What Patriots players did during their off day that impressed Vrabel

FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots nonetheless have a protracted option to go this season relating to validating their burgeoning standing as a real contender within the AFC. 

However Mike Vrabel isn’t taking a look at elements just like the crew’s 7-2 file as a main instance of the buy-in he’s seen from his gamers. 

On Wednesday, when discussing the impression {that a} veteran like Stefon Diggs has supplied within the locker room, New England’s head coach shared an attention-grabbing tidbit about what went on on the crew’s facility at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday. 

“I imply, once more, 41 guys lifted yesterday on a time without work, got here into the constructing, lifted, which I believed is a extremely optimistic factor right now of the 12 months,” Vrabel stated. “And we’ll speak to them concerning the season’s actually simply getting began proper now.”

Whereas gamers are in on Monday after video games for each movie evaluation and remedy, Tuesday represents the one true “off day” of the week for gamers in the course of the grind of an NFL season. 

Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays are sometimes used as observe days, whereas Saturday options both a walkthrough or a journey day if the Patriots are on the highway. 

As such, it stood as a optimistic signal for Vrabel and his workers {that a} majority of the roster was nonetheless within the constructing on Tuesday to place in some work away from the gridiron. 

“It’s simply the course that we’re going on the center of the season. And I believe, extra importantly, the season simply type of began,” Diggs stated. “Clearly that first midway level all through the season — guys type of work out what sort of crew you might be, what sort of crew you wish to be, the place you measure the stuff you’ve been doing nicely.

“So [we’re] attempting to determine that identification at this level. And I really feel like we all know who we’re. We all know the place we wish to go, what it’s going to take to get there. So guys coming in on their off day, placing that point in? I’m not stunned.”

Even when New England has clearly exceeded expectations by the primary 9 weeks of the 2025 season, Diggs believes that the Patriots’ locker room isn’t getting complacent as they proceed to stack up wins going into the second half of the 12 months. 

“These [41] guys coming in on an off day  the way you that they’ve received so much to show …  We’re nonetheless constructing,” Diggs stated. “I really feel like — don’t drink the Kool-Assist. Don’t get too comfy. I imply, data are gonna be data.

“This [expletive] might go to [expletive] any day from time to time and we’ll be speaking about a complete [new] dialog on the finish of the 12 months. So I don’t assume anyone’s targeted on our file. Extra so targeted on the subsequent sport and enjoying nicely. That’s gonna be key.” 

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author overlaying the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Crimson Sox for Boston.com, a task he has held since 2023.