PREGAME: THE MIKE VRABEL BOWL - Titans vs. Patriots. WE DISCUSS!

PREGAME: THE MIKE VRABEL BOWL - Titans vs. Patriots. WE DISCUSS!

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mike Vrabel’s been here before.

Through the first six weeks of his tenure as Patriots coach, the 50-year-old boasts a 4–2 record—with an upset win over the Bills already in his back pocket—and has New England sitting atop the AFC East standings for the first time since the 2022 season.

First place is a spot Vrabel knows all too well, and one that brings things full circle this weekend as the Patriots head to Nashville—another place he’s been before. Literally.

His opponent in Week 7 will be the same Titans team that fired him less than two years ago.

Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel spent six seasons as the Titans' head coach. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Over his six seasons in Nashville, Vrabel built the Titans into a perennial contender. He led them to a 54–45 record, three consecutive playoff berths from 2019 to ’21, and AFC South titles in ’20 and ’21. He also helped them reach the AFC championship game in ’19, and earned AP Coach of the Year honors in ’21 after earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a 12–5 season.

And yet, despite tallying more wins than losses and building a rock-solid culture, Vrabel’s Titans never truly broke through. Two consecutive losing seasons followed that promising 2021, and he was let go by the club in January of ’24.

What makes a revenge game?

As Vrabel prepares for his much-anticipated return to Nissan Stadium, this time in a different shade of blue, he’s doing his best to block out the noise.

“I think it would file under the category of, ‘Is it interesting or important?’” he explained on Monday morning when asked about going back to Nashville, delivering his signature line. “I would probably say this would be very interesting. But in the end, not very important to our preparation or what we need to continue to try to do to improve as a team.”

But let’s not sugarcoat it. This one means more. It has to. While Vrabel has done his part in shouldering the blame for his own demise in Tennessee, there were plenty of other circumstances that led to his eventual firing. Between a pedestrian-at-best quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, his front office trading wide receiver A.J. Brown out from under his nose, and having to report to a meddling team owner in Amy Adams Strunk, it’s fair to say Vrabel’s hands were tied down the stretch of his time with the Titans.