The New England Patriots season-opening game Sunday against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders was supposed to mark the dawn of a new era in Foxborough. After disastrous back-to-back four-win seasons under coaches Bill Belichick and then after Belichick’s firing, Jerod Mayo, Vrabel promised to bring a new “culture” based on “accountability” and “intensity.”
Vrabel’s presence has lit a firecracker inside the Patriots organization with his dive-headfirst-in-the-pile approach, an emphasis on players knowing each other, and a clearly defined vision for the type of team he wants to field — and the ‘violent’ style it will play,” wrote longtime Patriots insider Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, a week before the opening game.
Patriots Go Down Quietly in Opener
But as the Patriots fell quietly by a 20-13 score to the Raiders — who also finished with a 4-13 record last year — at Gillette Stadium, this year’s Patriots looked a lot like last year’s Patriots.
Despite the expectation that the Patriots would show a new sense of discipline under Vrabel, the Patriots committed nine penalties — exceeding their 2024 average of 6.5 per game.
Sophomore quarterback Drake Maye, who threw 10 interceptions in 12 starts last year, tossed a key pick on the Patriots‘ first possession of the second half that resulted in a 71-yard Raiders touchdown drive.
Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson was allowed only five carries, but he averaged 5.4 yards per carry. Veteran Rhamondre Stevenson was handed the ball seven times even though he managed a mere 2.1 yards per carry.
‘Violent’ Vrabel Defense Not So Tough
The hoped for “violent defense” allowed Raiders quarterback Geno Smith to throw for 362 yards including a touchdown for a 102.8 passer rating.
And most controversially, despite Vrabel’s promise to employ an aggressive coaching style, with 4:53 left regulation and the Patriots down 20-10 and needing to score twice, Vrabel chose to punt the ball back to the Raiders — a decision that drew boos from the Gillette Stadium fans, probably not something the former Patriots three-time Super Bowl-winning linebacker expected in his first official game back with the organization.
Vrabel Criticized For Lack of ‘Urgency’
“Mike Vrabel talked about urgency all offseason and they punted on 4th & 15 down 10 points with 4 minutes left,” wrote Boston-area sports radio host Joe Murray.
“Why in the world did the Patriots just punt there?” another Patriots fan asked on social media. “That is pretty much quitting.”
Cowardly coaching
Vrabel offered some kind of a defense for his decision, seeming to blame third-year punter Bryce Baringer, saying, “we’d like a better punt. And we had them stopped, and that was the plan. And that didn’t work. And they hit one, and we just didn’t have enough time at the end to do anything.”
“…We’d like a better punt. And we had them stopped, and that was the plan. And that didn’t work. And they hit one, and we just didn’t have enough time at the end to
Opening Loss Called ‘a Mess’
But the punt was not the only aspect of the game that drew sharp reactions from Patriots fans — and professional media members. Longtime WEEI radio host Glenn Ordway wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account, “Vrabel should start the presser with that patented line ‘We have to play AND coach better.’ Totally accurate today…what a mess!”
“Mike Vrabel spoke all week about the importance of winning the second half,” wrote Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston. “Penalty on kick return to open the half. Turnover. No resistance defensively on Raiders‘ first drive. About as bad a second-half start as they could’ve cooked up.”
The Savage Boston Sports podcast social media account seemed to sum up the feelings of most Patriots fans, at least online.
Reset your expectations for the Patriots,” wrote Savage.
The Patriots get their next chance at their first win of the Mike Vrabel era September 14 when they travel to Miami to face the Dolphins, who were dominated by the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, 33-8.
Mike Vrabel’s Disastrous Debut Draws Strong Reactions From Patriots Fans