The New England Patriots will face the Seahawks in the Super Bowl after a hard-fought 14-3 season. The Patriots have put together an incredible year, with the development of Drake Maye and the improvement of the roster through free agency as major reasons why.
One change that cannot be overlooked, however, came off the field.
The hiring of Mike Vrabel was massive in New England's success. The players were noticeably more motivated and disciplined, while the staff is chock full of NFL experience on the back of Vrabel's extensive coaching ties. Josh McDaniels and Thomas Brown each have experience as head coaches, while acting DC Zak Kuhr is now revered as one of the league's best young minds.
Recently, ESPN's Jim Barnwell ranked the league's head coaching hires since 2021, placing Vrabel fourth. He led a squad from consecutive 4-13 seasons to a 14-3 record, an AFC East title, and now a Super Bowl berth. No matter how you slice it, the former Titans' HC is without a doubt one of the league's best.
Robert Kraft praised for Mike Vrabel, blamed for the Jerod Mayo hiring
While Vrabel's time in New England has been an overwhelming success thus far, 2024 marked the team's second consecutive 4-13 season. After going 4-13 the previous year with Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo, another former All-Pro Patriots' linebacker, was brought in as the team's head coach.
A Week 1 win against the Bengals inspired early confidence, but New England was no doubt very lucky. A fumble from Tanner Hudson on the goal line would have put the game out of reach for New England. The Patriots kept it close the following week against Seattle, but ultimately lost.
That would be the beginning of a six game win-streak. Jacoby Brissett won a pair of games, Drake Maye had one win, and Joe Milton won the final game of the season.
While the Patriots weren't favored in any game, their 13 losses and a dysfunctional locker room led to Mayo's firing. Of 37 hires, Mayo was ranked 27th. While the Patriots spent significantly more money to build a far superior roster under Vrabel, the difference in the two teams' success is massive.
A one-to-one comparison isn't fair to Mayo, but there's little doubt he wasn't ready to become a head coach. While he's not coaching now, rumors were circulating that he could have become a position coach under Brian Flores if he had gotten a head coaching job.
While Mayo's time in Foxborough wasn't fruitful, Robert Kraft's hiring of Mike Vrabel and his success have made 2024 worth it.