The New England Patriots blew out the Carolina Panthers, 42-13, on Sunday to improve to 2-2 on the season. It was their most lopsided win since a 29-0 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 5 of the 2022 season, and it was the first time they’ve scored 40 points in a game since dropping 50 on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17 of the 2021 season.
And while the Panthers aren’t exactly the class of the NFL, they are a team that beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-0 a week earlier, and it’s still the kind of win that can start to build some real optimism in this Patriots team.
Making his weekly Patriots Monday appearance on The Greg Hill Show, New England coach Mike Vrabel said his team can play with anybody if they continue to play the kind of complementary football that they played Sunday. Listen to the full interview above.
“The message is that you have to play good to give yourself a chance to win, and if you play bad, you're guaranteed to lose,” Vrabel said. “That's the message. And we believe that we can play with anybody when we do things the right way and play to our identity, and play complementary, and all those things. That's the National Football League. I don't think that's any surprise on how you try to win.”
That notion is going to be put to the test immediately, because the Patriots’ next game may very well be the toughest on their schedule: Sunday night, on the road, against the 4-0 Buffalo Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen.
“Going on the road is going to be even more difficult, handling that environment and being able to operate offensively in that environment,” Vrabel acknowledged.
One major improvement for the Patriots on Sunday was that they committed zero turnovers, a week after committing five in a one-score loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Vrabel said that taking care of the ball needs to remain a “focal point” moving forward.
“We focus on it all the time,” Vrabel said. “I think it's just taking care of the football, using great technique, and understanding that everybody else has a role to play as well. They have to protect the guy with the ball. So, quarterback’s gotta make good decisions, and everybody that has it … We have to continue to do that. It has to be a focal point. It's just critical in this league.”