PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
PRESS CONFERENCE
October 7, 2026
Q: What are your impressions of the Raiders having watched their film?
MV: Well, I think that they certainly understand how not to beat themselves. The defense is very opportunistic. They hunt the football and they forced 10 fumbles, which is very impressive as a team. They're disruptive and do a lot defensively, which says a lot to not only their scheme and the coaches, but the players for being able to handle as much as they do. The multiplicity on first and second down, the looks that they give you on third down – it's a great challenge. The offense really stays committed to what they want to do, which is run the football and find their playmakers. They have a great group of big skill players, and I think Kirk [Cousins] has done a great job of understanding when to throw the ball, when to keep the ball down the field and when to get it to guys that are uncovered underneath. That's just his ability to say, "It's not there," and right now, their checkdowns are guys that are moving and on the run. They turn what would be a 5-yard gain into 15-yard gains because of his ability to see that quickly. So, it's a great challenge, it's a new opponent, and somebody that we have to really invest a lot of time in.
Q: Have you seen the guys this week who are scheduled to come off IR, or eligible, I should say, to come off IR? Any sense for where the timeline is on that?
MV: I just think that with the uncertainty here, that probably won't happen. I wouldn't anticipate that happening. Those guys have all worked really hard to get back, and it's just where the situation is with the roster and trying to figure out what we need to do. So, we'll probably not start those guys practicing.
Q: Going back to the Raiders, what do you think of the two tight ends, Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer?
MV: Yeah, I can't say enough about them. Really, Brock is a receiver; that's impressive. What he does at his size, the speed, the route craft, and being able to catch at the catch point. He's like a big slot receiver. He has downfield speed, he runs outward breaking routes, he runs routes like a receiver, but then also he's got the ability to double guys up inside. I think that Mike has really turned into a complete tight end, and everything that I think people that looked at him coming out of the draft envisioned. The ability to play at the line of scrimmage, the ability to block, but also be able to excel in the pass game.
Q: Mike, the Bills moved [Greg] Rousseau from opposite right tackle to left tackle, played a little bit more there than he did. Normally, at least the prior three weeks. Do you have to expect and anticipate the same thing with Maxx Crosby?
MV: Maxx will go wherever he wants to go, and he will do whatever he wants to do, and it's worked out really, really well. I have a lot of respect for Maxx Crosby as a person and also as a player. So, we'll have to know where he is on every single play. It's been impressive. Guys have come from different places, and they've really put together a cohesive group. [Adam] Butler was there, [Jeremy] Chinn was there, Maxx was there, [Malcolm] Koonce was there. But they've been able to supplement that with the guys off the football with [Nakobe] Dean and [Quay] Walker, and obviously continue to add guys inside, and then also [Kwity] Paye. So, they've really come together and gelled well together, and we will have to know where Maxx is, certainly, to start every play.
Q: How are things looking practice-wise with Rhamondre Stevenson and Mack Hollins?
MV: I wouldn't anticipate Mack being out there, and I wouldn't anticipate Rhamondre being out there today.
Q: I'm wondering, next week, A.J. Brown might be eligible perhaps.
MV: He won't be out there today, I can promise you that because he's not eligible.
Q: Do you envision anything for next week, A.J. Brown?
MV: I can only speak to what I know for today.
Q: Obviously, Maxx Crosby headlines this pass rush, but he has a lot of simulated pressures as well, I think nine different players with sacks. How does the way that they rush the passer outside of the standard stuff kind of stand out to you?
MV: Well, there's front variation and bringing guys off the ball. Whether that's the linebackers, bringing Chinn out in the weak safety, bringing the nickel. They do a great job with their games; they do a great job with pressure. So that will certainly be whether they choose to, like you said, bring maybe just four and simulate it, or at times when they need to or want to, bring in the blitz zero.
Q: Mike, are you anticipating Rhamondre's injury, or what is keeping him out, being a longer-term thing, or is there a chance he could play this weekend?
MV: There's a chance he can play. There's just no chance that he'll practice today.
Q: Mike, when you are coming off an energizing win, is it your job to keep the team grounded and bring them back a little bit? Or do you want them to maintain that energy and that momentum moving forward?
MV: Well, I think that's something that you want to be able to recreate. We have to take the same approach as we did last week and understand how critical and important each week in the National Football League is. It's a new opponent, but our preparation has to stay the same - our urgency, the energy level. I think that that can certainly carry over to an extent. But it has to translate to practice, and it has to build throughout the week.
Q: Along those same lines, what did you see from Drake Maye on Sunday in Buffalo that you want to see him carry forward now against the Raiders and moving forward?
