The New England Patriots were routed 35-6 by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the most one-sided defeat of Mike Vrabel’s tenure as head coach.
New England dropped to 1-2 and 0-2 on the road. The loss was the Patriots’ worst since a 40-7 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 28, 2024, when Jerod Mayo was still coaching the team. Last season, New England finished 14-3 and reached the AFC title game.
Vrabel did not soften his assessment afterward.
“My concern level is very high for this football team,” Vrabel said. “I just wanna coach and improve. I think that’s the biggest thing when you come off a game like that. You just wanna get back and work.”
The Patriots never reached the end zone on offense. They managed two field goals and finished with 317 total yards.
Drake Maye completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Backup Tommy DeVito entered in the fourth quarter after the game had gotten away.
Trevor Lawrence went 19 of 29 for 182 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Jacksonville finished with 315 yards and went 5-for-5 in the red zone. New England was 0-for-3 inside the 20.
One interception came from Travis Hunter, his first career pick, on a third-and-goal throw into the back of the end zone. Jarrian Jones returned another interception 32 yards, setting up a short touchdown run by Chris Rodriguez Jr. on the next play.
Maye used the same word he had after the Week 1 loss in Seattle.
“Unacceptable.”
He took the blame himself.
“It’s disappointing. The ball starts rolling like that, we can’t get out of our own way, I can’t get out of my own way personally,” Maye said. “I’ve gotta look at myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point… what we’re doing out there offensively is unacceptable, it’s been unacceptable for three weeks. I’ve gotta start with myself.”
Maye said center Jared Wilson’s hand was bleeding before one snap and that there was blood on the football when he lost the fumble. He still said he needed to hold onto it. Asked about his shoulder, he kept it brief.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a problem with my shoulder.”
Before the game, Vrabel had listed the basics New England needed to execute on the road.
“You’ve got to take care of the football,” he said. “You’ve got to hit some returns; you’ve got to be able to find some X plays in the kicking game.”
The Patriots did none of those things Sunday. Special teams produced no hidden-yardage plays, and turnovers handed Jacksonville short fields.
Through three games, Maye has 585 passing yards, one touchdown and six interceptions. That turnover rate will be tested immediately. New England visits Buffalo next Sunday at 1 p.m. at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills improved to 3-0 with a 24-16 win over the Chargers on Sunday and remain the early favorite in the AFC East. The two teams meet again Dec. 6 in Foxborough.
New England is still without wide receiver A.J. Brown, who is on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 1. He is expected to miss several more weeks.
The Patriots have one of the league’s more demanding schedules. Sitting at 1-2 after a 14-win season last year leaves little margin. Vrabel’s checklist remains straightforward: protect the ball, stay out of third-and-long, and finish drives.
Whether that happens against Josh Allen and a Buffalo defense built to punish mistakes is the next question hanging over the team.
