Here’s what New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had to say during his press conference on Wednesday, November 20, 2025.
On with Ja’Marr Chase suspended, what has he seen from Tee Higgins and the rest of their receivers:
“Well, I mean, again, talent. Plenty of talent. It’s just the opportunities probably haven’t been there. But when they’ve been given the opportunity and they’ve gone to them, whether that’s [Andrei] Iosivas, that’s [Mitchell] Tinsleyd own the field. Obviously Tee, deep threat, took a slant to the house against Pittsburgh. A tight window, split the safeties. So I don’t think that they lack in talent. I think it’s just been opportunity. So again, we’ll have to do a great job trying to defend them, whether that be Brown, or Higgins, or anybody else. It’s just a big challenge offensively.
On since he became a head coach, how, if at all, has he changed how he manages his individual relationships with players over the years:
“Again, my job is to have a relationship or a connection with everybody here, players and staff included. Some of those relationships are stronger than others. That’s kind of the nature of this. But I think for me, it’s just been having something in each room or part of the game plan in each phase that will at least allow me to have a conversation about the game plan, about their job or technique, which is the best way to be able to have that connection through the week. And then again, just try to be as genuine as I possibly can.”
On if that was that something that he needed, wanted, got when he was a player and something he felt like was important too:
“I don’t know if it was that needed. I mean, it was just different. I think it was just different. I haven’t coached anybody any differently from the three years that I spent at Ohio State. Going to Houston, they were maybe a year or two older, and back then, they made more money. Now, they’re just a year or two older, and some of them make about the same amount of money. So, I appreciate where they all come from. I appreciate their backgrounds. You can see the type of people they are by when you meet their families. I think that’s something that really shows in the pride that they have.”
“We do this to provide for our family. So outside of winning, let’s be honest, that’s why we do this. So I enjoy meeting their families, and I enjoy meeting the people that they care about. And we always said things that are important to them should be important to us.”
On the fact, as a player, he was known as an enforcer and accountability is super important to him now, and as a coach, how he has evolved in creating accountability:
“I think my job, I’ve said this, is to try to protect the team and stay consistent and try to hold the best players, the most accountable. That way it sets a clear message to everybody throughout. Not if the quarterback makes a mistake or Drake [Maye] makes a mistake, it doesn’t really do me any good to sit there and coach up Tommy DeVito. Just go right to the source, and I think the players appreciate the consistency.”
On the stability of the offensive line in their performance this season seems like it’s led to a lot of the team’s success and if he can talk about what that group and the coaching staff and Doug Marrone has meant to the success:
“Well, I mean, that’s a good group in there. Doug’s in charge, but Jason Houghtaling, Hauss, and Kugs [Robert Kugler], I think we’re lucky. I think those guys really do a good job. Like I said, when I talked about the staff, they could all take a group and coach them, pre-practice, individual, so you see a lot of that is split up and guys are getting work and reps. So there’s a lot of confidence there. I think the players are building some confidence. I think that the more that we get into this thing and they understand kind of the design of the play and how Drake’s going to operate, whether that’s trying to climb the pocket or the extension and everything else, I think it all goes hand-in-hand. I think they communicate well. The more that we’ve been able to be out there as a unit has led to some good results.”
On with Rhamondre Stevenson possibly nearling a return, and with TreVeyon Henderson being the main back the last few games, if there’s a plan to have a better balance between the two of them when they’re both ready to play or when Rhamondre is helping:
“I think we’ll probably have to have that conversation when it’s certain that we’re going to have Rhamondre. He’s going to work through practice today, and we’ll see where things go. TreyVeyon has helped us. Rhamondre has helped us. Terrell [Jennings] has helped us. Disappointed that Darius [Harris] couldn’t have a couple more carries. We gained some good yards on whatever they thought was a holding penalty, and go from there. So we’ll try to have them all help us, but it’s been good to see TreVeyon continue to run hard and take care of football and everything else.”
