NASHVILLE – With about a minute left to play and the Patriots about to earn their fourth straight win in Mike Vrabel’s homecoming game in Tennessee, the chant began.
“Vra-bel! Vra-bel! Vra-bel!”
It was loud enough that everyone inside Nissan Stadium and beyond could hear it.
While there was a large contingent of Patriots fans on hand, it was hard to distinguish if the chants were all from New Englanders, and how much the Tennessee fans, who remain upset that Vrabel was fired as Titans coach following the 2023 season, contributed.
“I did (hear them). I thought it was pretty cool,” Drake Maye said of the chants. “(Vrabel) downplayed it all week, which we appreciate. He was focused on us, worried about us, and that’s all that matters. But I know it feels good for him.”
Center Garrett Bradbury loved seeing the New England turnout. He got a kick out of the chants, as well as the support all game.
“It felt like a home game for us,” Bradbury said. “I think our fans traveled really well but it was a pretty cool moment.”
Bradbury said the support for Vrabel and the Patriots had started long before the chanting began.
Right before the offense’s first possession, the players could hear fans screaming.
“We were about to take the field. We’re sitting in the huddle at a timeout and the fans behind us were going crazy,” Bradbury said. “The stadium was roaring for us. It was pretty awesome. They came loud and I hope they enjoyed the game”
With the 31-13 win, Vrabel getting a measure of revenge, and the team now on a four-game win streak, they got their money’s worth.
Stefon Diggs, who was all business after the game, didn’t want to make a big deal of the chants, and didn’t think Vrabel would, either.
“Good for him. We’re back to work tomorrow. I’m sure he’s feeling the same way,” Diggs said. “He said something to us, that was like, every week is personal. He wasn’t lying, whether it’s individual, or team. You want to win each and every week … he came in with the same mindset. He didn’t change. He didn’t do anything extra. He was his same usual self. I can appreciate that from a player’s standpoint. I don’t care what he said. We wanted to win that game for him.”
By the sound of it, so did the fans.
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