Head Coach Mike Vrabel on WEEI 12/22: "We've got a bunch on guys that can help us on any given night"

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Mike, good morning, congratulations.

Mike Vrabel (0:03)

Hi, good morning, guys, thank you. And I would like to echo what Chris has said, and I just jumped on, and we got an unbelievable place if you need care and your health for our football team, for your families, for everybody involved. So I would absolutely second everything that I was able to hear him say, and those folks up there have helped us tremendously in my short time here. So I would echo what Chris has said.

SPEAKER_1 (0:29)

Yeah. Well, you have been speaking quite frequently about Terrell Williams and everything he's gone through this season. You guys are wearing the pins. I know that you've said that he's been back in the facility around the guys. Just how much, if you bring up what you guys have had to deal with this season, how much does he bring to the locker room, just having him around?

Mike Vrabel (0:50)

Well, I mean, any chance that he gets to be around our coaches and our players, and those are opportunities that everybody embraces. And just like everybody else, he's working hard and trying to fight to get healthy and be available.

So these things aren't immune to just us. We understand what everybody goes through, especially the holidays. So the numerous incidents where those people have been able to help us and provide care. And so it's a great place to be if you need some medical care.

SPEAKER_1 (1:27)

A great win for you guys yesterday in Baltimore late night. And after the win, you said about packing your guys' identity for the road. What at this point of the season, after a comeback win like that, what is your team's identity?

Mike Vrabel (1:41)

I think we're pretty resilient. I think we've got a bunch of guys that can help us on any given night. I think that's something, you know what I mean? But I think we play hard. I hope that we play hard. I hope that comes off the screen. And it's no more evident here than the last play. And play's never over. And guys being able to chase the football on defense and offensively guys trying to finish longer than the guy with the ball. Trying to make some plays downfield and spring some guys.

So, you know, sometimes we don't always make the right decision. I hope we will continue to work on that and focus on that. You know, especially in the heat of the moment. But, you know, again, we just felt like we competed for four quarters.

SPEAKER_4 (2:29)

Mike, you talk about the compete level and staying, you know, mentally focused and mentally tough in situations when you get down a little bit. I saw Steph Diggs going up the sideline talking about guys keep your head up. What, from your team perspective, in a game like that and coming away with that win, what really impressed you about the level of focus that your team had to keep their heads up and keep fighting at a game like that and able to win it at the end?

Mike Vrabel (2:58)

Well, just a testament to the leaders on this football team. And like you mentioned, Steph and, you know, Mack and Morgan Moses and Garrett and, you know, on and on and on and obviously Drake is leading the charge, Hunter Henry, you know, defensively a bunch of guys go down and, you know, we lost some guys and the next guy up and coaches did a good job managing where guys were going to have to go and play. And, you know, so just a great team effort.

SPEAKER_3 (3:27)

Well, I was surprised because according to Greg Bedard, Mike, Steph Diggs was confused in routes in the prior weeks. Were you surprised at that speculation that the issues with Steph Diggs was in his route running, as some speculated?

Mike Vrabel (3:41)

No, I'm not. You know, I mean, you asked me a question about last week, and usually after last week, I move on to the next week. So we'll be moving on here pretty quickly, and we'll focus on the things we have to correct and whatever things that we can reasonably try to improve and whatever we'll need to try to do to go on the road and win another game.

SPEAKER_3 (4:04)

How would you say that the current performance, I guess, Steph Diggs, last week and going forward, how much of this offense?

Mike Vrabel (4:12)

You mean last week, like yesterday, last night?

SPEAKER_3 (4:14)

Like last night, I don't know, we're all in three hours. So yeah, the Ravens game last night, he was great. He was spectacular.