FOXBORO — The Patriots are loving an analogy that head coach Mike Vrabel first dropped at the desk earlier than Thanksgiving.
The staff isn’t seeking to “change the macaroni and cheese” before the playoffs.
Vrabel instructed the staff a narrative a few girl altering the recipe for her mac and cheese earlier than Thanksgiving. The outdated mac and cheese was a favourite, a standby. You may’t change the recipe earlier than such an essential occasion.
That’s what the Patriots wish to keep away from earlier than the playoffs, as a result of the outdated mac and cheese recipe resulted in a 14-3 record and No. 2 seed within the postseason. They’ve to stay with what they know works for when the Chargers play at Gillette Stadium on Sunday evening within the wild-card spherical of the playoffs.
“No new macaroni,” huge receiver Stefon Diggs mentioned Thursday. “I suppose folks get within the playoffs, and your environment and the folks round you type of make factor prefer it’s completely different, however had been you attempting to win final week? Have been you attempting to win the final week? Have been you attempting to win your particular person rep? Or had been you making ready the appropriate method? In order that’s why I say, like, no new macaroni and cheese with me. Like I’m going the identical method.”
That doesn’t imply that the Patriots’ coaches received’t attempt to introduce new wrinkles this week, nevertheless. They nonetheless must be artistic and attempt to catch the Chargers off guard.
However the Patriots aren’t attempting to deal with this week any otherwise, so Vrabel has made positive to maintain the schedule and follow the identical as some other week.
“I believe the largest factor is simply holding your course of the identical,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels mentioned. “I don’t assume it’s one particular factor the place you say, ‘Properly, don’t change something in that space.’ I believe it’s simply no matter we’ve been doing throughout the course of the season to get able to play our greatest soccer week in and week out, I believe that’s what you wish to keep true to. It doesn’t imply you can’t run a brand new formation. It doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t run one thing new that, no matter, any individual hadn’t seen. However simply keep on with what has labored for us, what the gamers know finest …
“Sunday evening, look, when that ball kicks off, it’s the identical 60 minutes because it’s been all season. It’s simply, we all know there’s a little bit bit extra on the road, nevertheless it doesn’t imply that something we do throughout the course of the week main as much as the sport ought to be completely different. Attempt to keep as true to our course of as we are able to.”
Extensive receiver Kayshon Boutte mentioned Thursday that it hasn’t been tough to organize the identical method regardless of the stakes being so excessive in Sunday evening’s sport in opposition to the Chargers.
“I imply, it’s playoffs now, clearly it’s win or go dwelling. However on the finish of the day, it’s one other sport,” Boutte mentioned. “Not saying it prefer it’s simply one other sport, however I imply, it’s a superb opponent. It’s playoffs. We obtained to organize with the largest sense of urgency this week. We by no means know if this may very well be our final or we are able to advance. So we simply obtained to method it that method.”
Vrabel has obtained spectacular buy-in from his gamers this season as a first-year head coach.
