Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Sends Strong Message on Drake Maye
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has with no doubt, won new head coach Mike Vrabel’s confidence, but for Vrabel, it long preceded the 9-2 start.
“I came here because of the familiarity. I came here because of Drake,” Vrabel told the Amazon postgame show crew via NBC Sports Boston. “I knew what he would be, and it was important for me to come here. And that’s someone I wanted to coach. And so building a program is about that. It’s about putting great people around your really good players. That’s what Drake is for us.”
Maye carved up the New York Jets defense in a 27-14 win on Thursday, the team’s eighth-straight. It led to chants of MVP from the crowd, a fan base that once saw Patriots legend Tom Brady dominate the league for two decades and win three regular season MVPs.
Drake Maye Chimed In on Mike Vrabel’s Praise
Maye was part of that postgame conversation with Amazon, and he expressed his appreciation of Vrabel, who came in and re-tooled the Patriots after back-to-back 4-13 seasons. Vrabel once played for the Patriots during the Brady era, and Vrabel went on to coach the Tennessee Titans before his current position.
“It means the world. It goes both ways,” Maye said. “I can’t thank coach enough for what he’s done, what he’s gonna do for my career, for my life. He brings it every day. He said this, and he’ll text me later tonight about something I could have done better in the game. He’s constant, he’s awesome, and we love playing for him. I love playing for him.”
Maye has taken his game to another level in his second year with Vrabel at the helm in place of former head coach Jerod Mayo. As a rookie, Maye completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,276 yards for 15 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions. This season, Maye has completed 71.9% of his passes for 2,836 yards and 20 touchdowns versus five picks for a 113.2 rating.
“He brings it every day and he cares about us,” Maye continued regarding Vrabel. “He coaches hard, but he cares about us. We love playing for him. I love playing for him. He’s coaching me on different things besides where to throw the ball. I think that’s the biggest thing about him is coaching leadership and coaching me every day.”
“And he says something to me almost after every drive, and I just appreciate what he’s done for me and what he’s done for this football team,” Maye concluded.
Mike Vrabel on Drake Maye: ‘What We Expect’
Vrabel didn’t go for the MVP chant chatter when talking during the press conference, but he was clear that Maye is making the strides asked of him.
“I would say his performance in general has been what we expect. We have high expectations for Drake,” Vrabel told reporters afterward. “He has high expectations for himself. He’ll continue to improve. I know that he’ll stay humble through this all. Again, as far as the performance tonight, I thought it was, again, in first view, pretty good. It was good enough to win. Took care of the football.”
“We just have to continue to focus on the little things, operation, unforced errors throughout the offense,” Vrabel added. “The only thing that really stops us is us offensively. So continue to do that. Let them enjoy a win on a short week. Like I told them, I’m excited we’re 9-2. I’m excited that I don’t have to see them until Monday.”
Script for McCarthy's return gets dreamier with Vikings' top two tackles back
Michigan. Tom Brady. Vikings. Lions. Who's got it better than J.J. McCarthy?
It's Week 9 of the NFL season and McCarthy will make his return to the field in Detroit for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2, and the script, which was already better than anything Hollywood could've dreamed up, got even better with multiple reports saying Vikings tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill will play.
Both Darrisaw and O'Neill were listed as questionable on Minnesota's final injury report, but their inclusion Sunday in the Motor City should make McCarthy's life under center a whole lot better.
The script really is perfect. McCarthy is playing in Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to a national championship alongside Aidan Hutchinson, who will be chasing him for the Lions, all while Michigan great Tom Brady calls the game in the FOX broadcast booth.
It's as good as it gets from the storyline perspective, and as big as it gets for a Minnesota team that has been plagued by injuries and stumbled to a 3-4 record. A win Sunday will keep them in the thick of the NFC North race, while a loss would significantly hurt their chances in the division and in the NFC wild-card race.
McCarthy played in the first two games of the season without Darrisaw, who was still going through the final stages of ACL rehab. The 22-year-old quarterback also played without wide receiver Jordan Addison in Weeks 1 and 2, as Addison was serving a three-game suspension connected to his DWI arrest in California in July 2024.
McCarthy also faced an Atlanta defense that has held every opposing quarterback to 205 passing yards or less. The Falcons held McCarthy to 158 pass yards, while also limiting Baker Mayfield (167), Bryce Young (121), Marcus Mariota (156), Josh Allen (180), Mac Jones (152), and Tua Tagovailoa (205).
All in all, McCarthy is making his return in a pivotal game — and he'll have the strongest supporting cast he's ever had in his young career as an NFL starter. The only key players he won't have around him are center Ryan Kelly, who is on injured reserve after sustaining two concussions, and No. 2 tight end Josh Oliver, who suffered a foot sprain last week against the Chargers.
The stage is set. Now it's up to McCarthy to show the world what he can do.
