Revisiting Some of Vrabel's Best Moments with Patriots

Former linebacker had more than his share of big plays, games in eight seasons
Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – Few people inside Gillette Stadium on Saturday will be rooting for Mike Vrabel.

As head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Vrabel’s goal is to send home fans of the New England Patriots disappointed at the end of the wild card playoff contest.

For more than half of his playing career, though, he thrilled those same folks as a linebacker with the Patriots. In fact, he was so popular and productive in his eight seasons there (2001-08) that earlier this year he was a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame (he lost out to former teammate and current NBC studio analyst Rodney Harrison).

It is a connection that is impossible to ignore on the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs, despite his best efforts.

“Hopefully, everybody’s excited to play in this game,” Vrabel said. “I know I’m excited to coach in it. I’m excited to prepare for it. That’s pro football. Guys are going to have a good time. … They’re going play hard, and so are we.”

A look at some of Mike Vrabel’s best moments as a player with the New England Patriots:

Sept. 29, 2002: Vrabel made the first reception of his career, a 1-yard touchdown grab that gave New England a seven-point lead over San Diego early in the second quarter (the Chargers eventually won). In his eight seasons with the Patriots he ultimately caught eight passes in the regular season and two more in the playoffs – all for touchdowns.

Dec. 7, 2003: In a 12-0 victory over Miami, he had seven tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The fumble recovery came late in the third quarter, and his first sack and forced fumble came on the second play of the fourth quarter. The second sack came with 1:18 remaining and resulted in a safety that capped the scoring. That started a four-game stretch in which he had four sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, was part of a defense that held two opponents scoreless and with him being named AFC Defensive Player of the Month.

Feb. 1, 2004: An argument could be made that Vrabel was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXVIII, which the Patriots won 32-29 over the Carolina Panthers. He made six tackles, had a game-high two and a half sacks and forced a fumble, which led to the contest’s first points. He also scored his team’s final touchdown with a 1-yard reception that gave New England the lead with 2:51 remaining.

Dec. 26, 2005: In a Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets, he became the first player since sacks became an official statistic (1982) with two touchdown receptions and a sack in the same game. He started the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. He put his team ahead to stay (the Patriots won 31-21) with a 2-yard grab with 6:05 to play in the first half and got his sack on the Jets’ first play after the ensuing kickoff.

Dec. 3, 2006: For the first – and only – time in his career, Vrabel intercepts two passes in a game. The second comes on the first play after the second half two-minute warning and allows New England to run out the time on a 28-21 victory at home against Detroit. The first came earlier in the fourth quarter, two plays after the Patriots had tied it 21-21. They were the ninth and 10 picks of his career and it was two years before he got another.

Sept. 9, 2007: In a season-opening victory over the N.Y. Jets, Vrabel was credited with seven tackles, two and a half sacks and one forced fumble, which jump-started the best season of his career. When all was said and done, he had at least one sack in seven games, three multi-sack games and a career-high 12.5 sacks overall in addition to five forced fumbles. He was named an All-Pro and earned a Pro Bowl invitation, the only time in his career either happened.

Oct. 28, 2007: Vrabel forced three fumbles as New England, en route to an undefeated regular season, improved to 8-0 with a 52-7 victory over Washington. He also recovered an onside kick and caught a touchdown pass. The Patriots recovered all three fumbles. Two led to points by the offense (a touchdown and a field goal) and the last was returned 11 yards for a touchdown that made it 38-0. It was the only time in his career that he forced more than one fumble in a game (there were 15 other regular season contests and three in the playoffs that he forced one). The performance earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.


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David Boclair
DAVID BOCLAIR

David Boclair has covered the Tennessee Titans for multiple news outlets since 1998. He is award-winning journalist who has covered a wide range of topics in Middle Tennessee as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he worked for three different newspapers from 1987-96. As a student journalist at Southern Methodist University he covered the NCAA's decision to impose the so-called death penalty on the school's football program.