Mike Vrabel knows about playing in the Super Bowl, even if many of his current New England Patriots players do not.
So Vrabel was the perfect person to sum up what his team has done to get to the Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.
Vrabel, of course, won three Super Bowls as a member of the Patriots and played in four championship games under Bill Belichick. The All-Pro linebacker even caught a pair of touchdowns from Tom Brady in New England’s wins in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers and Super Bowl XXXIX against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Patriots, of course, had a 10-game turnaround from 2024 to 2025, and Vrabel was already named NFL Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association as a result. They reached the Super Bowl with three playoff wins over the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and of course a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game.
Mike Vrabel: The Patriots Have ‘Done Everything We’ve Asked’
The Patriots started training camp more than six months ago and are one of two teams still left standing.
The enthusiasm of reaching the Super Bowl can carry teams through, especially with a week off between the AFC Championship Game and the title game, but Vrabel has a strong way of countering any fatigue the team has.
“I think you just kind of do what you feel like you need to do when you need to do it,” Vrabel said. “Sometimes you’ve got to trick yourself, and sometimes you’ve got to put on a happy face and sometimes you’ve got to close the door for 15 minutes and not be happy.”
Vrabel lauded these Patriots for their buy-in and credited the players for their efforts.
“They have responded to us. They have done everything we’ve asked them to do,” Vrabel said. “We’ve got a lot more time to spend together this week and then next week in San Francisco.”
Mike Vrabel: Patriots Players Have Bought In Because He Cares
Vrabel’s coaching resume is already astounding. He is a two-time PFWA Coach of the Year, earning the honors this season, and can boast a .586 win percentage and .625 playoff win percentage over his seven years with the Patriots and Tennessee Titans.
So when asked about his methods of winning his players over, Vrabel got honest.
“I think you try to have a core belief in what you do, and I think you try to be consistent with that,” Vrabel said. “But I think you also have to be authentic. I think they have to see you be upset, be disappointed, be sad [and] share personal experiences.
“They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Vrabel alluded to Belichick when asked where he gained those insights. But he also spoke about his multiple mentors and high-quality organizations where he picked things up.
“I didn’t live my life in one place,” Vrabel said. “I just try to be me, and sometimes that’s good enough and sometimes it’s not. But I’ve just tried to learn from every person — every great coach that I’ve been around — and tried to make it my own style.”
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