Mike Vrabel Discusses Drake Maye Giving Him the Game Ball After the Titans Win on WEEI | Patriots

Mike Vrabel Discusses Drake Maye Giving Him the Game Ball After the Titans Win on WEEI | Patriots

Good morning, coach. Good morning. How are you? That was a mouthful. Are you empty-handed? You didn’t show up empty-hand. Okay, good. All right, we got victory shots. Come back again. Victory shots from Light from the coach this morning. All right. Yeah. Yeah. Put Put it on Wiggy’s tab. There you go. Look at these. So, this is the immunity shot uh from Pure Green. And coach brings it in. Shake it up. You got to shake it. You got to shake it. You got to get all that good stuff. You got to shake all the good stuff in there. And what’s in this again? That’s the ginger. Ginger. We got ginger. Oh, good. Is there any cayenne pepper or anything? You’re going to be shocked. You’re going to be shocked. All right, let’s give it a go here. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Congratulations. Salude. Wow. Oh, so good. That one is That is burn good. Now, what is that? That tastes so good when it hits your lips. Yeah. Yeah. I need a lime with something. Wow. That throne going down. Yeah. And that that uh gets right in there and starts uh working everything through. Is that what that does? Is that I have no idea what it does. No idea. Well, uh it’s difficult every week it seems like for us to to uh find anything that is wrong with this. You guys got a few with this football team, but um you talked, you know, you you always say to the guys that uh it’s not perfect. We’re we’re getting there. Um I know you felt like uh once again started slow a little bit. I think you put that on on yourself yesterday. Well, it’s just there’s uh there was a lot to that week and uh I think that our guys handled it really well. A and we just have to do a better job, you know, early on of settling in quickly and being aggressive and and having a play style um no matter what the call is about finishing drives and then defensively being able to to answer some of these. These are plays that they worked on. These are game plan plays. They’re they’re trick plays that they’ve been working on. Whether that’s the the throwback and obviously, you know, we hit the same similar play to to pop last week. And you know, somebody just you have to have a little disruption. You can’t make it look like it’s their Friday move the field practice. And you know, we’ll have to do a better job of that of trying to uh disrupt their timing and flow early on defensively. And then we’ll have to uh to be able to finish drives offensively. What what’s the message? I see you in the game Raandre runs the ball well. I see you early in tell him keep it high and tight and everything. It looked like he had that confidence. What was your message to him just throughout the week and throughout that game because it looks like he was playing with another level of confidence yesterday? Yep. I think the biggest thing and again we just we don’t want to get lack of days to go at the sidelines or going to the ground or or near the end zone. And uh you know, one thing you find is when guys make moves or do things that that that the ball can’t come off their body. And so again, it was about don’t let ball security paralyze us, making sure that our O line is getting into their combinations and making sure that the backs are doing a good job of getting into the line of scrimmage and then just kind of, you know, then then you just have to run. But but we can’t sit there and we can’t dance and and wait and we also can’t just plot it up in there for for two yards and think that’s going to be enough either. Was it nice to see some of the Titan fan support? I saw a guy with a sign who said, “I cut my D off to get Mike Rabel back here as a head coach.” Reference to something you said one time. Yeah, that was that was my cousin. I had I take care of all these people go do that. Was that cool to see though? Yeah, I mean again I I saw a lot of friends. I saw, you know, Carter was excited. It was important. Um, you know, again, it was just uh it was good to go back there. There’s a lot of I think the the people that I really enjoyed seeing were the ones in the support staff and the people that have been there for a while and that were there with us and, you know, I hadn’t seen a lot of and so I just it was good to see their faces. I thought Drake did a good job giving you the uh game ball. He did. He did. And and again, I I appreciate it and uh I’m happy for these guys. I’m happy that they can see success and they can feel it and and they’re excited and then a lot of great personal um achievements and most importantly uh the team achievement. Speaking of game balls, we had Robert Splain on Friday and I don’t think he knew that he had a game ball coming from the New Orleans game. When are those coming? It take Wiki said it takes a while to paint them or Yeah. Well, we we have we’re figuring out what we’re going to put on them here after these three game road trips. Okay. All right. So, those are still coming. I guess I guess but I’m that’s one thing I’m not in charge of. You’re not in charge of that. Everything else you get stretch on. Well, circling back to Wiggy and what he said