Head Coach Mike Vrabel 12/28: I'm really proud of this football team and what they've been able to do"

Nicole (0:03)

Hi, guys, how are you?

Mike Vrabel (0:05)

Good. Who's up? Soph, what do you got?

Soph (0:09)

8-0 on the road.

Mike Vrabel (0:10)

I know, how about that?

Soph (0:12)

Yeah. How about that? Can I just talk about what led to that, and what you've seen in your game?

Mike Vrabel (0:16)

Well, you know, it was a tough one, the first one, just going all the way back to Miami, and I think that that was just a really important game for us, and being able to battle and give up a punt return answer with a kickoff return, you know, I mean, going all the way back and just big kick from Andy. And we've talked about all those things that have helped us along the way, and talked about just unfinished business on the road, and being able to, when we needed to, handle the environment and make critical plays, and get off to a good start like we did today. So, really proud of this football team and what they've been able to do. You know, anytime you travel, it's difficult, so.

SPEAKER_5 (1:00)

Mike, how important was it for you guys to kind of come up with that precision on both sides of the football, thoroughly?

Mike Vrabel (1:06)

I mean, I think hopefully we can continue to improve as the season goes on. We're pretty far into it, but being able to still practice and focus on details and coach actions and not results, and try to be able to translate the things that we do well in practice, that when they show up in the games or vice versa, or maybe things that we weren't really good at in practice, that maybe we weren't really good at in the game, and we can continue to coach those things, but really focused on trying to improve late in the year.

I'm just happy that everybody was able to play, and we did get a lot of really good efforts early on in the precision and complimentary football, and all the great things that we need.

SPEAKER_4 (1:51)

Mike, when you know that...

Soph (1:54)

What does it say about your team dealing with the amount of injuries that you are, that you were able to win?

Mike Vrabel (1:57)

I mean, I think from the get-go, we've tried to focus on having everybody that's here, prepare as a starter, coach them the same, make sure that everybody knows that when you come in there on the meeting room during the week, that at any point in time, up until Saturday or before four o'clock, that you could be elevated or signed. And we didn't really have to do that much during the beginning part of the season, then all of a sudden, you know, our depth got tested. And so I think it was really important for this week for guys to step up. And what Josh and the offensive staff were able to do with managing guys and different personnel groups and using everybody was really, really good. And what Zach and the defense has been able to do with some guys out. And then obviously, what Jeremy and Tom are able to do with all the moving parts on special teams. So I appreciate every single one of those coaches that help us, help our players get ready for the games.

SPEAKER_5 (2:57)

Mike, when you describe that adjustment, what kind of traits does that highlight for you? Is it the toughness, the flexibility of first facility?

Mike Vrabel (3:03)

Well, I think you have to be all those. You have to be able to adapt and be able to adjust in the players that can play more than one position. We have to be able to ask them to do that preparation.

Just understanding that some of these guys are practicing the entire year and don't get a chance to play. And then you want to be able to reward them when the opportunity presents itself. And there will be some guys that took advantage of their opportunities. And hopefully, that will lead to more opportunities for them.

SPEAKER_4 (3:33)

Mike, when you could process that Drake through five touchdown passes, the five different players, do you feel like you're watching the MVP of the league today?

Mike Vrabel (3:40)

Oh, well, certainly, they don't give me a vote, but I would, there's nobody else that we want as our quarterback or that I want as our quarterback.

And so to be able to do that and as the plays go through to progression, somebody asked me this week about progression and different things. I said, just throw to the guy that's open as soon as you work through your progression. And I think he did that and some really good designs, but also some great execution.