- 2 minutes ago
We are just about halfway through the NFL season and the guys give their grades on Drake Maye, Rhamondre Stevenson, Mike Vrabel, and more.
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00:00We are right about at the midway point of this season
00:03and a little bit of a rocky start, obviously, for your New England Patriots,
00:06and then they seem to have found their footing, except they're injured as hell.
00:10So I want to ask you, Ted, and you can,
00:14your assessment of some of these individual players and groupings here,
00:18and I want you to give me a grade as to what you think,
00:21what they each ranked at a scale from A to F this season.
00:26Let's start with Drake May.
00:27No letter grades.
00:28In total, letter grades.
00:30Let's start with you, Ted.
00:31Drake May, rocky start of the season, had a great Miami game,
00:36where in the second half he did it all with nobody.
00:39What grade did you give him for the season?
00:40I give him a B+.
00:41He'd get an A if he didn't have those first three games.
00:45I like the fact that he got his bad football out of the way early, right,
00:50and then he just seems to be getting better and better each time.
00:53I would give him an A if it wasn't for those first three games.
00:56I think he's been brilliant.
00:57I think he's overcome – they're winning football games because of Drake May.
01:02He's been able to quiet the turnovers down in the last five games.
01:08And so I just think he's a franchise quarterback that has a special skill set
01:12that I would – if I was picking – had a new team I was starting and I had to
01:18pick a player,
01:19the first guy I would pick would be Drake May.
01:21I just think he's an exceptional athlete.
01:23I think his intangibles are off the charts.
01:25He's a likable guy.
01:27He's everything you'd want in a franchise quarterback as far as how he handles himself off the field.
01:33And he's just a gamer on the field.
01:35So I think very highly of the kid.
01:37He would get an A if it wasn't for those first three games, though.
01:40And he goes viral every week he's on our show.
01:42Sure does.
01:43In this past week it was like, what's your favorite Bible verse?
01:45And it went viral on that.
01:47And in the clip I was like, man, I'm a lifelong Catholic.
01:49I don't think I've ever heard that one before.
01:51And there were people just like, well, you're an idiot, certainly.
01:54Read the Bible like a good Christian like I am.
01:57I want to add one thing.
02:00I covered the Texans for many years.
02:03They had, you know how many quarterbacks came through where you'd basically have to say every time, if you just
02:08build a good team around him, he'll be good.
02:12That's not the case with Drake.
02:13He can overcome a bad roster because of how brilliant his play is.
02:17Which he's doing right now.
02:19And it's not that the roster's injured.
02:22But that Miami game, I think that that was the most impressive, even more than I think the Bills game.
02:27Watching what he did in that second half of the Miami game when there's nobody around him.
02:32And he's running for his life.
02:33And he would still be able to make that happen.
02:35Just real quick.
02:35You know how many teams would, like, you have a quarterback, fan bases.
02:40You've got to understand this, Patriots fans.
02:41The fact that you're down 10 points, for some teams that's, you know, it's going to be hard to climb
02:47out of.
02:47Over.
02:47Yeah.
02:48It's never over with Drake May.
02:50No.
02:50That's the beauty of his play.
02:51You're always in it.
02:52All right, Ken.
02:53Ramondre Stevenson.
02:55Whew.
02:57I, you know, I don't like to be so loose with the A's.
03:02But, boy, probably not an A.
03:04He's a B.
03:05I think he's probably a B.
03:07Because Ted made a good point earlier, I guess, that he's not really a feature back necessarily.
03:11He's probably not a top 10 running back in the league right now.
03:14But his grade on PFFs is 77, almost an 80.
03:18So, I know they're not perfect.
03:19But he's, particularly, you talk about, like, nothing around him.
03:23Yeah.
03:24The rest of the running back room, I guess Kiner's a hard runner.
03:26He runs, but he'll give you one tough run a game.
03:29Travion has let you down, and Ramondre is holding steady.
03:32So, I think he's had a really good year.
03:33I think he's more dependable than spectacular.
03:36Like, I think dependable's the word.
03:37And you know what?
03:38You need a guy like that.
03:39There's value in that.
03:39Yeah.
03:40There is definitely value in that.
03:41I forget his ability to blitz pick up and help with the offensive line.
03:45Yeah.
03:46Is elite.
03:47He's an elite blitz picker-upper.
03:50Do you agree with that, B?
03:52Yeah.
03:53Yeah, yeah.
03:53Yeah, yeah.
03:54I'd say B.
03:54Maybe B+.
03:55Okay.
03:56Ted, A.J. Brown.
03:58You know, I don't know how you don't give it an F.
04:01I hate to say it.
04:02I mean, look, the guy's wildly talented, but he's at the bottom of all rankings for his
04:08position.
04:09Yeah.
04:09Catches dropped, passes dropped, just getting open.
04:15It's just, dude, he's at the bottom of every qualifying player at his position.
04:20So, I don't know how you give him anything other than that.
04:22Yeah.
