FOXBOROUGH, Mass — The New England Patriots got their first win of the season, but now they are looking ahead and preparing to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"The focus has got to be on Jacksonville, and our performance," Vrabel said on Wednesday.
Here's what we learned on Wednesday:
Mike Vrabel provides crucial injury updates
A few players left Sunday's game early due to injury, and head coach Mike Vrabel provided some crucial updates.
"I do not think Dre'Mont [Jones] will do much today, I know that he is working hard to try to get back, and we will see where he is later on in the week," he said. "And I would say that that would be the same for [Craig] Woodson.
"Q [Quintayvious Hutchins] probably won’t do much today, and I think Dell [Pettus] went on IR this morning."
A key player returns to practice
Cornerback
Carlton Davis, who missed all of practice last week, as well as Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, was back out there on Wednesday, which is a positive sign that he will return for the matchup against Jacksonville.
However, the list of absent players was quite long, with S Craig Woodson (shoulder), OLB Dre'Mont Jones (shoulder), S Dell Pettus (IR - ankle), FB Reggie Gilliam, OLB Quintayvious Hutchins, OT Morgan Moses, and TE Eli Raridon (thigh) not being spotted during the media-attended portion.
Safety and special teams ace Brenden Schooler was also back out on the field despite having begun the season on NFI. This is a new rule that allows players on either NFI or PUP to begin practicing after Week 2, but they cannot be activated until Week 5, missing a total of four games.
Drake Maye provides analysis on where the offense stands
The Patriots' offense is off to a bit of a slower start this season, but Drake Maye remains confident, knowing they will be just fine.
"Yeah, I think we’re finding ourselves. I think every time you get into a new season with new guys, new players and you’re battling injuries, every team in the league is trying to improve," he explained. "Really for us, it's about finding ourselves. It's like I said at this time last year, we were kind of – I remember we were 1-2 and going into the Panthers, and we were trying to figure ourselves out. Just things like finding a rhythm on offense, getting down in the run game, doing little things and really just finding ourselves and finding a rhythm. So, I’m happy with the guys, how we practice and how we are trying to approach practice. It’s really changing that and realizing how much that can translate to the games.
"So, finding ourselves, but at the same time, we have plays that are there and realizing that execution and extra effort is what we talk about in the offensive room, really making them go. Realizing that coaches can call the plays, but we’ve got to make them go, and realizing that you only get so many chances in the game. You only get to hit them once. So, realizing that and taking advantage of them."
Focus shifts to Jacksonville
The Patriots have a tall task ahead of them as the Jaguars are a team that is strong in every single area. And Vrabel highlighted a few of those, beginning with the defense.
"The size, play-making ability. Again, they created 31 turnovers, so it’s tough to run the football against them," he said. "I think that they play with great technique across the front. Linebackers are active; secondaries are really good tacklers. But obviously, they want to create X plays or tackles for loss, negative plays with the guys on the edge who attack with great size, skill, power, ability to pass rush and all those different things.
He specifically referenced their defense line, calling it a "very good front."
Maye shared similar sentiments.
"Yeah, I think they fly around. I think the biggest thing, they’re running the football. They have a good front," the quarterback said. "Then, I think they’re well-coached. You can tell they have an ability to fly to the football, try to punch it out. I think one of the best things about their defense is they can do a lot of different things in different ways. They have some guys that can attack on the edge, but also some plug-in guys that really fit their defense."
Then, there's their star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.
"I think he is just much more decisive and comfortable," the Patriots head coach said about Lawrence's growth. "I think you could always count on some turnovers, maybe three or four years ago. I don’t think that is necessarily the case now. He has done a really fantastic job of being able to move the ball downfield, but keep it out of harm's way. He’s decisive when he scrambles. It’s a guaranteed first down, if not longer when he decides to scramble. Those aren’t even the designed run plays. Those are drop back passes that turn into play extensions, and he is either keeping his eyes downfield and hitting somebody, or he’s decisive and he is willing to scramble.
"So, I just see a lot of maturity, and he is playing at a high level."
Maye also had high praise for Lawrence, talking about his past interactions with the quarterback.
"Yeah, back when I was getting recruited by Clemson early on – he grew up in Georgia and not too far from North Carolina," he said. "So, I was at camp and got to meet Trevor when he was playing and when I went on a visit. He was playing great football at Clemson, and I crossed paths with him a little bit. So, I’m a big fan of his game. I like the way he keeps on getting better year after year. You can see in the offense, especially with Coach [Liam] Coen, of him just growing and making plays. He can make a lot of different plays.
"He's mobile, can throw on the run and throw in the pocket. I remember he threw a post my first time I played him in my rookie year; that was a great throw. So, we played him one time before, and it was cool to watch. I’m looking forward to playing a guy that, he was in college when I was in high school that I looked up to, and I really enjoyed watching him play."
Jose Ramirez signed to 53-man roster
With Pettus being placed on injured reserve, the Patriots are planning to sign outside linebacker Jose Ramirez to the 53-man roster to take his spot.
"I'm excited to play with the guys in my room, play with this team, and just show that I can play football," Ramirez told Patriots Wire. "God blessed me with the talent to play football and I made it this far in this journey."
"I feel like I bring my work ethic. Just everything that comes with being a Patriot," he added. "Growing up, watching the Patriots, Tom Brady, Mike Vrabel, like everybody, it's just the Patriots Way. So I feel like I fit in that sense."
Ramirez, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2023 NFL Draft, spent his rookie year on the practice squad before earning a spot on the 53-man roster for the 2024 season, in which he played in four games on defense and on special teams. After that, he went on to have a short stint in the Canadian Football League before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on a futures contract on Jan. 15, 2026, but was released on Aug. 30, 2026.
That's what led him to New England.
"Well, he has been a really good practice player for us," Vrabel said. "I think he has improved since the time he has been here. Multiple times being recognized by taking the reps that we talk about being on the show team and using those to his advantage. So, there will be an opportunity, we’ll see, for him to be able to help us this week when we get down to the 48-man roster."
Jaguars talented wide receivers
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of talented wide receivers, including Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and Jakobi Meyers, as well as receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter. So, that means Christian Gonzalez might not be able to just shadow one guy, as he did against DK Metcalf last weekend.
On Wednesday, he highlighted why that receiver core is so dangerous.
"Just getting in on your film. I mean, we all know in the back end that whoever's in front of us, they're a top target on that offense," cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. "They spread the ball around, and as DBs, as corners, we love it. Me, Marcus, and CD, we invite it, and we love it being able to know they throw the ball to everybody and move the ball around. So we're excited for it and just ready to get out there."
Improvements in the running game
The Patriots' run game showed some improvement in their 20-3 win, with Henderson leading the way with 76 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, followed by Rhamondre Stevenson with six carries for 43 yards. Stevenson also finished with a fumble, which came in the passing game.
"Well, I hope that they both can help us. I think that we can all see that when we were playing well offensively, they both had major roles," Vrabel said. "It was good to see Rhamondre come back in there and have a couple really nice runs and break through a couple times. So, I think we’re going to need everybody, and we know how critical the ball is and ball security, and we’re going to need everybody. We’re going to need his playmaking ability, and we’re going to need what TreVeyon brings to the table as well."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What I’m hearing at Gillette Stadium: Wednesday buzz (Week 3)
