Here’s what head coach Mike Vrabel had to say on Saturday following the Patriots 20-12 preseasonw in over the Vikings:
On Jared Wilson’s time at left guard with the second team and also taking some snaps at center, and what he’s seen from him lately that led to that usage today:
“Just trying to get everybody the spots that they may end up in and still have a competition at that left guard, and making sure that he’s where he needs to be. I give him credit. Wasn’t able to practice on Thursday. We’re worked hard to get back, worked him out before the game, and we all decided that he would be able to play, and he played and probably had some good snaps and probably was going to have some snaps that we’ll need to improve on. So that’s the plan, is just trying to get him all the work that he may need and continue to compete.”
On if there’s a point in the preseason where he’d like to have the line …
“Well, I think just when it’s clear. When it’s clear. There’s not a timeline, but I think that when it becomes clear. It didn’t before, and I don’t think it has yet now. We’ll still keep working and trying to get the best group in there and then get guys that are versatile and can help us behind them, because very rarely are you going to play the same five throughout a 17-game season and hopefully, whatever comes after that, is just trying to get a good solid group of offensive linemen, establish the first unit, but then also have some really good pieces behind them.”
On how gratifying it is in terms of the culture he’s tyring to build seeing Efton Chism making second and third efforts to make plays and get in the end zone.
“It doesn’t matter how you get here. The only thing that matters is what you do when you’re here. I think that’s another great example of that. Chiz, when given opportunities, has taken advantage of them. We talked about his play strength last week. I would say that that continued to be true this week.”
On how much does that come into …
“Follow-up? Via text?”
Sorry. No, on those three principles of making what you’re doing in the training camp, earning a role:
“I think that that’s exactly what we talked about. This has to be a work day, this has to be an identity day, but this also has to be an earn a role day, and making sure that we showed up with that mentality.”
On defensive players making plays in the second half, with Kyle [Duggar] and Anfernee [Jennings] , and the fact we haven’t talked a lot about Anfernee but what he’s seen from him:
“I’ve seen a competitiveness, and Anfernee has been around. Again, we’ve had really good conversations. You try to draft some guys, and there’s some young guys in here, and it’s a fine balance. To his credit, he’s done nothing but compete in practice, earn reps, earn opportunities in the game, and take advantage of everyone that he’s gotten, and to factor today and even last week.”
On the fact it was a little surprising to see them both playing so late in the game.
“We only have so many guys. We got guys that didn’t travel, there’s guys that didn’t play, and we have to have 11 out there every play. This is the third week of our first training camp as a coaching staff and as a team. That’s what I want everybody to realize. It’s the third week of our first year, and we have to get this right. Everybody, just be prepared to play. For however long that you’re in there, or whenever you’re asked and help on special teams. Somebody’s got to protect the punter, somebody’s got to go on the field goal unit. Somebody has to be on a kickoff return. Our obligation is we have to protect the guys that have the ball, and then we have to be able to play and get stops just like we did. That builds confidence and trust throughout everybody on the team.”
“I feel you guys now are just going to tag team the hell out of me.”
One the fact one of his opponents didn’t play their starters in the game, and based off what he just said, if that sort of describes his preseason philosophy:
“Well, it described our philosophy today is that we just want to go out and work through a pregame warm-up and work through openers and making adjustments and things to coach on. If you don’t do anything today, it’s Friday, Saturday, Sunday, now you work again on Monday. Today had to be a work day, and for some it wasn’t that much, and for others it was more. What other teams do can’t affect us. We’ll try to play the situation and score when we’re in the red zone. I think it’s a great reminder of, we talked about Chism and Jordan Polk saving a shutdown and defending every blade of grass, and we force them to kick a field goal. That’s the difference sometimes in these games. It’s an extra effort play that allows the defense to defend every inch and blade of grass and offense to fight for every inch.”
On how pleased he was with his defense:
“We were two for two last week in the red zone, and so that improved today. Not letting them run it in was critical. Then also getting the stopped there at the end and being able to play it situationally. We’ll be able to coach on the offensive, the five-minute drive and have a better plan, but I think we were close today, and certainly we had some two-minute situations. Offensively, we had a bunch of first and second-down work.”
On what he saw on TreVeyon’s first touchdown:
“That he runs hard and protects the ball, and guys were finishing and gave him a little bit of crease. You don’t need much. He finds it, and it was a good run early in the game.”
On from a personnel perspective, what the general message is to the roster and guys in the locker room as they head into the final week of training camp:
“I mean, I’ll save that for the guys in the locker room. Before I tell them, certainly don’t feel like I could tell you, but it’s really going to stay consistent, that we have to work and we have to continue to improve. We don’t have a ton of time left, and there’s things that we have to continue to get better at and preparing to win. We have to really start preparing to win.”
On how he felt Drake Maye performed, especially after that first drive:
“Yeah, I think that he settled down, and it was good to see a lot of positives after that. That’s why I decided to go back out with that unit. I felt like there was a rhythm and a flow and an execution.”
On if there was any update on Kyle [Williams]
“I’ll be able to give you a little bit more tomorrow when I’m able to talk to the medical staff and then try to update you guys tomorrow with everything that I can as it relates to some of the injuries.”
On if he got his carrot cake:
“I did. I did, I got plenty of cake. No shortage of cake. ”
On how good of a week this was for his team with the two joint practices and the preseason game today:
“I appreciate the Vikings and what they were able to do, their organization, and the ease and comfort in which we were able to work here. The facilities, just the energy of practice. It’s a good football team. It’s a talented roster. They do a lot defensively. We thank them and appreciated what they were able to do for us. We’ll go back home and get back to work.”
(Editor’s Note: This transcript is done via the available footage and is subject to typos. If you spot something, please take a moment to let me know in the comments below.)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
