The week before the NFL’s official season kick-off is perfect for bold predictions.
Oh, the heck with that. Let’s get a little weird.
The New England Patriots are about to enter a brand new era, and expectations are high for a fanbase that's watched a lot of bad football over the past two seasons. The good news? Mike Vrabel is known as one of the most cerebral and forward-thinking head coaches in today's game, and a glance back over his six-year tenure in Tennessee reveals several quirks and oddities that should make the 2025 season a fun one in Foxboro.
With that in mind, here are three perfectly strange Patriots predictions for the 2025 season that have Vrabel written all over them.
3 weird predictions for the Patriots' upcoming season that might just become reality
A Patriots defensive player will score a touchdown on offense
No stat sums up Vrabel’s career better than his receiving prowess. He caught 10 passes over seven seasons, and all 10 of them went for touchdowns. Longtime Patriots fans might forget that Vrabel reached the double-digit mark as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, so his legendary status as an NFL “tight end” goes beyond Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
October 2007: Mike Vrabel has a monster game with 3 forced fumbles, 3 sacks and 1 touchdown pic.twitter.com/1KLH6F5sPR
— Boston Sports Throwback (@BOSthrowback) January 13, 2025
NFL fans love a good tackle-eligible touchdown, and Drake Maye actually tossed a TD pass to Vederian Lowe last season. But with Vrabel now in charge, the better bet is for a defensive player to get some love on offense.
Cornerback Marcus Jones is the obvious frontrunner with five career receptions, but Vrabel could get creative here. Defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga played a little fullback for BYU and scored a rushing touchdown on his lone attempt. Those are the kind of odds that Vrabel can get behind.
Patriots will soar to No. 1 in the NFL in early-down rush frequency
The Tennessee Titans ran the West Coast offense during Vrabel’s tenure and relied heavily on the run. With Derrick Henry in the backfield and fully in his prime, Vrabel put the ball in his best player’s hands early and often. As a result, the Titans ran the ball on early downs more than any team in football (45.3% of the time over six years, to be exact), and a similar approach could be coming in New England.
The Patriots might not have an alpha No. 1 running back like Henry, but they have a strong stable of backs in Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Add in a 22-year-old quarterback in Drake Maye, a questionable receiver corps, and a rookie left tackle in Will Campbell, who flashed some serious run blocking skills in the preseason, and the recipe is there for a run-heavy approach in Foxboro.
The Patriots will rank top 5 in total opponent penalties per game
This may sound random, but when it comes to counting up all the penalty flags that flew against Tennessee’s opponents during Vrabel’s tenure, the Titans ranked among the top teams in the league. During the 2022 season, the Titans led the NFL in opponent penalties per game at 6.8, per Team Rankings. They were tied for fourth in 2021 (6.9), fifth in 2020 (6.4), and tied for second in 2019 (7.6).
Somehow, some way, Vrabel’s teams tend to be flagged far less often than their competition. It could be a giant coincidence, or it could be the manifestation of Vrabel’s obsession with eliminating (and taking advantage of) bad football. For context, the 2024 Patriots ranked in a tie for 26th in this category, and their 2023 team was second to last. Expect those flags to fly in New England’s favor a lot more often this season with Vrabel in charge.