FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Johnson vs. Vrabel: The candidacies of the Patriots’ top two options for head coach — Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former New England linebacker and Titans head coach Mike Vrabel — spark a compelling question for owner Robert Kraft to answer.

In what area is he more willing to assume the greatest risk: Culture or scheme?

In Johnson, the Patriots would pair promising quarterback Drake Maye with one of the NFL’s most innovative, creative playcallers and play designers. But it’s unknown what type of team culture the 38-year-old Johnson could possibly create because he’s never been a head coach before.

In the 49-year-old Vrabel, the Patriots would have more certainty on culture — one rooted in accountability, details, toughness and wizards of game management — because he has already proven it as a head coach in a six-year stint in Tennessee and that’s why he’s widely viewed as the favorite. But it’s less certain that he could elevate the offense to the levels Johnson has lifted the Lions’.

In Vrabel’s six seasons in Tennessee, the Titans finished 23rd, 10th, 3rd, 17th, 22nd and 19th in offensive efficiency, which measures success on a per-play basis. Johnson has led three out of the Lions’ four best offensive efficiency seasons (since ESPN tracking began in 2006). It has helped, of course, that he has had one quarterback (Jared Goff) over that span, while Vrabel had six starting quarterbacks over his six-year tenure.

Start with Johnson through the eyes of former Lions offensive lineman Lomas Brown, who played 18 years in the NFL and currently serves as an analyst on Lions’ radio broadcasts.

“I’ve never seen anything like Ben Johnson’s offense. I saw him last week after the game and told him I have a new nickname for him — ‘Savant.’ He’s a genius at what he does,” Brown said. “There are so many moving parts to his plays, and to see them all come together and executed at the highest level, it’s a sight to behold.”

Johnson, who like Maye attended the University of North Carolina, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Boston College in 2009. He has been in Detroit since 2019, initially brought aboard by former Lions head coach Matt Patricia after spending seven seasons with the Dolphins.

Brown took note of Johnson’s personality, and how perception hasn’t always been reality.

“It’s almost kind of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, because he seems like the Clark Kent mild-mannered guy, got that easygoing look,” he explained. “But one day I was out at training camp this year and there was a running back who broke through the line of scrimmage and throttled it down. Ben Johnson ran from wherever he was, sprinting on the field with some expletives. He was going off.

” … So you get that tough love, but he also knows how to follow it up with what he needs to do to keep the players engaged. Don’t let the cool demeanor fool you. He has a burning desire, and I think he’s going to get what he needs to get done out of the guys.”

Meanwhile, former Patriots and Titans defensive back Logan Ryan — who played for Vrabel two seasons — described those types of moments as commonplace under Vrabel.

“It’s authentic. He’s demanding and a leader, which is how he was as a player. Players can smell out if a coach isn’t being himself, and with Mike Vrabel, what you see is what you get, braggadocious and in your face. He’s truly himself,” he said.

“A Mike Vrabel culture is tons of accountability and natural leadership. It’s kind of what that Patriots’ culture was from the player perspective in the locker room, which is holding each other accountable. He’s also one of the more involved coaches on the practice field.”

Ryan also noted Vrabel’s acumen with strategy and game management, which Patriots fans remember well from the Titans’ 20-13 win over New England on Jan. 4, 2020 in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Vrabel capitalized on a loophole in the rulebook to burn 1:49 off the clock in the fourth quarter without running a play — keeping QB Tom Brady off the field. There was also a game in which Vrabel took a 12-men-on-the-field penalty, which saved time in what turned out to be a last-second win.

Ryan, who has transitioned from an 11-year playing career to a budding career as a football analyst, acknowledged one area he’ll be watching closely if Vrabel lands the Patriots’ job.

“The biggest question is who the offensive coordinator is going to be to develop Drake Maye, because that’s so important. What I saw in Tennessee, there was some [coaching] turnover and a coach is only as good as the strength of his staff,” he said. “But as a leader of men, culture-setter, strategy-wise, winner — he has all those things.”

Meanwhile, it’s flipped for Johnson, whose offense has taken the NFL by storm but will need to pair that with establishing a culture like the one he’s part of in Detroit under fiery head coach Dan Campbell.

“He’s seen what Coach Campbell has built. Ben has had a front-row seat for that,” Brown said. “Remember, he wouldn’t be doing it alone. Look who Dan has surrounded himself with — an addition like [Lions special assistant to the president] Chris Spielman and the toughness he brings in. [Lions GM] Brad Holmes drafting the right players who fit the culture. To me, it’s who he surrounds himself with. It’s going to have to be the right people.”

2. Coaches’ status: Patriots assistant coaches were told Wednesday that they were on vacation and would receive an update when a head coach was hired, according to a source familiar with the situation. A new head coach could potentially keep some members of the staff who remain under contract, which leaves many in a holding pattern.

3. Wolf’s future: Still to be determined are the roles that executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith would potentially have with a new coach in place. Both are part of the interview process, and while Kraft said Monday they were “staying on,” he also acknowledged the fluid nature of things until a new coach is in place.

4. Timing it out: The Krafts’ prior background with Vrabel, and NFL rules limiting the Patriots to a virtual interview with Johnson on Friday, contributes to the widespread belief that Vrabel is the front-runner. Another factor is that the Patriots could hire Vrabel immediately.

But if Johnson blows them away in the initial interview to the point that they want to wait for an in-person meeting, the earliest date the Patriots could meet in person with Johnson is Jan. 20.

5. Mayo fallout: The timing and manner in which the Patriots fired Mayo, shortly after Sunday’s season finale, caught some coaches and players by surprise as many were still at the facility with family members.

According to team sources, the question of why it happened when it did was asked to Kraft in the final team meeting the next day.

6. Gonzo’s goal: Second-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez was a silver lining in the Patriots’ 4-13 season and was recognized with a second-team AP All-Pro nod. Before he departed the locker room Monday, I asked him what area he’s focusing on this offseason to take his performance to a higher level.

“Getting the ball back more,” he said. “I feel like I left a couple plays out there, plays I know I could have made and caught the ball. Just getting the ball back in Drake’s hands, because everyone knows what he can do.”

Gonzalez finished the year with two interceptions.

7. Cash spending: Kraft said money spent on a new head coach and his staff, along with potential salaries for 2024 coaches who are no longer with the team, won’t have an impact on what the team spends on players in 2025.

Along those lines, the Patriots finished the 2024 regular season ranked 18th in cash spending on players, according to Roster Management System — a total of $246,175,475, which doesn’t include deferred money.

8. Snap leaders: Gonzalez played the highest number of snaps of any Patriots defender (87.5%) in the 2024 season, which reflected how he bounced back from missing 13 games in his rookie year due to a torn labrum. Gonzalez’ durability was one question entering camp.

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Mike Onwenu (93%) played the most snaps of any offensive player, and it would have been a higher total if he didn’t sit most of the season finale with an eye toward keeping him healthy for 2025.

9. They said it: “It looks like we lucked out. We maybe have two quarterbacks.” — Kraft, on Maye and Joe Milton III after Milton’s performance in the season finale

10. Did you know: If Vrabel is hired in New England, he would become the first coach in the Super Bowl era to win three Super Bowl rings with a team and later become its head coach, according to ESPN Research.

Jason Garrett (2 Super Bowls, Cowboys), Art Shell (2, Raiders), Bart Starr (2, Packers), Forrest Gregg (2, Packers), Jerod Mayo (1, Patriots) and Jeff Saturday (1, Colts) won Super Bowl championships as players and later became head coaches of those franchises.