Mike Vrabel didn’t try to dress it up after the Patriots’ 35-6 loss to the Jaguars. There was no soft landing, no silver lining tour. Just a blunt reaction to a lopsided afternoon that left New England looking far from settled.
The defeat marked the Patriots’ biggest loss under Vrabel since a 40-7 setback to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 28, 2024, according to research from StatMuse. And after watching Jacksonville control the game, Vrabel made it clear he wasn’t interested in sugarcoating where things stand.
“My concern level is very high for this football team,” Vrabel said, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “I just want to coach and improve.
I think that’s the biggest thing when you come off a game like that. You just want to get back and work.”
That was the message: reset, regroup, and move on. The loss may have been ugly, but Vrabel’s focus was on what comes next rather than lingering on what just happened.
Jacksonville had the cleaner day on both sides of the ball. Trevor Lawrence threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns, and the Jaguars finished with 313 total yards.
New England, meanwhile, never found enough rhythm to keep pace. Drake Maye went 14-of-25 for 199 yards and also committed two interceptions and a lost fumble.
The Patriots now turn to a matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Oct. 3. Buffalo is still undefeated, which only makes the task harder for New England as it tries to answer after a bruising loss.
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