes to look left and throw right”? Like they don’t need that.
Mazz: No, they don’t need it. But, but you know every little thing counts.
Felger: I know, I know. I know.
Mazz: I’m not telling you that like he’s the key to the game.
Felger: Look, it’d be a little hypocritical of me. I never thought Patricia was much when he was your defensive coordinator. I thought he sucked epically in Detroit. I thought this thing was a complete joke last year. And so what? Now he goes to another team, and I go “oh, look out for Patricia”! That’d be kind of hypocritical. I never thought anything of him ever. Not at any point in time. Never not once did I think anything of him. When he was your defensive coordinator, like what did he really do? I thought your defense got better when Brian Flores took over. So, like, I never once thought Patricia was really value add. So I’m not going to say he’s value add now he’s somewhere else. He’s a non-factor.
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!
Most Anticipated Week 1 NFL Matchups
Week 1 of the NFL Season is finally here, let’s take a look at the most anticipated matchups of the Week 1 slate.
1.) Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns (Bengals -2.5)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 12: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals jogs off the field after beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 in overtime of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium on September 12, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
This matchup may not jump out right away as a great matchup but in a slightly weak, week 1 slate an AFC North rivalry matchup with two teams that have high hopes just barely makes the list. Joe Burrow returns from injury and hopes to lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl this season. Deshaun Watson and the Browns are hoping for a bounce back season after Watson struggled last season. The Bengals biggest worries will be replacing their safeties and keeping Joe Burrow upright, while the Browns will hope Watson starts to look like the Houston Texans Deshaun Watson or his contract could be one of the worst in sports.
2.) Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots (Eagles -4)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 24: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots celebrates after a touchdown \f in the game at Gillette Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The defending NFC Champs open up their season here in New England against a hopeful Patriots team that’s looking for any positives after a dysfunctional season last year. At first glance this might not seem like a great matchup but historically Super Bowl losers struggle in week 1 and the Patriots will be looking to get off to a fast start after struggling late in the season last year. Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith and the high powered Eagles offense will look to test the Patriots stout defense early and Mac Jones may face his toughest front seven of the season in week one. Can Bill O’Brien’s changes bring Mac Jones back to the player everyone expects him to be or will the Eagles defense be too tough of a test in week 1 for the new offense?
3. Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers (Chargers -3)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 18: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates a touchdown in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Dolphins and Chargers are two AFC teams with their sights set on the Super Bowl, led by their high powered offenses and young quarterbacks. This matchup is bigger than week 1 though Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa were the 6th and 5th pick of the 2020 NFL draft leaving them to forever be linked. A few seasons into their careers it’s still too early to say who will have the better career but with Herbert’s ceiling and Tua’s ability to stay healthy in question the Dolphins have to be having some second thoughts. The Chargers have to deal with the Chiefs in the AFC West and the Dolphins are in the newly loaded AFC East so a week 1 win will go a long way for either side. Patriots fans will be particularly interested in this one as they host the Dolphins in week 2.
4. Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (Bears -1)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 06: Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears reacts after a play during the first half in the game against the Miami Dolphins at Soldier Field on November 06, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
An NFC North Packers-Bears game is always a highly anticipated matchup to most NFL fans but this years season opener comes with more questions than normal for these old school rivals. The Bears are on the rise with Justin Fields electric QB play but can he continue to progress in year 2? The Bears are used to relying on their defense but its struggled the last couple seasons can it get back to its roots and help them make a push into the wild card race? The Packers on the other hand are starting Jordan Love after Aaron Rodgers departed for New York, Love is still very much an unknown but knowing how Green Bay produces quarterbacks Bears fans will be nervous of any success on Sunday hoping it doesn’t mean another 10 years of great quarterback play in Wisconsin.
5. Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants (Cowboys-3.5)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 21: Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants walks off the field after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 38-7 in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 21, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Another great NFC rivalry matchup this time in the NFC East the always hopeful Dallas Cowboys open up against in New York against Daniel Jones’ new contract and the Giants. Brian Daboll will look to continue to help Daniel Jones stay under control and limit his turnovers, while Dak Prescott and the Cowboys hope Tony Pollard and Ceedee Lamb can be the explosive playmakers they need. The Cowboys have one of the bright young stars in the league in Micah Parsons who is always must watch TV a great Sunday night game to end the first Sunday of football season.
6. Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets (Bills -2.5)
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY – APRIL 26: New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers attends an introductory press conference at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on April 26, 2023 in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The most highly anticipated week 1 matchup for me and I believe most of the country is the Monday night football matchup with the new look New York Jets led by Aaron Rodgers hosting the Super Bowl hopeful Buffalo Bills. These two teams could be the two teams with the most at stake this season after the Jets went all in on Aaron Rodgers, anything short of an AFC Championship game or a Super Bowl appearance would be considered a disappointment. The Bills on paper are one of the best teams in the league led by Josh Allen but are they starting to come apart because of the weight of expectations, Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen seemed to be at odds at times last season can they keep it together for a full season and make it to the Super Bowl?
