FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mike Vrabel was bloodied. Once more.
The New England Patriots coach was amped up Sunday, pumping his proper arm in pleasure on the sideline, as defensive deal with Milton Williams sacked quarterback Justin Herbert to safe the group’s 16-3 wild-card playoff victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Vrabel then walked with a goal, searching for out Williams to congratulate him.
With Gillette Stadium shaking prefer it did within the Tremendous Bowl championship days when Vrabel performed for the franchise, the 6-foot-4 thrust his fingers into the 6-3 Williams’ chest in pleasure.
Then he acquired one thing in return he wasn’t anticipating: a blow from Williams’ helmet that split his lip.
“That is simply pure emotion. I feel I head-butted everybody, I simply forgot Vrabes did not have a helmet on,” Williams mentioned with a smile. “However he’ll be all proper.”
OUR COACH. pic.twitter.com/IUObIvQRL6
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 12, 2026
He was. Not lengthy after a go to from head athletic coach Jim Whalen on the sideline, when Vrabel was handed a towel to scrub up his lip, Vrabel referenced it as a badge of honor to the group.
“We mentioned all alongside, you gotta be prepared to spill some blood! I ain’t afraid to spill a bit blood both!” a still-fired-up Vrabel advised gamers and coaches within the locker room.
Patriots gamers had already discovered this lesson in early August.
It was the early days of coaching camp when the Washington Commanders had been on the town for apply forward of the primary preseason sport. Things got chippy between gamers and Vrabel wound up on the backside of a scrum. He emerged with a minimize on his proper cheek. Apply continued with him holding a bag of ice as much as his face.
“He is proper there with us, man. I feel that participant comes out in him a bit bit too,” veteran tight finish Hunter Henry mentioned that day.
Vrabel nonetheless appears like he may need a number of snaps in him, however at 50, swapping his trademark teaching vest for soccer pads is one thing he reserves just for apply as gamers typically strike him with pressure. The strategy has helped impress the 15-3 Patriots, who host the Houston Texans within the divisional spherical of the AFC playoffs Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC).
There are some notable connections to the matchup. Vrabel’s first NFL job after he retired was because the linebackers coach for the Texans in 2014. He was with the franchise by means of the 2017 season, earlier than spending 2018-2023 because the Tennessee Titans head coach. After being fired, Vrabel was handed over for six different NFL head teaching jobs — together with in New England — which led him to spend 2024 as a marketing consultant with the Cleveland Browns. He mentioned one factor he discovered in 2024 was that he missed being a head coach “with the whole lot that I had in my soul.”
A 12 months into his tenure with the Patriots, the group is 2 wins away from competing within the Tremendous Bowl.
We talked with present and former teammates, colleagues and gamers to assist illustrate what it’s prefer to play for a Vrabel-coached group, what it was prefer to play with Vrabel throughout his 14-year profession, and what it’s like to teach alongside him.
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Teammates | Colleagues | Players
Teammates
Jarvis Inexperienced, former Patriots DL (2002-09):
“Vrabel used to bust [chops] on a regular basis. I keep in mind Invoice [Belichick] used to do it again. After which Vrabel must one-up Invoice. I keep in mind the time Invoice received out the rocking chairs within the assembly room as a result of Vrabel was one of many older gamers, however Vrabel would speak s— within the conferences. He can be like, ‘Invoice, you come dress on the sphere in uniform and make a play!’ Invoice would chuckle, have an enormous grin, as a result of Vrabel was proper. That was a part of our success. Vrabel was a jokester within the locker room. He was all the time comical.”
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“I keep in mind Vrabel sporting a Giants helmet at apply. That was a knock on Coach Pep [Pepper Johnson], as a result of he was all the time speaking in regards to the Giants and LT [Lawrence Taylor], and the way nice they had been. I do not know the place Vrabel received the helmet, however he mentioned, ‘I will impersonate LT, or one of many nice linebackers, as a result of we won’t do s— over right here in New England!'”
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“Me, Vrabel, [Rosevelt] Colvin, we may talk with out saying phrases on the sphere. We studied a lot collectively within the movie room. I see why he’s a head coach, as a result of he knew the whole lot on the sphere. I keep in mind when he performed the protection place; I used to be like, ‘Come on, man!’ He wasn’t a 4.5 man [in the 40-yard dash] however he made it work as a result of he knew the angles to take.”
