The New England Patriots jumped out to an early lead on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unlike in Week 1, though, this time the Patriots were able to hold onto the lead, and head coach Mike Vrabel got his first win of the 2026 season.
Now 1-1 on the season, there are still some pretty obvious issues that the Patriots need to address. In particular, the offense struggled once again. Third down conversions were a pain and the offense committed another pair of turnovers. Of the 20 points the Patriots scored, the offense only put up 13 of them.
Even more concerning was that Patriots quarterback Drake Maye still isn’t looking like the version of himself that fans saw in 2025. He finished the day completing 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards and an interception. He was also sacked three times. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who has had a problem with fumbles in the past, was the one who coughed the ball up.
New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Dismissed Questions About the Offense
While the New England Patriots won, it’s not unfair to have questions about the offense. Head coach Mike Vrabel didn’t want to hear them, though.
“Thirteen points a week after just scoring 10, just what’s your concern level with Drake Maye and the offense right now?” Ben Volin asked postgame. “Are you worried he’s maybe pressing a little too much?”
It’s not unfair to have concerns about the offense. After all, that was where the offseason investment was and after Maye was second in MVP voting a season ago, it looked like this should be a year where they took a major step forward. Vrabel, for his part, dismissed the question.
Nope, just trying to win the game, Ben,” Vrabel said. “You’re not gonna ruin my Sunday, but I’ll come back to you tomorrow. Thanks, bud.”
It’s understandable to want to take a moment to celebrate a win. However, it’s very fair to ask about the offense, which isn’t playing up to the level that’s expected of them. Vrabel should get over those questions, too, because until the offense starts putting up more points, they’re not going away.
The Patriots Offense and Drake Maye are Becoming Concerns
One bad game to open the season can be a fluke. Two bad games is a concerning trend, and that’s where the Patriots and Drake Maye are right now.
After the game, Maye was open to acknowledging the issue. That doesn’t mean that he didn’t want to celebrate the win, though.
“You’ve got to kind of see it both ways,” Maye said. “You’ve got to be excited and enjoy the win, but at the same time, you’ve got to realize that playing like this offensively isn’t going to end up with us leading our team to wins.”
For Patriots insider Greg Bedard, the concern is real. He ripped Maye postgame.
“Drake Maye is a puddle back there. Basically, the only thing he can do right now is to roll outside the pocket…Drake Maye is a huge concern,” Bedard said.
Week 3 is another week for the Patriots and Maye to bounce back on offense. It won’t necessarily be easy, though, as they hit the road to play the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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