Throughout Bill Belichick's tenure in New England, the Patriots became known for being a hard-nosed team who were always more prepared than their opponents and even earned the reputation of being an "unfun" team to play for, despite winning more than most franchises could imagine. That generalization worsened once Tom Brady left in 2020 and declined rapidly as the losses began to pile up in the years since.
That inevitably led to Belichick's departure and the thought that an attitude shift was much needed in the locker room. So Jerod Mayo's fresh take was initially welcomed, but his laid-back approach has now put a lot of pressure on Mike Vrabel to get the team back on track.
There has been a clear adjustment made since he was hired earlier this offseason, and it has been an applauded effort by Patriots fans. Vrabel's old-school style and no-nonsense attitude have already made a drastic change to the team, which is even more apparent in the latest teaser for the team's offseason documentary called "Forged in Foxboro."
The Patriots that fans grew to love are back for the 2025 season, thanks to Mike Vrabel
The first episode of the documentary was released several weeks ago, covering Vrabel's introductory press conference through rookie minicamp. It was the first real look at what the new Patriots would be under Vrabel, and we're now getting an even closer look, as the latest episode followed the team during OTAs and minicamp.
The shift in attitude was made apparent by Vrabel in a clip of him breaking down a huddle, followed by comments made by safety Jabrill Peppers, who echoed the kind of mentality fans have been begging for in recent years.
EP. 2 DROPS ON FRIDAY π¨
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Do you want to run through a wall yet?
Vrabel continues to prove that he was the right guy for the job even more as the weeks pass, making some fans wish the 2024 season could be redone and he was Belichick's successor instead of Mayo.
Instead, the Patriots now have their head coach for the future, and his impact is already putting the team in postseason conversation, despite finishing with a 4-13 record in back-to-back seasons.
Considering they haven't taken the field yet and they're getting that kind of traction based on Vrabel's influence and the moves they've made this offseason, it shows just how quickly he has helped turn the team around for the better, and the players continue to prove that by buying into what he is trying to do moving forward.