Willie McGinest, former Patriots LB (1994-2005):
“We’d all give him a bunch of s— about desirous to play tight finish within the sport, so he may catch touchdowns. All of us began calling him a diva.”
Rosevelt Colvin, former Patriots LB (2003-07):
“Everybody in our LB room was there for a cause and had a selected goal. Mike, player-wise, he was a special-teams man, goal-line TE, OLB and will play ILB. Very versatile and knew the whole lot, however I might say he was the one man who may match wits and brainpower with Invoice — all whereas cracking a joke that may make Invoice pissed, however not in a foul manner. When [assistant coach] Rob Ryan left the room after my first 12 months, we had Invoice and Dean Pees, older soccer minds, however nice at what they do. There was additionally Matty P [Matt Patricia], who may have been a rocket scientist, and Vrabes nonetheless may match all of them. It reveals why he is had success as a head coach. There was a snippet of him and [Stefon] Diggs going forwards and backwards on the sideline final week about his blocking means. That is him all day.”
Colleagues
Invoice O’Brien, Boston School head coach and former Texans head coach:
“When he was working for me in Houston (2014-17), that was when he broke out the chest pad that everyone wears now. I hadn’t seen that earlier than. We had simply drafted [defensive end] Jadeveon Clowney [at No. 1 overall in 2014] and [Vrabel] got here out to apply with the chest pad on — it is a pad you set over your head, and he wore it the complete apply. In any break within the motion, you’d look over and he would have Clowney, Whitney Mercilus, some veteran guys, and they might be setting the sting on his chest pad — full pace. You’d hear him: ‘Set the sting! Lock out! Bend your knees!’ It was to the purpose the place he was beat up by the tip of apply. I keep in mind calling him in and saying, ‘Mike, I do not know if you are able to do this each single day. You are going to be within the coaching room greater than the gamers.’
“He was a wonderful place coach. He is an enormous man, he performed, he was in nice situation, and along with his intelligence, he could possibly be bodily with them and present them precisely what he wished.”
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“We had a kicker that was with us in Houston and I’d say he was a nervous kicker, which isn’t what you are searching for in a kicker. On the finish of apply, I often did subject targets and tried to place some strain conditions in there. And Mike, who could be very vocal, can be the one taunting the kicker saying, ‘You are going to miss it!’ We later moved on from the kicker, who received picked up by Cincinnati.
“We’re enjoying Cincinnati on Christmas Eve [2016] and if we win, we win the AFC South. We drive the ball down late within the sport and rating to take the lead by 2. Andy Dalton is the quarterback for the Bengals, they’re driving the ball, they usually get into field-goal vary with mainly no time left. They’re on the brink of kick a [43-yard] subject objective. I ice the kicker and through the timeout, Mike — who’s the linebacker coach — mainly walks out on the sphere and says, ‘Hey, you are going to choke this kick identical to you probably did in apply daily!’ And the man hooked it. We received the AFC South.”
Todd Downing, Patriots large receivers coach:
“It is no secret that I went by means of a tough chapter after I was with Coach Vrabel [in Tennessee]. He walked by means of that chapter with me. His loyalty and the best way he dedicated to me and the group is one thing I will always remember. He cares extra in regards to the individual than he cares in regards to the product. And he is aware of if he cares in regards to the individual, and helps the individual, then they will assist the product.”
Justin Hamilton, Patriots cornerbacks coach:
“I’m going again to after I was QC [quality control coach] in Tennessee, and I am displaying the [scout team] playing cards for the protection. Vrabes was the ‘mike’ linebacker for the ‘present’ group within the non-padded practices. Whether or not I coached it up, or simply confirmed them the cardboard and mentioned ‘it is identical to this’, he was barking at me. Each play. I used to be considering to myself, ‘I do not know tips on how to take this, however I will come again the following snap.’ I am unable to keep in mind who it was — it was one of many veteran gamers — and he mentioned to me, ‘He is simply looking for out who he can depend on when stuff will get tight within the fourth quarter. So simply maintain going again and placing a smile in your face.’ He holds you to a regular and the whole lot he does — whether or not it is a joke, severe or one thing else — is intentional and for a cause.”
