Patriots Coach Threatens His Super Bowl-Bound Players That They 'Ain't Playing in the Bowl' If They Celebrate Too Hard

NEED TO KNOW

• Mike Vrabel had one condition for his team
• The New England Patriots head coach issued "no curfew" Sunday night but told players that if they weren't on the bus Monday morning, they wouldn't be playing in Super Bowl LX
• The Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos, 10-7, amid snowy conditions on Sunday, Jan. 25

New England coach Mike Vrabel had one caveat for his players before they celebrated in the wake of their Super Bowl LX berth, according to one Patriots player.

"No curfew tonight," defensive tackle Milton Williams told reporters about what Vrabel told the team. "But the bus leaving at eight in the morning, so if you ain't on it, you ain't playing in the [Super] Bowl."

The Patriots — who defeated the Broncos 10-7 in blizzard-like conditions in the AFC championship game on Sunday, Jan. 25 — spent the night in Denver amid the winter storm.

The team was scheduled to head back to Foxborough on Monday and begin preparations to take on the Seattle Seahawks, who beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 late Sunday.

In his speech to the team following the defensive showdown, Vrabel was fired up — something that has become a hallmark for the first-year Patriots head coach, who is known for his rapport with players.

Before he addressed his team, he yelled “Warriors!” multiple times as the team got fired up.

“You got to celebrate tonight and then tomorrow, it’s how are we gonna win the next game,” Vrabel, 50, told his team.

The Patriots, who are coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons, have responded behind their new coach, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots. 

On Sunday, Feb. 8 at Super Bowl LX, Vrabel could become the first person ever to win a Super Bowl as a player and as a head coach for the same franchise.

Last August on the eve of the season’s start, during a practice scrimmage against the Washington Commanders, the coach jumped into the fray to break up a skirmish between players.

The move impressed Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, and seemingly set the tone for the season.

"That's what we're trying to build, and it starts with the head coach intensity, bringing it every day, taking no crap when we're out there on the field," Maye, 23, later told reporters. "The mentality, I like it. That's what you want."

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