NFL Coach Says Vrabel's Patriots Are 'Devoid of Players' After Debut Loss vs. Raiders

One NFL coach thought Week 1 was a bit of a reality check for those who had high hopes for the New England Patriots in 2025 after the arrival of head coach Mike Vrabel.

"Everyone thought Vrabel was going to turn this thing around quickly, but they are devoid of players," the anonymous coach told The Athletic's Mike Sando.

The Patriots weren't the worst Week 1 performers, but a 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders was a deflating way to start the Vrabel era.

▶️ Full Raiders-Patriots Recap

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A lot of fans were left scratching their heads as well when Vrabel opted to punt on 4th-and-10 from his own 44-yard line inside the final five minutes. Sure, the odds of getting a first down weren't great, but being down 10 points that late required taking some risks.

The Pats only had one more possession after that, which resulted in a 44-yard field goal by Andy Borregales with 19 seconds remaining.

"Coaches I consulted saw Vrabel choosing a path toward making this a one-score game, with less chance for winning than if New England had tried to convert on fourth down," Sando wrote.

Alluding to the one coach's blunt assessment of the Patriots roster, the NFL insider posited the punt on fourth down might've shown how Vrabel has a true grasp of the talent — or lack thereof — at his disposal.

Granted, that presents a much different problem when New England spent more money ($364.4 million) than any other team in free agency.

Nobody is expecting Vrabel to deliver a Super Bowl title in Year 1. However, fans aren't wrong to think the franchise should make some positive strides from a 4-13 finish in 2024.

That improvement wasn't evident in Week 1.