As the owner of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft gets to call an audible whenever he wants, even if it’s in the middle of head coach Mike Vrabel’s first postgame speech following a win.
The Patriots got off the mat in Week 2 to beat the Miami Dolphins, giving Vrabel his first win as New England’s head coach. And as Vrabel went to address his team in the locker room after the game, the 84-year-old Kraft shuffled over and interrupted his coach to make a proclamation of his own.
Kraft put a halt to Vrabel’s speech to recognize the head coach in front of the team, presenting him with a game ball from his first win.
Kraft Calls ‘Audible’ in Vrabel’s Postgame Speech After Patriots Win
“I’m gonna call an audible,” Kraft said after tapping Vrabel on the shoulder. “OK, hey, this was awesome. Thank you all. I’ve gotta tell ya, I know how hard this guy and his team have been working, and a lot of guys have been here in the past with him, and we’re honored to have him as a player — won three Super Bowls with us — and it’s very cool the effort you all put in today to give him his first win as a head coach.”
Vrabel, despite being interrupted, seemingly was fine with the owner’s move (although it’s not like he has a choice), but he quickly used the honor as a way to put the credit back on his team, showing why he has the reputation for being a players’ coach.
“Listen to me: this will always and forever be about players. This will always be about the players. Robert, thank you, but this is for you guys, fellas,” Vrabel said before handing out game balls to players.
Vrabel Rebuilding Patriots Culture in Year 1 as Head Coach
There’s still a lot of work to be done for the Patriots. New England lost at home in Week 1 to a mediocre-at-best Raiders team, and despite building an early lead in Miami, the Dolphins had a chance to win at the end. It has been sloppy at times, and there’s still no denying the roster needs more talent.
That will come in the offseasons that follow, but it’s clear Year 1 of the Vrabel era is largely about building a culture. In that regard, it sounds like Vrabel is making progress.
“Coach got our minds right before the game, (saying), ‘It was going to be a dogfight. Sign up for it. Accept it,'” Patriots center Garrett Bradbury told reporters, per MassLive.com. “He’s a part of that dogfight. We love going to war with him. It’s awesome to work with that guy.”
Vrabel also showed he can still bring the energy. On Antonio Gibson’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, CBS cameras showed Vrabel running along (or behind) Gibson on his way to paydirt.
“Yeah, I actually saw it on video,” Gibson told reporters, as relayed by the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “And I was like, ‘He’s slow as hell.'”
It seems has something to work in Foxboro, even after a win.
Why Patriots Owner Interrupted Mike Vrabel’s First Locker Room Win Speech