Patriots made win vs. Falcons more difficult than necessary

Welcome to the Unconventional Review, an instant reaction to standouts, stats, and story lines from the Patriots’ most recent game …

Here’s something that can be said, with a long exhale, only after the Patriots hang on for a more-difficult-than-necessary win.

Can’t learn from mistakes unless you make a few, right?

Actually, Mike Vrabel — whose patience with his mostly young team has turned out to be a surprising and admirable attribute — put that sentiment perfectly after the 24-23 victory over the Falcons on Sunday.

“We’re going to learn from winning,” said Vrabel, “so that we don’t have to learn from losing.”

The victory was the Patriots’ sixth in a row, and the outcome makes it much easier to accept their sloppiest performance since the five-turnover Week 3 loss to the Steele