Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel Believes Win Over Dolphins Can Be Blueprint

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 5:28 PM

patriots coach mike vrabel believes win over dolphins can be blueprint

New England Patriots’ Drake Maye throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) New England Patriots’ Drake Maye runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft talks to New Englan Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) The New England Patriots got the bounce-back Week 2 win they were hoping for on Sunday. It took responding to a 74-yard Miami punt return for a touchdown with a 90-yard kickoff return for a score, followed by a late defensive stand to secure it. The New England Patriots got the bounce-back Week 2 win they were hoping for on Sunday.

It took responding to a 74-yard Miami punt return for a touchdown with a 90-yard kickoff return for a score, followed by a late defensive stand to secure it. It’s exactly the kind of victory that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel wants to see his team emulate going forward: a group that finds a way to win games. “It just takes one play,” Vrabel said of earning his first victory as Patriots coach. “I felt like we were willing to get into a street fight. We had a little lull, and we didn’t pack it up and quit.” The win snapped a five-game losing streak for New England in Miami.

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Please update your location to ensure you are presented with the best experience. Send this article to your social connections. Send this article to your social connections. Mike Vrabel’s first win as head coach of the Patriots almost didn’t happen because of shoddy special teams tackling. Miami’s Malik Washington broke tackle attempts from Brenden Schooler and Charles Woods before racing past punter Bryce Baringer for a 74-yard touchdown late in the game. But New England’s Antonio Gibson quickly erased Miami’s slim lead with a 90-yard kick return touchdown of his own.

The Patriots took a special teams gut punch and came back with a haymaker. The Postgame Live crew share their instant reactions to the Patriots’ 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel challenged his team after an underwhelming performance in its season-opening loss. It's safe to say Vrabel appreciated the response. Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. "I'm just excited for these guys," Vrabel said after a 33-27 victory against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

"I'm really excited they could fight and compete and come on the road, be in a game, get off to a good start, not be front-runners. Everything that we talked about." Patriots returner and running back Antonio Gibson earned recognition for his special performance in Miami. The Patriots second-year quarterback set new single-game bests in several statistical categories in Sunday's 33-27 win in Miami. Read the full transcript from Head Coach Mike Vrabel's press conference on Monday, September 15, 2025. Rhamondre Stevenson's dual-threat impact helped the Patriots secure a gritty Week 2 win in Miami, marking Mike Vrabel's first victory as head coach and showcasing Stevenson's return to form.

Believe it or not, the Patriots entered their Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins hoping to break a six-year-long curse that had plagued them, seemingly with no end in sight, despite periods when they... They have consistently struggled when playing in Miami, even with Tom Brady on the team, and that has resulted in no wins in South Beach since the 2019 season. The last time they got a win there? The infamous Antonio Brown game that prompted a legendary photo of an impressive Patriots' receiving corps that many believe could have propelled them to a Super Bowl had things not gone downhill. It was a feat that Belichick was unable to do over the next four seasons, and Jerod Mayo didn't accomplish in his lone year. But the first time Mike Vrabel's team went to Miami, they beat the Tua Tagovailoa-led Dolphins on the road for the first time ever, while also scoring 30+ points for the first time since...

There is a lot of credit to go around for how they were able to break the Miami curse, but a lot of it seems to lead back to the head coach, as made... With all of the turnover the Patriots have dealt with over the last three years, it wouldn't be surprising if a new head coach has a hard time getting through to the players. That wasn't the case with Mayo last year, although things rapidly fell apart behind the scenes, and the belief in Vrabel is clear every time we see the team together. MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The house of horrors we called it. Remember?

Miami, the place where Patriot dreams wilt, wither and die. Tom Brady had a losing record here. Bill Belichick never beat Tua Tagovailoa here. Here, the Patriots needed just two games to do something they hadn’t done in almost three seasons: score 30 points. Here, the Pats punched back, surviving five lead changes in a 33-27 thriller. Mike Vrabel picked up his first win as head coach of the Patriots on Sunday as his team survived another rollercoaster in Miami.

There were four lead changes in the second half — including a Dolphins punt return touchdown and a Patriots kickoff return for a score in the space of three plays — but New England... “I appreciate the character, certainly don’t have to put it to the test all the time with mistakes and silly penalties,” Vrabel said after New England’s 33-27 victory. “There’s a lot of things out there that we have to do better. But we didn’t pout, we didn’t drop our head, and we kept competing, and I appreciate that. We have to learn how to compete and believe that we can come down here and win football games and I believe we did.” On Antonio Gibson’s 90-yard kickoff return touchdown, Vrabel could be seen sprinting down the sideline on a huge momentum swing on a big day for New England’s running backs.

“I told you, we had to have those guys be a weapon for us,” Vrabel said. “And Rhamondre [Stevenson] answered, then Gibby answered. We had a similar situation in practice where we had a couple bad plays, and we have to keep going on and snap the next play. Then somebody hit a play. A back hit a play. And I’m like, ‘see, it just takes one play.’

Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel Believes Win Over Dolphins Can Be Blueprint

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