FOXBORO — Mike Vrabel said it best after the Patriots' 26-19 win over the New York Jets. He said that he felt the team was "lucky" to come out of that game on the winning side, and he's not totally wrong.
After two-straight impressive outings against winning teams, they played down to the Jets' level.
"We're lucky to win, is probably where I'd start, but we're happy that we won. We'll enjoy it for about an hour, and then we're going to focus on the next task," Vrabel said. "Fortunate, whatever. We just didn't play very well. We tried to beat ourselves, but we made enough plays in critical situations to help us get through here today."
Here are some of the biggest quote following New England's win, including what they could mean for the Patriots as they move into a short week against the Bears.
It Wasn't Pretty, But A Win's A Win
The Patriots led 17-3 at one point, and had a true chance of running away with it. But self-inflicted wounds, including a pair of fumbles, kept the Jets alive for much of the game. It wasn't a pretty win at all. However, they were able to escape at the end — and are aware of what needs to be corrected heading into Week 7.
Mike Vrabel on the Patriots' depth stepping up: "I enjoy watching those guys go out and take advantage of their opportunity. They go from sitting there as a backup not knowing whether they're going to be in the game, to contributing to us winning. So that's exciting."
Drake Maye on the return of A.J. Brown: "It was great to see him back out there. It was cool to see a different guy in the huddle. Man, he looks cool in the huddle. So, I'm looking forward to just growing, just building the connection. I think there's some me, there's some, obviously plays he wish he had back, but man, I tell him, I was just telling him in the locker room, 'Man, you ain't got to worry about one.' He's a player in this league. He's going to be one of the best players on the field every time he steps on it."
Corey Kiner on carrying the ball eight-straight times in the fourth quarter: "It feels great. To be in that position in the game, to see the smiles on my teammates’ faces and my coaches’ faces, that they can trust me. It felt great, all the hard work we have been putting in as a team and personally, it just feels great."
Milton Williams on getting his first sack of the season: “Man, it was just on us. It was eating at us week in and week out just being close but not finishing the job. So we had those conversations all week. Vrabel talked a little noise, got in our ear a little bit."
Will Campbell on playing alongside several backup linemen: "Yeah, I mean, as bad as it is and as unfortunate as it is, it’s just the way this game goes. Coach Vrabel talks each week about preparing as a starter. Guys never know what could happen in a game, and you have to be ready whenever you get your opportunity. I feel like some guys stepped up big for us today."
Kevin Byard on the defense succeeding on third and fourth down: "I think for us as a defense, we feel like we are a dominant defense and wanted to be able to put on a dominant performance. It just didn’t feel like that. Now, obviously we’re going to watch the film and find things to correct, which I’m sure there’s a lot out there, but it’s a lot of good too. So, at the end of the day, celebrate this victory."
Now The Patriots Have To Turn The Page ... And Fast
The Patriots travel to Chicago this week for their first Thursday Night Football game of the season. That will be a big test and it's a matchup that's lined with storylines. Two of the first three picks of the 2024 Draft going head-to-head for the second time in their careers, while both head coaches are often pitted against each other because they both got hired in the same cycle.
Would the Patriots actually be better with Ben Johnson instead of Vrabel? I wouldn't go that far, but this week will be a good litmus test to see how well the Patriots can handle another tough environment. The Bears offense can light up the scoreboard, so the Patriots will need to adjust to a more high-flying air raid style.
The running defense will need to pick it up, as they've allowed James Cook and Braelon Allen to stack long runs together in recent weeks. They'll also need to get healthy, which is a tough ask for a team extremely banged up on offense.
Can the Patriots win against the Bears in primetime? Yes. But they'll need to try and improve off last week's winning performance, and try to not get lucky this time.
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