HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, September 28, 2025

Q: To say that Marcus Jones kind of lit the fuse today for you guys?

MV: I think that's what we've been looking for. I talked about that throughout training camp and how those return units need to be a weapon for us. We've got the one kickoff return, but to be able to do that on the punt return, fantastic effort by Marcus and everybody else out there. I think a lot of that was just his own individual will, skill, and effort. Again, that has to be a weapon. It was something that we felt like could be through this season and getting ready for this year.

Q: What is it about Marcus that makes his skill set so superior?

MV: He's not the biggest player, but he's got great play strength, I think, with the football in his hand. He's got great vision, and, again, you have to be fearless at some level to catch that punt and know that you're going to make the first guy miss. We're confident in that. I think he kind of just -- it's just a natural skill. It's hard to teach. It's hard to teach with all those bodies in traffic and catching it first and making great decisions with it back there. It's a lot of comfort with him back there, and we need to continue to make it a weapon.

Q: Coming off of last week's loss, how much did you need a performance like today? And how good does it feel to be able to put together a performance like this?

MV: You always need it. You only have so many opportunities. Whatever you do in one week, it doesn't really matter. It's about what you do the next week moving forward. Hopefully we take that same approach whether we win or we lose. I think that's what I've tried to do is whether you win or you lose, we've got to embrace moving on. We have to do that. We have to prepare here for a division opponent on the road. It's going to be a great environment, and hopefully we'll see where we're at.

Q: Talk about the defense. Obviously you give up that opening score, but then you guys bounce back and pretty much shut them down the rest of the game. Talk about the adjustments you guys made and how you were able to take control of the game on that side of the ball.

MV: Just settled down a little bit. They did a nice job early on moving guys around. We have to continue to disguise better and tackle better and all those things. I guess, if that's the tradeoff for playing great defense the rest of the way, then we'll have to go through those growing pains early in the game. I don't anticipate that we should. It was good to see us respond, and we've done that. I'm proud of our guys for not going in the tank or complaining or pointing a finger or anything like that.

Q: What did you see from Drake today and the way you guys were able to spread the ball around on the offense?

MV: Just throw to the guy that's open and end the progression as soon as he's open. If not, quickly progress through. Those are the things that quarterbacks have to do, and they have to have a command of it, and we did that. I think the read zone clearly is a big factor. Our ability to convert those chances into touchdowns was important. I saw a lot of extra effort, guys blocking downfield, springing guys. Again, I like when everybody's involved and the quarterback just throws to the guy that's open every play no matter who it is.

Q: I saw you with the T Strong shirt. A lot of the players were wearing them as well. What does it mean to get a "W" when he's going through something pretty serious here?

MV: I don't think that those things are really comparable. We've got one situation where somebody is fighting and we're playing a game. We care deeply about Terrell [Williams], and we're going to do everything that we can to help him and to support him and make sure that he gets what he needs and competes and fights and that we take care of him as people and support. That's the big thing there. The other side of it is just the game. We understand how critical, the wins and losses end, and we're here to win. But I don't look at it like, oh, we have to win because this is is a crucial catch. We just have to win so that we can continue to build a program that can stand, that can withstand everything that goes on in this league.

Q: When you mentioned moving on in reference to Buffalo next week, you said hopefully we'll see where we're at. What did that tell you about where the team is right now?

MV: When we don't beat ourselves and we take care of the football and we play complementary football and we get stops on third down, the return, the special teams are a factor, and we score touchdowns in the red zone, it can look like something. Again, that's not guaranteed every week, but certainly we can see the difference in how critical those phases are and putting them all together.

Q: Marcus Jones has played some offense here at points before. Given how dynamic he's been with the football in his hands, is that a possibility that you'd ever consider using again?

MV: We'd consider anything that would help us win or score points, certainly.

Q: Have you considered it?

MV: We consider everything. Again, we've got a lot of guys that are producing over there. We'll see where that goes and how it translates.

Q: It looked like you had some starting defensive linemen on the field on Marcus' first return score. I was wondering, were you anticipating a fake on that play, and what was it that maybe led to that decision?

MV: We like that gray team. That gray team can be just as good. Whether you're trying to think it's a fake or you like those guys pushing in there, you've got two choices in punt return. You can either hold them up, or you can knock them so far back that it takes them a little while to get down there and cover and there's some displacement in the lanes. We'll continue to mix those up and try to use everybody where we see fit and how they can help us. Whether it's trying to go rush a punt with some bigger guys or try to manufacture a return.

