Believe it or not, the Patriots entered their Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins hoping to break a six-year-long curse that had plagued them, seemingly with no end in sight, despite periods when they appeared to be a better team than their divisional rival. They have consistently struggled when playing in Miami, even with Tom Brady on the team, and that has resulted in no wins in South Beach since the 2019 season.
The last time they got a win there? The infamous Antonio Brown game that prompted a legendary photo of an impressive Patriots' receiving corps that many believe could have propelled them to a Super Bowl had things not gone downhill.
It was a feat that Belichick was unable to do over the next four seasons, and Jerod Mayo didn't accomplish in his lone year. But the first time Mike Vrabel's team went to Miami, they beat the Tua Tagovailoa-led Dolphins on the road for the first time ever, while also scoring 30+ points for the first time since the 2022 season.
There is a lot of credit to go around for how they were able to break the Miami curse, but a lot of it seems to lead back to the head coach, as made apparent by Drake Maye in the aftermath of the win.
Mike Vrabel's impact on the Patriots is immeasurable already after Week 2 win
With all of the turnover the Patriots have dealt with over the last three years, it wouldn't be surprising if a new head coach has a hard time getting through to the players. That wasn't the case with Mayo last year, although things rapidly fell apart behind the scenes, and the belief in Vrabel is clear every time we see the team together.
Maye made that apparent by sharing with reporters after the game that the players rallied behind their head coach and because it was his first win, he made sure to give the game ball to Vrabel as a keepsake.
That's significant given how much pressure they have on them to perform at a high level this season, and a big sign of just how impactful Vrabel has already been in a short amount of time.
“It’s awesome, just rallying around coach. I know how much he cares about us, how much of a player’s coach he is. I took that football that I kneeled it out with, handed it right to (Preston “Stick” Rogers), our equipment guy, and we’ll get coach that ball… I think it’ll mean a lot to him. It took everybody, but obviously he’s leading the charge and that meant something special.”
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This is not the kind of attitude or support we have heard in recent years, and perhaps it's because they suffered more devastating losses than any sort of satisfying and hard-fought win. And maybe it's a bit early to suggest that there is a massive change in the locker room due to Vrabel's presence, when it's only Week 2.
However, the culture shift and the mindset change have been noticeable since he took over earlier this year, and the players have very much bought into what Vrabel is trying to accomplish, even players like Stefon Diggs, who many questioned when he was initially signed.
Considering the disappointment felt from their loss to the Raiders, it's crucial that the team remains bought in and determined to end the longstanding narrative that the Patriots are a team to overlook. Even in defeat, they're a team first, something Vrabel continues to emphasize every chance he gets.
That was proven with a difficult win over the Dolphins, which is something they should be proud of, with Vrabel near the top of the list of the most deserving of praise.
It will be interesting to see if they continue to improve their weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths going into another tough battle against the Steelers this week. It would be impressive to see if they can pull out their first home win of the season and achieve their first above-.500 record since the 2020 season.