PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
PRESS CONFERENCE
January 14, 2026
Q: Is this the best defense you've faced so far?
MV: Yeah, of course. I mean, they have great talent, great scheme, they play hard and I respect how hard they play. They're not only talented, but they have a play demeanor that I can appreciate.
Q: Mike, are they sort of a do-what-you-do defense? Some people have talked about the scheme is good, but it's just, this is –
MV: Yeah, I mean, again, there's not a whole – they don't, I guess, necessarily – maybe the volume isn't as much. I think the volume increases on third down, where you'll maybe get some multiple looks, pressures and different things. But I think we pretty much would have an idea of where they're going to be on first and second down. They'll mix in pressures, then they match up and then we'll get into the zone. But I think the volume probably comes more in on third down.
Q: You said you appreciate their demeanor. Mike, what is their play demeanor, specifically defensively?
MV: Well, they play to the football. They chase the football and they get a lot of hats to the football. They create turnovers. They play physical.
Q: Do you expect Christian Gonzalez to practice today?
MV: I do anticipate him being out there.
Q: The fact that the Texans have so many coaches who are familiar with Josh McDaniels, does that make it extra tricky? Maybe they can provide even more help to their defense, that kind of thing?
MV: I mean, again, if they know what call is coming, then we should try to get those coaches. I think that there's certain styles of offense. Got all our tape and got all theirs. So, if they know what Josh is calling or they know what we're calling, then they've got a jump on us.
Q: With that said, Mike, what's the preparation like for you, start to finish, on a week like this?
MV: Same as it was last week. We'll start on first and second down, try to come up with keys that we feel like can help our team and make sure that we formulate practice, getting things done that we need to get done based on the time of the season it is and the health, and move on to third down, red zone and short yardage. That's what it looks like.
Q: How unique of a challenge is Will Anderson [Jr.] and Danielle Hunter for this offensive line?
MV: Again, I don't think it's just one move. I think there's talent, length and effort. If they get blocked, they don't stay blocked long. Can power – different moves on the edge. So, they play hard against the run. It's not just if you run the ball that they're taking plays off. So, two really good bookends.
Q: Mike, given how talented your quarterback is, what goes into the decision for him to just take the sack and move on to the next play, versus trying to extend the play, meanwhile managing the ball security given how aggressive their pass rush is?
MV: Yeah, I think that that's – again, having never done it and facing the fire, that would be hard for me to say other than try to make a great decision, use great ball security and making sure that that's all part of everything that we've been working on – having two hands on the football in the pocket and just having a feel in the timing of when you have to get the ball out on rhythm. And hopefully, if not, being able to extend. And when you extend, making sure that you're good with the football going up into the pocket.
Q: With Will Anderson and this defense being so good and forcing offenses off the field on third downs, does that change the way that you're going about thinking about – and Josh, the play calling on first and second?
MV: Well, we never want to sit there and be in third-and-12. We were third-and-15 last week. We picked it up. Chargers were ranked the same as the Texans and we're going to go play the game. That's what we're going to do. We're going to play the game. We're going to enjoy it just like we did last week. And again, you have too many of those, I think it's probably a bad thing. But if we find ourselves in those situations, then we'll have to just get ourselves out of them.
Q: Mike, there's one link between you and DeMeco [Ryans], you're coaching the teams that you played for – or one of the teams you played for in your career. I'm just curious, what does that mean to you to coach a team you played for in the playoffs?
MV: I appreciate that question, Mike [Reiss]. I don't want to – I think it's an honor to coach in this league. I do. There's only so many opportunities that you get. And to be able to do it here, I think, is special and meaningful. But I don't want to reflect on that too much. I want to focus on the game and the opponent. I think we've covered a lot of that here when I got here.
Q: Mike, aside from C.J. Stroud playing as well as he did as a rookie, what did you notice your last year in Tennessee about what DeMeco was doing to turn that program around so quickly?
MV: I mean, they got a lot of draft picks and they signed some good free agents.
Q: What Nick Caley is running on offense, how similar is that to Josh's offense?
MV: I think there's some carryover. There's some L.A. stuff., there's some stuff that he probably learned when he was here, and then what you do is you come in with a base idea, start in the run game, and then protection, and then whatever ideas that the new coaches have, you kind of formulate and kind of figure out what fits and what everybody's comfortable with. So, I'm sure there's elements of every stop that some of those guys have made.
Q: You've been trying to get everybody all year, your players especially, to have fun and enjoy this. Why has that been so important? And is it more important now as the games get bigger?
MV: I mean, I just feel like you put a lot into it. This isn't the easiest profession in the world, and we only get one chance a week. And so, if we only try to focus on having fun during the game, it's a small window of our week. And so, we want to bring good people in here that we enjoy being around, that are like-minded and want to try to exhibit the qualities of the identity that we wish to play with, enjoy it and obviously work, but then go out to the game and let them have fun and compete. We know that one play is not going to make the difference and that we have to keep going.
Q: Coach, is that why back in October you decided to go to the individual introductions, breaking with tradition that you were a part of for so many years with the group coming out? And that was sort of a balance check, I guess, and team invention back in 2002. How's that worked out?