Should I expect a breakdown of those plays and that unit? Good. I want that on my desk by 6:00.

Q: Big game obviously from Stefon Diggs. Was that an emphasis this week, a matchup you guys saw, or just where the ball was going?

MV: No, just where the ball is going. Stef (Stefon Diggs) and everyone has done a nice job. If we can continue to believe in the quarterback that he's going to throw to the guy who's open in the progression, then good things will happen. We get down there in the red zone, and everybody's going to score. We've got plenty of plays down there. If everybody just stays the course and does the right things and does all the things that helps the team, that those plays are going to come for them in the red zone. It's just like the defensive line. They want sacks, and they want all this. [Christian] Barmore is disrupting the quarterback, and he's getting holding calls. I don't want him to be frustrated, but I see those things. Pop (DeMario) Douglas would have liked to have a couple extra catches today, but he also turned and blocked and Hunter Henry ran down the sidelines. Nobody's going to say it unless I say it. So those are the things that matter, not the guy catching the touchdown. That's the easy part. The hard part's the guy that didn't get the ball thrown to him that turns immediately and blocks his guy and we score from the 25 yard line. Thank you.

QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, September 28, 2025

Q: After last week and the week maybe talk about protecting the football, how pleased were you with the way things unfolded with your group today?

DM: Just proud of the guys. I thought they played hard. We get back to our fundamentals and kind of back to establishing our identity. I felt like we did that. Probably didn't hurt ourselves. A few penalties we'd like to have back and obviously three and outs we could have done a better job on first down. Proud of the defense. They put us in some great spots. Marcus Jones, can't say enough about him. Shoot, he's the best in the game at it. I feel it was a full team effort and proud of the guys.

Q: Drake, there was a play in the third quarter where it looked sort of similar to Pittsburgh last week. You had pressure. You went up in the pocket. You were surrounded by defenders. You protected the ball and just sort of went down. Then three plays later you threw the touchdown pass to Hunter. How good is it to see some positive reinforcement that sometimes the best play is just live to play another play?

DM: Yeah, I'll probably throw it away too. Don't take a hit and don't give those guys up front a one-yard sack. They hate me for that, and I apologize to them. Other than that, yeah, if there's nothing there, just try to live for the next play, live another day. Just learn that, and I think it leads to good things.

Q: Talk about the offense. You guys got into a rhythm early, and you were able to sustain that throughout the game. What were your overall thoughts on the offense today?

DM: Just proud of them. Proud of kind of what we put on tape last week was not what we want to do and who we want to be. I thought those guys, we established the run early, we had some different scheme kind of plays that kind of gave the defense some misdirection that I thought we hit right on the head and turned into explosive plays. Just proud of the guys. Just kept on fighting. I thought we were good in situational. I should have hit booty on the first third down and missed behind him, so could have been even better. There's still stuff to work on. Proud of those guys, and it starts with the guys up front and just keep going.

Q: Is this kind of the best version of yourself, like kind of taking what the defense gives you, moving the ball around, managing the football some is this how you project who you want to be moving forward?

DM: Yeah, I sure hope so. If it leads to wins, that's what I'm trying to become and the quarterback I'm trying to become. I try to do it kind of just my whole career, kind of spread it around and give it to the guys that can make plays. I think everybody's got some chance on our team, our skill guys to make the defense give them a problem.

I think we've got guys on the team that are great with the football in their hands and do my best job to get to them quick and to hold it.

Q: You lit up when you were talking about Marcus there briefly. What does that play, the first one in particular, do for the team? It seemed like, I don't know, maybe you were in a little bit of a rut early on and then boom.

DM: Yeah, it's nice. Golly, it's fun seeing that. You kind of always know, I think when he's back there, you've got a chance to get a great return. I think the best thing about it, it makes you feel comfortable when he's back there making a great decision, whether it's touchback or whatever he's doing. I sure hope they keep kicking it to him because he's fun to watch.

Q: You looked real comfortable out there. How big of a role did your offensive line play in that? What did you think of those guys today?

DM: They played the role. They start every play. I think those five guys are playing their tails off, playing their butts off in the run game, in the passing game, learning the protection system, learning third down, different looks. Garrett [Bradbury]'s communicating with me basically on the front getting into different plays. Can't be more proud of those guys up front and they continue to do it each and every week.

