The day after an epic 35-6 butt-kicking dropped his team to 1-2, Mike Vrabel wasn’t ready to hit the panic button.
“I have a lot of faith and confidence in everybody that is here,” Vrabel said. “That is why they're here. We have to continue to prepare and work with one another. The answers are here. The answers are in this building. We just have to do it much more consistently and continue to find ways to do it together.”
Those comments could take on new meaning for the Patriots’ offense this week if wide receiver Mack Hollins is unable to go.
Players not spotted at practice included CB Channing Canada, CB Carlton Davis III, FB Reggie Gilliam, CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Mack Hollins, OT Morgan Moses, CB Karon Prunty and RB Rhamondre Stevenson. pic.twitter.com/CXWGMFdPYd
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 7, 2026
Hollins missed the Patriots’ opening practice of the week on Wednesday as the team began on-field preparations for Sunday’s home game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Drake Maye and the Patriots escaped Buffalo with a win last week, despite Hollins suffering a non-contact calf injury in the third quarter. With top wideout A.J. Brown still ineligible to practice while on injured reserve, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could be down to the bare bones at offensive skill positions against the Raiders.
Top running back Rhamondre Stevenson also missed Wednesday’s practice with a knee injury.
As Vrabel said, the answers will have to be in the building. And while a higher snap share for last week’s hero, Efton Chism III, is almost certainly coming, the former undrafted wideout is unlikely to be the team’s biggest difference-maker against Las Vegas.
McDaniels may have to go old-school in this game—and that means pummeling the Raiders’ vulnerable defense on the ground.
Josh McDaniels has every reason to lean into the run game in Week 5
If you’ve watched all four of the Patriots’ games this season, you wouldn’t expect them to rank among the NFL’s top 10 in rushing entering Week 5.
The Patriots rank 10th overall in total rushing yards with 471 yards on 120 attempts. They’re averaging 3.9 yards per carry, but McDaniels has called run plays at the ninth-highest rate only in the NFL (including Maye’s scrambles), and the Raiders offer an opportunity to lean into that usage even more on Sunday.
Las Vegas’ head coach is Klint Kubiak, the former offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. It’s no wonder the Raiders are playing more zone coverage on defense, including Cover 3 and Cover 6, which were staples of Seattle’s Super Bowl run under Mike Macdonald.
2025 Raiders defense (whole season) -> 2026 Raiders defense through two weeks, per @SumerSports
— Shawn Syed (@SyedSchemes) September 21, 2026
Base personnel usage: 35.7% -> 23.2%
Cover 3 %: 48.1% -> 42.9%
Cover 6 % 6.5% -> 18.8%
Zone rate: 77.6% -> 85.7% https://t.co/v8iRBoIhfn
The Raiders have been better than expected on defense. Per Sharp Analysis, they’re playing zone on 76% of their snaps, relying on Maxx Crosby and company up front to generate organic pressure. The Patriots could see the Raiders’ highest zone rate yet on Sunday; given his background, Kubiak seems unlikely to play to Maye’s strengths by blitzing and giving him one-on-one boundary.
Las Vegas doesn’t have Seattle’s personnel, though, and the best way to neutralize Crosby and attack the Raiders’ zone looks will be to run it down their throats.
The Raiders allow 5.2 yards per carry this season, ranking 31st in football, only behind the Carolina Panthers. They rank 27th in average rushing yards allowed per game.
Aside from last week's game against Kenneth Walker III and the Chiefs, the Raiders haven't exactly faced the NFL's most vaunted rushing attacks. Their first three matchups were against the Dolphins, Chargers, and Saints.
It will be paramount for the Patriots to get Stevenson healthy for Sunday’s game, a possibility Vrabel said remains. Stevenson and running mate TreVeyon Henderson could be the key to this game in the end, with everything hinging on their success on the ground through play action and a quick game.
Maye’s connection with Romeo Doubs continues to improve, and the wide receiver group, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III, can execute in specific situations.
But this doesn’t project as a big passing game for Maye and the Patriots. Instead of force-feeding the ball to some of their depth wide receivers, McDaniels should feed the running backs, force the Raiders to commit more resources in the box, and then look to possess the ball and control the game on offense.
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