“Don’t take things so personal,” is an expression that has been uttered many times throughout humanity, and it is now a way of play that goes directly into New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s playbook.
Vrabel took to Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season against his former team of the Tennessee Titans. It marked the coach’s first return to Nissan Stadium since being terminated by Tennessee back in Jan., 2024 after six season with the NFL team. Vrabel then spent the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns as a coaching and personnel consultant on Kevin Stefanski’s staff before he was hired by the Patriots as their head coach in Jan., 2025.
With all this in mind — the Patriots ended up defeating the Titans by 18 points in a dominant 31-13 victory.
Dubbed a homecoming, national exposure was heavily focused on Vrabel’s return to Nashville.
Pregame, Vrabel could be seen shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with old colleagues from Tennessee before he annihilated them by 18 points in an eventual 31-13 victory. The win improved New England and Vrabel’s head coaching record to 5-2 overall.
Titans fans for the game even held up a sign expressing regret over the coach’s firing. Nissan Stadium as a whole also concluded the day chanting “Vrabel” as the Patriots took to their victory formation.
Despite the media attention, fan fare and presumably high stakes for the contest, Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs said Vrabel’s message to the roster was to approach every league game the same way.
“He said something to us that was like, ‘every week is personal.’ He wasn’t lying, whether it’s individual or team,” Diggs said to the media postgame. “You want to win each and every week. He didn’t change. He didn’t do anything extra. He was his same usual self.”
It’s evident that Patriots’ players are taking this message of treating games the same to heart; it only takes a fan with eyes to see the roster is focused on consistency — with the fact this recent win was the Patriots’ fourth consecutive victory only backing up this point.
Diggs led the Patriots in receiving yards, catching for 69 yards across seven receptions. The Patriots in total finished with 212 passing yards compared to Tennessee’s 216.
The WR now has 10,878 receiving yards on his career so far, alongside 71 total touchdowns.
