The New England Patriots started the Mike Vrabel era with a 13-20 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders.
In the season opener, New England had some bright spots with 16 more games of the regular left to go.
Three-year, $43.5 million signing, Harold Landry, recorded 2.5 sacks in his debut game for the Patriots. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs also made his debut after tearing his ACL last season, catching 6 balls for 56 yards. Kayshon Boutte recorded 103 passing yards on 6 catches, cementing his role as one of the top receivers on the team.
Patriot fans were able to see potential franchise quarterback Drake Maye make his first start as the undisputed starter. Maye put up 287 passing yards, a touchdown pass and an interception.
“Without looking at the tape, I thought there were some good positive plays and really good command of what we were doing, and then there were times where maybe we or he missed somebody, and we’ll have to see,” Vrabel said, via NESN. “It’s a challenge playing quarterback in this league.”
Vrabel said that the Patriots have a long way to go with the 2025-26 season. With the Patriots starting the season on a loss, one NFL writer believes New England’s season is already on the line.
New England Patriots Season On The Line?
GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
It is too early to tell whether the New England Patriots will return to their old ways of being a successful franchise.
The Patriots were favored to win 11 of their 17 games before the start of the 2025-26 season.
With their Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots could get back on track to meet the expectations they were given.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay believes the Patriots’ season is already on the line after Week 1.
“The Patriots had a dream offseason, one in which they appeared to plug nearly every hole with a series of shrewd draft picks and free-agent acquisitions,” Kay wrote. “If the Patriots get off to an 0-2 start by falling to a Miami Dolphins squad that appeared downright incompetent on opening day, it’s hard to see the young signal-caller having enough confidence and talent to right the ship.”
Injuries Stacking Up For Patriots
GettyNew England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
The New England Patriots allowed 362 passing yards against the Raiders. The secondary wasn’t at full strength due to All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez dealing with a hamstring issue and not practicing the past few weeks.
New England released their recent injury report, which shows that Gonzalez did not practice, increasing the doubt of him playing in Week 2 against Miami.
Gonzalez isn’t the only key player who was out of today’s practice. As Landry and tackle Morgan Moses, who signed a three-year contract with the Patriots in free agency, were also absent.
The latter pair were added to be key components for the Patriots organization for the next few years.
With these three players now in jeopardy of missing the second game of the season, New England can find itself with a 0-2 record.
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