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A.J. Brown practiced- Will he be playing in Munich?? Traveling to Germany? Let's hear from HC Mike Vrabel
Curtis: "Why would you have him go, if it wasn't 100 percent he's going to play"
How is the locker room? Reacting to Mack Hollins and Mike Vrabel comments

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00:00Well, Greg, Mike Vrabel spoke to the media yesterday, was asked about A.J. Brown, and if he'll travel to
00:06Germany or not.
00:07We can hear that back and forth with Mike Vrabel.
00:11Are you expecting A.J. at practice today, and is the plan for him to still go to Germany?
00:18Yeah, we'll see what he can do.
00:20And I would say most everybody, but a few guys are going to go to Germany.
00:23I'm including him as the group that would go.
00:26So might A.J. go into Germany? It doesn't necessarily mean he'll play in your eyes.
00:30There's going to be guys that go to Germany that won't play.
00:34He did practice. He did go to Germany.
00:37So do we see snaps from A.J. Brown on Sunday?
00:41No.
00:42So did he full practice, or was he just like there for warm-ups?
00:46He was there for the media portion. He was limited.
00:49Yeah, he was limited at practice.
00:50And they listed both knee and ankle still.
00:53My question is simple.
00:56If he's going, why would you have him go if it wasn't 100% he's going to play,
01:03especially with the bye week coming up?
01:05Now, I heard some speculation.
01:06Well, there's some incredible beer gardens that they have over there that you want to see.
01:10I mean, I thought maybe he could meet Peyton Manning's wife's HGH specialist overseas.
01:15Castles. They have a lot of castles that you could tour.
01:18But I really don't – this handling has been baffling today.
01:24I'll tell you why he's going.
01:25You asked the question, Curtis.
01:27Because if he practiced yesterday and he was limited, now they're saying, okay, if he goes over there,
01:32let's see what he looks like Thursday.
01:35Let's see what he looks like Friday.
01:37Let's see what he looks like Saturday.
01:38And so if he looks better Thursday and Friday, then you can make a better evaluation on whether he can
01:45play on Sunday.
01:46But if you go over there and obviously if he stays back, we don't really know as a coaching staff,
01:53we don't know what he's going to look like Thursday and Friday.
01:55So by him coming, we'll be able to evaluate him to see like, oh, could he help us on Sunday?
02:00So that's why he's going.
02:01Now, I think Mike Vrabel said they're going to – and I hope they do do some bonding kind of
02:05thing or something
02:06because I think this team might need it a little bit.
02:08So they're going to do something today bonding-wise, maybe a limited walkthrough or whatever,
02:13and then Mike Vrabel's looking at tomorrow as like the practice, right?
02:17You know what is interesting about this whole bonding situation?
02:21And as I kind of thought about it, more and more thought about it, it is a little bit concerning
02:25to me
02:26because I've been in locker rooms like that before.
02:29So it seems like it's an offense versus defense thing.
02:33It does, kind of because Matt Collins was the one who spoke in, Pop Douglas.
02:37And then Robert Splane seemed to be bothered by the question yesterday on this show, yes.
02:43And then when I asked him a question, for whatever reason, he went to Christian Gonzalez,
02:47and I was asking about Matt Collins and Pop Douglas.
02:50So I wonder if it's like – and I just – it would blow my mind if it is an
02:56offense or defensive thing
02:58because I feel like they're both kind of equal.
03:01Yeah, I don't know.
03:02It's going to bother me if we – and maybe we'll never find out.
03:06But if the Christian Gonzalez thing is – if you believe his trainer or what –
03:12like if he's just pissed because they're playing zone, that's going to bother me.
03:16Like you're – like you signed a deal, they made you the highest paid at the position,
03:22play the defense that your coordinator and your head coach want you to play and be happy about it.
03:27Yeah, but you wouldn't – you wouldn't – you – it would –
03:30Yes, I would do that.
03:31If somebody said to me, Greg, Curtis is now hosting the show, you're going to do the weather, I would
03:37do it.
03:37No, no.
03:38It would be like this.
03:39I would be happy doing that.
03:41But here's the –
03:42Well, yeah, if you get to keep your salary.
03:43But here's the comp, though.
03:45Here's the comp.
03:46You really look like you're under pressure over there.
03:48Here's the comp, and you would criticize the coaches.
03:52If the Bruins had just paid David Pasternak to make the highest paid player,
03:58and then when they had power plays, they said, hey, David, we don't want you in the shooters area.
04:05We want you to be more over here to be a setup man, you would be like, why are they
04:10doing that?
