For the first time since the 2018 NFL season, the New England Patriots, led by head coach Mike Vrabel, are playing in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Ahead of the match-up against the Houston Texans, Patriots owner Robert Kraft took the time to talk about the massive impact Vrabel has made in his first year with the team.
Why Did New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Praise Mike Vrabel?
Before the Texans vs. Patriots game on ESPN, the program ran a segment featuring Kraft. In the segment, he had the following to say about Vrabel, “He has grown and matured in a way, you know, he always had that hard side to him, which made him such a great player.
“But, he’s been amazing with the culture in the locker room, how he has been able to connect… the hardest thing with a team is to get everyone to put team first and their own personal records in the background, and he’s done that, and they really feel connected to him. We don’t have one player who made All-Pro first team and we’re two in the conference.”
Kraft and the Patriots should be thanking their stars that the Tennessee Titans made the horrendous decision to fire Vrabel. He is a true difference-maker with the leadership qualities and mindset to change culture wherever he is.
This season, the Patriots finished with a 14-3 record, the best in the AFC East and the second seed in the AFC playoff picture. Not only was it much better than the team’s 4-13 record under Jerrod Mayo last season, but it is the team’s first winning season since 2021.
In PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric, the team ranked second during the regular season. The team finished with an impact score of 86.6 and a letter grade of B. For comparison, the team ranked 26th in 2024 with an impact score of 67.6 and a letter grade of D+.
In PFSN’s NFL Defensive Impact Metric, the team ranked 12th during the regular season with an impact score of 78.2 and a letter grade of C+. Compared to last season, the Patriots were among the worst in the league, finishing with an impact score of 66.1 and a letter grade of D. They ranked 30th in the league, meaning there were only two teams worse than them in terms of defense.
When you watch a 2025 Patriots game, you’ll realize that this is a team that refuses to be pushed around. They play for each other and as a team because Vrabel has instilled a new culture in the organization. The Patriots have the potential to be a dangerous team for a long time, and that’s because Vrabel is so good at his job.
