The REAL THING Patriots Podcast

Back from the Patriots bye week, The REAL THING Patriots Podcast returns to break down where things stand with New England as they head into the back nine of the 2017 season.  Matt Chatham takes stock of the Patriots current roster health & recent transactions as they head down the stretch.  He then talks areas of vulnerability for this team to keep an eye on, and aspects of this team he expects the Patriots to flourish in as the playoffs approach.  In the second half of the show, former Colorado Buffalo & NFL lineman Matt McChesney pops in to give his insight on all that ails the struggling Broncos as they head into this important AFC clash at a place the Patriots have obviously had mixed success.   We've got a packed show for ya, Patriots Nation...let's dive in!  

The talented Atlanta Falcons were prepared to wash the bad taste of last year's Super Bowl loss from their mouths with a successful trip to Foxboro, MA.  But the New England Patriots had other plans, producing a hallmark victory at home to put to bed many of the doubts about the kind of team this can be.  There's still a ton of time and work to go, but a well-rounded performance against a top team deserves a tip o' the cap.   Matt Chatham works through the top takeaways on tape from the Falcons-Patriots game, then turns his attention to the San Diego---err, Los Angeles Chargers, who have three straight impressive wins against the Giants, Raiders, and Broncos.  Chatham welcomes former Patriots 4th round pick, offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger to the show...Rich played for the Chargers as well during his NFL career, and now work in San Diego covering the team on the "Mark & Rich Show" for Fox Sports San Diego.  He knows both the Patriots Way & this surprising Chargers team well, offers some great insight for this weekend's contest.   Enjoy the show!  

Matt Chatham picks apart the [mostly] good and the bad in the hard-fought win on the road at the Jets, including that so-called controversial fumble call that went against New York tight end Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (as the rules dictate it should have).  The "worst call ever!" hyperbole that came after was obviously totally sane and not rooted in simply not wanting the Patriots to get the call.  Clearly.  Next, Chatham welcomes former Atlanta Falcons quarterback & Georgia Bulldog DJ Shockley to the show to help preview the Super Bowl revenge game for ATL, this Sunday night in Foxboro.  Shock was Matt Ryan's backup in Atlanta, and offers great insight on where the team is at now, at QB's perspective on what they're struggling with as they come into this game, where they're still very dangerous, and what this game means to the people of Atlanta who still have that had taste in their mouth since February in Houston.    Enjoy!  

The New York Jets have been one of the sneaky-surprising stories of the young NFL season, defying predictions of tanking and reeling off 3 victories in a row to sit at a surprisng 3-2 on the season.  That puts them in a [relatively meaningless] October tie for first place in the AFC East with the New England Patriots, but division titles are well down the road with the Pats not yet playing one of their scheduled six division games.   So where do your New England Patriots sit after the first 5?  What lessons can be pulled from the TNF win against the Bucs?  And what parts of that goofy mid-week game should be ignored?   Matt Chatham does his usual thorough review of the Patriots popular outstanding issues--from protection, to coverage, to scheme choices moving forward.  What's real in these areas, and what's not?   Chatham also dissects the new-look New York Jets, and what to expect as the Patriots look to pin one on their rivals to get a jump on another division crown.   Thanks for checking out the show...enjoy!

Former Patriots linebacker/special teamer Matt Chatham takes you through the a field-view, cause & effect analysis of the ugly Patriots loss to the Carolina Panthers--one that featured a defensive performance that was marred by glarring mistakes.   How will the Patriots respond to mounting uncharacteristic individual mistakes?  What are the little things they can do to fix a defense that's trending in the wrong direction?   What's going right that's hidden in the muck of overall disappointing performances? What must the Patriots change in a short week to ensure that this doesn't continue against the Tampa Bay Bucs?   What changes--if any--are required of the Patriots offense as they compliment the struggles on the other side of the ball?  Tom Brady and the offense are clickling, and a ton of talent & proven leadership lives on the defensive side of the ball.  It shouldn't come as a surprise if the Pats turn things around...but can they do it quickly with only walk-thru practices?   All this and more... Enjoy!  

