The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens will meet for a Week 16 matchup that has playoff outcomes attached to it. For the Patriots, they can clinch a playoff berth with a win, while the Ravens can inch closer to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their own division.
After the Patriots finished two consecutive seasons with a 4-13 record, nobody expected them to be at the top of the NFL with an 11-3 record in the middle of their first season with new head coach Mike Vrabel, who rebuilt and restructured the entire roster.
However, veteran Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is not at all surprised that the Patriots are doing so well in their first season with Vrabel running the show in New England, he said to the media this week.
“They play Vrabel-ball, and that’s solid football, don’t make many mistakes, gonna go out and try to dominate you," Hopkins said on Wednesday. "That’s what Vrabel instilled, and that’s why I think the switch from last year to this year (happened) with those guys. Having a coach like Vrabel out there coaching you, you want to go out and compete, play hard. I played with him in Tennessee, so I see why those guys are playing the way they’re playing. It’s just solid football.”
Ravens WR DeAndre Hopkins Sings Mike Vrabel's Praises in Week 16
As Hopkins said, he has firsthand experience playing for Vrabel, and he’s able to understand how the Patriots made a quick turnaround having him in charge of the team. Hopkins also saw Vrabel getting started as a first-time coach in the NFL with the Houston Texans, where he was the linebackers coach and then became the defensive coordinator.
In 2023, Hopkins joined the Tennessee Titans as a 31-year-old vet. He led the team in targets (137), receptions (75), receiving yards (1,057), and touchdown receptions (7) in his first season with the team. Although the Titans went on to finish the season 6-11, and it would end up being Vrabel’s final year as head coach before being fired, Hopkins noticed Vrabel’s coaching style and the culture he created as one that maximizes his players.
It’s worth mentioning that the Ravens also have another one of Vrabel’s former players in running back Derrick Henry, who spent six seasons being coached by Vrabel while becoming the best running back in the NFL over that stretch of time. Henry said this of his former coach ahead of Sunday’s prime time matchup on Thursday.
“I just think it’s a testament of his coaching, the coaching staff, and having his team prepared. He’s a great coach," Henry said. "He does a great job, and they’ve been doing a great job this year, and that’s why they’re in the conversation and the running for the top seed in the AFC. So, he’s a great coach and does a great job.”
Sunday will be the first time that Vrabel and Henry go into a game as opponents, as the Patriots and Ravens are set for a classic intraconference battle between two teams built for a playoff run.