The Real Thing Patriots Podcast

We've got a packed show that starts with the guys reviewing the CFB Championship Game, a game featuring plenty of NFL talent on both the Clemson and Alabama rosters. The guys then look back at NFL Wild Card Weekend, detailing the good, bad & lots of ugly to come from those four survival games, including some important special teams contributions, fumbling issues, and a look-what-I-found performance from the Packers offense.  Finally, the guys look ahead to the Divisional round, and talk through the factors most likely to carry somebody through to the next round.  Packers, Cardinals, Patriots, Chiefs, Seahawks, Panthers, Broncos and Steelers all on the table. Enjoy! 

Chatham and Quinn go around the NFL Wild-Card Weekend bracket and break down the four contests.  Can the Green Bay Packers find their lost offense against the surprising Washington Redskins?  Will the Minnesota Vikings' deliberate and plodding style be enough if the Seattle Seahawks pour on the points in the frigid weather?  In a matchup of surprise teams, will either the Kansas City Chiefs or Houston Texans make enough plays to advance to the divisional round?  And finally, will we see that potent Pittsburgh Steelers offense we're used to seeing if DeAngelo Williams' ankle keeps him out?  Or is the potential loss of a run game the opportunity the Bengals needed to advance past their rival?  The guys end the show by evaluating the vacant NFL coaching postions and a brief discussion of the potential role of analytics in an NFL front office.  Enjoy the show! 

Jam-packed show as the guys dive into the Odell Beckham Jr. non-ejection and weather-ballooned suspension from the NFL.  The guys discuss why the league can't seem to get the big things right when it comes to player safety and game integrity.  Next, the guys give their insight on what it's like preparing for a big NFL game late in the season with all the good distractions of the holidays.  Then the guys dive into the Pro Bowl voting, offering a peek at what the proces is like from a player's point of view, plus their picks for overlooked players in this year's voting.  Finally, the guys look ahead to the weekend's biggest games, including Bengals-Broncos, Patriots-Jets, and Packers-Cardinals.  Enjoy! 

Chatham & Quinn return to finish out the final non-bowl weekend of the CFB calendar.  Chatham makes his case that this season highlights the need for an expansion to an 8-team tournament, specifically using a blended FCS & bowl system model.  The guys then dive into the particulars of the final four, talking through the matchups of the Michigan State Spartans vs the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Clemson Tigers vs the Oklahoma Sooners.  Quinn then offers some insight on the ever-expanding coaching carousel, including some interesting tidbits from a recent Bill Snyder speech on the subject.  The guys finish off by exploring the cases of the three Heisman candidates in advance of this weekend's big vote.  Hope you enjoy the show! 

The guys get into the biggest NFL storylines of the week, including Johnny Manziel's continued backup role with the Cleveland Browns, the Chip Kelly saga with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the out-of-nowhere dominant Houston Texans.   The guys then breakdown some down-the-stretch teams to keep an eye on, like the Seattle Seahawks and...wait for it...the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?!  Finally, a heavy slate of games to preview for the weekend, including a potential battered New England Patriots rebound.  All this and more.  Hope you enjoy! 

Chatham & Quinn dive into the newest version of the CFB Playoff Rankings, discussing the clearing paths for Oklahoma, Michigan State (or Iowa), Clemson and Alabama.  The guys then discuss the plausibility of a change on the back of the Top 4, examining the cases for Stanford, Florida, UNC, and even Ohio State if chaos were to ensue this weekend. The guys then give their final review of the Heisman candidates, including Deshaun Watson, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, and Baker Mayfield.  Finally, Brady makes a case against the peculiar exclusion of Navy QB Keenan Reynolds from at least a trip to NY.  Enjoy!   

Former NFL players Matt Chatham & Brady Poppinga return to preview a huge weekend of uncertain NFL storylines and top matchups.  The guys dive into what's made the surprising Minnesota Vikings tick as they face the Green Bay Packers with an opportunity to take control of the NFC North.  Can Tony Romo hit the ground running for the Dallas Cowboys offense in his return from injury without any room for error in the standings?  Can Brock Osweiler be an upgrade to a Denver Broncos offense that's been flat on its back?  Can the Buffalo Bills finally control New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in the absence of Julian Edelman?  And in the weekend's best matchup, what Cincinnati Bengals team shows up in Arizona to face the red-hot Cardinals?   We've got a jam-packed show for you, so sit back and enjoy! 

