- 9 months ago
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel joins live! The Greg Hill Show
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00:00Good morning.
00:01How are you?
00:02Happy holidays.
00:03Great win yesterday.
00:05Happy holidays.
00:07And Stacey and I just did our little breakfast shot.
00:11Tell Stacey he can have mine this morning so he can double up.
00:15He can have mine too so he can triple up.
00:17We didn't wait to ask you, Courtney.
00:19Just so you know, we already did it.
00:21I'm glad.
00:22I'm glad.
00:22But this late in the season on the road,
00:24some guys banged up to go and have that dominant of a win against the Jets.
00:28How proud are you of the guys after this one?
00:31Well, I mean, I think they came out ready to go.
00:34Always proud of their efforts and, you know,
00:37especially being able to go on the road and finish off, you know,
00:40the opportunity to go undefeated on the road.
00:42And, you know, they came out ready to go, which I appreciated.
00:47And, you know, we knew we would have to bring our own energy.
00:50We did that with our play and being able to get some quick stops
00:55and some quick scores and, you know, covered some kickoffs when we had to.
00:59We knew that was a huge strength for them, and that was great to see.
01:04Mike, a win like that, what does it say about your team when you look at them
01:10that you have been coaching them up all year long?
01:12What does that win mean to you coaching this football team?
01:16Well, again, I just want them to feel prepared and have confidence
01:25in what they've been taught and confidence in what we want to do as a team
01:30and how we want to play and push piles and, you know, full tilt to the tackle
01:36and take care of the football and, you know, get off the field on third down.
01:40And, you know, that's really what we're trying to do.
01:44We have to be able to have a, you know, we have to prepare, like,
01:49every week's the playoffs and know how the margin for error is so thin in this league
01:54and certainly moving towards, you know, January and all those things
02:00that you have to be able to do.
02:01So there's a lot of good things, a lot of things that we have to coach,
02:04and we'll continue to do that.
02:07But, again, excited for the players and everybody that's put a lot of work
02:10into this thing since, you know, the offseason.
02:14You bring up going undefeated on the road.
02:15Obviously, as a coach now, you know how hard it is to coach on the road.
02:19But as a player, as a former player, how hard is it to go undefeated
02:22playing in those types of conditions, whether it's rain, snow, hot weather,
02:28enemy territory, how hard is it to go undefeated on the road as a player?
02:33Well, I mean, I think the numbers would just speak for themselves
02:36or however many times it's been done.
02:38I don't know.
02:39We try to take them whatever the situation presents, whether we're up early
02:44or we need to come back or we need to execute a certain situation.
02:49You just know that there are certain things that are a little bit difficult
02:53when you talk about the road environment and traveling and, you know,
02:59just a different mindset.
03:02So I appreciate the way that the players and I think that our staff, one,
03:06our staff here, you know, the travel logistics and everything, it starts with that.
03:11And then the equipment staff and the training staff and everybody that transports
03:17this building to another place and to another hotel to make the players feel
03:22comfortable and get everything that they need and the treatment and the preparation.
03:26And then, obviously, our fans, the way that they've traveled,
03:31and I know that our team appreciates that.
03:35And I'm glad that we've been able to give them something to travel for and cheer for.
03:39So going all the way back to Miami, I can appreciate our fans being and wanting to travel.
03:45Mike, this game is played, and you've played it before,
03:48and you know that people always talk about playing with controlled aggression.
03:52There was a situation with Barmore.
03:54It looked like, just from my perspective of watching the game,
03:58it looked like he felt like Membu had, like, a dirty play on him.
04:02He was very emotional.
04:04You were talking to him, trying to calm him down.
04:06How important is it that you make sure guys know, like, you got to play with emotions,
04:11but you got to know when you get into that line where you don't hurt yourself
04:14or hurt your team penalty-wise?
04:17Yeah, we want to take them to the line.
04:19We take them just past the line.
04:21And that's what you have to be able to do.
04:23It's a violent game.
04:25And we want to take them just to the edge of the line.
04:30And then we got to get back and play the next snap and be under control
04:34and figure out what that next situation is.
04:37So we're always working on that.
04:39And I appreciate not only Christian's efforts, but everyone else's efforts to play that way.
04:46And then, you know, you have to shut it off for a few seconds.
04:50And, you know, they always end up getting a second guy.
04:53And we want to make great decisions for the team.
04:55So these are great learning messages and moments for our players, for me,
05:01for everybody to be able to say that the stakes are going to get raised
05:07and it's going to be a high-pressure environment.
05:09And we have to be able to go to that line and then come off of it.
05:15Mike, Drake looked great yesterday.
05:17And it seems like every single week he's been improving on himself.
05:21When you go back to the first time that you worked with him as a head coach
05:25to where we are now going into the last regular season game,
05:28what's been the biggest improvement in your eyes from the first time to now?
05:33Just a continued comfort, I think, at the line of scrimmage
05:40to understand what they're doing and, you know, how he needs to respond.
05:46And, you know, whether he's got a guy free and he needs to drift
05:49and find Chiz on a blitz zero or, you know, he's able to quickly progress through
05:57and realize that it's not that he likes and then scramble for a first down.
06:03You know, keeping the ball out of harm's way, really accurate.
06:08I think on the move, I thought the ball to Chiz on the move was out in front
06:14where it needs to be.
06:15It's going to be caught or it's going to be – it's not going to certainly be
06:18into the defender's field of vision.
