Andrew Callahan: Patriots coaching staff faces frustrations over front office decisions

Wednesday morning on the Toucher and Rich radio program, Boston Herald Patriots writer Andrew Callahan joined the show. The segment covered several topics related to the New England Patriots, including the Patriots' lack of activity during the NFL trade deadline and whether they should have made moves. 

Fred and Rich asked Callahan about Bill O'Brien's comments regarding his involvement in roster decisions. Callahan mentioned that Bill O'Brien was brought in with input from Robert Kraft and that they expected him to have some influence. O'Brien has been candid about certain decisions being out of his hands.

On whether O'Brien was passing the buck or genuinely lacking input in roster decisions, Callahan explained that there have been frustrations within the coaching staff due to what they've been given by the front office, which has resulted in on-field issues. He mentioned the ongoing problem with the offensive line, particularly at the right tackle position, as an example of where the coaching staff has faced challenges without the ability to make decisions.

"There have been frustrations, not necessarily directed at Bill O'Brien, but within the coaching staff due to the challenges they've faced with decisions made by the front office at various points throughout the season. I believe this issue is evident on the field, and I understand it may come as a surprise to some listeners. The recurring problem we've observed involves the offensive line, which resembled a turnstile at the right tackle position last year. Unfortunately, we're witnessing the same issue this season. This situation has been particularly challenging for many individuals, especially those closely involved in the day-to-day operations, given their limited influence over these matters."

Nick Gemelli is a Producer for the Toucher and Rich program and contributor for 985thesportshub.com. you can follow Nick at @NickGemelli on Twitter.

Greg Bedard of BostonSportsJournal.com joined Felger & Mazz on Tuesday, as he does every Tuesday during the football season, to discuss the latest with the New England Patriots following their 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. While on, Bedard gave his 3 up and 3 down for the Patriots in the defeat.

Some notes from the game courtesy of ESPN…..

The Patriots offense gained only 218 yards Sunday, the team's second lowest total of the season.

Mac Jones threw another bad interception. He's thrown six interceptions in October alone. Jones went 19-of-29 passing Sunday, throwing for 161 yards.

Tua Tagovailoa has never lost a game to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, 6-0 record. Tua completed 30 of 45 passes Sunday. He leads the league in passing yards with 2,416.

The Miami Dolphins have won 16 of it's last 18 home games. They are 4-0 at home this season.

JuJu Smith-Schuster recorded his first touchdown of the season late in the game. Despite being active, he played in a limited number of snaps.

The Dolphins possessed the ball for 35:55 in the game. The Patriots held the ball for 24:05.

Jalen Ramsey played well in his first game back since tearing the meniscus in his left knee. He bated Mac Jones on a throw down the sideline, intercepting and returning the ball for 49 yards.

DeVante Parker took a rough shot over the middle of the field from Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott, a helmet-to-helmet hit. He was helped off the field and later ruled out due to a head injury. Parker will likely enter into NFL concussion protocol.

Next up for the Patriots are the 3-5 Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Kickoff at 1 p.m. You can listen to game on the 98.5 Patriots Radio Network. Coverage starts at 10 a.m. with Chris Gasper and Jim Murray live from Splitsville at Patriot Place.

Felger: Who's your number one star for the Patriots, Greg? 

Greg Bedard: Keion White. I thought he was tremendous in his opportunities against the run. He did have one hurry. You know, I thought he was really good in this game against the Dolphins. 

Felger: Alright. Number two? 

Greg Bedard: Christian Barmore. He's been impactful on both sides. He did. He completely lost his mind after that last play, you know, the JuJu Smith-Schuster hit. He was still in the locker room half an hour after the game and was still hot about the play. But he's played really well the last three or four weeks. 

Felger: Your third star, Greg? 

Greg Bedard: I'll go with Kyle Dugger. He was impactful even though he had issues in coverage. I think on that final Waddle touchdown, he could have been better. I do think Dugger is supposed to be there in the middle of the field to at least give the illusion of help. 

Felger: Now, three down. Who are your duds? 

Greg Bedard: Mac Jones wasn't good enough and had a chance to make some plays. Plus, there was the interception. **3 More Minutes of Anti-Mac Jones Ranting** 

Felger: Number two, Greg? 

Greg Bedard: J.C. Jackson. I gave him one and a half touchdowns against. You don't know what you'll get with him down to down. Will he be in the right place? Is he going to bite on a play fake? He's just very undisciplined on the field. I would say it's been hurting more than helping in his return so far. 

Felger: Alright, Greg. Number three? 

Greg Bedard: Trent Brown with an asterisk. I saw him in the locker room after the game. He's barely walking on his right ankle. He gave up four total quarterback pressures and three hits. I've got to give the big guy credit, though, because we've been all over him. We've questioned him at times. He toughed it out on Sunday. He probably shouldn't have been out there. He was, though, and I think he did as well as he could, but still not good enough.