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Mike Vrabel on what he ‘forgot’ about Patriots fans, Rhamondre Stevenson, and facing the Chargers
Vrabel also discussed Rhamondre Stevenson, the banter he has with players, and facing the Chargers in the playoffs.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel stopped by WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday morning following his teams’ 38-10 win over the Dolphins on Sunday, which also officially clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture.
With the book closed on a glittering 14-3 regular season, New England turns its attention to a Sunday night wild-card clash with the Chargers.
“We just have to keep doing the things that we’re doing, just do them a little better,” Vrabel said simply of the impending postseason.
“There’s no secret formula,” he added. “We’ll have to prepare. We’ll have to get to know these guys. It’s a team that we don’t know, it’s one that we’re not familiar with.
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One thing that isn’t a secret in his mind: his pick for NFL MVP. Asked by the WEEI hosts if he thinks Drake Maye is the MVP, Vrabel didn’t hesitate.
“Yes he is.”
Here are a few other topics covered in the interview:
The challenge of the Chargers
New England lost to the Chargers near the end of the disastrous 2024 season 40-7, but is 3-0 against them in the playoffs since the AFL-NFL merger.
Los Angeles finished 11-6, second in the AFC West to the No. 1-seeded 14-3 Broncos. Despite dealing with serious injuries on the offensive line, Vrabel sees the Chargers as a tough test.
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“This is a big, physical football team,” he said of Los Angeles. “Big linemen, they’ve got a big defensive lineman that plays fullback. The defense is good. They play a good style of football, defensively. They make it hard on you, a bunch of different mixed quarters coverages. The quarterback is good as anybody, can scramble, is tough, can make the throws, big receivers. So it’ll be a challenge to get going on these guys and learn who they are and try to put a plan together.
“I think they have a specific style, and their style is built for the postseason,” he added of the Chargers’ mentality. “They play good defense, they’re physical, they don’t beat themselves, and those are things that you have to understand.”
Later in the interview, Vrabel was asked for his take on Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
“Great family. Good football family, excellent coaches, and they’re good for the game,” he said. “He obviously loves football, and I’m excited to prepare our team.”
The Stefon Diggs situation
Following an eventful week in which multiple players — Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore — were revealed to be facing charges related to assault allegations, Vrabel was questioned about his midweek comment that it was “not disappointing at all” to see the two reports.
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“We’re just trying to get ready for this week and focus and do our best,” he said. “You can see the team is able to handle distractions. It’s hard to eliminate them. It’s about how to handle the distractions, whatever they may be.”
“There are things that happen every day,” he said when asked about the players in question having seemingly created their own distractions. “We have a family, we have the team, and we’re going to try do our best to support each and every one of them, what they need, and also get ready for the Chargers.”
Vrabel later credited Diggs for his leadership within the team.
“I think that’s what Diggs has done is try to be a great leader, and also create a routine and stay motivated each and every week,” Vrabel noted. “Some weeks there are 10 targets and nine catches, and other weeks there are three targets and three catches. That’s been good to see. We’ve talked about that receiver room. They’re all trying to take advantage of the opportunities and spread the ball around.”
Diggs managed to notch the requisite catches and yards on Sunday to hit multiple contract incentives worth $500,000.
One thing Vrabel acknowledged that he doesn’t know is how money on that scale is transferred, and if it’s all done in one lump-sum payment.
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“I don’t know. I’m not cutting the checks. If I was cutting the checks I wouldn’t be on this show. If I was cutting the checks I’d be owning this show.”
Learning from his first experience as an NFL head coach
Vrabel has achieved a remarkable turnaround in New England during his first year coaching the Patriots. The team won the division for the first time since Tom Brady left, and is now back in the playoffs.
On a personal level, the 2025 season has also represented a return to form for Vrabel. He was fired from his first head-coaching role in the NFL (with the Titans) almost exactly two years ago.
Now in the light of renewed success, Vrabel was questioned if he’s done things differently in New England.
“You’d have to ask the people in Tennessee. I don’t know,” he replied. “I try to be authentic. I try to be as honest as I can with the players. I try to make a connection with them, try to put good people around them. I had good connections and try to hold people accountable and still coach them and teach them and care about them the same way. Probably had better moments than others there. I think we all kind of have better moments than others. I think the thing I keep going back to is just not taking these opportunities for granted.
“As a player you get released, or as a coach you get let go, I think you value the next opportunity,” Vrabel added.
Will Campbell and the mentality of the players
Following the game on Sunday, Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell — recently returned from injury — emphatically declared that he never wants to play for another coach.
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Vrabel was queried about how he feels regarding the players not simply playing for each other but also for him.
“Well, I hope so. I mean I enjoy coaching them,” he said. “I do, and again I try to just come in everyday, be consistent. They probably get tired of me after a while, but that’s OK. I enjoy the group. I enjoy coaching them. I enjoy watching them improve. I enjoy watching them come together. They have their little inside jokes, and if they’re making fun of me, then I’m glad that they’re at least paying attention and listening in the meetings. There’s a good banter that we have, and a good work flow that we have.”
Rhamondre Stevenson’s redemption
After a difficult start to the season, running back Rhamondre Stevenson has surged in recent weeks. On Sunday, he scored three touchdowns and notched 153 total yards.
Vrabel, also aware of the difficult year Stevenson has had off the field, said he was proud of the New England running back for achieving much of his success through his own hard work.
“It was a great to see him go out and have success and be excited,” Vrabel said. “His mom was there. Those are fun things. It’s why you coach. When a player has success, there’s going to be some teaching and coaching that helped. But a large majority of that is going to fall on the player.”
Crediting the fans
The Patriots will begin the postseason at home, hosting the Chargers on Sunday at 8 p.m. Vrabel’s advice to fans planning to attend: “Start early, and have fun.”
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Beyond that, he credited the fanbase for its ongoing support, both at home and on the road.
“They’ve been great. They’ve traveled. I forgot how well they travel,” Vrabel admitted. “I think that’s the thing that’s been probably the most exciting about our fans. I know they’re going to come here [to Gillette Stadium] and yell, but it’s just cool to be out on the streets or when we pull into the hotel and there are fans around the hotel, there are fans as we pull up to the stadium. That was different for me.”
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