August 11, 2025 • 19 mins
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel called in to WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" on Monday, August 11, 2025 to discuss the preseason, joint practices, Drake Maye and more.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, I see Mike Rabels called the show, So
Mike Rabel on Patriots Monday. Here on EEI Mike, good morning, Courtney.
And for Greg who is on the Great Island of
Nantucket missing your first appearance on this.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Week, Okay, I thought he was going to Myrtle Beach
and you know, I mean go down there and playing
putt putt, get some all you can eat seafood. I
think we should make this the best show of the
year since Greg is gone, and we'll have fun. And
then when he comes back, we can we can go
back to whatever. But let's have a good time.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Congratulations on how you started things off on Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
How impressed were you with your guys.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
We knew Travon was going to be fast, but that
was pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
A good way to start, you know, I mean, a
good way to start. We've we've really moved on kind
of to the next phase and to the next week
and to the next challenge. But I really appreciated the
player's energy and enthusiasm and excitement and obviously the execution.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Mike.
Speaker 5 (00:54):
I know it's a lot different with the three preseason
games and trying to keep guys healthy with you know,
practice is what's the one thing that you try to
come away from a team perspective on what you're looking
at guys in these preseason games.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Oh, just how they make adjustments and how they respond
to live action, whether that's tackling, whether that's breaking tackles,
the physicality to finish. The overall operation, I think from
all of us, I thought was clean, which was good
to see. It looked like there was an organization to
what we were doing. It was a good test. Defensively,
(01:31):
they didn't huddle for most of the games, so I
thought that was a good challenge to start the preseason.
And you know, substitution we have guys running out there
late on different things, or twelve minute on the field,
or we didn't have operation penalties. It didn't have to Yeah,
we got close to one time down there and then
you know called the time out. You know, down on
(01:53):
the low. Red probably would have gotten a snap off,
but just wanted to make sure that things were good there.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
Yeah, Mike, I had the my biggest takeaway watching it
was just that it was smooth. I wasn't concerned about
you know, I'm not I know you're not going to
talk about years before this, but it just felt like
there was always something clunky. There was either you know,
a formational issue, there was too many men in the huddle,
you had to call time out, the defense wasn't aligned.
I thought for week one, preseason game number one, it
seemed pretty smooth all around.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
We're trying to get, you know, a flow to our
building and what everybody does and what everybody's responsibilities are
each and every day. I feel like there's been a
good flow to camp. Have really been blown away by
the fans that have come out. I want to thank them.
So we just you know, we wrapped that up yesterday.
It had had a lot of people the entire camp.
(02:43):
I thought our players did a great job of interacting
with them and engaging them and trying to sign as
many autographs. And it's hard after a long practice, but
I felt like guys try to engage and sign for
everybody that came out.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Mike, we talked pretty much every day after practices and
listening to media that is, you know, broadcasting from preseason practice,
and it seems like people get too high on your
guys or too low on the guys. It seems like
they jump to conclusions or they exaggerate what's going on?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
How much can you mean the media?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
No, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Know it's shocking, But how much can you really learn
from just a preseason practice. Isn't everybody just trying to
figure it out at that point?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean again, I think you can. You know, to
that the ups and the downs. We talked about staying
off the roller coaster. You know, our main roller coasters
go up, they go down, they get stuck sometimes and
then you're really in trouble. So we're trying to stay
off the roller coaster and just continue to build some
consistency in what we're doing positively. So again, people will
(03:48):
form their own opinions based on things that happen, more
so the plays they are made, and you know, maybe
sometimes that the negative reaction may or may not be
warranted based on what they're seeing or what the responsibility
or was what was going on in the play.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
The biggest up and down we've probably seen come out
of headlines is Will Campbell. Whether it's a good practice
or a bad practice, How has he been faring in
your mind?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Well, continuing to improve.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I thought you saw.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
His play, demeanor and style.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Come come out in the game. You know with protection obviously,
that's you know, always going to be looked to improve upon,
whether you know you're taking on a game or you're
staying inside out or whatever that may be. So I
(04:47):
think the thing that that Will's realizing, as a lot
of young players and all of us are realizing, is
that there's just different play styles and skill sets for
each guy and each player that you're going against. And
that's the big thing. How how one tight end runs routes,
how one posh rusher rushes.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
His what he's good.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
At, what his go to moves are, things like that.
