FOXBOROUGH, Mass — "Be the answer."
That's been the New England Patriots' motto through the first five weeks of the 2026 season, as they have dealt with injury after injury. Key players have gone down, some for the short term, while others will be sidelined for the entire year.
Because of that, the Patriots' depth has been tested. And in the last two games, they have certainly answered the call.
"I mean the next man up," Milton Williams told Patriots Wire. "We got our identity and our standard to hold up, no matter who is there, who's not out there. We just got to go out there and do our job. It doesn't matter who's in, who's out. But I feel like when we know guys are out and guys go down, we just got to step up."
Williams added that the phrase
"be the answer" is often said by head coach Mike Vrabel, with the message meaning to "answer the call when the opportunity shows."
However, this is very different from what the head coach had to say about the team's depth.
Following the Patriots' preseason matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Vrabel was asked why many of the starters had not played in the games. His response was simple: "I do not think we have a very deep team."
At the time, some thought Vrabel might have been sending a message to the front office. But now, it seems like the head coach was aiming to light a fire under his team, specifically the players who lined the depth chart.
And clearly, they took Vrabel's message to heart.
"All the guys understand that whenever the opportunity comes, we take advantage of it," cornerback Marcus Jones said. "Our main thing is, it's the National Football League, so there's always going to be some type of injury or a certain situation that people are dealing with. But our main thing is next man up. That's how the National Football League is, and we're excited for the guys that get the new opportunities."
The Patriots currently have 19 players on injured reserve, while many others are dealing with some short-term injuries, including starting cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, who both missed Sunday's game against the Raiders.
"Our depth has definitely been challenged for sure," safety Kevin Byard explained. "Don't get me wrong, you want to have all your guys out there, but in this business, I've seen weirder stuff happen, and I think the coaches have done a great job keeping guys prepared for this moment, whether it's offense or defense. But then, at the same time, these guys are just taking advantage of opportunities."
The Patriots' secondary was certainly an area that was feeling the effects of injuries, with Channing Canada and Karon Prunty being ruled out ahead of the game. Charles Woods was a limited participant in practice with a shoulder injury throughout the week, and although he took the field on Sunday, he ultimately left early. That left Jones and Kindle Vildor as the two healthy cornerbacks on the roster, but they didn't let it affect them, continuing to do their jobs.
"When guys get down or guys get hurt, it's everybody just elevating their game to help this team win. So it's just phenomenal to see," Byard said. "The guys that came and played together, these guys have full confidence in themselves... We understand what the standard is in our room. No matter who's playing, they got to come in and perform. Obviously we want to get Gonzo back, C.D., and all these guys, but at the end of the day, those guys prove that they can play ball, so it's just exciting to see those guys take advantage of those opportunities."
So what goes into being ready to go on Sunday?
"I think when it comes down to it, all of us, we're trying to prepare as a starter," Jones added. "Vrabes has talked about it, but then also us as a team, we understand that, and then we just try to take advantage of every opportunity we get. And then the big thing on the back end is communicating."
So, when it comes to the Patriots' depth stepping up in the most crucial moments, they might have Vrabel to thank, as he publicly challenged them in the preseason. And in the best possible way, they are proving him wrong.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots have turned Mike Vrabel's preseason doubts into fuel
