An hour after his team lost Super Bowl 60, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had changed back into his gameday suit, leather loafers, and walked into a nearly-empty locker room in the bowels of Levi’s Stadium. Most of the team had cleared out, but Vrabel walked the perimeter to shake hands with the remaining players and media.
Then he walked over to his quarterback, alone in the corner of the room, dipped his head, and spoke with him one-on-one.
Maye had just appeared at the media podium postgame looking downright heartbroken. His eyes swam with tears as he spoke about his team, a group that went from a four-win 2024 season to improbably Super Bowl contenders.
“I’m so proud. That’s probably the reason I’m choked up most. This team is something that [I’m] just glad to be a part of,” he said.
At his own podium, the NFL Coach of the Year immediately disqualified any notion that Maye shouldered individual blame for New England’s 29-13 loss to Seattle. Just as he described Rhamondre Stevenson’s fumbling issues early in the season, he assigned accountability to the entire operation – not one single player.
We’ve seen Vrabel in the throes of success this year, but rarely have we witnessed him in defeat. He carried himself with grace Sunday night. Perhaps having an entire fourth quarter to digest the reality was easier than, say, walking off the field from a sudden death situation. But no matter, losing a Super Bowl always has to hurt, especially for the man who has repeatedly said he’d mutilate his nether regions to win a Super Bowl ring as a coach.
Getting to this game is its own triumph and a pinnacle that’s difficult to reach, even with a great quarterback, (ask the Bills). Appearing in a Super Bowl is an even greater feat when the franchise has just come off a four-win season. That swing has only happened twice this millennium. So, it’s fair to fear the Patriots will suffer the recent fate of the Cincinnati Bengals – the team whose young Joe Burrow led them to the big game in 2021 and is still fighting to return.
For the Patriots, that outcome seems unlikely. The Seahawks’ defense exposed the team’s weaknesses, and certainly their youth. When WEEI asked Vrabel about the offense’s inability to find a rhythm, his answer was revealing. He spoke to “the competitive stamina, the physical stamina, and the mental stamina that’s required in these types of games.”
Upgrades are necessary, and especially on offense. Who has shown themselves more capable of diagnosing the organization’s issues and turning an aircraft carrier than Vrabel? He didn’t just parachute in with fun motivational speeches and dry wit that connected with his locker room. He brought the vision of an entire program with him and built it out in a matter of months. He had a thumb on every scale, from building his staff, to free agency and the draft. He’s emblematic of a different kind of coach than the analytic-driven, big-brained offensive coordinators favored this decade: he’s a program builder, but he’s also a player’s coach.
And Maye remains in the tier of quarterback who goes to Super Bowls, (plural), despite two rocky performances in the snow and a downright bad showing in the big game.
Having him under center, an offensive coordinator who doesn’t appear headed for any other job, his own daily commitment to execution, players' adoration, and the ability to delegate to trusted advisors should keep Vrabel’s team in the mix for many years to come.
Does that recipe mean they’ll seek their vengeance next February in Los Angeles? From this wildly early perspective, they have a bear of a schedule for which they’ll need to prepare. It won’t be like this year. On the plus side, they’ll return a huge portion of the roster with just five pending unrestricted free agents. At the risk of sounding like a guidance counselor, their young players have also gained tremendous experience in this playoff run. Whether Will Campbell plays tackle or a guard next year, he’ll have weathered playing through injury, in snow, on the road, and in a Super Bowl. Craig Woodson played his best ball over the last month.
Historically, few teams have boomeranged right back to win the championship after losing the year before: the Miami Dolphins won Super Bowl 7 after losing 6, and the Dallas Cowboys won Super Bowl 6 after losing 5. Mostly recently, the Patriots won 53 after losing 52. Teams also got back and lost again: the Minnesota Vikings lost Super Bowl 8 and 9, the Denver Broncos lost Super Bowl 21 and 22, and the Buffalo Bills famously lost four-straight, from Super Bowl 25 to 28.
Then again, however, who saw them in Santa Clara this February? Stranger things have happened, and with Vrabel at the helm, these Patriots have as good a shot as anyone.