New England Patriots
“Shoutout, Ann Michael. Got to keep on bringing some more treats.”
Drake Maye passes for three touchdowns in Sunday’s win over New York. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
October 18, 2026 | 7:52 PM
3 minutes to read
FOXBOROUGH — The New England Patriots’ battered offensive line might need knee braces and ice packs more than Puppy Chow and blueberry turnovers.
But after a hard-nosed performance against the Jets’ defense, Drake Maye believes that his shorthanded offensive linemen deserve a baked treat or two — courtesy of his wife, Ann Michael.
“I said I got to bring them some more treats,” Maye said after New England’s 26-19 win over the Jets. “Shoutout, Ann Michael. Got to keep on bringing some more treats. Those guys are doing a heck of a job in there… They’re coaching them hard.
“They’re expecting a lot in practice. Those guys are playing through injuries.”
Some of those ice packs were seemingly reserved for Maye entering Sunday’s matchup against the Jets — especially after New York sacked Deshaun Watson eight times during their win over the Browns in Week 5.
But Maye had plenty of time to operate in the pocket against the Jets, with New England’s offensive line coughing up zero sacks in the win.
“We were able to run the football, we were able to protect the quarterback, we were able to really gain some energy and that was impressive, to go that long and get the ball down there,” Mike Vrabel said of the play of New England’s O-line. “I wish we would’ve converted [on the final drive], we didn’t, but those guys were ready for their opportunity and it was great to see.
“You never know what’s going to happen in this league, and we talk about it all the time — preparing for the journey, and when guys get their chance, they go in there and perform. I hate that we don’t have the guys, I hate when guys get injured, but I also understand that on the other side of that, there’s an opportunity.”
As Vrabel noted, New England’s offensive line was once again stung by the injury bug on Sunday — with three starters in Morgan Moses (ankle), Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring), and Ben Brown (knee) all exiting the game against New York.
But New England’s remaining starters and several backups held their own against David Bailey and the Jets’ elite pass-rushers, led by tackles Will Campbell and rookie Caleb Lomu.
Campbell — whose availability was seemingly in doubt earlier this week after suffering a knee injury against the Raiders — allowed just one total pressure in 35 pass-blocking snaps against New York, per PFF.
Lomu, who replaced Moses in the first half, had zero pressures allowed in his 30 pass-blocking snaps.
New England’s final drive of the afternoon didn’t result in a touchdown, but it might have been the most impressive sequence of the day for their offensive linemen.
At that point in the game, New England had three backups on its line: Lomu, Walter Rouse, and Matt Pryor.
But the Patriots still gained 56 yards on a 13-play drive to ice the win—with most of those yards coming from carries by third-string QB Corey Kiner.
New England ultimately settled for a chip-shot field goal from Andy Borregales to cap the drive, but only after draining 6:08 off the clock and forcing the Jets to burn all three timeouts.
”We had three go down today, so these guys are fighting hard,” Maye said. “They’re fighting their butts off. It goes through them. That last drive running the football was — I got the best seat in the house — [it] was beautiful to see.”
That same five-man unit might be called upon during an ill-timed short week of preparation — with Vrabel acknowledging that any player who had to leave Sunday’s game likely doesn’t have much of a runway to get healthy before Thursday’s road game against the Bears.
“It’s a short week,” Vrabel acknowledged when asked about availability for players entering Week 7. “Whether they can make it back or not, I don’t know — they don’t finish the game, we’ll have to see, but I don’t know anything other than that, and we’ll just have to figure out who we have available and find 48 to put out there. So, it’s hard to say, but it’s a short week, and if you don’t finish the game, that’s a quick turnaround.”
Campbell, one of just two starters left on the O-line next to fellow second-year pro Jared Wilson, is ready for the challenge that awaits at Soldier Field.
“As bad as it is, and as unfortunate as it is, it’s just the way this game goes,” Campbell said of injuries. “And Vrabes talks each week about preparing as a starter.
“Guys never know what could happen in a game, and you have to be ready whenever you get your opportunity. I feel like some guys stepped up big for us today.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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