On what his impression of Joe Flacco has been and the way the Bengals offense has been playing:
“Efficient. On time. A lot of, again, you’re not going to trick him. You’re not going to trick him. You’re going to have to cover them, beat them, rush when the ball comes out quick. Doesn’t seem to get rattled very easily. It’s not something that’s going to happen. Arm strength and accuracy has been great. He kind of knows what he wants to do and where he wants to go with the ball. It’s a lot of command.”
On the fact he’s also someone he saw as a player and what he remembers about a young Joe Flacco on the other sideline:
“I mean, about the same. Big, talented, strong, probably ran a little bit more. So just the longevity, a lot of respect for him as a person and as a player.”
On Rhamondre Stevenson, Kayshon Boutte, and Christian Gonzalez, and if there are any updates:
“Yeah. They’ll all work today, and we’ll see how they respond after today and kind of keep moving from there. But no real update. They haven’t done anything that we’ve pushed through other than that. So hopefully they’re out there and they will be and ready to go, and then we’ll see where they go.”
On his decision to add C.J. [Dippre] to the active roster, and if it’s a situation he talked about with Bradyn [Swinson], where it’s someone he put time in with and wants to continue working with him:
“Yeah, there’s a lot of things that go involved with that. And certainly, those two players were ones that kept showing up as the show team players, or whether it’s on special teams or offense or defense. And so it’s just kind of what happens when you to this part of the season. And we’ll see if those guys can help us. And we ask everybody to prepare as a starter when they come in here. And I don’t think anything should change or will change for those guys.”
On the fact they’ve defended the quarterback-related tree concept in back-to-back weeks and how much of that is from having his squad team running the play, simulating it during practice, versus just the players out there with high awareness and discipline during the game:
“We’re not going to be able to show them everything. We have a lot of, again, admiration, respect, gratitude for the players that give us those looks throughout the week. I think they take great pride in that. We ask them to try to… They’re being evaluated, and they’re … We’re trying to put it the best as we can in our language and letting them play football and letting them compete and try to stay up and take care of each other. We don’t want anything that’s out of control. But I think the improvement has been made by players on those units. They give us a fantastic look. First, second, third down, we get to the red zone late in the week. So again, that starts there. And then we’re not going to be able to show them every single play that they’re going to see in the game. That’s impossible. Nobody’s that good. There’s things that we’ll show them that they’ll be able to recall. But then it comes down to the 11 guys out there. If there’s an unscouted look or there’s a scout, there’s a play that comes up that they haven’t seen or they haven’t run this year, that you kind of use your tools and use your rules for the play and what your responsibility is to go and defend it.
On the fact Drake said on the radio the other day that one of the concepts he’s been focused on this year is remaining a passer as long as possible, even when he’s taken off, and how much progress has he seen with that particular skill or development for him:
“I think that that’s something that was talked about in the offseason that we wanted to try to allow him to do and let him work on it. An example, on the sidelines there with [Stefon] Diggs the other night, he was maintaining a passer as long as he can, still threaten the edge. Then if people come out of coverage, being able to make good decisions and great decisions with the football, and it leads to 15 extra yards. He wasn’t going to run for 15 yards. So again, those are things that really can put stress on the defense when you’re doing them positively and you’re not making bad decisions.”
On the fact Drake’s been so accurate this year, and what work has he seen him put in to refine or improve that part of playing the position and how much of that just might be innate:
“I think probably a little bit of both. I think that Josh [McDaniels] and Ashton [Grant] have tried to work hard on that. I also think Drake is talented. And again, it’s like a pitcher. I don’t know if there’s a pitching coach that really taught Greg Maddox how to paint the plate and put the ball wherever he wanted it. So I think there’s some natural skill there. But then I think that they work on those things and they work on platform and throwing off at different places and still remaining accurate and climbing a pocket and working with a base and all those things. And then there’s other times where it’s just natural athletic ability and hand-eye coordination and putting the ball in good spots.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This transcript was done based on the available footage and is subject to typographical errors. If you spot anything, please let me know in the comments below.)
Support Us: Help Us Compete Against The Corporate Media Giants
We need your help. If you enjoy our content, please help us beat Google's Corporate algorithm by adding us as a preferred source on Google News.
Click the button below and check the box next to "PatsFans.com"
Add as a preferred source on Google News
Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
