The chants were loud, and clear in Nashville of “Vrabel, Vrabel” at the end of today’s game where the Patriots sleptwalked through the first quarter before waking up and putting on a dominant show over the final 45 minutes and beating the hapless Titans 31-13.While Mike Vrabel downplayed the talk all week, about it being a return to Nashville where he was fired, even after the game, he continued to do so, not taking any outward joy in the chants, which had to be a big embarrassment for Titan’s owner Amy Adams Strunk.Players Make It Personal For Their Coach:“I didn’t get that many tickets,” Vrabel said when asked of the chants at the end of the game. “I don’t know. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m happy for our players. I think these guys, they’re figuring out how to win. They’re figuring out how to practice. I guess it’s humbling to have these people want to — whoever that is — cheer for us. Whether that’s the Patriots, or Drake Maye, or me, or anybody else.”Vrabel outwardly didn’t take any joy in rubbing Adams Strunk’s nose in the dysfunctional mess she created, but the players knew what the game meant.“I don’t care what he said. We wanted to win this for him,” Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who has taken on a leadership role, said to Zack Cox of the Herald.“All week, we obviously tried to emphasize it just being a regular game, regular week,” said K’Lavon Chaisson said. “But man, when you gain such a bond with your peers and obviously with your coach, they try not to make it more than it is to keep their guys level-headed, but you know that it’s personal for them, and we just want to play hard for them and give it everything we’ve got to make sure they come out on top and they the exact feeling that they would like to feel at the end of the game.“So, it definitely was some extra juice on the defensive end to make sure that our guys — anybody that came from this team or was a part of this organization — they got their revenge and they came out on top.”“That’s pretty cool,” Drake Maye added of the “Vrabel” chants down the stretch. “I think that’s always cool. He downplayed it all week, which we appreciate. He was focused on us and worried about us, and that’s what matters. But I know it feels good for him.”Maye gave an emotional Vrabel a game ball in the Patriots locker room after the game. “One second, one second,” Maye said, as he jumped in as Vrabel walked away trying to break down the team. “For coach and all Tennessee coaches. Coach Vrabel, we love playing for you. Glad you’re our head coach. We love you, coach.”The Patriots won their fourth game in a row, and third straight on the road. The team sits at 5-2, a full game ahead of Buffalo in the division and return home to Gillette Stadium next week to take on the Cleveland Browns.Drake Maye Continues Outstanding Play:While the talk about a possible MVP candidate will continue, and be played down in the national media, the fact remains that Drake Maye has been playing in some rarified air this season. The offense got a field goal in the first quarter but didn’t really get going until the second quarter. There, Maye led the team on an 11-play, 93-yard drive that culminated with a spectacular 3-yard touchdown catch from tight end Austin Hooper to knot the game at 10-10. That’s when Maye heated up. Although Tennessee kicked a field goal to briefly retake the lead 13-10 near the end of the first half, Maye answered. He drove the Patriots quickly down to the Titans’ 39-yard line where he launched a beautiful deep ball to a wide open Kayshon Boutte for a touchdown, where Boutte caught the ball on his fingertips. The ball traveled more than 50 yards in the air. And that led to the the opening drive of the third quarter where Maye had to leave for three plays but returned to lead the Patriots on a scoring drive capped off by Rhamondre Stevenson’s touchdown run, putting them up 24-13. Maye finished the game 21-23 for 222 yards (9.7-average) with 2 TDs, 0 INTs, for a passer rating of 135.9, and added eight carries for 62 yards on the ground. He set a new Patriots’ record with a 91.3 percent completion percentage on the day, breaking Tom Brady’s record of 88 percent set against Jacksonville.Defensive Slow Start Again, A Worrisome Trend:The Patriots’ defense once again started off poorly, with some sloppy play and missed tackles allowing an inferior opponent to score on their first two drives. The Titans had their interim coach bump in the first quarter, where Cam Ward channeled his inner Patrick Mahomes, starting off the game 10-11 for 108 yards and a TD. But after that first quarter, the Titans scored three points the rest of the game.These slow starts for the defense has happened in five of the first seven games, and it is an issue that the coaching staff has to rectify moving forward. Rhamondre Stevenson, Running Game Get Going:Stevenson and his offensive line really shined in this one. The mantra from the team has been that they wanted to get the running game going, and today they did just that. The Patriots ran for 175 yards and if you exclude the two Josh Dobbs kneeldowns, then they averaged 5.2 yards per carry on 34 carries. Stevenson led the way with 88 yards on 18 carries (4.9 yard average) with a touchdown.They even got Terrell Jennings in for a some mop up work late and he carried five times for 18 yards. Maye added 62 yards on the ground as well. TreVeyon Henderson didn’t see the field much, due to Stevenson’s success, but he’ll get his touches.Other Observations include:K’Lavon Chaisson had his best game of the season with two sacks, two TFLs, two QB hits, a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown. He was coming hard for Ward on Tennessee’s first offensive snap in the third quarter. Ward lost the ball and Chaisson had a scoop and score for his first NFL TD and the Patriots’ first defensive touchdown of the season. The Patriots ended up with five sacks on the day, led by Chaisson with two, Harold Landry, and Milton Williams.The Patriots allowed the Titans only 39 yards rushing as a team. Tennessee’s longest run from scrimmage was eight yards.Craig Woodson and Marcus Jones got burned on the Titan’s only TD, a 38-yarder to Chimere Dike, but Jones then later got a bit of redemption with an interception.Kayshon Boutte had two catches for 55 yards including that highlight reel 39-yard touchdown catch on his fingertips.Jared Wilson struggled against the Titans interior line and allowed three sacks. The Patriots are 5-2 and have the fan base, and each other believing again. And the reason is simple. Vrabel has given them a vision and they’ve totally bought in to that, and each other. They return to Gillette after a three-game roadtrip and face Cleveland who routed Miami today._______________“Somebody asked me what success looks like, and I said, ‘Yeah, you can judge it by wins and losses during the season, but success for me in the offseason is going to be that the players believe in what we’re doing, and they believe in the message, they believe in the teaching, and they believe in the connections that we’re making.’” — Mike VrabelFollow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at [email protected]Listen to our PatsFans.com Patriots No Huddle podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Derek Havens, Mike D’Abate, and I discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis.
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About Steve BalestrieriA former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)View all posts by Steve Balestrieri
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