The New England Patriots have found themselves in a pressure position for the first time in the 2025 campaign. After throwing away a 21-point lead in Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills, the Pats now have a difficult matchup on the horizon against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, and if they don’t win, their lead atop the AFC East could suddenly disappear.
This is going to be a tough game for the Patriots, especially since they will be without one of their starting linebackers, Robert Spillane, after he was ruled out for this game on Friday due to an ankle injury. With Spillane out, head coach Mike Vrabel revealed how the team plans on replacing him against a tough Ravens offense.
Mike Vrabel Gets Real on Impact on Robert Spillane’s Injury
While New England’s offense, led by standout second-year quarterback Drake Maye, has received the majority of the attention from fans this season, the team’s defense has also stood out this season. A slew of the unit’s starters were signed in free agency over the offseason, with Spillane being a part of that crew.
In his 13 games played, Spillane has done a little bit of everything for the Patriots. He’s leading the team with 97 tackles, while also racking up one sack, two interceptions, five pass deflections, and one fumble forced. While he was active for the team’s loss to the Bills, he did not end up playing after going through pregame warmups, as he reportedly aggravated an ankle injury that had been bothering him throughout the week.
Spillane didn’t practice at all ahead of Week 16, leading to him getting ruled out on Friday. Without Spillane, the Pats’ defense will find itself in a tough spot for the second week straight. Vrabel knows just how big of an impact his absence will have on New England, and while Jack Gibbens is in line to get his second straight start, it’s going to take the whole team to find a way to replace Spillane.
“There will be a lot of people. Almost everybody will play,” Vrabel said when asked how he plans on filling the void left by Spillane’s absence. “We ask everybody to prepare as starters; that’s something that’s important. (Gibbens) will start in there, and then different guys will play in (different) packages and everything else.”
Mike Vrabel, Patriots Looking to Earn Statement Victory vs. Ravens
GettyMike Vrabel of the New England Patriots
All season long, it’s felt like the Patriots have been fighting to prove that they are a legitimate playoff contender. Even with an 11-3 record, folks still aren’t convinced, especially after they threw away a win against the Bills. With the stakes being as high as they have been all season long, the Pats can definitively assert themselves as one of the top teams in the league with a win over the Ravens.
Beating Baltimore is not going to be easy, even though it only has a 7-7 record so far this season. Lamar Jackson and company are going to give this defense trouble, especially now that Spillane won’t be taking the field. Similar to last week, this game may come down to whether or not Maye and N.E.’s offense can deliver the goods in crunch time. With this game scheduled for Sunday Night Football, kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
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