So that's that's critical to understand and be able to
adjust too quickly. So he's done that, He's seen a
lot of different players.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Mike, you talk about Will Campbell. You obviously got Wilson
over there, two rookies on the left side. It was
a little play in the game. I don't know if
it was necessarily a twist, but you know where they
kind of picked up bumped into each other a little bit.
How how is it like with those guys, you know,
especially Doug marro on the offensive line coach, to making
them understand, you know, we got we've got two young
(05:36):
guys out there and they're going to see things that
they probably haven't seen before. But to make sure that hey,
don't panic, just relax and communicate.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Well.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
The communication I think is something that we did talk
about throughout the team and continuing to improve that and
helping the guy next to you. I mean, it was
third and seven. Should be no shock that that that
there was possibly a game on third and seven, whether
that's the te game, e T whatever, you know, everybody
calls it, that shouldn't come as any surprise on third
(06:08):
and seven. And making sure you know, when you're on
the man side that you're you're able to block those
and you're able to help the guy next to you,
and you know that's critical if they can get the
guy in the crease and then now you get you know,
two on one, so again that it starts there and
then the quarterback being able to to get rid of
the football or then using it, you know, being being
(06:30):
able to make a great decision of just kind of
taking a sack there and we'll punt it and we'll
play defense.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Like uh, speaking of the quarterback, you know you were
clear at halftime after the game that the fumble just
can't happen. What's the communication like with Drake May and
as a coach, I mean, other than just instilling that
you have to take care of the football, what can
you do to help ensure that that stops happening?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Well, the communication is pretty much, you know, I mean,
I think it's clear how I communicate. I just I
tell them what what what I'm thinking, and what needs
to be said. But I think it starts with obviously
the things that go on before that, Right, what has
happened in pre snap? What's the situation, confirming coverage post snap,
(07:17):
you know, and then making the right read with the football.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
But then.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
You know, I think the more and those things you
don't see that in practice, right, So you look at
the preseason practices and even against Washington if it could
well maybe that was a sack or we're scrambling, you know,
we extend outside the pocket and now there's no you know,
stove isn't hot, you don't have to touch it. And
I think in the game we're able to, you know,
(07:44):
see those things. And that's why we have preseason games
and we get those actions and understand that, you know,
when you say, hey, I'm just trying to make a play,
you know, sometimes, you know, we just we can't try
to make plays because they become bad ones. And so
I think he'll learn from it and understand like, Okay,
I'm not going to be able to play Superman all
(08:06):
the time, and I can reserve to write the punt
and help this football team and they'll flip the field
and he'll play defense and get another crack at it.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Mike, it's awesome that it seems like Stefan Diggs is
going to be good for Week one. Holding him back
on Friday, is that just out of precaution with his.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Recovery coach's decision, Mike, you talked about, you know, earlier,
you talked about tackling and breaking tackles. Is it difficult
to be able to get especially on the defensive side
of the football, to get guys to tackle when you
don't have as much time to do it and be
(08:44):
physical because of the new rules with the pats, Like,
how are you working on that in practice?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
No, I don't think it's the time. I think it's
just the decision to that we're not going to go
to the ground and practice, and you know, I think
it's about getting in good positions I think it's about
working to tackle like we tackle in practice. I mean,
we go and practice and we say thud, and guys
go up and they stay on their feet and they
(09:09):
hit the guy and they wrap and then they let
him run and then everybody else hammers the ball and
then we get into the game and sometimes you don't
think of it like that, and you go diving off
the diving board. You can miss tackles and then they
make you miss or you know, we don't maybe bring
our feet and things that we're doing in practice. So
I think it's just continuing to trust the way that
(09:31):
we practice and saying, hey, thud is just the same
thing you're going to do in the game. They're just
not going to take them to the ground, and realizing
that those are good tackles in practice and then they have
to translate to the game.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Mike, you know, obviously Brady's been a person and a
figure that's been a shadow cast over the organization since
he left. Now, literally with the statue, how did you
handle that with your team? And did Tom speak to
the team at all when he was in town?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Never said a word, and no he did it, Mike.