about Raandre, there were a lot of people, especially in the first part of of the season, that were calling for you to bench Raandre. And you showed confidence and support to him throughout the entire thing. Every every Monday with us, anytime we asked about him, you showed support. What did you see in Raandre that a lot of people that were watching the games at home didn’t see? Well, it’s just the the whole entire body of work. All our backs are going to play and Dvon’s going to have a role and now Terrell’s going to have a role and Roandre, but he’s a he’s a very good pass protector and again there’s the whole body work that we can’t we got to take care of the football. But there he’s also did a lot of really good things early in the season against Miami. And you know there there’ll be a time where they’re calling for my job and they’re calling for everybody’s job and that’s just how this business works. And uh I didn’t want to jerk the wheel but also you know there was a lot of conversations about what our ball carriers and our receivers and everybody that has the football uh how they have to take care of it or you know then we have to make make some other decisions. You know, you look at last week at the end of the game, he steps up, he blocks the inside linebacker. Yesterday, he’s blocking in protection. He’s up in the A gap, he goes out, scans out to the nickel, and we’re able to get a big third down pass off. So, he he does a lot of things without the football, and then when he does have the football, when he takes care of it, and he’s decisive, uh you know, he’s been he’s been good for you. waiting to shake the guy’s hands after uh after the game has become uh a cool thing. Bill Cower kind of took credit for that on TV yesterday. Is that is that where you got that from? He said when you were a rookie there that that he did that. So, he was kind There was a lot that I learned from from Bill. I don’t know what I remember from 1997. That was a long time ago. But I did really enjoy uh being drafted to the Steelers for that organization, the veterans on that team. Uh to Bill, those were those were good years for me and my growth. Never started a game, but learned a lot of football, learn played a lot of special teams, played a lot of different positions defensively. Uh that prepared me for the rest of my career. Mike, they had the uh the game plan yesterday. It appeared that it was we’re going to get to Tennessee and we’re going to run the ball until they stop us. Is that coming from you? Was that how did that how did that game plan come together on offense? Well, there you know just some things that we’d seen and and what we felt like we needed to do and the identity that we had to have for that football game and um you know when things are working you want to stick with them and obviously stay balanced but you know I thought it was important for our guys to to see that and put that stuff on tape and you know we got wide receivers. We got M. Collins that’s pushing a pile for five yards um and helping the running back and there’s a lot of great efforts there to be able to stay connected on combinations. Simmons or sweat or you know anything else and getting up to the second level and so there’s a lot of good stuff on film. There’s a lot of stuff that we can improve on. Who is Simmons uh doing the crying emoji to on the sidelines? Me I’m sure. But I I’m sure he’s not going to want to hear this. What makes you cry will make me laugh, I guess. I know that that’s not how it goes, but I spun it around there. So, I mean, Jeff and I have a good relationship and uh you know, sorry to see him get hurt. Uh but again, as a coach, I have to take the high road and I and I did a I was proud of myself for not responding. Um hey, uh Drake got banged up a little bit. any thought looking back now that maybe maybe you take him out of that game earlier or I that’s probably not your style. No, I mean I think that uh you know his ability to extend the football and and extend the play and and when he got banged up and again we got to protect the quarterback and um you know but I but I also felt like we got sloppy. I think we got up and had a really good first half and then I think we got sloppy and those are some things that we’re going to have to address and have to realize that these games aren’t over as we saw late last night in Denver and the Giants game and we could pull them out or we could just play football and protect them and you know at the right opportunity get everybody else in there. One of the things that I like and you know as former players it’s hard to find coaches that are authentic cuz we can spot a fraud from a mile away and a lot of your players talk about the genuiness and how authentic you are and how real you are. How important is that not only you but the rest of your coaching staff make sure that you know that’s a message that the those players understand we’re going to give it to you like it is. Sometimes you might like it, sometimes you might not like it, but we’re going to be real with you. Yeah. I mean, I think that that’s what players respect. I think that they may not always like what you hear, but they they don’t want to be bullshitted. They want the truth. Um, and we, you know, I