HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 15, 2026

Q. Do you have an update on Drake?

MIKE VRABEL: I don't. I don't. Obviously wasn't able to finish the game, so we'll have to get some more tests run and we'll see when we come back what it ends up being and the severity of whatever injury he has.

Q. What's your level of concern with the offense today?

MIKE VRABEL: I mean, again, we have a lot of -- it's not. I don't think Drake's being in there or not would have really -- I mean it may have. I would highly doubt it. Until we start doing the little things better in all three phases, the fundamentals, being able to run the football, being able to get open and catch and protect our quarterback, tackle, get off the field on third down, create turnovers, obviously we have to start turning it over offensively and then special teams, got to be able to create a spark for us and create some momentum plays.

So we're 0-0. We're heading into the bye and we have to get some things fixed and changed and corrected and figure out ways to win as opposed to what we're doing right now which is not giving ourselves enough of a chance.

Q. Coach, how much did your game plan change?

MIKE VRABEL: I mean, those quarterbacks are able to execute everything that we want to do. Probably the game experience is somewhat limited certainly in his role since he's been here, but I don't think that there are things we wouldn't have been able to do. It's just how well we all executed.

Q. Mike, just what's your concern level right now after the defense gave up 80 points the last two weeks; two tough losses.

MIKE VRABEL: Yeah, two tough teams. There's a lot we have to fix, right? You play good teams in this league and you don't play well, you have no chance and we know that. There's glimpses of good defense. Give up too many plays, too many mixed tackles, too many clean pockets for the quarterback and don't affect them.

But then there's also other times where it looks like we kind of know what we're doing. Offensively, we get off to a good drive and then we're the ones that really end that drive. It's our doing. And so there's positives out there, unfortunately, just not enough. It's going to be a big week for us all just mentally to get ourselves back and figure out that 0-0 in this season and see where we go no matter who we have.

Q. Mike, do you have an update on A.J. Brown?

MIKE VRABEL: Wasn't able to finish. We'll see what the severity of that is once we get back and kind of go from there.

Q. You mentioned 0-0 a couple of times. Is that the message coming out of the bye?

MIKE VRABEL: I don't know what else it could be, you know what I mean? I don't know what else to say. If we don't get things corrected or improved or fixed, that's going to go the other way. I don't anticipate that it will.

Again, this league isn't always 10-game winning streaks. There's adversity that goes in this league and the journey along the way and injuries and everything that you have to deal with.

So that's our challenge and I'm excited to get to work at it and I hope that our guys are because that's what I'm going to try to do.

Q. Mike, the difference between execution and that effort and finish, part of the identity that you want are two different things. Here's the second part. If you walk in here, are you thinking you're seeing the effort and the finish?

MIKE VRABEL: Again, I think that there's times, and if you don't get a play started or defensively -- again, I try to reiterate as many times as I could that they were going to chase the ball and they were going to try to push the receiver into the end zone just like they did. And if we weren't there, again, that's a choice.

I have to look at that and make sure that that's something that that's our standard. I'm not going to say that it was. That's what they were going to do and it was no secret to anybody, especially me and to our team that got told that numerous times.

Their first touchdown, you know, left guard's running 50 yards down the field and he's five yards behind the receiver, so give them a lot of credit.

Q. With the bye coming up this week, sometimes teams will have a practice or two. Are you going to practice this week or are players just getting the whole week off?

MIKE VRABEL: We'll be in there on Tuesday and see what we're able to accomplish. I don't know, come out of here with a bunch of guys injured and guys leave the game and don't finish. We'll have to see what it looks like on Tuesday.

Q. You mentioned Drake, you don't know the severity of the injury.

MIKE VRABEL: That he couldn't function. Couldn't play. Couldn't run. Couldn't do whatever he needed to do to play quarterback, to protect himself, to execute, or function at that level.

Q. Mike, it looked like a high ankle sprain.

MIKE VRABEL: Again, I know that it was a low leg injury. I don't know the exact details of it but I know he couldn't go back in.

Q. Re: outlook

MIKE VRABEL: Every year is different. Every game is different. You know, it's a different team, different time. We got to focus on what our team is and who we want to be.