Speaker 7 (10:05):
I thought one of the highlights from Friday night was
just the kind of the running back group as a whole.
I thought Romandre was awesome. I think Trevion looked spectacular.
Even Antonio Gibson had some moments as well. They were physical,
they were fast, kind of what what kind of dynamics
do they bring? Being so versatile there and being able
to kind of interchange them throughout the game.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Well, I think you saw the impact that both of
them can make on kickoff return and if that's that
play is going to be as important as we think
it is, you know, forcing teams to really now make
a decision are they going to give it to us
on the thirty five or do we have two guys
back there that can really be weapons? And you saw
what that unit was able.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
To do, and that's so, you.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Know, I'm excited about that. We have to be able
to block and do those things without penalties, but certainly
have some guys back there that can you know, change
the game from that standpoint offensively. Then you add in,
you know, Rimandre who did run hard, got receiving skills.
I think they all can. They're willing to protect, and
(11:12):
you know, I thought that they got off to a
good start with how they ran and their physicality, and
you know, sometimes we're just going to continue.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
To coach and teach and show them.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
All the opportunities where the ball may be in jeopardy.
You know, there's one thing about making extra yards and
trying to run hard. You just can't do it, uh,
with the with the ball loose and with the you know,
with you with the ball exposed.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Uh. We've heard a lot of players and coaches talk
about Drake May and the jump that they've seen from
last season too this season when it comes to leadership confidence.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Obviously you weren't his head coach last year, but.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
When it comes to the just leadership and the way
he's dealing with younger players and his teammates, what do
you see out of him and what do you expect
out of him this season?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Well, I mean expectations that he's to lead his football team.
That's that's what the job of the head coach and
the quarterback is. That's pretty much how this thing goes.
And he that can't take days off. I mean, sometimes
the performance isn't.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
Going to be.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Extraordinary, but the leadership and the demeanor has to be.
And I think he's learning that. I love the fact
that he's willing to learn and push and you know,
try to do those things to where he's demanding of
everybody and making sure that everybody's on the same page.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Mike, you know how important it is to have a
coach that can help you develop. When you think of Drake,
May you have Josh McDaniel's a guy that's been around
so many, so many good quarterbacks throughout his coaching career.
What type of advantages that for a guy like Drake
May to have a guy like Josh not only be
his play caller, but also being a guy that's going
(12:54):
to help him develop.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Well, certainly it's key to coaching and things that we
ask our coaches to do is just try to develop players.
And you know, I think that the one thing that's
important is, yeah, you want to use testimonial of other players.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
But you also.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
You don't have to be careful kind of how you
frame it right and making sure that it's similar and
that they can see the similarities and maybe who you're
trying to use as an example, right, and just you know,
different players that he's coached and not just you know,
Tom per Se, but the development and of other young
(13:34):
quarterbacks through this system I think can be very beneficial.
Speaker 6 (13:39):
Mike, We've had a lot of talk here about the
decision to move on from Joe Milton and how that
was part and parcel with giving Drake May the runway
to be a leader and take ownership of the quarterback room.
Can you walk us through your decision making there and
why the organization thought it was best to bring Dobbs
in and move on from Joe Milton.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
There's another co coach's decision.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
They felt like this is what was best for our team.
