With the Patriots bound for the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019, coach Mike Vrabel has the chance to do something no one has done before: win the Super Bowl as both a player and head coach for the same franchise.
The first-year Patriots coach won three Super Bowls as a player in New England, and he’ll have a chance to add another Lombardi Trophy to his case on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Patriots beat the Broncos, 10-7, in Sunday’s AFC Championship game as snow fell at Mile High Stadium to earn a spot in the Super Bowl, where they’ll play the winner of Sunday’s NFC Championship between the Rams and Seahawks.
“You have to believe in things, sometimes before you can see them, and you have to believe that what you’re doing is the right thing, and if it’s not, you have to recognize it and make adjustments and changes to the program and everything else,” Vrabel said. “And we got a great group of guys, and they continue to believe in the things that we did, and they formed and created an identity, and they try to protect it. And then today was just another example of as things kind of change and unfold, our ability to adjust.”
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Vrabel repeatedly deflected credit after the game, instead commending his players and staff for their work.
“From a personnel standpoint, from a coaching standpoint, and from the players, you get everybody to believe in something and buy in,” he said. “That doesn’t come without adversity. You have to have adversity. But I do this for the players. I’ve been in their position. I have, I’ve been there, and it’s amazing, and I want other people to feel that feeling.”
What began as a clear day in Denver turned into a blizzard by the fourth quarter as snow covered the field and made it difficult to move the ball. Points were equally hard to come by, as the Broncos missed two field goals, and Patriots kicker Andy Borregales missed one.
“It just kept getting worse and worse and worse,” Vrabel said. “And our defense was playing really good, and we were able to do just enough offensively to give them a break. Even kicking a football [in these conditions], and the operation and that stuff, [are] things that you can’t really replicate back home.”
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who gave up a 52-yard completion in the first quarter that led to Denver’s touchdown, bounced back from his early struggles and came up with the game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter.
“Sometimes you get beat. The best ones do,” Vrabel said. “[Gonzalez is] so talented, and I appreciate every one of them, and he could certainly be elite. Your best players have to make those types of plays in championship games.”
While the Patriots struggled to move the ball — New England finished with 141 yards on the ground and 86 yards through the air — quarterback Drake Maye used his legs in critical situations, dashing for the Patriots’ only touchdown in the second quarter and scampering for six yards on third down to seal the game in the final seconds.
“That’s a great thing about Drake, the ability to extend plays, and if it’s not there, gain chunks,” Vrabel said. “He’s done that most of the year. We’ll have to get a lot of things corrected, and we’ll have to play our best football game in two weeks if we want to finish champions.”
Emma Healy can be reached at [email protected] or on X @ByEmmaHealy.
