FOXBORO — Near the end of the first quarter in Saturday’s preseason game against the Eagles, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel called a timeout for a simple reason.
“I saw dogs— defense,” Vrabel said. “And I wanted to talk to them. And I figured that if I did not call a timeout, that I would not be able to get what I wanted to say off my chest.”
So Vrabel gathered his defense after it had allowed a long run that brought Philadelphia’s offense into the red zone, and gave the unit a piece of his mind. Six plays later, the Eagles scored a touchdown anyway to cap a bruising 13-play, 77-yard march.
Back on the sideline, Vrabel barked again at his defense. This is what he said, according to third-year Patriots safety Dell Pettus.
“That he would (play) guys who are gonna go out there and fight and challenge, not just let things happen,” Pettus remembered. “(The defense) was very leaky, in my opinion, in the first half. Like throughout the whole course of the defense. We weren’t standing up (to the Eagles).”
Pettus and most of the Patriots’ starters, who all project to be backups come the regular season, remained on the field for most of the rest of the half. They forced punts on the Eagles’ next two possessions, but allowed another touchdown just before the half. Despite the uneven results and harsh tone, Pettus appreciated Vrabel’s messaging.
“I definitely agree with that sentiment because, as a competitor, no one likes to let somebody win,” he said. “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.”
Pettus finished with four tackles, tied for second-most on the team. The Patriots ended the game with a strip sack that closed a 24-21 win that also featured two Eagles turnovers on downs as part of a major U-turn by Vrabel’s defense.
“At a certain point, I mean, somebody has to say it, and coach Vrabel is great about not letting things go too far,” Pettus said. “That’s what was on his mind, and he said it. And we needed to hear it.”