HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 2, 2025

Q: It's six straight, but I'm guessing there's some things you'd like to clean up.

MV: Sure, but it's a funny league, and we're going to learn from winning so that we don't have to learn from losing about taking care of the ball and complementary football and how quickly things can change. End of the half, we take a nap, like we talked about the other day. We took a little nap and they scored and made it a one-possession game. Give them a lot of credit, but give our guys credit there for finishing and coming up big when we had to in the fourth quarter with the pressure, the intentional grounding forced them to punt, and then offensively being able to finish with the football was huge. Great timing by Drake. Great catch by Hunter, getting a couple extra yards and staying inbounds, all the stuff that we practice in five-minute, and they're believing in it and they're buying into it because they see that that's what good teams do to end the game.

Q: Mike, just to follow up on that, with all that happened in the game for you guys with some adversity, how good is that for them to see that, go out and execute it, and then say, hey, we do all this, but we can do this when we needed to, made the stops, made the plays, and get out of here with a win?

MV: They're talented. They're a good team, and that's what happens when you do, and you keep teams around when you keep them in the game. Give them credit, but also give our guys credit for battling back when we had to. It wasn't great there. We had our spurts. We had our moments. But when you're cleaning up, need to take care of the football and be better defensively in the red zone. That's been our issue, and they made some good plays down there, but we've got to be better in the red zone.

Q: You've talked a lot about the unselfish nature of your receiver group. What can you say about Pop Douglas who made the most of his opportunities today?

MV: We've got to keep finding Pop. You always look, and when Pop doesn't have the ball and somebody else does, he's turning and blocking and doing all the things that we ask him to do to protect our identity. We have to continue to find him on some of these runaways or some of these slot plays that are really good for him. I love having him on the team. He's fun to coach. He sits right up front, and he's always into it. Great teammate. Always happy for his success.

Q: I know in New Orleans your message to the team was you've got to enjoy winning. What was the message knowing you guys won despite not playing your best?

MV: Just get ready to go on the road. Understand that that's how it goes in this league sometimes. It's tough. But embrace -- don't let anybody take the joy of what we do. Joy is authentic. Joy comes from these guys caring about each other, being happy for the guy next to them that made a play. Joy is about what we do in here, and I think that they need to embrace that and be thankful for what they get to do and what I get to do. We talked about when you get -- sometimes you get this taken away from you, whether you're a player and you get cut or you're a coach and you get fired and you get another opportunity, you want to try to make the most of it and enjoy it.

Q: We saw you talking to Drake on the sideline after that interception. It looked like some encouraging words. How important is it for you to pick him up in that spot?

MV: Well, I just have to play a lot of different personalities and try to figure out what's best for our football team. I told our offense that we were going to need one drive to win the football game. At some point in time, I think there were seven minutes left, I said I don't know if it's going to be a two-minute drive or it's going to be a five-minute drive, but we're going to need one more drive from you, and that's all that's going to matter. As soon as the defense goes out there, I'll let you know if it's going to be a two-minute or a five-minute, and it ended up being a five-minute. They executed.

Q: When you blow somebody out, everybody can see that big win, everybody is excited about it, but when you win a game like this, how big of a win is it for this group moving forward to win a close game like this?

MV: Well, we've won some close games, and I think that we did kind of learn a little bit about ourselves. You can make mistakes, and you have to be able to come back and finish the game. There's a lot of snaps still left, and understand what is needed from us. It's a fun group to coach because I think that they're going to always want more. They are receptive to the coaching. They give us everything they've got. We're nine games in. We practice hard, and we play, beat up, we're going on the road. I'm glad and appreciative of everything that they've given us thus far halfway through the season.

Q: Just wanted to ask about the cornerback room and how they did today, specifically with it seemed like you had Marcus and Carlton all over the place and also with Christian going out and Charles going in?

