Mike Vrabel on the Team Preparing for the Titans: “They’re Locked In.” | Patriots Press Conference

Mike Vrabel on the Team Preparing for the Titans: “They’re Locked In.” | Patriots Press Conference

giving away free lunch today. Mhm. Hi Karen. Hi Mike. How are you? I’m well. How are you? I’m great. Six weeks into the season. Um how affirming is it for you to be in first place in the AFC East heading into Tennessee? That didn’t take long. Um, well, they’re not going to cancel the rest of the season, and that’s not really our focus right now, but I I would say that we’ve done uh we put oursel in a position to play meaningful games. Not that they aren’t all meaningful, but certainly focusing on this one on the road. Uh, our last one of three here. But, uh, and I and I appreciate us not looking too far ahead. you know, they just attacked Buffalo and they figured out what we needed to do against the Saints and then we got back and got things, you know, cleaned up and tried to get some rest. And now, you know, focusing on on Tennessee and the challenge that that presents and, you know, seeing if we can’t continue to, uh, you know, enhance the things that we do well and improve the things that we’re not doing well and then eliminate the stuff that could could or will or has gotten us beat. Mike, what has this team done well for you? Uh, obviously physically football is like that, but mentally, what has this team done well for you? Well, I think that they try to come in with the same approach every week of, you know, what what did we do well? What do we have to improve on? They try to learn a new opponent and try to build a routine, a consistent routine, try to practice and and really have the have the energy and and the speed required to, you know, not only improve, but to prepare for another opponent that’s different and, you know, kind of everybody’s been ready to go. Try to get them to prepare as a starter every week, no matter who it is. Mike, a mid-stream coaching change can, I would imagine, cause a little bit of uncertainty as to exactly how Mike McCoy might approach things differently from the way Brian Callahan has. And it can always, I think, we’ve seen over the years sometimes the team can get a bump from that type of thing. Um, yeah, I mean, we’ll have to be prepared for everything. You know, there’s a lot of fakes in the history uh with with the with the coordinator. um may maybe go for it more on, you know, whatever situation. I just think we all have to be prepared for whatever that may be. Uh whatever wrinkles of things that Mike liked or didn’t like and he’s that’s going to be his prerogative and we’ll have to be prepared for for whatever it is and and try to execute the keys and try to um you know all the things that we feel like are important each and every week. So there’s no way to know. you could watch the tape and understand some of the players and the play style. Um, you know, and however they call the game, they’ll they’ll call it a game. Jefferson as the rookie quarterback quick delivery um to be able to to get it out of his hand and when he decides uh I thought that there is some really good accuracy, some ball ball placement that allows for good run after catch. Um that that you know I think there’s a willingness to to stand in there. He’s got contact courage. I don’t see him staring at the rush a lot. Um has the ability to scramble when when need be and and scramble for first downs. Doesn’t look like he’s very rattled. I think that his composure is very good and his demeanor. And uh you know, again, I saw a quote from him in preseason that said, you know, he watched his dad get up for a job at 4:30 every morning that he didn’t like and he figured he could get up that early for one that he did. And you know, I think that that’s just a good reminder for all of us that that someone that young could could say things that mature. So again, I think that that’s a good approach to to his job. You guys been facing Jeffrey Simmons this weekend. Uh what was your experience coaching him and was there any ways that he made you better as a coach, just a player that talented and effective? Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, great players make good coaches. Um, I really enjoy Jeffrey personally. You know, we’ve maintained a relationship. I’m glad that we do. Um, he’s playing really well, playing at at a high level. He plays hard. He’s got great play demeanor. Plays a lot of snaps, but he but he doesn’t, you know, the ones that he’s in there for, which is a lot. Uh, it’s not like he picks and chooses when he’s going to play hard. But also, I felt like he always shared the message um from us to the staff to the locker room. I think he was a good leader for us. Um, you know, it’ be a huge challenge here this week for for us to to be able to to block them and to neutralize them and try to gain some yards. Mike, after the last game, you in the video post said, “Give every one of them a ball.” Um, I’m just curious why you said that and also just how you feel the culture. It was the quickest thing I could do to get us out of there and get back home instead of go down the list of Drake May, Kan Booty, Marcus Jones. We recognize all those guys, you know, but um you know, just it feels like a team win. I mean, back and forth and the defense stepping up and guys making plays in the second half to help us and you know, Christian Ellis who put so much into it and hammer the football out and you know that you know schools you know continuing to factor on special teams again but now we’re you know we’re on to the next week and you know just wanted to try to get out get out of there as soon as we could to get back home to try to get some rest and to get on to this week. Mike, you had a general discussion this week about running backs in general and quickness versus speed. Where do your running back room stand with quickness and speed? And what do you think is more important, quickness or speed? I just tell them run where they ain’t. And that’s the only way that I know how to coach them is to tell them to take care of the ball. I think that speed um you know obviously is is a relative is a distance. Uh quickness maybe being able to change direction. um without having to take too many steps, right? Being able to put your foot in the ground and either jump cut or or get downhill, whatever that may be. Um I think whatever the play