The Patriots are formally again.
New England engineered one of many greatest turnarounds in latest NFL historical past this season, rebounding from back-to-back 4-13 seasons to go 14-3 and win the AFC East for the primary time since 2019.
Final Sunday evening at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots earned their first playoff victory since Tremendous Bowl LIII by dispatching the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 within the AFC Wild Card Spherical to arrange a Divisional Round matchup with the Houston Texans this Sunday.
Head coach Mike Vrabel has performed a key function in returning this staff to prominence. However Vrabel’s arrival could not have occurred with out the departure of Jerod Mayo, who gave the impression to be the Patriots’ head coach of the long run when staff proprietor Robert Kraft employed him to interchange Invoice Belichick in January 2024.
On a particular episode of The Fast Snap podcast with ex-Patriots David Andrews and Brian Hoyer, Kraft spoke candidly about his choice final January to fire Mayo after just one season.
“The one factor that I and my household perceive is that we personal this staff, nevertheless it’s not like a standard enterprise,” Kraft mentioned. “I take a look at our household as custodians of a public asset.
“I am very keen on Jerod, and I might say that was one of many one or two hardest choices (I’ve needed to make), as a result of to fireside a man after one yr — and by the best way, it was very costly, as a result of there (was) not solely his contract, however 25 different coaches. It is the worst monetary implications since we have owned the staff.”
Kraft was totally invested in Mayo, to the purpose the place he didn’t even conduct a coaching search earlier than hiring the previous linebacker to succeed Belichick. However in Kraft’s view, issues obtained so untenable throughout that 4-13 marketing campaign that one other change wanted to be made, even when it meant consuming the contracts of Mayo and a number of other assistants whereas shaking up the group for the second time in a 365-day span.
“I am a fan first, and I believed, ‘I am unable to — this simply is not the correct scenario,’ and that is on me,” Kraft added. “Jerod’s an ideal man, however I simply did not wish to undergo a continuation of what occurred.
“And I actually believed that hiring Mike gave us an opportunity, shortly, to place the staff the place it was to go from 4-13 to now 15-3.”
To this point, Kraft’s choice to fireside Mayo and rent Vrabel has paid off. Vrabel imported a wholly new teaching employees composed of veteran assistants, then labored with Eliot Wolf to make vital upgrades in free company. And with quarterback Drake Maye playing like an MVP candidate in his second season, the long run appears to be like vivid in New England, no matter how lengthy this postseason run lasts.
“Listening to the followers final Sunday evening, it introduced again to me the early days once we began doing effectively and the vibe within the stadium,” Kraft informed Andrews and Hoyer. “And I do not know when you guys might sense it or really feel it the best way I did Sunday evening, however the crowd was an actual asset to the staff.
“But in addition the emotions — and I believe a part of it’s what’s occurred to the franchise the final three, 4 years, in comparison with the 20 years earlier. So, it is fairly cool to be again.”
Additionally on this episode:
- Takeaways from the Patriots’ win over the Chargers.
- Previewing the Divisional Spherical matchup with the Texans.
- Robert Kraft discusses the Patriots’ tradition, the staff’s spectacular turnaround and Drake Maye’s humility.
- Across the NFL: Postseason Version.
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