04:24Hunter Henry, Ken.
04:25Ooh, he's had a pretty good year.
04:27He's, other than the injury here.
04:30But again, he's like Ramondre.
04:31I don't know that you would put him in like a top 10 list of tight ends.
04:36He's not Brock Bowers.
04:37He's not George Kittle.
04:38He's not even like Colston Loveland or Tucker Craft who's coming in here for the Packers.
04:43So, I guess B+.
04:44Again, he and Ramondre are kind of floating in that same vein.
04:47Yeah.
04:47I would say it's just strong overall work and dependable.
04:51It's like we keep coming back to that word.
04:53They're not spectacular.
04:54They're dependable.
04:55Yeah.
04:55I'd give him a B+.
04:56I used to be critical of Hunter.
04:58I've stopped doing that.
04:59I see the value in Hunter.
05:01He's a better tight end than I initially gave him credit for.
05:04I mean, he's the safety blanket for Drake May.
05:07Yep.
05:07Demario Douglas.
05:09Ted.
05:11Uh, I'll say B-C+, C+.
05:14B-B-C+.
05:16Okay.
05:16Yeah.
05:17Um, look, he is, he leads the Patriots in receiving yards this year, but I think that's
05:21by default, uh, in some ways.
05:23I just, the guys, the Patriots were ranked 29th in yards after catch going into this last
05:29game.
05:30And then he has his most yards after catch play, uh, again in Miami.
05:35So, um, so that was good to see.
05:37He's a guy that once he catches the ball more times than not, he goes down right away.
05:41He doesn't have yards after the catch.
05:43That's a good point.
05:43I mean, how many fourth down plays they go to him and he gets tackled right away.
05:48Yeah.
05:48You're right.
05:49I just think there's, he's a little bit overrated by the fan base here.
05:53And so I'd say B-C+.
05:54All right, Ken, here's an interesting one.
05:57Christian Gonzalez.
05:59Oh boy.
06:00I think he's a B.
06:01I mean, he's been probably a B+.
06:03He's been shut down a number of times, but to Ted's point, the zone, he's just been kind
06:09of, I don't know if passive is the word or maybe, I don't know if that's by design,
06:13but he's not.
06:14But the last few weeks have been a little underwhelming for whatever reason.
06:17And actually, Carlton Davis has maybe outplayed him in some games.
06:20Yeah.
06:21From an attacking standpoint.
06:22Yeah.
06:22I mean, some big chunks of game, you don't notice him.
06:25They don't throw at him a lot.
06:26So he's definitely effective.
06:27But the money he's getting paid, B+.
06:30Man, I just, I got to say for the money he's getting paid, it's been a disappointment.
06:36I mean, he should be locked down.
06:38For that kind of money, you need an A.
06:39Right.
06:39You need an A.
06:40And I think I would put him more in the C+, C category, especially for the last couple
06:45of games.
06:45It is a tough position to grade because if you can go away from him and so you don't
06:51see him making plays and you go, why are we paying all this money?
06:54It's kind of like the A.J.
06:55Brown.
06:55A.J.
06:56Brown draws coverage and you go, but he's not making any catches.
06:59Yeah.
06:59But he's drawing coverage away for other guys like Efton Chisholm and Romeo Dobbs to make
07:03plays.
07:04All right, Teddy J.
07:04The man of the hour, Christian Barmore.
07:07You know, he's been okay.
07:09I would say C.
07:10Okay.
07:11He's being paid as an A for a guy that should be getting A grades.
07:16His pass rush is decent.
07:19His run defense is putrid, I think.
07:23Gabe Ackis.
07:24Gabe Ackis, who, by the way, I didn't even know he left that game.
07:27He only had 20 snaps this weekend.
07:28Yeah.
07:29And one and a half sacks.
07:30He had one and a half sacks.
07:31He's got a knee issue, though.
07:32So here's another chronic knee issue that may be back on the injury front this week.
07:35Is that what kept him from signing early?
07:37I think so.
07:38So go back and look at that.
07:39But anyway, he's been much better than I expected.
07:41Hell yeah.
07:42I think I've answered B-plus for everybody, but I would go B-plus.
07:44He's not like a sure thing terror.
07:47He's not every game you could count on for five sacks, but he's been pretty, for a rookie,
07:51he's been pretty good.
07:51I'm giving him an A.
07:52Yeah.
07:53Yeah.
07:53He's, I think, dude, there's highlight tapes where he's powerful, he's quick, he's kind
08:00of got a little relentless, he's not as tall, so I think sometimes he gets swallowed up by
08:04the bigger tackles.
08:05I love everything I've seen from Gabe Ackis.
08:07He's a strong son of a gun.
08:09And I might be a victim of what my expectations were going into the season, just with all of
08:14the injury stuff and all the shenanigans that happened.
08:16I didn't even think he'd sign or ever play a snap.
08:18Exactly.
08:19So that's why I think that I'm being a little influenced by that, but I would give him an
08:23A as well.
