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Patriots Waited Until This Week to Install Full Game Plan
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels suggested the late installation to keep players engaged.
Feb. 4, 2026 at 9:31pm
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The New England Patriots installed much of their Super Bowl game plan during practices last week in Foxborough, but coach Mike Vrabel revealed that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels suggested saving several key elements to present to players this week. McDaniels, who is coaching in his 10th Super Bowl with the Patriots, felt this would help keep the team engaged and stimulated rather than having them review the same material repeatedly.
Why it matters
The Patriots are facing a relatively inexperienced squad compared to their usual Super Bowl rosters, with no players remaining from their last championship team and only five having previous Super Bowl experience. Keeping the players engaged and focused is crucial, especially in the lead-up to the big game.
The details
According to the pool report, Vrabel said McDaniels felt "we needed to do something to keep them engaged and stimulated, so they weren't looking at some things for the second or third time." Team owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft, along with former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, were present at the team's practice in Palo Alto, California.
- The Patriots installed much of their game plan during practices last week in Foxborough.
- This week, the team is presenting several key elements of the game plan to players for the first time.
The players
Mike Vrabel
Head coach of the New England Patriots.
Josh McDaniels
Offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, coaching in his 10th Super Bowl with the team.
Robert Kraft
Owner of the New England Patriots.
Jonathan Kraft
Owner of the New England Patriots.
Julian Edelman
Former wide receiver for the New England Patriots and Super Bowl LIII MVP.
What they’re saying
“No one has more experience than Josh with this, and he felt like that we needed to do something to keep them engaged and stimulated, so they weren't looking at some things for the second or third time.”
— Mike Vrabel, Head coach
The takeaway
The Patriots' decision to delay installing parts of their Super Bowl game plan until this week highlights the importance of keeping players engaged and focused, especially for a team with relatively little big-game experience. This approach by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has extensive Super Bowl preparation experience, could give the Patriots an edge as they aim for another championship.
