FOXBORO — Someplace close to the highest of the record of causes Mike Vrabel selected Robert Spillane to be the center of his protection is belief.
Vrabel can belief his inside linebacker and captain to relay the fitting play-calls and make the fitting checks. He can belief Spillane to steer along with his voice contained in the huddle and as a lot violence as potential on each play. And when the time comes, because it did Wednesday earlier than apply, Vrabel can belief Spillane to talk for the workforce.
“Sunday is gonna come all the way down to identification to us,” Spillane mentioned of the Pats’ Wild Card playoff recreation. “The Chargers) need to be the most important, baddest workforce. We need to be the most important, baddest workforce.”
Nailed it.
For all of the hype constructing round Drake Maye’s duel with Justin Herbert, that’s the fact about Sunday night time.
If the Patriots are who they suppose they’re, they’ll win.
In the event that they’re unsuitable, the Chargers may have crushed them in a approach all 57 of their followers might have predicted and the way Vrabel out-lined earlier this week.
“They sort of persist with their recreation plan, put on you down and execute in vital conditions,” he mentioned.
Say what you’ll in regards to the Chargers’ deficiencies — extra on these in a second — there’s a readability and consistency about this workforce. They know who they’re and the way they need to play. Like all Jim Harbaugh groups, the Bolts have been constructed from inside out; constructed to bully, outlast and out-tough you.
All of soccer’s best clichés come to life each Sunday.
The one cause the Chargers will not be who they need to be, even at 11-6, is as a result of accidents have robbed them of that likelihood. They misplaced each beginning offensive tackles early within the 12 months, and their seek for a brand new blindside protector has led them by means of seven different players. They can’t cross defend, and their run recreation strikes despite their O-line.
Nonetheless, because of Herbert, Harbaugh and a ferocious protection, they press on. Not as a real contender, however a playoff workforce that refuses to fold, not like so most of the cupcakes that dotted the Patriots’ regular-season schedule. There’s a universe the place the Patriots’ schedule this 12 months was not a bake sale as a lot as a four-month apply take a look at for the postseason that took an even bigger chunk out of their roster.
In that universe, they’re the Chargers; a quarterback-driven, well-coached workforce lesser than the one taking part in at residence Sunday.
If the Patriots lose as 3.5-point favorites, that will validate the hesitation Vrabel appeared to indicate Monday whereas answering whether or not the Pats are constructed for the playoffs after explaining in nice element why the Chargers are.
“I feel that we’re trending in the fitting route,” he mentioned.
Vrabel’s case for the Chargers’ postseason readiness rested on a number of factors, together with a number of traits that overlap along with his personal workforce. He talked about physicality, robust tackling, above-average third-down protection and physicality once more. Then he cited a number of variations — red-zone efficiency and time of possession — earlier than circling again to teaching and quarterback play.
For the Patriots to win, Vrabel and Maye should star, however that won’t be sufficient. Spillane, Milton Williams, Will Campbell and all different Patriots working up entrance should meet the Chargers head on to beat them at their very own recreation. In any other case, if LA wins the road of scrimmage, all is misplaced.
Excellent news: the Pats have been constructing to this second with their phrases and their play, beginning with Vrabel’s introductory press convention final January throughout a bully-ball scheme change over the past 4 weeks. Since breaking from their bye, the Patriots have run the ball behind an additional offensive lineman greater than each different workforce within the league besides two.
It’s working.
The Pats are averaging 8.7 yards per carry, utilizing little-known reserve offensive lineman Thayer Munford all throughout their formations. Munford is aware of the task.
“Simply attempt to assist out this identification of we’re powerful, we’re gonna run it down your throat,” he mentioned.
The Patriots’ final residence playoff recreation got here down to precisely this.
It was Tom Brady’s farewell in January 2020, a tug of warfare disguised as a playoff soccer recreation the place Derrick Henry and the Titans tried to tear a dynasty from his fingers. They succeeded. Henry punched in a game-winning, one-yard landing run moments earlier than halftime, and Tennessee’s protection held on from there.
Vrabel, you’ll bear in mind, coached these Titans.
Six years later, Vrabel can see the Chargers coming to battle the Patriots on those self same battlegrounds. And because it was then, whoever wins these battles Sunday will win the warfare.
Simply ask Robert Spillane.
“They need to run the ball, we need to run the ball. They need to cease the run, we need to cease the run,” he mentioned. “They need to get a win, we need to get a win,” he mentioned.
