Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Postgame Transcript 11/13
PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
November 13, 2025
Q: Mike, just a thought on the second game in five days, what you guys were able to do, the focus this week and guys stepping up making plays, [Dell] Pettus, [Elijah] Ponder just as the game went along.
MV: Yeah, testament to our players, our staff. I thanked them so many times just being able to roll in there on Monday, have stuff prepared. It’s hard to go on the road to Tampa and get your mind ready for that, but also in the back of your mind, you’ve got a whole other box about what are you going to do against the Jets, and being able to get on a plane, come home, get in late, but have that ready to go, have energy and a game plan ready for the players on Monday at 1 o’clock. Thank the trainers, thank the staff, the strength staff, everybody involved for getting our players ready to go for the game here in a short week.
Q: Your fans were chanting “MVP” for Drake [Maye] from the minute he came out and almost every series. What did you make of his performance tonight and his performance in general en route to your record?
MV: I would say his performance in general has been what we expect. We have high expectations for Drake. He has high expectations for himself. He’ll continue to improve. I know that he’ll stay humble through all this. Again, as far as the performance tonight, I thought it was, again, in first view, pretty good. It was good enough to win. He took care of the football. We just have to continue to focus on the little things, operation, unforced errors throughout the offense. The only thing that really stops us is us offensively. So, continue to do that. Let them enjoy a win on a short week. Like I told them, I’m excited we’re 9-2. I’m excited that I don’t have to see them until Monday.
Q: Mike, Robert Spillane was telling us about guys coming back from Tampa and going straight to the facility, sauna, hot tub as part of the recovery process. What’s involved in that plan, and how do you piece that together with your staff?
MV: Just looking back and just trying to get everybody together and say, ‘Hey, what can we do that maybe we’ve wanted to do or thought about doing on a short week?’ and just exhaust every avenue of giving guys IVs before we left Tampa, having the massage therapist, everybody all hands on deck here, but also having a schedule. Our assistant trainer went around, Mike Baum went around and scheduled everybody so there could be a flow chart and guys didn’t walk in at 11:30 and say, ‘Well, I can’t get a massage because Morgan Moses is already on the table’. So, it was, ‘Let’s make sure that this is planned out, there’s some thought to it and give our players the best opportunity to recover.’ So, that’s what we did.
Q: What did you see from the defense on New York’s opening drive, and why do you think it’s just been so difficult to get that stop on the opening possession this season?
MV: The quarterback tonight, I mean, he’s faster than most of the guys we’ve got, and we didn’t do a good enough job. So, we recovered a little bit, and we’ll have to try to continue to be better there. But there’s plenty of opportunities and places where we play good defense, and I have to remember that, that they can get a first down, and we can still stop them. It doesn’t have to be three-and-out every time.
Q: The last two games, Jack Gibbens has had a lot of production. How does he personify what you are building with this defense in terms of his importance to it now?
MV: Dr. Gibby [Jack Gibbens] always knows what to do for the most part. He’s usually in the right place at the right time, sniffs out some screens, just kind of seems to be in the right place at the right time, does his job. He usually does it fairly well. He’s a great teammate, cares deeply about his teammates. He’s fun to coach, and he’s a great person to be around each and every day.
Q: Milton Williams went out, looked like he came back, gave it a go. Was it a situation where in a different situation that maybe he could have gone in?
MV: Maybe. I made a decision that we felt like we should probably just start treating that thing, get ahead of it and see where he’s at here tomorrow, the next couple of days and try to weigh – again, he wanted to try to go. He’s out here standing with me when guys are coming in, and he’s excited for them, so I appreciate his leadership, but I just made a decision that I felt like was best for the team for his instance.
Q: I’m working on a piece about Patriots fans. If you look back in your eight years as a player, your experiences as a visiting coach and now as a head coach, what strikes you about this fan base?
MV: Well, I think they’re passionate. I think that they have high expectations. I think that they are loyal, and I think they’re knowledgeable. I think they understand what it is that they should be seeing. Like I said, we’ve got to give them reasons to cheer and be excited, so yeah. I mean, I think we’ve done that. They’ve, in return, given us a great atmosphere to play in front of.
Q: What are your thoughts on TreVeyon Henderson and what he has brought the team?
MV: I would say the best couple of runs he had were there late in the game when it was tough sledding, we’re in five-minute, they know we’re going to run and they’re blitzing and everything else. It looked like we were going to be short, and he’s able to knife through there, keep his pads down and pick up a huge first down. He’s executed, whether that’s a checkdown or the touchdown in the back of the end zone. No home runs tonight, but I thought he grinded out pretty much what was there. He’s helped us a lot of ways tonight and saw the power push touchdown, which was really cool. So, I’m happy every time that guys can help us and they can get into the end zone, and Christian Barmore can finally get the sack that he’s been looking for. He has had a lot of pressures, and he’s been back there. They work really hard, and we want them to all have success.
Q: The Jets came in with one of the best return units in the league. What were you able to see on the initial viewing that allowed you to slow them down and contain them?
MV: Well, I thought we got off blocks and didn’t give them a lot of space. [Brenden] Schooler got triple-teamed one time, went down there and made a play. We punted well. The gunners did a nice job. But, you’re right, they have a really good return unit. I thought our kickoff coverage took a lot of pride, and I think we’ve done a really good job of covering kicks. So, that was a good challenge. They stood up to it. It’s a good unit, and I was excited to watch them bring some energy to the sidelines. I told you, if everybody is going to get up off the bench, we better give them something to cheer about.
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