Head Coach Mike Vrabel 12/23: "We want to be undefeated on the road"

Mike Vrabel (0:00)

I'm going to do a wellness check on Reese.

SPEAKER_2 (0:05)

Is he okay?

SPEAKER_3 (0:09)

He's here.

SPEAKER_4 (0:11)

He had 21 crab legs with Zoa.

Mike Vrabel (0:15)

Well, then he won't be here for a little while. Okay, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_5 (0:18)

Mike, how are you?

Mike Vrabel (0:20)

I'm great.

SPEAKER_5 (0:23)

Milton Williams being eligible to come off IR, have any decisions been made in that regard?

Mike Vrabel (0:29)

Well, I think he'll practice. I think we'll start his window, see how he responds through the week of practice, and, you know, go from there. I know he worked extremely hard off with the strength and conditioning staff, with the training staff, and involved in meetings. So, it's really hard to do is to be engaged in meetings when you know you're not going to play and have some time. And so, appreciate what he's done here, and his leadership, and his willingness to try to get back.

SPEAKER_6 (1:02)

Speaking of what was, how is the team holding up after seven players injured?

Mike Vrabel (1:08)

Yeah, I mean, that's part of it. You know, I think that we'll figure out where things are later in the week. I think everybody's been getting treatment. We got back late. So today will be a good opportunity just to, you know, see a little bit of, you know, activity, walk through, albeit, but get guys up moving around, a couple of guys in the protocol.

And again, that that's I would say that those are the guys that you're most conscious of from just a, you know, mental well-being and not getting frustrated by how they feel. Tell everybody the same thing. Just be honest with how you're feeling. Talk to the doctors. Talk to the trainer. You know, that we do an evaluation every day. We do a symptom score. So I think those are the ones that you want to just try to focus on. The guys that have an ankle or whatever it might be that need it, you know, they're going to be okay. Sometimes it, any of these things that relates to concussions can react differently and there's no pre-described amount of time that they're going to be out.

SPEAKER_7 (2:22)

Is that Trevion and Kishan?

Mike Vrabel (2:26)

Well, Trevion's in it and Booty's in it and Jared Wilson is in protocol.

SPEAKER_4 (2:31)

All right, does this time of year, Mike, with Session Glides bad as a team, how bad do you guys want to get in the lineup? They continue to do what they do on the Morgan or the sidelines the other day, doing everything he could possibly get back in there.

Mike Vrabel (2:43)

I mean, it's all of these guys have ever known. Since the time that they started playing football, they wanted to be out there, they go to college and they want to be out there, and then they go to the NFL and they want to be out there. That's, you only get one opportunity a week. It means a lot to them. Love for guys to find ways in as opposed to looking for ways out.

But then sometimes that's not always the case. They can't go in there. So we appreciate everyone that makes an effort to finish the game or get to the game and whatever that may be and whatever capacity that they can help us. So I think that's just what they, that's all they know.

SPEAKER_3 (3:22)

Mike, you have played a significant volume of snaps with your base personnel in the last two weeks. All of that's not a challenge or a defect, but call the CKSR and find a way to do it.

Mike Vrabel (3:34)

Play base defense? Yeah, I just think that's predicated on some of the things that they're doing offensively and the personnel groupings that they are in. And we'll have to continue to do that versus the Jets and stop the run and try to find ways to get off the field on third down.

SPEAKER_7 (3:52)

Mike, they just announced the Pro Bowl rosters. You guys are 12 and 3 and only have two Pro Bowlers. Just curious, your reaction, does that irk you at all or think like that?

Mike Vrabel (4:03)

Nope, it does not at all.

SPEAKER_7 (4:05)

What, I guess, what does that say about maybe the season you guys are at?

Mike Vrabel (4:09)

Says that we're 12 and 3 and that we have two guys that the coaches and the fans and players thought worthy enough to make the first ballot. We've got some alternates.

I wouldn't imagine that that would be, I'm sure guys are disappointed. There's five, however many five-pound returners that had two touchdowns. I mean, that's, I don't know how many years that's happened, but is that not right there? But I think Marcus has had a hell of a year and I think he's a pro-baller. I'm glad he's our returner and glad he's helped us out. But sometimes that just doesn't happen. We're focused on wins. We said that last week, the players, they make fun of me, but we're chasing wins and not plays. And if we make enough plays that are winning, that'll be enough. That'll be all we need. And so, you know, don't really have much else to add on the pro-ball. All right, now that you guys have finished the playoff, what's your message for this week? Yeah, well, just unfinished business. I can't focus on the next two weeks. We got to focus on this week. We're going on the road to a great environment. We're going to New York City, playing at Jets. And, you know, unfinished business. We want to be undefeated on the road. I think that that's something that's unique. I'm sure you guys will tell me how many times it's happened before, but there you go. So that's something that I think is special. Still want to play for the division. We want to win the division. Haven't done it in a long time. And whoever we put out there and whoever we play with is going to have to have that in mind and be prepared to do that against a team that's playing some young guys. They've got some good veterans. They're playing well on third down defensively. I think they have a really, really good offensive line. I think they move people. I like the way they play. I like their play demeanor. Two really good young, talented tackles. You know, guards try to finish you. So again, they got speed. Breece Hall, you know, he can make you miss.