We kick off Episode 20 with the Week in Review, starting with the Patriots’ win over Jacksonville and looking ahead to Sunday’s trip to Buffalo.Then we hit the rest of the Boston sports week. We’ll look back at the Red Sox postseason , check in on the Bruins as the regular season gets underway, go through the latest from Celtics camp, and catch up on the Revolution.On the college side, we’ll review this week's Boston College football and preview their next matchup, check in on a UMass team that has started 4-0 and is receiving AP Top 25 votes for the second straight week, get into the start of the BC men’s hockey season, and start looking ahead to BC men’s basketball as that season gets closer. We’ll also hit the important news from around the leagues, get to our Game of the Week, and check in on NASCAR.David takes us through the latest jersey-number updates in Know Your Numbers.The One Question this week is: Is Drake Maye the Problem?We’re going all the way back through Maye’s career so far, from his rookie season under Alex Van Pelt to the breakout in 2025, the problems that started showing up in the postseason and what we’ve seen through the first three games of 2026. We’ll look at Maye’s decision-making, turnovers, pocket management and patience, but also what’s happening around him with the run game, offensive line, receivers, tight ends, Josh McDaniels’ offense and the way defenses are attacking New England with Cover 6 and split-safety looks.Then in the 101, we move over to hockey and start from the beginning: who’s actually on the ice, how the three zones work, what forward lines and defensive pairs are, and why hockey players are constantly changing on the fly.And as always, we’ll wrap things up with Final Freeform.

Episode 19 starts with the Week in Review, checking in on what the Patriots have been doing over the last week and getting you ready for their matchup with the Jaguars. We also hit the biggest news from around the pro leagues before turning to the Red Sox, where we recap the last week and take a look at the lineup heading into the Wild Card Series against the Yankees.We also go through all four Bruins preseason games and give our projection for what the opening-night roster could look like on Tuesday. Celtics training camp also gets underway Tuesday, so we take a look at what to watch as camp begins. Plus, we review the latest week for the Revolution.Then it’s Know Your Numbers with the latest jersey number assignments.After that, we get to The One Question: Where did the Red Sox offense go? We try to figure out what has happened to this lineup, why the offense has struggled, and what Boston needs to do differently now that the playoffs are here.In The 101, we finish up our defensive series with Run Fits: Gaps, Force, Spill and Pursuit. We break down gap responsibility, one-gap vs. two-gap ideas, force and contain, spill technique, linebacker fits, pursuit, cutback responsibility, and what happens when just one defender loses his fit.And as always, we wrap things up with the Final Freeform.

The Patriots are heading into at least four games without A.J. Brown. So what happens to the offense now?Episode 18 starts with the Week in Review, including our Patriots-Steelers preview, the Red Sox playoff push, the biggest developments from Bruins training camp, the Revolution, Boston College and our College Football Game of the Week.Know Your Numbers returns with the latest jersey changes around the NFL.Then we get to The One Question: No Brown. Now What? Who takes on the bigger roles, how much does the offense have to change, and what does Drake Maye have to do to keep New England moving without its top receiver? We look beyond just Sunday and break down the entire four-game stretch Brown will miss.In The 101, we continue our defensive series with nickel fronts, including 4-2-5, 2-4-5, Over, Odd and Double Mug looks, and explain what each one is trying to accomplish.And we finish, as always, with Final Freeform.

Episode 17 starts with the Week in Review, where we go through the biggest games and news from the past week,including the Red Sox, Revolution, Boston College, and the Patriots.

From there, we move into Know Your Numbers withthe latest jersey assignments.

The One Question focuses on the Patriots’ season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. We take a closer look at what went wrong, how New England went from having control of the game to letting it get away, and what stood out from the Patriots’ performance.

Then, in The 101, we continue our look at NFL defense with blitzes and simulated pressure. We explain how defenses create pressure, how they disguise where it is coming from, and how simulated pressure can make things more difficult for the quarterback and offensive line.

We finish the episode as always with the FinalFreeform.

The Clutch Mode Podcast is back with Episode 16, and this week the focus is on one question: what has to be different for the New England Patriots to beat the Seattle Seahawks?We open with the Week in Review, breaking down the latest Patriots roster moves and what they tell us about Mike Vrabel’s ongoing concern with depth. We look at the return of Ben Brown, the additions of Darius Muasau and Erick Hunter, the practice-squad moves, and which position groups still have real questions behind the starters.We check in on Neemias Queta’s strong international play and what it could mean for his development with the Celtics. We break down the Red Sox’s recent stretch, including the instability in the starting rotation, the return of Trevor Story and Roman Anthony, Mickey Gasper’s hot bat, Adley Rutschman’s elbow issue, and the bigger question of whether Boston’s run prevention is strong enough for October.We also look at the Revolution’s 3–1 comeback win over Columbus, Carles Gil’s three-goal-contribution performance, the continued production from Dor Turgeman, Jack Harrison and Peyton Miller, and what New England still needs to improve despite one of the better defensive records in MLS.Boston College opens its season at Cincinnati, so we preview the matchup by focusing on Mason McKenzie, BC’s explosive running backs, the offensive line’s issues against pressure during camp, and whether Ted Roof’s defense can create disruption without giving up explosive plays. We also introduce a new weekly feature: the Clutch Mode College Football Game of the Week.Then we move to Know Your Numbers, covering the latest jersey assignments

