The New England Patriots emerged from training camp this summer with one of the youngest 53-man rosters in the NFL.
They’ve been led on both sides of the ball, though, by a couple of grizzled, game-changing veterans.
The leadership and play of wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been impossible to ignore through 10 games. He seems to be getting better with each passing week, and that’s a scary proposition for the NFL, given the rapid ascension of quarterback Drake Maye.
The Patriots have gotten a similar jolt from linebacker Robert Spillane, who’s become an irreplaceable piece for Mike Vrabel’s defense. The 29-year-old has already piled up 81 total tackles, which ranks top-10 in the NFL. He also ranks sixth among 86 qualifying linebackers in Pro Football Focus’ rush defense grade.
Similar to Diggs on offense, when Spillane speaks, Patriots fans should be listening. The veteran delivered a quote following Sunday’s 28-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that speaks to how dangerous this team could be down the stretch.
We still haven’t seen the best from this 8-2 New England Patriots team
Sunday’s showdown in Tampa had the feel of a playoff game, and the Patriots more than met the physical challenge from Baker Mayfield and company.
As we’ve seen often this season, the Patriots were competitive against the run — especially with containing Mayfield’s legs — and were at their stingiest over the middle two quarters. The Bucs were able to move the football at times, but there were stuck on 16 points until final minute of the fourth quarter; with the Patriots’ propensity for big plays on offense, that’s been a winning recipe over the team’s seven-game win streak.
When asked about arguably their most impressive performance of the season, Spillane wasn’t going there. He dropped some knowledge on the Patriots’ mindset that should have fans ready to line up behind him and run through a brick wall.
“We’re a young team. We’re a hungry team. We’re a team with a lot of guys with a chip on their shoulders. We still feel like we have so much left to prove. We have yet to play our best football game as a team, as a defense. Every week, that’s why we prepare. We go out there every week trying to play our best game, trying to put the best four quarters of team defense together, and we’re yet to get there. So that taste in our mouths just keeps us coming back for more.”
Every week, Patriots fans seem to get a new example of the franchise’s culture shift under Vrabel. Last week, it was the head coach revealing that 41 players showed up at the team facility to lift weights together on their off day. This week, Maye told reporters that the players pushed to practice outside in the elements in preparation for Thursday Night Football against the New York Jets.
Patriots QB Drake Maye says HC Mike Vrabel offered the team to practice inside. They elected to practice outside.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) November 11, 2025
Throw Spillane’s comments right up there with the rest. Vrabel has clearly crushed his goal of assembling a team of grinders who love football — and savvy free-agent pickups like Spillane are a big reason why this team is blossoming into one of the best in football.