HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 8, 2026

Q: As you watched the game unfold, what went through your mind in terms of what you were seeing?

MV: Just needed to get some stops early. Obviously, take care of the football. It wasn't the start, and I thought that we made it competitive. I thought we did some things before halftime that it was a 10-point lead last week. Then we just talked about what's done is done, trying to be able to come out and get a stop. I thought if we did that, we would be able to get back into the game. That didn't happen. It's tough when you don't get any turnovers and allow X plays, and then you turn it over offensively.

Q: Obviously a tough loss all the way around, but what did you see from Christian Gonzalez who obviously struggled today?

MV: Again, when your best players don't play good, you don't have much of a chance in this league. So, we expect a lot more. He expects a lot more. We need more from him and everybody else. It wasn't just him. Again, we got to be able to coach and be prepared, and then we have to execute. Just like it is every single week when we don't win, it's all of us, and it starts with me.

Q: How disappointing were the four turnovers, and what were the Packers doing to make life tough on Drake?

MV: The turnovers are disappointing because, first of all, that's what they've done all year, so that's not a surprise. Seventeen percent, eighteen percent of their drives end in a turnover. We've just added to that. So, between the pressure, I think probably a little bit of scheme, and a lot of execution on their end. Guys made plays. I thought there were some positive plays that we had, and then certainly some ball placements and decisions that certainly have to be better.

Q: With Rhamondre Stevenson, I'm curious, we obviously saw him go out at the end of the game there. Was the decision to rule him out immediately due to the score at all, or was there something bigger there?

MV: He wasn't able to return, so I have to get. I'm not sure the extent of what it is. It just came off, so we'll take a look at it, and we'll see. I don't want to speculate right now, but.

Q: You had stressed during Drake's tough start about decision-making, being decisive with the football, playing free. It looked like he had gotten past that period of time in the first three weeks. Were you surprised to see him maybe fall back into that a little bit?

MV: I'm surprised about just the way that the day went, the way that it started, and then I guess how the third quarter went. I think that would be part of the, whether it's the surprise or just disappointed. Again, sometimes in this league these things happen, and it's unfortunate, and we certainly didn't prepare for it. I'm sure he'll rebound, and we'll get him ready to go. We got a tough challenge looking ahead of us, but certainly can't win playing that way, turning the ball over, not creating turnovers defensively, and giving up X plays.

Q: This is three straight weeks now with a slow start. It was 10-0 against Chicago, 13-3 against the Dolphins, now 17-0 against the Packers. How troubled are you by this, and what can be done to fix it?

MV: We'll just, we'll have to try to practice and maybe change. There's a lot of things that we'll have to think about and try to do, focus on how we start practice. Making sure that we're ready to go. It's tough to spot good teams any sort of lead, and we've done that. So that was something that we talked about going to Miami, and that didn't happen. Then something that we continue to talk about this week, and we just have to realize that what we're going to get early in the game is we're getting everybody's best, and certainly whatever they feel like their scheme plays are or things that they feel like are going to help. We just weren't able to get off the field, and then certainly the turnover there early kind of derailed us.

Q: Off the top of your head, what parts of this game felt like they were reflective of the team you have right now at 5-4, and what parts felt like sometimes stuff just happens in a game in the NFL?

MV: I mean, I think there's a lot of those situations. Again, we lost, and we got our asses kicked. There's no two ways around it. That's what happened tonight, and I give them credit, and also know that we can play and have to play much better. We have to play much more sound, and tackle, and affect the quarterback, and create some turnovers, and we have to find ways to be balanced offensively. So it's just not, you get into a passing game, you get down, turning a drop back passing game in this league, bad things happen. Turnovers, sacks, negative plays. There was some good, like in every tape, there's going to be some good stuff in there. I know that there is. Defensively, while we didn't get some turnovers, we got some fourth down stops, got some short yardage stops, and forced the field goal, but just the X plays when you know that they lead the league in X play passes, and that's a huge key. That's the difference in the game.

Q: Looking at this Packers team coming in, I'm sure you wanted to. They live off of turnovers, and they live off of big plays in the pass game. I'm sure you hit on that. How frustrating as a coach to see that all evaporate in the first half?