Q: You had told us during the week that you wanted to get going with Stef (Stefon Diggs) and find him. How good was it to kind of see him get behind the defense on a couple of days and for you to find him?

DM: He looked a little faster than I thought. He looked pretty fast. I think he's just going to keep getting more comfortable. Shoot, he's a great player with the ball in his hands. He's a great leader on this team. He's great with the energy, being positive, and glad he's a Patriot.

Q: It looked like you guys had some successful shotgun runs. I'm curious, what about those specifically gives you guys an advantage versus when you're going under center?

DM: We always try to hunt up 6 boxes -- a 6 box with a tight end, try to make it 6-on-6. That's football. Try to block the seventh guy and the eighth with our receivers, that's football. If it's sitting in the gun or under center, just try to get a hat on a hat. Our backs are good players. Give them some space, and they'll make somebody miss.

Q: On your rushing score, you hit the Cam Newton Celly, the Superman. I just wanted to know, how much has Cam, when you were a young kid, just influenced how you play the game and how you wanted to play quarterback, maybe emulate his style?

DM: I think it was cool seeing those jerseys. Right when I saw those jerseys, it reminded me of Cam, just the energy he brought. I don't show much emotion out there, probably need to show more. Times when I do, yeah -- it's a fun loving position. I think he played the position in a different way than a lot of people do, and the guys around him rallied around him. I had another one late, I think in the third or fourth, I had a safety one-on-one. I know Cam probably would have took him on and tried to score. Yeah, I got to meet him through the process. I'm a big fan. He was my favorite player growing up,so pretty cool.

Q: You had at least seven X plays here today. What about your preparation in the film gave you guys confidence you'd be able to hit some today, and what did you see?

DM: We knew their corners were good players. They've got a good cornerback duo, and they try to match for outs, so just try to get our guys running away from them and give them some misdirection looks on different run game stuff. I thought our guys executed well and kept on moving and kept going. I felt like it was good not to have 15- to 17-play drives. It felt good to kind of get some lower play drives and end up in the end zone.

Q: How much more comfortable are you feeling right now compared to Week 1?

DM: It's each and every week in this offense. I think there's still stuff on the tape that Coach will get on me on, and I think that's the best thing to do is with a loss you kind of learn from it and take it to heart. Also, when you win, look at the tape and learn from it. There's things that are going to show up in this game that matter down the road. Yeah, getting more and more comfortable. I think those guys around me are helping me out. Thank you guys.

ADDITIONAL PATRIOTS PLAYERS

Christian Gonzalez, CB

(On his regular season debut)

"It was great to get out there. Like I talked about earlier in the week, all I do and want to do is play football, so it was fun to finally get out there in a home game. The crowd was rocking and being out there with the guys was a lot of fun."

(On Marcus Jones' game)

"He's a playmaker, everybody knows he's a playmaker. I feel like once he took that first one back, it felt like he took all that energy from Carolina away, just turned everybody up. It was great to see him make those plays because he works so hard. But we all know what he's capable of and it was awesome to see it."

(On facing Tetairoa McMillan)

"Tet's a great young player. I played him in college, so I know a little bit about him. We were in the same area in the off season, training, so I talked to him a good amount. He's a great receiver, he's big, he's tall, but he can run good routes. He's pretty crafty for how young he is. He went out there, and we had a good battle, it was fun, it was needed to see game speed again. I haven't been out there since a long time, so it was fun to get out there with Tet and all those guys."

(On challenges of returning from injury)

"It's tough to not play for a long time and then go out there. It was a pretty hot Foxborough day, but it was great football weather. It's little challenges, getting your legs under you, just getting back in rhythm. Corner[back] is all about rhythm, you just have to get in your groove. It is what it is and I'm just taking it day-by-day."

Marcus Jones, CB

(On the punt return touchdown and his franchise record)

"First off, it's a blessing. They told me about that after the game and I wasn't thinking about that, but that's crazy. The first punt, the main thing I always think about is getting the first first down. That's the first thing I was thinking about and just getting the offense in a great position. I had someone on my leg for a little minute, but then I got out, and I tried to find some blocking and everything. But I commend my teammates because they never stop whenever they could and they blocked the guys they needed to block, for sure, and opened up lanes."

(On the second punt return)

"Whenever it happened, and what's crazy is that usually when someone gets tackled, they get tackled right then and there. I got clipped, then ran and fell and I was just like, 'Oh I know they're going to say some stuff about me in the meeting room.' So, I'll hear it from them, I'll hear it from my family, but it's part of the game and everything."

