The Patriots dominated the Dolphins in a 38-10 victory on Sunday, but they’ll need to be even better to win in the playoffs. In particular, they’ll need to avoid the kind of sloppy, mistake-prone lull that saw Miami outscore them 10-3 in the second quarter.
Head coach Mike Vrabel drove that point home during his postgame locker room speech, warning players they can’t afford to take any “naps” during the playoffs. New England will kick off its postseason run this Sunday night when it hosts the Los Angeles Chargers in a wild-card round matchup.
“Here’s what happens: The whole thing restarts,” Vrabel said. “It starts all over. You put yourselves in a great position, and I’m proud of ya. We set out to improve; I know we did. We took a little nap there in the second quarter, but we came out in the second half determined to improve — and you did.
“But we’re starting over, and that’s what happens in this thing. Because now, if you have a nap … so, no naps. No naps. Stick together. I love watching you celebrate. I love watching you guys play. … Check in now for any injuries. Take care of your bodies, because now it really starts. The tournament has begun.”
With the victory, the Patriots capped off a 14-3 regular season a year after finishing 4-13. They now look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders for the first time since Tom Brady left following the 2019 season.
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The Patriots and Chargers will kick off at 8 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The winner will advance to the AFC Divisional Round.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
