The New England Patriots took a brutal 35-6 beatdown from the Jaguars on Sunday, and head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t holding back one bit. Three games into the season, his disappointment is loud and clear after a crushing performance where his team couldn’t even sniff the end zone.
Maye’s Rough Sunday and a Leaky Defense
What went wrong? So much, but rookie quarterback Drake Maye took a huge hit to his early season progress. The guy tossed two interceptions and lost a fumble, totally failing to get the offense a single touchdown. Seriously, not one! And honestly, the defense wasn’t much better, letting Trevor Lawrence carve them up for three touchdown passes. This isn’t the Patriots team we saw last year, not when Vrabel’s crew only dropped three regular season games all of last year. Now, they’re looking at a real hole after only three weeks.
Vrabel and Maye Face The Music
After the final whistle, Vrabel pulled no punches. He told reporters, “My concern level is very high for this football team.” He admitted they “have to fix a lot of things,” and in a classic coaching move, put the blame squarely on himself. “It starts with me,” he said. “I’ll have them better prepared.” But Maye wasn’t shying away either, calling the offensive performance “unacceptable.” He fully owned it, saying he “can’t get out of my own way, personally” and that he had to “look myself in the mirror.” Talk about a tough moment for the young signal-caller.
Next Up: Undefeated Buffalo
The schedule doesn’t get any easier, folks. New England has to travel to Buffalo next week to face the undefeated Bills in Week 4. Yeah, it’s early September, but facing a potential three-game deficit behind a team with Josh Allen slinging it around? That’s a mountain to climb, a real season-defining challenge for sure. Vrabel knows it, too, saying the road back starts with finding consistency in practice this week. This isn’t just a tough loss, this is a gut-check moment that could set the tone for their entire season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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