also tell him, I said, “The harder you play, uh, you know, it’s going to cost you $4 for the swear tie law.” We do have a Tai law swear jar. 100 bucks goes goes to the Greg Hill Foundation. Stretch stretch for that. the uh the harder they play, the the more that I’m going to give them uh the more leeway that I’m going to give them. And uh so those are some things that I have that, you know, again, I when I see things that can help them, I I want to try to to tell them and show them and coach them. And when there’s things that uh are non-negotiable as it relates to their effort or things that they’re they’re doing to to hurt us, that that that I have to address it. Obviously, you want the team to protect the quarterback better going forward, but especially against a Browns defense next week. That is is hard. How can Drake protect himself better? Um, you know, making good decisions in the open field and, you know, when you see one, there’s another one coming and so, you know, making sure that you get down and, you know, protect yourself and the equipment and everything else. And and he will. And again, I just think that he he wants to win so badly. wants to be successful and just a complete package for us and a playmaker. You know, it’s just a fine line. It’s a fine balance of uh I think he does a good job of getting through the pocket and when it’s not there, getting out and extending and then just making a great decision and, you know, trying to make sure that uh you don’t have to beat everybody out there. you can just get down and take a five or six yard gain or just just be mindful of where you’re at and how many guys are around you. Mike, there are several stats that came out postgame about Drake May joining Tom Brady as the only two Patriots quarterbacks to be at this completion percentage or to have this success and this many touchdowns that all that. What do you see in Drake May that makes those com I guess statistical comparisons in any way a reality to how he plays the game that he could be someone that could carry this team for 15 years? Well, I mean, he’s just he’s very accurate from different platforms, whether that’s uh in the pocket, that’s out of the pocket. You know, there’s there’s a really really good accuracy. I think that there’s uh there’s a lot of confidence, very, you know, he’s just an athletic quarterback. And by by that, I just mean that he there’s different things that he does. It doesn’t have to be so rigid and and just drop back, plant, transfer, throw. There’s a lot of other movements to him that I think make him unique and uh but the accuracy has certainly uh been very good. What’s the one thing he’s improved the most since you arrived here? I think his pocket uh presence or his ability to transfer through the pocket. Uh it’s something as young quarterbacks coming out of college, you don’t see a ton of probably because they they don’t work on it or maybe because there’s a three-man rush a lot of times in college and there’s have a little bit more time or maybe they’re just extending out of the pocket because they can physically. Uh, but that’s something that that they’ve worked uh very hard on. I know that Josh has done a great job and Ashton’s done a great job on the drill work and seeing it and being able to do it when it’s there. You saw an example of of Dobsy doing it, you know, yesterday when he got in and pulling through with two hands, still remaining a passer, keeping your eyes downfield as opposed to pulling through and looking down here at the rush. It was I’m a sucker for a great story, but it was so cool to see him show up at the Zarian CM game on Friday night. Yeah. And there was other players there, too. Um they just didn’t have field access or the police escort, so they got on Drake. They said, “We just sit up in the stands with the with the with the do with the quarterback with the common folk.” But there was a group of players there and uh Drake just happened to have the the escort. The one area where you you said you wanted to see a little bit more improvement in was getting to the quarterback. I know you had five sacks yesterday, but yeah, it’s just not enough on early downs, right? What what was the difference in the last several weeks from yesterday with the pressures? Well, the yesterday was uh you know, the sacks again, I’m not looking at the sacks. The sacks come later on third down and the first and second down, you have to be able to transition into the pocket. you have to be able to make a pass rush after, you know, playing on what may look like a run block. And, you know, we just have to do a better job of that and we have to do a better job of of being in coverage and contesting. And, uh, again, I I like how they respond in the second half. I just we’re going to have to play better earlier pass coverage and first and second down. You talk about Drake’s athleticism, the athleticism of Pop Douglas with that one-handed catch from behind him. Like, we didn’t have to make it that hard, did we? No. But throw it in front of him. But what a highlight. Like watching that from home looked sick. I I can’t imagine being the head coach and seeing it play out on the sideline. Yeah. And again, it made a huge play and you know, just get the timing