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Mike Vrabel joked about a Christmas gift he received from the Patriots’ offensive line
Vrabel also discussed the team going undefeated on the road during the regular season, Christian Barmore, and the contributions on Sunday from multiple wide receivers.
Mike Vrabel was not only proud of his team’s dominant 42-10 win over the Jets on Sunday, but also the Patriots’ energy level in yet another road environment.
“I think they came out ready to go,” Vrabel told WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” in his weekly Monday morning interview. “I’m always proud of their efforts, and especially being able to go on the road and finish off an opportunity to go undefeated on the road.
“We knew we would have to bring our own energy,” Vrabel added. “We did that with our play, and being able to get some quick stops and some quick scores. Covered some kickoffs when we had to. We knew that was a huge [Jets] strength for them, and that was great to see.”
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The Patriots jumped out to a 35-3 halftime lead at MetLife Stadium before cruising to yet another road win. New England finished the regular season a perfect 8-0 away from Gillette Stadium.
Looking ahead, the 13-3 Patriots will face the Dolphins in the regular-season finale on Jan. 4 at home. And while the AFC East title was officially clinched following the Bills’ loss to the Eagles on Sunday, a chance at the No. 1 seed in the conference remains.
Vrabel kept a straightforward attitude toward the possibility of resting players.
“I would say again probably everybody that’s healthy will play,” he said later in the interview. “That’s just where we’re at. I haven’t looked too far into it this morning, but I would anticipate that everybody who’s healthy will play in the football game.”
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Here are a few other topics Vrabel covered:
Credit for going undefeated on the road
The Patriots went a perfect 8-0 on the road in 2025, matching a mark previously set by New England in 2007 and 2016. It’s only the 12th time in overall NFL history that a team has gone unbeaten away from home in a regular season.
“I mean I think the numbers would just speak for themselves, however many times it’s been done,” Vrabel said when asked if he was impressed with the accomplishment.
“There are certain things that are a little bit difficult when you talk about the road environment and traveling,” he said of winning games away from Gillette Stadium. “It’s just a different mindset.”
He gave a glimpse at the logistical operation behind the scenes within the team.
“Our staff here, the travel logistics and everything, it starts with that,” Vrabel said. “And then the equipment staff, and the training staff, and everybody that transports this building to another place, and to another hotel to make the players feel comfortable, and get everything that they need, the treatment and the preparation.
“And then obviously our fans, the way that they’ve traveled,” Vrabel noted. “I know that our team appreciates that, and I’m glad that we’ve been able to give them something to travel for and cheer for. Going all the way back to Miami, I can appreciate our fans wanting to travel.”
Christian Barmore’s reaction to Armand Membou
One of the standout moments from Sunday came when cameras caught Vrabel and defensive lineman Christian Barmore in a brief shouting match as they exited the field with the rest of the team at halftime. It was later revealed that Vrabel was simply trying to calm down Barmore after the defender received what he thought was a cheap shot from Jets rookie Armand Membou.
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Asked how he coaches players to not cross a line, Vrabel acknowledged that the nature of football involves balancing a level of intensity.
“We want to take them to the line. We take them just past the line, and that’s what you have to be able to do. This is a violent game,” Vrabel admitted, “and we want to take them just to the edge of the line, and then we have to get back and play the next snap, and be under control and figure out what that next situation is.
“We’re always working on that. I appreciate not only Christian’s efforts, but everyone else’s efforts to play that way,” Vrabel said.
Reflecting the reality that players are often penalized for retaliating instead of being the initial aggressor, Vrabel explained the inherent challenge for passionate players like Barmore.
“Do you have to shut it off for a few seconds? They always end up getting the second guy, and we want to make great decisions for the team,” he said. “These are great learning messages, and moments for our players or me — for everybody — to be able to say that the stakes are going to get raised. It’s going to be a high-pressure environment, and we have to be able to go to that line and then come off of it.”
Efton Chism and the wide receivers
One of the many enjoyable moments for the Patriots on Sunday was the success (and touchdown catch) by undrafted rookie wide receiver Efton Chism. Though he hasn’t been on the active roster for much of the year due to the team’s depth at the position, Chism made the most of his chance on Sunday after injuries ruled out several players.
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“I think that the team appreciates that, they respect him for that, the way that he practices, the way that he prepares,” Vrabel said. “He earned the opportunity, and made the most of it.”
The Patriots’ coach was also quick to praise other members of the wide receiver group, including DeMario “Pop” Douglas, who played through injury.
“We’ve gotten a lot of efforts from that room from different guys throughout the season,” Vrabel said. “I appreciated the way that Pop worked as hard as he worked to get back and be available for the game.”
Stefon Diggs, who totaled six catches for a team-high 101 receiving yards (as well as a touchdown), was credited for stepping up.
“Diggs willing to take on a large role there in the time that we asked him to be out there,” Vrabel said.
“It was a great group effort, but guys are excited for some of those guys that maybe just practice and haven’t had as much chance to play in the football game.”
Topical Christmas gifts
Queried about if he’d received any notable Christmas gifts, the Patriots’ coach hesitated before elaborating about a shirt he was given.
“I got a T-shirt from the offensive line that was nice. It had me and my little buddy Will [Campbell] in a BabyBjörn, so it was cute,” Vrabel joked, referencing the team’s rookie left tackle.
“I’ve debated putting it on social media since Thursday when I got it, but he would kill me.”
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