In the summer of 2001, Mike Vrabel had been a Patriot for only a few months. He arrived in the spring as a free agent after a solid four years in Pittsburgh as a situational edge player looking for a bigger role in New England.
He got it, both on and off the field.
Vrabel was just getting started in his first training camp with the team at Bryant College when reporters surrounded him on a particularly steamy afternoon. Andy Katzenmoyer, one of the Patriots two first-round picks in 1999, had yet to report to camp after suffering a neck injury that limited him to eight games in 2000. Vrabel and Katzenmoyer were teammates at Ohio State in 1996, and the media was looking to the new guy for some answers.
It was a peculiar spot for a newcomer trying to find his way with a new team as he fielded questions about another player. But he handled it as professionally as could be expected, with respect for Katzenmoyer, his new team and even for the media who had put him in the position in the first place.
Vrabel did not reveal any secrets and spoke only of Katzenmoyer from their time at Ohio State rather than trying to offer much insight as to his whereabouts. While it's easy to see why he might have resented having to answer for Katzenmoyer, he instead understood why he was being asked and handled it.
It was a striking example of the player and coach that Vrabel eventually became – accountable, versatile, confident and perhaps most importantly, intelligent. A lot of players would have shied away from such a potentially tricky situation, especially in light of Bill Belichick's reputation for discouraging players from divulging too much to reporters.
Vrabel had the self-confidence and awareness to handle it though, even before he ever donned a Patriots uniform. He continued in his role as a strong leader in the locker room for his eight years in Foxborough, often being a go-to voice for the media each week. His biting wit and commentary offended some, but as stories of his willingness to poke the Belichick bear surfaced – like the day he donned an old Giants helmet at practice because of the coach's penchant for waxing poetic about his New York days – it was hard to take his barbs personally knowing everyone was fair game in Vrabel's world.
It's a style that has served him well as a coach, especially the confidence. His time in Tennessee was not perfect, but he established a culture that made it clear he was in charge. He holds players accountable, and that's an approach the Patriots desperately need at the moment.
It's clear the Patriots targeted him from the start, and Robert Kraft aggressively got his man by moving swiftly. Their time together no doubt helped both sides feel comfortable, but Vrabel's experience in Tennessee also had to play a role.
The Titans had some success under Vrabel, making three playoff appearances in his six seasons, including a run to the AFC title game in 2019 – a playoff year that began with a win over the Patriots in what would be Tom Brady's final game in Foxborough with the team.
While Vrabel's Titans teams struggled at the end of his tenure in Nashville, leading to his dismissal following the 2023 season, he was widely regarded as the best candidate on the market and Kraft made no mistakes in his pursuit.
Now the hard work begins. Vrabel inherits a team that won just 16 of its past 51 games and has holes throughout the roster. He also will need to restore order in a locker room that became a bit too loose in 2024, which should play to his strengths as an overall leader.
There will be plenty of details still to be worked out, such as the identity of his offensive coordinator and the rest of his staff, but Vrabel was clearly the best-suited option to get that process started.
Wild card duds
Not much excitement came from the opening weekend of the playoffs with the first four and five of the six games resulting in lopsided wins for the home teams. It wasn't until rookie Jayden Daniels led Washington to a last-second win in Tampa that we saw any real drama over the weekend.
Some takeaways from watching from the couch:
-It felt like the dominance in the running game for Baltimore, Buffalo and Philadelphia made the games appear a bit closer than they actually were, particularly the two AFC games. The Ravens and Bills controlled their games throughout but at times the scoreboard in both told a different story.
This was especially true in the Bills game where Buffalo seemed to possess the ball for all 60 minutes yet led just 13-7 with less than four minutes left in the third quarter. James Cook and Ty Johnson ran all over Denver's defense to the tune of 210 yards, but as is often the case running production doesn't always lead to points. Then Josh Allen was finally allowed to air it out and he fired a pair of touchdown passes and the rout was on.
To a lesser extent this was the case in Baltimore and Philly as well. The Ravens rode the legs of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry to a 21-0 lead, but a conservative approach allowed the overmatched Steelers to hang around. Twice Pittsburgh had the ball down 14 in the second half, where another touchdown would have made things interesting, but the Ravens defense closed it out. It felt like Baltimore enjoyed a much bigger lead, but Jackson attempted only six passes in the second half and the Ravens scored just 7 points despite Henry's huge night. The approach made the game closer on the scoreboard than it was.
The Eagles never really got in gear offensively throughout, but when Green Bay kicked a field goal to cut it to 10-3 in the third quarter, Jalen Hurts attempted three of his eight second-half passes and completed them all, the first two to DeVonta Smith for 28 and 9 yards, and then a 24-yard touchdown to Dallas Goedert that put the Eagles back in control.
All three were able to run the ball effectively and controlled the games as a result, but that also left the opponents within striking distance. Points generally come from the passing game, and that's what allowed Buffalo and Philadelphia to create separation.
-Tough games for Justin Herbert and Sam Darnold, the latter of whom likely cost himself some money. There were some lingering non-believers in Darnold's renaissance season in Minnesota, and he may have proved them right with a pair of stinkers in the spotlight to close the season. The poise and playmaking ability he showed throughout the year evaporated in the season-ending loss to the Lions and the Rams blowout Monday night.
Herbert was razor sharp to open the Chargers loss to Houston, but a pair of field goals left the door open for the Texans and suddenly the tide changed. Herbert lost his accuracy for a period and wound up throwing four picks, one more than he had all season. He was victimized by a couple of drops, but Herbert wasn't at his best and looks like a quarterback destined to not win as much as his considerable talent suggests he should.
-The NFL is taking on a similar look to the college game with a significant gap existing even among playoff teams. There seems to be a huge difference between the top seeds and the rest of the playoff pack. The average margin of victory in the five home team wins was 17.6 points. In the AFC it's Kansas City, Buffalo and Baltimore and in the NFC it looks like Detroit and Philly … and then everyone else.
Power 5
- Detroit (15-2) – Lions await the young Commanders off the bye.
- Kansas City (15-2) – Patrick Mahomes is rested and ready for the Texans.
- Buffalo (13-4) – The Bills are set for their showdown with the Ravens.
- Baltimore (12-5) – Lamar Jackson is looking to get over the postseason hump.
- Philadelphia (14-3) – Not the greatest performance but the Eagles defense was impressive.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