04:11That's stupid.
04:12Because there's no I in team.
04:14That's why.
04:15But if the guy – if Christian Gonzalez is a better man-to-man corner guy,
04:20and you're paying him all this money, you're not paying him to play zone.
04:24You're paying him to shut down the best player on the other team to play man-to-man.
04:28That's an ego thing over what is best for the team.
04:31So is it better for the team for Paster to be the setup guy than to have him on the
04:36–
04:36If they decided – if Marco Stern was like, that's the way we're going to try it and do it,
04:39then maybe, yes.
04:40If you're capping right now, Greg.
04:43Greg is on a bizarre world.
04:45I don't know where he is on this one.
04:46But, Wiggs, when Pop talks about energy on the sideline, that is a direct shot at the defense.
04:54Because when you're on offense and you're on the field, your defense is the one that would be there either
04:59rooting you on or, you know,
05:01which to me seems so high school.
05:03Like, don't you want your defense to be with their coaching staff to go over how to stop the opposing
05:08team
05:08with imagery that they get immediately on their tablets about what they're doing?
05:12Yeah.
05:12And so when he said that, I think he just – I was like, well, Pop, this is the pros,
05:17and guys are over on the sidelines looking at the tablet and other stuff.
05:19So I wasn't sure if he meant, like, you know, just energy in the games early when the score is
05:24close.
05:25But, like, when guys in the league are not standing on the sidelines, you know, rah-rah and everything,
05:30focus on other things.
05:31All right.
05:32Patriots in Munich.
05:34And the big one on Sunday with the Lions.
05:37And you can talk about it all day long here on Boston Sports Original, WEEI.
05:44That is They Said It.
05:45And, Courtney, and today's news coming up in two minutes.
05:50Not three, not four, not five.
05:53Exactly two minutes next.
05:55And, like, I don't think he was singling anybody out.
05:58And why would you say it if it's not your team?
06:00If it has nothing to do with your team, why would you say it?
06:02Because you just got clapped, and I think as a captain and a leader, you're like –
06:06You went over games, they got clapped, and they didn't say it.
06:08Well, when's the last game they got clapped?
06:10Jacksonville.
06:11Yeah, but I think at that game, it was, like, at the beginning of the season.
06:14I think they're trying to figure out who they are, and I feel like he's –
06:17Well, that would be the time if you're figuring out who you are that you would say it.
06:20So, I don't think he's pointing anybody out.
06:24I think he's saying it because they just got whooped, and they had been –
06:27You know, they had played okay against Miami.
06:30They lost to Chicago.
06:32And, like, we – if you feel like you're just going to come to practice
06:37and not give effort, that kind of thing, I think that's what he's saying.
06:40Because if you feel –
06:41But if you say it, then there's a reason you're saying it, right?
06:43No, I just think –
06:45Like, you would get a vibe that some – maybe on your team,
06:49I think it's okay to just go through the motions instead of actually getting these wins.
06:53Like, you wouldn't go out and say something about this show
06:56unless there was some type of feeling on the show, correct?
06:59No, but if I was a leader and I felt like we weren't doing what you're supposed to have been
07:04doing
07:04in the past couple of weeks, I would feel like, all right, we really got our asses whipped.
07:09Like, we need to come in and we need to focus.
07:12We need to lock in.
07:14I'm not talking about anybody specifically, myself included,
07:16because I would ask you guys the question then, who do you believe he's talking about?
07:20Can we listen to his initial comments because I don't remember them off the top of my head?
07:23Yes, yes.
07:24You are what you put on tape.
07:26Like, this is who we are this week.
07:29And if there's guys on this team that are okay with that,
07:32I'm sure there's 31 other teams they could go to maybe and they could live like that.
07:35But we're trying to get stuff done.
07:37And about this week, we just got our ass kicked.
07:40And if you're not willing to come to work tomorrow and Tuesday and Wednesday
07:42and get on that plane and work all this week, then we're probably not meant for this team.
07:46And that is almost word for word.
07:48Greg found this audio well done Sunday night.
07:51Thank you, Curtis.
07:52Right before we had Vrabel on and Greg asked Vrabel about it.
07:56And he, I mean, you couldn't, those two comments were identical.
08:01The head coach and the receiver, those are not things you say just as some random comment
08:05about your team and they don't mimic each other.
08:08I also think the most important part about this was the question that was asked to Matt Collins.
08:12It wasn't asked for him to slight the team.
08:15It was actually quite the opposite.
08:17The reporter had asked him if he felt that the loss was not a reflection of who the Patriots are.
