In The Usual Suspects, the stone-cold-classic 1995 crime thriller, the unhealthy guys appear fairly apparent — blindingly so, actually, loud and in your face and claiming your entire consideration each time they’re onscreen. But the actual villain is lurking proper there in plain sight, an apparently damaged wretch who’s been pulling the strings all alongside with out anybody noticing.
Why do I lead an NFL column with a reference to a 30-year-old film a couple of villain hiding in plain sight? Oh, I don’t know … have you ever checked the AFC East standings recently?
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The New England Patriots are back, pals. Winners of 9 straight, led by an old-school lead-with-the-forehead head coach, quarterbacked by the very best signal-caller to affix the NFL for the reason that pandemic, held collectively by one of many high scoring defenses within the league, the Patriots are now formally a reputable capital-P Problem for the remainder of the league. Again.
You can perceive why the NFL universe could be troubled by this improvement. After Tom Brady left the Greater Boston space for Florida and Bill Belichick determined to go re-enact the plot of Old School, the NFL thought it was carried out with the Pats for a decade or so. The Chiefs took up the “new dynasty” mantle, and everybody safely relegated the Pats to the six-win bin together with the Jets and Titans. Nightmares are by no means as scary within the daylight, and the Patriots’ two-decade run via the NFL pale into reminiscence.
Until this season.
Mike Vrabel’s arrival in New England has unlocked Drake Maye and the Patriots. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Images)
Mike Vrabel, who received three Super Bowls with the Pats and — maybe much more impressively — led the Titans to the AFC championship sport and, later, a No. 1 seed as a coach. (The decisionmaking that led to Tennessee releasing him is one motive why Tennessee has a single win this yr, and New England has 10.) Vrabel has rebooted the tradition in New England, bringing back the Belichickian swagger however not the unnecessary Belichickian crustiness. The former linebacker now oversees a group whose protection ranks sixth in factors allowed, eight in yards allowed, and second in dashing yards allowed. He’s additionally unlocked an offense that thrown for extra yards than any group within the league. The outcomes have been apparent, as has the reward from gamers up and down the roster.
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“I think (Vrabel) has done a great job bringing us close together as a team, helping us to play for each other, not just for ourselves,” operating back TreVeyon Henderson mentioned . “So, I have been thankful to have him as a head coach. He has been doing such a good job of pushing me, pushing everyone on this team no matter who we are.”
“He brings it every day, he challenges us but he also cares about us and cares about us outside of the building,” Drake Maye . “He’s just awesome to play for.”
Sure, players said that about Belichick too, but it always felt more like a hostage-video confession than a true expression of affection. Some wins come at more cost than others.
Maye himself is a key factor in the Patriots’ renaissance. His 3,130 yards (without a bye) lead the league. He ranks second in yards per completion at 8.8 (to Sam Darnold) and passer rating of 110.7 (to Matthew Stafford), and as a result is very much in the MVP conversation. It’s way too early to compare him to You Know Who, but a reliable young quarterback is a rare asset in the modern NFL. And if you’ve got a quarterback with this kind of touch …
… good things will follow.
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Five games remain in the regular season for New England, starting with next Monday’s battle with an old nemesis, the New York Giants. Following the very late Week 14 bye, New England wraps the year with a run through the division, plus a visit to Baltimore. Difficult but manageable, especially given the AFC East lead the Patriots have posted over the 7-4 Bills.
And from there, who knows? If the Patriots were trying to get into the College Football Playoff, analysts would point to the ugly Week 1 loss to the Raiders, plus a whole bunch of high-calorie victories over teams like Miami, New Orleans, Tennessee, Cleveland, Atlanta and the Jets. But style points don’t matter in the NFL, victories do. Get into the playoffs — and they’re 99 percent likely to do so, — and the Patriots can do all kinds of damage. Again.
“You need excessive expectations,” Maye mentioned . “This metropolis, the Patriots are used to successful, and that is what we’re making an attempt to get back to. You need individuals to count on you to play nicely.”
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Pat Patriot isn’t strolling with a limp anymore, and the remainder of the NFL has dropped its espresso cup. Only distinction between this Patriots season and The Usual Suspects: the Pats’ season isn’t wherever near completed.