New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel might have been disappointed by the loss on Thursday night, but he was clearly proud of his team for competing on a short week in a tough environment on the road.
The Patriots ultimately fell in defeat to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in a 30-24 loss. Maye threw an interception in the second quarter on a pass attempt to rookie tight end Eli Raridon, but he was exceptional outside of that play, going 24-of-31 passing for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the offense with 26 rushing yards and one touchdown.
The third-year gunslinger had a hand in on every touchdown scored in the game.
"He gave us a chance. He competed," Vrabel said of Maye after the game. "I know he'd like to have that throw back to Eli, but I thought he really competed. Whether that was running around or scrambling... I'm glad he's ours."
Mike Vrabel on Drake Maye:
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) October 23, 2026
"He gave us a chance. He competed. I know he'd like to have that throw back to Eli, but I thought he really competed. Whether that was running around or scrambling... I'm glad he's ours."
It's important to note that the Patriots' offense was missing multiple players.
Veteran wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins were both out for the game. The offensive line was missing multiple starters, including Mike Onwenu and Alijah Vera-Tucker. Backups Greg Van Roten and Ben Brown were also out with injuries, forcing the team to turn to Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor.
If the Patriots can get healthy, they have the ingredients in place for Maye and company to make a serious run later in the season.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Mike Vrabel makes strong statement on Drake Maye after loss to Bears