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A viral halftime clip briefly stole the spotlight from New England’s blowout win over the Jets, with Mike Vrabel and defensive lineman Christian Barmore seen in a heated sideline exchange.
Vrabel later explained it was a composure reminder after a chippy sequence near the end of the second quarter, stressing the Patriots didn’t want to hand over “free yards” through post-whistle penalties.
That same no-nonsense tone carried into Vrabel’s latest injury update on wide receiver Mack Hollins. According to Mike Kadlick, Vrabel said Hollins’ injury happened in last Sunday night’s Patriots win over the Ravens, and the timeline makes any playoff projection tricky:
“We won’t be able to see him for another three weeks. At that point in time we’ll make a decision … right now I don’t think we can predict anything.”
That essentially puts Hollins in a holding pattern. The Patriots can’t evaluate him on the field, and Vrabel isn’t pretending otherwise. If the recovery goes smoothly, the door could still be open for a postseason return, but the team is clearly treating it as a wait-and-see situation rather than a lock.
There is a backdrop here, however. Vrabel is coaching a group that has played its best football while keeping its emotions in check, and he’s been consistent about protecting the team’s identity when games get testy.
That was the point of the Barmore message at halftime, and it’s the same practicality you hear in how he’s handling Hollins, no forecasts, no drama, just a timeline and a decision point.
The Patriots also received a separate bit of optimism up front. Mike Reiss reported Vrabel expects left tackle Will Campbell, who has been on injured reserve, to begin practicing this week now that he’s eligible.
Getting Campbell back into the practice mix would be a major step for New England’s protection as the postseason approaches.
New England closes the regular season at home against the Dolphins, with the immediate focus on staying sharp while monitoring Hollins’ progress and Campbell’s practice return.
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