Q. Mike, can you assess your team's mental status right now after two big losses and all the injuries?

MIKE VRABEL: No, I'm not going to -- again, we've gotten beat two weeks in a row. That starts with me. And, again, we're professionals. We're grown men. We all have to recognize what it is we need to do better and improve. That's what winners do.

Winners figure out ways to help the team win. They don't bitch and complain. They try to find ways to help the team.

Q. Mike, the team bounced back from a loss earlier in the season. What do you think can be the message to get them to bounce back again knowing they already did?

MIKE VRABEL: Man, I got a week to figure that out. There's no magic formula, there's no magic words. There's no pep talk. This is professional football. Do your job, line up, block them, tackle them, hit them. Knock the ball loose. Cover them, get open. There's no magic formula. There's no pep talk that I can go in there and give them right now that in a week we're all of a sudden going to be better. You have to get back to work and do it together.

Q. Is this a team that bitches and complains?

MIKE VRABEL: No. Just in general. I said that winners don't do that. Winners find ways to win; losers bitch and complain. I say things and then you just automatically assume. I apologize. I appreciate that. I didn't mean to say it that way.

I meant that we need a winner's mentality at this point in time. There's a lot of season left and we know how these things go in the National Football League. But you're going to have to start playing better where we're at here in November.

Q. Christina Gonzalez played well last week. Today I think he had some ups and downs, but he got an interception. How would you describe his play today?

MIKE VRABEL: Again, he slipped and the guy made a play. Nobody else helped him get the guy on the ground, so they're going to catch passes on everybody. It's good to see him come back and respond and challenge guys and get an interception and try to get a turnover.

I'm watching him try to rake the ball out and it almost comes out over there on our sideline. So, you know, we know that when you go out there that if the guy catches on you, we got to be able to get him on the ground. If not, the next guy needs to get him on the ground.

Going to be probably some plays in there that are really good, and some plays that like everybody else, you would like to have back. This isn't about one guy. It never will be. Never has.

Q. Re: Hutchinson sack on Drake Maye

MIKE VRABEL: I don't. Again, I'm not going to assume there was something there. I mean, you know what I mean? However it happened, I don't think it was anything intentional. I'm sure that it wasn't. That's part of the game. I appreciate you guys.

I want to thank Munich for the hospitality and the fans and everybody that came over here and made this trip possible. Certainly wished it would have ended a different way, but appreciate everybody welcoming us here and the support that we get from our people here with the Patriots, so thank you.

QUARTERBACK TOMMY DEVITO

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 15, 2026

Q. How would you sum up what unfolded today?

TOMMY DeVITO: Not good enough are the words I would say. Offensively, just never really got going; never really was able to get into a rhythm, really get drives going. Too many three and outs and just hurting ourselves. Even the one drive that we had that resulted in a touchdown took 16 plays and there were still errors on that that happened.

We just need to be better at that and just sustaining drives.

Q. Have you had a chance to see Drake?

TOMMY DeVITO: I have not.

Q. How did it unfold for you on the sideline when you knew I were going to have to play?

TOMMY DeVITO: Yeah, it was pretty quick. It was kind of just, looked at me, it was good, and said I was rolling, so that was kind of that.

Q. If Drake has to miss a game or two, how confident are you to step in and be the starter?

TOMMY DeVITO: I'm going to continue the process I have been doing up to this point. Something that as a two, as cliche as it sounds, you have to be prepared to be a starter. So just keep doing what I'm doing, keep my head down, and then if something like that were to happen, you would have the reps and practice and the walkthroughs and everything going forward, so just keep on preparing and on to the next.

Q. Re: confidence

TOMMY DeVITO: I think just practice reps, mindset, everything that goes into it as an offense as a whole. We can't let teams bully us how we were.

Q. Is that something that was mentioned in the locker room, that aspect of today?

TOMMY DeVITO: I don't know if it was said for that. That's just kind of just how I felt. We never got to establish who we were. Kind of felt like we were playing on their terms, and I think that's just not our style of football. That's not our offense. That's not how we want to play. That's not what we preach.

