Patriots’ Mike Vrabel takes shot at previous Drake Maye critics

Shortly after the New England Patriots fell to 1-2 on the campaign back in September, one-time regular-season Most Valuable Player and current NFL analyst Boomer Esiason suggested that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel should seriously consider benching Drake Maye amid the quarterback’s struggles. 

Maye ultimately silenced such chatter by producing better performances through New England’s 24-19 win at the Miami Dolphins that improved the Patriots to 5-3 on Sunday. It seems like Vrabel kept some receipts regarding what was said and written about Maye earlier this fall.

Mike Vrabel glad he didn’t bench Drake Maye

As shared by Hayden Bird of Boston.com, Vrabel was asked a question about running back Rhamondre Stevenson during a Monday morning appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg HIll Show.” 

“We should bench him,” Vrabel joked before the question could be fully asked. “We should get rid of him.”

Vrabel later said that “we should fire” every player “that has one bad play.” 

“Imagine if we would’ve benched Drake Maye after he threw a couple of interceptions? I mean, that’s what you guys sound like sometimes,” Vrabel added. “It’s ridiculous.” 

At the time Esiason offered his idea of benching Maye, the third-year pro was leading the league with seven total turnovers for the season. As shared by Pro-Football-Reference, Maye has since completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions since the start of Week 4. He also rushed for three scores as he and the Patriots went 4-1. 

Why Mike Vrabel has “enjoyed coaching” Rhamondre Stevenson

Meanwhile, StatMuse shows that Stevenson has committed the second-most fumbles in the league (18) since the Patriots made him a fourth-round pick during the 2021 draft. Against the Dolphins, he rushed for a team-high 82 yards on 19 carries. 

“The things that he does on the football field tell me that he cares deeply about the team, and I’ve enjoyed coaching him,” Vrabel said about Stevenson. “I’ve loved how his growth has been as a leader in the running back room and the offense. And again, I’d go back and say there were times last year when he didn’t take care of the ball that we did a terrible, horse—- job of protecting him. There were times when he didn’t have good technique, and there were times when we didn’t protect him. So I think he’s continued to work hard at that. He’s running hard and gaining yards after contact, but also taking care of the football.” 

The Patriots next host the 5-3 Green Bay Packers on Nov. 8. As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had New England as a 2.5-point home favorite for that game.