Matt Chatham and Brady Quinn take the hot-off-the press playoff rankings and talk through the top three 1-loss teams in the rankings (Alabama, Notre Dame & Oklahoma).  Did the committee get it right this week?  The guys also dive into the bizarre situation of Brady's alma mater invading Boston and Fenway Park this weekend for another installment of the Shamrock Series, this year with the Irish playing a "home" game in Boston College's backyard.  Is it right to plaster "Notre Dame" all over the hallowed grounds of a Boston institution like Fenway?  The fellas finish up looking ahead to the weekend matchups with big playoff implications, including Ohio State- Michigan State, TCU-Oklahoma and Baylor-Oklahoma State.  .  Enjoy! 

Matt Chatham and Brady Quinn are back to walk through the 2nd edition of CFB Playoff rankings and debate where the committee stands -- from their apparent disdain for the Big 12, to the uncertain road ahead for the PAC 12, to an Iowa team that keeps turtling up the list, to an ACC conference that's looking Clemson or bust.  Outside the Power 5 conferences, Quinn's Notre Dame Fighting Irish appear in the Top 4 for the first time, and Houston curiously continues to get no respect from the committee.   The guys also walk through the controversy at the end of the Nebraska-Michigan State game and talk officiating solutions that need to show up in both college and professional football.  Enjoy! 

Chatham & Quinn pick apart the newly-released CFB Playoff Rankings and the initial Top 4 of 1) Clemson 2) LSU 3) Ohio State and 4) Alabama.  Is the PAC 12 already in trouble with no team in the Top 10?  Is the committee screwing with people by placing a 1-loss Alabama in the Top 4 a week before they play LSU?  Is the idea of two Big 10 teams in the final four all that crazy?  Is Clemon just on a short-term rental of the top spot?  All this and a look ahead at the weekend's big games: Alabama-LSU, FSU-Clemson, TCU-Oklahoma State and more... Enjoy! 

New England, Green Bay, Denver, Carolina and Cincinnati all stand with unblemished 6-0 records entering Week 8 of the NFL season.  Chatham & Poppinga are joined by former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman and Super Bowl champ, Mike Flynn to talk through the potential vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and challenges for these teams that have been the class of the NFL so far.  Who has the toughest remaining schedule?  Who still has a lot to prove?  Who is the right matchup away from their first loss?  The guys dive in to break it all down... Enjoy! 

Jerry Kill's decision to retire in-season is a sad story, but it's also another in a series of shocking in-season coaching decisions at major NCAA football programs, including USC, South Caroliina, Maryland, Illinois and UCF.  The guys break down all the realities of what a coaching change means for the player still at that school, how coaching staffs that remain account for the loss, the new considerations for recruits trying to make a decsion on that school, and the impact on those recruits that have already committed.  Enjoy!   

Chatham & Quinn wrap up the goofy end to the Michigan-Michigan State game and talk about their experiences regarding end-game special teams philosophy.  The SEC comes into clearer focus with Alabama and LSU rising, while the PAC 12 sees its own separation with Utah and Stanford moving to the head of the class.  Iowa forces the country to pay attention to the otherwise quiet B1G 10 West as Ohio State settles the JT Barrett or Cardale Jones dilemma (for now).   Another big week of college football talk on tap as the first playoff polls draw nearer... Enjoy! 

FormerBroncos TE Joel Dreessen provides some detailed perspective on the transition Peyton Manning is going through in Denver and talks about their prospects of continuing to win ugly.  Matt & Joel then touch on their brief time together in New York with the Jets, always looking up at the New England Patriots.  Brady Poppinga joins the show to talk about "What We Learned" in Week 6, including the Dan Campbell Project in Miami & Chris Ivory's arrival on center stage.  The guys then finish up with their "Unanswered Questions" for the upcoming weekend's games, including some hope for the Seahawks to turn it around and a Steelers team that keeps on keeping on.  Enjoy!  *As a hat-tip to our sponsor "Seat Geek," check out their site here for all your game ticket needs. https://seatgeek.com/?gid=1887542464&dt=c&ap=1t1&adId=79392875224&gclid=CNjK2N3d2MgCFVCQHwodkx0M0w