So it starts with the quarterback, so it starts with me. I just have to play better and sustain drives and get the thing going and stop feeling so lax.

Q. Re: where team goes from here

TOMMY DeVITO: I think we just focus on the next week. We have a bye week here, a lot of time to reflect and process the games that have happened and the games that are coming. All you can focus on are the games coming ahead.

Q. You kept launching it down field. Was the connection missing with the starters?

TOMMY DeVITO: Say that again.

Q. Re: connection with starting receivers

TOMMY DeVITO: I wouldn't necessarily say that at all. I throw to them throughout the week, like Drake does and Behren does. Just kind of rotates through. Just got to find ways to make those play to get those explosives, because that can lead to points and just keep moving the ball down the field.

Q. How were the field conditions? Was it slick?

TOMMY DeVITO: It was a little slick, but we wear cleats. I'm not worried about that.

Q. The experience of being here this week in Munich.

TOMMY DeVITO: Yeah, minus the game, awesome city. I was here two years ago so I was kind of the tour guide for some of the guys outside the game. Some of the older churches, if you will early on in the week when we first got here.

But besides that, could've been the cherry on top getting a win, but unfortunately it doesn't unfold that way, so back to the drawing board. Thank you, guys.

PATRIOTS PLAYERS

Safety Kevin Byard

Q. I know it's a tough loss, but in the National Football League, just how important is it for you as a leader to step up?

KEVIN BYARD: Yeah, I think I'm trying to do it the best way I know how by obviously staying positive, trying to hold guys accountable. At the end of the day, we got to perform better. Bottom line in this league, talking, motivational speeches, getting guys on the sideline, it means nothing if we're not playing well, if we're not playing connected as a team, not playing complementary football.

I would have bet my paycheck today that we weren't going to put that performance out there that we did. It sucks right now. We're in a bit of a slump. Injuries are piling up. All kinds of things.

Obviously going into a bye week, I'm going to take some time off and get my mind off of things and try to recharge. We got a seven-game stretch that we got to -- the margin of error is basically at zero. We got to find ways to string some wins together and play together as a team.

It's going to start in practice. I felt like we had a great week of preparation this week, so just searching for answers right now.

Q. What's your concern level about Drake Maye's injury and the team's ability to respond?

KEVIN BYARD: Yeah, any time your starting quarterback goes out and is not able to return, there's questions. Obviously, I don't have any answers right now. We don't know the extent of his injury.

But he's our quarterback, he's our leader, and obviously I'm hoping that he's okay. But, I mean, who knows right now.

Q. What did you see happen on the catch and run?

KEVIN BYARD: Same thing that happened with any explosive play, either not tackling, guys slipping, falling, not taking great angles to the ball. So, yeah, explosive plays killed us last week and it killed us again this week. We have to eliminate explosive plays if we want to be a good defense.

Q. What do you think is leading to some of the tackle issues?

KEVIN BYARD: Yeah, like I said. Taking bad angles. I still got to watch the film. Christian slipped on his. We took some bad angles to the ball, trying to chase it down he was able to cut back. Credit to those guys too. Those receivers were blocking way down the field on the screen play, O-line pushing the pile and pushing guys into the end zone so credit to them.

At the end of the day, they played harder than us today. They played more physical than us today. And as a defense, that feels like a slap in the face that we let them play harder. We knew they were a team that play with effort and finish. The fact that we didn't get it done today is very disappointing.

Q. Injuries at the quarterback position, do you feel like there's an extra step to getting everyone communicated and everyone on the same page, especially in today's game?

KEVIN BYARD: Yeah, guys go down, that's kind of been the story of our season this year. Whether it's on offense or defense, whatever it may be, guys are going down.

But at the end of the day, there's no excuse. Guy comes in we're on the same page as the defense; vice versa on the other side of the ball.

So, yeah, like you said when guys come in and they make plays, it's credit to them being prepared. I just think that professional football, like we got to make sure no matter who is in the game, we all know what we're doing.

Q. With these last two losses the way you guys were playing going into the bye, are you worried the season is starting to slip away?

