One Way Mike Vrabel Wants to Be Like Andy Reid

NASHVILLE – It will take a long time for Mike Vrabel to do all the things Andy Reid has done as a head coach.

There is at least one thing, however, that Vrabel can do – and wants to do – right now the same way Reid does it.

“Andy Reid is good for football,” Vrabel said this week. “He loves football. The relationship that he has with his players is something that I would love to emulate.”

Anyone who has seen the video of Vrabel and Ben Jones immediately following the Titans’ most recent victory over the Indianapolis Colts would argue that the Tennessee Titans coach’s bond with his players is second to none.

If that is an element to sustained success, then Vrabel – in his fifth season – is well on his way to putting himself in the same category as Reid, who is fifth all-time for wins by an NFL head coach and ranks among the top 10 in Super Bowl appearances.

Reid is in his 10th season as Kansas City’s head coach and his 24th straight overall. Under his direction, the Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to host four straight conference championship games, a streak that included their 35-24 victory over Tennessee during the 2019 season. Kansas City also has won a franchise-record six straight division titles and has been to the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons.

Vrabel has yet to have a losing season as an NFL head coach and three of his first four teams have been to the postseason. After a 0-2 start, the Titans came into this week with the AFC’s longest win streak at five games and have given themselves an opportunity to win a third consecutive division title.

“(Vrabel) is a great man first off,” Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who spent time with Vrabel at last year’s Pro Bowl and at the American Century Championship golf tournament, said. “I think that’s why his players play so hard because you can tell he really cares.

“He’s been through it. He played in the NFL. He’s won championships. So, I think he’s going to get the best out of you as a player. I think I saw that during the Pro Bowl week as well. It’s something I understand why his teams play so hard because of the type of person that he is as well as coach.”

Vrabel and Reid have met three times as head coaches. The Titans have won two, regular-season triumphs in 2019 and 2021, while the Chiefs got the better of the 2019 playoff encounter.

Another thing they already have in common is success after a bye week. Under Vrabel, Tennessee is 5-0 in the game following their open date, including this season’s 19-10 victory over the Colts. Reid’s teams in Philadelphia and Kansas City are a combined are 20-3, including 12-1 in home games. He won 13 straight in that situation before he finally lost.

The bad news for the Titans (5-2) is that the Chiefs (5-2) had their bye last week and will be well-rested for the Sunday night matchup at Arrowhead Stadium.

“Try to get the guys healthy and rest up is really what we try to do with the players,” Reid said. “And then the coaches, we work a few days and then we take a couple of days off. I think that helps recharge you just a little bit. Who knows? I have no answer.

“People ask me about the wins after (the bye) – there’s no secret to it. I don’t know what the answer is. I’ve been blessed to be on good football teams, I think, is probably the best (answer) – blessed with that. So, that’s probably the truth of it.”

At this point, there are secrets about how his team will try to win either.

“He is very consistent,” Vrabel said. “Some of these same plays are plays that he ran when I played against him. There is just a consistency, but also a willingness to always push forward and take advantage of his personnel. He is a Hall of Fame football coach.”