Head Coach Mike Vrabel on WEEI 9/29: "It takes one play and that's continued to be the message"

Greg Hill (0:00)

Morning, Coach.

Mike Vrabel (0:00)

Morning.

Greg Hill (0:01)

What do we got over here? Are we opening this on air?

Mike Vrabel (0:04)

Yeah, I guess so.

Greg Hill (0:05)

Okay.

Mike Vrabel (0:06)

That chews up some of our time.

Greg Hill (0:08)

I think you'd rather that than the questions. Oh, look at that. All right.

SPEAKER_3 (0:13)

It's all good questions today.

Greg Hill (0:14)

Very nice.

SPEAKER_4 (0:15)

That is very, very nice. I'm very emotional right now, so.

SPEAKER_3 (0:19)

Don't cry.

Greg Hill (0:20)

It's gotta be a onesie. Well, it's probably, it's probably.

SPEAKER_4 (0:22)

For Greg or for?

Mike Vrabel (0:24)

Oh, it's a whole package.

SPEAKER_3 (0:25)

Side-fragral football.

Greg Hill (0:26)

Oh, look at that. All right, coach. I mean, really.

SPEAKER_3 (0:30)

Good job.

Greg Hill (0:31)

This is bribery at its finest.

Mike Vrabel (0:33)

Yeah, I know. There's a little baby Vrabel jersey down there somewhere.

SPEAKER_3 (0:37)

Oh, my gosh.

SPEAKER_4 (0:38)

That's very, very nice.

Greg Hill (0:40)

Fantastic.

Mike Vrabel (0:41)

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_4 (0:41)

Thank you.

Greg Hill (0:42)

Thank you.

SPEAKER_4 (0:42)

That's very kind.

Greg Hill (0:43)

Well, as you were walking in, we were talking about all facets of the game. Everything looking good and much better result than the week before.

Mike Vrabel (0:52)

Yeah. I mean, if you take care of the ball, get some explosives in the return game. And you'll get some stops offensively. I think that's what we're capable of doing.

SPEAKER_3 (1:03)

Mike, and you brought up getting some stops and explosive in the return game. Other than that one series where Carolina had their open and drive, that punt return, was that something that like sparked the team or was it just?

Mike Vrabel (1:15)

Well, I mean, I think that's what we've talked about. It just takes one play. And I think that that's continued to be the message that whether it's in Miami and we hit one down the sidelines and gets us going with a big play or on punt return or maybe defense, there's an interception. But it just takes one play to get this thing back going. And that's what we have to look forward to in the games when it's not going great or it's a close game, what have you, that you just keep plugging away. And then it just takes one play for this thing to break open.

Greg Hill (1:48)

You didn't, I don't think I saw you running up the sideline on either one of them yesterday, is that, you got away from that?

Mike Vrabel (1:54)

Well, I just, that's not good for the Achilles.

Greg Hill (1:57)

Yeah, be careful.

SPEAKER_4 (1:59)

When it comes to lack of turnovers, that's something that's plagued you guys for the start of the season, none yesterday. What changed in practice, if anything? What do you guys focus on in practice, if anything, to ensure that would happen?

Mike Vrabel (2:09)

Well, we focused on it all the time. I think it's just taking care of the football, using great technique and understanding that everybody else has a role to play as well. They have to protect the guy with the ball. So, the quarterback has got to make good decisions, and everybody that has it, that's not theirs, it's there to only protect it for the play, and then it goes to somebody else. So, we have to continue to do that. That has to be a focal point. It's just critical in this league.

SPEAKER_4 (2:35)

So, you didn't have Ramondre walk around with the football. Ty Law said that that's what he used to have to do.

Mike Vrabel (2:41)

Ty Law was a DB, so.

SPEAKER_4 (2:42)

No, but he used to say that that's what all the guys used to do.

Mike Vrabel (2:45)

Yeah, I mean, they don't get hit. You know, I mean, again, I've heard that, you know, but they're not getting hit. And there are people coming in and hitting them. So, we just want to try to do it, you know, practice it and make sure that it's done with good ball security, that we have two in traffic and that everybody else is doing their job. So, there's a lot of ways to do it.

SPEAKER_3 (3:07)

Mike, you talk about ball security and it is interesting because when you get into that mode of maybe you fumble a couple times, sometimes you'll put two hands on and you'll over-secure it, which takes away from maybe your ability to run after catch or hit holes. How do you make sure that you balance the ball security but still be in an aggressive runner?