Trying to do what's best for the team.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Mike, I have to ask because I've only met you
once in person, and you don't give off soft energy.
You give off very energetic, high energy. But there were
some reports during training camp that the practices seem like
you were running them soft.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
When you see something like.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
That written, do you laugh at it because people have
no idea what they're talking about, or what do you
say to those people?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I would again, I think that there's a plan, there's
a practice plan. I hope that people could watch the
game and not use the word soft when they watch
us play. So I don't know. I mean, you guys
just got done, you know, basically throwing a bunch of
flowers at our playdemeanor and how hard guys ran and
(14:52):
how we finished and you know, so again I think
that there's a plan to everything, you know, big week
here for you know, so looking at to practice, this
is a day to two practices in Minnesota and a game.
So it's you know, a lot of this is by
design as far as.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
When we.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
You know, try to ramp up and in the days before,
I mean leading up to pretty unique schedule with the
scrimmage on Friday and then Washington coming in right there's
a day off that you have to give them every
you know, every seven days, and then wanted to try
to have them tuned up and ready to go for Washington.
So some of those walk through days, you know, where
(15:36):
we're still trying to get a bunch of plays in
and split the teams up and everybody's working. They only
work if we get something out of them, and if
we if I felt like they weren't taking advantage of them,
you know, then we would have to adjust the schedule.
That was my conversation with the players. So I felt
like they they did exactly what I needed them to
(15:57):
do in those days, and then when the other days
we worked and I felt like we've been working.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Did you not see him jump in the middle of
the I never said he was soft.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I think he's as hard as they come.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
I think said it might want to be careful you
get a little hold there, buddy, you know, want be
careful jumping in with some of them young kids.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Well, just because you'd be back in the back.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah, hid, I'd be back pulling people.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
In the back, hiding. I mean, run it, run to
the roar. I mean some guys running to the fire.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Other guys stand back there and wait for people to
put it out.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
That's it.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
You got to have the guys with the hoses.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Right.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
So, Mike, when you start to kind of like look
at the culture that you're trying to create, the culture
that you're building, this is not your first rodeo, right,
and so our expectations of you as a coach a
very high because of what we've seen you do in
the past. I know it's you know, you put expectations
on yourself. But when you come into the season, what's
(16:56):
your mindset for you? Like, is there an expectation that
you set are you looking at it like, all right,
I got this pressure on me because you know, you
always want to be great. What's your mindset of coaching
this team? Your second goal round as a head coach
in the National Football League.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I think it's just figure out what this organization needs
and what this team needs each and every day, and
then help to accomplish that and help the people that
we have here how I can help them do their
job better and figuring out what that is and having
a great pulse of the team and what we need
and how we need to prepare to win each and
(17:36):
every week. What that looks like.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Well, Mike, thanks so much for calling. I'm excited for
this season. We're hoping to get back down. Did you
let do these in person?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Again?
Speaker 3 (17:45):
I don't know where you stand on that. If you
like that, if you'd rather call.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
In, I think this works out perfectly.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I'm watching film right here and I'm in the office,
so this is this is lovely.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Could could you grade the Brady statue? I gave it
a beat, Curtis, would you give it?
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I would say, it's uh so, it's good. I thought
the you know again, he's those are hard. I would
say that those are hard and I think that, Uh,
it's impressive and it's well deserved.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
And so.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
You know, now you'd have to change it up. You'd
have to have some you know, sunglasses on and some
fancy shirt if they did that now and they made
a statue of him. Now, so I think it was
a good, a very good representation of tom uh coming
off the field.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
There's a little pudgy, but you know, he looked handsome.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
His face was handsome, face looked goods all Corny cares about.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
It's true, It's honestly very true.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
All right, Well, we'll be back with you next Monday
with Greg. I don't know how you feel about that.
Greg will be back from Nantucket, I believe on Friday.
We'll see if we can get him off the island.
