FOXBORO, Mass. — Mike Vrabel’s celebration was subdued, one befitting of the way this game ended, a tougher, more stressful challenge than the five consecutive wins that preceded it. There was no big fist pump or hug, simply a sigh of relief after the New England Patriots survived an ugly second half to eke out a 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
It leaves the Patriots in shocking territory, given the last two seasons, in which they went 4-13. In Vrabel’s first season at the helm, the Patriots are 7-2, tied for the best record in the NFL, and winners of six in a row. A team that won eight games combined in the last two years has a chance to match that mark in the first 10 games of Vrabel’s tenure when it visits the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday for one of the premier games of the week.
Still, this one wasn’t pretty. Quarterback Drake Maye had, by his recent standards, a pedestrian game: 19-of-29 passing for 259 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The offensive line struggled. The pass rush was nonexistent. The Falcons should’ve tied the score with under five minutes remaining, but kicker John Parker Romo (who spent training camp with the Pats) missed the point-after attempt after Drake London’s third touchdown.
So, yes, the Patriots have a lot to clean up if they’re going to live up to all that’s on the table in this upstart season with a weak schedule. But the Patriots also owe it to themselves to take a swing and try to add a couple of players before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Sure, the schedule was a gift, and in a way, the rest of this season could feel like New England is playing with house money. And at a time when the league doesn’t appear to have a dominant team, the Patriots should take advantage of this great start and see just how far they can go.
The game against the Falcons — despite being a win — revealed a few spots that should be addressed. The Patriots struggled to generate any pass rush or put Michael Penix Jr. in uncomfortable positions. The second-year quarterback had so much time to throw that the Pats were fortunate he missed a few throws that could have flipped the outcome.
But it underscores the importance of the Pats seeking pass-rush help before the deadline. Of course, Trey Hendrickson is the big name in that department, but he missed Sunday’s game due to injury, and reports so far have indicated the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t interested in moving him. So the Pats’ attention could pivot to Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. New England has already shown interest in him, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, and he’s probably the top pass rusher on the market.
The question could become how much they’ll have to give up. Two months ago, amid a rebuild with a first-year coach, it would’ve seemed crazy for the Patriots to be buyers. Now, it might be worthwhile to give up, say, a third-round pick for a player like Phillips and see where this wild season might go.
Since Christian Gonzalez said after the game that he’s “good” after being put in the concussion protocol, cornerback isn’t the most important spot, though depth there certainly wouldn’t hurt.
If cornerback is set and Gonzalez is healthy, their attention should flip to wide receiver. The Patriots had put more of their focus before the trade deadline on the defense. But Kayshon Boutte suffered a hamstring injury that ended his day early, and the offense went into a funk after he exited the game.
“We’re going to learn from winning, so that we don’t have to learn from losing, about taking care of the ball and complementary football and how quickly things can change,” Vrabel said.
With the Colts’ loss Sunday, the Patriots are tied for the best record in the NFL. Sure, making the playoffs would be great. But they now have a 31 percent chance of getting the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a bye, according to our playoff simulator.
Those are the kind of odds that deserve a boost in the form of a big-time trade. It would help keep the Patriots from allowing opponents to get one-dimensional.
That’s because New England’s run defense has been so good that teams are quick to abandon that phase of the game against them. The Falcons have arguably the best running back in the NFL, Bijan Robinson, yet they ran it with him just 12 times Sunday. They figured their better plan for success was passing, partly because the Patriots couldn’t generate enough of a pass rush.
It’s great that teams respect the Patriots run defense. But if they could land a player like Phillips, perhaps that would make opponents think twice about focusing so much on the pass — or at least make life tougher for them with more pressure on the quarterback.
That’s a dilemma for Vrabel and the front office. For the rest of the roster, there was plenty to celebrate after another win.
“I love this team,” receiver DeMario Douglas said after a career-high 100 yards. “I can’t wait to see how far we go.”
Next week’s game against the 6-2 Buccaneers will draw national attention. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo are on the call. Win that one, and the Pats could be the talk of the league.
“We’re going to get our respect eventually,” defensive tackle Milton Williams said. “And if not, oh well.”
This season has surpassed all expectations. The Patriots are good again. They have a great quarterback again. So much is going well, including that there’s no dominant team that’s clearly better than the rest.
So now is the perfect time to get aggressive, make a splash before the trade deadline and see what might come of this magical season.
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