ClutchPoints
While the New England Patriots mull over their plans for 2025, former standout Vince Wilfork is still haunted by a Super Bowl loss. Also, Wilfork recalled intense battles back in the day between Tom Brady and new head coach Mike Vrabel.
Wilfork talked on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long. He said Vrabel played the role of the player who figured to give Brady problems in the upcoming game.
“Vrabel would go on the scout team,” Wilfork said. “He would be Ed Reed, or he would be Ray Lewis, whoever he would be that guy and he would just go out there and tear (expeltive) up. Tom and him would go back and forth cursing each other out.”
Wilfork said the duo didn’t back down from each other.
“Tom would be like he’s not going to play it like that,” Wilfork said. “And Vrabel would be like, yes, the (expletive) he will. I’ll show you in the meeting room blah, blah, blah. It’s like two brothers. When it’s over they’re in the corner of the end zone talking to each other going over everything like they’re mad cool.”
Wilfork said the dynamic worked for the team as a whole.
“As a player to see your leaders do all of that and be competitive, what it means for them to win, it was easy for us to fall in line and follow that,” Wilfork said.
Wilfork and the Patriots are hoping Vrabel will be able to turn around a franchise that has struggled since Brady departed. Teddy Bruschi said the past couple of seasons have been particularly hard, according to espn.com.
“It has been bad for the last two years with the New England Patriots organization,” Bruschi said. “Vrabel isn’t going to joke around. Vrabel is going to tighten the screws. In my opinion, there are some people in the front office that need to be told, ‘You don’t know what you’re doing and you need to take a step back.’
“There is going to be a change. I’m a little bit surprised that this happened. Because there are some people upstairs in the organization that want to be heard. And sometimes they’re going to have to take a bite of humble pie. And understand your opinion doesn’t matter on this one. Because there are people in the building that know more. I hope that is what happens this time around because the collaboration project did not work. I’m glad it’s going to change a little bit to a coach that has more experience, and they know what they’re getting exactly with Mike Vrabel.”
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