Head Coach Mike Vrabel on WEEI 12/15: "We got to pick up the pieces and figure out how to win another game here this week"

Mike Vrabel (0:00)

Good morning, Coach.

Greg Hill (0:01)

I noticed you brought these shots in.

Mike Vrabel (0:03)

Yes, sir.

Greg Hill (0:04)

Okay, we've been calling them victory shots.

Mike Vrabel (0:06)

Well, they're shots today.

Greg Hill (0:07)

Okay. All right, then I'm gonna do one. If you say, if you say to do one, I'm gonna do it.

Mike Vrabel (0:13)

And one thing I know about Wiggy, he never turned his shot down.

SPEAKER_3 (0:16)

No, I don't.

Greg Hill (0:19)

All right, that is good.

Mike Vrabel (0:21)

Especially a free one.

Greg Hill (0:22)

That'll get us going.

SPEAKER_3 (0:23)

You're damn right about that.

Greg Hill (0:25)

Well, you said it post-game, you needed 60 minutes and you didn't get 60 minutes.

Mike Vrabel (0:31)

No, but we got to pick up the pieces and figure out how to win another game here this week.

Greg Hill (0:38)

You say no naps. Was that a nap?

Mike Vrabel (0:41)

Nah, I mean, again, they made plays and the quarterback, the field position, we couldn't get turnover as we knew. We got a third down stop, and then they convert on fourth down a big X play and whatever it was, penalty X play, whatever.

That's just, we had talked about there were gonna be some times in the game where we were gonna have to make the play. And when that came up, we needed to make it. And there were times where we did, and then unfortunately times where we did it. You know, we didn't in the second half, and, you know, knew that we were gonna need to be better than what we were in the red zone. And, you know, that's just that's concerning. We have to, we have to force teams to kick field goals when they do drive it on us.

Greg Hill (1:35)

You and Wiggy played the game, you coached the game, I just watched the game from a fan perspective. But it seemed like watching in that way, the defense was able to disrupt Josh Allen pretty well first half, second half, not so much. Was there a different approach there? Were you more conservative?

Mike Vrabel (1:52)

No, not a different approach. I mean, there were, you have to, you know, to be able to pressure them on third down, you have to create third longs. And, you know, we did that and got off the field. You know, they missed a couple. And then, you know, like I just said, we had second and 10 a few times and didn't do well enough. And he extended and scrambled. And, you know, just wanted to try to mix it up, like we talked about before the game. And being able to let some sometimes, play some zone and play some man and try to spy him.

SPEAKER_3 (2:22)

Mike, one of the things that you probably talk about with your team and you talked a little bit about after the game is why Josh Allen is such a good quarterback. But the one area that, you know, you guys have been relatively good has been your special teams. And you had, you know, two huge returns, one where there's a penalty. And if you're gonna make a guy like Josh Allen score on you, at least make him go the length of the field. What were some of the things that you said to the special teams group about those big plays that they gave?

Mike Vrabel (2:48)

Well, we knew that that was gonna be a challenge. He had a 98-year touchdown against the Texans. He was averaging whatever they was, a good average, you know, top six or seven in the league. And listen, we knew that they were gonna clamp you and they were gonna, you know, it's only a penalty or a holding if they call it. And if, you know, they clamp you and we don't do enough to, you know, make, show the separation and the restriction at the point of attack, then that's what's gonna happen. And so, you know, we have to do a better job of, you know, creating disruption, but also, you know, not just running into guys and making sure that, you know, that the lanes are filled and, you know, they get a couple of double teams and then the guys that aren't doubled have to have to show up. So that's been a strength of ours and certainly covering kicks has been, it wasn't yesterday. So, you know, we have to get back to that unit, helping us and keeping teams from the, you know, starting at the 30 yard line.

SPEAKER_5 (3:50)

Drake came out so hot yesterday and then in the second half, things kind of fell off a bit. What was the main difference in your mind from the first half to the second for him?