The New England Patriots have been the biggest benefactors of the Tennessee Titans' short-sighted decision to part with head coach Mike Vrabel and pass rusher Harold Landry, as both of them are competing for a Super Bowl while their old franchises moves forward with Robert Saleh.
When asked about how different it feels playing for the Patriots when compared to the end of his time in Tennessee, the Boston College alum seemingly took a shot at his former employer, specifically as it pertains to the rancid 2024 season, while praising where he ended up.
"I ain't really gonna speak on my last year in Tennessee," Landry said during his availability at Super Bowl LX Opening Night, "but the culture is very similar to when [Vrabel] was in Tennessee with me. High quality guys, no egos, no selfishness, high standards, no matter who you are."
Patriots EDGE Harold Landry takes shot at Titans at Super Bowl Media Day
Landry recorded nine sacks in his last year with the Titans, but they won just three games under Brian Callahan. After firing him following a 1-4 start, Tennessee slumped to just three wins in 2026. Their post-Vrabel era has gone just about as poorly as possible for that franchise.
Since the start of December, Vrabel has led the Patriots to as many wins than the Titans have picked up since firing him. Vrabel has installed the same culture that got Tennessee close to a championship in New England, and it has immediately paid dividends.
Even on a very young defense that is starting multiple players who were backups last year, Vrabel has been able to put together a very confusing unit that held Justin Herbert to three points and forced one of the worst games imaginable out of CJ Stroud in the next round.
Landry himself has been one of the biggest impact players on this squad, tallying 8.5 sacks despite coming into the offseason without a ton of fanfare and playing on a New England team that doesn't have the deepest pass rush in the world. Landry somehow always ends up playing his best ball for Vrabel.
The culture Vrabel installed may be the single-biggest reason this squad went from four wins to one win away from being immortalized as one of the greatest teams in NFL history. The Titans, meanwhile, are leaking coolant without Vrabel on the sideline and Landry putting pressure on quarterbacks.