TRANSCRIPT: Mike Vrabel Press Conference 1/22
Vrabel speaks on Thursday ahead of the Patriots showdown against the Broncos.
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Here’s what New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had to say on Thursday, January 22, 2026 during his press conference with the media.
On if he had any relationship or interactions with Sean Payton and how he sees his team as a reflection of him:
“Yeah, I have had interactions with Sean. A very successful football coach. Tough to defend for, tough to defend against. I think he does a great job with his personnel and his scheme, and the guys that he had in New Orleans and how they use those guys, and then certainly how he’s using the weapons offensively in Denver. I think you have to prepare for a lot. Again, it’s not like they do too much to where they’re … They’ve got rules for everything. They’ve got protections for everything. Good mixture in the run game. There’s some RPO with some big people personnel. I think he’s had his core concepts that he’s had for a lot of years, and that he’s just continued to add onto that as some of the game has changed and some of the ideas and the schemes have evolved. So, I think that that’s pretty unique. I think he’s got plays for certain guys that he wants to try to find ways to get them the ball. His record clearly speaks for itself. So, tough challenge. He’s a proven winner in this league.”
On what Josh Dobbs and Tommy DeVito have been like for him all season long:
“They prepare as a starter every week. Dobbs has had to go in there a little bit. I think Tommy has really improved in our system, and what it is that we’re asking him to do, and how he would need to operate. So again, those guys have been great. They’ve been a huge support for Drake and everything that we’ve done offensively, and then running and operating our show team.”
On if he anticipates any limitations for Christian Barmore in the altitude:
“No, certainly something that we have to monitor. There are some players that we’ll have to monitor for one reason or another, but I don’t see any limitations for Christian.”
On preparing for Sean [Peyton], among the things, trick plays, he’s used them in big games. Had the eligible pass last week, playing the Super Bowl surprise on-sides kick, and if that’s something that he generally just falls back on his team’s fundamentals, reading keys, and if there’s a way to prepare for all the possibilities those:
“I think I’ve got the surprise on-side, kick handled. [smiles]
Yeah, that one you don’t have to worry about (due to the rule change).
“Okay. I was going to say I got that one covered. You can’t really play for… They run bubbles, and so the complementary play is the bubble and go. Now, you can’t sit there and wait for the bubble and go because 8 or 9 times out of 10, you’re going to be wrong. I think you just have to play defense. You have to go and play with a certain speed and aggressiveness, and then obviously what your keys tell you to do and where your read would tell you to go and cover.”
“Certainly, the timing of when he’s called some of these things has been impressive. Then again, when you call those, then it’s up to the players to make it work. And they’ve done a good job of making those plays work. But the timing in which some of these things have been called have been good.”
On the impact Rhamondre [Stevenson] has had as a pass catcher?
“Going all the way back to Miami, we needed a play, and he was able to give us one. I think that that’s just something that’s part of his skillset. It’s been great to have and to use. Just another one of those guys to spread the ball around.”
On the fact we saw the Bills get a crucial penalty on an underthrown deep ball for interference, and if that’s something his guys are going to be looking out for this week, and what are the keys to not getting penalized on those:
“I think all I can tell you is that the more that you play the football, the better chance that you have of not getting a defensive pass interference penalty. If you can play the football and make sure you try to turn around and lean and locate, you have a chance. If you’re not playing the football, margin for error goes way down.”
On the fact Leonard Taylor seems like a pretty good find for his team, and what is it he’s seen from him and what has impressed him:
“Great attitude from day one. Came in and worked hard on those Thursday practices that we talked about, and showed up, and then had a conversation and said that, ‘As soon as you can learn what to do and where to go and how to run the defense,’ we decided he was ready, and then he took advantage of his opportunity. The first was getting recognized in practice, and then was learning what to do midstream there. Maybe it took him a week or so to do that, and where we felt comfortable bringing him up.”
On the fact he talks about the ability of players to make plays and how important they are in these games…
“All games. It’s always important for players to make good plays.”
… from a coaching perspective, how does he put guys in position so that they can be ready in regular-season games or postseason games to have success:
“I think that just comes from practice and learning guys and seeing what they’re comfortable with and maybe looking at a receiver, if there’s a certain route that they run and you feel like it’s game-ready and there’s speed to it, there’s timing to it, you feel comfortable. You can kind of check that one off the box. Every player is unique. Every player has a different skill set, different play style. Try to ask them to do things that they’re good at and try to work on improving the things that maybe they aren’t as good at. But then you get to a certain point where you probably don’t try to force it.”
On what’s made [Nik] Benitto and Zach Allen such a productive tandem there when they’re alongside one another, and if he feels they complement each other well:
Well, I think they’re talented. I think they’re both very athletic for their position. Benitto, his strength, his speed, his length, his ability to bend and corner. Zach Allen’s skillset is a bigger athletic interior player who has the ability to speed to power. But really where he’s making his hay is kind of making guys miss and sitting down bigger players and then bursting on an edge. So they’re talented. And then the scheme that they put them in makes them tough.”
Inaudible – potentially if he had any familiarity with [inaudible] player in college, any overlap:
“Briefly, yeah. I think Tyler was a redshirt. But Yeah. I think a while ago, I remember talking with him.”
