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Mike Reiss
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel jumped right into a pile of gamers at Wednesday’s apply with the Washington Commanders and got here out with a bloodied cheek, which caught the eye of gamers within the ensuing huddle.
“That is what we’re making an attempt to construct and it begins with the top coach — depth, bringing it each day, taking no crap once we’re on the market on the sector,” quarterback Drake Maye stated. “The mentality, I prefer it. That is what you need.”
Vrabel later held a bag of ice on his proper cheek. The scrum that Vrabel entered got here after rookie working again TreVeyon Henderson stepped as much as execute a block in blitz pickup in opposition to the Commanders’ protection, and out of the blue, a number of gamers have been piled up on the sector.
“Move professional is bodily. It is a bodily recreation. Issues occur on the market,” Maye stated. “There is a time the place clearly you do not wish to come out right here and struggle and get into bother. On the identical time, you do not wish to again down from no one. So I am certain Coach will preach that we won’t have that, however on the identical time, sort of behind our minds, that is sort of how we wish to play — the depth, when the whistle goes, play laborious, and when the whistle stops, get off and get away.”
Maye stated Vrabel joked that the staff will return and evaluate the movie of Vrabel within the scrum. No gamers have been ejected from apply and it was extinguished shortly.
The Patriots host the Commanders in each groups’ preseason opener on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET).
Veteran offensive deal with Morgan Moses, who’s in his first season enjoying beneath Vrabel, referred to him as a gamers’ coach — noting his background as an outdoor linebacker with the Steelers, Patriots and Chiefs over 14 seasons.
“He loves what he does. Any time you bought a coach you see on the market carrying pads and getting punched by guys and doing drills it makes you wish to go tougher,” he stated. “He understands the method as a participant and a coach.”
ESPN’s Commanders reporter John Keim contributed to this report.