The New England Patriots may have closed the book on the 2025 regular season, but not on the lessons learned during their 17-game campaign. The stakes may be at their highest yet, but it’s still all about
sticking to a tried-and-true method of preparation.
For Mike Vrabel, that was a message his team needed to hear as it heads towards its playoff opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We’ll get ready and get rolling and try to do what we do every week,” the Patriots’ head coach said after the 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins in Sunday’s regular season finale, “which is prepare and figure out who we have available and what we feel like the keys are going to be and try to practice and be ready to go. That’s all we’ve done all year, and that’s all we’ll be able to do this week in the playoffs.”
Vrabel is no stranger to the playoff experience. Not only did he appear in 20 total postseason games during his active career in Pittsburgh, New England and Kansas City, he also led Tennessee to the tournament three times during his six-year stint as Titans head coach.
His success in those three seasons was limited — a trip to the AFC Championship was followed by two straight one-and-dones — but Vrabel still knows what playoff football is all about. That is not something his team can say, with a few exceptions.
Among those is defensive tackle Milton Williams, who played nine playoff games in four years with the Philadelphia Eagles. A Super Bowl champion last season, Williams knows what it takes to play winning football against top competition.
“Double down on what we’ve been doing all year,” he said. “Don’t get out of what you’ve been doing. We see what works. We know what works. We put on tape what works. We have to stick to it.”
That “Stick to the routine!” battle cry has been picked up by those with no postseason experience so far.
Jack Gibbens, who failed to play beyond Week 18 in his first three seasons in the NFL, is one of those players. He has been trying to follow the lead set by Vrabel, Williams and others.
“Try to approach it like any other game,” he said. “We don’t want to try to make anything up. We want to do what’s gotten us here, but obviously the margin for error is super small and the intensity is going to be at an all-time high. Going to have to have a great week of practice and then come out there locked in because as these games get closer and closer and closer, it comes down to one play here or there and you never know when that’s going to be. So, you have to be locked in.”
So far, the 2025 Patriots have mostly managed to be just that. They know that they will need to continue doing so if they want to keep their season going.
