Head Coach Mike Vrabel 9/10: "We'll learn from it and hopefully be better for it"

Mike Vrabel (0:00)

You can grab a seat, there's all these seats up here. I'm joking, I'm joking with you.

What do you guys got?

SPEAKER_2 (0:08)

Mike, there was a report today that AJ Brown suffered a high ankle sprain. Is that accurate? And do you have any more details you can share updating his status?

Mike Vrabel (0:18)

No, I don't think that AJ will be running more tests, but we'll update you here next week.

He wasn't able to finish the game, and we'll continue to evaluate, continue to get run tests. But I don't know if he'll be available going forward here for the next week, but we'll see. And I know he'll do everything that he can to get back as quickly as possible. And once we get the reports, then we'll figure out what the treatment plan is.

SPEAKER_3 (0:50)

Beyond that, Mike, is there anything that popped up after the fact in terms of injuries?

Mike Vrabel (0:56)

No, I don't think that Morgan was able to return. Hunter was able to return.

CD was able to return. So just probably some bumps and bruises, but I don't think anything that would keep anybody out. You know, AJ is one we'll have to monitor.

SPEAKER_4 (1:18)

Mike, do you still feel that the reps in some of those joint practices were sufficient as opposed to playing guys in the preseason?

Mike Vrabel (1:27)

I do, I do, you know.

Playing the backups for the Eagles or the Colts for eight plays, I don't think was going to prepare us for what we saw last night. And, you know, I thought we handled the environment. I thought we did. I know that the execution wasn't good enough, but the line of scrimmage penalties, the operation, you know, those things gave us a chance. And some other things didn't give us a chance.

SPEAKER_5 (2:02)

Mike, on that last throw, was there a reason that wasn't thrown more quickly by Drake?

Mike Vrabel (2:09)

You know, everything in the passing game is built on timing, built on protection. And so, you know, again, if it's not where you want it, the timing of that particular play and protection, you know, you just have to throw it away and say, you know, we can't win it on this throw. And, you know, Drake will learn from it. We'll all learn from it. And, you know, hopefully, we'll be better for it in the end.

SPEAKER_5 (2:41)

Just in terms of, like, the communication mechanics there, would Josh be in his year in that situation? Maybe not right before that play, but before the other season?

Mike Vrabel (2:49)

Yeah, I mean, again, I hear all of it. I hear the conversation. I tell them what we're doing. I tell them, hey, we're going to go for it, you know, or, hey, this is four down. And, you know, we picked up two fourth downs on that drive.

And, you know, it was, you know, if it's there, you know, I mean, obviously, we want to try to be aggressive, you know, and then if not, you know, we're not losing any yards, and we certainly don't want to give them a chance to make a play. So, that was the conversation that went in.

SPEAKER_5 (3:23)

Sorry, you guys are in field goal time.

Mike Vrabel (3:26)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and again, we had talked about this going into the off season of, you know, when you get in those spots and a field goal ties it, you know, we saw some teams around the league, you know, try to score and try to win the game in that regard. And so, that's what we're trying to do, and, you know, we didn't execute it.

SPEAKER_3 (3:52)

After watching the film, how would you assess Gaines' play?

Mike Vrabel (3:55)

Well, I thought it was, it continues to improve. I thought that, you know, he was active. I thought he set some good edges in the run game. It was good to see him make a nice play in a tackle for loss. I thought it was probably his most instinctive play since he's been here was, you know, the unbalanced play in the red zone.

They went with a speed break and a tackle over a little bunch into the boundary, and they tried to block down on him, and he just kind of reacted, crossed the guy's face, and was able to make a tackle for just a few yard gain. So I think that was probably the play that I was most just pleased with and said, hey, this is kind of, you know, you're just out there playing, you're getting lined up, you're reacting, the guy blocks down on you, and you know, you cross his face and go make the tackle. So some good things, some things that we'll have to coach and correct and fix on special teams. But I thought that it was an improvement.