The main event is The One Question: How Does New England Flip the Script?We go deep into the Super Bowl and break down why Seattle’s defense gave New England so many problems, including Mike Macdonald’s four-man pass rush, split-safety coverages, Cover 6, simulated pressure, Devon Witherspoon’s nickel blitzes, and the communication required between Drake Maye, Jared Wilson and the offensive line.We also look at how A.J. Brown changes Seattle’s coverage decisions, how Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry can attack the space created around him, why personnel and formation variation matter, how the Patriots should use Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner, and why the run game has to manipulate linebackers instead of simply chasing rushing totals.On defense, we look at Brian Fleury’s Seattle offense, Kenneth Walker’s departure, New England’s linebacker discipline, rush-lane integrity against Sam Darnold, and the importance of special teams and field position at .Finally, The 101 teaches pass-rush technique from the ground up: speed rush, bull rush, speed-to-power, rip, swim, long arm, counters, stunts, leverage, bend, anchor, pocket compression and how offensive linemen are supposed to exchange rushers.Follow @ClutchModePod on X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads

Episode 15 of The Clutch Mode Podcast is here!

We start with the Week in Review and everything that’shappened around Boston sports and beyond. We’ll look back at the Patriots’preseason finale against Cleveland and what we learned from the final game ofthe summer, check in on the Red Sox and their playoff push, get the latest fromthe Revolution, follow Boston College as the Eagles get ready for the start ofthe season, see where things stand with the Boston Hunters in the WPBL, and addNASCAR to the conversation with the Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytonaand the battle to make the Chase.

Then it’s time for The One Question: Who makes the Patriots’ 53-man roster?

Training camp is over. The preseason is over. Theevaluations are essentially complete. And by Sunday night, we’ll know theanswer.

Before the Patriots make it official, we’re goingposition by position and giving you our final projected 53. We’ll break downwho we believe has done enough to make the team, the toughest decisions at thebottom of the roster, the hardest players to leave off, where special-teamsvalue could decide a job, and which positions could still change if New Englandadds somebody after cuts around the NFL.

This isn’t about projecting three weeks into the futureanymore. This is our final roster prediction with the deadline right around thecorner.

In The 101, we continue our defensive football serieswith How NFL Coverages Work.We break down man vs. zone, press man, Cover 0, Cover 1, Cover 2, Cover 3 andCover 4, explain robber coverage, and show you some of the things you can watchbefore and after the snap to start recognizing what a defense is actuallydoing.

And as always, we wrap things up with Final Freeform.

Follow The Clutch Mode Podcast on X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads at @ClutchModePod, and follow BostonSports Zone on X and YouTube at @SportsZone_BOS.

The Clutch Mode Podcast – Episode 14: Patriots-Eagles Joint Practices

Episode 14 of The Clutch Mode Podcast is here, and this week we’re breaking down what we saw and learned from two days of joint practices between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

We start with the Week in Review, catching you up on the biggest stories from around the sports world. We go through what’s been happening over the past week in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, WPBL, and Boston College Football, including the latest news, results, roster developments, and storylines you need to know.

Then we move into Know Your Numbers, where we run through the latest jersey number assignments and changes from around the sports world.

After that, it’s time for The One Question:

What did we learn from the Patriots’ two joint practices with the Eagles?

With Philadelphia providing one of the toughest tests the Patriots have faced during training camp, we take an in-depth look at what happened over both days of work. We break down what stood out on offense and defense, where the Patriots were able to have success, where the Eagles created problems, and what the practices told us about where New England stands as the preseason continues.

We look beyond individual highlights and focus on what the matchups revealed about the team. How did the Patriots handle Philadelphia’s talent and physicality? What did we see from the quarterbacks, offensive line, receivers, running game, pass rush, coverage, and the different roster competitions still taking shape? Which performances should actually matter when evaluating the roster, and what should Patriots fans be watching as training camp moves forward?

Then The 101 shifts to the other side of the football.

After spending the last several weeks working through NFL offense, we begin our look at NFL defense by breaking down defensive personnel and defensive fronts. We explain the different personnel groupings you’ll see on defense, how those groups change depending on the offensive situation, and how defensive fronts determine where players line up before the snap. The goal is to give you a better understanding of what you’re seeing on the field before the ball is even snapped and build the foundation for the defensive concepts we’ll be covering in future episodes.

Finally, in Final Freeform, David reflects on his first-ever trip to Patriots training camp. He talks about what the experience was like, what surprised him about seeing a practice in person, and what he took away from finally getting to experience training camp for himself.

We start with the Week in Review, going league by league with the latest news from the Patriots and the rest of the NFL, the Celtics and NBA, the Red Sox and MLB, plus updates from around New England sports and the biggest national stories worth talking about.

Then we get into the Patriots Season Ticket Member Practice from today. We break down what stood out, the players who made an impression, what we saw from the offense and defense, and the biggest takeaways as training camp continues.

From there, it’s time for The One Question: What Did We Learn From the Joint Practices and Preseason Game 1? After getting a chance to work against the Colts in joint practices and then seeing New England take the field for its first preseason game, we look at what actually carried over. We talk quarterback play, the offense, offensive-line depth, the running backs, receivers and tight ends, the defense, roster battles and which questions are starting to get answers heading deeper into the preseason.

Next up is The 101, where we continue breaking down NFL offense with Pass Protection 101. We explain five-, six- and seven-man protection, man vs. slide protection, half-slide concepts, how running backs and tight ends help protect the quarterback, what happens when the defense brings more rushers than the offense can block, and why every sack or free rusher isn’t automatically the offensive line’s fault.

And finally, in Final Freeform, we look ahead to a trip we’ve been excited about: heading to Polar Park to see the Worcester Red Sox in person!