Former Patriots linebacker & special teamer Matt Chatham dissects the thrilling come-from-behind Houston Texans game, then previews the Patriots' upcoming opponent, the Caroliina Panthers.  Chatham is joined by his former Pats teammate & Carolina punter Ken Walter.  Wlater lives in the Charlotte area now, and joins the show to give his insight on all that ails this curious Panthers team after an ugly loss to the Saints.   Topics covered in this in-depth show include a thorough review of the state of the Patriots run & pass protection, the state of the coverage units, who's showing up & who has a ways to go, and what vulnerabilities have the Patriots shown that the Panthers may try to gameplan for.    All this and more, so let's get to it... Enjoy! 

Former New England Patriots linebacker & Houston radio host Ted Johnson joins the show to address the State of the Texans, plus a full-game Patriots autopsy following the big win against the Saints.   Chatham and Johnson get into the biggest issues facing the Texans right now, and what to expect from their former teammate Mike Vrabel's first gamepblan as defensive coordinator against New England.   Some really insightful stuff from Johnson follows as he breaks down former Houston Cougars & current Patriots LB, Elandon Roberts--a big hitter & downhill linebacker that has a unique role for an evolving Patriots defense.  Johnson also offers some great insight on specific Texans that will likely have important roles in the game, but that Patriots fans may not know much about.   Chatham does his weekly deep-dive into the previous game performance, reviewing top plays, scheme choices, and issues that arose in the Saints game.  There was a ton of great stuff for hardcore fans of this Pats team to chew on from that contest... Enjoy the show!

It's Episode #2 of The REAL THING Patriots Podcast, and what a crazy mess we have to sort through after the surprising loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.  It wasn't so much that the Patriots lost--it was how they lost.  Sloppy play down the stretch, communication errors, and uncharacteristic performances all around.  As Bill Belichick likes to say, they didn't play well enough to win, they didn't coach well enough to win.  Nothing was good enough.  Gotta get back to work and get better.   Former Patriots linebacker & special teamer Matt Chatham dives into the game film of that Chiefs loss and sifts through the rubble to find what real problems exist, and what are just hot-take scrap heap stuff that weren't real problems--and won't be issues going forward.   Next, the show is joined by former Saints running back Deuce McAllister, who works for the New Orleans radio network as the color commentator for their games.  He offers some great insight into the frame of mind down there as that team looks to bounce back as well after an ugly loss on the road to the Vikings.   We talk Adrian Peterson and where he fits in the running game moving forward.  We talk Saints offensive line issues that they continue to deal with.  And we talk disappointments in their defense and how they can turn it around and get closer to the promise they showed in the preseason.   Packed show, hope you enjoy!   *Sorry in advance for the mic audio not being studo quality for Chatham--we had some technical difficulties that we hope will be tuned up for next week's show.  

The debut, all-new REAL THING Patriots Podcast kicks things off with three-time Super Bowl champ & former Patriot Matt Chatham, joined by Brady Quinn & former Chiefs defensive lineman Mike DeVito, wrapping the Patriots preseason and final roster decisions, looking at the biggest NFL challengers for New England, and previewing the huge Patriots-Chiefs home opener. Quinn offers the big picture, national view of the legitimate threats to another championship for the Patriots.  DeVito, the former Massachusetts native, Maine Black Bear, and 9-year NFL defensive lineman with the NY Jets & KC Chiefs offers great insight into the view from Kansas City from someone who was on the field the last time these two teams squared off.   Awesome in-depth show to get things started with this new FBF project focussed solely on all-things-Patriots.  Dig in, we hope you enjoy it!  

