You have to give Mike Vrabel credit. He’s pulling all the right levers for the New England Patriots, who enter Week 11 on a seven-game win streak, still tied atop the conference with an 8-2 record.
Sunday’s marquee road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was just the latest example. Vrabel and the Patriots heard it from fans and media last week after standing pat at the NFL trade deadline, but the team responded with one of its most complete performances of the season, leaving Raymond James Stadium with a 28-23 win.
Two things can be true: The Patriots believe they have a team that can compete with anybody in the NFL; they also understand where they are, still midway through Year 1 of Vrabel’s tenure with an eye on building something sustainable for the future.
As for how close the Patriots really came to making a move at this year’s deadline? It’s complicated.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel didn't hold back on Titans ownership drama
The Titans fell on tough times towards the end of Vrabel’s tenure, but things have gone from bad to worse since he was fired following the 2023 season.
At 1-8, and with their latest head coach, Brian Callahan, already shown the door, the Titans were expected to hold a fire sale prior to the NFL trade deadline. That surprisingly didn’t happen, as only cornerback Roger McCreary and edge Dre’Mont Jones were dealt; Tennessee recouped merely one conditional fifth-round pick, and a swap of Day 3 selections in those deals.
The Patriots were reportedly ready to do business, after recouping extra draft capital for safety Kyle Dugger and defensive lineman Keion White in previous trades. But per Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk might’ve blocked potential deals with the Patriots for players like RB Tony Pollard, edge Arden Key and wide receiver Calvin Ridley over her past dealings with Vrabel.
When asked about the rumors during Monday’s weekly spot with WEEI Radio, Vrabel stoked the fire a bit with a brutally honest response about his current relationship with Titans ownership.
“I haven’t talked to Amy since the day she fired me. So, her name and my name should not be in the same sentence together, because I haven’t talked to her since the day she fired me.”
Vrabel didn’t exactly answer the question there, but he didn’t have to. Clearly, there’s no love lost between the two sides, and reports from Giardi and others appear to be accurate.
The Titans can play games behind the scenes all they want. Vrabel’s Patriots are playing theirs on the field — and right now, the scoreboard's allowing Vrabel to have the last laugh.