New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wasn’t satisfied with his defense during the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nearing the end of the frame, Vrabel called a timeout to speak with his defense on the sideline.
“I saw [expletive] defense, and I wanted to talk to them, and I figured that if I did not call a timeout, I would not be able to get what I wanted to say off my chest,” Vrabel said after the game.
One evident flaw leading up to the contest
was the Patriots’ run defense, which struggled to contain the Philadelphia running backs in the first joint practice with the Eagles on Wednesday.
But that doesn’t mean the unit hasn’t made positive strides throughout the entirety of training camp. Linebacker Christian Elliss has noticed improvement from that unit.
“We’re doing a really good job with a lot of new faces, new guys, getting our identity and how we like to fit their run, how we like to move our guys and how we like to play ball,” Elliss said following Monday’s practice about the state of the run defense. “I think we’ve been doing a great job. I think every week has gotten better.”
“And especially, I mean, it leads with our [defensive line]; when our defensive line dominates, we dominate as a defense. And it’s our job as linebackers to make sure they’re free and make sure they can do their job. And I think they’re doing a great job.”
The run defense adjusted the next day of practice on Thursday, closing gaps more efficiently to prevent the Philadelphia ball carriers from breaking through the second level of the defense.
Last week, Vrabel noted improvement in the group between those two sessions.
“Honestly, it was more of a mentality thing than anything,” Elliss said about what the unit refined on day two. “Like, you watch the film, and it’s just like, are you going to be aggressive here? Are you going to try to guess? Are you going to try to slow-play [the rep]? At the end of the day, you have to put your face mask on somebody, and then you play off of that.”
“So for us, this defense is about being fast and aggressive — we edge, we will always form and that’s how we’re going to play.”
New England’s run defense ranked top five in the NFL last season in several categories, allowing the second-fewest rushing touchdowns and fourth-fewest yards.
A pivotal factor in that success was 6-foot-2, 320-pound Khyiris Tonga. The nose tackle departed for Kansas City in free agency on a multi-year contract. New England is now relying on its rotational pieces from last season, such as Cory Durden, to help starters Milton Williams and Christian Barmore replicate that production in 2026.
Vrabel reinforced that responsibility when he spoke with the defense during the timeout, challenging the defense to play more physical.
Safety Dell Pettus, who was involved in the mid-game conversation, said he agreed with his head coach’s perspective.
“As a competitor, no one likes to let somebody win,” Pettus said to the Boston Herald Saturday night. “I thought that was a good tone-setter, and it was another challenge for us to accept. It was just now from our head coach.”
Elliss credited Vrabel’s playing experience for his ability to understand the challenges of training camp and joint practices while keeping the defense focused on improvements that can be made.
In turn, that energy spreads to the roster, which has impacted the identity the defense has built under Vrabel.
“I like the energy we had today [in practice],” Elliss said. “That was a really good preseason game we had against the Eagles. The guys fought hard, but then to see the guys who played come out and play as hard as they did today. I love the grit we’re building. I love the identity we’re building, and as a whole, I love how our team is feeling.”