But thanks so much, and have a good week.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Okay, guys, thank you,
All right, I see Mike Rabels called the show, So
Mike Rabel on Patriots Monday. Here on EEI Mike, good morning, Courtney.
And for Greg who is on the Great Island of
Nantucket missing your first appearance on this.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Week, Okay, I thought he was going to Myrtle Beach
and you know, I mean go down there and playing
putt putt, get some all you can eat seafood. I
think we should make this the best show of the
year since Greg is gone, and we'll have fun. And
then when he comes back, we can we can go
back to whatever. But let's have a good time.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
I agree.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Congratulations on how you started things off on Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
How impressed were you with your guys.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
We knew Travon was going to be fast, but that
was pretty incredible.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
A good way to start, you know, I mean, a
good way to start. We've we've really moved on kind
of to the next phase and to the next week
and to the next challenge. But I really appreciated the
player's energy and enthusiasm and excitement and obviously the execution.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Mike.
Speaker 5 (00:54):
I know it's a lot different with the three preseason
games and trying to keep guys healthy with you know,
practice is what's the one thing that you try to
come away from a team perspective on what you're looking
at guys in these preseason games.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Oh, just how they make adjustments and how they respond
to live action, whether that's tackling, whether that's breaking tackles,
the physicality to finish. The overall operation, I think from
all of us, I thought was clean, which was good
to see. It looked like there was an organization to
what we were doing. It was a good test. Defensively,
(01:31):
they didn't huddle for most of the games, so I
thought that was a good challenge to start the preseason.
And you know, substitution we have guys running out there
late on different things, or twelve minute on the field,
or we didn't have operation penalties. It didn't have to Yeah,
we got close to one time down there and then
you know called the time out. You know, down on
(01:53):
the low. Red probably would have gotten a snap off,
but just wanted to make sure that things were good there.
Speaker 6 (01:58):
Yeah, Mike, I had the my biggest takeaway watching it
was just that it was smooth. I wasn't concerned about
you know, I'm not I know you're not going to
talk about years before this, but it just felt like
there was always something clunky. There was either you know,
a formational issue, there was too many men in the huddle,
you had to call time out, the defense wasn't aligned.
I thought for week one, preseason game number one, it
seemed pretty smooth all around.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
We're trying to get, you know, a flow to our
building and what everybody does and what everybody's responsibilities are
each and every day. I feel like there's been a
good flow to camp. Have really been blown away by
the fans that have come out. I want to thank them.
So we just you know, we wrapped that up yesterday.
It had had a lot of people the entire camp.
(02:43):
I thought our players did a great job of interacting
with them and engaging them and trying to sign as
many autographs. And it's hard after a long practice, but
I felt like guys try to engage and sign for
everybody that came out.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Mike, we talked pretty much every day after practices and
listening to media that is, you know, broadcasting from preseason practice,
and it seems like people get too high on your
guys or too low on the guys. It seems like
they jump to conclusions or they exaggerate what's going on?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
How much can you mean the media?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
No, Yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Know it's shocking, But how much can you really learn
from just a preseason practice. Isn't everybody just trying to
figure it out at that point?
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I mean again, I think you can. You know, to
that the ups and the downs. We talked about staying
off the roller coaster. You know, our main roller coasters
go up, they go down, they get stuck sometimes and
then you're really in trouble. So we're trying to stay
off the roller coaster and just continue to build some
consistency in what we're doing positively. So again, people will
(03:48):
form their own opinions based on things that happen, more
so the plays they are made, and you know, maybe
sometimes that the negative reaction may or may not be
warranted based on what they're seeing or what the responsibility
or was what was going on in the play.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
The biggest up and down we've probably seen come out
of headlines is Will Campbell. Whether it's a good practice
or a bad practice, How has he been faring in
your mind?
