The New England Patriots will be shorthanded as they prepare for the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel announced in his weekly press conference that defensive coordinator Terrell Williams “will be away for the next few days.” Vrabel wouldn’t go into specifics or speculation about Williams’ absence, but he did seem to indicate it was health-related but wasn’t tied to a previous absence earlier in the spring.
Patriots Without Defensive Coordinator for Dolphins Prep
“Due to some unforeseen, you know, onogings here with Terrell, Terrell Williams will be away for the next few days,” Vrabel said at the top of his presser. “It’s nothing related to the incident from March, it’s something that just came up. We’ll have to run some more tests. We think it’s best, and I think it’s best that he focuses on that and we prepare for Miami with what we’ve been doing.”
And while Vrabel indicated Williams would be away for a “few days,” it does sound as if the Patriots are preparing on not having him back for the game in Miami on Sept. 14.
Vrabel added: “Just want to make sure (Williams) focused on getting results and figuring out what the next step is here.”
Linebackers coach Zak Kuhr will serve as the interim defensive coordinator in Williams’ absence. Vrabel also declined to say whether Kuhr would call defensive plays. He said they would talk more about that in the days leading up to the Dolphins game. Vrabel himself seemingly would be an option, too, given his past as a linebacker who also served a defensive coordinator role at Ohio State.
Additionally, Vrabel indicated star cornerback Christian Gonzalez wasn’t going to practice Wednesday, making it unlikely he’ll be back on the field in Miami.
There’s never a good week to be down your defensive coordinator and top cornerback, but this week is especially tough to be shorthanded like that against a team with high-power potential like the Dolphins. Of course, a bounce-back isn’t guaranteed for a Miami team that looked lifeless in Week 1 against the Colts, but there’s still high-end talent on that side of the ball.
Terrell Williams Faces Another Health Scare
As for Williams, it’s too early to say how long he’ll be out, but it could be a while, if the past is any indication. He stepped away from the team in March due to a “health scare” and missed a chunk of the offseason work. He called the incident “eye-opening” and “life-changing.”
He eventually returned for training camp and had another issue during camp in early August, but that was due to dehydration, according to the team.
The Patriots hired Williams in January, shortly after naming Vrabel the head coach. The two veteran coaches have worked together in the past with the Tennessee Titans.
It didn’t take long for Williams to make an impact in Foxboro, including new free agent signing Milton Williams.
“It’s fun to just have a guy like that, that’s been around for a long time,” the defensive tackle told reporters in late July. “Just to pick his brain and see what you can add to your game from some of the legends he has coached. It’s good to have him.”
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