Karen Guregian: The Patriots have a play-calling puzzle to solve, not a coaching relationship to fix

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Karen Guregian: The Patriots have a play-calling puzzle to solve, not a coaching relationship to fix

Karen Guregian · MassLive

Fri, Dec 19, 2025 ·

4 min read

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FOXBOROUGH - Josh McDaniels has been a godsend for Drake Maye and the Patriots offense.

Given Maye’s success over the course of the first 15 weeks of the season, and sensational Year 2 leap, it’s hard not having faith and confidence in the Patriots offensive coordinator, especially with how he’s mentored the team’s franchise quarterback.

Of late, however, given several remarks aimed at the play-calling, it’s easy to question if Mike Vrabel is in that camp. It seems more like the opposite.

My connections tell me that’s not the case. It’s all good between Vrabel and McDaniels behind the scenes. According to one source: “There is no drama here.”

That said, Vrabel’s recent comments can essentially be left up to interpretation.

“I’ve never really tried to second-guess the play-calling,” Vrabel said Monday morning on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. “I always think that the best plays are ones that are decisive, and that the players know and that they trust. And obviously there’s some better ones, but I don’t think there’s a perfect call. And so we get back and we look at it, and I’m sure there’s always going to be some ones that we’re going to want to have back.”

While saying the best plays are the ones that are decisive, the ones the players know and trust, there’s a veiled implication that McDaniels strayed from that. Vrabel poked a bit of fun at a trick play used by McDaniel that gained 13 yards. He called it “cute.” That could also be construed as a knock.

As for wanting some plays back, who doesn’t? That’s natural after re-watching a game, particularly a loss. And that’s not to say that it’s all Kumbaya, and McDaniels and Vrabel don’t disagree or occasionally butt heads given some creative and philosophical differences. They do, but they’re quickly hashed out.

McDaniels indicated Thursday Vrabel was consistent communicating with him. He speaks with the coaches every day. Their dynamic and interaction hasn’t changed.

“I don’t think that would change win, lose 10 games in a row, multiple losses whatever it is,” McDaniels said during his media session Thursday. “He’s got great input and understanding of what we’re doing. I’m sure it’s the same with the other phases.”

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McDaniels also knows Vrabel’s style, and how he likes to interact with both players and coaches. So it’s not new.

Bottom line: With the Patriots at 11-3, and Maye thriving, it’s working. Vrabel and McDaniels are doing just fine.

Given how the game played out Sunday against Buffalo, however, McDaniels knows some of the questions and or criticisms aimed at him are warranted.

After a terrific first half, the Patriots offense went silent in the second half against the Bills, save for a 65-yard touchdown run by TreVeyon Henderson .

After a successful opening half running the football, the handoffs were few and far between in the second.

McDaniels acknowledged Thursday the lack of second half production was on him.

And that’s where his focus was this week ahead of the game with the Ravens. Fixing that, and calling better plays when defenses go with man-coverage, with two high safeties - essentially daring the Patriots to run.

That was Buffalo’s ticket to success in Sunday’s 35-31 win. McDaniels knows it’s on him to defeat the new blueprint.

“Certainly thought that guys really did a good job of executing certain things in the first half, and made a lot of big plays, and then we really, kind of, never really got into a good rhythm in the second half,” McDaniels said. “And that’s my job. So we’ll figure out why that was. I think there’s a lot of things you can think about and talk about. But whether it’s executing a specific play better or calling a different play, I think you always look back on those things and evaluate it from both lenses.

“Honestly, I think at this time of the year, when you play a team like that, and get an opportunity to see the type of precision and level of execution and detail that all of us need to showcase in those types of games, it can be a blessing if we learn from it. I know that’s what I’m hard at work trying to do, and I know our guys are too.”

After a dominant first half, the Patriots ran just 18 total plays in the second half against the Bills - 15 being passes - and managed just three first downs.

Maye, meanwhile, was 5-of-12 for 47 yards with an interception and no passing touchdowns in that pivotal second half.

Prior to the Patriots’ loss to the Bills, they were able to win despite their struggles in the second half.

On Wednesday, asked once again about the play-calling, and what was needed going forward against Baltimore , Vrabel was more diplomatic than on the radio hit Monday.

“There’s a lot of opportunities for calls to be different. There’s a lot of opportunities for the execution to be different, whether the call stays the same or the execution to that particular call,” he said. “But I don’t think that there’s anything that we would want to change or do differently. We don’t get to do do-overs. I think we’ve had a lot of success and we’re going to try to get that same success on Sunday night.”

Success on Sunday night will call on McDaniels to beat the possible defensive blueprint the Bills provided.

McDaniels didn’t seem overly concerned by the task at hand. They’ve beaten man coverages before. Maye has been effective. But the variables change depending on what’s behind the man coverage.

“It’s nice to say run man-beaters when they’re playing man. It’s not as simple as that,” McDaniels said. “But man’s no different now than it was in September. They get on you, and it is what it is in terms of the passing game. You either have a concept that’s really built for it, or you don’t. And then it becomes an execution thing.

“We’re always trying to hunt those up and see if we can find ways to help our guys create more separation or make some plays against any coverage on us.”

Given the amount of tape teams now have on the Patriots, McDaniels is seeing things now that he didn’t see earlier in the year. Once again, it’s a matter of adjusting.

“They doubled Stef (Diggs) a number of times in the game the other day,” McDaniels said. “There’s teams that haven’t done anything like that. And teams that are starting to sprinkle some things in there ... there’s no shortcut to winning against man-to-man coverage. It’s a one-on-one game across the board. Sometimes you have a scheme that’s really perfect for it. Sometimes you do not.”

At this stage, McDaniels knows if he doesn’t come up with the perfect solution, he’s going to hear about it.

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