"I think it's going to be about the players. I think that's the most important thing, is to make it about the players. ... They put a lot of work in. We ask a lot of them, and then I feel like the games are their opportunity to go play. And I want to make sure that we exemplify that. That we give them what they need to be ready, but also prepared."
That was Mike Vrabel, on the Friday before his first regular-season game as the 16th head coach in Patriots history. It was evident during the spring and summer that Vrabel had taken the defibrillator paddles to an organization that, from the outside looking in, appeared to fall fast. But the reality painted a different picture, one of an organization that had come undone years prior by infighting and egos, by poor personnel decisions and even worse drafting. Vrabel and his merry men set out to change that. Man, have they ever.
The Pats are enjoying the bye week, armed with the best record in the NFL and owners of a 10-game win streak. Drake Maye is the frontrunner for league MVP. Damn near every free agent signing has hit - in some cases, big - and this draft class has 39 starts divvied up among four of its top five selections, while also getting contributions from three others (Kyle Williams, Julian Ashby, Andy Borregales and UDFA Elijah Ponder). Everything is coming up Patriots.
Of course, to Vrabel's point, the players deserve the spotlight. They are the ones who put their bodies at risk daily, who play four games in 22 days (their most recent stretch) and even on their days off, find themselves in the facility for one reason or another.
But I can't help but come back to Vrabel as the underlying reason why this season has breathed new life into this franchise, and, even to the biggest of homers, has surpassed expectations to this point.
Yes, Vrabel is emotional. He can be confrontational and will give the needle to anyone and everyone. Don't get it twisted either; he has a sizable ego. But Vrabel has a vision for what he wants this team to be and has largely achieved it, way ahead of schedule. He's also able to give every player what they need (his coaching staff, too), and to provide a plan that highlights what his guys do well while minimizing what they don't. And let's face it, the last time the Pats had a coach who seemingly got just about every in-game decision right...you have to go back to Belichick in his prime.
Vrabel's been asked several times what's different about him, or what he learned during his year away from being a head coach. He's never shed light on the former, and as for the latter, he just said it reaffirmed that coaching is what he loves and what he wants to do more than anything. My observation is that he's softened that hard edge just a little when it comes to the players, and I say this acknowledging that he's always toed the line between being a player's coach and reminding them who the final authority is. That has surprised some. To me, it's an underrated part of his evolution, a nod to the changing times and to the athletes who want to know the 'why' before committing fully to the task.
Vrabel remains demanding, especially of his best players. I've talked to Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Jeffery Simmons, and Kevin Byard, among others, about that very thing. But he's done it in a way that speaks to each individual, because they aren't carbon copies of one another. Vrabel speaks to Maye differently than he does, say, TreVeyon Henderson, Cory Durden, or Miles Battle.
There's also the game day approach. Titans fans were pretty frustrated with the conservative nature of Vrabel's teams, at least offensively. The same cannot be said of the 2025-26 Pats. They don't always play the game the way the chart says, because this coach actually pays attention to what's happening on the field rather than blindly leaning on the analytics. That, my friends, is growth, even for an organization that is knee-deep in the numbers.
I'll end this with a quote from former Titans center Ben Jones. I spoke with him back on January 8th about why the Pats should hire Vrabe, and this quote has stuck with me since.
"What sets him apart from every other coach is he is a Head Coach (said with emphasis). He's not a defense coordinator; he's not an offensive coordinator. He is a leader of men," said Jones. "Everything runs through him in that building, and he has a heartbeat in the 'O' line room, the tight ends room - he spends time in every room where a lot of these coaches are calling plays or doing that, and they lose the heartbeat of the team because they're not spending much time with everybody. He won't do that, and I think that's what makes it special."
LOSER LEAVE TOWN?
A massive game on Sunday night between the 7-5 Texans and the 6-6 Chiefs. With the playoff picture in the AFC so muddled, either team could lose and still make the postseason, but that's a tough row to hoe, especially for KC.
The Chiefs, who have won the AFC West nine straight seasons, would currently lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Chargers (8-4), Jaguars (8-4), and Bills (8-4). But they still believe they are this close to competing for the one seed. Let Travis Kelce explain:
“I’m sure everyone is sick of us saying it, but we’re a few plays away from being a one seed in my mind,” Kelce said on his podcast. "All of the losses are within one score, and there’s a handful of plays within those games that are determining the outcome.
"It’s hard, it’s plays like my drop against the Eagles, it’s penalties that are keeping us behind the sticks, it’s coming away with three points instead of touchdowns in some games, it’s crazy that you watch the film and you see what’s real, and what’s real is we’re f--ing this close, man, we’re this f–ing close.”
