Patriots Survive Street Fight To Earn Mike Vrabel First Win As Head Co

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 5:52 PM

patriots survive street fight to earn mike vrabel first win as head co

Mike Vrabel got his first win as Patriots coach, but it didn’t come easy. New England emerged from Hard Rock Stadium with a 33-27 win over the Dolphins. It was the Patriots’ first win in Miami since 2019 when they beat their rival, 43-0. “I felt like we were willing to get into a street fight,” Vrabel said after the game. “We had a little lull and we didn’t pack it up and quit." There were several lead changes, back-to-back kick return touchdowns, two missed PATs from New England and several penalties taken by the Patriots.

But they found a way to win between a big game from Rhamondre Stevenson and a game-sealing sack from Milton Williams. "I’m just excited for these guys," Vrabel said. “I’m really excited that they could fight and compete.” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addresses the media on Sunday, September 14, 2025. Patriots players TreVeyon Henderson, Hunter Henry, Christian Gonzalez and more address the media on Thursday, November 13, 2025. TIMECODE HENDERSON / 00:00-03:04 DIGGS / 03:04-07:24 CAMPBELL / 07:24-11:05 HOLLINS / 11:05-16:16 SPILLANE / 16:16-21:55 GONZALEZ / 21:55-26:21 HENRY / 26:21-29:55 BRADBURY / 29:55-31:17

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye addresses the media after New England's 27-14 win over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, November 13, 2025. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel address the media on Thursday, November 13, 2025. New England defeated Miami 33-27 in Week 2. As Drake Maye took a knee to close out a 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins, the quarterback made sure to hand the football to the New England Patriots’ equipment manager. That was so the ball could be delivered to Mike Vrabel after his first win as the Patriots head coach, which it was by owner Robert Kraft in the locker room. “I took that football, the one I kneed there, and gave it right to Stick, our equipment guy, and let coach get that ball,” Maye said.

“That means a lot and I think it meant a lot to him. It took everybody, but obviously he’s leading the charge and that meant something special.” After not winning in Miami since 2019, New England knew what challenges awaited for them despite the Dolphins trending downwards to start the season. 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 New England Patriots earned their first win under head coach Mike Vrabel in Week 2. However, Vrabel wasn't fully pleased with the Patriots' performance. New England defeated the Miami Dolphins 33-27 after some wild fourth quarter circumstances.

Both the Patriots and Dolphins returned a kick for a touchdown. With New England's coming second, and with an extra field goal, they were able to sneak away with the win. Still, this was a game that began by the Patriots holding a 12-0 lead. Vrabel admitted that New England was, “willing to get in a street fight.” However, the fact the matchup went to those lengths gave the head coach a clear vision of where his team stands,... “We're not front-runners,” Vrabel said. “And that's a big thing in this league.”

The Patriots seemed to be getting out on the right track, as Drake Maye threw a pair of touchdown passes to open the game. But both extra points were missed, perhaps sending an ominous sign. While they'd kick a field goal to stay up a point, the Dolphins scored a pair of touchdowns to cut the lead to 15-14 at half. The first win of the season and under the Mike Vrabel era has officially arrived for the New England Patriots. The Patriots captured a six-point win at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday over the Miami Dolphins. The Week 2 win gives the Pats a 1-1 record in their start so far to the 2024-25 season; Miami falls to 0-2.

Vrabel was hired back in Jan., 2025 to be the 16th head coach in franchise history. Vrabel also previously played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and was an integral member of three Super Bowl championship teams. Vrabel coached the Patriots to a final score of 33-27 over the Dolphins in the Sunday afternoon matchup. He replaced Jerod Mayo, who was fired Jan. 5 after posting a 4-13 record in his one season as Patriots coach. First win as Patriots HC 👏@budlight | #ForTheCelly pic.twitter.com/7LZ8Qh3KBR

Vrabel said him and his coaching staff will be looking to build momentum from the first win of the year. Posted By Kevin Stone on September 14, 2025 Image courtesy of Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photos Do the Patriots have a lot to work on to beat the upper echelon teams in the NFL? Are they at least fun to watch again? Will the Pats get people emotionally invested, living and dying with every third down or two-minute drive throughout the fall and winter again?

Given the way things have been around here for the last five-ish seasons or so, Sunday’s wild 33-27 win over Miami was huge if you want to see legitimate progress and care about the... 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." New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had a message for his team following their 28-23 upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The Patriots have now won eight games for the first time since the 2022 season. Their current win total matches the same number of wins they've had in 2023 and 2024 combined. They have won their last seven straight games and look to be in a good spot overall in the current AFC playoff picture.

Vrabel has been a major reason for the Patriots’ turnaround, but he is staying on message even with all of the early team success. “The great thing about this league is there’s one waiting for us. There is another one waiting for us, and the most important one is the next one. You earned the right to be tired tonight," Vrabel told the team in the locker room. The team earned the right to be tired, but they won't have long to rest with a divisional showdown with the New York Jets set for Thursday Night Football.

Patriots Survive Street Fight To Earn Mike Vrabel First Win As Head Co

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