Mike Vrabel’s Strong Message To Drake Maye Amid Struggles Vs. Falcons

The New England Patriots won an ugly game in Week 9 when they handed the Atlanta Falcons a 24-23 defeat. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye didn’t have his best day, but he delivered the goods when he needed to, thanks in large part to some encouragement from head coach Mike Vrabel.

Maye completed 19 of his 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 20 yards on eight carries. He committed a costly fumble at the end of the first half that led to a touchdown for the Falcons, while also throwing an interception in the third quarter that led to three more points for Atlanta.

Late in the fourth quarter, though, Maye had a shot at redemption, as the Pats needed just one first down to essentially end the game. Despite his rough day, Vrabel chose to place his faith in his young quarterback by sending him a strong message on the sidelines.

“We’re going to need one drive to win the game, so everything that’s happened doesn’t matter,” Vrabel said to Maye before the Patriots’ final drive of the game.

After a pair of runs by Terrell Jennings, New England faced a 3rd & 5 situation. If the offense got a first down, the game was over. However, if they ran the football, they could bleed more time off the clock, as Atlanta had no timeouts remaining.

Vrabel opted to throw, and Maye delivered, as he hit tight end Hunter Henry for a 17-yard gain that gave the Patriots the first down they needed. And with that, the team held on for their tight one-point win.

Sometimes, you have to win ugly in the NFL, and that’s what the Pats managed to do in Week 9. The team will look to put together a more complete performance in Week 10 when they take on the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers.