Unpacking the New England Patriots’ turnaround under Mike Vrabel | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

Unpacking the New England Patriots’ turnaround under Mike Vrabel | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

BYE, AS THEY GO ON THEIR BY THE TIK TOK VIDEO. THAT WAS POSTED AND PATRIOTS FANS PROBABLY WILL BE MISSING THEM AND AND REALLY REGRETTING THE FACT THAT AND I I KNOW THEY HAD TO HAVE THEIR BREAK AT SOME POINT BUT MAN THE WAY THEY PLAYED ON MONDAY NIGHT YOU HATE TO DISRUPT THAT VIBE. YOU WANT TO KEEP IT GOING THE WAY THEY HIT THE INTENSITY. THEY BROUGHT TO THE TABLE. I IT WAS NOTICEABLE WATCHING IT ON TV, WAS IT AS NOTICEABLE FOR YOU AT THE GAME? THAT IT WAS JUST SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PATRIOTS TEAM THAN WHAT WE’VE BEEN SEEING. NO. UM, I THINK IT’S KIND OF IN GENERAL, MIKE IN IN SNAPSHOTS BEEN THERE IN ALMOST EVERY GAME, BUT IT WAS A MASSIVE DEPARTURE FROM THE WEEK BEFORE AGAINST CINCINNATI. WHEN I THOUGHT THEY CAME OUT A LITTLE FLAT-FOOTED AND A LITTLE LESS URGENT AND FOR AN 11 AND 2 TEAM THAT HAS THIS LATE BUY. I DON’T THINK ANY TEAM COULD POSSIBLY DESERVE IT MORE EVERY EVERY WEEK WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT A DEVELOPING OR EMERGING TEAM, YOU KEEP SAYING, OH, WHEN’S THE BLOOM GOING TO COME OFF THE ROSE? WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO LAY AN EGG? WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE 1 OF THOSE 34 TO 13 GAMES, WHERE THEY JUST DON’T SHOW UP? AND THEY HAVEN’T HAD IT. AND I REALLY THINK THAT CINCINNATI GAME THAT THEY EMERGED WITH A WIN ON THE ROAD FROM EGG. AND SO, THEY HAD THE FLAT GAME AND THEN CAME BACK FOR THE BUFFALO GAME. AND PLAYED THAT WELL AT THE BEGINNING AND THAT’S BEEN SOMETHING THAT THEY’VE STRUGGLED WITH A LITTLE BIT OF STARTING HOT. THEY STARTED HOT. THEY CARRIED IT THROUGH. AND THIS TO ME IS A MESSAGE. FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WONDERING, WHY IS THIS TEAM ANY GOOD? BECAUSE THEY ARE TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY BOUGHT IN AND THE WIND IN THEIR SALES ISN’T THEIR ROSTER. COMPLETELY AND IT ISN’T DRAKE MAYE ENTIRELY. IT’S THE BUY IN AND THE RESILIENCE AND THE MESSAGE THAT VRABEL HAS SENT THAT THEY’VE JUST EMBRACED. AND I THINK LAST WEEK WAS SO IMPORTANT BETWEEN THE WOBBLY PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE BENGALS, WHERE THEY ESCAPED WITH THE VICTORY, YOU’VE GOT THE INHERENT DISTRACTIONS OF THANKSGIVING WEEK. YOU’VE GOT A WORK DAY THAT NECESSARILY ISN’T GOING TO BE AS INTENSE AS A NORMAL. THURSDAY WOULD BE, YOU’VE GOT THE BUY COMING UP, YOU GOT THE BILLS AND RAVENS ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU HAVE THE GIANTS THAT YOU JUST KIND OF LIKE AH THEY’RE JUST THE GIANTS, WHATEVER BUTTONS, HE PRESSED. HOWEVER, HE POKED AND PRODDED, THEY WERE READY TO GO. HE HAD THEM FULL SPEED. FULL INTENSITY, FULL CONTACT, AND THAT’S WHAT IMPRESSED ME BECAUSE THAT’S A A CLASSIC. CLASSIC FORMULA FOR A TRAP GAME AND I THINK HE KNEW IT FROM EXPERIENCE. AND THE LAST THING HE WAS GOING TO DO WAS LET HIS TEAM STEP INTO IT. ESPECIALLY ON A MONDAY NIGHT WHEN YOU’VE WATCHED 3, THURSDAY GAMES AS A PLAYER AND THEY’RE WATCHING THEM AND