New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel admits he has been surprised by Drake Maye’s athleticism and free-flowing talents as the young quarterback continues his debut playoff campaign on Sunday.
Both he and Vrabel’s New England became one of the stories of the 2025 NFL season, sparking a return to contention in the post-Tom Brady era.
May pushed himself into the MVP race in his second year in the league, and will now lead the Patriots against the Houston Texans with a spot in the AFC Championship Game.
The Patriots are coming off a Wild Card weekend win over the Los Angeles Chargers, while the Texans are led by the league’s best defense as they overwhelmed Aaron Rodgers en route to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Drake May may have finally filled the void left by Tom Brady for the New England Patriots – check out his best games of the regular season!
“I’ve always said there’s athleticism in him,” Vrabel told Ski Sports. “And I don’t know if it gets overlooked, but the athleticism to be able to throw and be accurate from all sides, and that’s probably not what they’re learning and training for.”
“It’s like watching Steph Curry shoot threes. You’re like, how did that just go in? I don’t know. But he wasn’t square-legged, he extends, he slides, he comes out, you know, he’s off the platform, he’s on one leg and he’s really accurate.”
“It probably caught me off guard, but his ability to keep his eyes off the court and stay a passer is something they’ve worked extremely hard on.”
May established himself as one of the brightest young signal-callers in football, posting a league-high 72 completion percentage while leading all quarterbacks with a 113.5 passer rating while throwing for 4,394 yards (fourth most) and 31 interceptions to just eight interceptions.
His rise has come as part of a blossoming union with Josh McDaniels, who is in his third season as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.
Maye spent his rookie campaign working with then-offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and head coach Jerod Mayo, going 3-9 as a starter.
“I think Josh really did a good job,” Vrabel said. “Ashton (quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant) is a young quarterbacks coach and Josh has a lot of experience with a lot of quarterbacks not named Tom Brady. That’s the thing I’ve always appreciated about Josh because he’s won with a lot of quarterbacks other than Tom.”
“He’s fixed a lot of things. I don’t think it can necessarily improve his athleticism. That’s what God gave him. That’s what God gave him.”
“And for him to be able to gamble, he can extend. I mean the last two games, we had situations at the end of the half where we needed a piece and that piece was Drake running 30 yards one play and then 20 the other.”
“That’s a pretty good end of the play on a half piece to stop the clock and get a few yards in field goal range again.”
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Highlights from the Wild Card Weekend matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots during the 2025 NFL season.
The era of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s dynasty, which has produced six Super Bowl rings in Foxboro, not only represents a rich history but also meaty expectations for anyone tasked with playing under center in New England.
There’s no such thing as replacing Brady or replacing Belichick’s Patriots, but in May and Vrabel, a new chapter is officially underway as the franchise celebrates its first 14-win campaign since 2016 and first AFC East division title since 2019.
“There’s a bunch of banners in this stadium, what I said is they’re unbelievable and they’re not going to help us win, but that’s the blueprint for it,” said Vrabel of his Patriots team.
“We’ve tried to create an identity, I appreciate our game demeanor, I think we play hard, I think we care about our teammates, I think we try to protect the guy with the ball. You see guys turn and block the court and there are certain things we believe in.”
“I think we’re trying to make the best decisions possible out there, I don’t think we’re doing too many things that are reckless and we’re doing too many things after the whistle, we’re not hitting guys, we’re not blocking guys blindly.
“Just making good decisions and not doing things that hurt the team, I think the guys have bought into that and I think we’re a pretty close group. Most importantly, they’re having fun, I think they’re enjoying coming to work.”
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Highlights from the Wild Card Weekend matchup between the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2025 NFL season.
Vrabel, who was fired as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2023, always felt like the right and obvious choice in New England after Mayo’s departure. Having won three Super Bowls with the team as a player, he can attest to what it takes to win football’s ultimate prize.
“Beyond talent, I would say it’s the ability for each other on the team to hold each other accountable,” he said. “I can only go so far and at some point, the players are going to have to do it.
“And we’re starting to realize that a little bit. But my job, I always say, is to protect the team and I don’t mind doing that. I’d just rather not do it all the time and hopefully, you know, these guys can step up as leaders and, you know, start to understand that.”
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