What Mike Vrabel Thought About Drake Maye, Will Campbell In Patriots Opener

Posted September 8, 2025

There’s a consensus among the New England Patriots: Everyone could have done better Sunday.

The Patriots fell 20-13 to the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium in the season opener. New England was firmly in control in the first half, despite leading just 10-7 at the break. However, they unraveled in the second half by giving up 13 unanswered points.

It isn’t altogether surprising that a Patriots team with an overhauled coaching staff and roster had a bumpy start.

One of those new additions was 2025 No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell, who made his first NFL start Sunday at left tackle. He was among those with a forgettable second half, giving up a pair of sacks and getting whistled for a backbreaking false start on a 4th-and-5.

Head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about Campbell’s debut after the game.

“I think that’s tough right now. I apologize, I’ve got to look at the tape,” Vrabel said, via a team-provided transcript. “Again, I’m sure there’s going to be some good plays, some plays we’d like to have back, that he would like to have back. I think that would go for pretty much everybody. I think there was some good football, just certainly not consistent enough in all three phases. That’s kind of what it looked like for me, and I’ll try to give you a little better answer after looking at the tape.”

Maye finished 30-of-46 for 287 yards in the air with one touchdown and one interception. Though Vrabel said he’d also need to refer to the tape on Maye, he was able to offer more of an initial analysis.

“Again, without looking at the tape, I thought there were some good positive plays and really good command of what we were doing, and then there were times where maybe we or he missed somebody, and we’ll have to see,” Vrabel said. “It’s a challenge playing quarterback in this league. We’ve got to help him out. We have to be more balanced. We have to use our run actions and be able to run the football.

“It’s hard to turn it into a drop-back passing game in this league. That’s just the facts. When they’re up two scores and they’re in their 3rd down package, we just don’t want to ever live in that world. We all can be better, whether that’s me, the coaching staff, Drake, Will and everybody that you asked about, that’s the attitude that we’re going to take. That’s the belief that we’re going to take. We’re disappointed, but we can’t sit there and hold on to it too long. We’ve got to go on the road and we’ve got to play a division opponent, and we’ve got to embrace moving on. I think that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

Rams have 83 million reasons to laugh at Lions after Jameson Williams deal

The end of the 2024 season for the Los Angeles Rams forced the team to make some very difficult decisions. Perhaps the toughest had to do with the wide receiver room. After two NFL seasons of rookie Puka Nacua, the front office decided the offense was overdue for a bit of a shakeup. The team did not extend veteran WRs Demarcus Robinson or Tyler Johnson and parted ways with Cooper Kupp.

The only player brought back on a one-year prove-it deal was veteran WR Tutu Atwell. But the surprise wasn’t his return — it was the price tag. The team agreed to pay him $10 million for one year’s work, a substantial figure that caught many fans off guard. But should it have? Even skeptics admit that Atwell’s limited production is more a result of his ultra-light workload than a reflection of his talent. He’s never been targeted more than 70 times in a season.

That same story of light usage isn’t uncommon in the NFL. After two years of modest production, Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams was finally given a consistent role in the offense. In 2024, he was targeted 91 times, catching 58 passes for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns. That breakout campaign earned him a massive three-year, $83 million extension per Jordan Schultz. The cost of explosive playmakers has skyrocketed lately across the league.

Rams got a bargain-basement deal in extending WR Tutu Atwell

If only Atwell had that kind of season. But is that fair? If the Rams had targeted him 91 times in 2024, he likely would’ve caught 62 passes for 831 yards. Not quite the same output, but close. It speaks to the broader issue: this offense often gets locked in on the same few targets.

While Williams had a breakout year, just how much more effective was he? And did his production truly dwarf that of Atwell?

  • WR Jameson Williams: 6-foot-1, 182 pounds, 24 years old | 83 of 142 for 1,396 yards, 10 TDs | No recorded 40 time (claims a 4.1) | $28 million APY | 1,348 offensive snaps
  • WR Tutu Atwell: 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, 25 years old | 99 of 164 for 1,343 yards, 4 TDs | 4.22-second 40-yard dash | $10 million APY | 1,430 offensive snaps

The issue with Atwell’s upside is where he lands on the Rams’ depth chart. Both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are going to command more targets in 2025, which limits his opportunity. On the other hand, Williams sits behind only Amon-Ra St. Brown in the Lions’ receiver hierarchy.

Is Williams the safer bet for on-field production this season? Probably. The challenge for Atwell is simple — the Rams receiver room is loaded, and that won’t change anytime soon. The Lions are paying Williams like a WR2 because they expect him to produce like one.

Yes, Atwell can be that guy. But the Rams don’t need him to be. The coaching staff knows specific roles have to be filled, and Atwell’s job isn’t to rack up 1,000 yards this year. If he gives them 600+ in 2025, that’ll be more than enough. The only thing holding him back is how often the offense chooses to go his way.

And that’s just one of many things setting up a thrilling 2025 season. As always, thanks for reading.

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