Earlier than AFC Championship celebrations started, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was already setting the tone for Tremendous Bowl LX.
Defensive sort out Milton Williams revealed that Vrabel told his team there was no curfew for Sunday evening, however “the bus is leaving at eight within the morning, so in the event you aren’t on it, you are not taking part in within the Bowl,” by way of Nicole Menner of NBC10 in Rhode Island.
On Sunday, the Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 to win the eleventh AFC title in franchise historical past.
The sport was a lot nearer than it ought to have been. The Broncos had been with out beginning quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) and had backup Jarrett Stidham in at signal-caller
Vrabel’s stern postgame assertion reminds Patriots gamers that though they’ve had an completed season, they nonetheless have loads to enhance upon and might want to keep targeted over the subsequent two weeks to win soccer’s best prize.
Patriots starters getting benched earlier than the large recreation will not be exceptional. Former New England cornerback Malcolm Butler was benched earlier than Tremendous Bowl LII in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles for “something personal,” in response to proprietor Robert Kraft.
That Butler’s benching remains to be mentioned eight years later exhibits how uncommon a benching for the Tremendous Bowl is. If Vrabel had been to comply with by means of on his threats towards Patriots gamers who miss the bus, he would shock the NFL world.
