FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Pile push: In the box score of the Patriots’ 27-14 win over the New York Jets on Thursday night, the first touchdown reads “TreVeyon Henderson 7-yard run.”
But players say a more accurate description might be, “Mike Vrabel team culture.”
Yes, it was Henderson holding the ball. But he had been stopped around the 3-yard line and was pushed over the goal line by the determination and force of tight end Hunter Henry and offensive linemen Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Mike Onwenu and Garrett Bradbury.
“Pushing the piles — he’s big on us being around the ball, not watching, and getting downfield and making sure our guys are safe and keeping them covered up,” Onwenu said.
Or as wide receiver Mack Hollins succinctly put it, “A pile push is what Vrabes lives for.”
The Patriots have the NFL’s best record at 9-2, and of the many things that have fallen into place for them this season, the push-pile touchdown reflects one of the top areas players see as a strength. They play with “effort and finish” — which is the first part of Vrabel’s desired team culture — and they are playing for each other.
“We work on that specific drill at practice — push the pile. That’s something we pride ourselves in,” said Campbell, the fourth pick in April, whose aggressive play style made him an ideal fit for Vrabel’s first Patriots team. “We knew if we didn’t do it, we’d probably get in a little bit of trouble.”
How far the Patriots can push their way through a potential deep playoff run is now a real conversation. Vrabel gave players a well-deserved three-day break that ends Monday, when they will return to work and look ahead to the next game Nov. 23 on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Vrabel told players in the locker room after the game, in a video posted on Patriots.com, “We all got a long way to go, and you guys are going to help us get there. Together.”
Over the past couple of weeks, Vrabel has shared details of decisions by team leaders that resonated with him. Last week, he gave players the option to practice inside to lighten their load. But they passed, believing work in the cold would be a greater benefit.
Then on Thursday’s game day, cognizant of players’ time and commitment to recovery after playing five days before in Tampa Bay, Vrabel told players he was willing to cut out a team meeting to give them some breathing room. But players again declined, telling Vrabel the meeting was too important for them to miss.
Vrabel also noted that the week before, on the standard players’ day off, 41 of them arrived at the facility anyway.
Owner Robert Kraft has been impressed with what he has observed, telling 98.5 The Sports Hub before Thursday’s game, “There is a great culture and attitude. Mike and his staff have done a great job. We’re excited. But we’ll go week to week.”
Veteran receiver Stefon Diggs, who leads the team with 59 receptions for 659 yards, has played a significant role in reinforcing that culture in the locker room and reminding teammates not to drink the “Kool-Aid” of thinking they have arrived.
“Everybody is feeding off each other. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the New England Patriots; being a part of it is definitely special, it’s fun,” he said. “People kind of counted us out a little bit at the beginning of the year when things weren’t going right. It’s easy to do that.”
Though Thursday’s push-pile touchdown highlighted the offense moving in the same direction, players say it shows up on defense and special teams, as well.
“Team defense. Nobody is bigger than the team. That’s the type of team Coach Vrabel wanted to build from Day 1 — a bunch of guys who are selfless and want to pour into this team — who want to help their teammates, who get joy from seeing their teammate succeed,” said linebacker Robert Spillane, a captain who leads the team with 90 tackles. “When you get 33 guys — 11 on offense, 11 on defense, 11 on special teams — who all want to see the team succeed, good things are going to happen.”
Added starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez: “We have energy. Everybody’s bought in. Just coming into work every day, just pushing each other — we’re real tight, close-knit as a team, especially as a defense. Vrabes has done an amazing job. Just coming in from OTAs, he stood in here and told us what we were going to do — building a team, building connections, coming together. Him as a former player, a great player, he knows how to get people going. You could call it getting under our skin a little bit. He likes to talk. It’s fun. We love playing for him and will do whatever we have to do to go out and get wins.”
After each game, Vrabel waits at the locker room door to greet players and let them know he’s there to support them. On Thursday, Vrabel took note that he was joined by defensive tackle Milton Williams, who had injured his ankle in the first half of the game and was downgraded to out in the second half.
It was a behind-the-scenes moment that, again, reflected a team pushing forward together.
“We got a really talented team, but you know, talent doesn’t win games,” Campbell said. “We got guys that play together and are balled into what Vrabes is building, and this staff is asking of us.”
2. Explosive plays: The Patriots lead the NFL with seven offensive plays of 50 yards or more this season (four of which were TDs), with the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints tied for second with five apiece. New England has accomplished the feat in 11 games, while the Colts and Saints have played 10.
Vrabel noted those plays last week when touching on the importance of offensive balance, and how some 50-yard runs from rookie speedster TreVeyon Henderson have helped.
How rare is that production?
Consider that in the Patriots’ Tom Brady era (2001-2019), the most 50-yard offensive plays through the first 11 games of any season was four (three of which were TDs). That was in the 2007 record-setting season when the team went 16-0 in the regular season.