Mack Hollins, WR

(On the offensive stat that stood out to him the most)

"We score points, that's really all that matters as an offense, we score points. To be able to put points up and score in the red zone and complete passes was great."

(On what opened up the offense)

"We have to go back to complementary ball, whether it's on special teams or the defense making big stops. When we get the ball in plus territory, it's a little bit easier. When you walk on the field, it's kind of like when the defense walks on the field and they're backed up on their own one-yard line, you get this confidence. We can go score, we're on the fifty-yard line already, the end zone's right there."

(On Drake Maye's confidence building)

"I think every week, you're going to grow whether it's a win or a loss. I think his confidence continues to grow just because reps help that. So, seeing him be able to grow and see the field a little bit easier is always awesome."

(On the mindset of the offense)

"I think everybody just wants to win. Everybody's hungry to win. Whether we're up by 100 or down by 100, everybody is still fighting to win it, nobody shuts it down. That's great to see. In year nine, I've been places where sometimes guys think we lost this one or we won this one already. Even this game right here, we were up by a lot and a lot of people would say the game is over. But we're still out there fighting for yards, trying to make plays, trying to make more X plays. There's no quitting in these guys, which is great."

DeMario Douglas, WR

(On getting the win at home by a large margin)

"I can't stop smiling. It feels good to get this dub. Been a time coming, and I'm glad that we put it together. We put it all together, offense, defense, and special teams. We played complimentary football. That's what I've been wanting here, you feel me? Just my two years, two and four games, man, it feels good."

(On the confidence today's win brings going into next week)

"Good confidence, but just like, say, you take a lot onto the next game. We really build that confidence in practice. As you practice, that's how you build confidence for the opponent for the week. So, I feel like that's how we're going to build our confidence. We got confidence, but we really build it throughout the week, practicing."

(On Marcus Jones' punt returns)

"Man, it felt good. He called it, too. He might not say it, but he called it. He said, 'I'm going to get me one.' Because we were talking about punt returns, kick returns, and we said how AG [Antonio Gibson] had a kick return. And then we were talking about, when are you (Marcus Jones) going to have yours? When are you going to get a punt return? I want to see it in-person, because you know he had the jets the year before I came here, and he got hurt the [first] year I was here. Just to see him keep going, and the obstacles that he went through, and just to see him doing this, praise to him. He's been doing his thing."

(On whether there was something different in the offense's preparation for today's game)

"No, just stuck to our identity. We just worked. Just that game last week, that hurt. Definitely because I feel like we were the reasons why we lost that game. We did, we hurt ourselves. And then coming to this game, we just want to clean up those mistakes. We did a great job cleaning up all those mistakes, and I'm proud of this team."

Hunter Henry, TE

(On whether he considered going out of bounds during his touchdown catch and run)

"No, I never think I'm trying to go out of bounds. I'm trying to score. I have to give credit to Pop (DeMario Douglas) and [Stefon] Diggs and guys on the sideline making big blocks. That's huge for everybody. I really couldn't have done it without those guys."

(On grabbing the ball after TreVeyon Henderson's touchdown)

"Yeah, there's a lot going on in the game. Sometimes you don't know exactly who the back was and I was like looking at who it was and I was like, I think that's TreVeyon. And I was like, I'm almost positive that's his first touchdown. So, honestly, I was trying to grab the ball just to make sure, because I remember those moments. Your first touchdown is huge in this league. It is so hard to score, so a pretty special moment for him."

(On Stefon Diggs' performance and how he is as a teammate)

"Yeah, he's a guy that we rely on heavily, a guy that has had a lot of success in this league, and for him to show up like he did today is huge. I think he's continuing to gain confidence in his knee and just in the whole process of coming back from that because I know how that process can be. I've been through it myself. But just awesome to see him out there flying around. He's been a tremendous teammate, a guy that a lot of guys feed off of and brings a great energy to the room."

(On the importance of special teams at the beginning of the game)

Yeah, it's huge. Obviously, it didn't start like we wanted to offensively and then defensively, it really didn't either. But we have a special guy, Marcus (Jones), back there. Every time he touches the ball, we feel pretty good about a chance for an explosive play. So, I think the guys are pretty fired up to block for him. Those guys on punt return are making big blocks for him. And obviously, he's pretty special once the ball gets in his hand."

