It’s a short week with a division rival coming to town. Here’s what Mike Vrabel and players said about preparation.
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**FOXBOROUGH** — After securing their seventh consecutive victory against the Buccaneers on Sunday, the Patriots face a quick turnaround for Thursday night’s matchup with the Jets.
On Monday, coach Mike Vrabel was asked what insights previous experiences as a player and coach have given him as far as preparing for a short week.
“I think just running around here telling everybody it’s Thursday, that’s about it,” Vrabel said. “That’s about all you can do. And I’ve tried to do that to the best of my ability so far today. Just try to get physically recovered the best that we can. Tough game on the road. So, we’ll try to do that and then just keep reminding everybody it’s Thursday.”
Having to balance the condensed schedule while keeping up with routines stood out to cornerback Christian Gonzalez as a key difference in this week’s preparation.
“Everything is just accelerated,” he said. “As far as what’s different, you still watch the film and do the same things, it’s you’re just missing two or three days. You’ve got to just do it at an accelerated pace and get into it quicker. You’ve got to adjust your schedule a little bit but not too much.”
On a typical Monday, players are able to come to the facility, lift weights, and relax a bit, defensive lineman Milton Williams explained. This week, there are no off days until after game day.
Getting enough food and being deliberate about his approach to recovery will be key, he said.
“Just doing my normal routine, but kind of doubling up on massages,” Williams said. “I already got one, probably going to get another one tomorrow. Get in the float tank in the back, ice tub, cold tub, go see the trainers with anything I’ve got bothering me. Just trying to stay on top of things.”
Thursday’s game at Gillette Stadium will be rookie left tackle Will Campbell’s first prime-time home game. He’s leaning on advice from veterans as he prepares.
“It’s just getting in and taking care of myself,” Campbell said. “Asking the older guys questions, guys that have done this multiple times. It’s a big rivalry coming in this week, so we’ve got to get ready.”
The Jets are coming off back-to-back victories, improving their record to 2-7. They traded Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at the deadline, but the Patriots aren’t overlooking any team.
“This is my fifth year in the league,” Milton Williams said. “What I learned is you’ve got to show up every week. I don’t care who you play. Those boys are getting paid over there, too. They feed their families and they have people to take care of just like us. So, it’s really any given Sunday.”
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### Trusted Hands
Stefon Diggs has consistently made his presence felt on offense. The 31-year-old veteran receiver leads the Patriots in receptions (50), targets (61), receiving yards (554), and yards after the catch (187).
He also made an important play on special teams during Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers, leaping to snag an onside kick and hanging on while taking a big hit.
“That was a huge recovery. Great play by a player that we trust, and we have to try to go and protect him,” Vrabel said. “That’s something that we always talk about. So, try to get as many bodies as we can in front of him. It’s hard to get them all blocked, especially with a good kick like that. And, he went up and was able to secure it.”
Diggs said it might have been his first onside kick recovery, noting some missed opportunities in the past. He relished the chance to help seal the win.
“Game on the line, I definitely want to be the guy that’s out there putting us in a good position to win,” Diggs said. “I play receiver. I should catch the ball.”
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### Eyes on the Prize
The Patriots split the season series with the Jets in 2023 and 2024. New England is 2-0 against AFC East teams this year, while New York is 0-2 in division play.
Gonzalez was asked if the Patriots still get hyped to play against the Jets, despite New York’s struggles.
“It’s a division game. Any division game is big,” Gonzalez said. “We want to win the division and do what we’ve got to do, so you don’t get overly hyped about one game versus another team. You kind of just go into it the same way you would for a different game, but it means more because it’s a division game.”
https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2025/11/10/patriots-jets-short-week-preparation-comments-christian-gonzalez/
