New England Patriots
Vrabel also discussed cursing at a sideline official, how he motivates an underdog, and what he saw from Drake Maye.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
October 5, 2026 | 9:57 AM
5 minutes to read
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel joined WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday morning following his team’s 29-26 upset win in Buffalo against the Bills.
“On the road, division opponent. We talked about us being able to get back in the race, and that was a well-timed win for us,” Vrabel said of the victory. New England improved to 2-2 while Buffalo fell to 3-1.
The Patriots’ coach was predictably in a much better mood a week after a lopsided loss to the Jaguars, including a joking reference to the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that he received during Sunday’s win over the Bills for cursing at a sideline referee.
“That was for you,” Vrabel joked with co-host Greg Hill. After the game on Sunday, he said that the official was “a little sensitive,” since he has used curse words before on the sidelines.
“I guess I can’t swear,” Vrabel said on Monday. “Again, I didn’t call him a name. I’ll have to be better.”
Here’s a rundown on a few other topics Vrabel covered:
His response to C.J. Gardner-Johnson
The most notable soundbite to emerge from Sunday’s Patriots-Bills postgame came from Buffalo defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Among other comments from Gardner-Johnson — including that he believes the “better team lost” — was a critique of Efton Chism III, who unexpectedly made a highlight catch on the game-winning touchdown for the Patriots.
“A [practice squad] guy made a helluva catch,” said Gardner-Johnson. “Probably won’t hear from him again, respectfully.”
Vrabel, who was seen by former Patriots teammates as an excellent trash-talker during his playing career, provided a quick response.
“For a guy that’s been on eight teams in four years, I mean I guess he knows the drill,” Vrabel said of Gardner-Johnson.
On Chism, Vrabel praised the 24-year-old (who has made the team’s roster in each of the last two seasons after being signed as a 2025 undrafted free agent).
“Nobody works harder. I mean again, you love to see players take advantage of opportunities to help the team win. He is very well-respected,” Vrabel said of Chism. “He practices, he’s on the show team, he takes a million reps, nobody logs more miles or yards or whatever we track than [Chism].”
Drake Maye’s play
A week after candidly calling one of Drake Maye’s interceptions against the Jaguars a “terrible decision” during his regular WEEI interview, Vrabel returned to give praise where it was due.
Maye was still far from perfect (committing two turnovers), but threw for three touchdowns and led New England rushing yards as well. He orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback in a difficult road environment. His coach was impressed by more fundamental signs on Sunday.
“I felt like he was decisive,” Vrabel said of the 24-year-old quarterback. “I thought he looked out in front of things and if it was there, I thought he let it go, and if not, hey let’s try to find somewhere else to go.”
“Put the ball in really good spots downfield,” Vrabel noted of Maye, who finished the day 22-of-37 for 269 yards passing.
Thoughts on the game plan
One of the questions surrounding the offense’s lack of scoring in the first three games of the season was about the play-calling of Josh McDaniels. New England’s offensive coordinator seemed to coax a better effort against Buffalo on Sunday.
Was this a more aggressive game plan than in previous week?
“I don’t see it that way,” Vrabel said when asked about the supposedly increased aggressiveness in play-calling. “I think we called a lot of the same stuff, and it’s just kind of where the ball decides to go.”
He eventually made a clarification: He felt his team’s overall approach was more aggressive, though the play-calling was similar.
“I wouldn’t say that that was any different,” Vrabel reiterated of McDaniels’ strategy. “I think that those same types of plays and those same things are getting called in the games.
“From that, I think when you’re playing that type of quarterback,” Vrabel added of Josh Allen, “and being on the road, knowing what you’re probably going to need to win — which isn’t a lot of field goals — I think that’s kind of where we decided that we needed to be aggressive.”
Motivating an underdog
A trait that Vrabel received credit for during Sunday’s postgame was a capacity to motivate underdog teams. Since 2018, no NFL coach has a higher winning percentage as the underdog than Vrabel.
Asked how he does it, Vrabel deflected praise.
“I really just try to give the players everything I think they need or can handle each and every week, lay out the ways to win the football game, figure out who’s available,” he said. “Again, this is a great testament to players to go out there and perform.
“Guys like Dre’Mont Jones, who’s battling, and wanted to be out there, finding ways to be out there. Craig [Woodson], and all the guys that were competing. That’s what it’s about,” Vrabel continued. “I just literally try to figure out, ‘Hey, where are we at coming into this week? What kind of message can I give them? What can we talk about?’”
Especially given New England’s circumstances heading into the game against Buffalo (having lost badly in the previous week to fall to 1-2), Vrabel noted that his messaging is designed to help players move past tough moments.
“Understanding that the past can’t sit there and predict the future,” he explained. “It has to just say, ‘Hey man, that was a bad week, here’s what we have to do to go win,’ and try to think that’s somehow going to affect what we’re going to do in the next game.”
A Bill O’Brien anecdote
A humorous moment in the conversation came when Vrabel was asked if he knew the Patriots would play well based on their practice performance in the buildup to the game.
“I think I always do that,” he laughed, pointing out that practice is not always a good indicator of how the game will go. He illustrated the point by recalling an example from when he was an assistant coach under now-Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien during their time with the Texans.
“I tell the story about practice. We were in Houston one year with [O’Brien],” Vrabel began, noting that the WEEI co-hosts should ask the Boston College head coach about it (as he also makes regular appearances on the show).
“He gave the players and coaches off on Thanksgiving, and came back on Friday to practice before playing Drew Brees,” Vrabel remembered. “They were averaging like 35 points a game. The show team against the defense probably scored 10 touchdowns, probably. With every touchdown it was just like, ‘Oh God, this is going to be awful.’
“He came in on Saturday and called us all in at six in the morning like touchdown, touchdown, touchdown,” Vrabel said of O’Brien.
“We go out on Sunday and hold them to three points,” a smiling Vrabel concluded. “I just always chuckle. You can practice great, and then go out there for three hours and it just doesn’t happen. And then I always rely back on, ‘Well, if we had a bad practice [week], we could always be the Texans back there where they held Drew Brees to three points.’”
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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