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Well, continuing to improve.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I thought you saw.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
His play, demeanor and style.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Come come out in the game. You know with protection obviously,
that's you know, always going to be looked to improve upon,
whether you know you're taking on a game or you're
staying inside out or whatever that may be. So I
(04:47):
think the thing that that Will's realizing, as a lot
of young players and all of us are realizing, is
that there's just different play styles and skill sets for
each guy and each player that you're going against. And
that's the big thing. How how one tight end runs routes,
how one posh rusher rushes.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
His what he's good.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
At, what his go to moves are, things like that.
So that's that's critical to understand and be able to
adjust too quickly. So he's done that, He's seen a
lot of different players.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Mike, you talk about Will Campbell. You obviously got Wilson
over there, two rookies on the left side. It was
a little play in the game. I don't know if
it was necessarily a twist, but you know where they
kind of picked up bumped into each other a little bit.
How how is it like with those guys, you know,
especially Doug marro on the offensive line coach, to making
them understand, you know, we got we've got two young
(05:36):
guys out there and they're going to see things that
they probably haven't seen before. But to make sure that hey,
don't panic, just relax and communicate.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Well.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
The communication I think is something that we did talk
about throughout the team and continuing to improve that and
helping the guy next to you. I mean, it was
third and seven. Should be no shock that that that
there was possibly a game on third and seven, whether
that's the te game, e T whatever, you know, everybody
calls it, that shouldn't come as any surprise on third
(06:08):
and seven. And making sure you know, when you're on
the man side that you're you're able to block those
and you're able to help the guy next to you,
and you know that's critical if they can get the
guy in the crease and then now you get you know,
two on one, so again that it starts there and
then the quarterback being able to to get rid of
the football or then using it, you know, being being
(06:30):
able to make a great decision of just kind of
taking a sack there and we'll punt it and we'll
play defense.
Speaker 6 (06:36):
Like uh, speaking of the quarterback, you know you were
clear at halftime after the game that the fumble just
can't happen. What's the communication like with Drake May and
as a coach, I mean, other than just instilling that
you have to take care of the football, what can
you do to help ensure that that stops happening?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Well, the communication is pretty much, you know, I mean,
I think it's clear how I communicate. I just I
tell them what what what I'm thinking, and what needs
to be said. But I think it starts with obviously
the things that go on before that, Right, what has
happened in pre snap? What's the situation, confirming coverage post snap,
(07:17):
you know, and then making the right read with the football.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
But then.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
You know, I think the more and those things you
don't see that in practice, right, So you look at
the preseason practices and even against Washington if it could
well maybe that was a sack or we're scrambling, you know,
we extend outside the pocket and now there's no you know,
stove isn't hot, you don't have to touch it. And
I think in the game we're able to, you know,
(07:44):
see those things. And that's why we have preseason games
and we get those actions and understand that, you know,
when you say, hey, I'm just trying to make a play,
you know, sometimes, you know, we just we can't try
to make plays because they become bad ones. And so
I think he'll learn from it and understand like, Okay,
I'm not going to be able to play Superman all
(08:06):
the time, and I can reserve to write the punt
and help this football team and they'll flip the field
and he'll play defense and get another crack at it.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Mike, it's awesome that it seems like Stefan Diggs is
going to be good for Week one. Holding him back
on Friday, is that just out of precaution with his.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
Recovery coach's decision, Mike, you talked about, you know, earlier,
you talked about tackling and breaking tackles. Is it difficult
to be able to get especially on the defensive side
of the football, to get guys to tackle when you
don't have as much time to do it and be
(08:44):
physical because of the new rules with the pats, Like,
how are you working on that in practice?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
No, I don't think it's the time. I think it's
just the decision to that we're not going to go
to the ground and practice, and you know, I think
it's about getting in good positions I think it's about
working to tackle like we tackle in practice. I mean,
we go and practice and we say thud, and guys
go up and they stay on their feet and they
(09:09):
hit the guy and they wrap and then they let
him run and then everybody else hammers the ball and
then we get into the game and sometimes you don't
think of it like that, and you go diving off
the diving board. You can miss tackles and then they
make you miss or you know, we don't maybe bring
our feet and things that we're doing in practice. So
I think it's just continuing to trust the way that
(09:31):
we practice and saying, hey, thud is just the same
thing you're going to do in the game. They're just
not going to take them to the ground, and realizing
that those are good tackles in practice and then they have
to translate to the game.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
Mike, you know, obviously Brady's been a person and a
figure that's been a shadow cast over the organization since
he left. Now, literally with the statue, how did you
handle that with your team? And did Tom speak to
the team at all when he was in town?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Never said a word, and no he did it, Mike.