(On the team handling adversity from last week)

"It was back to work, man. Obviously that was tough what we did last Sunday, but I feel like everybody went back to work. We were excited for the opportunity ahead. We had to learn a lot and really kind of dig our feet in and learn from what we did, because that's what we put out there. But I feel like everybody attacked a week with a great mindset and was fired up to get back out there today, because it was kind of a bad taste in our mouth with any loss, but that one especially just felt extra bad, just the way we played offensively. So, I think everybody was ready to get to work and fired up to get out there today."

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB

(On his mentality this week)

"It is complex but simple. It's just hold the ball. You have to hold the ball every time you come up with it. We held onto it today, had no turnovers and got a good win."

(On the running backs room being dynamic)

"I think we all feed off each other. I think we are all healthy competitors in there. There is no egos in our room, so I think that's really what it is. We're all happy for one another. I hope to keep it going."

(On if winning and putting up a lot of points was satisfying)

"Yeah, sure. It is always good to put up that many points and win by that margin. So, I say we enjoy this week, or day, and move onto next week."

(On his confidence going into next week after this win)

"Yeah, we won at home. We finally got that. It doesn't matter. Next week is its own challenge and we have to come ready to play."

TreVeyon Henderson, RB

(On how his first touchdown felt)

"It felt good. At first I want to thank God, it hasn't been easy. It has been a tough journey. He has been my strength and kept me focused. I am excited that we came out with a win. I've got to give credit to the offensive line. They have been working so hard. I am really thankful."

(On playing a clean game after the many turnovers last week)

"It was really good. I think we did a good job as a group at holding one another accountable, encouraging one another, pushing forward, and not dwelling on the past. Coming to work this week, especially Rhamondre [Stevenson] and Antonio [Gibson], seeing how they approached practice this week, really encouraged me."

(On Stefon Diggs' pregame speeches)

"He is fired up. I love his passion for the game. I love his leadership. He encourages me a lot. He has been a huge help to this team and getting these guys going."

(On Drake Maye's ability to spread the ball across the offense today)

"He is a great leader, man. He did a really good job today. I know he'll thank the guys around, as a team, and the O-line upfront. I am really proud of Drake."

(On his extra touches today and his response to extra workload every week)

"The biggest thing that I pray on, is I embrace whatever opportunity that comes my way. Whether it is a little bit of opportunities, or a lot, just coming out thankful no matter what. I am going to continue to try to come to work each and every practice and earn a role on this team. Whatever opportunities come my way I will be grateful."

(On what this win will do for the team moving forward)

"I think it creates momentum for us. We can't get too big-headed. Coach Vrabes (Mike Vrabel) does a good job keeping us focused, keeping us humbled, pushing us in practice each and every day. We got to continue to have a great week, great days of preparation to keep this thing going."

Milton Williams, DT

(On what surprised him about the defense's performance today and what changed after the first drive)

"I say it every week. The first fifteen unscouted looks that they don't put on tape. Then after that, they go back to what they originally started running, and then we can start keying in on it. We tried to start fast. They just did a good job trying to keep the D-line out of the game. Lots of runs to the perimeter, play action, boots, quick game screens, and quarterback getting the ball out. We did what we could to try to affect the game, but I feel like they did a good job trying to keep us out of it."

(On Marcus Jones' punt return and what it did for the team)

"That was big. I was just saying, I was trying to block the punter. I think I hit one of my own guys, so I got to go back and look and see exactly who it was [Charles Woods]. Oh, I was trying to get the punter. I was tired, I was just hitting somebody. We scored, so that's all that matters."

(On if the confidence and group chemistry has grown since the first game)

"Oh, yeah. Every week we are growing together through our practice, talking to each other, and seeing what we like. We are talking about how the team is blocking us and what we are seeing out there. Just being on the same page is always something we can always continue to get better at, but you can definitely see the strides."

(On if wearing T-shirts honoring Coach Terrell Williams pre-game was special)

"Oh, yeah. I know Big T. I know we are all praying for him. Everybody in the building loves him, knows the person he is, and the coach he is. We wanted to go out there and make sure we put on a good performance for him. He is at home watching. I know he is proud."

(On if this win mattered more when establishing a winning culture)

"I feel like you get a win whenever you are trying to get it. If you get a big one, that's good to show that we've got the capability to do that if we play clean football. I know last week we didn't play clean and complimentary enough football to win the game. We harped on it all week, and you see the results today. Improvement. It's a long season. It is only game four. We've got to keep it going, keep being consistent, and see what happens."