MV: I think just frustrating. Losing's frustrating. Again, whatever the plan is or the thought, yeah, certainly those are the keys. We're in this together. We are. I'm going to, we're going to get them back, and we're going to get ready to travel and figure out who's healthy and put 48 guys out there that care and that want to try to exhibit some sort of identity. We'll see how we respond.

Q: During the week, you mentioned you're trying to play aggressive on the snap count, but today you got another three pre-snap penalties on the defense. What's going to be your approach moving forward?

MV: Somebody's going to have to play, so I don't know. Can back them up a yard off the ball and see if they can get there or not, or we can just move when the ball moves. We'll figure something out. I'm really, I don't have an answer for that right now, other than it's part ridiculous. We practice it. It's not like we don't hard count them or didn't know that the guy was going to raise his head up and not snap the ball or whatever their silent count was. So just add to the list of things we'll have to talk about. I want it to be hard. I want it to be hard. That's the only way you can do it in this league. Winning in this league is hard. Preparation is hard. We, it's going to have to be difficult here moving forward just to the amount of time that we put in and the emphasis that we have as team and coaches. That's what it's got to be. It's got to be tough. Can't be easy.

Q: You had the challenge flag in your hand on [Matthew] Golden's catch on the sideline. Why didn't you challenge that play?

MV: Because I heard that he was in bounds. Was he not in?

Q: I think he was juggling the ball.

MV: Then I, we didn't see a good view, I don't know, within the time that we had. But I wanted to, and then got a report that he had caught it, so. Again, if the one that they kept the catch down there, and I knew that the DPI was going to stay, but thought it may go back to the six or seven yard line on the DPI. Then try to gain a couple yards there to play red zone defense. Don't always win the challenges. You got to try to be better on the challenge.

QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 8, 2026

Q: How disappointing was this performance for you overall?

DM: Yeah, very. Very. I'm disappointed in myself for, you can't put the team in the hole straight off the bat, first possession, first half. I feel like in the times we had chances to get back into the game, I messed them up, and we had chances to put us back within three points multiple times, and just frustrating. I got to do a better job from a whole perspective, communication, doing the little things right, and I just, I wasn't good. I wasn't good today. And we got to bounce back, and we're on a far flight, but we got to bounce back and know that there's still some games left and we're battling. We've got to battle. I think that's just, that's it.

Q: You talk every week about turnovers. You had some again today. How frustrating is that for you? Also, you just said you got to battle. What kind of mindset do you have going forward with this team for this week?

DM: Yeah, we haven't had a clean, a turnover-free game yet. It's, starting with me, it's one of the biggest differences between winning and losing football games. I'd say, put our defense in a bad spot in the first, the first drive, and just gave them the football and had some other chances down the field and got to see in front. I got to see in front. I feel like I was just a little late sometimes, and I was just trying to. I feel like we got into a throwing game, and that's partly because of what we did offensively and to our, to the team, and then we didn't really get to build off the run game, and I think we just got to start the game, and me specifically, start better. Andrew.

Q: Can you just take us through the three interceptions, what you saw pre-snap and then post that led to those turnovers?

DM: Yeah, just throwing the football in spots that I don't think I should've thrown it. The first one, I think I just got to see, see the guys deep, see the safety positions. The second one happens, maybe throw it a little farther. And the third one, like I said, they're jumping cross routes, so I got to see in front.

Q: You took some hits today. I'm curious how you would describe how you feel coming out of this game physically.

DM: Yeah, it's football. Everybody's taking hits out there, so I feel good. I know we are battling. This team is some, not feeling so good and some injuries, and I know these guys are trying to step up and get in there, and we got to band together, and we got to start being better throughout the week, practicing, start some practice. And coach always says the good players, our best players got to play well, and we didn't do that today.

Q: You've talked in the past about sometimes you can't hunt the big play, you just have to make the right play. Going against this team, they play a lot of two high, they play a ton of zone, they feast on turnovers, they try and take away big plays. Did you guys feel going into this game you could out-strength them? Your strength is big plays, you could get big plays on them, or was the game plan really supposed to be take what they give you?

