Ex-Titans player gives good insight into Mike Vrabel’s coaching style
Plenty of people have given their reactions to the Patriots signing Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, from his former teammates to media pundits to anonymous sources. But what about a guy who actually played for him?
Arguably the most valuable insight on Vrabel as a head coach has come from three-time Pro-Bowl tackle Taylor Lewan, who played nine seasons for the Titans, five of which were under Vrabel. So, you could say he’s got a good perspective.
Lewan, who’s now with Barstool Sports and known for his “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast that he co-hosts with ex-teammate Will Compton, posted a video to his X account on Sunday, telling his followers what to expect from Vrabel as a head coach. He had strong advice for Patriots players themselves, but also promised fans that they can be optimistic that the Vrabel Patriots will find ways to win.
“Those tough, one-score games, you’re going to win them,” Lewan said. “That’s how Mike Vrabel works. That guy is going to have his team knowing the ins and outs.”
Over the past three seasons, the Patriots are 11-18 in games decided by seven points or fewer. Vrabel with the Titans certainly showed a knack for in-game strategy, which is always a key component to being a good head coach. So, the hope is that he will bring that element to the Patriots, and the results will start to flip in those tightly contested games.
As for Vrabel’s coaching style behind the scenes … Lewan has a detailed description of that, and it’s all over the place, so it’s not worth quoting here. But watch the above video to get a sense of what he’s talking about. Basically, Patriots players are going to have to be on top of everything, from their own game preparation to their teammates’ preparation to knowing the janitors’ names. Oh, and make sure to laugh at Vrabel’s jokes.
It all sounds pretty Belichickian. Vrabel technically isn’t part of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, but he must have learned a lot about what it takes to be a winning head coach from playing for Belichick for eight seasons in New England. Command of team meetings and attention to detail were important to Belichick, and clearly, it’s important to Vrabel, too.
Lewan is as good a source for Vrabel’s coaching as anyone, having had a front-row seat to it. But he clearly believes that it will all translate to getting the Patriots back to success.
“It’s gonna get tough at times, and he can be nasty, but boys, you’re gonna win some games now, you’re gonna win some games,” Lewan said. “You guys are in a good little spot.”
Vrabel may very well make the Patriots a well-coached team once again. But, the reality remains that coaching can only get them so far. He’s going to need a good roster in order to make them a contender again.
And then, there’s the million-dollar question: why did Vrabel get fired from the Titans in the first place? Something went wrong after he went 12-5 and won Coach of the Year in 2021, as the Titans went 13-21 over his last two seasons there. Perhaps it was a classic case of the message growing stale inside the building, or a once-tight ship devolving into dysfunction.
Hopefully, for the sake of the Patriots franchise, the message will ring loudly throughout Gillette Stadium to start Vrabel’s tenure, and everyone will finally pull in the same direction. Because the Pats have to restore a level of competency and respectability to the football operation. Vrabel has a good chance to accomplish that.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
