The New England Patriots under first-year Head Coach Mike Vrabel and sophomore sensation (who said anything about a slump?) Drake Maye has turned the NFL on its head in their first year together. Now with a 15-3 record for the season after a boring but satisfying playoff win over the Chargers, the team is on a massive upward trajectory.
Even Owner Robert Kraft sensed that the atmosphere at Gillette Stadium for the Chargers game was reminiscent of earlier glory days.
Whether you call it a 12th person, as they do in Seattle, or anything else, having the crowd on your side is an asset to any team. Noise made the offense's signal-calling difficult, and the result, in part, was that a solid team could rack up only three points in their biggest game of the season.
Of course, the crowd, the noise, and the home-field advantage are only adjuncts to what ultimately will decide a contest, the players and how they perform. Indeed, the Patriots themselves ripped off a perfect 8-0 record on the road in 2025, a testament to their inner toughness and talent.
Yet no one will deny that having a vociferous and raucous crowd on your side is a huge asset.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft heard echoes of the good old days vs. LA
New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft had taken his lumps since 2019 for decision-making that left Patriot Nation in a daze and the Patriots in the NFL dumpster. Yet, in April of 2024, Kraft began his own redemptive voyage. He ensured the Patriots' No. 3 overall pick was not traded, and it landed on young quarterback Drake Maye.
It was a brilliant first step. With the worst of accompaniment, in 2024, Maye still excelled, playing at a Pro Bowl level.
Kraft followed up that superb decision with another on par with drafting Maye, which complemented it perfectly. Though a year late, he hired Mike Vrabel as his new Head Coach and more. The results have been nothing short of astounding. The team now sits at 15-3 for the season, and the Gillette Stadium crowd has once more risen to the occasion like a phoenix from the ashes.
During his recent appearance on "The Quick Snap" podcast, Kraft expressed his feelings that the atmosphere at Gillette Stadium during the win over the Chargers was reminiscent of earlier times.
“Hearing the fans last Sunday night, it brought back to me the early days when we started doing well and the vibe in the stadium. I don’t know if you guys could sense it or feel it the way I did Sunday night, but the crowd was a real asset to the team. Also, the feelings.
I think part of it is what’s happened to the franchise the last three or four years compared to the two decades previous. So, it’s pretty cool to be back.”
Robert Kraft, Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, and Patriot Nation are poised for greatness
Owner Robert Kraft did what good and great owners do, they put in place the foundations of a great football team and then let the coaches and the players do their jobs. Drafting one of the league's best young quarterbacks was the first step.
But Kraft then added arguably the NFL's best Head Coach and personnel evaluators, Mike Vrabel, to run the entire football operation.
As a result, the uninspired Gillette Stadium crowd that booed the 2024 team off the field has sprung back to life. As Kraft alluded, they create an electric atmosphere in Foxborough. That bolt of energy is a boost to any team, and when opponents come to Foxborough, it's once again a House of Horrors, as it was when Tom Brady ruled the NFL there for 20 years.
No matter if the next game is the last at Foxborough this season or not, Robert Kraft is right. The adrenaline of the Foxborough Faithful is flowing again, and the Patriots' next generation of greatness under Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye has begun.
Unfortunately for the rest of the NFL, who have to face all of the above, the nightmare is just beginning.