DM: Yeah, I mean, I think it depends on the feel of the game. I think we felt like they were good in the back end, especially the safety positions, they're ball aware. They've hunted a lot of turnovers on, eyes on the quarterback, in zone coverage. And I knew that coming into it and forced the first one. And then like I said, they jumped some crossers, and just got to do, just got to see it, and that's on me. And from there, we also, we did hit some big ones, so there's some give and take to it. But I think the bad ones hurt more than the good ones, unfortunately.

Q: Basically halfway through the season at this point, what is your gauge on who this team is? Mike [Vrabel] talked about identity of this group. What do you sense about who this team is halfway through the year?

DM: Yeah, I think, man, we've been through a lot. I think just start with nine games, and it's crazy we got pretty much half the season left. We've been through a lot and we've got a lot of bumps and bruises, got some big wins, got some bad losses. So we got to find a way to be consistent. Coach preaches that, being consistent, being the answer. And in these games when you face adversity, we got to do a better job, beginning with me, of handling it and playing games from ahead. That's the biggest thing, offensively speaking from offensively. And then from a team standpoint, we got to band together. This is the National Football League, it's any given week, and these teams around the league are, we got a target on our back. We won the AFC, played in the Super Bowl. Everybody's had top offense, top defense, so everybody's coming after us and we got to respond.

Q: Obviously this was a special weekend for the organization, like with Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) induction and Super Bowl team reunion. Looking back at how the team performed today, do you feel like this event's become a distraction and potentially impacted how the team prepared this week?

DM: No, I wouldn't say that. I don't think any of the team had some players from the reunion around at practice on Friday, and you say what's up, and then there's nothing the players were mandatory obliged to go to or attend. We were focused on the Packers, and I don't think there's really a correlation.

Q: Just wondering if it's at all demoralizing when you're down 17-0 and you're watching what [Jordan] Love is doing on the other side, and I wondered if you even just had a thought on how well he played today with his receivers on the field.

DM: Yeah, I've gotten to know Jordan over the years. A big fan of his game, the way that he throws the football, can throw it downfield. And no, I wouldn't say I'm over there really cheering for him or kind of paying that much attention to it. I think I'm just worried about offensively, what we can do to win the game. And I know that he had a big day, so props to them. Props to them on offense, on defense, on special teams for the plan they had. They out-planned us, out-schemed us, out-efforted us, so we got to, like I said, band together and look to get back. Thank you.

PATRIOTS PLAYERS

Kevin Byard III, S

(On if he was surprised by the amount of big plays Green Bay hit and how to bounce back from them)

"I wouldn't say surprised. We just didn't execute enough. We knew that was going to be the key to the game – eliminate the big play. We didn't do good enough today, at all. We didn't play good enough. We've all got to be better. But yeah, that's how you get your behinds whooped like that, especially against a team that wants to take shots.

(On where the team goes from here)

"As a team, at the end of the day, these are one of those games where, you can't let it beat us twice. We have another game against an elite offense coming up in Germany. So, at the end of the day, we're either going to let this game tear us apart, or we can allow it for us to come together and find a way to get some wins. We're very inconsistent as a team. That's why our record shows that we're five and four, but at the end of the day, we can't allow this game to beat us twice. We have another tough opponent on the road, so we've got to flush this very quickly and get right back to work."

(On if there are commonalities in games where they haven't gotten turnovers and let up big plays)

"I don't know. I think if I knew the answer, I would tell everybody, and we would get some more turnovers. But we're just not getting those turnovers, which we want to get. It's not like I forgot how to get turnovers or intercept the ball or something like that. It's just the opportunities or just not executing, being able to put ourselves in a position to make those plays. But like I said, that's something that we're going to continue to preach until they start happening."

(On the message to the young guys after today's game)

"I mean, it's pro football at the end of the day. We've got, I think, nine more games left. If you start the game the way we did, giving them big plays and not executing, you get down 17-nothing, that's normally how these games end. So, I think just to preach the message of making sure we start faster, and that has to start with starting fast throughout the week. Right at the first practice day on Wednesday, making sure we go out there, starting fast at practice. I think that's the only thing that you can preach. Hopefully that bleeds into game execution. But yeah, I mean, it's pro football. You get your behinds whooped, and then at the end of the day, you've got to line up and play another good opponent. So, you can't dwell on this too long. You've got to flush it as fast as possible."