MV: Yeah, everybody has got to be ready to go. Sometimes we challenged, and they made a play. Drake London is a good player. I'll be able to evaluate the performance more tomorrow when I talk to you, but Charles Woods is ready to go in there and play and be ready for his opportunity. It's kind of what you have to do. You have to be ready to go and step up, so we made some plays and they made a few, but ultimately we made more than they did.

Q: In the last drive when you threw it and had a few yards to go and the clock was stopped and Atlanta had the last time-out, how much conversation was there between you and Josh between running the ball, let the clock go, or put it in Drake's hands and let him make a play?

MV: It was pretty quick, just go win the game. Go get the first and win it. That was a quick conversation.

Q: Drake's strip sack, Will Campbell ran all the way to make the tackle. What does it say about him as a player and the offense as a unit?

MV: Well, I think that those plays, if you do those enough, you're going to save points. There's going to be another time in the season where somebody is going to have to do that and the defense is going to get a stop. We weren't able to get a stop on that particular effort, but that won't go unnoticed. I appreciate your perspective and your willingness to point that out because the play is never over. Maybe the next time that ball gets knocked out, Will knocks that ball out or Diggs is chasing a receiver one time and knocks the ball out or chasing the linebacker down in Cleveland. So we don't want to turn the football over, but when we do, we expect the effort, and that's certainly the -- Will was doing that, and that's going to save points the next time.

Q: It seemed like you guys had a lot of success running inside today. What did you see from TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings having to step up obviously with Rhamondre out?

MV: Yeah, they ran hard. We had some openings I wish we would have been able to pop a few more. But we moved them and we get on the second level and felt like it was okay. Could have been better. Really just -- we get disjointed a few times. Too many seconds and longs, too many times we put ourselves in long yardage, but we converted. We were good on 3rd down, even with that. So again, the run game, and those guys will complement each other. Backs ran hard and took care of the ball, and then we had a few perimeter plays. We'll just try to figure out what gives us the best chance each and every week to win the game.

Q: You had Terrell Jennings with the ball in his hands on that last drive, you had a touchdown earlier. What has he done to kind of earn the trust that you gave him in those big spots?

MV: I mean, he's run hard. He's run hard in five-minute. He's a physical back. Those guys rotated most of the game. And TreVeyon helped us win and so did Terrell, trying to get the ball to everybody in the rotation. Just in that situation, I think, where Josh was going to go with some inside runs there at the end, just get a little bigger back in there. Excited to keep moving forward with these guys and get Rhamondre back as soon as he can get back.

QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 2, 2025

DM: Salute to Service week. We met some families yesterday that came to practice that had a fallen soldier, and on the back of my helmet we had J.C. for mine, we honored different players throughout the game. It was Jack Casey. He was a Marines captain, and he passed away last year. So it was cool to honor that, cool to honor this week in the NFL, cool to honor those who serve our country. It's pretty sweet how they put their lives on the line, man. They're the true heroes and it's bigger than football. Just want to say that. We got the win today. That was pretty cool to get the win during that week.

Q: Just to follow that up, how important to get out of there with a win with a couple of turnovers that you had but also the 17-yard play on 3rd and 5 at the 23 to complete to Henry, how good was that for you guys as a group to finish it off?

DM: Yeah, first I've got to play better for this team down the road. I think it's tough, it's tough in a game where you win and you can feel in that locker room that these guys know we can play better.

I think it's a good feeling to have, but also at the same time it's tough to win in this league, so you've got to enjoy it. You've got to enjoy it. And Hunt made a big play down on the sideline, five-minute. Shoot, we didn't want to make the defense make another stop for us again. And there's so much things to learn from this game, and I'm just proud of this team for -- it doesn't matter if it's 24-23 or 3-2. Proud we got the win.

Q: I know you said it's not your best game clearly, but one thing in the second half we all noticed, after the interception and you were on the sideline, it looked like Mike Vrabel came right up to you, had some encouraging words for you. How important is that for you as a young player, and if you might share a little bit about what he said?

