The New England Patriots secured a 24-21 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night, but head coach Mike Vrabel’s postgame remarks suggested little cause for celebration. Rather than expressing optimism about the win, Vrabel voiced significant concerns regarding his team’s ability to withstand injuries and maintain competitive depth across the roster.
When discussing personnel decisions for the upcoming preseason finale against Cleveland, Vrabel delivered a blunt assessment. “I don’t think we have a very deep team,” he stated, emphasizing the need to keep top players healthy throughout the exhibition schedule. He indicated that the Patriots’ primary strategy remains protecting key contributors, though he acknowledged that game action for starters remains a possibility depending on preparation needs.
The Patriots have kept their core players, including quarterback Drake Maye, off the field throughout the preseason so far. Instead, the team utilized joint practice sessions against Indianapolis and Philadelphia to develop continuity among the starting lineup. Saturday’s contest reinforced vulnerabilities along the offensive line, where backup tackle Marcus Bryant suffered an ankle injury during the opening drive, compounding existing depth problems that already include injured interior lineman Ben Brown.
With no scheduled joint practices before Thursday’s matchup in Cleveland, Vrabel’s comments suggest the starters will likely remain sidelined once again. The team resumes practice Monday and Tuesday before concluding preseason action.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
About the Author
