Fans of the Tennessee Titans are reliving 2018-23 as a new report surfaced. While Brian Callahan is the new man in charge, their preceding head coach did leave with a winning record.
Now entering his second head coaching opportunity with the New England Patriots, an interesting quote has begun to surface online. This NFL analyst knows a thing or two of the former Titans HC as she told all in her latest podcast.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini Brings Up Mike Vrabel’s Unorthodox Coaching Videos
If there’s one thing no one can deny, it’s Vrabel’s connection to the Patriots. Having played on the team from 2001-08, Vrabel seemed to be the ideal fit for the team’s coaching vacancy. While he also played on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, it’s clear those teams are content with their current coach.
Upon beginning his coaching career in 2011, Vrabel started at Ohio State. After just three years in college, he was quickly recruited by the Houston Texans. A four-year stint in Houston allowed Vrabel to fill the Titans HC opening in 2018.
Vrabel lasted six years in Tennessee, going 54-45. He was 56-48 overall, including the team’s three playoff appearances during his tenure. The former 3rd round pick was fired in 2023 after having back to back below .500 seasons.
Russini commented, “He has a plan. He’s a detail psycho. His game management is some of the best in football. He cares about dumb s*** that I think is dumb, but I get why he does.”
“I remember in Tennessee on Friday’s they would put together a tape named dumb s***,” she added. “Vrabes would have his assistant pull all of the dumb stuff from the Sunday prior of the mistakes teams were making.”
Continuing, Russini said it was, “self-inflicted stuff that he’d show to the team. It’s a great learning tool of ‘hey, this is what they did in that situation, we don’t do that here’.”
The Highly Anticipated Callahan vs. Vrabel Showdown
Titans and Patriots fans both have Week 7 circled on their calendar. New England comes to town on Sunday, October 19 as Vrabel makes his return to Tennessee. While he was on Cleveland’s coaching staff last season, the Titans and Browns did not meet.
Each team will have six weeks to figure out their identity ahead of the showdown. Titans vs. Patriots may not mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but it’s undoubtedly a game Vrabel has circled on his calendar.
After all, the former Titans head coach led them to a 12-5 record in 2021. That marked the most wins they’d had in a season since 2008. The year prior, he won 11 games which set their highest wins total since 2007. His final two years didn’t go according to plan, but it’s not like Vrabel didn’t enjoy success in Tennessee.
Russini wasn’t knocking Vrabel’s videos, but instead praised them for how out of the box they were. No other coach in the league has compiled such an intriguing way for teams to study ahead of their games. With a chip on his shoulder, Week 7 could be one of the Titans most heated games of the year.
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