DM: Yeah. He's great at coming up to me after really every drive. He comes over and says something to me, always positive, always wanting me to rally the guys around me, always challenging me to battle adversity and get the guys going. I think I just appreciate the way he coaches me. He's hard on me, but he's very positive, and I think he wants the best out of me. Everything that he says to me, I think it's going to be important and become true.

Q: You said you've got to play better. What about your game did you not like today that you want to --

DM: Yeah, I think 21-7, we really got a chance to get some more points going into halftime, and free rush there, first thing I had to do, I told our quarterback coach, just got to tuck the ball to the chest, and getting in a bad habit of trying to break tackles on these guys that I don't have a great chance of breaking a tackle on. Then like I said, ball on the 50, around midfield, and I'm not sure -- I think we were up 24-14. One of those same pages to Hunt. Like I said, gave the ball back to them at midfield and it just changed the game. Really the turnovers, but other than that, I think just trying to stay more positive. I think once we got -- we were good on 1st and 2nd down, and I think we were good on 3rd down today, but just trying to stay in 3rd and manageable and just keep making plays and battling from adversity is what this league is.

Q: You had that run in the first half, I think, where you got hit pretty hard and pretty high. Was that just you, dammit, I'm going to go full speed ahead or you didn't have room to slide? Can you take me through that?

DM: Yeah, I tried to cut back. Like I said, cutting back is probably not in my repertoire. I need to get down. Pop cut back and made it look a lot better than me on the long catch. Yeah, just get down. I just revert back to my natural instincts in the open field, but yeah, I need to get down.

Q: You guys had a lot of success hitting them with those crossing routes throughout the entire game. What did you see during the week that led you to believe against that secondary that you could hit those big plays down the field?

DM: Yeah, I think they played some match coverage. They were challenging us to beat some man routes, beat some man coverage. I missed some more crossing routes that I wish I could have had back. I think credit to our guys; we challenged them all week in the receiving room and tight end room to win against match and see the -- be physical at the top of the route, and those guys made some big plays today.

Q: Outside of the turnover, what did the Falcons do to give you guys trouble in the second half?

DM: Yeah, first half I think we were rolling that first drive out of halftime I thought was big. They held us in the red zone, but it was a big drive. I think we took up almost nine minutes or eight minutes. But the second half I think it's just stuff that we can control. I think once we handle adversity or once we face adversity on the sideline, I think we can do a better job of handling it and moving on. But like I said, our defense stepped up big for us, and that last five-minute was cool to -- the ups and downs of the game, to finish on that.

Q: Mike talked about some of the joy and appreciation that comes along with winning in this league. Do you feel that right now, or is there kind of a frustration about the miscues? How do you come out of this one mentally?

DM: Yeah, shoot, so far in my career, I think just trying to enjoy these wins. It's tough to win in this league, and from my short career in this league, I think you've just got to enjoy it when you get in the win column, enjoy getting another chance next week to face a good team on the road. I think you just enjoy the wins and know deep down I'm frustrated and I want some plays back, but that's a good defense we faced, and those guys in that locker room are cool to be around and play with. Thank you, guys.

ADDITIONAL PATRIOTS PLAYERS

K'Lavon Chaisson, LB

(On what it took to come away with a close win)

"Grit and just a 'next play' mentality for sure. Obviously, they made some plays when they had to. They have some key play makers. The receivers made some decent plays, just keeping the drive going. So, just every time we get back to the sideline, we're finding ways to get the drive stop, get off the field, and keep surviving."

(On the key to his start today)

"I feel like that's something that we kept saying that we need to start off with a better first half, a better first drive. So, we had some great tendencies going into the game and once I got on the field, I was excited and ready to get my opportunity."

(On the feel of momentum in the locker room)

"Most definitely, we're not going to overlook that. We talked about it as a defense, the night before the game, just enjoy this and embrace what we've put on the table, what we put on film. We keep saying there's some things that we want to get better in, but it's a lot of things we're doing right and some things that got us to six in a row."

