Pats Pulpit
Always a linebacker at heart, Mike Vrabel has never been afraid of getting his hands dirty at practice. Or, in the case of the New England Patriots’ joint session with the Washington Commanders, his face bloodied.
Following an 11-on-11 drill on Wednesday that ended in a scuffle between running back TreVeyon Henderson and Commanders defender Von Miller, Vrabel jumped right in to prevent the fight from escalating. When he emerged from the pile and got back to his feet, blood was running down his right cheek.
The wound, which appeared to have been the result of some friendly fire by Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell, was not a major one; Vrabel continued practice without any limitations. Nonetheless, it was a tone-setting moment for his team.
“It shows a lot about our coach. He’ll do anything for us, and that’s love right there,” said wide receiver DeMario Douglas, who added that Vrabel told him that he “should see the other guy.”
“He’s right there with us,” added tight end Hunter Henry. “I think that player comes out in him a little bit, too. But you’ve got to love a coach that loves to compete and has those competitive juices just like us.”
Before turning to coaching after the end of his active playing career, Vrabel spent 14 seasons as an NFL linebacker. Starting out as a third-round draft selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997, he joined the Patriots as a free agent in 2001 and over the next eight year became a cornerstone for the organization.
The three-time Super Bowl winner and member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame returned in January to take over as head coach. He brought the same blue-collar mindset with him that already defined his playing career.
“That’s what we’re trying to build, and it starts with the head coach,” explained quarterback Drake Maye after Wednesday’s practice. “The intensity, bringing it every day, taking no crap when you’re out there on the field. But also, there comes a comes time with our guys offensively when getting over there and getting some tussles, having some penalties after the whistle could get us in trouble. But for mentality I like it. That’s what you want.”
Vrabel preached a message of controlled aggression from his first day as Patriots head coach. He repeated it before the joint session with the Commanders.
“We want to practice the same way we’ve practiced against our team and that’s by playing physical and aggressive and not doing stuff that hurts the team,” he said. “You have to be able to play competitively and physically without letting your emotions get the best of you.”
The joint session between the Patriots and Commanders on Wednesday had several close calls in that regard, including the one that ended with Vrabel getting bloodied.
His players, however, are aware that their coach expects them to be smart in situations like these. Then again, the fight he showed also served as a source of inspiration.
“Obviously you don’t...
