Mike Vrabel’s first season at the helm in New England has been nothing short of a revelation - and Robert Kraft is making it clear he’s thrilled with the results.
After back-to-back 4-13 campaigns under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo, the Patriots flipped the script in dramatic fashion, storming to a 14-3 record and reclaiming their place atop the AFC East. Now, with a playoff win already under their belt, they’re just one step away from the conference title game, set to host the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round.
Kraft, speaking ahead of Sunday’s matchup on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, didn’t hold back in praising Vrabel’s impact - not just on the field, but in the locker room.
“Think what our record was last year, and it’s reversed this year,” Kraft said. “He’s grown and matured in a way - he always had that hard side to him, which made him such a great player. But he’s been amazing with the culture in the locker room, how he has been able to connect.”
That connection has been the heartbeat of this turnaround. This Patriots squad isn’t loaded with first-team All-Pro talent - in fact, they don’t have a single one.
But what they do have is a locker room that’s bought in, top to bottom. Vrabel’s message has resonated, and it shows in the way they play: tough, disciplined, and united.
“It’s the hardest thing with a team to get everyone to put team first and their own personal records in the background,” Kraft added. “He’s done that, and they really feel connected to him.”
That kind of buy-in doesn’t happen by accident. Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champ, knows exactly what it takes to win in New England. He’s brought that edge, that accountability, and that championship mindset back into the building - and the players have responded.
Now, he’s got a chance to take this resurgent Patriots team even further. A win over Houston would punch their ticket to the AFC Championship Game and put them one step closer to a seventh Super Bowl title - a goal that felt miles away just a year ago.
Kickoff against the Texans is set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC. If the Patriots keep riding this wave, it won’t just be a comeback story - it’ll be one of the most impressive coaching debuts we’ve seen in recent memory.