Mike Vrabel didn’t sugarcoat anything after the Patriots’ loss to the Jaguars, and that kind of bluntness is probably going to land poorly in New England.
The Patriots are 1-2 heading into their road matchup with the Bills, and after what unfolded Sunday, there isn’t much reason for optimism. The game felt flat from start to finish. Even a defense that had just held the Steelers to three points couldn’t keep things from slipping away, and the offense remained the bigger problem by a wide margin.
That side of the ball has already been fighting uphill, especially on the right side of the offensive line without Mike Onwenu. Morgan Moses was part of that mess before eventually being pulled later in the game, and Vrabel explained the decision in a way that gave fans plenty to chew on.
“I just made a decision, you know what I mean? It’s a long season.
Morgan is [35]. I don’t know what to tell you.
I didn’t think we were going to come back and win the game, as much as I wished that we were; I didn’t think we were. So, I made a decision.”
Moses did struggle badly on tape, and if the Patriots had better tackle depth, the move probably should have come earlier. But the bigger issue is what Vrabel revealed in that answer.
Head coaches usually keep the door cracked, even when the comeback odds are microscopic. Vrabel shut it pretty hard by saying he didn’t think the Patriots were going to win.
That’s the sort of line that will sting for a fan base already staring at a lot of concerns. The Patriots’ current mess has brought plenty of talk about Drake Maye’s regression, possible calls for him to be benched, criticism aimed at Josh McDaniels and other players, and now even some heat on Vrabel despite his reigning Coach of the Year status.
The bluntness also runs against what Patriots football used to look like at its best. That old group didn’t think in terms of surrender, even in impossible spots. Super Bowl LI was the ultimate example: down 28-3 in the third quarter, they kept pushing and pulled off the comeback that delivered their fifth Lombardi Trophy.
A Week 3 loss is nowhere near that stage, but the standard of belief is still part of the conversation in New England. Vrabel’s answer made it clear he was looking at the game as lost. For fans already wondering about the team’s toughness and direction, that won’t quiet anything down.
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