KEVIN BYARD: No, I'm not worried at all. It's nowhere near the position we want to be right now, 5-5. We have to reset our mindset going into this stretch run. 0-0, we're an even team. Very inconsistent.

But at the end of the day I would say everything we want is still in front of us. I think that's one of the positives you can look at coming out of this thing. And we just had to find a way to start winning together as a team, playing complementary football.

Lost two games against two very tough opponents, but at the end of the day, we still have an opportunity to go out in the AFC and start winning these AFC games and that's something we have to do.

Linebacker Christian Elliss

Q. How would you characterize what happened today defensively?

CHRISTIAN ELLISS: Just everyone has to do their 1/11th. Feels like there's plays where we have ten guys doing the right thing and one guy's not. It starts with me and me doing my job, and then it goes down the line.

And, yeah. We play good ball when everyone's doing their job.

Q. Re: The catch-and-runs and explosive plays.

CHRISTIAN ELLISS: At the end of the day, you've got to run him down and get the ball down. Obviously you don't want to miss tackles, you don't want these screens to hit for big yardage, but we need guys running out of stacks. We need LBs running to the hit. We need safeties running down and corners running after the ball. The whole defense. Everyone, those type of plays he's got to get the guy down.

Q. How much does that come back to the effort and finish identity that you guys want to have that maybe you can still search for?

CHRISTIAN ELLISS: You know, the frustrating part is you see it. You see the effort and finish and then it's just one play here, one play there. Down in, down out type of thing that we've got to really look at ourselves in the mirror and you fix yourself first and then you drag other people along.

Q. You're a team in general that forces a lot of missed tackles. What do you think is leading to some of these tackle issues?

CHRISTIAN ELLISS: Just coming to balance, making sure you're not falling off the diving board. Make sure you're wrapping up. At the end of the day when you have your brothers come to the ball with you, even if you're about to lose grip or whatever, he should be getting smoke. So I think it's an effort from the whole defense.

Q. Does the mood on the team change when someone goes down?

CHRISTIAN ELLISS: No. I think -- well, obviously he's a huge part of this team. He's an amazing player. He's the captain. He's all these things.

But for us as a team, no matter who's at the helm, especially on defense, we got to help them. We got to be able to limit points. We got to help our offensive hold good field position and we didn't do that today.

Q. How would you say the message is in the locker room in terms of where you go from here?

CHRISTIAN ELLISS: I mean, we're 5-5. We're basically 0-0, so we're going to take this bye week, really watch the film of what's happened so far this year. How can we get better? How can we fix this and that? And then at the end of the day, you're going to find your want-to, find your why and go from there.

Running Back Rhamondre Stevenson

Q. How would you characterize what unfolded today?

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON: We got beat. We didn't play well enough as a unit. Really that's offense, defense, and special teams. We didn't play good enough. We have to go back and watch the film and see what we can pick.

Q. How disappointing for you is that to be the case, especially coming off last week with another tough loss?

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON: Yeah, this league doesn't care what happened last week, the week before or -- you know, so it's just something we got that fix ourselves. We got to look at the film, see what we're doing well. Something these to be fixed, though. Like you said, we just lost two games in a row.

Q. Have you been able to talk to Drake?

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON: No, not yet. Not yet.

Q. What's your concern level with his injury he sustained?

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON: My concern level anybody gets hurt is the same. I want everybody to be available, so, yeah, tough one there. Hopefully he gets healthy soon.

Q. Rhamondre, you just mentioned availability being important. There was some talk of you getting hurt, your knee getting hurt at the end of last week's game. How did you make it to play today?

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON: I just trusted my trainers. I trusted what I was feeling in my body. Just got extra treatment, things like that, and I was ready to go ultimately.

Q. Re: Getting the team to buy in.

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON: Yeah, I do. I don't really know how to answer that. I feel the same way. We need to put good things on film every Sunday, every chance we get. Some things don't take talent. You go out there and play 100% every play. Know what to do, prepare yourself.

Like I said, that takes no talent. We have to go out there and do that every day, give it our all and leave it all on the field.

Q. Rhamondre, sorry about the loss, but what's been your favorite thing about Germany?

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON: I don't know, bro. Downtown. I'll say