PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL

PRESS CONFERENCE
September 7, 2026

Q: We haven't seen TreVeyon [Henderson] all week at practice. Do you anticipate him being able to play on Wednesday?

MV: We'll see how he feels today. We'll see if he can do anything. He's been working extremely hard to come back, and we'll see where that goes here today. We do have a few more days before, but we'll just see what he's able to do today.

Q: What is your level of concern, if any, with Christian Barmore, with him not practicing yesterday?

MV: I think he'll be out there today. I think that this is something that we've, if you followed last year, we've probably managed throughout the season. I respect how Christian prepares when he's not out there, and we try to give him exactly what he needs.

Q: How was the week for you and what you've seen from your team so far?

MV: Good. Good. We'll need another good day today. We still have time to prepare and things to do and focus on, what our jobs are and what our responsibilities need to be. But I thought yesterday was energetic. I thought that guys were locked in. I do think that there is a transition to how we practice with shells on. We talked about what the rules are and 14 padded practices, 13 now, for the rest of the season. So, we have to be able to practice with shells on and still be able to practice with speed and do the things that we need to get done, the timing of the plays and how we need to react defensively. So, I think that is just a learning process.

Q: Regardless of TreVeyon Henderson's health, I imagine the level of faith in Rhamondre Stevenson is pretty high.

MV: Yeah, of course. It's high for everybody that is here. Everybody here is asked and they do prepare as a starter. Whether they get elevated or whether they have a limited role, they could be in there. A backup offensive lineman, a backup defensive – whatever it may be. So, a high level of trust for everybody that's here.

Q: When it comes to Rhamondre Stevenson, what have you seen from him this summer? Do you feel like it is steadiness, consistency?

MV: Yeah, I think that is probably a good way to put it. I think that there is a consistency. I think that we have talked about his protection in the past, and that'll be critical, I am sure, Wednesday night, as it will be every night. I think that is probably one of the things I appreciate the most about him. Certainly, I love the ability to catch the football and run with it and create X plays, but also, I think that the protection for me is what stands out.

Q: Mike, just with the amount of energy that I am assuming will be in the building on Wednesday, how important is it or how much time do you spend this week focusing on just having a good start?

MV: Well, I think that you can focus on it, and you can try to have a good start, and we can say we have to get off to a good start. But then on the other hand, I would say, what do we do if we don't? Do we just take our stuff and go home? Or do we compete? Do we fight? Do we fight through adversity? So again, yes, it is going to be critical to start fast and get off to a good start and all those things because at times throughout the season, we are going to need to be able to fight through some things. There are going to be some things that we really do not want to have happen that happen. There's going to be a turnover, there's going to be an X play, there's going to be something. Look at Miami: sure, we didn't want to give up a punt return, and we answer with a kickoff return. So yes, we want to start fast. We always do. But also, there is going to have to be some sort of response to our actions and how do we keep our composure and how do we come back and compete and find ways to win.

Q: Is there any way to know if your team can handle adversity? I know you had guys that were here last year and did, and there were things that they went through, but we just talked about a new year. Can you put enough heat on them during the course of this summer?

MV: I mean, we try, but I do not know if you ever really can replicate that. I think that we try. We try to make practice as similar to the game as we possibly can. We try to ratchet it up on them and put them in those situations, whether that be in joint practices or the situations against our own defense or offense, how they respond and get the ball down into the red zone, going on the ball, or all these different things that come up in a game that we hope that enough of those repeated actions is going to help us. But sometimes, you have to actually go through it and experience it.

Q: Forged in Foxboro had a segment where you were showing the team a clip about being firemen and living in the heat. Can you give some context to how you found that clip, why you showed it to the team and the significance of that?

MV: Well, I just thought it was really cool, watching a Hall of Fame trainer talk to the boxer and say, "Hey, I can notice that you are wavering and your concentration is wavering." And the boxer, meanwhile, has never taken his eyes off the coach, and he is locked in, and he says, "I need 15 minutes," and we play 15-minute quarters. I just thought that there is going to be some times when we have one quarter left of the game that we are going to need to be able to lock in and focus. The trainer isn't going to be able to go out there, but he is going to be able to give him everything that he needs and the wisdom and the training to help him do his job. I felt like that was just a great relationship and a good connection between a coach and a player on what we aspire to be.

Q: How big of a challenge is this for your offensive line, and how much have you learned about this group just out of the gate?