Speaker 7 (10:05):
I thought one of the highlights from Friday night was
just the kind of the running back group as a whole.
I thought Romandre was awesome. I think Trevion looked spectacular.
Even Antonio Gibson had some moments as well. They were physical,
they were fast, kind of what what kind of dynamics
do they bring? Being so versatile there and being able
to kind of interchange them throughout the game.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Well, I think you saw the impact that both of
them can make on kickoff return and if that's that
play is going to be as important as we think
it is, you know, forcing teams to really now make
a decision are they going to give it to us
on the thirty five or do we have two guys
back there that can really be weapons? And you saw
what that unit was able.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
To do, and that's so, you.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Know, I'm excited about that. We have to be able
to block and do those things without penalties, but certainly
have some guys back there that can you know, change
the game from that standpoint offensively. Then you add in,
you know, Rimandre who did run hard, got receiving skills.
I think they all can. They're willing to protect, and
(11:12):
you know, I thought that they got off to a
good start with how they ran and their physicality, and
you know, sometimes we're just going to continue.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
To coach and teach and show them.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
All the opportunities where the ball may be in jeopardy.
You know, there's one thing about making extra yards and
trying to run hard. You just can't do it, uh,
with the with the ball loose and with the you know,
with you with the ball exposed.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Uh. We've heard a lot of players and coaches talk
about Drake May and the jump that they've seen from
last season too this season when it comes to leadership confidence.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Obviously you weren't his head coach last year, but.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
When it comes to the just leadership and the way
he's dealing with younger players and his teammates, what do
you see out of him and what do you expect
out of him this season?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Well, I mean expectations that he's to lead his football team.
That's that's what the job of the head coach and
the quarterback is. That's pretty much how this thing goes.
And he that can't take days off. I mean, sometimes
the performance isn't.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
Going to be.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
Extraordinary, but the leadership and the demeanor has to be.
And I think he's learning that. I love the fact
that he's willing to learn and push and you know,
try to do those things to where he's demanding of
everybody and making sure that everybody's on the same page.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
Mike, you know how important it is to have a
coach that can help you develop. When you think of Drake,
May you have Josh McDaniel's a guy that's been around
so many, so many good quarterbacks throughout his coaching career.
What type of advantages that for a guy like Drake
May to have a guy like Josh not only be
his play caller, but also being a guy that's going
(12:54):
to help him develop.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Well, certainly it's key to coaching and things that we
ask our coaches to do is just try to develop players.
And you know, I think that the one thing that's
important is, yeah, you want to use testimonial of other players.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
But you also.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
You don't have to be careful kind of how you
frame it right and making sure that it's similar and
that they can see the similarities and maybe who you're
trying to use as an example, right, and just you know,
different players that he's coached and not just you know,
Tom per Se, but the development and of other young
(13:34):
quarterbacks through this system I think can be very beneficial.
Speaker 6 (13:39):
Mike, We've had a lot of talk here about the
decision to move on from Joe Milton and how that
was part and parcel with giving Drake May the runway
to be a leader and take ownership of the quarterback room.
Can you walk us through your decision making there and
why the organization thought it was best to bring Dobbs
in and move on from Joe Milton.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
There's another co coach's decision.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
They felt like this is what was best for our team.