06:23So those are all the things I think he's continued to improve on
06:28and then just being a leader of this football team.
06:31Mike, you talked about playing every game like it's a playoff game
06:35and you guys have clinched and got a playoff spot.
06:38And I know you never get ahead, but how do you make sure –
06:42because you know as a coach and as a player, once you get into the playoffs,
06:46it's another level of the way it ratchets up a little bit.
06:49How do you make sure that these guys understand that when they're playing
06:53these games and you're telling them to treat them like playoffs games
06:57but also knowing that it's going to take another step up to another level
07:01when the actual postseason play starts?
07:04Well, I mean, we'll figure all that out when we get there.
07:07We have to, you know, figure out – make the improvement,
07:11make the corrections here from yesterday and the little details
07:14that are going to help us win.
07:15Prepare for Miami and, you know, a team that's going to run the football,
07:21a team that's, you know, going to blitz from different places.
07:23So I don't think it's been too much of a challenge to get their attention
07:29each and every week.
07:31Sometimes we've played better than others.
07:35But I think that these guys, you know, they're in a good place
07:39and they're letting us coach them.
07:40And, you know, I think they all understand and appreciate that we're just trying
07:45to do and help them, you know, be successful and help the team.
07:51Mike, you don't seem like the type of guy that takes his foot off the gas,
07:55but your next goal was to get the division.
07:59You guys did that.
07:59Going into Miami, does this change at all how you're going to set up guys?
08:05You have guys that are banged up.
08:06You have guys that are ready to come back from injury.
08:08Does it change your approach at all?
08:12I mean, I would say, again, probably everybody that's healthy will play.
08:17I mean, that's just where we're at.
08:20And I haven't looked too far into it this morning here.
08:25But, you know, we'll – everybody – I would anticipate everybody that's healthy
08:31will play in the football game.
08:34Mike, one thing that was really cool was – and it seemed like the team rallied
08:37around him, Chisholm, when he, you know, obviously had that big catch
08:40that you just talked about, like that little skinny slant.
08:43But then he was able to get his first touchdown catch.
08:45And, you know, as an undrafted guy myself, you kind of always remember
08:48your first TD catch.
08:50What was that like for a player like him who it seems like he works his ass off
08:54and he knows every day he's fighting for his life to see him have that type
08:58of success?
09:00Yeah.
09:00And I think that the team appreciates that.
09:03They respect him for that, the way that he practices, the way that he prepares.
09:08And, you know, he earned the opportunity and he made the most of it.
09:13And, you know, again, it's – we've gotten a lot of efforts from that room,
09:19from different guys throughout the season.
09:22I appreciated the way that Pop worked and as far as he worked to get back
09:27and be available for the game.
09:29Counted some numbers and Diggsie willing to take on a large role there
09:34in the time that we asked him to be out there.
09:38And, you know, it was a great group effort, but guys are excited for some of those
09:43guys that maybe just practice and haven't had as much chance to play
09:47in the football game.
09:49Well, you got a big one coming up against the Dolphins, a team that has kind of,
09:53you know, looked a little scrappy with Quinn Uros in the quarterback position.
09:57What's the message to your team headed into this week's final game of the season
10:01to make sure that they don't lose focus because, you know,
10:05you did win the division and you are in the postseason?
10:09I'll come up with something.
10:10I haven't come up with the message here yet.
10:12I just drove into work and sat and talked to you guys.
10:16So I had a few minutes not to worry about the message.
10:19I got a few days to focus on that.
10:21Well, he likes to give the message immediately after.
10:23Well, I do a lot of talking in the car as I'm driving.
10:26I tend to come up with a lot of – that's like my laboratory.
10:30Why would I tell you the message before I tell the team the message?
10:34I mean, I thought we were boys, man.
10:37We are.
10:39That's smart to keep it under the belt.
10:41Any good Christmas gifts?
10:42You get anything good this year?
10:43What was the best thing you got, gave?
10:50I didn't get – I mean, I got a few things.
10:52I did get a – I got a T-shirt.
10:56Nice.
10:57From the offensive line.
10:58That was nice.
11:01Had me and my little buddy Will and a baby Bjorn.
11:08So it was cute.
11:10That's very, very nice.
11:12I hope we get a photo of that.
11:13Please wear that sometime with cameras around.
11:15He would kill me.
11:17I've debated putting it on social media for a week since I got it.
11:21Or since Thursday since I got it.
11:23But he would kill me.
11:24Well, everybody got the Kings of the East T-shirts.
11:28Santa brought that nice Christmas gift thanks to the Patriots and Vrabel.
11:32Division winners.
11:34Did you get a T-shirt yet?
11:36No, but I'm looking forward to one.
11:38Going to buy one when I get down there next week and I go to buy the pro shop.
11:41I'll use my Patriots discount.
11:45Well, we will be able to see you next week.
11:47Friends and family.
11:48Yeah, of course.
11:48I'll have Wiggy by mine, too, so I get that discount.
11:53We'll be excited to be with you.
11:54I'll see what we can do.
11:55I'll see if we can round up a couple.
11:57Just for you, too.
11:59All right.
12:00We look forward to that.
12:01But we're very, very excited.
12:03So happy for you.
12:04And we'll see you in the new year.
12:06We're hoping for another Victory Shot Monday next Monday.
12:09We'll see you in the new year.
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