MV: Good, solid quarterback play. Make great decisions. His toughness showed up. I thought his decision-making showed up. And for him to lead the football team.
Q: What was it like to see him be named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, just after that performance? What was it like to see him get that honor?
MV: It's great. It's great to see him be recognized for his performance and helping us win. I want us to win those awards every single week, whether that's Drake or anybody on offense or the performances that we could have on defense or special teams.
Q: Mike, Monday, I think you said it was too early to tell if Ben Brown would stay at right guard because it was too soon. So, now after a few days of reviewing the film, do you think that his performance is solid enough that you can build up some continuity there moving forward?
MV: Yeah, I mean, I think Ben will be out there. Ben will be slated to start at right guard, and then we will continue to work guys in there and take a look at everybody at practice.
Q: We talked a lot this summer about Kyle [Williams] and his development. Just how would you assess where he is at right now?
MV: Well, I think he continues to improve, and sometimes it's hard to hear that or believe that when you have to be able to see the football and to be able to get it. He has helped us out on the kickoff returns. I would've liked for us to have thrown a better ball to him down in the end zone, but that didn't happen. I would say that he's committed to working and improving and understanding more than one spot, and we're excited about where he's going to go.
Q: Just thinking of a league-wide trend on the new kickoff rule, I'm curious how that has affected at all any late-half, late-game decisions that you might otherwise have done differently without the ball being at the 35 on like a touchback?
MV: Better be willing to cover them and try to take five seconds off the clock. I don't really think it's the rule; it's the rule combined with the fact that kickers make 60-yard kicks. It's like golf. When a 270-yard drive used to seem like a long drive, now it is 340 yards. So, they start at the 35 and they get to the 50 or past the 50. Guys are making kicks from there, as crazy as that may sound. So, there is a lot that goes into it and managing the clock, but never wanting to be too cute and then knowing that you probably have to do everything that you can to be able to cover some of those kicks in those circumstances.
Q: Mike, I know we asked about trades before. You made the analogy of you're either pregnant or you're not, or you're close on a trade, it doesn't really matter if it didn't happen. With Maxx, how long was that under consideration or how long did those talks prolong?
MV: I couldn't even tell you. I think we talk about all different types of things during the offseason. I couldn't tell you how long those things last or don't last.
Q: The Raiders have scored 25-plus points per game through the first four. What do you see from Kirk Cousins at his age? What is he doing well?
MV: Yeah, he took good care of the ball. I think some of the picks were late. He had one last week at the end of the game just trying to make a play. He's done a great job of protecting the football. Again, being able to put the ball where it needs to go quickly is something that I think he's really done a nice job of, and he has a really good grasp of the offense, based on coverage where he wants to go with football.
Q: Mike, what is your expectation on Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez] and [Christian] Barmore to be back this week?
MV: I don't expect Gonzo to be back out there today. Christian may do some things.
Q: Mike, you are going to celebrate the 2001 team this Sunday. I know you're obviously extremely busy otherwise, but can you reserve a little sliver of your brain for that?
MV: Saturday, I mean, yeah, we'll see. I'll see those guys on Saturday. I'll see those guys for a quick dinner. But it's exciting that there are so many guys that want to come back, and it was a special year for everybody involved.
Q: TreVeyon Henderson obviously has the big play ability, but what are your thoughts on his down-to-down and maybe what you can do to try to get a little more rushing consistency from him?
MV: Well, when you talk about running the football, it's everybody. It takes all 11. Sometimes we block them all, sometimes we do not. We need to block them a little bit better at times. There are times where we have them well blocked and we gain yards. We have to eliminate the no gains or the gains that are inefficient. So that's not just on the guy that is running the football; that's on everybody. Block and force, the guy seeing it, the timing, execution, how he sets up blocks, and that goes for everybody in the run game. It literally takes all 11, and the quarterback's got to get us in the right spot. He's got to carry out his fake and whatever his responsibilities are for the run game to work.
Q: Mike, there's been a lot of pressure being applied overall with the offensive line, in particular this last game. It seemed like Drake was having to use his legs a lot, either to create space, find space in the pocket or take off and run.
MV: I mean, I thought it was okay. It's about what it is. You watch all the games, or you try to watch as many games as you can, and I think that's what pro quarterbacks do. They slide, they move in the pocket, avoid rushes, pressures, keep their eyes downfield, extend, take care of the ball, decide when to take off and decide when to deliver the football. And then there were other times where it was a good pocket. Certainly, when it gets collapsed on us and we're looking downfield and the ball comes out, I think that's a tough one to avoid, looking back at that specific play.
