Bill Simmons did not hold back his thoughts on Sunday night. This harsh verdict follows a 45-27 blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots fell to 5-4 on the season after giving up 45 points. Simmons argued that Vrabel failed to stop Christian Watson and Matthew Golden from dominating the game.
Watson caught seven passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Golden added 10 catches for 164 yards and a score. Together they set career highs in receiving yards. Simmons asked why the team did not jam these receivers at the line of scrimmage. He also questioned why New England did not use seven defensive backs after Josh Jacobs left with a broken finger.
The Cost of a Bad Game
Mike Vrabel tried to take the blame during his postgame news conference. “It’s all of us, and it starts with me,” he said, according to Yahoo Sports. Still, he emphasized that a huge salary cannot justify bad performance. The coach specifically highlighted Christian Gonzalez, the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. Gonzalez surrendered 187 yards and 10 catches on 11 targets, stating his top players need to play better.
“I watched Belichick coach for two decades and the number one thing with Belichick was, whatever they’re the best at, try to take it away. If they’re right-handed, make ’em play left handed,” Simmons said. “This team comes in with two receivers, how do the two receivers then beat us when they can’t do anything else? Why weren’t we playing seven defensive backs? Josh Jacobs got hurt in the first quarter.”
Fans Turn on the Coach
“He’s always throwing someone under the bus like Russini,” one fan wrote. “When your coach doesn’t coach good, you don’t win.” The loss was the first time a visiting team scored more than 42 points at Gillette Stadium. Jordan Love threw three touchdowns for 372 yards, completing 23 of 29 passes.
Simmons may have a point. When you see a player having a bad day at the office, you help him out, not stand there and watch.
