Courtesy of the New England Patriots
DENVER- The Patriots 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship game was a gritty win but a win not all teams could win. You have to be built to win a game like this and this rendition of the Patriots clearly is.
Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel said after the game that it starts with a belief in what you are doing as an organization.
“I think that that’s why you have to do this. You have to believe things sometimes before you can see them. You have to believe that what you’re doing is the right thing. If it’s not, you have to recognize it and make adjustments and changes to the program and everything else.”
Belief is one thing but developing an identity that allows you to win tight games like this is also important. When Vrabel was hired last January, we knew that philosophically he wanted to run the football, play good defense and special teams and be situationally sound. Vrabel credited the players for buying in and believing in that identity.
“We got a great group of guys, and they continued to, again, believe in the things that we did, and they formed and created an identity, and they tried to protect it. Then today was just another example of as things kind of change and unfold, our ability to adjust.”
Winning a championship requires a certain level of camaraderie. This Patriots team is one of the closest teams you will find in any sport. They enjoy being around each other. Coaches and players alike have talked about just how tight knit this group is. That bond has propelled them to a Super Bowl.
It is why this is a team and good teams complement each other well. They pick each other up when needed and go above and beyond.
It is why Patriots quarterback Drake Maye made it a point to credit the defense for winning the game.
“It was tough elements for offense, but the defenses were playing great,” Maye said. “Really just [giving us] a chance to not lose the game and turn the ball over or do something where we’re putting our defense in a bad spot. Our defense showed up every time, time and time again.”
The win wasn’t pretty but no cares when the final blows. It’s the end result that counts. The Patriots are going to the Super Bowl. A great accomplishment for a team that was assembled last spring and came together quickly. A team that Vrabel now says he enjoys being around and coaching.
“Fun to coach. They’re entertaining. We get another week for Will’s weekend update. They’ve been resilient. They’ve been very coachable. There’s a lot of connectivity in them, and I appreciate what they do.”