style is, whatever the skill set is for for each player, it’s important that they own it and they make them their own. You know, Derrick Henry, for an example, wasn’t the the quickest player, but he had speed. And so, you know, again, we tried to emphasize that uh for him and not make him think that he had to play like a a certain, you know, back that had a different play style. Mike, is it uh is it true that you reached out to Brian Callahan this week? Is that true? Yeah, sure. Why, you know, of course I did. You know what I mean? I don’t want to see anybody that shares a job with you, you know what I mean, get get let go. That’s not the, you know, that’s a that’s a that’s a tough feeling, you know, with family and school and, you know, whether it’s in college or pro, like we’re in the media every single day. And there’s a human element to this and that, uh, I don’t want to forget. I just remember all those coaches that or people that reached out after after I was let go. And um, you know, I think that that’s important because nobody texts when you lose, they all text when you win. So, it’s a good reminder like uh when when you were like, “Oh, I’m sure it stung a lot.” When you look at where you are now, are you kind of grateful the way things have? Well, I was I’m grateful for another opportunity and being here and love coaching. Love being here and everything else. I was grateful for um Kevin and Andrew and the Hasslams for having me in Cleveland. Um, yeah. And you just hope that if you get another shot, another opportunity, you know, like we tell our players, be ready for it and and take advantage of it. You said that you keep in touch with Jeffrey Simmons. I think you said something in the past about other players, too. What’s that look like? Just kind of checking on the family, checking on how they’re doing, how they’re doing, and thank them, you know, thank them. Uh, thank them for what they did while we were together and helped me, you know, be a coach. and um whether they have a good game or there’s something going on or you know whether they had a you know something happened in their life or there was some adversity or some positive I mean no different than you would anybody else that you had a relationship with. Mike when you heard the news that Brian had been fired this week uh what was your reaction and were you surprised? I didn’t have a, you know, again, I just had a focus here. And again, the the surprises in in our business shouldn’t be surprises. There’s just everything things happen uh in this league. And, you know, that’s it’s a decision that they made. I I didn’t have a particular reaction to it other than trying to get ready for for the game on Sunday. Mike, you guys are still three weeks basically from the trade deadline, but I’m curious given where you guys sit in the standings and how you’ve played if that at all impacts how aggressive you’ll be in trying to acquire talent. Uh I don’t know if that has a bearing on anything. We just continue to try to, you know, strengthen the roster uh each and every day. Sometimes those are small moves, maybe bigger ones, but um I don’t think that the right now those conversations are centered around what our record is currently. I don’t think that that’s something that really bears into it. We’re building something. And if any of those things can help us build and and strengthen us and and allow us for long-term consistent uh success, then I think that’s what we should try to do. Mike, I know you said on Monday some things are important and other things are interesting. You like that, huh? See, I did. I did actually. Do you also talk to the players about that sort of thing knowing that they could get amped up for you specifically to try to win this game in Tennessee? Yeah, this isn’t we’re not trying to win one for the Gipper here. We’re just trying to make sure that these guys are focused on improving and I think that they are. I think they’re they’re locked in. Um and and hopefully, you know, we can get them as prepared as we possibly can between now and um and Sunday. How do you play grown as a coach and a a person based off your time in Tennessee? You guys always ask me the same question like some reflective question. It’s you know what I mean? I just you try to learn every day. You try to learn. Um, don’t forget how important and critical the relationships are with the players, how important the players are to this thing. I think building a program of people that, you know, believe in a common goal that want to try to uh support the the program that we’re building in positive ways, help them grow. How do I support them? Who do how can we develop them? How can we develop young coaches and young players and young scouts and everything else? Second second time. How much has this affirmed you wanting to be a head coach and enjoying being a head coach after what you went through? I mean, it’s hard to enjoy it. Admittedly, I think it’s hard to enjoy it. Um, but, you know, that didn’t I I knew once I got to Cleveland that there was, you know, I I was sure that I nothing else I wanted to do than to have that another opportunity if I could get it. And I think you have to try to enjoy find different ways to enjoy it, you know, and the good uh and the bad, you know, having been through both. So, go ahead. Uh, how do you see the quarterback’s role in terms of helping your team establishing the run? Yeah, I think that’s a great question. And I had that conversation with um with Drake on Monday and his encouragement and how he can continue to encourage a group of linemen, players that line up in front of him that have done a a fairly good job of protecting him. Um we know how important and critical that is, but also explaining and encouraging and also keeping everybody on the same page as we come up. And you know, we have our dis different, you know, ID system that we’re working to and making sure that everybody’s on the same page, making sure that the call is clean and making sure that the run alert is the one that we want to get to. And so the quarterback can have a a critical um role in in the run game. It takes all 11 and uh and certainly starts with the quarterback, but but I appreciate that. Thank you.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addresses the media on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

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