Patriots Target Halftime Clock Issues Before Tough Road Tests

The Halftime Struggle

The New England Patriots are trying to fix a major issue before their upcoming road games. Coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye want to regain their strength in managing the clock right before halftime. This was an area they dominated last season, but they have struggled in their first two games of 2026.

Now they face back to back road games against 2025 AFC playoff teams. They play the Jacksonville Jaguars first, followed by the Buffalo Bills. The Jaguars have scored 43 points so far, and the Bills have scored 77.

Maye noted that finishing the first half strong was one of their best traits last year. The goal is to either get points or end the half with the football.

Costly Mistakes Against Pittsburgh

A mix of mistakes by Vrabel, game strategy VP John Streicher, and Maye led to issues in last Sunday's 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With 1:48 left in the second quarter, the Patriots had the ball on their own 20 yard line. They led 10-0 and had all three timeouts. However, Maye took a sack on a three man rush on first down. Maye admitted he needs to throw the ball away to keep the clock moving.

After a punt, the Steelers got the ball at their own 35 yard line with 40 seconds left. Vrabel gave the Steelers five free yards by calling a timeout that resulted in a delay of game penalty. Marcus Jones was injured on the previous play, forcing a timeout under NFL rules, so Vrabel could not call another one.

Vrabel admitted his mistake, saying, "I blew it." He was busy arguing with officials about whether Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth was down in bounds. The Steelers used the extra yards to kick a 56 yard field goal.

Missed Opportunity In Week One

In their season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Vrabel made another questionable decision. The defense stopped Seattle on a third down with 12 seconds left in the half. Even though New England had a timeout, Vrabel chose to let the clock run out. He decided not to force a punt, missing a chance to block it or let returner Marcus Jones make a play.

Vrabel later explained that the Seattle punter was playing well, but admitted they could have rushed all 11 players instead.

Reclaiming Last Year's Success

The Patriots want to get back to their 2025 form. Last year, their late second quarter execution turned their season around in Week 5 against Buffalo. In that game, they drove from their own 30 yard line with 2:22 left to score a field goal.

In another game against Tampa Bay, they used over seven minutes of clock to score a touchdown with just two seconds left in the half. Maye said they just need to play smart football and try to double up on possessions.