The New England Patriots’ committee of running backs combined to rush for 45 yards on 13 carries against the Las Vegas Raiders. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Drake Maye attempted 46 passes in the season opener at Gillette Stadium.
That isn’t a sustainable formula moving forward for the New England Patriots. Nor was it on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The sophomore quarterback was part of the reason a 10-7 halftime lead became a 20-13 loss. But the ground game behind him went away, too. That was expected to be a strength come September.
“I think to have a successful offensive play, it takes really everybody,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters during his Monday press conference. “It takes the playcaller getting the play in efficiently. It takes us being able to identify the players that we need to block, the ones that we’re not going to be able to block, and the ones that when we block them and we’re in combination and we have to move them. And then the backs have to run where they’re not.
“So again, it’s not just the players that we’re handing the ball to. It’s everybody.”
Just a pair of first downs arrived on rushing attempts while the offense converted on just 28.6% of third downs.
Rhamondre Stevenson had rushed for 15 yards by halftime. TreVeyon Henderson had rushed for 27 yards, led by a long of 14. Neither saw a carry after the intermission, however, finishing with a dozen combined under the watch of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“We have a lot of confidence in the running backs,” said Vrabel. “But also, we have to be able to have a great execution in any scheme, whether that’s a zone scheme, gap scheme. Again, bottom line is we have to run the ball better and we have to run it more efficiently. I think that opens up some more of the stuff that we’re doing and can do and want to be able to do, so it’s not just a dropback passing game.”
Stevenson, the powerful starter, was twice stopped for no gain in third-and-1 situations. Henderson, the ever-accelerating No. 38 overall pick out of Ohio State, was stopped in the backfield once on first-and-10. And after the break, the lone handoff for the running back depth chart went to versatile veteran Antonio Gibson in the final quarter.
It picked up three.
Against Las Vegas, the starting offensive line featured rookie left tackle Will Campbell and rookie left guard Jared Wilson. Next to the SEC products stood experience in center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Mike Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses.
Pro Football Focus charted New England’s running backs for 29 yards after contact on an afternoon in which they rushed for 45.
“It just wasn’t one of our better plays,” Vrabel said.
That left more on the hands of a 23-year-old team captain. Maye completed 30 passes on Sunday, finding members of the backfield committee for 36 of his 287 yards through the air. He was sacked once by perennial Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby and twice by fellow Raiders defensive ends Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson. A fumble would be recovered by the Patriots. An errant interception under duress would not.
“Make sure that we’re giving him answers, but try not to give him too much,” added Vrabel. “That’s always a balance and a fine line.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverthomas/2025/09/08/in-mike-vrabels-debut-as-patriots-coach-the-ground-game-got-left-behind/