MV: Well, every week is a big challenge, certainly a huge challenge this week. I think that they're very, very talented, sound, play with great fundamentals. They're good with their games. They have a very good mix of youth and veteran players. [Byron] Murphy II, Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence, they've all done it at a high level. Whether they pressure or whether they game or they straight rush, they do a fantastic job of applying pressure. They're excellent in the run game, they play with their hands, they play square. This will be a great challenge.

Q: Yesterday we spoke with Josh [McDaniels] and when asked about getting Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown ready to go, he highlighted Todd Downing and his job with those two guys. What have you seen from Todd and his ability to get that wide receiver room ready each and every week?

MV: Yeah, I think Todd has done a really good job with different personalities, right? Every receiver wants the ball. Every receiver wants 12 targets, 14 targets. Being able to teach them to be in different spots, to learn what to do, understand what their role is and how do they fit into what the quarterback is thinking. I have said this numerous times, but I think that Todd is able to coach it from the perspective of a quarterback, having coached quarterbacks, and understand where they are starting in the progression. Are they front side, are they back side, where they need to be, when they can play with patience? And if it's man coverage, this is what the quarterback is going to need from you. He is going to need some sort of separation. He is going to need to trust that you are going to be inside if you are supposed to be inside leverage. Zone defense, this is what the quarterback needs to see. He needs to see spacing, he needs to see in between defenders and not plastered on one. So, we are just getting started here, but I think that Todd has gotten those guys ready to play.

Q: With such a long lead up to the game, is there such a thing as being over-prepared? I guess more so mentally for guys. Can you overthink?

MV: Well, I mean, we are going to have to go out and play the game, and we are going to have to go out, and they are going to kick the ball off. I think you can try to – you start covering ghosts, and if this happens, what if this happens? There are a million plays and scenarios that could potentially come up in the game, and maybe some of them will, maybe some of them won't. But I think just being able to have that right balance of, are they prepared? Do they know what to do? Do they have the ability to play with speed and violence and play fast and aggressive? But also not reckless and making sure that we are communicating, and that there are going to be things that we are going to see on Wednesday night that they maybe have not shown, or maybe we did not show the guys because they only did it a few times. So, we try to show them everything that we can, but understand that there are some times out there where they are going to see some plays that maybe we weren't able to show them. That happens every week, and we will have to be prepared and be able to make adjustments.

Q: What goes into executing line games at a high level, how important is the chemistry and communication when it comes to executing those assignments?

MV: Well, I think just the chemistry is critical about who it is that you are working with. Somebody has got to get inside, and somebody has got to be able to get vertical, or somebody has to be able to sell that they are rushing, and then they end up being the looper. So, there is some savvy to it, and certainly there's a different style. Some guys have a different style to it. When you are talking about Seattle, they have some guys who will pass rush to get into the gap and get vertical and create a conflict with the, maybe, say, the guard. But communication is critical that they are both on the same page. Is it a quick game? Is it a delayed game?

Q: We talked to Jeremy [Springer] yesterday about the job of personal punt protector. What do you look for specifically in that job? He said something really interesting: he said it's kind of like an offensive player because you have to block, but you also have to run down and focus on tackling. What are some of the unique things in that job?

MV: Well, that is everybody on the punt team except for the gunners, but I think that you need the communication skills of an inside linebacker or a safety. You need the protection skills of a running back. You need the mental aptitude of a quarterback. "Hey, this is where we are going to send the protection, or this is what we want to do," or the cadence. You have to be able to communicate. So, it is a critical role.

Q: How have you seen Andy Borregales kind of – that first preseason game, he struggled. How have you seen him build on that? How have you just seen him kind of progress throughout training camp?

MV: I do not remember that game, so I do not remember what happened. Well, I think like a pro, like somebody that got back to work. The specialists have their own little world that they live in. I just ask them when they want to do the kicking portion of practice, and then they go and warm up, and they work on all their scenarios and the snaps and everything that they work with. I think he has been consistent in his preparation, whether that's the Mayday situation against Philly, where we run in and we know in that situation, you are not going to get a kicking ball; you are going to get a regular ball. He was able to make that. So, we have seen a lot of situations in camp, and I have been impressed with how he has performed.

Q: After watching him again this week preparing for him, what makes Jaxon Smith-Njigba such an impressive player?

MV: Well, just the suddenness, route craft. He is smooth, he can play at different speeds, he plays inside, he runs a full route tree, he is strong at the catch point. But I just think that the savviness and the ability to get in and out of breaks is really impressive.

I just want to add one update: Caleb Lomu has taken over for Will Campbell on the weekend update.