He's not wrong, but that doesn't matter. What does is the Chiefs need to make up two games in the standings with only five to play.
"We've got to be better in those bigger moments, not make those mistakes, and at the end of day, go prove it," Patrick Mahomes said. "You've got to prove it on game day. And that's something that I believe we can do."
Good luck against this Texan team, which has won 7 of its last 9 after beginning the season 0-3. CJ. Stroud returned from a multiple-game absence (concussion) to play well, especially in the second half. But the strength of this team is its defense, arguably the league's best.
The Texans have allowed 20 points or fewer in nine games this season, best in the NFL. They are #1 in points per game (16.5) and total defense (265.7 total YPG). That last number, were it to stand, would be the fifth-best in the previous two decades.
“It’s just that swarm mentality where all 11 guys get to the ball," linebacker Henry To'To'o said, "That is who we are, and that is our identity. That’s how we approach practice, that’s how we approach meetings. That’s just all we do. We all have an attack mindset. And it shows what we do in practice.”
The unit is led by two of the best pass rushers in football, veteran Danielle Hunter (11 sacks) and third-year pro Will Anderson (10.5 sacks). They, along with the rest of the unit, put Josh Allen down eight times in their win over Buffalo two weeks ago, then harassed an immobile Daniel Jones to hold down Indianapolis last week.
"I think we lean on our ‘Swarm Mentality,’ and that is what I love about this group," Anderson said. "Everybody perseveres, everybody is persistent, and everybody is still chasing the goal that is the playoffs and the Super Bowl, and we are not losing sight of that.”
The pass rush is backed up by an outstanding secondary. The Texans are the only team in the league not to allow more passing touchdowns (12) than they have interceptions (12), and have three of the top six players in the NFL in passer rating against (safeties Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre, plus cornerback Derek Stingley Jr).
“Everybody just trusts our bond," Bullock said. "We know the guys to our right and to our left. Everybody is going to do their job because we just have that swarm mentality, and we will go out there and do what we need to do.”
Kickoff IN KC is set for 8:20 PM.
TUSSLE FOR THE TOP SPOT
There's another big game earlier on Sunday. The 6-6 Ravens are hosting the 6-6 Steelers to see who claims first place in the ugly AFC North.
“Honestly, when I look at it, it is a little different,” Ravens veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It’s weird. Maybe I’m on ESPN a little too much, and I guess the AFC North is the mid (a kid term, meaning 'meh' in Giardi-ese). I think that’s not normal, but it is two teams that literally can control their own narrative. I think it’s a great opportunity. There’s no better stage than two teams just trying to get right.”
“There’s been a lot on the line in past years, and this year is no different,” said Pittsburgh's Cam Heyward.
The Steelers have a relatively easy schedule to close the season (9th-easiest), while the Ravens have one of the most demanding schedules left (6th-hardest). But Pittsburgh has been spiraling, losing five of its last seven games, and got emasculated by the Bills last weekend. I'm being hyperbolic? Buffalo called the same running play 29 (!!!) times and amassed nearly 250 yards on the ground, while kicking the holy hell out of Aaron Rodgers, who had his first game of the season without a touchdown pass and completed just 47% of his throws.
"Playmaking is what sets things off." T.J. Watt said. "Not making plays, it sucks. We need to find ways to be able to make plays. I mean, I've never seen a team run the same play as much as [the Bills] ran it and have as much success as they had. I mean, I'm out of words for it."
Pittsburgh fans actually booed during the traditional playing of Renegade by Styx, and there were 'Fire Tomlin' chants.
"If you've been in this business, you understand that, and so I respect it," Mike Tomlin said. "I share frustrations, I understand what makes this thing go, and winning is what makes this thing go."
Meanwhile, Baltimore had won five straight before getting beaten by Joe Burrow and Cincinnati. That revealed a problem that had been an issue even during the win streak - this offense isn't right, especially quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens QB is battling a myriad of injuries and has gone four straight games without completing at least 60% of his passes, the first time that's ever happened in his career. Jackson's also gone three in a row with a touchdown pass, also a first.
“I do think you’re going to have an off day sometimes,” John Harbaugh said Monday, referring to the loss to the Bengals. “That’s not something that you take lightly for sure. Listen, Lamar doesn’t take it lightly more than anybody. No player on this team takes it lightly. That’s what you do, you go back to work. You get in there, and you practice, and you study it, and you work together to be as precise as you can.”
But as the numbers show, this is beyond a one-week blip for Jackson; this is a trend. For his part, the two-time MVP says he just needs to get back to being himself, but with knee, hamstring, and ankle issues, he is no longer the explosive playmaker this offense needs.