MV: I mean, it looked pretty good the other night. It's as good – as much as our fans like our players and they cheer, the fireworks and everything. I thought it was cool, I don't know. The first week we had a couple kinks, but other than that, just like everything else, you get better the more you do it.
Q: Mike, with Drake [Maye], I'm curious, in his first game interview, he made sure the offensive line was behind him, and then also when he was speaking with us, he mentioned how maybe it wasn't his best game, but that's why you have teammates. Why is it so important to have a player just kind of acknowledge that and do the things he does?
MV: Well, I mean, I think that's what you do as a leader. You try to give credit, accept blame and put it on you. I think that's all part of that, being a quarterback in this league and knowing that nobody's doing this by themselves. And so, you're going to have some good days and just bad days, but I think having gratitude is important.
Q: Azeez Al-Shaair has grown into one of the better linebackers in the league. What makes him so challenging to go against and how have you maybe seen him develop since you coached him?
MV: Well, I think he's – again, he's a great leader. I think it starts there. He's got great leadership in the middle, good skill set. We talk about a journey to this National Football League and to a career, having been undrafted and his story, which is really special. I'll always appreciate the year that Azeez spent with us. Still stay in contact with him. So, he's done a lot for me personally and my family. So, I always appreciate that. I wish nothing but the best for him. He knows that. And just – I think being more comfortable in the defense, coverage and more stuff on third down, I think he just feels a little bit more comfortable the longer that he's been here in his system.
Q: What is it about Darrell Taylor that made you kind of want to bring him in and work with him?
MV: Well, we had had conversations with him in free agency. Ended up going somewhere else, and then when he became available, we got together, had a conversation and were able to bring him in.
Q: Mike, I'm curious, with your in-game captains and how you announced those on Friday, showing the guys high school tape and all that, how did you come up with that idea? And has any of that tape stood out to you or impressed you?
MV: There's some surprisingly bad high school football highlights, and then there's some good ones. Yeah, just trying to keep things, I guess, light on the Friday tape. I think that when you get an odd number of captains and other guys get votes, and you feel like guys are for special circumstances, have shown good leadership or – a good way to recognize somebody, and then a way to announce them where they lead off the Friday tape, their highlights.
Q: Do you ever steal any plays from those?
MV: It's not the best tape. It's not the best tape, but we have fun with it.
Q: Mike, I know that Zak Kuhr said the other week that turnovers come in bunches or takeaways come in bunches. I know you guys put an emphasis on that before the Ravens game, but have you continued to put an emphasis on takeaways?
MV: Every single day. The practice script hasn't changed. Our focus hasn't changed. We don't emphasize them in bunches. We emphasize them the same. So, I wish that the more I emphasized them, the more we would turn the ball over. It doesn't work that way.
Q: What makes Denico Autry so good at blocking kicks?
MV: Great knack, great feel, great length. His timing because he is a bigger player that has great length, and so when he gets into a crease, he doesn't just go up right away. He's able to kind of push for two or three steps and then able to get great length. So, he's not just standing at the line of scrimmage trying to block them, he gets into the line or is able to swim, and that will be a huge key. He's got 14 in his career. We have to do everything that we can to make it not be 15.
Q: We've been talking a lot about the Texans defense. Obviously, it's one of their strengths, but their offense is pretty good as well, especially Woody [Jo'quavious] Marks, who just had a 100-yard game. What makes that offense tough to stop?
MV: Well, I think they're gaining confidence, it looked like, in the run game and the physicality in which they played with the other night. And when you can do that, then it marries with – your play action opens up and your spaces over the middle open up. Your boot game, it all marries together. So that, to me, looks like what they would want to do. They had a lot of success with it the other night. But they played physical. They ran the football.
Q: Does their defensive front four, along with their defensive backs, force a quarterback to identify earlier and have to release the ball even earlier than normal?
MV: Well, hopefully not earlier, but hopefully on time. Hopefully on time, and need great spacing. Receivers need to match the speed of the pass rush when we throw it so that we can play on time.
Q: What are the problems that C.J. Stroud poses? Did you have some overlap with him at Ohio State?
MV: No, I mean, I've met with C.J., but he wasn't at Ohio State when I was there.
Q: What are some of the problems he poses?
MV: Well, he's athletic enough to extend, but also the pocket presence that you want. He can turn his back to the defense, come out of there and throw play action. Does a good job on a boot game. He keeps his eyes downfield. He's accurate. So, he kind of gives you a little bit of both as far as the ability to extend plays, but always keeping his eyes down the field.
Q: Zak Kuhr as a play caller, defensively. How much has he developed as the season goes on?
MV: Well, hopefully as the season goes on, we all have gotten better, including Zak. And the comfort level and the input that everybody's trying to have each week to build a plan. I'm very appreciative of not only Zak, but every coach here. They put a lot of time in, it means a lot to them, and they want to give their players the best opportunity to succeed. So, Zak has improved, much like our football team.
Q: Mike, with the amount and the diversity of blitz pressure you guys brought last weekend, how much of that is just a reflection of your trust in the guys in the back end to kind of hold up?
MV: Yeah, I mean, you have to be able to do that. The more you rush, the less you have in coverage. That's no secret. We just want to be – try to disrupt the quarterback based on the plan and based on how the game's going. But those guys have to do a good job, whether we're matched or we're playing some zone coverage behind it.
