NFL insider: Slow start could put Patriots and Mike Vrabel under scrutiny

After the New England Patriots were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks at the 2026 NFL season opener, the former team won against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

NFL insider Jason La Canfora discussed the potential slow start of the new football season for the Patriots, highlighting that the team and its Head Coach, Mike Vrabel, could face scrutiny.

"And then there’s the Mike Vrabel of it all. And obviously, his offseason made the news for all the wrong reasons. He had to step away from the team for a period of time, addressing family issues, not (being) there in the draft," the NFL analyst and reporter said in an exclusive interview for Casino Guru News.

La Canfora continued, saying that in the case the Patriots get off to a slow start, "there’s going to be a lot of questions asked about distractions, about the focus, or lack of focus on the team, about Mike Vrabel’s ability to prepare them to get back to being Super Bowl contenders after they exceeded expectations last year."

The award-winning League reporter added that the Patriots played an easy schedule last year for any team that can reach the Super Bowl.

However, La Canfora outlined that the Patriots’ will now have to play "a first-place schedule," and questioned whether Vrabel has already prepared the team.

"Could he motivate them again? Can he get them to meet their new expectations," the NFL insider and analyst asked.

In conclusion, the football expert emphasized that League observers are keeping an eye on the Patriots currently and confirmed that some are expecting to see the team regress.

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