New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel sent a direct message to third-year quarterback Drake Maye after the team's improbable road win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Maye had struggled through the first three games of the season to the point where former MVP quarterback Boomer Esiason suggested the team bench the 24-year-old gunslinger. However, Maye responded by going on the road and outdueling perennial MVP-contending quarterback Josh Allen, incuding leading the Patriots' offense on a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.
"Hey, we ain't taking no more [expletive] [expletive]," Vrabel told Maye in the locker room after the game.
When speaking with media members on Monday, Vrabel added more context to his message to Maye following
the Patriots 29-26 victory.
"We spend a lot of time together, and everybody understands how the quarterback has to perform in this league for teams to have success. Everybody does have his back, starting with me and everybody all the way down," said Vrabel.
The tune surrounding Maye is completely different after the Patriots' win on Sunday, but he will have to continue showing that he can maintain the same level of play he showed in 2025, when he was the runner-up for the MVP award.
It isn't going to always look pretty, as Bills quarterback Josh Allen could certainly attest to from his two previous performances. The key to the breakthrough Maye is looking for is consistency. Can he play elite-level football on a consistent basis?
All eyes will be on New England for an answer in the coming weeks.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Mike Vrabel sends strong message to Drake Maye after upsetting Bills
