3 Points That Need To Adjustment For Mike Vrabel’s Patriots

The New England Patriots have not changed very much throughout their initial couple of weeks under Mike Vrabel.

I don’t assume the new guy would like to hear this, however the fact continues to be that points remain to look much like like they did throughout the company’s last few periods under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo.

The Patriots have been competitive throughout their initial 3 competitions, sure, but the organization is gazing its fifth consecutive 1 – 2 start in the face after sandwiching their single success ( Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins in between a set of home losses ( Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders and Week 3 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers

I’ve offered crucial takeaways from each video game, however there are 3 usual themes that keep turning up– and they require to be resolved.

OBTAIN THE MAN ON THE GROUND

I really did not wish to begin this point off by oversimplifying points, however the truth of the matter is that basics have actually taken a rear throughout the very early section of this routine modification.

Vrabel’s squad has 39 missed takes on in 2025– that includes their second worst performance in regards to missed-tackle rate (23 3 %) because that statistic began being tracked by NextGenStats in 2016

Mayo’s squad, for every one of its faults, was extremely reliable in getting the round carrier to the ground– do with the seven-fewest whiffs in 2024

The Patriots are certainly running a totally various protective system that has presented major turn over, but it’s tough to highlight other areas of enhancement of what has been a middle-of-the-road system when they can’t do the most fundamental thing in the sporting activity. Vrabel’s individuals are swarming, yet there have been way too many examples of explosive plays coming off the back of missed out on tackles– Jakobi Meyers’ chains-moving catch-and-run in Week 1, Malik Washington’s punt return touchdown and Davon Achane’s near-go-ahead score in Week 2, and essentially everything Jaylen Warren did in Week 3

FOLLOW THE POLICIES

The Patriots have the third-most accepted charges (28 in the entire NFL, trailing just the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans (31 and the Minnesota Vikings (29

I don’t recognize exactly how that latter team has done it, yet you can take a glimpse at those three other teams mentioned and realize that obtaining penalized isn’t something that winning groups do– as NE, NO and TEN are a consolidated 1 – 8

New England hasn’t even been sufferer to what were when described as “dog-fight charges”– which are your holdings and roughings.

It’s been the procedural stuff that has killed them, alongside a couple of poorly-timed protective pass interference called that you ‘d hope will be minimized with the return of Christian Gonzalez The Patriots were called for these penalties in these scenarios during their matchup with the Steelers:

• (8: 32– 1 st) Alex Austin was flagged for protective pass interference on third down ultimately zone, bring about a touchdown on the really following play.
• (3: 51– 1 st) Austin was then required holding on third down, which was a play that caused a sack and would have compelled a punting.
• (3: 22– 1 st) Marcus Jones received an unnecessary roughness penalty for going low on a blocker– though it appeared like he was making a play on the sphere.
• (2: 13– 2 nd) Mike Onwenu roam also much down the area and was punished, getting rid of a 17 -yard conclusion to DeMario Douglas.
• (13: 30– 4 th) Carlton Davis was asked for protective pass interference on 3rd down, though the round was uncatchable.

Bad luck? Negative mentoring? Poor focus to information? No matter, that things needs to be dealt with.

RUNNING GAME RESET

Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson have actually incorporated for even more fumbles (3) than touchdown runs (no) and sit second, third, and fourth, specifically, on the club’s hurrying leaderboard.

Yes, that’s right, Drake Maye actually leads this team in rushing backyards (87

The Patriots won’t be able to make it through with that being the case, yet they’re likewise stuck in between a rock and a difficult place when it comes to Stevenson and Gibson following their dreadful series of fumbles in Week 3

It’s an advantage they will not need to feature them in Week 4 versus the Carolina Panthers!

Henderson ought to be given every chance to take the leading spot because running back turning moving on, with this week being a best begin with Carolina ranking near the bottom of the league in hurrying yards permitted per attempt (30 th; 5 4 and hurrying lawns enabled per game (25 th: 1377

New England not only needs to make an instance out of the two veterans, yet needs to begin including maybe its most talented ability gamer.

Vrabel can find himself back right into good standing with those fixes, and must be doing everything in his power to make them.