How are players likely to respond in the Steve Sarkisian, Steve Spurrier, and Will Grier situations?  Chatham & Quinn buckle up for a deep discussion from a players-point-of-view on how these pieces of national news are likely to be interpretted by the people who live them.  Are players likely to be disappointed in Steve Sarkisian behind closed doors?  How much at fault is Athletic Director Pat Haden in the problem?  How does the perception of USC change for a parent weighing whether or not to send their son or daughter to this institution? Has Steve Spurrier undercut his message to players about competing by quitting when he did?  Are players privately less likely to give Spurrier a pass for quitting based upon his resume as opposed to media members who don't have football experience?  Plus, the guys discuss Will Grier's mistake in context having gone through the process of trying to grow their body at the collegiate level, understanding the resources available to players so that they don't make this

Former NFL tight end and New England native Jermaine Wiggins joins the show.  The guys start with a review of the inconsistent QB play around the NFL as up & down QBs like Josh McCown and Nick Foles have played Jekyll and Hyde in past weeks.  The guys then dive into the sneaky-good start of the Carolina Panthers and address the question of whether Cam Newton is playing at a higher level than Russell Wilson despite both QBs having similarly questionable situations with their offensive weapons.  This talk includes Wiggy covering the challenges that face a route runner when playing with a mobile quarterback like these two, and how that might affect a highly-coveted free agent's decision to play for a team with a non-traditional QB.  The fellas then tackle the question of what separates this Bengals teams from past units that eventually slipped into "same 'ol Bengals" territory.  The guys then conclude with an overview of the Patriots-Colts game from a players' perspective.  Jam-packed show....we hope you

Former Arizona State & NFL offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer joins Chatham & Quinn to discuss ASU's big victory against UCLA and the chaotic reset of the Pac 12 standings.  The guys review the rest of the past weekend's biggest games, including Notre Dame's close loss at Clemson, and Alabama's impressive bashing of the previously unblemished Georgia Bulldogs.  Off-field issues take center stage in the episode as the guys give their insight into the deeper issues likely being weighed by LSU RB Leonard Fournette & UCLA LB Myles Jack.  Fournette indicates that despite national buzz, the NFL isn't in his view right now, while Jack leaves UCLA mid-year to rehab and prepare for entry into the NFL. The guys then look ahead to the Week 6 matchups for the weekend.  Enjoy!

Former Patriots LB & current Houston CBS radio co-host Ted Johnson joins the show to talk Texans slow start, plus "What We Learned" & "Unanswered Questions" from around the NFL.  The guys dive into "Patriots South" to discuss what's contributed to the missed expectations for Bill O'Brien's team, as Ted offers insight into the ongoing QB dilemma that faces Houston with Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett switching back and forth under center.  Next the guys cover "What We Learned" this week in the NFL focussing on Andy Dalton & the Bengals, the AFC East plateau, and a frustrating trend of poor investment and subsequent offensive line play around top QBs.  Finally, the focus flips to "Unanswered Questons" for this weekend's upcoming games, including a discussion on the Denver Broncos ever-evolving offense and trying to make sense of the Seattle Seahawks mis-mash of offensive personnel.  Enjoy! 

Former NFL players Rocky Boiman and Matt Chatham talk through dealing with professional letdowns similar to what Josh Scobee suffered Thursday night with his two big missed kicks in Pittsburgh against the Ravens.  The guys then reveiw the ever-changing scene in the AFC North with the Cincinnati Bengals moving to the head of the class and putting some space between themselves and those other teams in a hobbled division.  As they do each week, the guys then offer their "What We Learned" picks from last week, this time focusing on the Atlanta Falcons.  Then the guys offer their "Unanswered Questions" for the weekend's upcoming games, including a review of a chaotic NFC East and an Indianapolis Colts team that continues to try to figure itself out as Andrew Luck's health teeters.  Great in-depth discussion to get ya ready for another can't-miss weekend of NFL football...enjoy! 

The fellas try to make sense of a shocker in Oregon and a Michigan team that may just be living up to the Harbaugh-hype.  With a huge slate of top matchups on tap for the weekend, the guys dive into Notre Dame & Clemson, Alabama & Georgia, Mississippi State & Texas A&M, Ole Miss & Florida...and a couple other suprises.  The Coaches & AP Polls are out with some surprises in the way to the voters are seeing several teams, including an SEC-less Top 4, a mild response for Utah after their mashing of the Ducks in Euguene, and the PAC barely reaching the Top 10.  Enjoy!