Patriots Fans Will Love These ‘Goals’ Mike Vrabel Has For Team

FOXBORO, Mass. — The return to relevance won’t happen overnight for the Patriots, but there’s surely more optimism Tuesday morning.

The Patriots introduced Mike Vrabel as the team’s head coach at Gillette Stadium on Monday. Vrabel, who was considered the top coaching candidate this offseason, made his goals crystal clear despite New England’s recent lack of success.

“Our goals will be to win the AFC East, to host home playoff games, and to compete for championships,” Vrabel said during his introductory press conference.

“… We’re certainly not going to put a timeline on what those will be,” Vrabel continued. “But that’s going to be the expectations, and we’re going to work like crazy, we’re going to compete like crazy, we’re going to give the players a plan, and they’re going to form an identity on the field in the way that we’re going to play and play for each other that they’re going to be proud of.”

Now considered lofty goals for the franchise which hasn’t won a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII, those used to serve as a checklist during Vrabel’s eight seasons in New England. The 14-year veteran won three Super Bowls as a Patriots player and now will stand on the sidelines under those banners.

They’ll serve as a “reminder,” Vrabel said.

“The banners that hang in our stadium, they’re not going to help us win, but I think it’s a great reminder of what it takes to win and the type of people that you have to have in the organization, the selflessness, the work and the sacrifice that you have to make,” Vrabel said. “So to me, those are great reminders of what it takes.”

The first order of business for Vrabel, of course, will be to solidify his coaching staff and put together a team capable of winning regular-season games. It’s clear the roster and personnel are not to the standard of a playoff team, nevermind a championship contender.