On how he’s seen Corey Durden improve as a pass rusher and if that’s an aspect of his game that has surprised him at all:
“I think that he’s just worked hard at it. I think that’s something Something that he’s focused on is figuring out what works for him. He’s not built like Zach Allen. He shouldn’t try some of that stuff. You get together with the player, Clint [McMillan], and everybody else, and the coach, and you kind of figure out a couple of moves that may work for them. And then you go about practicing those through the week and then coming up with a plan. So they’re not trying things that maybe they’re not good at it.”
On Sean Payton, the timing that he mentioned of some of those calls, if that’s a case of where he sees him setting things up earlier in the game, gathering information, formationally testing early in the drive, and then getting to it later, or is it just a knack he’s has it:
“I think there’s a combination of both. I think it’s fourth down, unbalanced, the tackles out, they throw a shot against the Chargers for a big play. So that’s something that they may have shown some look and thought that it was going to be a certain play, and he’s able to take a shot. Some of it is that they are marrying plays and concepts just like a lot of other people. Then they have plays that repeat that they’re also really good at. If you don’t defend them, he just keeps calling them.”
On the fact that he’s had Christian Gonzalez go out with a head injury, and then this last time, Carlton Davis, and with Charles Woods, how has he seen him mentally stay prepared, and just how he rises to the occasion when he has given an opportunity:
“Well, we hope that he doesn’t rise to the occasion. We hope that he’s just prepared and ready to go, which he has been, like you talked about. Those are opportunities. When you play behind good players, sometimes you don’t get a whole lot of opportunity. Then, when you do, you have to be ready for it. He has done that. He’s prepared as a starter. He’s ready to go. You don’t have a whole lot of notice. You don’t get a whole lot of notice when you have to go in there. So just being able to throw in there and go in there and not be able to have to change the game plan is nice.”
On when it comes to Drake, it seems I think he’s risen to the challenge as the games have got bigger, and what does that mean for this week for him as a coach, and what is he expecting from him:
“Lead our offense, be the conductor, and help us handle the environment. Find as many positive plays as you can, take care of football, own the operation, and then you’re going to have to make some big-time throws. That’s just kind of how this thing goes. And no different than what we’ve expected of him the entire season, what we’ve expected of him, and how he’s produced. It’s great to see some not-so-positive plays that don’t affect some things that have to happen later in the game for us to succeed.”
On the fact the players have talked about his 4-Hs, we see him with them in the tunnel after these games, and where did this new school coaching style come from and how did it develop for him:
“I mean, I don’t know how new school it is. When I was at Ohio State, I tried to have a great relationship with the defensive lineman that I coached. When I went to Houston, I tried to have a great relationship with Whitney Mercilis, Max Bullough, Brian Cushing, and everybody that we coached down there. And then, each step along the way, you become a head coach and again, those relationships probably aren’t as the same. Want to try to be honest with them, be transparent, be authentic. I think that’s the biggest thing, is just be authentic and don’t try to be fake. But we see each other every day. I hope we have some level of care for what they do as people and as players.”
On the fact the individuals from his team are finalists for End of Season awards, including himself, and what’s his reaction to that, and what does that just say about his team:
“I hope that they all win.”
On the fact, Coach Payton was quoted as saying that fans in Denver would have two weeks to rest up after the AFC Championship before screaming their heads off to the Super Bowl, and if he believes in bulletin board material:
“I think we’re plenty motivated for the game. I think that our players are continuing to build confidence through the week. So I’m really excited to go out there and play.”
On how he would characterize Patrick Surtain’s skillset, and do they move him around to travel with opposing top receivers:
“He’s targeted infrequently. He’s physical. He has great length, can run. He’s athletic. He’s willing to tackle. He plays physical. You have to really be convicted when you’re going to go and throw at him. You better be very convicted, and there better be a good route, and you better have the ball in a good spot, or it’s going to be a turnover or a PBU. I could just remember going and seeing him at Alabama, whether I was at the clinic or a pro day or something, just the presence of him. I mean, his dad was a fantastic player, and just his presence in the way that he carried himself as a leader and as a person. A lot of respect for him.”
On the fact they’ve tried to get Surtain more around the ball, and if he’s done that with Christian Gonzalez, trying to allow for maybe more big plays:
“Yeah. I’m all for Gonzo making as many plays as possible and being active, and he doesn’t get targeted as much either. But there’s times where he travels, there’s times where he’s in different locations. It was great to see his ball production last week, even the ball that they caught on him, the hammer that he had that was close to being a fumble.”
On the fact he said before that Drake was one of the reasons that attracted him to this job, and in his year working with him, what has maybe surprised him the most:
“You don’t want to know what my other reasons for coming here was? I had a joke teed up. It was going to be the media”
Thank you.
“You’re welcome. Only you.”
“It just continues to grow. And again, I think I’m excited for these guys to be in this environment and to see all their hard work pay off and be able to play in a game like this. I think there’s been a lot of growth from this football team over the course of the offseason, the season, and just another opportunity for us to show that this week.”
(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.)
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