New England Patriots - NESN.com
A longtime NFL head coach likes what he’s seen from the New England Patriots this season.
The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with Mike McCarthy shortly after the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel to replace Jerod Mayo in January. The Super Bowl champion missed out on the chance to coach Drake Maye, who’s led New England to seven straight wins entering Thursday night’s game against the New York Jets.
McCarthy applauded New England’s success during a Thursday appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.” He noted a resemblance to past Patriots champions under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
“The similiaitres definitely just jump out at you, for sure,” McCarthy said. “To be sitting there at 8-2, super impressive. Give the credit to Mike Vrabel and also the personnel department there.”
The Patriots are on a roll in pursuit of an AFC East title and the conference’s No. 1 seed, but McCarthy doesn’t think the organization has peaked yet.
“They got young guys that are playing right now and playing at a high level, so I think that’s even more exciting to me as I watch them,” he added. “They’re 8-2, but there’s definitely a lot of (room for) growth.”
The former Green Bay Packers head coach also expects Maye to improve in the midst of an MVP-caliber campaign.
“Drake’s playing at a high level, but there’s definitely still things he’s only gonna get better at,” McCarthy said.
Citing his experience coaching Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott, McCarthy believes Maye will benefit from a long-term relationship alongside Vrabel and offense coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“That continuity for him will pay huge dividends,” McCarthy said. “They’re off to a great start. Really love what they’re doing on offense, and I think, clearly, defense is the strength of the football team. I like the way Mike’s built this thing.”