Tony Dews, Patriots operating backs coach:
“Once we all the time get collectively for the primary time, he all the time goes across the desk and will get an replace on what all people’s youngsters are into. Then all by means of the 12 months, he remembers the whole lot. You are strolling up and down the corridor and it is, ‘How’s Taj doing in hockey? How’s Savannah doing in basketball?’ So he is actually into the household a part of it. Then in Tennessee, the day we broke for the summer season, he had an enormous occasion at his home for everyone. He had meals vehicles. Face portray. Actions for the youngsters to do. Pool. Basketball. Identical to we did this 12 months with Halloween — with youngsters, gamers, households — and the coaches handed out sweet and there have been all large blow-up slides and leap homes. When he talks about household, you see he actually means it.”
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“My daughter was in ninth grade in Tennessee, she performed basketball, we’re within the fitness center, me and my spouse are sitting there. Right here comes Mike and his spouse [Jen]. And Frank [Piraino] and his spouse. They’re simply stopping by to observe a ninth-grade women basketball sport. Lots of people speak about household and caring about individuals, however here is the pinnacle coach of the Tennessee Titans displaying up at a ninth-grade women basketball sport. Which means quite a bit.”
Scott Booker, Patriots safeties coach:
“He has a capability to snigger at himself. The primary time I keep in mind that was when [former Titans linebacker] Will Compton did a skit on Mike and his group conferences. Will was spot-on, I feel it was 2019. The gamers weren’t precisely positive how he was going to take it. And he was over there dying laughing. That mentioned to the fellows, ‘Hey, he is the pinnacle coach, however he is additionally a daily man and we will mess with him identical to everybody else.'”
Gamers
Garrett Bradbury, Patriots middle:
“It was early once we received right here in OTAs. There is a large open bathe and there is washcloths while you stroll in. It was an issue. There was a bin to place your soiled washcloths and guys had been simply leaving their washcloths on the ground and gear [staff] or custodial [staff] was having to select them up. Vrabel, it was quite simple — he did not say, ‘Hey guys, may you decide up your washcloths?’ He mentioned, ‘Hey guys, washcloths have been an issue. I advised gear [staff] that in the event that they see them on the bottom, simply decide them up, do not wash them, and simply throw them within the dryer and we’ll put them proper again on the market for you. As a result of these guys do not have to be choosing up your soiled washcloths.’
“And there hasn’t been any washcloth points since. It is a management type — you possibly can ask your guys, otherwise you be like, ‘Hear, that is how issues are going to go.’ He fastened the issue. It is a cool instance of how he’s.”
Jahlani Tavai, Patriots linebacker:
“He is all about his gamers. He confirmed that to me, particularly after I was going by means of some stuff with my family. He was there on the hospital. And he is been checking up on me and my household these days. He is actually a participant coach and I respect that out of him. It means quite a bit. If I’ve that form of coach, I for positive am going to do no matter I can to play for him and execute what I received to do.”
Will Campbell, Patriots offensive deal with:
“I do not suppose I’ve a PG[-rated] story to inform.”
Stefon Diggs, Patriots receiver:
“He is a helluva coach. He is like one other father determine, too. He is taught me quite a bit in a brief span of time, so far as the way you strategy issues, and rolling with the punches, holding a constructive mindset and being selfless. It is one thing I would not say I struggled with all through my profession, however being a receiver it is exhausting to be all about all people else. However after I received right here, he form of confirmed me, by means of actions, it is all the time for the better good. You will provide you with extra wins that manner and you will be simply high quality. Like ending your blocks. You suppose it is one thing small nevertheless it’s one thing that echoes all through the group and reveals guys you truly care — you are making an attempt to take a success off a man. One thing small nevertheless it goes a good distance.”
Robert Spillane, Patriots linebacker:
“Considered one of my favourite Vrabel tales got here my rookie 12 months [in 2018 with the Titans]. I did not suppose I’d have a shot to play within the NFL. I believed my desires had been over. Coach Vrabel referred to as me Thursday night time and advised me, ‘Get out right here to be sure to generally is a tryout participant at rookie minicamp tonight.’ I did precisely that. It was a three-day minicamp. After that camp, I used to be awarded a 90-man roster spot. The very first thing he did was say, ‘Name your mother.’ I used to be in his workplace and it was a particular second we shared. It was Mom’s Day and I used to be in a position to name my mother and say I used to be in a position to stay out my desires.”