08:25It, he wasn't baited into giving that type of answer.
08:27He was, it was quite the opposite.
08:29So then I would ask you guys, who do you believe he's talking about?
08:33AJ Brown.
08:34Oh, no, I'm dead ass.
08:35No, I really think there may be a chance that it might be AJ Brown, that he's back right after
08:39an injury,
08:40that all of a sudden now AJ Brown's flying to Germany.
08:43So a guy who doesn't play, who hasn't been playing in weeks.
08:46That if you want to be on this team, cause he's a receiver, I don't know.
08:49I'm just throwing the stuff against the wall.
08:51Is there a chance that he's talking about Christian Gonzalez?
08:53That's what I was going to say.
08:55The first thought I had was Christian Gonzalez.
08:57And then of course, Christian Barmore.
08:59No, because Christian Gonzalez has been relatively, he's been relatively really good prior to that Green Bay game.
09:05And Wiggy's been spot on on Christian Gonzalez.
09:07But when you, did you watch Christian Gonzalez post game his, his, his press conference?
09:12Oh yeah, I did.
09:13I saw a little bit of it where he was like, you know.
09:15Is it possible that you're, you're Matt Collins and you see that and the impression that you get is that
09:21he's okay with the loss like that?
09:24Well, I would ask the question, which one came first?
09:27Did Matt Collins come first?
09:28Christian Gonzalez came first.
09:29Okay.
09:30So I, I, I just, and again, it's one game, so I'm not, please be clear.
09:35I'm not worked up about it.
09:36I'm not saying anything.
09:37I'm not whispering anything.
09:39I'm not nothing.
09:40My impression when I saw Christian Gonzalez was, wow, I wish that he were more upset about getting blown out
09:51at home in front of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski and a bunch of Superbowl champions.
09:57And he doesn't seem to be that worked up about it.
10:00But that's not his personality.
10:00I can't envision Brable talking about Gonzalez.
10:03Like, I feel like how Hollins and Brable are reaching the same person or attempting to.
10:08I can't imagine that they are attempting to reach Gonzo.
10:11And that's not Gonzo's personality to be like, I mean, after the loss, like Drake May was very even keel.
10:17He wasn't like, well, let me ask you this.
10:19Why did Robert Splane without even out even being asked go directly to defending Christian Gonzalez on the show yesterday?
10:27Because I think he probably hears people talking about Christian.
10:30You thought that was weird, though.
10:31I did think it was weird, but I think he's probably hearing people questioning Christian Gonzalez.
10:36That's a great point, Greg.
10:38That is a great point.
10:38I did not consider that.
10:40Well, as soon as we finished, I mean, Wiggy brought it up immediately where he was saying, like, that was
10:45a weird pivot.
10:46Because I asked about Matt Collins and Pop Douglas's comments, and then he was like, we're going to stand by
10:51Gonzalez.
10:52Yeah, I think that the defense may perceive that Matt Collins was taking a shot at the defense and taking
11:00a shot at Christian Gonzalez.
11:02That's why I think Splane was so worked up about it.
11:05And then that night, about probably a half hour after Matt Collins spoke, you have his coach flight on Twitter
11:10saying that they have to change the way they cover defenses.
11:13You might be right about the defense thinking that he's taking a shot at them, but that's why I told
11:19you, which one, when you looked at this season as a whole, are you more concerned with the defense doing,
11:28giving up what they gave up in Green Bay?
11:30I mean, against Green Bay, or are you more concerned that the offense goes out there and has another multi
11:36-turnover game?
11:36Well, until Sunday, I wasn't concerned about the defense.
11:41Hold on.
11:41I accidentally turned you up.
11:45I'm now more concerned about the defense.
11:47Yes, I am concerned about the defense.
11:49This is Boston Bar Guy.
11:51What's up?
11:52Hey, guys.
11:53How are you doing?
11:54Greg, when you just said that about Christian Gonzalez, I was like, I'm like, oh, my God, I got to
11:59call him because when I watched that media session, first, I couldn't believe that he gave up like 200 yards
12:05passing and receiving it in a couple of touchdowns.
12:08But then when I saw that news conference, I'm looking, I'm saying to myself, you got to look at the,
12:13you got to look at the media and say, I was terrible.
12:16Yeah.
12:17I was awful.
12:18I sucked.
12:19And, and, and, and, and I got to, I got to pick up my game.
12:22You know, he took no responsibility.
12:24And Wiggy, you know, if that was you, you would have taken responsibility.
12:27He did say he was bad.
12:29He did say that.
12:31No, he said it.
12:32He had a smirk on his face.
