Mike Vrabel turned doubt into dominance in his very first season as the New England Patriots head coach, taking the team to Super Bowl LX. Despite falling short of the coveted prize, the Patriots’ dramatic resurgence can be credited to Vrabel’s strong character, which was clearly evident in a recent video shared by the NFL.

“We got to be pissed together,” Vrabel said. “307 days, that’s all it was. We got a lot more days ahead of us.”

In the backstage locker room, the 50-year-old rested against the wall, remaining visibly upset after losing Super Bowl LX by 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks. Nevertheless, he didn’t let the disappointing result define the situation, as he sent the same message to all players, thanking them for their efforts.

As a player, Vrabel was one of the cornerstones of the Patriots’ dynasty in the early 2000s. When he was hired as the new head coach, he tried bringing back the winning mentality and resilience of the six-time Super Bowl champions last season, leading the team to a 14-3 record, a notable improvement from the previous season’s 4-13 record.

From Week 4 to 13, the Pats kept an impressive ten-game winning streak, while he transformed the offense into a lethal unit that the opponents genuinely feared. The offense ranked 3rd in the NFL, averaging 379.4 yards, and in scoring ranked 2nd with 28.8 points every game. On the other hand, the defense didn’t fall behind, as the franchise ranked 4th, allowing 18.8 points per game.

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Not only did Vrabel show commendable leadership qualities as the coach, but he also stood by his players after the Super Bowl LX game, particularly left tackle Will Campbell, amid backlash.

Mike Vrabel stands firm behind Will Campbell

Will Campbell, a graduate of the LSU Tigers, was the 4th overall pick of the Patriots from the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he became an immediate starter, featuring in 13 regular-season games and 4 playoff games.

His performance stood shoulder to shoulder with the elite performers in the league until the biggest game of his career, Super Bowl LX. The big stage certainly hit a nerve, as he delivered the worst performance of his NFL career, allowing 14 quarterback pressures, which was the most by any player in the 2025 NFL season. Moreover, he allowed 1 sack, struggling to keep up with the Seahawks pass rushers, Derrick Hall and DeMarcus Lawrence.

Following the lackluster outing, doubts began to surface whether Campbell would continue as a left tackle next season. But coach Vrabel defended the youngster in the season’s last press conference, clearing his stance on Campbell’s future.

“Will is 22 years old, he’s our left tackle, he’ll get better, he’ll get stronger,” said Vrabel. “We’re not moving Will to guard, or center, or tight end, or anywhere else.”

Starting the Super Bowl in his rookie year certainly put enormous pressure on Campbell. Given his talent, Vrabel expects a powerful comeback from him in his second NFL season.