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Mike Vrabel was ‘f–king terrible’ for Patriots in embarrassing loss: Bill Simmons
Bill Simmons sharply criticised Patriots coach Mike Vrabel after New England lost 45-27 to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. He called it Vrabel’s worst-coached game with the team, while acknowledging that Vrabel had helped establish a new culture and guide the Patriots to the playoffs last season.
Simmons said the Patriots failed to contain Green Bay’s two main receivers despite the Packers having little success on the ground. Christian Watson and Matthew Golden each had more than 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. Vrabel said his team had been outplayed, while quarterback Drake Maye accepted responsibility for his own performance; New England next play Detroit in Munich.
In short
- Packers beat the Patriots 45-27.
- Simmons called it Vrabel’s worst-coached game with New England.
- Watson and Golden each topped 100 receiving yards.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A coach’s job is to adjust when the opponent’s strengths become clear, and Green Bay’s leading receivers were able to make major plays while the Packers struggled to run. Given the heavy defeat, Simmons’s criticism can be seen as a fair judgement of Vrabel’s game management, even while recognising his earlier contribution to the team.
The case against
One poor result does not erase Vrabel’s role in improving the Patriots or establish that he was chiefly responsible for the loss. The team was outplayed across the game, and Maye accepted responsibility for his own performance, so singling out the coach risks overlooking players’ execution and Green Bay’s quality.
Explained simply
The New England Patriots are an American football team in the NFL, the top professional league in the United States. Mike Vrabel, a former NFL player, became their head coach in 2025, after several seasons coaching the Tennessee Titans.
Bill Simmons is a sports writer and broadcaster who comments on American football. His criticism comes against a wider backdrop: Vrabel had helped the Patriots improve and reach the playoffs, so assessments of his coaching include both that progress and the team’s performance in individual games.
The Packers are Green Bay’s team, and Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are wide receivers, players who catch passes. Drake Maye is New England’s quarterback, responsible for leading the offence; the Patriots’ next scheduled game is against the Detroit Lions in Munich.