Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Transcript 10/9
PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL
PRESS CONFERENCE
October 9, 2026
Q: Your injury list is rather long. I’m curious who was definitely out?
MV: [Christian] Gonzalez, [Carlton] Davis, [Karon] Prunty, [Channing] Canada, [Reggie] Gilliam, [Mack] Hollins.
Q: What type of challenge do you face at the cornerback position with so many bodies out?
MV: Put the next guy in there, elevate whoever’s available of all we got on the roster.
Q: When you go looking for inspirational videos to show the team, how’s that process work? Are you looking for something that maybe fits your message, do you get recommendations from someone?
MV: I think you just figure out what it is that you’re trying to get accomplished, as far as getting through to them. Again, it was just trying to be the answer, and making sure that everybody felt like it was them that was going to get this win on the road. And then it goes from there. Then you figure out what you have to do the next week, who’s available, what you’re going to try to talk to them about, the keys and all that other stuff.
Q: With Gonzalez, is that an injury that could potentially land him on IR?
MV: He’s out Sunday. That’s potentially the only thing I can really tell you. You know what I mean?
Q: Charles Woods has played more since the opener. What have you seen from him?
MV: I think he keeps getting better. He’s competitive. I think the Steeler game, he jumped in there, played hard, challenged and competed. He’s taken advantage of his opportunities since he’s been here.
Q: You got the one open roster spot. Do you envision that being [Brenden] Schooler?
MV: Yeah, I could, yeah, I would imagine Schooler will be ready to go.
Q: We asked you a little bit about Maxx Crosby on Wednesday. Obviously Drake played him last year, but he’s got a reputation for being a little bit of a pest, giving some shoves late to the quarterback and getting in their face. Is there anything that you have to tell Drake to kinda get ready for a game against Maxx?
MV: Get ready to ball. You know what I mean? If he hits you late, hopefully it’s a penalty. Maxx’s going to do whatever he wants to do, and he’s very effective at it. And if he wants to chirp and talk – that’s what good edge rushers do.
Q: With Robert Spillane, how have you seen him grow since he’s been on the team?
MV: I think his leadership. I think being here in his second year, and his communication, I probably notice it a little bit more. It’s probably louder and quicker in his communication with KB [Kevin Byard] and Craig [Woodson], how those guys work together and communicate.
Q: What’s Rhamondre’s [Stevenson] status?
MV: Not out yet. Not out as of yet.
Q: Do you think you’ll have to make some other roster moves coming up?
MV: Sure will. I mean, we got six guys out. There’ll be some roster moves. I mean, we got to have 48 at the game.
Q: Kindle Vildor was one we saw get some more time in the last game. How could he help out this weekend?
MV: Yeah. He’ll have a great opportunity. He jumped in there last week, was ready to go, had a great coverage, great stab, went up through the pocket. So again, that’d be one of the roster moves that we’re talking about. And he’s a veteran who’s played a lot of football. I don’t think the moment’s too big for him. He just jumped in there last week and was ready to go. Unfortunately, I think [Keon] Coleman made a great play on what was a very good defensive play. It was a even better offensive play.
Q: Continuing on to that theme, how’s Al’Zillion Hamilton? What’d you guys like in bringing him in? Have you talked to him in the pre-draft process? What do you like about him?
MV: He had a good workout. I think he was a little banged up in camp early on, and I think he’s healthy and had a good workout. He was able to come in, quickly learn and understand what we were doing from a communication standpoint. That’s a tough process. So, he seems to be headed in the right direction. He’s only been here a few days, but from my interactions with him, he’s trying to figure it out.
Q: How quickly has Jaylen Reed acclimated to the defense?
MV: Well, I think he’s playing a couple different positions. Probably when you’re a backup, it’s a versatility role – some safety and some big nickel. So, I think that trying to get him to focus on big nickel and get him to learn that I think has been really good.
Q: Mike Brown, you guys signed him to the roster from the practice squad. What was it that made you want to make that move?
MV: Well, he’s a core special teams player. He’s a personal protector on the punt team and backup safety. So, we’re going to need him eventually, and there’ll be a lot of moves. We only get two elevations.
Q: You mentioned the big nickel with Jaylen. What does that role allow you guys to do? You used it a little bit more this year, it seems like, than last year.
MV: Yeah, I think to maybe help Marcus [Jones] a little bit, from a snap count or playing versus 12 personnel with two tight ends in the game. I think it just gives you another presentation of your fronts and defenses that you may run as opposed to base defense against 12 personnel.
Q: You guys have a lot of different ways to run cover 2 or Tampa 2 pre and post-snap. What is it that makes that such a flexible coverage, and is it one that you have to disguise so people can’t get a beat on it?
MV: Yeah, it gets shredded if you just line up and play Tampa unless you have four guys that rush and get the ball out in less than two seconds. I think that’s a tough way to play defenses, and just showing them when you’re in Tampa. But I think everybody has their own little spin on it, trying to move everybody to different pieces and then still end up with the same structure.
Q: Mike, Mike Ditka passed away. Do you have any memories of Mike Ditka, ever get a chance to meet him or anything?
MV: I mean, I did not have a ton of interactions with him. My buddy Luke [Fickell] played for him for a year in New Orleans. But certainly, an unbelievable piece to the NFL and the history of the NFL. Unbelievable player. I saw he’s got the most tight end receiving yards in the first two years, and many other records, I’m sure. I just saw something with Brock Bowers and Mike Ditka. So, tough player, tough coach, excellent at both.
Q: Yesterday, Josh McDaniels described the offensive line as a group of fighters. How have you seen them grow throughout the season and deal with the adversity that they’ve faced?
MV: I mean, adversity is part of life. It’s part of the National Football League. Offensive linemen are critiqued every single day, and I think they’ve gotten better. I think they continue to improve. Again, I think that they spend a lot of time together, so it is a close group. They spend a lot of time together, meetings, walkthroughs, in practice and in the huddle. I just want to see the group continue to improve and understand how they work together. I think that any one of them probably alone isn’t good enough for the guys that other teams have on defense or defensive players. But my point is, by working together, in combination, that they have the ability to get their job done, to do it successfully, whether that’s in the run game or the pass game.
Q: I assume it’s not super easy to get a first-round pick to be super pumped about a limited role. How has Caleb [Lomu] done taking to what you guys are doing and with his first month as a pro now?
MV: I mean, by all accounts, he’s done a decent job. I think he’s learned different roles, different positions, trying to do the jumbo stuff last week and help us out there. He just continues to work, and then getting a lot of reps during the week here. We understand we have an older tackle in Morgan [Moses], and so he gets a lot of work in there. I’m sure he’ll find a way to continue to help us as the season goes on. Great attitude.
Q: Most important question – how’d he do on the Friday updates?
MV: Today he didn’t bring his best stuff. Last week was good. This week I didn’t think he brought his best stuff.
Q: Excited for your dinner tomorrow night with the 2001 team?
MV: Yeah, it’ll be good to see a lot of those guys. I hear from some of them. But it’ll be really good to see a lot of those guys that contributed to that championship and that special season.
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