Mike Vrabel was brought in to be the head coach of the New England Patriots this past offseason, in the hopes that he would be able to bring back some of the culture and attention to detail that allowed the franchise to flourish in the Tom Brady, Bill Belichick days.
Vrabel secured his first signature win on Sunday night, defeating the NFL’s last unbeaten team, the Buffalo Bills, in a late-game go-ahead field goal on national television. After the game, Vrabel peeled back the curtain into what allowed the Pats to set up their game-winning kick so flawlessly.
“They really just bought into it. The pad level, every single rep — when you think, in the middle of practice, they could get lazy. So we asked them to focus on it. We asked them to treat each kick like it was a game-winner all week,” he said after the game, via Ari Meirov.
Fans reacted to Vrabel’s words on social media.
“That’s some next-level coaching from Vrabel. Getting the team to treat every kick like a game-winner shows why fundamentals and focus still win games, especially with all the blocks going around the NFL. Respect,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“That’s the difference between good and great teams — it’s in the practice details. When players treat every rep like a game-winner, that discipline shows up when it matters. Culture isn’t built on game day, it’s built on Wednesday,” another fan added.
“Raiders and Packers in particular need to take notes on this,” someone else added.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Pats build on the win.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.