The Official Vrabel vs Ben Johnson Discussion Thread

[RobertWeathers]

I just think it’s a buyer beware situation. It would appear he’d be another Bill wannabe where I don’t think Bob wants to risk again. Media seems to favor him, but like Mayo, they will turn on him fast if things aren’t going the way it should.

This is going to be a very tough decision for Bob to get it right for a number of reasons. This might be his only shot to get it right.

In the end, I think Bob goes with Johnson if he wants it because they need to maximize Maye.

I can see how the perception of Vrabes is a BB wanna be but while he absolutely has some qualities I do believe he is his own man and has his own style.

 

[Froob]

I can see how the perception of Vrabes is a BB wanna be but while he absolutely has some qualities I do believe he is his own man and has his own style.

He’s more Campbell than he is Belichick.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I can see how the perception of Vrabes is a BB wanna be but while he absolutely has some qualities I do believe he is his own man and has his own style.

We may soon find out. It wouldn't shock me if he's hired.

 

[lancerman]

 

[SlowGettingUp]

This is a really nice piece on Vrabel:

Mike Vrabel Is Becoming a Coaching Legend—Through His Yells and His Hugs

The Titans head coach is entering his sixth, and perhaps most interesting, season at the helm. But how he got here—and how he’s gained the backing of his players—is just as important.

www.theringer.com

 

[Run DMC]

Vrabel is the definition of slightly above average. He’s old school and as most of have learned to accept, the NFL is now offense, offense, offense. So why hire an old school defensive guy? We Pats fans are used to excellence and being at the top of the NFL. This guy is not getting us back there despite being an improvement from the past 4 years debacle. Ben Johnson all day. He may turn out to be an epic failure or he may the best coach in the NFL. But, I know Kraft loves his damn familiarity, so Vrabel will get the job. Dumb move. Familiarity got us in this mess. Go big or go home.

 

[Love The Drake]

Raiders also just requested a meeting with Ben Johnson,

Brady is starting to piss me off.

 

[archstanton543]

Raiders also just requested a meeting with Ben Johnson,

Brady is starting to piss me off.

 

[Froob]

Raiders also just requested a meeting with Ben Johnson,

Brady is starting to piss me off.

We have a way better situation, I don’t care

 

[Love The Drake]

Raiders also requesting Spagnulo.
I like the Raiders lineup.

We are putting all our eggs in 2 baskets.
We request anyone else?

 

[KCSVEN]

I have got to admit, I've flipped my stance to Vrabel over Johnson.
It seems it's basically a done deal anyway.
I don't want Mcdaniels back but really like Tommy Rees ("One of the brightest young coaches I've been around in a long time"-Nick Saban) and believe he'll be coming with Vrabel. Either way, after really looking into Vrabel I think he's the better choice, so I've flipped.
I actually think we are extremely lucky to get Vrabel, that after the year not being a HC and what he learned as a head coach he's coming in with the perfect experience to be great. I think Vrabel is a top coach reaching his prime. Johnson is a top coach that will go through growing pains to reach his prime coaching years where Vrabel is there now.

 

[upstater1]

He’s more Campbell than he is Belichick.

He sounds infinitely more capable with Xs and Os than Campbell, and his standards with teaching the details seem very much like Belichick

 

[KCSVEN]

This is a really nice piece on Vrabel:

Mike Vrabel Is Becoming a Coaching Legend—Through His Yells and His Hugs

The Titans head coach is entering his sixth, and perhaps most interesting, season at the helm. But how he got here—and how he’s gained the backing of his players—is just as important.

www.theringer.com

Favorite part of the article, this is what I want in a coach. Don't just run a system, adapt to each team you play. I also believe those 3 bolded items are absolutely key. You win passing and stopping the pass.

Vrabel told me he believes there are a few non-negotiables to winning: You have to protect the football, affect the other team’s quarterback, and be efficient throwing the football. And be great in situational football: Almost 60 percent of games are decided by eight points or less, and a similar number are won in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime. Beyond that, he’s up for more or less anything.

 

[upstater1]

If they hire Vrabel and he's allowed to bring in his GM, I only have 2 bits of advice to him:

#1. Wear the pin.

