The New England Patriots‘ 2025 campaign began badly with a 20–13 Week 1 loss to Las Vegas Raiders — their inaugural game with head coach Mike Vrabel. Despite the fact that the franchise was attempting to start anew, playing in Las Vegas revealed the same old issues. Missed tackles, penalties, and an offense that couldn’t sustain drives. All characterized a loss that got the team into the headlines in an instant.

Amid that backdrop, former New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones, now a member of the Miami Dolphins, drew out his blunt comments for his former team. As posted by David Furones on X, Dolphins CB has no feelings one way or the other on facing the former team in the Patriots.

“No man, I don’t hype myself up for no game,” Jones responded. “You know every game is the same, you gotta go out there Sunday, strap that stuff up, and just play football, you know what I’m saying? So I ain’t worried about the Patriots. I play for the Dolphins, and we’re gonna attack every week how it should be.” Once seen as a building block of the Patriots’ future, Jones’ answers were concise. He has left his Foxborough past in the rearview mirror.

The Patriots, with Vrabel at the helm, are “just another opponent” to him; no nostalgia involved, it’s all about making plays for Miami. That seeming lack of interest is a testament to how rapidly relationships get changed in the NFL. Waived by New England in November 2023 after seeing action in only 18 games, Jones rebuilt himself with Miami and became a starter.

Jones also mentioned his chemistry with other cornerback Rasul Douglas. With Storm Duck sidelined, the two form Miami’s new starting cornerback tandem. He said they are the get-the-ball guys and create turnovers. That confidence paid off in Week 1 at Indianapolis, as Miami lost to the Colts 8-33. He logged eight total tackles and one pass deflection to help limit the Colts’ options and set the tone for an edgier, turnover-defense.

Week 1 showed he’s back on track. Fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by Arizona State, Jones was sidetracked by injury, suspension, and off-field problems with New England, was briefly part of Raiders, and signed with Miami in July 2025. His Week 1 performance made him a playmaker for a system that can take advantage of his ball-hawking ability.

At the same time, Mike Vrabel will be holding his breath before the Week 2 game. There is a lot he needs to reflect on and improve.

Vrabel sees early heat after Week 1

Jones has had to look past it, but Vrabel’s Patriots are still seeking answers. Following Sunday’s defeat at the hands of the Raiders, Vrabel owned up to the mistakes in the press conference.

“That’s always what it’s going to be,” he said. “We just have to do a better job of understanding about winning the second half in some of these games that are close and just getting off to a better start. Defensively, we settled down. We had three outs, and we only came away with three points. That is not very complementary football, and it’s disappointing.”

Vrabel also mentioned “X plays” on defense, penalties, and special teams breakdown as the main reasons the Patriots could not capitalize on early momentum with points. However, he kept the focus on the positive, mentioning a solid kickoff return and instances of good field position as proof that the team can take advantage of such situations.

The Patriots’ struggle on offense, particularly in short-yardage situations, is a representation of the ailment that had struck the team during the latter times of the previous regime. With three new starters on offense and no sacks on defense to make much of in Week 1, New England still tries to find its identity.