Mike Vrabel may not be from Bill Belichick's coaching tree, but he sure sounded like the Patriots' former head coach during his press conference on Monday. Sure, the words weren't exactly the same — there were no 'it is what it is' uttered — but the principal tenets were all there.
- Accountability to each other.
- Opportunities are not given; they are earned.
- Take advantage of bad football.
Think of what former Titans center Ben Jones told me about how Vrabel would give the offense and defense keys to the game and that if they did that, they'd almost always win. Belichick was a master at that. As a player in that locker room for eight seasons, Vrabel lived under Belichick's rule, absorbed his tactics, and, to a degree, took that with him as he entered coaching. He was never on a Belichick coaching staff; instead, he grew under Urban Meyer, then Bill O'Brien (also not a Belichick disciple) before emerging as the surprising choice to be Tennessee's head coach. There, he displayed his ability to understand the rulebook inside and out and use it to the team's benefit. He also had (has?) a penchant for gamesmanship (ask Belichick about the 2018 throw-back pass to Marcus Mariota after Bill had done it with Tom Brady earlier in the game - hurting Brady's knee, I might add), and isn't afraid to let you know he might just be more intelligent than you (not hard in my case, and probably true in most). Sounds like someone you know?
The big difference, obviously, is that Vrabel will engage in ways his old coach never would and can relate to this new generation of players, even as he pushes them to places some don't — and won't — want to go. But there's the potential for a payoff. As former Titan LT Taylor Lewan told Patriots players (through social media),
“Those tough, one-score games, you’re going to win them,” said Lewan in a video. “That’s how Mike Vrabel works. That guy is going to have his team knowing the ins and outs.
"I swear to god it’s going to get tough at times. He can be nasty. But you're going to win some games."
The Pats haven't won too many. Over the last two seasons, the only team with a worse record is the Carolina Panthers. Yep. The Carolina freakin' Panthers. That's sobering and a reminder of how far this franchise has fallen. It's up to Vrabel and his people to change that. Turn over every stone, push and prod, and ultimately, find out who can fit a hard-working, hard-nosed culture and who needs to pack their stuff and hit the bricks. "We're going to earn the right to be here every day," said Vrabel during his opening remarks. "We're going to remove entitlement from our football team. We're going to get everything that we've earned from the head coach to the position coaches, all the way down to the players."
No excuses.
YOUR EYES WEREN'T LYING
The Pats had a dreadful offensive line (tell me something I don't know, Mike). I had them with a significantly worse pressure rate allowed than in 2023 (my first year season with BSJ). I wasn't the only one who had them scraping the bottom of the barrel.
- 31st in pressure rate allowed via Next Gen Stats
- 29th in sack rate
- 32nd in PFF run-blocking grade
- 32nd in ESPN run-block win rate.
- 31st in PFF pass-blocking grade
- 31st in ESPN pass-block win rate
Obviously, this needs to be corrected quickly. Not easy. There may not be an offensive tackle worthy of being taken in the top 10 of April's NFL Draft (both LSU's Will Campbell and Kevin Banks of Texas are seen in many circles as more guard than tackle). In free agency, there might be veterans who can help, but it's unlikely the long-term answer will be readily available. Ronnie Stanley might pop free from the Ravens, but his medicals will be critical (his knees are a mess). The Steelers' Dan Moore is a free-agent-to-be. He was 11th in pass-rush win rate (one spot better than Stanley), but some early responses I've gotten from scouts don't scream 'gotta have.' There are others. Cam Robinson. Alaric Jackson. Yadda yadda yadda. It's on this staff, front office, and Vrabel to find guys that can play a hell of a lot better than this group just did, and they know that.
"So we have to focus on the line, because I think that the best teams right now in the National Football League are the ones that still have the best offensive lines, that are changing line of scrimmage, protecting the passer, have versatility in a run game," Vrabel told WEEI Tuesday morning. "Can run a zone scheme, can run a gap scheme. Because I don't think you could just major in staying in zone. Because teams that penetrate and disrupt the zone play, you got to be able to find ways to double and move gaps and change gaps and force them to move positions."
DOES HE SEE WHAT I SEE?
My stance on the wide receiver room is clear and obvious. The Pats have been subpar at that position for so long that I found myself watching a Brandon LaFell highlight reel from 2014 (!!) and saying, 'Why can't they get players like that?' As a side note, I also strongly urged myself to get a life...
Anyway, the lack of production from that group was staggering. The Pats' wideouts combined for 161 catches and 10 touchdowns. The Tennessee Titans have the number one pick and two mediocre quarterbacks. They still managed 164 and 15. Ja'Marr Chase had 127 catches and 17 TDs, all by his lonesome.
Beyond the general ineffectiveness of that group, the Pats also dealt with attitudinal issues. The Seattle game. San Francisco (does anyone remember Ja'Lynn Polk walking off the field mid-play? Or Pop Douglas having an actual fit?). Round one against Miami. Even late in the year against Los Angeles and with Drake Maye at quarterback. Unacceptable.
"We'll take a look and see what skill we have here at receiver and give everybody a new opportunity to kind of come in. It's a clean slate," said Vrabel. "Decide who wants to be here by their actions, and then continue to evaluate."
Polk will get another crack. He's a second-round pick, selected by Eliot Wolf and this personnel group, and - as I reported - the front office believes he was impacted by poor coaching.
Kayshon Boutte is another. He earned opportunities this summer and made decent use of them this fall and winter. He will have to cool his coaching critiques, and I suspect that will be made clear, but he had decent growth from year one to year two.
Javon Baker is a wildcard. Talked a mean game. Didn't deliver. Didn't grasp the playbook, but there is talent there, perhaps more than any other in that room.
Lastly, there's the Douglas question. Will he fit in whatever offense they decide to run (his quickness could blossom in a McDaniels-like scheme)? Or will his lack of size, struggles as a blocker, and rudimentary feel for the passing game keep a cap on his capabilities?
The bottom line is that the Pats won't look to supplement this position; they'll be looking for a considerable upgrade, and I'm here for it.
