FOXBOROUGH — Every week, Mike Vrabel shares a few key points with his team for the upcoming game. For the Dolphins, eliminating explosive plays was at or near the top of the list, and while not perfect, the Patriots made some improvements from the season-opening loss to the Raiders.
However, there are subcategories to what Vrabel and this coaching staff want, and as we spend more time around them, we glean more insight into those topics.
During his weekly interview with WEEI's 'The Greg Hill Show,' Vrabel was asked about the penalty problem the Pats have dealt with early this year. They committed nine against Vegas and then 12 more in Miami. For a guy who has worked very hard to clean up the overall operation in Foxborough, this should bother him. Actually, we know it does, but perhaps not as much as initially assumed.
“We don't want penalties, but I've gone down this road before,” said Vrabel. “Penalties are probably a bad predictor for win rate. I'd focus on quarterback rating, turnovers and rushing margin, and we won all three of those.
“I would say that the easy thing to say is - because I lived this world when I was first starting in Tennessee - I was the ‘Penalty Nazi.’ And then I did a lot of research, and I'm like, ‘Unfortunately, it looks like it's 50/50.’ Like, whoever has more penalties [wins or loses]. You know, there's critical penalties. And we want to make great decisions, and we don't ever want to do things that cost the team. And we'll address those.”
For a team that needs to win in the margins, those many unforced errors did prove costly in week one and nearly undid a gutsy but inconsistent effort in South Florida.
In particular, there was a series in the fourth quarter that tends to get teams beaten. The Pats were up by a slim margin (23-20) and wanted to use up some clock and, at the very least, flip the field.
Instead, over the course of nine snaps, there were two penalties (Morgan Moses false start and a Hunter Henry illegal shift), a bad shotgun snap by Garrett Bradbury that he compounded by looking behind him, thus getting beat at the line of scrimmage, a six-yard loss on a swing pass that actually went down as a lateral and finally, a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown where Charles Woods had Malik Washington wrapped up but couldn't get him to the ground.
That series almost singlehandedly negated all the positive outcomes Vrabel points to for winning games. It took Antonio Gibson encouraging himself to save the day on the ensuing kickoff, which he returned 90 yards for a touchdown.
“I need to start talking to myself more,” Gibson laughed after the game. “I was talking to myself before the play, like man, make a play right here AG. I asked and received.”
"You get into these back-and-forths, and you just have to believe you're going to make enough plays in the end to win, and I feel like we did that," Vrabel said on Monday. "We needed to see it. The players needed to see it, feel it, and be in there, saying, 'Hey, we can have a couple of bad plays, somebody's going to make a play.' We did it numerous times. We answered back."
That's not something any Patriots team could say over the last couple of seasons. Perhaps, despite the obvious flaws in the overall performance, that resolve can prove to be an asset that this year's edition can cultivate moving forward.
PICKED UP PIECES
After not throwing any bouquets Drake Maye's way yesterday, Vrabel was very complimentary of the second-year quarterback during his 11:30 a.m. press conference with gathered media.
"That (he) was hugely efficient. The ball went where it was supposed to go. He was decisive," noted Vrabel. "I thought he did a great job of transferring into the pocket, up into the pocket, setting his depth, and then transferring up, being really good with the football, being able to pull through with two hands in the pocket when they have, you know, edge rushers, and we're on the road. That's where it's going to be really critical - to be able to set the depth of the pocket, get back, keep your eyes downfield, transfer up into the pocket, and deliver the football.
"He did that on multiple occasions. So when you don't do that, those turn into sacks, hurries, throwaways, strip sacks, and when you can climb the pocket and remain a thrower and keep your eyes downfield, that's when you can hit some plays."
Maye somehow didn't get a game ball.
- The Pats missed 12 tackles, recording their highest missed tackle rate since week four of 2021 (per Next Gen Stats). Per PFF, Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss are one-two in tackles missed through two weeks (eight and six, respectively).
"Well, I don't think we tackled terribly in the first week," Vrabel said. "Yesterday it was a tough task, right? We missed far too many tackles. So, debate whether we tackled well the first week or not. I mean, it's always, you know, physical. I think mentally, it puts you in the right position, puts you in the right frame of mind of what we're asking out of each tackle, right? And where are you? Are you in space? And we need to come to balance. Are we in close quarters, where we can run through somebody and run our feet on contact, and be able to wrap? Are we using the sidelines right?
"A lot of things that we want to avoid, and make sure that we practice and continue to practice. We will need to do more of it this week. And they put you into a space game. A team like Miami puts you into a space game, and they don't have any - there's no shortage of skilled players that are good with the ball in their hands. So we'll have to be better and be able to use the right technique and the right mentality, and then also have everybody else coming full tilt to the tackle. Sometimes to make up for and atone for some of those misses."
During the live watch of the game, I thought the Pats inserted Marte Mapu late due to Ellis' coverage and tackling issues, but a report from the locker room postgame indicated that the linebacker was battling dehydration and cramps during the 4th quarter.
- Is kicker Andres Borregales' safe? He missed two extra points in the opening half after missing a short field goal last week.
"Well, I don't think we're ready to have that conversation yet," said Vrabel. "I mean, he's made every kick in the fourth quarter. He's made meaningful kicks. That's where I'm at. I wouldn't have gone out there with Andy (for the 53-yarder). It wasn't like I debated long. He knows he has a job to do, and we have full confidence in him to do his job."
- Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was away from the team last week for health reasons. Inside linebacker coach Zak Kuhr assumed the DC responsibilities, with help from Vrabel. As for this week, Vrabel wasn't ready to fully commit.
"Terrell will be around, I don't quite fully know in what capacity, but he will be around and involved. So we'll continue to make sure that there's a good plan for everything that happens, just like we always have been."
Vrabel added that he thought the operation went well in Williams' absence. The Pats rarely blitzed yesterday after attacking at a 43% clip in week one.
- Lastly, is there a chance Christian Gonzalez might play this week?
"It's a chance. There's a chance that a lot of things could happen. And it's Monday, and we'll figure out how he progresses along the week, and we'll see what he can do and have him do what he can do."
Vrabel said the cornerback is continuing to improve and working hard to get back. Gonzalez hasn't practiced since pulling his hamstring on July 28.