down there and make sure that they’re both on the same page. I think that’s important. Uh but it was a huge play and we’re we’re going to go for it. You see the players. I we’re going to want to stay aggressive here and score a touchdown. Well, you probably made a few one-handers back. Yeah, I made a few of those. Yeah, I made a couple. But you know what? I want Who is a Who is a better receiver, you or Mike Rael? Oh, me by the man. It’s like asking who was a better touch touchdowns repeatedly. Yeah, but I that’s when I Yeah, but I had a fifth grade teacher said, “Yeah, but it’ be a good name for a horse.” Yeah, but those touchdowns. Those goal line touchdowns didn’t come when I was here. I was gone long ago. That would have been your balls, but I would have been the same way. No, I don’t think so. They had good hands, but not as good as mine. It’s like asking who is a better pass rusher, me or him. Come on, it’s not even close. One of the areas that we were a little bit concerned, myself included, as fans going into was the wide receiver group. Give a lot of respect to Todd Downing, but these guys have not only done it in the passing game, you talk about it in the run blocking game. Um, talk about what that group has been able to do, especially coming to the seasons with, you know, I think expectations were very low from a lot of people on the outside looking in. Well, that’s good. I’m glad expectations were low. Then we try to exceed them. Um that I think that that group has just um continues to grow. I think that Steph’s been a great leader. I think Mac’s been a great leader. I think Kan has uh taken it upon himself to to to compete and improve and get better through training camp and that’s paid off in the season. uh the understanding that they all have with with route detail, route craft, how to how to work with the quarterback, uh pop shown up, I think their effort at uh when they don’t have the football has been much improved. You see guys blocking, you see late in the game, you see digs coming over blocking the safety on weak rotation or things like that. And so, um, you know, Todd’s really done a good job of bringing that group together, I think, off the field, and therefore that’s translated into a lot of positives on the field. I think Steph Diggs was someone that we spoke probably more so than outside of Drake May on the entire offseason. We talked about things onfield, offfield, everything. And he has been remarkable in his consistency, but also his leadership. Well, I saw the locker room that you know, we get a minute snippet of it after the game from the social media team, but could can you express what you have had and your expectations for I I enjoy he’s easy to talk to. He’s fun to be around. He’s the same guy every day. Um, communicates well if something comes up or he again, our conversations are very easy. They’re they’re good. he doing everything that we’ve asked him to do and uh hopefully we can keep going. It does seem like from the outside Wiggy was talking about the that before there’s been a massive culture change here. Um and you’re the leader of the organization. What do you attribute that to to being able to come in and and change on and off the field? Change the culture. You know, just try to be authentic, try to be real, try to uh support people and help them do their jobs. hire good people, knowledgeable people, make connections with the players, make connections with the people in the building, and that’s just what we’ll try to do. And winning, you know, and then try to win, and that brings morale up and immunity shots. It doesn’t hurt. All right. Did you get any any barbecue while you were in Nashville? No. What is the best barbecue in Nashville? We we debate this on the show. Curtis likes Ed Le and Martins are probably the leadart. Yeah, Martins is Martin’s got a brisket burger up there. Curtis loves the brisket. I never been to Nashville, so when I get down there, I’ll have to check one of those spots. You guys don’t travel. We don’t bring Wiggy. Yeah, they don’t bring But they do travel. You guys travel, but they don’t travel. He doesn’t like to fly. He’s got the John Madden bus. He’s very specific about that. You know, I like to play CODs on the plane. They don’t want to play no boo. He He requires He requires a four-star hotel. He won’t stay with the rest of us at the I like a nice hotel. You know how that goes. You know, maybe they get you on a road trip one day. One day. Thank you, guys. Coach, keep at it. That is that is Mike Vrael, the head coach of the New England Patriots. Keep it up.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show on Monday, October 20, 2025.

Subscribe to the New England Patriots YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/2IOD2e9
For More Patriots NFL Action: https://bit.ly/2Y1e9zz

#NewEnglandPatriots #Patriots #NFL

For more Patriots content: pillar.io/patriots
Stay up-to-date on Patriots news: https://www.patriots.com/
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newenglandpatriots/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/patriots
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriots
Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@patriots
Get the app: https://apple.co/2vvd8mU