Head Coach Mike Vrabel 10/28: "Trying to get better each week, trying to focus on Miami"

Karen (0:00)

Hi, how are you?

SPEAKER_2 (0:01)

Hi, Karen.

Karen (0:02)

Hi, Mike.

Mike Vrabel (0:03)

What do you got?

SPEAKER_4 (0:04)

I know you voiced confidence that Travion will be able to contribute going forward. With that in mind, have you given any thought to have him go back to return?

Mike Vrabel (0:18)

Oh, you know, I think that that's probably something that we'll always consider, and, you know, weigh the options, and, you know, I think that we, coming out of the Jets game, we're close on some returns, you know, had a couple that really weren't very effective against Chicago, had one that was okay, but we'll focus here on Miami and what we feel like we need to do to be able to create some positive momentum in the return game, whether that's with Cory or Kyle, and certainly take a look at anybody else.

SPEAKER_5 (0:53)

Do you have a handful of guys who are eligible to come back this week? I know you talked on Monday about Dell and GDR and their situation.

Mike Vrabel (0:59)

Any further updates on their staff? I probably wouldn't expect them to be a practice today as we prepare for Miami.

Karen (1:07)

Mike, for Travion specifically, is there anything that's preventing him from being just a little more impactful with the carries that he does get?

Mike Vrabel (1:15)

We'll see what happens this week, man. We got to go run the football, we got to execute. I think he's had some runs where he's helped us, and we all have to be better in the run game. So not just one guy, but we'll have to go down in Miami and be able to run it.

We'll have to be able to protect and take care of the ball.

SPEAKER_6 (1:37)

Mike, what kind of growth have you seen from Eli Raverdon?

Mike Vrabel (1:40)

Just trying to get better each week, trying to focus on Miami and not sit here and have a mid-season report after seven games. So we got to go on the road in the division.

SPEAKER_7 (1:52)

How does this Miami team challenge you?

Mike Vrabel (1:54)

Well, they play extremely hard. A lot of respect for what Jeff's done, probably a unique set of circumstances, which they've kind of admitted to. But they've got a quarterback that Jeff's been around and seen him grow and develop and win football games. They run the ball in a shift motion every playoff offensively. They've run for 185 yards the past two weeks on average. A leak can hurt you. Design runs or play extensions, they create X plays are tough to tackle. Washington was a punt returner when he catches the ball on offense, he had a 74 yarder against us last year.

He had another X play, they had an X play through the ball for five yards last week and couldn't tackle Douglas and he scored. So, they're doing a really good job of continuing to improve defensively. Veteran guy, they've got some core guys, Chop continues to make speed and power. Siler is a guy that we've always struggled with, blocked the field goal here last year.

Rodriguez and Brooks, he's led the league and tackled the last two years. I think Rodriguez is an instinctive football player that hammers every single time. The safety, he's got two picks. So, I think that they've continued to improve, and I know that they're probably, and they should be excited to play at home in front of their crowd. And we'll have to go on the road inside the division here, and continue to also improve.

SPEAKER_8 (3:30)

All right, Gordon's really come on the last few weeks. I'm curious, what have you seen from him and his emergence? And what are the keys when you're defending a run game that likes to pull linemen as often as these guys do?

Mike Vrabel (3:40)

Oh, well, I mean, Ali's a big back. He's taken advantage of his opportunities, just like we always talk about in the National Football League. He's got, you know, whatever the last four games, four touchdowns, he's averaging 4.8 yards a carry. So, it's doing exactly what we talk about and getting opportunities and making the most of them.

You know, whether they pull guys, you know, I mean, it's gap scheme or zone or toss crack, you know, you basically just have to be able to, you know, get guys over there. When they move and they add gaps somewhere else, you know, you're going to have to either take linemen over there, you're going to have to get linebackers to fit and secondary players to be able to make tackles.

SPEAKER_9 (4:23)

Mike, we know you were kind of around the BC program for a few years when your son was playing there. What did you like about the program that Hathley was building at BC?