Stephen A. Smith drops Dianni Russini dig at Mike Vrabel amid Patriots struggles
· Yahoo Sports
The New England Patriots’ difficult start to the season comes following a turbulent offseason for Mike Vrabel away from the field, with some starting to blame those distractions for the issues being experienced in Foxborough.
Heading into their Week Four game against the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots are at risk of falling to a 1-3 record against the red-hot Josh Allen. Considering the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl last season, the regression is there for all to see.
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The offseason did see the Patriots make the big-name addition of A.J. Brown, but it was a summer overshadowed by Vrabel’s off field issues with Dianna Russini. Given the struggles being experienced in the early stages of the season, the offseason issues are now being raised once again.
Stephen A. Smith could not help but dig up Vrabel’s troubled offseason when diving into the reasons behind the Patriots’ underwhelming start to the 2026 season.
Stephen A. Smith blames Mike Vrabel’s Dianna Russini saga for Patriots’ form
Drake Maye has looked a shadow of himself through the opening three weeks, with the quarterback throwing just one touchdown and six interceptions so far. Things are not going to get any easier for the Patriots at the weekend, though.
“We all know that Mike Vrabel was in the news in the offseason for some personal matters. And I think it’s fair to say he was a bit distracted,” Smith said.
“And I find myself wondering about those distractions and whether or not potentially compromised his routine and his ability to be on top of things (the way he normally would be when it comes to coaching this quarterback, or any quarterback, for that matter). It is a fair question to ask without getting into details and getting into somebody’s personal business, strictly sticking to the football aspect of this.
“Drake Maye was a top two candidate for league MVP honours last year. He now ranks dead last in passer rating, and he’s leading the league in turnovers. Over the first three weeks of the season, he looks a complete shell of himself.”
Clearly, there is something not right in New England. Some argue that the Patriots may finally be showing their true colours given just how easy of a schedule they were provided last season. Whereas, when they made it the playoffs, they experienced their issues against the likes of the Seattle Seahawks.
Vrabel’s noise away from the field did not lead to him walking away from his role, but it does seem as if it may have had a significant impact on how the Patriots prepared for the 2026 season.
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