New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots extended their winning streak to seven games in Week 10 with a 28-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And yet, after the game, head coach Mike Vrabel sent a clear warning to his team.
For the first time since Week 5, the Patriots squared off against a clear-cut playoff contender, and they came out on top. The offense ripped off several big plays throughout the day, and the defense tightened up when it had to by limiting a high-powered Baker Mayfield-led unit.
There’s no doubt that New England is feeling good about itself right now. However, the team cannot get complacent, and that was the message Vrabel sent immediately after the clock hit zero in this one.
“The great thing about this league is there’s one waiting for us. There is another one waiting for us, and the most important one is the next one,” Vrabel said as part of his postgame speech in the Patriots’ locker room. “You earned the right to be tired tonight.”
An overlooked aspect of the Pats’ success has been Vrabel’s ability to keep his team focused on winning games. There’s a lot of outside noise and hype surrounding the Patriots right now, but the team doesn’t seem to want to hear any of it.
That’s going to be important to remember, as the team has a short week on its schedule. New England will square off against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football in Week 11, and you can bet that the team is going to be looking to push its win streak to eight by taking down their hated division rival.