3. Coaches’ break: Vrabel said the last time his assistant coaches had a day off was late August, so he was happy to tell them not to report back to work until Monday.
“Not that we’re looking for a vacation, but these guys have families too, and I want them to be able to spend some time with their family,” he said in his pregame interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub.
For those keeping track, that was 74 straight workdays since Aug. 31.
4. Kraft’s take: Owner Robert Kraft was asked what it has been like to watch quarterback Drake Maye mature in his second season.
“I have to give a lot of credit to [offensive coordinator] Josh McDaniels,” Kraft said in a pregame interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub, noting it has been great to see Maye’s career take off. “Josh has learning-curve experience in this area, having worked with Tommy [Brady] and watching how he evolved. Josh also has unique knowledge of many different offenses. I think he understands Drake and how he operates and adapting him into the [plan] of whomever we’re playing the next week, looking at their weaknesses and where we can hopefully exploit it. They’ve developed a great chemistry.
“Drake is very humble and comes from a wonderful family. I love that he married his seventh-grade girlfriend [Ann Michael Hudson]. He’s not into glitz. He’s into hard work and doing what has to be done, and that’s a good New England culture — and what our family and people in this region are about. And we like to win.”
2:55
Why Bart Scott doesn’t view Drake Maye as the MVP
Bart Scott and Harry Douglas debate whether Drake Maye is now the MVP front-runner after another Patriots win against the Jets.
5. Potential pitfalls: Other than the obvious injuries, what potential pitfalls could the Patriots face the rest of the way?
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Slow starts on defense — tied for the NFL lead in allowing six touchdowns on opening drives
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Limited ball disruption — one forced turnover over the past three games and it was a bad Jets snap/QB ballhandling
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Red zone offense — 23 touchdowns in 39 trips (58.9%; subtracted one kneel-down in Browns game)
Spillane seemed almost perplexed at the slow starts on defense, saying Thursday, “We’re continually on the search for that first-drive mishap. We so badly want to keep them out of the end zone. I know you guys want to ask about the first drive. We’re going to continue to look at the film, get it fixed, and hopefully next week, we get off the field early — three-and-out.”
6. No days off? Despite being given off time, it didn’t sound like many planned to get away.
“I’m expecting to see a bunch of guys in the facility throughout the weekend,” Spillane said. “I’d be very surprised if we don’t have 30, 40, 50 guys here, looking to get recovered, extra lifts in. Because we know the real season is ahead of us. Going forward, this is our season.”
7. Barmore breakthrough: Fifth-year starting defensive tackle Christian Barmore was beaming in the locker room after Thursday’s win after recording his first sack of the season and totaling a career-high tying five pressures (per ESPN Research).
Vrabel highlighted Barmore after the game, saying he “finally got the sack that he’s been looking for,” even though “he has had a lot of pressures, and he’s been back there” throughout the season.
The Patriots needed Barmore’s best after fellow starting defensive tackle Milton Williams injured his ankle and was held out of the second half by Vrabel despite wanting to play.
With Williams being placed on injured reserve Saturday, which means he’ll miss at least the next four games, the Patriots will need even more from Barmore.
Mike Vrabel says DT Milton Williams wanted to play through his ankle injury, but Vrabel made the decision to “get ahead” of things by keeping him out of the game.
Vrabel notes Williams stood next to him congratulating players after the game as they returned to the locker room.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 14, 2025
8. OL bonds: The Patriots have started the same offensive line in 10 of their 11 games this season, a contributing factor in their offensive success.
One thing that stood out Thursday was how happy players were for top backup Ben Brown, who played more as an eligible tight end (12 snaps). The Patriots tapped Brown because they were without No. 2 tight end Austin Hooper (concussion). The O-linemen continue to meet each week for dinner, most recently for sushi, with veteran right tackle Morgan Moses paying the bill.
“We definitely are close,” Onwenu said. “It’s a great group — from the young guys to the old guys. Anybody in the room, anybody who plays, there’s no falloff. We’re all vying for each other and pushing each other on.”
9. Thursday thumbs-up: Not too many players endorse playing Thursday because of the physical toll, but Campbell enjoyed his first experience.
“I like the quick turnaround, knock a few out [games],” he said. “I’ll probably feel differently about it whenever I’m older, but my body recovers pretty well right now because I’m young [21].”
Campbell has played 98.3% of the offensive snaps this season.
10. Did you know? Maye has a 71.9% completion percentage and is averaging 8.6 air yards per attempt this season. Since ESPN began tracking air yards in 2006, Maye is just the second player to complete 70% of his passes and average 8.5 air yards per attempt through his team’s first 11 games (minimum 200 pass attempts) — joining Peyton Manning in 2009.