12:34Yeah.
12:35Boston Bar Guy.
12:36He did say, he said, hey,
12:38I got to be better.
12:39I can't, I can't have that happen to me.
12:41He did say that.
12:42I, I, I think he, not fair to judge.
12:46Would you say he has a smirk on his face?
12:48Like, that's kind of the way he looks.
12:51Like, he kind of always has that little smile on his face.
12:55But it did, like, if you're watching that post game and you're a fan and you're pissed off.
13:01Right.
13:02I'm like, what are you smiling about?
13:05That's why I said, were you pissed off at Drake?
13:07Drake May, because after the game, Drake.
13:08No, I was not pissed off at Drake May.
13:10But he wasn't, like, super like that.
13:11Drake May is not, Drake, Drake May is not currently paid at the highest level for his position in the
13:17NFL.
13:18And Drake May, and Drake May just came off being the, the AFC player of the month for October.
13:25So, no.
13:26But Christian Gonzalez, I was not as, I was, I was, I was, leading up to that.
13:30I was not as disappointed in Drake May as I was in Christian Gonzalez.
13:36Who's been better at their position for, for the, for the, the full on season?
13:41So far?
13:42Yeah.
13:43I mean, I guess I'll give you Gonzo if you want to go down there.
13:47I mean, if you can't see it.
13:48Drake May has gone out and won your football games also this season.
13:52I'm not saying he hasn't, but you're very selective of, like, how a person's looking and the, the, the.
13:57Well, Drake May didn't say it wasn't the end of the world, which I think bothers a lot of people.
14:01No, I know.
14:02And Curtis, I'm not, I'm not disputing that.
14:04Him's not saying that it's the end of the world.
14:06But his personality, that's who he is.
14:09Look at his play.
14:11Not his personality.
14:12Up until the Green Bay game, he was really good.
14:15He was awful in Green Bay, no dispute whatsoever.
14:19But your quarterback wasn't very good in Green Bay either.
14:22And your quarterback has a kind of similar personality to Christian Gonzalez.
14:27He's not the fiery rah-rah guy.
14:30Christian shouldn't have said, hey, it's not the end of the world.
14:33But there are these, how, some of these athletes now are like, hey, I just play a game for a
14:38living.
14:38Right.
14:38I understand that, but I don't have to accept that.
14:41I'm not saying you do, but if that guy has performed poorly all year long, then I can agree with
14:47you.
14:47This is Mike from Florida.
14:49Hello, Mike.
14:52Oh, no, sorry.
14:53I don't know where Mike went.
14:55I also think we had this conversation last season when it came to Pop Douglas, right?
14:58Pop Douglas, after a loss, was smirking and smiling, and I believe it was Curtis that brought it up.
15:04It was that Pittsburgh loss where he was the one that didn't go forward and didn't get the first down.
15:08Yeah, and we all talked about it immediately after.
15:12That's his personality.
15:13100%.
15:13And when we had him on the show and asked him about it, I thought he gave such a great
15:16answer where he said, that's just me.
15:19I'm so blessed.
15:20You're not going to steal my joy.
15:21Right.
15:22Yeah.
15:22So, I mean, it's...
15:23And so, Christian Gonzalez, he views it as like, listen, it's not the end of the world.
15:27Did I play like crap?
15:28Yeah.
15:29But guess what?
15:29I got another game the next week.
15:31And I get what you're saying, Curtis.
15:33Fans are more upset.
15:35We live and die by it.
15:37But the players, they don't carry that same type of sentiment.
15:41Well, I think Matt Collins does.
15:43Not everybody does that, though.
15:44I think Matt Collins is pretty pissed off about it.
15:46Who's a better player?
15:47And then he walked it back quickly in the quickest walk back anybody's ever heard in the history of sports.
15:54Can we all agree, though, that the fact that they're making these comments publicly, starting with Mike Vrabel, is not
16:02a good sign.
16:03That if Mike Vrabel could communicate to his roster effectively, he wouldn't be doing it with the Greg Hill show,
16:10although we love that he does.
16:11I mean, yes, but then again, I think if there was a real issue, like if Barmore was a real
16:16issue, then they would have traded him.
16:18Right.
16:18That's what I would have said.
16:20And if you're Matt Collins, it's not like you're Jamar Chase.
16:24Who are you to be calling out people?
16:27Exactly.
16:27That's the way I would be if I was on his team.
16:29Well, in a leadership void, a veteran is going to step in.
16:32Who's the leader on the football team?
16:34If you're going to be a leader, then you need to not, you know what makes a great leader?

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