Head Coach Mike Vrabel on WEEI 11/9: "We didn't play well enough"

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Not pretty yesterday.

Mike Vrabel (0:01)

No, no.

SPEAKER_1 (0:03)

You talked a little, Drake May talked about practice when he spoke post-game. You talked about it too.

And you said, you know, it can't be easy. So I'm wondering, and Drake said, we just need to really, you know, essentially work harder in practice. Are you feeling like maybe, like maybe that's an issue?

Mike Vrabel (0:22)

No, I mean, I think what the issue is, is just the preparation and making sure that, you know, we're ready to go. And that's, I have to do a great job of reinforcing that and getting that message home. And we're halfway through the season. There's only so many reps that you can take. So only so many bodies that we have, guys are, you know, some guys are working hard to get to the game. It's not like on Wednesday that they're ready to go and that they're 100%.

We have a lot of guys that are fighting to make it to the game. And in saying that, it's how do you continue to find ways to improve? How do you find ways to prepare at less than 100%?

That's the realities of the National Football League. That's what every team goes through. We're not indifferent to that. So, but then ultimately, you have to come out and perform. And if you play like that, you have no chance to win. You have to play good to give yourself a chance to win. And even by playing good doesn't guarantee a victory.

SPEAKER_3 (1:26)

Mike, we all watch the game, but none of us are there on Wednesdays for the install meeting. So we're there, and we're trying to figure out, we talk the tie, we're here on the broadcast. Christian Gonzalez obviously, I mean, prior to this game, I think he's only given up 60 yards against a wide receiver. When he's off coverage, is that more of, like, the defense dictates his alignment, or does he have the flexibility to maybe, even if he is playing zone, go, you know what, I want to walk up and press, and maybe, because there's questions like, oh, why is he off, and they're running quick out routes? Like, what is the leverage of flexibility that he has to just be able to manipulate his alignment?

Mike Vrabel (2:07)

I mean, I think some of that's based on, certainly, his comfort level and where he likes to play. Some of it is the call, if that dictates.

Again, we have to be in a challenge mindset. If you play off, then we have to sit there and flat foot some routes and make sure that there's different ways to be able to play, whether you're up and press or you're playing off. I mean, everybody's executed both of those things, whether that's man or zone, there's a fine line between challenging and making them earn it. And we certainly knew coming in that that was going to be a key, that we were going to have to have to make them earn it. And we didn't, just way too many X plays for a team that was doing a great job of that coming in.

SPEAKER_1 (2:57)

To the uneducated eye, me, looked like at times there was coverage confusion with those guys. Does that go back to that?

Mike Vrabel (3:03)

Well, I mean, I think that there was, I mean, somebody needs to be over the top and helping on one of them. And then certainly, whether it's coverage confusion or their ability to execute, we try to rotate and spin coverages and play man and try to get some pressure and then certainly play some zone. So, we'll have to get back together and work and do it together, you know. That's the most important thing. That's the thing that I know that we'll do and I'll make sure that that gets done, starting with me, is that it gets done together and it gets done with what's in the best interests of the Patriots.

SPEAKER_4 (3:41)

Mike, there was a play 17-7 and obviously there's going to be good big games, bad games, but where Christian Gonzalez seemed to sort of avoid going to the outside of a block from Tucker Craft and it looked kind of like he didn't really want to get hit by the running back. I don't know what happened. Did compete? Was that an issue from what tape you saw from Christian Gonzalez last night?

Mike Vrabel (4:03)

I don't, on the reverse where he came underneath the blocker.

SPEAKER_4 (4:07)

I believe so. I'm watching the final. I didn't see the snap of the plate. No, it's not a reverse. Yes, it was reverse. Yes, it was reverse where he came underneath the block of Tucker Craft.