#2. Simulate a corporate culture by hiring a bunch of dweebs who will crank out reports to the Krafts, write in green ink on every report, “This is good, we’ll implement this right away,” and in red ink strike one thing out and say, “This doesn’t work… because…” Give them the illusion of a corporate structure. And if things go wrong in any given week, fire one of the dweebs.

 

[PatsFan2]

Favorite part of the article, this is what I want in a coach. Don't just run a system, adapt to each team you play. I also believe those 3 bolded items are absolutely key. You win passing and stopping the pass.

Vrabel told me he believes there are a few non-negotiables to winning: You have to protect the football, affect the other team’s quarterback, and be efficient throwing the football. And be great in situational football: Almost 60 percent of games are decided by eight points or less, and a similar number are won in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime. Beyond that, he’s up for more or less anything.

X's and O's Guy right there screw Ben Johnson I want BB jr. Mike Vrabel.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

This is a really nice piece on Vrabel:

Mike Vrabel Is Becoming a Coaching Legend—Through His Yells and His Hugs

The Titans head coach is entering his sixth, and perhaps most interesting, season at the helm. But how he got here—and how he’s gained the backing of his players—is just as important.

www.theringer.com

From that piece, a link to a player discussion about a time Vrabel was pissed-off at a player that didn't come to OTAs and basically canned him in front of the whole team on the first day of training camp - something like "You can't sit there - that's only for players."



Also comments in that piece about how Vrabel is not afraid to call out vets that screwed up - kind of like Bill with Brady a couple of times.

My best Vrabel memory is the "loophole" game where he nearly gave Belichick a stroke with successive delay of games penalties to run nearly two minutes off the clock without a single play:

Mike Vrabel opens up about infamous loophole play against Patriots

Mike Vrabel commented on the one time he out-Belichick’d Bill Belichick

patriotswire.usatoday.com

 

[TommyD4207]

If they hire Vrabel and he's allowed to bring in his GM, I only have 2 bits of advice to him:

#1. Wear the pin.

If he wants the job, wear the pin.

 

[The Gr8est]

I have got to admit, I've flipped my stance to Vrabel over Johnson.
It seems it's basically a done deal anyway.
I don't want Mcdaniels back but really like Tommy Rees ("One of the brightest young coaches I've been around in a long time"-Nick Saban) and believe he'll be coming with Vrabel. Either way, after really looking into Vrabel I think he's the better choice, so I've flipped.
I actually think we are extremely lucky to get Vrabel, that after the year not being a HC and what he learned as a head coach he's coming in with the perfect experience to be great. I think Vrabel is a top coach reaching his prime. Johnson is a top coach that will go through growing pains to reach his prime coaching years where Vrabel is there now.

So maybe instead of Ben Johnson, we’d get a younger and developing version stapled to Vrabel in Tommy Rees?

 

[mike_usagisan]

Vrabel is the definition of slightly above average. He’s old school and as most of have learned to accept, the NFL is now offense, offense, offense. So why hire an old school defensive guy? We Pats fans are used to excellence and being at the top of the NFL. This guy is not getting us back there despite being an improvement from the past 4 years debacle. Ben Johnson all day. He may turn out to be an epic failure or he may the best coach in the NFL. But, I know Kraft loves his damn familiarity, so Vrabel will get the job. Dumb move. Familiarity got us in this mess. Go big or go home.

I think one of the points between Vrabel and Johnson is it feels like the people in Johnson’s camp are excited about getting a great OC and the people in Vrabel’s camp are excited about getting a great HC.

There’s nothing wrong with that. I just don’t feel like it’s an apples to apples comparison going on.

 

[The Gr8est]

I think one of the points between Vrabel and Johnson is it feels like the people in Johnson’s camp are excited about getting a great OC and the people in Vrabel’s camp are excited about getting a great HC.

There’s nothing wrong with that. I just don’t feel like it’s an apples to apples comparison going on.

Vrabel seems like the more finished product.

I also like that it seems he did some self evaluation of himself after Tennessee and took steps at improving himself.

I am onboard with Vrabel, and I think in a couple of years people could look back and see it as a no brainer, and wonder why other teams just sat around and let the Pats scoop Vrabel.