Mike Vrabel Announces Who to Blame For Patriots Loss After Confirming Stance on Drake Maye

“We had too many missed opportunities, too many penalties, the turnover… and things that just – (we) didn’t take advantage of bad football. And (we had) bad football ourselves.” The Patriots’ 20-13 home loss to the Raiders in Week 1 left the team grappling with more than just the scoreboard. For HC Mike Vrabel, the loss exposed core flaws that need urgent repair.

And with the Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins now looming ahead, Vrabel knows the first thing he must work on: a faltering run game.

As Mike Vrabel phrased it in a recent presser, “To have a successful offensive play it takes everybody… Bottom line is we have to run the ball better. We have to run it more efficiently. I think that opens up some of the stuff that we’re doing and can do, and want to be able to do.” The struggle was tangible on Sunday, September 7th. TreVeyon Henderson tallied only 27 yards on four carries, and Rhamondre Stevenson just managed 15 yards on 7 carries. Without a balanced attack, the Patriots leaned heavily on Drake Maye’s arm, who completed 30 of 46 passes for 287 yards but threw a costly interception.

This imbalance hampered New England’s ability to sustain drives and control the clock. The Raiders exploited this, keeping the Pats’ defense on its heels. By halftime, the Pats led 10-7, but failed to string together sustained success; their second-half offense faltered and ultimately fell short. But the Patriots’ inefficiency extended far beyond rushing yardage. Missed blocks and turnovers tilted the field away from New England. Instead of capitalizing on Raiders errors, the Patriots often beat themselves. The pass-heavy game plan, forced by the ineffective run, made New England predictable and placed enormous pressure on Maye. Forced into passing situations, Maye showed flashes of bright promise mixed with mistakes, including the interception.

With the Dolphins coming up in Week 2, the Patriots have no time to linger on their flaws. The ground game must improve markedly to establish offensive balance and open up play-action opportunities. For Vrabel, correcting the run game will be all about function and opening the offense’s full playbook. Yet, the run game is just one side of the coin. The coach’s analysis also reveals a pressing need for the team’s young QB to evolve. How these changes are incorporated will make their upcoming contest against Miami a crucial testing ground.

Mike Vrabel’s push for growth: what Maye must change

In the presser, Vrabel was frank about Maye’s performance and workload. “I think we have to evaluate that,” Vrabel noted when asked if Maye had too much on his plate. “We have to find out, is there something there, or do we just gotta figure out what our guys do best and do that?” Maye’s inconsistency in Week 1 was clear. He made some solid throws, but also showed moments of hesitation and key interception early in the third quarter, which swung momentum. Maye himself noted after the game, “Just got to be better on my part.” But Vrabel has a much more detailed plan of action.

Rather than demand perfection from his QB, Vrabel stressed precision. Appearing on 93.7 WEEI recently, he talked about Maye’s drive for perfection. “I think he wants to be, at times, perfect. I need to get past that. We all have to get past that. You need to be precise, not perfect.” For Vrabel, the immediate path forward for Maye is to work on reacting faster when making plays. Maye still has that arm the Pats’ bet on in the 2024 draft, but consistency and leadership will be key in the weeks ahead. As Vrabel noted, “I just want the better performance. More consistent. And continue to grow as a leader and make sure that there is a command to what we’re doing – that this is the situation, this is the play. Those are the things that I’m focused on.” 

This pragmatic stance recognizes Maye is still learning the NFL’s rigors in his second year. He must find a balance between aggressive play and disciplined execution. The loss at Gillette Stadium may sting, but Mike Vrabel’s Patriots understand it as a foundational lesson. From the run game that needs work to the pocket where Maye must rise above growing pains, New England’s pathway forward is demanding but clear. Week 2 at the Hard Rock Stadium inches close. But even beyond that, we’ll wait to see if Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye can turn missed opportunities into hard-earned victories.