Patriots QB Drake Maye Breaks Silence on Rumored Tension With Mike Vrabel After Disastrous Start To Season
· Yahoo Sports
After last season’s success, many fans believed the New England Patriots would emerge as perennial contenders in the AFC. Unfortunately, over the first three weeks this year, things have gone in the opposite direction.
At 1-2, they have had two disastrous losses. As a result, speculation has run rife that there is friction between last year’s heroes, Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye. Now, the quarterback who finished second in MVP voting last season is letting it all out.
Visit tr-sport.bond for more information.
Drake Maye Speaks on His Relationship With Mike Vrabel
Drake Maye has been among the biggest problems for the New England Patriots through three weeks. As a result, some believed, which he failed to disavow, that his shoulder was still bothering him.
Vrabel didn’t agree with that idea. In fact, some of his comments seemed to indicate a lack of faith in Maye. However, Maye was quick enough to brush aside those concerns.
“Coach Vrabel’s been one of the best football coaches I’ve had in my life,”Maye said, as his relationship with his head coach seems unchanged.
The problem seemed even more apparent when Vrabel had his arms around his quarterback’s shoulder pads on the sidelines after he gave up his third turnover of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3.
“I’ve loved playing for him, and it’s not going to change. The way he pushes me, and he coaches the quarterbacks in a way that I really respect. And I’m looking forward to getting going, proving to Coach that I can lead this football team and play good football,” Maye added.
SET YOUR LINEUPS:PFN’s Free Fantasy Start/Sit Optimizer
The problems for the Patriots have been a direct result of underwhelming play from Maye. So far, he has seven turnovers against just one touchdown, which includes a game-ending interception against the Drew Lock-led Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.
As a result, he ranks at number 29 onPFN’s Quarterback Impact Metrics, with players like Bo Nix, Malik Willis, Cam Ward, and even Deshaun Watson ahead of him. Still, the belief and admiration are a two-way street for the Patriots.
Earlier in the week, Vrabel tried to dissuade any rumors as he claimed, “I had choices as to where I wanted to coach. I wanted to coach here because Drake was the quarterback.”
Now the team is going to try to right the ship in Week 4 when they take on the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. A victory could help put to bed a lot of the panic around the squad. But it is going to be a long road for the Patriots if they want to retain their success from last year.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.