The New England Patriots are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of glory. They will face the No. 1 defense in the NFL this season in Sunday's Super Bowl, and they know they will have to be nearly flawless to get the job done on Feb. 8.
That's why head coach Mike Vrabel and his coaching staff may have an ace up their sleeve. More than that, that's also why they're being as tight-lipped and secretive as possible with their plans. At least, that's what we can get from Mike Reiss' latest report.
According to the renowned ESPN NFL insider, the Patriots will have 'bonus' practice sessions at Stanford. These sessions, which will be roughly 90 minutes, won't be open to any members of the media.
The Patriots Secrecy During Practices Could Lead to Trickeration
"Inside media stuff: While not changing the macaroni is a Patriots theme, it truly is a whole different recipe for beat reporters at the Super Bowl," Reiss shared. "No viewing of practice. No open session in locker room before/after. On Wednesday, one pool reporter attends, and relays a report."
While it's not unusual to see a team do its best to keep everything in-house, this curious and unorthodox approach is certainly interesting. Clearly, Vrabel wants to use the element of surprise against the Seattle Seahawks' elite defense. Or, at the very least, make Seattle's defensive coaches think that the possibility is real.
The Patriots have been on the wrong end of trick plays on football's biggest stage more times than they'd like to admit. Perhaps Vrabel has drawn some inspiration from Doug Pederson and the Philadelphia Eagles and is looking to cook up a 'New England Special' of his own.
The big game has often come down to the wire, and it certainly won't hurt to have a couple of tricks up your sleeve, if necessary, to help the underdog Patriots shock the world. Whatever the case, the fans and the media may only find that out on Feb. 8, if ever.
The Seahawks are slightly favored entering this matchup, and Drake Maye's injury situation may not be severe, but it is still worth monitoring. Still, if the Patriots lose for any reason, it certainly won't be because of a lack of preparation or because Coach Vrabel didn't go the extra mile.
That's yet another example of how hiring the right guy for the job can turn a franchise around almost overnight. Of course, the improved roster helped quite a bit, but Vrabel deserves all the credit in the world for the culture he's rebuilt in Foxboro.