You're right. I meant linemen as opposed to just linebackers. Some of the guys playing linebacker for the Patriots are converted linemen, or have had to play lineman for a while...so what exactly the position being played is, is a bit ambiguous. And people like Vrabel are very good at getting that push. The Patriots play a 3-4, but only most of the time, instead of the usual 4-3, so their linebackers are good at dealing with the offensive line directly.
Yeah, with all their blitz looks and personel shifting the way you tell the difference between a lineman and linebacker in NE is their pre-snap stance, if they've got a hand on the ground they're a lineman if not they're a linebacker. Which is one of the things that help their defense, it's confusing as hell to read pre-snap.