The New England Patriots are, without question, the biggest surprise of the 2025 NFL season.
Coming off a 2024 campaign that saw Jerod Mayo relieved of his duties as head coach after just one year due to the team's 4-13 record, there was hope that Mike Vrabel could help turn things around. No one expected 10 straight wins and an 11-2 record with a second-year QB in Drake Maye under center, though, but that is where we stand following New England's 33-15 victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
While Maye only enhanced his case to be the league's MVP by connecting on 24 of his 31 attempts for 282 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the signal-caller was sent a message by his head coach during Vrabel's postgame press conference, as he wants Maye to learn from Jaxson Dart's mistake from earlier in the night.
“It’s a weekly reminder to the quarterback, our quarterback, I wouldn’t get too cute over there by the sidelines,” Vrabel said, via Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, of the hit Christian Elliss laid on Dart after the rookie attempted to scramble for a first down early in the game.
Vrabel Cautions Maye to Protect Himself From Injury During Stretch Run
As important as Vrabel and the other changes he made to the coaching staff have been to this team's turnaround, no one will question that the biggest reason why New England is in the position it is in entering their bye week is due to the leap Maye has made in his second year as a professional. Maye is truly playing at an MVP level, and that, coupled with a stout defense, has the Patriots back atop the AFC.
If Maye exposes himself to the type of hits that Dart took during the first quarter of Monday night's game, there is no guarantee that he bounces right back up as New York's rookie did. Now, in no way is Vrabel saying he wants his QB to be a statue in the pocket and not make things happen with his legs. The Patriots' leader on the sidelines only wants Maye to remember to be smart and understand that putting himself at risk of additional hits to pick up an extra yard or two likely isn't worth it in the long run.
Even though Joshua Dobbs is a veteran with plenty of experience under his belt, being forced to insert him into a game at QB in any scenario other than garbage time at the end of a victory or a late-season game that has no impact on New England's place in the standings would be nightmare fuel for Patriots fans.
This is why Maye needs to hear Vrabel's message loud and clear. He is too important to this team to be lost to injury over something as careless as we saw from Dart on Monday night.