The guys are back with an 11th hour pregame breakdown show for Super Bowl L1 in Houston.  All the media fluff and off-field storylines are in the rearview, the guys dive into the details of what will ultimately decide the contest between the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.   After a week of discussion about prolific passing games, what role will the running games of these two teams have in deciding the champion -- and is it ultimately just as (or more) important as all the passing game talk with Matt Ryan and Tom Brady.   What factor will experience play in the contest, and how from a players point of view does this materialize in a game?   What are players doing in these final 24 hours before the game and how can these final details show up in the performance?   And finally, Chatham shares a story from his Super Bowl experience, how Bill Belichick suprised the players the night before their contest against the Eagles in Jacksonville with a move that put a cloud of silence over the room.   Each of the guys makes their Super Bowl picks with their rationale for why.   Enjoy! 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his league handlers finally decided to come out from the shadows and do a public interview, this a friendly with Fox TV & radio star, Colin Cowherd, in advance of Super Bowl LI in Houston.   To put it mildly, it was beyond embarrassing for all parties.   Matt Chatham walks through the audio with his blow-by-blow take on how rare interviews with the evasive & perpetually dishonest commissioner have to be better...for the sake of the game.  And truth in media and general honesty and all that jazz... Enjoy! 

First, Brady Quinn and Matt Chatham look back at the NFL Divisional Round contests, honing in on the ultimate keys for each of the teams that advanced to the championship round.   The guys then take an off-field look at Roger Goodell continuing to play hide & seek with the New England region, plus a discussion on the effect (or lack thereof) the Antonio Brown Facebook LIVE video leak will have on the AFC Championship -- a players' perspective discussion on the importance of locker room privacy in football.    Finally, the guys are joined by Brady Poppinga for thoughts on the two championship games.  The guys zero in on their beliefs from study of the four teams on where their vulnerabilities lie, and how (or if) they can be exploited in this final pre-Super Bowl round.   Patriots, Chiefs, Falcons and Packers are on the burner as the guys help ya sort through the storylines and focus on the stuff that really matters in deciding these games...

The guys first offer their reactions to the Clemson upset of Alabama in the thrilling College Football Championship game.  Then it's onto NFL coaching changes, with the Bills, Jags and Broncos filling their vacancies.  Next the guys take a critical look at the Chargers bizarre decision to abandon their home market and play second-fiddle in LA, a market that doesn't seem to want them.   From there, the guys go deep on the four NFL Divisional Playoff matchups, offering their "deciding factor" for each contest; Seahawks at Falcons, Texans at Patriots, Steelers at Chiefs, and Packers at Cowboys.   It's a football insight-palooza.   Enjoy!    

Former players Matt Chatham, Brady Poppinga, and Brady Quinn go in-depth on the four NFL Wild Card matchups, breaking down what they believe will be the deciding factors in these games.  Which of the two offense in the Raiders-Texans contest can be counted on most to produce on the playoff stage?  Can either of the Lions or Seahawks start playing the brand of football that got them into the playoffs, but has escaped them for much of the last month?  Can the Dolphins defense possibly hold up in Pittsburgh?  Something's got to give when one of the hottest offenses in football meets another of the hottest defenses.  Giants-Packers and what will likely be the separator there... The guys also preview the CFB National Championship game featuring a rematch of Clemson and Alabama. PACKED SHOW...enjoy!  

Jam-packed show with Brady Quinn and Matt Chatham taking on the hot-topic of top college football players skipping bowl games to prepare for the NFL Draft.  The guys look at what today's bowl games really are -- and what they're not -- and how that affects any discussion of 'commitment to your team' and the like.  Christan McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette have made their decisions for personal reasons related to the NFL, but did they show a glimpse of the power college football players have to someday return some of the financial windfall of bowl games to the young men playing in the games?  Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott jumped in a Salvation Army pot and watched the NFL cave on their so-called rules integrity.  New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo cheated in the real-est way Roger Goodell's tenure has seen, but took home the prize of a mild penalty....because, ya know, NFL.  And Odell Beckham Jr got punished for honoring the recently deceased Craig Sager with a special pair of cleats.  Last week the league markets how great they are for promoting causes on cleats.  This week they return to taking money from players for good deeds.  Yippie, NFL!