The New England Patriots couldn’t have scripted a better dress rehearsal for the Mike Vrabel era. Their 48-18 shellacking of the Washington Commanders left fans with a feeling they haven’t had in years — hope for a meaningful football season.
But masked by a fun night at Gillette Stadium on Friday was a brutal truth: Young quarterback Drake Maye had a rough and indecisive night against a collection of backups on Washington’s defense.
Maye’s day was over with 5:41 remaining in the first quarter. The Patriots were leading 14-0. By all accounts, the first look at New England’s offense under Vrabel and Josh McDaniels was a rousing success.