Vrabel Wants Decimal Timing After Clock Confusion in Patriots' Loss to Bills
FOXBORO - In a game where every second mattered - literally - Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel found himself wishing for a little more precision from the game clock during Sunday’s 35-31 loss to the Bills.
With six seconds left in the first half, New England had a chance to make something happen. Instead of taking a shot at the end zone from the 30-yard line, the Patriots played it safe.
Rhamondre Stevenson took a handoff up the middle, picked up 11 yards, and slid down. Vrabel quickly called a timeout, and the Patriots settled for a field goal to close out the half, cutting the deficit to 24-7.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Vrabel said Monday that his decision may have changed if he had more precise information - specifically, if the game clock showed tenths of a second.
“I thought about taking a shot,” Vrabel said. “Is it 6.1 on the clock, or is it 6.9? I would hate to look up there and have a go ball from the 30-yard line, and look up and have it be zero and not one, and then look like an idiot.”
It’s a fair point. In a league where milliseconds can separate a game-winning touchdown from a clock-expiring incompletion, Vrabel’s push for decimal timing isn’t just coach-speak - it’s rooted in real, in-game decision-making.
“If it was 6.9, I would have taken a shot,” Vrabel added. “If it was 6.1, I probably would have done what we did.”
Vrabel also noted that the idea of adding tenths of a second to the clock - like the NBA does - has been floated before, and he believes it would benefit both fans and coaches.
“Is there 11.9 and you don’t have any timeouts, or is it 11.1 and you can get it clocked?” Vrabel said. “That’s where the detail matters.”
Ironically, the clock didn’t even run during Stevenson’s final carry of the half. Officials had to estimate the remaining time and ultimately ruled that two seconds were left - just enough for the Patriots to bring out the field goal unit.
While that decision didn’t define the game, it was one of several small moments that added up in a frustrating loss. The defense, which had its hands full all day, gave up touchdowns on four straight drives in the second half. The Patriots managed just one more score of their own, and the comeback effort came up short.
It’s another tough lesson for a team trying to find consistency - and for a head coach who’s clearly thinking about every edge he can find. Decimal timing might not be a hot-button issue for most fans, but in Vrabel’s world, it could be the difference between playing it safe and taking the shot.