Trying to do what's best for the team.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Mike, I have to ask because I've only met you
once in person, and you don't give off soft energy.
You give off very energetic, high energy. But there were
some reports during training camp that the practices seem like
you were running them soft.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
When you see something like.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
That written, do you laugh at it because people have
no idea what they're talking about, or what do you
say to those people?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I would again, I think that there's a plan, there's
a practice plan. I hope that people could watch the
game and not use the word soft when they watch
us play. So I don't know. I mean, you guys
just got done, you know, basically throwing a bunch of
flowers at our playdemeanor and how hard guys ran and
(14:52):
how we finished and you know, so again I think
that there's a plan to everything, you know, big week
here for you know, so looking at to practice, this
is a day to two practices in Minnesota and a game.
So it's you know, a lot of this is by
design as far as.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
When we.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
You know, try to ramp up and in the days before,
I mean leading up to pretty unique schedule with the
scrimmage on Friday and then Washington coming in right there's
a day off that you have to give them every
you know, every seven days, and then wanted to try
to have them tuned up and ready to go for Washington.
So some of those walk through days, you know, where
(15:36):
we're still trying to get a bunch of plays in
and split the teams up and everybody's working. They only
work if we get something out of them, and if
we if I felt like they weren't taking advantage of them,
you know, then we would have to adjust the schedule.
That was my conversation with the players. So I felt
like they they did exactly what I needed them to
(15:57):
do in those days, and then when the other days
we worked and I felt like we've been working.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Did you not see him jump in the middle of
the I never said he was soft.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
I think he's as hard as they come.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
I think said it might want to be careful you
get a little hold there, buddy, you know, want be
careful jumping in with some of them young kids.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Well, just because you'd be back in the back.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Yeah, hid, I'd be back pulling people.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
In the back, hiding. I mean, run it, run to
the roar. I mean some guys running to the fire.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Other guys stand back there and wait for people to
put it out.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
That's it.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
You got to have the guys with the hoses.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
Right.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
So, Mike, when you start to kind of like look
at the culture that you're trying to create, the culture
that you're building, this is not your first rodeo, right,
and so our expectations of you as a coach a
very high because of what we've seen you do in
the past. I know it's you know, you put expectations
on yourself. But when you come into the season, what's
(16:56):
your mindset for you? Like, is there an expectation that
you set are you looking at it like, all right,
I got this pressure on me because you know, you
always want to be great. What's your mindset of coaching
this team? Your second goal round as a head coach
in the National Football League.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I think it's just figure out what this organization needs
and what this team needs each and every day, and
then help to accomplish that and help the people that
we have here how I can help them do their
job better and figuring out what that is and having
a great pulse of the team and what we need
and how we need to prepare to win each and
(17:36):
every week. What that looks like.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Well, Mike, thanks so much for calling. I'm excited for
this season. We're hoping to get back down. Did you
let do these in person?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Again?
Speaker 3 (17:45):
I don't know where you stand on that. If you
like that, if you'd rather call.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
In, I think this works out perfectly.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I'm watching film right here and I'm in the office,
so this is this is lovely.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
Could could you grade the Brady statue? I gave it
a beat, Curtis, would you give it?
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I would say, it's uh so, it's good. I thought
the you know again, he's those are hard. I would
say that those are hard and I think that, Uh,
it's impressive and it's well deserved.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
And so.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
You know, now you'd have to change it up. You'd
have to have some you know, sunglasses on and some
fancy shirt if they did that now and they made
a statue of him. Now, so I think it was
a good, a very good representation of tom uh coming
off the field.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
There's a little pudgy, but you know, he looked handsome.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
His face was handsome, face looked goods all Corny cares about.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
It's true, It's honestly very true.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
All right, Well, we'll be back with you next Monday
with Greg. I don't know how you feel about that.
Greg will be back from Nantucket, I believe on Friday.
We'll see if we can get him off the island.
But thanks so much, and have a good week.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Okay, guys, thank you,
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