One New England Patriots player was notably absent at the start of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
Christian Barmore sat out the first quarter of a 32-13 victory. The defensive tackle eventually entered the game, tallying one tackle in the Week 8 triumph.
Vrabel confirmed during his post-game press conference that he benched Barmore, seemingly for disciplinary reasons.
“I just had to make a decision. My job’s to protect the team,” Vrabel said. “So when there’s actions that I don’t feel like are commensurate with what we want to do here, I got to make a decision. And then we move on.”
Barmore didn’t speak to reporters after the game, but he and Vrabel appeared to honor the coach’s proclamation to move on. The Patriots shared a video of Vrabel embracing Barmore when greeting players in the tunnel following the win.
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Barmore had started each of New England’s previous seven games before the Week 8 benching. The 26-year-old has four quarterback hits but is still seeking his first sack of the season.
Without Barmore, Cleveland stormed the field for 70 yards on a six-play opening drive. Wide receiver Malachi Corley recorded a 31-yard run on his only touch before Dillon Gabriel found Harold Fannin Jr. for an 18-yard touchdown.
The Patriots held the Browns scoreless for 45 minutes of game time before David Njoku scored an 11-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. On Cleveland’s next possession, Barmore helped draw an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone that yielded a safety.
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