The New England Patriots are co-owners of the best record in the NFL through nine weeks, riding a six-game win streak that continued on Sunday with a win over the Atlanta Falcons. The team’s recent success has solidified their position as the AFC East leaders with a 7-2 record, though they have not been without their share of challenges. Despite the success of this young Patriots squad, they have caught flak from a subgroup of NFL fans who say the schedule has been soft compared to other teams around the league.
During an appearance on WEEI’s ‘The Greg Hill Show,’ Mike Vrabel, who has taken over as head coach of the franchise he won Super Bowls with during his playing days, was asked by host Chris Curtis what he thought about the national conversation being that the Patriots have a ‘joke’ schedule. Vrabel’s response was a contentious one, as he swiveled in his chair and stated, ‘You want me to comment on the schedule, or you want me to comment on my message to the team? What are you trying to say? You’re working a lot into there.’ He seemed to question whether the criticism was truly a national perspective or if it was just the opinion of the interviewer.
Curtis had said the Patriots’ strength of schedule had been a national conversation, while also wanting to know, ‘How do you balance keeping [the team] in check?’ Vrabel responded by stating, ‘I can only coach one team at a time. I don’t make the schedule.’ He further emphasized that in the NFL, every team faces the same challenges, and that the idea of ‘strength of schedule’ is misleading, given the salary cap and the fact that all teams operate under the same financial constraints. This perspective has earned both support and criticism, with some fans and analysts agreeing with Vrabel’s stance, while others remain skeptical of the team’s performance.
The Patriots started the season 1-2 after a home-opener loss to the Las Vegas Raiders followed by a win over the Miami Dolphins and another loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But they have since turned things around, running off a win over the Carolina Panthers and following that up with a crucial road win over the Buffalo Bills, 23-20, and wins over the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and now the Falcons. However, as the saying goes, ‘Any given Sunday,’ and it’s there for a reason in the NFL. Just look up north in Green Bay where the Packers were beaten at Lambeau Field as a heavy favorite against the Carolina Panthers. Those same Packers lost to the Cleveland Browns earlier this year as well.
That’s just to say that any matchup in the NFL can lead to a win or loss no matter the odds. Vrabel and the Patriots don’t care how they’ve come across wins this year, but you play the teams who are on the schedule and that’s just the truth of it. The Patriots might not have been in high spirits yet again if it wasn’t for a missed extra point by the Falcons late in the 24-23 win for New England.
Vrabel has always been candid with media members in good and bad times while head coach of the Tennessee Titans, and that clearly hasn’t changed now that he’s back in New England. He responded to Curtis’ question with a smirk, saying, ‘I love your little smirk over there.’ He added, ‘You know, you come up with this question and you want to ask me about the strength of schedule and my message. My message has been the same every week — that we have to put everything that we have into each week, and that everybody has to prepare as a starter. I love our practices and the way that we compete, and then you go and play the game.’ The process has worked since Vrabel took over, and the Patriots are atop the AFC East with their 7-2 record while the Buffalo Bills right behind them at 6-2.
The Patriots will have a tough opponent next week as they hit the road to face the 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are coming off their bye week. The game will be an important test for the Patriots as they continue their pursuit of a playoff spot and potentially a Super Bowl berth. The team’s next challenge is sure to be a tough one, but with their current momentum and coaching strategy, they have a strong chance of continuing their success this season.