(On holding Bijan Robinson to under 50 yards)

"I guess it's been impressive to the outside, but I feel like, internally, we all know the standard that we set for ourselves and something that we know we're capable of. So, continuing every weekend, just to establish that run game and try to set a wall, so when we have the opportunity to rush the passer, we can be successful."

Robert Spillane, LB

(On facing Bijan Robinson)

"Yeah, anytime you get to go up against the greatest in the league, it's a fun challenge. Bijan Robinson, when he runs the ball, all 11 are at the point of attack. He can pick and choose where he wants to run the ball at any point. I'm really proud of our defensive line. Our defensive line has stepped up big for us all year. They continue to make plays in the run game and the pass game. Then, our secondary support, our tacklers, our corners, our safeties, and our nickel, who keep showing up in the run game, limiting some of these potentially big runs to two, three yard gains. That's really huge for us as a defense."

(On earning a win today)

"It means everything to us. We get 17 of these opportunities guaranteed, and you don't take them lightly. Each one of these games is going to show up big later down the season in November and December. When you're looking for a win, to come out of here with a win was huge for us today."

(On continued defensive success against the run this season)

"It's a mindset. It's a willingness to stop the run at all costs. All 11 players on the field being dedicated to stopping the run game. If you have one corner that doesn't want to tackle, those runs turn into big runs. Gonzo (Christian Gonzalez) sticks his nose in there every chance he gets, an elite shut-down corner. When he gets any opportunity to tackle on the edge, he comes up and fills those lanes. Same with Carlton [Davis III], and those are not easy for such a great cover player to say, my job is to cover, not make tackles in the run game. They dedicate themselves to setting hard edges and making physical tackles. So, I'm really proud of that, Marcus Jones included."

(On how much pride he takes in statistical defensive success against the run)

"None, my pride comes from being who I am, the person I am, trying to be a good teammate as best as I could be. I don't put my pride into stats. I'm really proud of how we've been able to stop these running backs, and then I want to see that continue going forward. But at the end of the day, I'm going to be proud of the effort that I put in."

Christian Gonzalez, CB

(On playing more off coverage than press early on)

"It was just on calls. Certain calls I play off, certain plays I press. I kind of have freedom in whatever I think I should play. They were running certain routes early in the game and we made adjustments and went with it from there."

(On how the cornerback room values helping in the run game)

"We look at it the same way as pass plays. Sometimes they want to design, the offense can design, to make corners tackle, make nickles tackle. We invited them, so we enjoy it, and we all feed off each other. The same way they get excited when we make a pass break up, I think they get more excited when we come up and make a tackle in the run game. It is awesome, it has been a lot of fun."

(On Drake London)

"He is a talented receiver, like a lot of receivers in this league. We had our battles. He won a couple, I won a couple. That is the nature of this position, is you just have to make plays. They are going to make catches, they get paid to, so I am just glad we won."

(On the pass breakup on fourth-and-two)
"It was just outside, I saw the motion. They wanted to get a lot of inside breaking routes. Felt I had a beat on it, and you just trust your instincts and go and make a play."

Terrell Jennings, RB

(On how it felt to score a touchdown during a winning game)

"This day was special in a way since it was our salute to service. I celebrated Brett Conway, his life today. Last night, I had lost a really close, he wasn't a family member, but he was a close friend to my family. So, I was just balling for them today, and I can really say it was my team. That's all I could think about with that first touchdown. My team, all the work we put in, they were more excited than me for the touchdown."

(On how far he has come on the team)

"I give my blessings to God and my teammates. They push me every day, get me prepared for those moments. That's what it is."

(On how he contributes in small and larger ways offensively)

"Every week I prepare to be the best player for my team. If it is special teams, if it's running back, if it's having a conversation with a guy, I want to be the best at it anyways. I want to thank my coaches for putting me in a position to make those plays and be able to be on the field after a touchdown. That's amazing to me."

(On what was going through his mind after his touchdown)

"I saw the hole. As soon as I touched the end zone, I just praised the Lord. I'm thanking God in my head, like, thank you God. This is what I play the game for, to get in the end zone. My teammates being there, that made the whole experience better."