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Patriots survive ‘street fight’ to earn Mike Vrabel first win as head coach

As Drake Maye took a knee to close out a 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins, the quarterback made sure to hand the football to the New England Patriots’ equipment manager.

That was so the ball could be delivered to Mike Vrabel after his first win as the Patriots head coach, which it was by owner Robert Kraft in the locker room.

“I took that football, the one I kneed there, and gave it right to Stick, our equipment guy, and let coach get that ball,” Maye said. “That means a lot and I think it meant a lot to him. It took everybody, but obviously he’s leading the charge and that meant something special.”

After not winning in Miami since 2019, New England knew what challenges awaited for them despite the Dolphins trending downwards to start the season.

That led to Vrabel having a simple approach to the game entering the week: win the street fight.

“I felt like we were willing to get into a street fight,” Vrabel said post game. “I’m really excited that they could fight and compete, come on the road, be in a game, get off to a good start, not be front runners, everything that we talked about.”

New England punched back multiple times in the second half in order to win that fight. That came as Drake Maye led a five-play touchdown drive once Miami took their first lead of the day and as Antonio Gibson recorded a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown the play after the Dolphins retook the lead with a return of their own.

In the end, it was enough to close out Vrabel’s first win — which the coach put on his players.

“We’re not front runners, and that’s a big thing in this league,” Vrabel said. “When you play in the National Football League, you have to be willing to take some punches and that’s okay, but you’ve got to give more than you take, because that’s the nature of this business... There’s pros on the other side, there’s good players on the other side, there’s good coaches. Just proud of our team, and it will always be about the players now and forever.”

That mentality — which is one Vrabel played with himself — is one the Patriots will lean on as they look to build a wining streak next week.

“It just shows our toughness. It shows we could do it for four quarters,” Rhamondre Stevenson said. “Don’t be a front runner. Don’t only be good when things are going good. Adversity is going to happen. So just fighting back against that and becoming victorious. That’s huge.”