The most telling part of Mike Vrabel’s Wednesday news conference was not a bold prediction about the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was his list of ordinary things the Patriots cannot afford to get wrong. Handle the road environment. Stay out of third-and-long. Protect the football. Find a useful play in the kicking game. Take advantage when a drive reaches scoring position.
New England visits Jacksonville on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, and Vrabel’s priorities make sense after two very different opening games. The Patriots lost at Seattle in Week 1, then responded with a home win over Pittsburgh. Now they face another road test against a Jaguars team Vrabel described as dangerous on both sides of the ball.
“You’ve got to take care of the football,” Vrabel said when asked about winning in Jacksonville. “You’ve got to hit some returns; you’ve got to be able to find some X plays in the kicking game.”
Why The First Half Matters
Vrabel pointed to Jacksonville’s fast starts at home and its ability to turn mistakes into points. That puts immediate pressure on Drake Maye and the Patriots’ offense. A turnover or repeated long-yardage situations would give the Jaguars exactly the kind of game Vrabel wants to avoid.
Mike Vrabel arrives and fields an opening question from @kguregian on playing on the road in Jacksonville and getting back to winning ways away from home. pic.twitter.com/njQtnaomQS
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 23, 2026
The coach also praised Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence for becoming more decisive, particularly when a pass play breaks down. Vrabel said Lawrence is willing to scramble for a first down instead of forcing the ball into trouble.
That presents two challenges for New England’s defense: cover long enough to disrupt the intended throw, then keep Lawrence from escaping when the play changes shape.
MORE: Multiple Defensive Starters Pop Up on Patriots’ Injury Report Ahead of Week 3
New England Has Its Owwn Decisions To Make
The Patriots placed offensive lineman Mike Onwenu on injured reserve Tuesday. Asked about the replacement options, Vrabel said veteran Greg Van Roten would work with Morgan Moses, while Walter Rouse would receive practice opportunities. Ben Brown is also back working. Vrabel did not name a starter.
That uncertainty makes his emphasis on staying out of third-and-long more than a coaching cliché. Protection becomes tougher when the defense knows a pass is coming, regardless of who fills the opening up front.
Vrabel said the Patriots would use the next couple of days to make their decision. His larger point was already clear: New England does not need a spectacular play on every snap in Jacksonville. It needs to avoid handing the Jaguars the situations they thrive on.
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