Mike Vrabel Uses Bill Belichick’s Own Trick Against Him

FOXBORO, MA — Mike Vrabel never coached on Bill Belichick’s staff, but the former Patriots player sure has learned a lot from his old head coach. Even as an observer from afar.

Vrabel put that knowledge to use on Saturday night, and it played a fairly large role in helping the Titans beat the Patriots in Gillette Stadium in a wild-card playoff meeting.

It came in the fourth quarter, with the Titans hanging on to a 14-13 lead. After Ryan Tannehill fumbled on a third-and-3 near midfield and the Titans recovered for a two-yard loss, the Titans were forced to punt. With 6:33 left on the clock when the play clock started ticking, that punt would have come with a little over 5:53 left in the game.

Instead of punting, though, the Titans intentionally took a delay of game penalty. It pushed them back five yards, but also allowed them to drain an extra 45 seconds off the clock. The rules state that if a penalty occurs with more than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, then the clock winds after the penalty.

Read more at CBS Boston