In the second week of the NFL season, the New England Patriots found a way to win against the Miami Dolphins, 33-27. Drake Maye had three total touchdowns for the Patriots and they scored 10 points in the final eight minutes, including a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown by Antonio Gibson to get the victory.
However, Patriots kicker Andy Borregales missed a field goal and two extra points, putting the rookie into the spotlight this early in the season.
Borregales, who was a sixth-round draft pick this season after he played college football at Miami, did not have success in Week 2. Despite that, head coach Mike Vrabel is not ready to move on from him, per Zack Cox of The Boston Herald.
“I don’t think we’re ready to have that conversation yet. He’s made every kick in the fourth quarter,” Vrabel said. “He’s made meaningful kicks. That’s where I’m at. I wouldn’t have gone out there with Andy (on the 53-yarder), and it wasn’t like I debated it long. He knows he has a job to do, and we have full confidence in him to do his job. And I’m happy for Parker. I’m happy for Parker. That’s how it goes. He went down there, took advantage of his opportunities. I enjoyed my time with him here, so I’m happy that he went down there and helped himself.”
To Vrabel's point, Borregales nailed a 55-yard field goal with less than two minutes left to give the Patriots a six-point lead. In Week 1, he went 2-3 on field goal attempts, but missing a pair of extra points against the Dolphins sparked some concern.
Vrabel also spoke about Parker Romo, who was cut by the Patriots, with Borregales winning the job. On Sunday night, Romo hit five field goals in the Atlanta Falcons' 22-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Still, Vrabel gave Borregales one of the game balls after the win on Sunday as the head coach showed confidence in his kicker despite the misses.
