FOXBOROUGH - Mike Vrabel didn’t use the P-word. But Drake Maye did.
The Patriots quarterback let it slip when talking about Vrabel’s messaging to the team heading into its Week 7 game.
Maye talked Vrabel’s return to Tennessee. He talked about the “hype train” surrounding a Patriots team that’s 4-2 after three straight wins, and sitting in first-place in the AFC East, thanks to owning the tiebreaker over Buffalo.
And Maye rambled on enough, that he mentioned the playoffs and the team’s expectations. So the cat was out of the bag.
“It’s a challenge for us to keep proving it week in and week out. That’s been our main focus,” Maye said Wednesday. “Keep going, ignore the noise and know that if we keep playing like this, we’ll have a real shot once the playoffs come, but that’s a long way away, so just attack it one week at a time.”
So the players are thinking about it, too. They believe they’re in the mix. And, they think they’ll have a “real shot” if they get there.
But will they?
That depends.
If they keep doing what they’re doing, and the Patriots braintrust doesn’t sit on its hands at the trade deadline, that would be the recipe.
As Vrabel said when asked about the Patriots AFC-East leading standing: “(We’ve) put ourselves in a position to play meaningful games.”
The question is what they’ll do to keep themselves in that position ahead of January.
Of course, continuing to win is the first order of business. Beating the teams they should beat, starting with Tennessee, is on the to-do list.
But there’s more.
Being in the hunt is one thing. Being in the hunt in an AFC that’s up for grabs, with no clearcut favorite or frontrunner, changes the narrative.
That should move the needle for the Patriots when considering what to do ahead of the deadline.
Vrabel, however, claimed Wednesday their current situation has “no bearing” or influence on their intentions regarding trades.
“I think we’ll just continue to try to strengthen the roster each and every day. Sometimes those are small moves, maybe bigger ones,” he said. “But I don’t think that, right now, those conversations are centered around what our record is currently. I don’t think that that’s something that really bears into it.
“We’re building something. And if any of those things can help us build and strengthen us and allow us for long-term, consistent success, then I think that’s what we should try to do.”
Loosely translated, the Patriots are trying to look at the big picture, and continue to build toward having a team that will not only win, but have sustained success.
In other words, they won’t, and shouldn’t be looking at older player rentals with big contracts. That defeats the purpose. And that’s being smart.
But that shouldn’t preclude them from going after talent that would enhance their chances even more. Whether it’s landing a running back, pass rusher, defensive back, the Patriots need to be active.
While it’s still early in the season, and early in the scope of their turnaround, the Patriots already have two key ingredients that put them in every playoff conversation: a top head coach and quarterback.
Vrabel already has the players buying into his program and culture. Stefon Diggs sung his praises big-time on Wednesday.
“He got me to buy (in),” the star wideout said. “When you buy into the process and see the results, it’s like, ‘Damn, it does work.’’’
As for Maye, he’s just gotten better every game to the point where he’s put himself in the MVP discussion. He’s been a leading man in every way, elevating everyone around him.
On Wednesday, Maye waxed poetic about all the players he has around him, who are helping him achieve great things.
That doesn’t mean the Patriots should stop surrounding him with good players and more help. They need help at running back. They also could use another edge rusher and safety given how thin they are at those positions.
The P-word is real. It’s attainable, especially with the soft schedule ahead. And if the Patriots make a few moves.
With the Chiefs (3-3), Bills (4-2) , Ravens (1-5) all looking vulnerable, any number of teams could emerge from the AFC.
That includes the Patriots.
“I got ahead of myself a little bit there,” Maye said, attempting to put the genie back in the bottle when it came to the playoffs. “I think we’re just trying to keep going, one week at a time. That’s been the goal since we got here.
“What Coach Vrabel has put out are the goals of winning the division, making the playoffs and having home playoff games. So, that’s been the goal in mind since we got here. So, it’s not too early for me to get ahead onto it, but it is a little bit early calling it. So, just trying to keep playing, and if it happens to get there, that’ll be some fun.”
The Patriots haven’t had that kind of fun for some time. They don’t want to get sucked into the hype, but that doesn’t mean the P-word isn’t already tucked into the back of their minds.
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