YOU’VE WATCHED A FRIDAY GAME AND THEN YOU’VE WATCHED BIG GAMES ON SATURDAY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL, AND YOU’VE WATCHED THE ENTIRE SLATE OF SUNDAY GAMES AND YOU WAKE UP MONDAY MORNING AND YOU STILL HAVE PLAY YOUR GAME. GO AND I THINK YOU’RE EXACTLY ON. THIS KICK AND HE’S ONLY SAID IT A FEW TIMES BUT THEY’VE TAKEN IT AS A AS A MANTRA. A LITTLE BIT, NO NAPS AND I’M A NAPPER. I LOVE TO NAP SO I HOPE THAT DOESN’T CATCH ON EVERYWHERE, BUT HE IS TRYING TO IDEA THAT LOOK JUST DON’T BE FLAT. WE’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO BE FLAT. WE’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO TAKE PLAYS OFF. UM, AND THIS GAME TOO. I THINK CAPTURED THEIR ATTENTION BECAUSE THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY REALLY HAD HAD A LEVEL OF ADVERSITY WITH INJURIES WILL CAMPBELL OUT, JARED WILSON OUT, THAT’S THE LEFT SIDE OF THEIR LINE AND IT’S PLAYING SINCE? YOU KNOW, MID JULY IS BASICALLY THE STARTERS AT THAT SPOT. NOW THEY’RE DOWN, HOW DO THEY RESPOND AGAINST THE TEAM THAT HAS SOME POTENT PASS RUSHERS? UH, AND NO MILTON WILLIAMS, WHO’S BEEN TERRIFIC AND THEY HAD A BAD. THEY’VE HAD 3 BAD GAMES AGAINST THE RUN PRIOR TO THAT RELATIVELY BAD. UM, AND THEY JUST WERE READY TO GO AS YOU POINTED OUT. SO IT’LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW READY THEY WILL BE DOWN THIS STRETCH RUN BECAUSE IT’S KIND OF HANGING OUT THERE. YOU HAVE JETS AND DOLPHINS. 2 TEAMS WITH FORGETTABLE SEASONS AND YOU HAVE 2 DANGEROUS, BUT LIMPING A LITTLE BIT TEAMS IN THE RAVENS AND BILLS CAN THE PATRIOTS ACTUALLY HAVE A MEANINGLESS WEEK 18. 17 GAMES, 18 WEEKS. BUT CAN THEY HAVE A MEANINGLESS WEEK 18, WHERE THEY’RE ACTUALLY HAVE THE BUY SEWN UP? BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT THE SCHEDULES OF THE OTHER TEAMS. THEY’RE VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE BUY SEWN UP AS THIS TEAM THAT WON YEARS. AND YOU KNOW, YOU REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING. TOM, AS YOU MENTIONED THAT SCHEDULE, YES, THE BILLS RAVENS GAMES COMING UP ARE THE 2 TOUGHEST ONES REMAINING BUT THE PATRIOTS UNDER B, EVEN IN THE GREAT YEARS THE BICH AND BRADY PATRIOTS. THEY WOULD PERIODICALLY STEP INTO A POTHOLE IN 1 OF THOSE LATE SEASON JETS OR DOLPHINS GAMES. YEP. THEY OFTEN DID. AND I THINK, THE ONES I’M MOSTLY REMEMBERING ARE ON THE ROAD IN MIAMI. THOSE WERE OFTEN POTHOLES AND I REMEMBER A JETS GAME WITH RYAN FITZPATRICK AND ERIC DECKER LIGHTING THEM UP. UM BUT THOSE WERE PROGRAMS AT THAT TIME. THE JETS AREN’T NECESSARILY A PROGRAM YET UNDER AARON GLENN. THOSE WERE REX RYAN PROGRAMS, THEY HAD TAKEN ROOT. THERE WAS A AN INTERPLAY. IT’S REALLY INTERESTING TO WATCH HOW THIS DIVISION IS GOING. AND I KIND OF LOOK AT IT SOMETIMES AS A FERRIS WHEEL YOU KNOW THE JETS. AND DOLPHINS WERE SEEMED LIKE THEY MIGHT BE AND THEY NEVER REALLY GOT TO THE TOP. THE BILLS HAVE BEEN AT THE TOP AND ARE THEY MOVING AROUND TO 3 OCLOCK AND THE PATRIOTS HAVE BEEN WAY DOWN THERE AT 6, OCLOCK AND NOW FEELS LIKE THEY’RE UP AT 11. UM, SO RIGHT NOW, THIS THIS DIVISION IS NOT AS FAMILIAR AS IT HAS BEEN IN TERMS OF WHO THE TEAMS ARE AND WHAT THE AGITATIONS ARE AND THE FAMILIARITY WHERE YOU CAN SAY. WELL ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. I DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S THE CASE RIGHT NOW. WHAT’S THE VIBE FOR THE FAN BASE? BECAUSE YOU GO FROM HAVING THAT RECORD RUN THAT YOU KIND OF IT’S GOOD, LET’S ENJOY IT BECAUSE WE KNOW IT’S GOING TO END AND THEN IT ENDS WITH A THUD NO POSTSEASON WINS SINCE SUPER BOWL, 53 BACK-TO-BACK, 4 AND 13 SEASONS. AND WE’RE STARTING TO THINK IS THIS THE NEW REALITY IS THIS JUST YEARS OF BAD, PATRIOTS FOOTBALL, WHAT’S BEEN THE REACTION TO THIS IDEA THAT IT IS CHANGING? ITS CHANGING QUICKLY? AND IT COULD BE CHANGING IN A WAY WHERE WE’RE BACK IN THE MIX DEEP INTO THE PLAYOFFS, EVERY BE YEP, THE WE’RE GENERAL VIBE. UH NOT THAT IT. THE PATRIOTS WERE AN NFL PURGATORY FOR VERY LONG RELATIVE TO OTHER TEAMS. I MEAN I GREW UP HERE. UM, STARTED FALLING THEM IN 76, TOOK 25 YEARS FOR THEM TO WIN A SUPER BOWL, AND YOU DIDN’T EVEN SEE THAT 1 COMING AND THEN THEY WENT ON A RUN WHERE WE BECAME AS NEW ENGLANDERS ACCUSTOMED TO A LEVEL OF WINNING, THAT WAS FOREIGN FOR THE REGION FROM ABOUT 1986 ON. CELTICS ON. SO THERE IS A, THERE’S A, THERE’S A CHESS PUFFING, PUFFING GOING ON HERE. THE BIGGEST ASPECT OF IT, WHICH IS UNMISTAKABLE EVEN FOR A CASUAL FAN IS. IMPORTANT. 2 THINGS ARE A COACH IN A QUARTERBACK. AND I CAME INTO THE SEASON. AND WHEN WE DO OUR MYRIAD SHOWS, IT’S WHERE DOES DRAKE MAYE FIT IN THE GRAND SCHEME? WHERE IS HE RANKED? AND I KEPT SAYING HE’S ABOUT 22 RIGHT NOW. I WOULD IMAGINE BY THE END OF THE YEAR, HE’S GOING TO BE AROUND TOP 12 BUT UNTIL I SEE HIM WALK OFF THE FIELD AND HE WAS 1 AND 9 AS A STARTER COMING INTO THIS YEAR TILL I SEE HIM WALK OFF THE FIELD WITH MORE WINS. WALK OFF THE FIELD WITH LATE GAME, GOOD DECISION MAKING THE HORSE IN THE BARN AND AND TUCKED AWAY. I’M GOING TO BE NOT HE CAN DO THAT. AND THE FIRST 2 GAMES AGAIN STRUGGLED NOW UNQUESTIONABLY AFTER THE LAST 10 GAMES, 11 GAMES, WHERE MIKE, HE HAS HAD 6 GAMES OVER 120 QUARTERBACK RATING. THAT’S THE STANDARD, THAT’S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT. IT’S GOING TO BE HARD TO MANAGE THAT OVER THE NEXT 8 TO 10 TO 12 YEARS OF HIS CAREER ON A REGULAR BASIS. BUT THE STANDARD IS SET. YOU SAW HIM DO IT, YOU DIDN’T SEE WINDOWS OF IT IN GLIMPSES, YOU SAW AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF EXCELLENCE WITH A GROUP OF RECEIVERS WHO MOST TEAMS WOULD SAY, I’M NOT TRADING FOR THOSE GUYS. YEAH, HE HAD A RUN EARLY ON AND IT WASN’T THAT EARLY BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE, 8, OR 9 GAMES WITH 200 OR MORE PASSING YARDS, A PASSER RATING OF 100 OR HIGHER AND THE LIST OF GUYS WHO HAD DONE THAT WAS RIDICULOUSLY SHORT WITH GUYS WHO WON THE MVP AWARD EVERY YEAR. THEY DID IT LIKE PAYTON AND TOM, AND AARON RODGERS AND

Tom Curran joins PFT Live to analyze the Patriots’ success under Mike Vrabel this season, examining why New England has been able to rebound so quickly from the post-Tom Brady and Bill Belichick blues. #NBCSports #NFLonNBC #ProFootballTalk #NFL
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Unpacking the New England Patriots’ turnaround under Mike Vrabel | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC
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