Mike Vrabel involved in furious scuffle with Patriots star as Drake Maye benched in blowout

Mike Vrabel had to channel his inner former player to settle things down.

The New England Patriots’ head coach had to calm defensive star Christian Barmore near the end of the first half of a beatdown of the New York Jets.

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Barmore exchanged words with Jets offensive tackle Armand Membou, which prompted cornerback Carlton Davis III to step in and try to cool things off.

Vrabel then rushed over as cameras caught Barmore visibly heated while the team headed into the locker room.

The two exchanged words, with Vrabel appearing to de-escalate the situation.

Meanwhile, the action on the field was all New England.

Drake Maye strengthened his case for MVP on a day in which he completed 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards and five touchdown passes.

He posted a 157.0 passer rating and was on the bench by the third quarter, a reflection of just how dominant the second-year player was.

The final score was 42-10 and believe it or not, could have been so much worse if Vrabel left his starters in the game.

Of course, there was no need to, as New England’s focus remains on much bigger goals.

The Patriots are now 13-3 and still alive for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

However, they have yet to clinch the AFC East.

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That’s because Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are right behind them at 11-4 and face the Philadelphia Eagles in the late afternoon window.

If the Eagles defeat the Bills, the Patriots will clinch the division. But if the Bills win, New England will need to beat the Miami Dolphins next Sunday to secure the AFC East title for the first time since 2019.

A worst-case scenario for Vrabel and his team would see the Bills finishing 2-0, the Patriots losing to the Dolphins, and both teams ending the season at 13-4.

If that happens, the Bills would claim the division title.

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