FOXBORO – You weren’t incorrect to consider.
They have been favored, in spite of everything.
And by the point anybody pulled as much as Gillette Stadium, unhealthy climate – a time-tested inform for main moments in Patriots historical past – had already descended on Foxboro.
In order rain doused Mike Vrabel’s head-coaching debut, it was no shock to see the Patriots‘ protection generate three straight three-and-outs within the first half. Or watch Drake Maye lead a number of scoring drives. Or spot the pinnacle coach and quarterback duck into the locker room at halftime with a 10-7 lead and a strengthening grip on the sport.
Victory felt inside attain, if not shut, proper?
In any case, the dynasty took its first steps within the Snow Bowl throughout from these similar Raiders, then began operating in frigid playoff battles with Peyton Manning. Raindrops soaked Tom Brady’s return as a Buccaneer in 2021, tears that fell from the New England sky. And two years later, snow returned to bury Invoice Belichick in his ultimate sport, a January loss to the Jets.
If Sunday was the Patriots’ subsequent capital-M second, the official re-launch of the glory days, why shouldn’t they anticipate to be dancing within the rain by the tip?
Then the second half got here. The sky briefly cleared, and the Pats’ grip slipped.
Fully.
Maye downright melted below strain after halftime. He threw a reckless interception and took three sacks . No lifeline, no tuck rule may save him from the Raiders’ relentless blitzes in a 20-13 loss.
In the meantime, Vrabel’s employees couldn’t clear up a Las Vegas offense that misplaced its greatest participant, Brock Bowers, to a knee damage within the third quarter. On Vegas’ subsequent collection after Bowers left, the Patriots beefed up their personnel to halt rookie operating again Ashton Jeanty, and Geno Smith ripped play-action completions by them for first downs. So the Pats deployed an additional defensive again, however then Jeanty barreled forward to maintain an eventual 12-play scoring drive.
By the point the Raiders’ marathon march ended, Daniel Carlson nailed a 40-yard subject purpose to increase their result in two possessions. That pressured Maye to observe a pass-first, pass-second, pass-third script with simply 6:46 remaining.
“It’s laborious to show it right into a drop-back passing sport on this league. That’s simply the details,” Vrabel said. “Once they’re up two scores they usually’re of their third-down package deal, we simply don’t need to ever stay in that world.”
And but, that world is exactly the place the Patriots will stay if Maye, Vrabel and his employees don’t ship greater than they did Sunday. Due to their middling expertise, any hopes of a shock playoff run – hell, even a profitable season – relaxation with the coach and quarterback. In the event that they fail, so will the Patriots.
Granted, Week 1 is each probably the most anticipated and least telling time on the NFL calendar. Final yr’s opener – a surprising 16-10 win at Cincinnati – ought to be all of the proof it’s essential to by no means, ever extrapolate something from early September video games within the NFL.
However this Patriots opener provided just a bit bit greater than most as a result of combating a model new Raiders staff examined each the teaching employees’s capability to problem-solve, and the identification Vrabel is working every day to instill. A bodily, relentless, basically sound identification.
Properly, Vrabel’s protection missed 11 tackles. His staff dedicated 9 penalties. His offensive coordinator bought out-coached.
“We had too many missed alternatives, too many penalties, the turnover,” Vrabel mentioned, “and issues that simply – (we) didn’t benefit from unhealthy soccer. And (we had) unhealthy soccer ourselves.”
Within the second half, veteran heart Garrett Bradbury sensed the Patriots offense stalling from its personal listlessness. Bradbury insisted post-game that not one of the Patriots moped or give up. However the disappointment of 4 straight drives that resulted in punts nonetheless compounded. Failure breeding extra failure.
“We’ll get into the movie and see precisely why that was. However simply from an power, from a momentum standpoint,” Bradbury mentioned, “we had it, we have to maintain it and maintain it.”
Maye appeared to hold that failure with him into his press convention. Fingers tucked into his pockets, the keen, bright-eyed child from North Carolina hardly commanded the room or gripped the rostrum in entrance of him. He was a quarterback who felt the load of expectations on his shoulders.
Maye appeared down.
“You’ve bought to step into the throw and take hits and be correct,” he mentioned. “There’s performs all through the sport I want I had again, and I can consider three or 4 for me that may assist dictate the sport. It’s a bummer pondering again and searching again at these.”
Now in his second season, Maye not has the advantage of calling vital errors rookie errors. He’s the Patriots’ quarterback, their captain. Maye, in fact, can’t win alone, one thing Vrabel intimated post-game.
“We’ve bought to assist him out,” Vrabel said. “We’ve got to be extra balanced. We’ve got to make use of our run actions and be capable to run the soccer.”
However due to Vrabel and due to Maye, the Patriots are prepared for rebirth. Even when they continue to be years from competition, they’ve this franchise primed to run once more.
The one questions are how a lot can they carry, and the way far can they run?
Collectively, Vrabel and Maye took their first steps Sunday.
A fanbase adopted, eyes locked onto each step.
They slipped.
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