New England Patriots Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel reveals 'very high' concern level for Patriots after Jaguars blowout 1
Mike Vrabel pulled Drake Maye in the fourth quarter on Sunday with the New England Patriots down 29 points in Jacksonville, and backup Tommy DeVito played out a 35-6 loss to the Jaguars. The defending AFC champions fell to 1-2. The margin was the widest of Vrabel’s tenure, and it was the team’s worst loss since a 40-7 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 28, 2024, when Jerod Mayo was still in charge.
“Well, my concern level is very high for this football team,” Vrabel said. “I just want to coach and improve, so I think that’s the biggest thing when you come off a game like that. You just want to get back and work.”
Asked whether the week leading into Buffalo would look different, he pushed back on the timing.
“The game ended 5 minutes ago. So I’m going to think about everything, from now until the time that we practice,” Vrabel told reporters. “We’re going to meet. We’re going to, you know, watch it. We’ll show the good, the bad, and the stuff that gets us beat tomorrow. And I’ll think of everything I possibly can for us to perform better.”
New England Patriots Mike VrabelNew England Patriots Mike Vrabel
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel leaves the field at halftime against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Maye finished 14 of 25 for 199 yards with two interceptions, a lost fumble and three sacks, and his 48.6 passer rating was the second-lowest of his career. He has one touchdown pass and six interceptions through three games after throwing 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. He is also the first player since 2007 with six or more turnovers and no more than one touchdown in his first three games.
What does Vrabel think is going wrong for Drake Maye?
Drake Maye is falling apart and it’s not clear where the Patriots go from here, via @TheAthletic https://t.co/eGjBvqnoti
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 27, 2026
“I think he knows what to do,” Vrabel said. “I think we have to do it better. We all want to make plays. We just have to make some good ones. If it’s not there, I think sometimes you can want it too badly, and we can’t force it.”
Maye carried that load without A.J. Brown, who sat out on injured reserve with a sprained ankle. TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for 45 yards on 15 carries against one of the league’s stingiest run defenses, so much of the offense ran through his arm.
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Jun 10, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) speaks to the media after minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Maye described the problem in similar terms.
“I think I’m back there seeing it,” Maye said. “We just got to make plays. I got to make throws. We’ve got the right looks. We’ve got penalties and turnovers. It’s more beating ourselves.”
Vrabel also turned part of the blame toward himself, saying the fix would start with his own ability to teach.
“It’s one day at a time. It’s about what we can do to get healthy, what we can do to improve individually and as a football team,” Vrabel said. “And that’s all we can do.”
New England is averaging 12 points a game with two offensive touchdowns in three weeks. Next Sunday, it visits a 3-0 Buffalo team that leads the AFC East.