08:23All right, Ted.
08:24Mike Vrabel.
08:26Ooh.
08:27Yeah.
08:28You know what?
08:28I think I'd have to give him an A-.
08:32Look, I think he coached his ass off against Buffalo after getting drilled by Jacksonville.
08:38Yeah.
08:38He basically put it on himself.
08:40He goes, I got to do a better job.
08:41I got to get these guys in the right frame of mind.
08:44I think Mike coaches his ass off.
08:46I really do.
08:47I just think he's, you saw him in that game against Miami.
08:50The camera loved him in that game.
08:51They kept showing him.
08:53I think he was all so stressed out.
08:55They caught him putting a big old cash register dip in there, in his bottom lip.
08:59Chaw, that's what we call that.
09:00I get it, man.
09:02This is a stressful job.
09:03So I think Mike's done a pretty good job considering all the injuries.
09:06They had more injuries through week three than they did all of last year.
09:11Yeah.
09:11How about his body language this weekend?
09:14That's deserving of an A.
09:15Like every time the camera was on him, he was so flustered and just pissed off.
09:19Yeah.
09:19How about when he tossed that flag?
09:21Yeah.
09:21And the flag.
09:22Yeah.
09:22That's his thing now.
09:23He gets into his work.
09:24I can't believe that.
09:25Guys, we haven't talked.
09:25Did y'all talk about that much yesterday?
09:27Dude, they called that an incomplete pass.
09:30That was crazy.
09:30That was ridiculous.
09:31It was crazy.
09:32Oh my God.
09:32Are you kidding me?
09:33And then they call it maybe a, are they thinking it was a touchback?
09:36And it was neither of those.
09:37It was a catch and a touchdown.
09:38Come on, guys.
09:38Yeah.
09:38That was crazy.
09:39All right.
09:39This one's for this final one's for both of you guys.
09:41Let's start with you, Ken.
09:42Josh McDaniels.
09:44Oh boy.
09:45I give him a C, I guess.
09:48He started so bad.
09:50He has corrected.
09:51He's still not terribly creative.
09:53We're back again, by the way.
09:55I saw the Andrew Callahan stats.
09:5661% of run on first down this weekend.
09:59So they're kind of back to, he is just very plain this year for most of it.
10:03So just average C.
10:05I'm going to give him a little bit.
10:06I'll give him a C plus.
10:07Because the first three games, and I'm tired of the, we don't know what we have for the
10:11first month.
10:12You basically went from the most static offense in the NFL, no motions, no shifts, to in week
10:20five, you get to Buffalo and all of a sudden it's multiple formations, multiple motions
10:26before they make the defense think.
10:29Dude, he confuses me in how he calls games sometimes.
10:32I give him a C plus.
10:33I think there's a little bit of a lack of imagination in his offense and simplicity to it that drives
10:39me a little bit crazy.
10:40So C plus.
10:41How much do you think Drake covers up for some of the incompetence of Josh McDaniels?
10:45Like he makes plays out of something that shouldn't have worked.
10:48I think there's, there is some, some of that.
10:50I mean, how many, how long were we like, why aren't they not running Romeo Dobbs on more
10:54of these quick outs like he did in green Bay?
10:56Yes.
10:57And then it's like, we criticize him for that.
10:59I swear.
10:59I think he listens and he goes, oh yeah, I mean, I probably need to do that.
11:02I don't know.
11:04There's honestly, can you have a call with him every week?
11:06You've got access down there.
11:07Why don't you just say, let me talk to Josh for five minutes.
11:09He won't, he don't want to talk to me.
11:10He would listen to you.
11:11They listen.
11:12Maybe.
11:12I don't know.
11:13It's like, listen, we have proof that they listen.
11:15Well, if they listen.
11:16Yeah.
11:16I'd be like, Josh, I remember when you were walking around, like getting coffee for people.
11:20I was winning three Superbowls.
11:21Just let me give you five bullet points of what you're not doing.
11:23I'm looking at this game objectively.
11:24You're not seeing the forest through the tree.
11:26Yeah.
11:26Listen to me.
11:27I might, I might have to do that.
11:28I might have to have a sit down with them.
11:30I'll consider that kid.
11:31Yeah.
11:31Just call Stacy.
11:32They'll patch you.
11:33Yeah.
11:33There you go.
11:34But you're back in their good graces.
11:35Isn't there games where you're just like, now I'll give him credit for this last game.
11:39He threw a deep ball to the Kyle Williams touchdown.
11:42It was on second and one.
11:44Yeah.
11:44And I told you the week before against the bears, he basically is 80% run in, in, and on,
11:51on second down of three yards or less, which is,
11:54very predictable.
11:55Yep.
11:56Um, you want to be 50, 50 in as many of those down and distance situations as you can.
12:01He's just so predictable in those play calling that defenses can see it when they go game
12:06plan, they go in the game and they know how to defend them.
12:09Let's go.
12:09Let's go.
12:09Let's go.
12:09Let's go.