Yeah, the Patriots’ 20–12 win over the Vikings looks good on the scoreboard, but August is really about the clues. And Mike Vrabel dropped a big one. Delivered with that no-nonsense edge he’s had all camp. The hint? It revolved around a certain wideout, and it felt like a little preview of how this roster might start tilting around Drake Maye in Year 2.

Yeah, after Efton Chism III led the team in receiving for the second straight week, Vrabel couldn’t help but show love. “It doesn’t matter how you get here, only thing that matters is what you do when you get here. I think that’s another great example of that. Chiz, when given opportunities, has taken advantage of ‘em,” he said. Such praise from Vrabel? He wants to sign the guy. And this is good news for Drake Maye.

The Pats are clearly rebuilding this offense around Drake Maye after his grind-it-out rookie year (225-of-338, 2,276 yards, 15 TDs, 10 picks, plus 421 rushing yards). And the blueprint’s pretty obvious: get him playmakers who can separate and finish, then stack vets in the middle to steady things.

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The front office has already given his some weapons. In the trenches, veteran Garrett Bradbury came in at center to steady the calls, pairing with the power of Mike Onwenu and the reliability of Morgan Moses. That’s grown-man protection for a 22-year-old QB. And outside? They went all-in with Stefon Diggs on a three-year deal.

But signing Chism might be the most important of them all. The Pats and Maye need a money-down technician up ahead. Someone who wins on time, fights through contact, and just flat-out moves the sticks.

And Chism has been making his case. In Minnesota, the undrafted WR went 6-6, 71 yards, a touchdown, plus a 9-yard punt return. Oh, and he led the team in receiving for the second week straight.

And this is exactly why Maye needs him. Last season (even in preseason), Maye’s best ball has come when that first read is reliable and the rock comes out quick. Saturday was another glimpse: 4-of-7 for 46 yards in limited snaps, the offense humming on schedule before the backups cycled in. For a young QB, having a hungry route-runner consistently winning underneath is how August reps start turning into September confidence.

And as good as Chism was in the Vikings game, he wasn’t the only one who showed up.

Way too many positive takeaways from the Vikings game

New England’s win stacked some real layers around their QB. Right out of the gate, the ground game carried the weight: rookie TreVeyon Henderson finished off a 52-yard march with an 8-yard burst, lowering his pads through traffic and setting an early tempo. That’s the stuff that matters for Maye. A run game that draws safeties and forces linebackers to bite is what turns play-action into easy chunk yards, and keeps third downs from feeling like uphill climbs.

The middle stretch was all about that “next man up.” Joshua Dobbs ran the show on a 13-play, 88-yard drive, capping it with a 12-yard dart to the same UDFA wideout. He finished 11-of-16 for 106 and a score. Exactly what you want from a vet backup. That’s the blueprint for a real QB room behind Maye: keep it clean, get it out quick, and put points on the board.

The defense had the classic Mike Vrabel fingerprints. Anfernee Jennings wrecked shop with three sacks and three QB hits, while the Pats piled up four sacks total. Then Alex Austin and Kyle Dugger slammed the door with picks. Pass rush + ball hawks: the formula that fits anywhere.

The special teams stepped up too. Jeremiah Webb ripped off a 59-yard kick return, and Marcus Jones flipped the field with a 37-yard punt runback. Kickers handled business. Andy Borregales drilled a 51-yarder (went 1-for-2 on FGs, 2-for-2 on PATs), and Parker Romo knocked through his lone 28-yarder. Add it up, and the Pats closed out a 20–12 win to move to 2–0 this preseason. So many positives to take from this game. But it’s all about how Vrabel builds from here heading into week 1.