Mike Vrabel Calls Out Patriots After ‘Fortunate’ Win Over Jets

The New England Patriots added another win this season, but head coach Mike Vrabel wasn't pleased overall with how his team played against the New York Jets.

New England secured a 26-19 win despite sloppy play and several mistakes that allowed the Jets to hang around, including two costly fumbles from running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver DeMario Douglas.

Afterward, head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media, initially describing his team as "lucky" to win the game. He expressed his frustration with the performance when asked to elaborate.

"I mean, fortunate, whatever. We just didn't play very well. ... We tried to beat ourselves but we made enough plays in critical situations to help us get through here today," he said.

"I just know that you have to be able to continue to improve and I don't feel like we did. We won, which is the most important thing. I just don't think we improved from what we had shown the previous two weeks," Vrabel said.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during game against New York Jets

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Vrabel's strong words for his team followed quarterback Drake Maye's noteworthy performance in the win. The Patriots quarterback completed 18 of 32 passes for 235 passing yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

DeMario Douglas was Maye's top target, with seven receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown, while Hunter Henry and Romeo Doubs combined for 90 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

The game also featured the return of star wide receiver AJ Brown, who missed the team's previous four games due to injury. Brown struggled mightily in the home game, finishing with three receptions for just 27 yards.

He indicated his job isn't just to coach them to wins but also to make sure they're improving. Understandably, he might be upset with the sloppiness. Still, the Patriots' defense held the Jets to under 100 yards rushing, sacked Geno Smith three times, and had an interception.

After coaching the team to the Super Bowl last season, Vrabel has established high expectations for the team. Sunday's win kept them moving in the right direction, but his comments indicated that winning won't be enough if they want to get back to the Super Bowl and claim the Lombardi Trophy.

Despite Vrabel's frustration, Sunday's victory kept the Patriots in contention with the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East lead. New England next faces the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field for "Thursday Night Football" on Oct. 22.

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