New England Patriots
“Do not let anyone take the enjoyment of what we do. Pleasure is genuine.”
FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots is likely to be dreading what awaits on Monday in relation to the movie evaluate after their 24-23 win over the Falcons.
New England nonetheless managed to come back away with a victory on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, however the Patriots whiffled on a number of possibilities to ship a knockout blow towards the Falcons — letting them cling round en path to a one-point victory.
Even with Drake Maye getting knocked for 2 turnovers — straight resulting in 10 Atlanta factors — and New England’s protection operating into points with each producing strain (one sack towards Michael Penix Jr.) and slowing down a high cross catcher like Drake London (three touchdowns), New England nonetheless escaped with a win.
That victory may need been secured off of Atlanta kicker Parker Romo shanking an extra-point try, however Mike Vrabel wasn’t going to strike a pessimistic tone regardless of his workforce’s uneven efficiency on Sunday.
“Simply get able to go on the street,” Vrabel mentioned of his message to the workforce after Sunday’s victory. “Perceive that that’s the way it goes on this league typically. It’s powerful. However embrace — don’t let anyone take the enjoyment of what we do. Pleasure is genuine. Pleasure comes from these guys caring about one another, being pleased for the man subsequent to them that made a play.
“Pleasure is about what we do in right here, and I believe that they should embrace that and be grateful for what they get to do and what I get to do. We talked about whenever you get — typically you get this taken away from you, whether or not you’re a participant and also you get reduce otherwise you’re a coach and also you get fired and also you get one other alternative, you wish to attempt to take advantage of it and luxuriate in it.”
Whereas Vrabel confused the significance of taking the positives away from up-and-down play, Maye was a bit extra crucial of his personal sport earlier than trying extra on the massive image.
“First — I’ve bought to play higher for this workforce down the street,” Maye mentioned. “I believe it’s powerful, it’s powerful in a sport the place you win and you may really feel in that locker room that these guys know we are able to play higher. And I believe it’s an excellent feeling to have, but in addition on the similar time, it’s powerful to win on this league.
“So that you’ve bought to get pleasure from it. … There are such a lot of issues to be taught from this sport. And I’m simply pleased with this workforce. Doesn’t matter if it’s 24-23 or 3-2. Proud we bought the win.”
All issues thought of, Maye and the Patriots nonetheless did sufficient to dole out harm towards the Falcons. Matched up towards an Atlanta protection that allowed a mean of simply 149 passing yards coming into Week 9, Maye threw for 259 passing yards and two touchdowns — whereas finishing 19 of his 29 cross makes an attempt.
Nonetheless, Maye and the Patriots have been unable to show Sunday’s sport right into a lopsided end result — given each Maye’s turnovers (a strip-sack and an interception) to go together with an uneven second half marred by pass-protection woes and lapses in execution.
After Maye’s interception within the third quarter — a results of a miscommunication between the Patriots QB and Hunter Henry — CBS cameras captured Vrabel providing phrases of encouragement to his signal-caller on the bench.
“He’s nice at coming as much as me after actually each drive,” Maye mentioned of Vrabel. “He comes over and says one thing to me, all the time constructive, all the time wanting me to rally the blokes round me, all the time difficult me to battle adversity and get the blokes going.
“I believe I simply respect the best way he coaches me. He’s laborious on me, however he’s very constructive, and I believe he desires the most effective out of me. Every thing that he says to me, I believe it’s going to be vital and grow to be true.”
Sunday stood as a change of tempo from the Patriots, who’ve been in a position to run up the rating on a couple of lesser opponents over the previous few weeks.
However even with Maye acknowledging his personal miscues, the 23-year-old QB acknowledged that there ought to be loads of positives taken out of a sport the place each he and teammates overcame their fair proportion of adversity.
“I believe simply making an attempt to get pleasure from these wins,” Maye mentioned. “It’s powerful to win on this league, and from my quick profession on this league, I believe you’ve simply bought to get pleasure from it whenever you get within the win column, get pleasure from getting one other likelihood subsequent week to face an excellent workforce on the street.
“I believe you simply benefit from the wins and know deep down I’m annoyed and I would like some performs again, however that’s an excellent protection we confronted, and people guys in that locker room are cool to be round and play with.”
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