The Vrabel era didn’t start with fireworks. Week One was messy — the kind of game where you see a couple flashes of what could be, but a lot of “not yet” moments. And yet, buried in the frustration are signs of growth, resilience, and reasons to believe this team can still make a run.
New Player: Chemistry Takes Time
Colin Cowherd pointed out something every Pats fan should keep in mind — New England has more new starters than any other team in the league. Fifteen to eighteen NEW guys learning to play together, and basically only played half a preseason game together.
Translation? The first four weeks are basically an extended training camp. If we can start 2–2 while showing improvement each week, that’s a win. Patriots fans have seen this story before — remember 2014? Started 2–2 with ugly losses to Miami and Kansas City… ended the year hoisting a Lombardi. I’m not saying we’ll win the Super Bowl this year, but I do think this team can fight for a playoff spot.
The Defense: Flashes of What Could Be
Harold Landry looked like a cornerstone piece of the defense, racking up 2.5 sacks and playing like a leader. Carlton Davis had a mixed night — that third-and-20 blunder hurt, but he also made plays (including a tipped ball that led to a pick). Once Christian Gonzalez returns, pairing him with Davis in man coverage could transform the secondary.
Special Teams: A Rookie Kicker’s Mentality
Andy may have missed his first career kick, but the bigger story was how he responded. He nailed the next two right down the middle. That kind of mental toughness matters — especially for a kicker in New England. Like quarterbacks, you judge them not by mistakes, but by how they rebound.
The Offense: Growing Pains Are Real
Drake Maye’s season debut wasn’t pretty — some overthrows, some forced passes, and clear signs that he is still learning Josh McDaniels’ new scheme. But again, week one is not the verdict. The real test is whether he improves in Week 2 at Miami, then again in Week 3, and so on.
TreVeyon Henderson didn’t have much room to run behind the line, but you can see the potential. More reps, more chemistry up front, and his explosiveness will show.
Faith in the Process
The scoreboard says 20–13, but the bigger story is that the defense didn’t give up an avalanche of points, Andy showed resilience in the kicking game, and several key players, like Boutte, showed flashes. This team just has to learn how to play together.
Give them four weeks. Improvement week-to-week is the real win right now. If the Patriots can build chemistry, snag a couple early wins, and stay healthy, there’s still every reason to believe they can fight for a playoff spot — maybe even play spoiler in the AFC East.