Patriots
The primary half was uneventful for Las Vegas’s go rushers. Within the second half, they benefitted from rookie errors.
FOXBOROUGH – Mike Vrabel squinted his eyes, shrugged his shoulders, and ducked a query about his evaluation of rookie left-tackle Will Campbell’s performance in his NFL debut on Sunday.
“I feel that’s powerful proper now,” Vrabel mentioned. “I’ve received to apologize, I’ve received to take a look at the tape. Once more, I’m positive there’s going to be some good performs, some performs we’d wish to have again, that he wish to have again.”
“I feel that may go for just about everyone. I feel there was some good soccer, simply definitely not constant sufficient in all three phases. That’s form of what it regarded like for me, and I’ll attempt to offer you a bit of higher reply after wanting on the tape.”
The No. 4 general decide appeared to carry his personal for the higher a part of three quarters throughout New England’s 20-13 loss to Las Vegas. For essentially the most half, Drake Maye had ample time to throw early on. The primary half was fairly uneventful for Las Vegas’s line of defense apart from a protection sack from Maxx Crosby.
However, as the sport wore on, issues started to unravel for Campbell. He was concerned in two performs that resulted in Maye taking sacks, and he additionally had a pair of false begin penalties, all of which got here within the second half.
Standing at his locker in entrance of a crowd of reporters, Campbell took accountability for the penalties. His timing received thrown off, and the flags didn’t assist because the Patriots tried to make a late comeback.
“I’ve simply received to be higher. I can’t bounce,” Campbell mentioned. “I’ve received to key into the snap depend. I take full accountability. I’ve received to repair it.”
Maye was below strain from three completely different instructions through the first sack that concerned Campbell. He had Malcolm Koonce blitzing off the sting to his proper, Crosby making an attempt to separate Jared Wilson and Garrett Bradbury up the center, and Campbell wrestling with Tyree Wilson to his left.
Sensing the strain, Maye tried to run ahead towards Campbell’s facet the place Wilson was able to pounce on him.
Campbell by no means received a strong grip on Koonce because the Las Vegas linebacker shoved previous him and strip-sacked Maye with 6:15 remaining within the fourth.
“I’ve simply received to dam him,” Campbell mentioned. “It’s no person else apart from me. I’ve received to get higher. We’ll watch the tape, study from it, and repair it.”
Regardless of the late struggles, Campbell earned some reward from Crosby after the sport.
“He’s a prime decide. He’s a younger, gifted dude. He’s received a vibrant future, and he’s in nice palms with Coach [Josh] McDaniels,” Crosby mentioned according to Zach Cox of The Boston Herald. “Coach McDaniels is aware of what he’s doing. He’s been operating nice offenses for a very long time. He’s all about constructing guys up and operating the soccer and I feel there’s a motive why they drafted [Campbell] there.”
Vrabel opened up a bit of extra when requested about Drake Maye’s efficiency, saying that the quarterback confirmed good command however wanted extra assist from his teammates.
The Patriots have been largely ineffective within the run sport and pinned their hopes on Maye’s proper arm because the quarterback logged 46 passing makes an attempt in soggy climate.
Placing the quarterback in that spot, down two scores with a one-dimensional assault is one thing the Patriots must keep away from, Vrabel mentioned.
Vrabel’s postgame theme stayed constant. The Patriots weren’t ok on Sunday, they usually wanted to be higher throughout the board.
“All of us will be higher, whether or not that’s me, the teaching workers, Drake, Will [Campbell] and everyone that you just requested about, that’s the angle that we’re going to take,” Vrabel mentioned. “That’s the assumption that we’re going to take. We’re disillusioned, however we will’t sit there and maintain on to it too lengthy. We’ve received to go on the street and we’ve received to play a division opponent, and we’ve received to embrace transferring on. I feel that’s what we’re going to attempt to do.”
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