Christian Gonzalez, CB

(On the difficulties of today's game)

"Yeah. I come up here every week. Obviously, it is frustrating. I want to be who I am for the team, and everybody that knows what I am. But, it's football. I'm going to have a bad game, so this profession. So, it's the same as I come up here week in, week out. If it's a good game, I say, "All right. We move on." It's just like that. You've said that multiple times. You have a good play, watch it, bad play, watch it, good game, watch it, bad game, watch it. So, there are things I messed up on, and I'll be back to it next week."

(On the matchup with Matthew Golden)

"Yeah, they did a good job. He came out and ran good routes, ran the routes they had in the game plan, and Jordan Love was able to get him the ball. I've got to be able to finish and make those plays. I'm right there, I've just got to make those plays. So, it's not the end of the world. I had a bad game. So, I'm not shaken up by it. I'm not too worried about it. I'll move on and be ready for next week."

(On rebounding from struggling early in the game)

"No. Just like I answered the first question, it's the same thing – you make a play, you move on, you give up a play, you move on. This profession, especially this position, it's going to happen, regardless. Obviously, I don't want anybody to catch a ball on me, but they're going to catch a ball on me. They're going to make plays. So, just watching it and moving on."

(On the plan to stop their X-plays)

"The plan to stop the X plays was just playing our defense. There are things that go into it. We got to communicate. And then, as far as me, I can't fall on a go route. I can't turn and get tripped up. The defense is counting on me to hold down the backside, hold down everything else just like we have been. So, just stopping it, that was the plan. Obviously, we didn't, and they did a better job."

Hunter Henry, TE

(On what it took to play today after injury last week)

"It was a long week. Just a lot of hard work and a lot of guys in that training room that took a lot of time with me this week. I really appreciate those guys. We got a lot of guys that are unsung heroes in there, so hats off to them for helping me get out there."

(On his perspective on the game)

"When you're playing a good football team, and when you turn the ball over like we did and give them plus field position, obviously it just wasn't good enough. We've got to find a way to play a clean game offensively and not give them chances. It's continued to bite us against the better teams that we play, and they're going to take full advantage of that."

(On what Green Bay was doing defensively)

"They had a great game plan. They are a great defense. They change up looks, pressure, drop the out. It's hard to say when you're in the midst of it, so I'll watch the film. Obviously turning the ball over. If you turn it over four times, that's killer in any game. Especially on offense giving them short field, momentum, and anything like that, it definitely makes it difficult."

Marcus Jones, CB

(On what is holding back the cornerback group)

"I think what it comes down to, is that that's a great team. They know how to scheme stuff up at the end of the day, but we have to play our football. First off, we need to get turnovers on the defensive side and then playing to our identity, playing fast. At the end of the day, today wasn't our day."

(On their identity)

"I would say turnovers. We talked about that and then also playing to our standard. We can play for eliminating x plays and things like that."

(On how they flush this game)

"When it comes down to it, we have basically seven days, six days. We're going to watch the film, get those things corrected. We had some positive plays as well and understanding both sides is important. You have to move on regardless in the National Football League."

(On the injuries this year)

"Controlling the controllables. At the end of the day, it gives another player a new opportunity, and we always want that. The most important thing is health at first and then control what you can control."

Robert Spillane, LB

(On his summary of today's game)

"Yeah, not our day. In all three phases I felt like we just didn't execute. We didn't get to our game plan. We never got settled as a defense. We weren't able to get stops, we weren't able to find turnovers. Just not our day."

(On how the team moves forward)

"Yeah, you stick together. My dad always has a saying, 'Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.' That just means, man, take what you can from this game, the good, the bad, the ugly. Look at the good, we need more of that. The bad, we need to eliminate that, and we've got to get the ugly stuff off our tape. It's a group effort. All 11 starters, offense, defense, special teams, we're going to take pride in getting this fixed and getting this right. We know what type of team we have, and we've just got to keep continuing to work together moving forward."

(On what made it hard to stop Green Bay's big plays)

"Yeah, they have great talent on that side of the ball. We knew they were elite down the field with (Christian) Watson and (Matthew) Golden, and they killed us today. We've got to be better. We've got to be better at all three phases. Getting home when we rush the quarterback and keeping a lid on it defensively, deep. I know we're all down on ourselves right now, but nobody's going to feel bad for us tomorrow. We've got to flush this one and move on."