The New England Patriots needed a reset in Munich, Germany. Instead, they left with more questions than answers.
The Detroit Lions blew out the Patriots 35-10 on Sunday, dropping them to 5-5 heading into their bye week. Quarterback Drake Maye left on the opening drive with an ankle injury, and wide receiver A.J. Brown didn’t finish the game either after hurting his hamstring.
It’s been a long fall for a team that played in Super Bowl 60 just nine months ago.
After the game, head coach Mike Vrabel stepped to the podium and seemingly took aim at his own locker room.
Mike Vrabel Calls for a ‘Winner’s Mentality’
Vrabel didn’t sugarcoat things after the loss. He said everyone in the building has some soul-searching to do.
“We all have to recognize what it is that we need to do better and improve and figure out ways to, again, that’s what winners do,” Vrabel said. “Winners figure out ways to help the team win. And they don’t b**** and complain. They try to find ways to help the team.”
Naturally, a follow-up question was asked by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald: “Does this team b**** and complain?”
“No, I meant just in general winners do that,” Vrabel exclaimed (video here). “Winners find ways to win, and losers b**** and complain. I’m not [saying we have guys that] b**** and complain. Again, I say things and then you just automatically assume that.”
Vrabel then walked back his initial remarks.
“I apologize — I’m just saying that we want a winners’ mentality going forward,” he continued. “Didn’t mean to say it that way. I meant that we need a winner’s mentality at this point in time, and there’s a lot of season left and we know how these things go in the National Football League. But you’re going to have to start playing better where we’re at here in November.”
Still, it’s hard not to read between the lines after a performance like Sunday’s.
Patriots Players Didn’t Hide Their Frustration
Vrabel wasn’t the only one in the Patriots’ locker room who sounded fed up.
Safety Kevin Byard admitted “it sucks right now.” He also called it a slap in the face that the Lions “played more physical than us today.”
Linebacker Christian Elliss pointed to the “frustrating part” being the lack of consistency. Backup quarterback Tommy DeVito, who replaced Maye, didn’t hold back on himself either.
“Not good enough are the words I would say,” DeVito said.
Vrabel was already under fire before kickoff. He was filmed tapping a keg and drinking from a giant beer stein with Patriots fans at a Munich beer hall on Saturday. Plenty of fans weren’t thrilled about it.
So how does Vrabel plan to turn things around?
“There’s no magic formula, there’s no magic words,” he said. “There’s no pep talk.”
He didn’t have an update on Maye or Brown either. Both will need more tests, and Vrabel said the team will meet Tuesday during the bye, depending on how the injuries look.
“We’ll be in there on Tuesday and see what we’re able to accomplish,” Vrabel said.
Mike Vrabel Takes Aim at Patriots Locker Room After Humiliating Lions Loss