New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel cut off questions about quarterback Drake Maye's uneven start to the season following the team's first win of the year, telling a reporter, «You're not going to ruin my Sunday.»
The exchange came after the Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3, a game in which Maye completed 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Boston Globe reporter Ben Volin pressed Vrabel on his level of concern about Maye's performance through two weeks, and reporter Greg Bedard followed with a similar question. Vrabel made clear he would not dwell on negatives after a victory.
The reporters had legitimate reason to ask. Maye, 23, has not resembled the quarterback who led New England to the Super Bowl last season. Sunday's win did little to quiet those concerns, as the Patriots managed just 13 offensive points and relied on their defense to contain Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers, who finished with 235 total yards and only 3 points.
Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson provided the Patriots' only offensive touchdown on a 39-yard run in the first quarter. Later, Christian Barmore strip-sacked Rodgers, and Elijah Ponder returned the fumble 19 yards for a touchdown to seal the game. Maye did connect with receiver Romeo Doubs for a 63-yard gain, but New England struggled to sustain drives consistently.
The performance came just 11 days after a disastrous season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, a rematch of Super Bowl LX. In that game, Maye threw three fourth-quarter interceptions as New England blew a 10-point lead and lost 13-10. His final interception occurred in the end zone with 26 seconds remaining, ending a potential game-tying drive. Maye finished with 178 passing yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
After the loss, Maye acknowledged abandoning the patient approach that had worked earlier. «We had the game under control,» he said. «Thought we had a good plan to start chipping away and be patient and lost patience, and it cost us, decisions that cost us the game on my part, on my end.»
Through two games, Maye has thrown four interceptions and just one touchdown pass. That stands in stark contrast to his 2025 campaign, when he threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns while finishing as the runner-up in NFL MVP voting.
Vrabel is entitled to enjoy Sunday's victory, especially after the ugly collapse against Seattle. The season is young, and there is no need to overreact. But with New England's franchise quarterback so far struggling to recapture last year's form, the questions about his performance are not going away simply because Vrabel wants them to.