“I just have to play consistently,” Jackson added. “I can’t have turnovers … We’re putting our defense on the field too much. I can’t have that.”
HANGING ON?
After a 2-8 start, the Giants fired Brian Daboll. In the three games since, the GMen are winless under interim head coach Mike Kafka. Yes, this team has blown five fourth-quarter leads - a single-season record, believe it or not - but this goes beyond being poorly coached. This speaks to how GM Joe Schoen has constructed this team. Which is to say, not well. And yet, in speaking with the media for the first time since Daboll was canned, Schoen thinks the HC opening is a desirable one.
“From the calls we got, I think we’re going to be able to fill the job," he told the New York media.
No bleep, Sherlock. There are only 32 of these jobs. Men have been known to crawl over broken glass to take the Las Vegas job, even with that owner. Of course, Joe, you can fill it. The question is, can you fill it with the right guy?
Daboll looked to be that when he led the Giants to a playoff berth and a postseason win during his first season at the helm, earning himself coach of the year honors. But in his final 44 games, he went 11-33, leading to his dismissal. You know who came aboard with Daboll? Schoen. So that record is also his record, and yet he persists.
“Nobody’s perfect, and the chances of me batting a 1.000 are gone because I’ve made mistakes, OK,” Schoen said. “Everybody’s going to make mistakes. … As long as you’re learning from those mistakes, and you reflect on the process in place, and where you went wrong, and you can continue to get better, that’s what’s most important."
Ownership hasn't said that Schoen will be back, but in their press release at Daboll's firing, they cited him for building a good roster (are they watching the same thing I am?).
“I’m better today than I was four years ago when I got this job," Schoen said. "A year from now, God willing, I’m standing here, I’m going to be better than I am today, and that’s all I can do."
There are some pieces in place. Left tackle Andrew Thomas is a good player. Malik Nabers had a fantastic rookie season before blowing out his knee this year. Jaxson Dart has shown some promise, assuming he can keep himself healthy. The defensive line has pieces, although first-round pick Abdul Carter has reportedly been fined repeatedly this year for lateness or missing meetings altogether. Not a great start for someone who's supposed to be a franchise cornerstone (and in this space, we told you there were questions about Carter's makeup).
“I’m not going to make excuses: It’s not good enough,” Schoen said. “We’re going to look at the entire football operation from free agency decisions, draft decisions, coaching, execution. What can we do better? Because there are pieces there. Why aren’t we maximizing what we have? And that’s going to be our mission this offseason — to figure that out.’’
If ownership were wise, they wouldn't let Schoen continue beyond the end of the season. Hiring a head coach and GM on different timetables is rarely successful. But since parting ways with Tom Coughlin after the 2015 season, the Giants have ripped through six head coaches (the only one close to being .500 over the course of their tenure...wait for it...was Ben McAdoo (13-15)). During that same time, there's been just three GMs (Jerry Reese, Dave Gettleman, now Schoen). Point being, I'm not sure ownership will get it right even if they do the smart thing.
NERD NUMBERS
- Cleveland's Quinshon Judkins leads all rookies with 196 carries, 758 yards, and 7 TDs. His 696 yards after contact are the 7th most in the NFL (per Next Gen Stats).
- Tennessee rookie Chimere Dike leads the NFL with 1,921 all-purpose yards. He's on pace for 2,721 all-purpose yards, which would be the most in the Super Bowl era. Who knew?
- 2025 is the 3rd season of Jonathan Taylor’s career with 100+ rushing YPG and 10+ TDs. The only players in NFL history with more such seasons are HOF Jim Brown (4), HOF Eric Dickerson (4), and Derrick Henry (4). Taylor leads the NFL with 157.5 scrimmage YPG since Week 9 and has 10 games with 90+ scrimmage yards in 2025. Only SF's Christian McCaffrey has more.
- TB's Vita Vea is 2nd on the Buccaneers with 3.5 sacks and 10 QB hits. Per Next Gen Stats, Vea has been double-teamed on 170 pass rush snaps (T-2nd in NFL) and has 12 pressures after being doubled (3rd in NFL). He ought to be illegal.
- Denver's Bo Nix has 9 total touchdowns in the 4th quarter of games in 2025. Only Josh Allen has more.
- LA's Davante Adams leads the NFL with 14 receiving TDs, and Puka Nacua ranks T-1st in the NFL with 7.8 receptions per game (Ja’Marr Chase).
- This will be the 2nd Bears-Packers game in the Super Bowl era in which both teams entered the game 5+ games above .500 in 2025 (the other was in Week 13, 2001). That's nuts.
- Chicago's Caleb Williams has the lowest completion percentage (58.1) in the NFL, and has 8 games with a sub-60 completion percentage (most in NFL).