Mike Vrabel Reveals His Concern After Patriots’ Loss To Jaguars
Mike Vrabel’s blunt reaction after the Patriots’ heavy loss to Jacksonville revealed just how concerned he was about Drake Maye and his struggling team.
Mike Vrabel had little to celebrate after the New England Patriots suffered their heaviest loss of the 2026 season. The Patriots fell 35-6 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, dropping to 1-2 after three games. Their offense struggled throughout the afternoon, while quarterback Drake Maye threw two interceptions. The result left Vrabel facing more questions about a team that had reached the Super Bowl last season. His postgame response showed just how seriously he viewed what happened in Jacksonville.
Why Mike Vrabel is “very high” on concern
Vrabel did not try to soften his reaction after the Patriots were beaten in nearly every area. “My concern level is very high for this football team,” he told reporters, adding that he wanted to coach, improve and get back to work.
The Patriots struggled to sustain drives and failed to score a touchdown. They went 0-for-3 in the red zone and committed nine penalties, while Maye finished 14-for-25 for 198 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble. His turnovers helped Jacksonville build its lead, and Vrabel pulled him late in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach. Maye called his performance “unacceptable” after the loss. Through three games, he had recorded seven turnovers, including six interceptions and one fumble, while throwing only one touchdown.
Drake Maye's rough start to the 2026 season
The concern around New England went beyond one poor afternoon. Maye had struggled in the season opener against Seattle and failed to find much rhythm against Pittsburgh before another difficult outing in Jacksonville.
Against the Jaguars, one interception came when Maye threw into the middle of the end zone under pressure, allowing Travis Hunter to record the first interception of his career. Later, Jarrian Jones picked off another pass, setting up a Jacksonville touchdown.
The Patriots entered the season after a 14-3 campaign and a Super Bowl appearance, but they had now lost two of their first three games. Their next challenge came against the undefeated Buffalo Bills, leaving Vrabel with little time to correct the mistakes that had pushed his concern so high.