For NFL teams, the bye week is the ideal time for rest and self reflection, a chance to work on your own issues, rather than focusing solely on the next opponent.
Mike Vrabel finds himself in a unique spot. His New England Patriots enter their Week 14 bye on an absolute heater, winners of 10 games in a row. After Monday night’s beatdown of the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium to improve to 11-2, there aren’t many glaring issues for the head coach to harp on.
Roster depth has been a major concern for those covering the team since training camp, but even that narrative may have been overblown. The Patriots just played arguably their best game of the season without LT Will Campbell, LG Jared Wilson, special teams ace Brenden Schooler, and defensive linemen Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga in the lineup.
The Patriots are far from perfect, though, as their red zone offense and inefficient running game figure to be major points of emphasis this week.
There’s also the punter, Bryce Baringer, who’s been quietly having a brutal season (and Patriots fans are starting to notice).
Should Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots bring in competition for punter Bryce Baringer?
Vrabel talked up Baringer’s leadership on special teams back in October, lauding the third-year pro’s versatility, especially as the primary holder for kicker Andy Borregales on field goals.
”I think you look at the operation on the field goal, being able to calm everything down, be able to handle the snap, and just the good ball placement for Andy," Vrabel said. "Bryce really kind of helps out in all regards in special teams, and he’s done a nice job, whether that’s helping on kickoff return or kickoff or just helping at practice."
One thing Vrabel didn’t mention there was Baringer’s punting prowess, and for good reason. He’s taken a significant step back this season — and could become an unexpected problem during the Patriots’ upcoming playoff run.
Baringer’s big leg is undeniable. He’s one of five punters in the NFL this year to net 73-plus yards on a kick.
But he’s also been frustratingly inconsistent, often crushing kicks into the end zone or putting his coverage unit in poor spots; Baringer’s 240 return yards against is the 12th highest among the NFL’s 32 punters this season.
Despite his patented big boomers, Baringer’s net average per punt is a scary (and career-low) 39.0 entering the bye week. That pain point was felt on Monday night, too, after he botched a punt off the side of his foot from the Patriots 34 yard line.
Patriots P Bryce Baringer shanks a 22-yard punt.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) December 2, 2025
The Giants, trailing 17-7 at the time, early in the second quarter, opened their ensuing drive from their own 44. They marched inside the Patriots 30, and were about to make it a seven-point game before kicker Younghoe Koo’s all-time blooper helped open the floodgates; the Patriots stacked three straight scoring drives to close the half with a 30-7 lead.
The Patriots haven’t punted often this season. Baringer only had two kicks on Monday night, and he’s currently pacing for 55 total this season, down from 70 last year and way down from the brutal 98 punts he had during his rookie year in 2023.
The lingering concern? New England won’t be playing laughably inept teams like the Giants come playoff time. Good teams feast on opponents' mistakes, and those games ultimately come down to which side does the little things better, like winning the turnover battle — or successfully pinning your opponent deep on a punt, rather than bombing it though the end zone.
Baringer’s a good player. The Patriots obviously aren’t going to cut him five weeks before the end of the regular season. But it wouldn’t hurt to work out some free agent punters, or sign some competition on the practice squad, to at least get the 26-year-old locked in for what will be the first playoff action of his career come January.