Mike Vrabel on the Offensive Line: "We Really Gained Some Energy." — Patriots Press Conference

[0:00] I guess just your overall thoughts on the win. [0:03] We're lucky to win. [0:05] It's probably worth a start, but we're happy that we won. [0:09] We'll enjoy it for about an hour, and then, you know, focus on the next task. [0:16] When you say lucky, can you expand on that? [0:18] I mean, fortunate, whatever. [0:19] I mean, we just didn't play very well, and, you know, we beat ourselves. [0:24] We tried to beat ourselves, but we made enough plays in critical situations [0:29] to help us, you know, get through here today. [0:39] Coach, in this league, a win is a win, regardless of how you get it. [0:42] How does a win like this help you moving forward? [0:45] We'll know until we move forward, but I just know that you have to be able [0:49] to continue to improve, and I don't feel like we did. [0:52] We won, which is the most important thing. [0:55] We just, I don't think we improved from what we had shown the previous two weeks, [1:00] and I have to figure out why, and that's my job. [1:03] My job is also to get us to win and also to get us to improve. [1:08] Mike, what made you guys lean on Corey Kiner at the end of the game? [1:11] He runs hard. [1:12] He runs hard, and it's the same way you saw in a kickoff returns, [1:16] and, you know, we got three capable backs, and you ride the hot hand. [1:19] So should we have not wrote him or? [1:23] Okay, good. [1:23] I just was curious. [1:26] Hi, Mike. [1:27] I'm curious. [1:27] With A.J., just what did you see from him in his first game back? [1:31] Oh, I think he could have probably, you know, made a few more plays, [1:36] come down with a few more plays, been out for a while. [1:38] I know that he wanted to, you know, do well for his football team, [1:42] and unfortunately it wasn't his best effort. [1:46] I know that he knows that, and, you know, we have all the confidence in the world, [1:49] and A.J., just be able to finish those plays. [1:52] You know, I think that, you know, play Romade, looking back at it, [1:55] is, you know, one of the huge plays of this football game, [1:58] and unfortunately he wasn't able to return. [2:02] But to be able to hang on to that football, give him a lot of credit. [2:06] But, you know, A.J. has high expectations for himself, [2:09] and we have high expectations for him as well. [2:11] And so, you know, I'm confident that he'll come back [2:14] and do a lot of things that help us here the rest of the season. [2:18] Mike, the offensive line, the guys that stepped in, Caleb, Matt, Walter, [2:23] just your thoughts on that. [2:25] Well, I meant we were able to run the football. [2:27] We were able to protect the quarterback. [2:29] I felt like we really gained some energy, and that was impressive, you know, [2:33] to go that long and get the ball down there. [2:36] I wish we would have converted. [2:37] We didn't, but I think that that just, you know, [2:41] those guys were ready for their opportunity, and it was great to see. [2:44] And, you know, you never know what's going to happen in this league, [2:48] and we talk about it all the time, preparing for the journey. [2:50] And when guys get their chance, they go in there and perform. [2:53] And I hate that we don't have the guys. [2:55] I hate when guys get injured, but I also understand that on the other side of that, [2:59] there's an opportunity. [3:02] Hey, Mike. [3:03] You guys went from not having A.J. Brown for four weeks to now. [3:07] He's your leading receiver today, 10 targets. [3:09] It seemed like there were some plays drawn up for him. [3:11] Is trying to work him back in, are you concerned that that's maybe affecting the flow of the offense a little bit? [3:17] No, I think he has to make the catches when we throw to him. [3:21] And, no, I don't see that being, you know, the plays that are drawn up, [3:27] I don't think that, you know, I mean, [3:30] I think there's a progression in everything that we do. [3:34] You know, maybe if we have a play that's designed to go to him and it's clouded, [3:39] you know, then it goes somewhere else. [3:40] But maybe the play that was ended up with to pop was supposed to go to A.J. [3:44] I don't think that that hurt us. [3:46] It hurt us until we fumbled the football. [3:48] So, you know, I think there'll be times where you want to try to put your best players at the point of attack. [3:54] And if it's not there, the quarterback has to know, [3:55] hey, they did something that took that away. [3:58] Much like you try to get guys on defense to get them in the right position. [4:02] So, you know, I think just make the plays that you're supposed to make. [4:06] And that goes for all of us. [4:07] That starts with me being great and doing what I need to do to help this team win. [4:11] And then that has to translate all the way down. [4:14] Mike, after the Seattle game, I think Drake said he lost patience in that game. [4:19] Today they didn't blitz him as much. [4:20] There were times where they dropped eight. [4:22] Is that a sign of his growth that he didn't force things and sort of played with things in front of him? [4:28] I mean, I think so. [4:28] That, you know, we just – and they'd shown a lot of pressure coming in. [4:33] And I think they mixed it in at times, certainly there in the second half to start the second half. [4:39] But I think Drake continues to stay very even-keeled. [4:43] And I think that he probably, you know, is much more mature than I probably think in my head, just being 24. [4:53] But, you know, I think that he is very even-keeled. [4:56] And I think seeing him operate in that five-minute situation and communicate with those guys [5:02] and explain to them what we were going to do and how we were going to try to operate, [5:05] I was – you know, again, none of us were at our best today, but he was certainly good enough [5:11] and was able to, you know, find Rome and find Hunter and be patient and not get jittery. [5:22] Mike, how big has your depth been to start this season over the first six weeks? [5:26] And how can playing so many backups help you, you know, later down the line this season? [5:31] Well, just try to get the guys ready. [5:33] You know what I mean? [5:34] I think that that's something that we targeted. [5:36] And we knew that it was probably unique to add ten players at the end of training camp that were new [5:42] and there was going to be some growing pains getting those guys ready. [5:46] But I think that, you know, when you look at, you know, Latu or Hunter or Moose, [5:53] and those guys contributed in a way that they did on a special team, like that kickoff unit was fun to watch. [5:57] Like that probably was our best unit today in all the phases. [6:01] So that was fun to watch and fun to see, you know, Corey Kiner, a guy that we added and make plays [6:08] and kickoff return and offense, and Walter, who we added, and prior. [6:11] So it takes a little bit of time to get those guys brought up to speed. [6:16] But then certainly I enjoy watching those guys go out and, you know, take advantage of their opportunity. [6:22] They go from sitting there as a backup, not knowing where they're going to be in the game, [6:26] to contributing to us winning. [6:28] So, you know, that's exciting. [6:31] Thanks, guys. [6:32] Appreciate it. [6:33] Mike, you got one more? [6:34] No. [6:36] Just the guys who left here today, is there anything you could share about, [6:40] whether it's Romeo or ABT, that might be available for Thursday or might be unavailable? [6:45] I mean, again, listen, we're all smart people here, some smarter than others. [6:51] But, you know, it's a short week. [6:54] So whether they can make it back or not, I don't know. [6:57] They don't finish the game. [6:58] We'll have to see. [6:59] But I don't know any other thing other than that. [7:01] And we'll just have to figure out, you know, who we have available, [7:05] we'll find 48 to put out there. [7:06] So it's just hard to say, but it's a short week. [7:09] And if you don't finish the game, that's a quick turnaround. [7:12] Thank you. [7:12] Thank you. [7:13] So it's for you. [7:13] Thank you. [7:14] Thank you.