Head Coach Mike Vrabel 10/26: "I'm proud of the totality of this team"

Mike Vrabel (0:00)

How are you? Oh, I'm just talking to Karen. Thank you.

Taking advantage of our opportunities, turning drives into touchdowns, hitting some X plays and not settling for field goals like we did in the first half. But sometimes it's going to be like that. A lot of times in this league, it's going to be like that. And we've had other games, and they asked me about starting fast. And again, we'll try to continue to work on that. And I'm also proud of the totality of the team. And I know there's so much more to improve. But we got stops in the second half, and we scored touchdowns. And that's what the difference in the game was. But it was also the way we finished the first half. You know, by getting a stop and going down there and making a huge gain, we didn't convert. But we were able to move the ball down there into a field goal range. And Andy, in that operation, was able to take advantage of it and go into the halftime with lead.

SPEAKER_2 (1:14)

Mike, kind of extending that, just the complimentary football, Spillane, the interception, and then the touchdown, Hawkins, the interception touchdown. How pleased were you when you saw those kind of things unfold? And you brought your team to the sidelines for the ensuing kickoff. What was the reason for having everybody stand up on the sidelines for that?

Mike Vrabel (1:30)

Well, I wish you guys would have noticed that a few weeks ago. We started doing that a couple weeks ago when we started going on the road. So I'm glad you guys just now noticed, but that hasn't changed in three weeks. I was focused that we had on the road, trying to get up and support the other groups, the ones that were trying to create field position for us on the kickoff return or the kickoff. So taking advantage of the turnovers is huge. Certainly one on third down there was Palain, and then the long one there that Hawcats. So we got to take care of the ball better and continue to find opportunities. They hadn't turned it over. And then when their gimmick plays ran out, I thought we played pretty good defense.

SPEAKER_3 (2:10)

Looks like the team is pretty...

Mike Vrabel (2:14)

Sorry, you were right, far, far right.

SPEAKER_3 (2:17)

It looks like the team was pretty fired up for Stefan Diggs after he scored his first touchdown of the season. Just how would you characterize the impact he's had in the locker room so far?

Mike Vrabel (2:25)

Really enjoy being around him every day. His energy, communication, his willingness to learn and play and figure out what it is that we need from him each and every week. There's been an energy.

He's practiced when we need him to practice. And we're going to have to start taking care of some of these veteran guys. And whether that's him or Morgan or Hunter and a lot of these other guys as we move on towards the season, but highly competitive. He's vocal, he cares, he's a great teammate. He's been really good for that position and some of the younger guys' development. So I'm happy to be able to get him in the end zone. It was long overdue.

SPEAKER_4 (3:07)

Drake was sacked six times today, but still finishes with 280 and three touchdowns.

SPEAKER_5 (3:10)

Just how impressed were you with his resolve as this game went on?

Mike Vrabel (3:13)

Everybody's resolve and again, we'd like to have the sacks, but again, we got to get the ball out on time and understand who it is that we're dealing with. But I don't think that as long as we're keeping them clean and not some vicious hits, we have to be able to be better in that regard. But I think when we give them time to throw, it's pretty good. And it's good to see us hit a couple of X plays. But we knew that that was going to be a challenge with this front and then the way that they played and certainly with Miles Garrett and committing two people to him. And still, you know, affecting the quarterback is obviously impressive.

SPEAKER_4 (4:01)

Mike, we're going on six weeks now where you guys are among the best defenses the league the last three quarters. What besides the tackling, which we've talked about, do you see is driving that?

Mike Vrabel (4:12)

I think we settle in. I think we get some stops. I don't think we've given up a ton of X plays in that regard.

You know, after the first drive and whether it was a mistackle or, you know, they got us overaggressive and slipped a guy out of the backfield. But I think they play and they compete for 60 minutes. This isn't a one or two possession game. There's 10 or 12 at least possessions in a football game. So we've got to continue to work on the things and enhance the things we've done well and improve on the things that haven't been so well, which is the early game, you know, the opening script, getting off the field on third down, which we had them in third and long and weren't able to. So, but creating third and long opportunities and then continue to get stops.