FOXBOROUGH, Mass — There's no time to rest.

After a divisional win over the New York Jets, attention now turns to the Chicago Bears as the New England Patriots have a short week ahead before their Thursday night matchup.

So let's get right into what I'm hearing:

Injury updates

Having lost three linemen in the period of 60 minutes in Sunday's win over the New York Jets, Vrabel was asked if he had any updates on the guys, as well as whether they plan to make any moves at the position. He immediately revealed two new practice squad signings, bringing back some familiar faces.

"I think we'll add [Andrew] Rupcich and [Jacob] Rizy from guys that have been here previously to help us here as we move forward," he said. "So, I would say that we'd have to stay pretty fluid. I’m proud of the way that the guys that were in there finished the game with a critical drive and that they showed up in good fashion. We were able to run the football, take the time and the clock down and end the drive with some points."

The Patriots were left with no remaining guards on the sidelines after Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor went in, so what was going to happen if another injury occurred?

"Oh, we'll hold that one for a later date," Vrabel said with a smile of the emergency plans. "There was a scenario or there was a conversation about it, so I'd hate to tell you what it was."

The coach also took a moment to praise the offensive line coaching staff who have been dealt some tough injury blows this season.

"They get them the reps that they think they need, whether that's walkthrough reps or getting Walter Rouse ready, getting Matt [Pryor] ready. Being able to get Caleb Lomu ready on both sides to be the swing tackle - play left one week, play right another," he explained. "So, those are all real positive, and we'll need their best efforts this week as we move forward."

A.J. Brown's snap count

Sunday marked A.J. Brown's first game back, and it certainly wasn't the wide receiver's best showing. There were questions about whether he was fully healthy after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 1. And with that, Vrabel was asked about Brown's 52 snaps in the game, highlighting some of the other injuries they were dealing with.

"We were down to four guys, so I mean, somebody's got to play in there," he said. "We like to have our best players available as much as they can be."

The game was also Brown's first time playing at Gillette Stadium as a member of the Patriots, and the receiver was introduced individually, with the crowd going crazy. And it was somewhat different, as normally quarterback Drake Maye goes last, but this time, that honor was reserved for Brown. Did Vrabel have anything to do with it?

"There are things that I focus on and that I control, and there are things that I don't," he bluntly expressed. "And that's not one of them that I focus on."

Preparing for the Bears

The Patriots don't have much time to reflect on the Jets game as they have just four days to prepare for a Thursday night matchup against the Bears.

"They're physical. It's a physical football team," Vrabel said when asked to give a scouting report. "Defensively, they're connected. They play really well as a unit. Whether that's the pressure that they are able to create, and the moving parts and the coverage concepts that they have to go with it.

"They play fast. They get off the field. Offensively, they extend drives. They run the football. They’ve been without Caleb [Williams] for a couple weeks, but certainly you can see the impact that he makes," he added. "Their runners or anybody that touches the ball is going to be a physical player, is going to be a tough tackle. We'll have to be great tacklers and do something to try to change the fact that their offense is out there for 73 snaps and their defense is out there for 50."

Caleb Williams had been sidelined since Week 2 with a hamstring injury, but he returned last week, where he finished 30-for-36 for 305 yards. Patriots safety Craig Woodson didn't hold back when asked about the challenge he presents.

“He can make plays with his arm, on the ground, he can throw the ball anywhere,” he told reporters. “He’s a great playmaker and you have to take that into account when you’re coming up with schemes to defend this guy."

Special teams ace Brenden Schooler highlighted some of the challenges the short turnaround brings, especially given the tough opponent.

"I think it's just the mental and the physical side that just amplifies," he said. "It's definitely a challenge for us. But we have a great staff and the training room, and our coaches are going to take care of us, so you know we're going to do everything we can to stay healthy as we can and get to it Thursday night."

Mike Vrabel praises Milton Williams

After the game, star defensive tackle Milton Williams gave a humorous description of Vrabel, specifically detailing how his coach was talking some smack during the week. He had yet to record a sack going into the game, but that changed on Sunday.

“Just talking noise,” Williams said. “Like, ‘When you going to get a sack? When you going to get a quarterback on the ground?’ Y’all know Vrabes, man — he’s an [expletive] hole. He’s going to be an [expletive]. That’s how he is."

On Monday, Vrabel said that Williams isn't the only recipient of this side of him.

"Oh, I say that all the time, not just on the sidelines. This is part of coming to work and trying to have a connection with these guys," he explained. "I appreciate what Milt does -- his leadership, his efforts and his impact. I know that every player wants great stats, but to be able to be disruptive, to play hard and do some of those things that he does and has continued to do in the last three weeks have really helped us defensively."

Williams' efforts have certainly helped the team each and every week, but it hasn't been showing up as much on the stat sheet. The reason for that: teams are double-teaming him in coverage.

"I think just finding opportunities where he can affect the game and understanding that there are ways to be able to – we talk about this all the time, make the play without making the tackle. And that's something that we've preached for many years about being able to make the play without making the tackle," Vrabel stated. "And understand that sometimes up front, you're not always going to get the sack, you're not always going to get the tackle. But the ability to create a new line of scrimmage or to be able to affect the quarterback -- he slides over to be associated with the game or being able to pressure away from different looks -- all kind of go into it.

"So, I know that he'll continue to work, and he'll continue to help us and try to be as disruptive as he can to help the defense."

Running back depth takes a step forward

When the team needed him, Corey Kiner answered the call. Late in the fourth quarter, Kiner carried the ball eight times in a row, helping run out the clock and leaving little time for the Jets to try to mount a comeback.

However, Kiner said he didn't even realize he had carried the ball so many times in a row until he spoke with his father.

“You build a rhythm, but I didn’t realize that I got the ball back to back like that until after the game when, (TreVeyon Henderson) mentioned it to me,” Kiner said. “And then I spoke to my dad this morning. He was like, ‘Yeah man, you got like eight carries in a row.’ I didn’t know that. I just was kind of just locked in on hearing the play call and, and just doing my job.”

Kiner finished the game as the team's best rusher with 57 yards on 11 carries, saying that it was "great to finally get an opportunity to show what I can do and help the team." He added that he's just one example of the depth on the team.

"We're such a great team. Got great guys in the starting positions, great guys in the backup positions, as we showed yesterday and are going to keep showing," Kiner expressed. "Just guys working every day, and that's been our atmosphere since I got here, at least. And I can tell that it's been that way before I got here. We just love to work, and we work every day."

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