Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots: A story of winning

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel doesn’t want the spotlight focused on his matchup against his former coach this weekend.

But Vrabel and Bill Belichick will be a headline when the Titans (8-3) travel to New England to play the Patriots (7-4) at Gillette Stadium on Sunday (noon CT, CBS).

“Bill and I won’t be squaring off to determine this game,” Vrabel explained Monday. “This game will be won, like it always is, by the players.”

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Vrabel played eight of his 14 NFL seasons for the Patriots under Belichick, starring at linebacker as New England’s dynasty took root at the beginning of the 2000s. Sunday will mark Vrabel’s third time facing the Patriots as Titans coach.

As Vrabel returns to Gillette Stadium, hoping to lead his injury-plagued team to victory over the red-hot Patriots, here’s a timeline of his most notable moments and achievements as a player for New England and an opposing coach:

2001

After four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vrabel signed a free-agent deal with the Patriots. He was part of what’s now considered one of the best free-agent classes in New England history.

Feb. 3, 2002

Vrabel won his first Super Bowl ring, as the Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl 36 for the franchise’s first championship. Vrabel has four tackles, including one for loss.

December 2003

Vrabel was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month, the first and only player of the month award of his career.

Feb. 1, 2004

Vrabel won his second Super Bowl ring, as the Patriots took down the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in Super Bowl 38. Used as an eligible receiver in the game, Vrabel catches a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady, becoming the first defensive player in 18 years to score a Super Bowl touchdown on offense. Vrabel also leads the team with two sacks and a forced fumble.

Feb. 6, 2005

Vrabel wins his third and final Super Bowl ring, with the Patriots edging the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl 39. He once again had a touchdown reception – this time on a 2-yard pass – making him one of 17 players to catch two or more touchdown passes in Super Bowls.

Dec. 26, 2005

In the Patriots’ 31-21 victory over the Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 16 of the 2005 season, Vrabel became the first player to have two touchdown receptions and a sack in the same game since sacks became an official stat in 1982.

Oct. 28, 2007

Vrabel had three sacks, three forced fumbles and a touchdown reception in the Patriots’ 52-7 rout of the Washington Football Team in Week 8 of the 2007 season. The performance earned him his only AFC Defensive Player of the Week award of his career.

December 2007

Vrabel was named to his first and only Pro Bowl.

January 2008

Vrabel earned first-team All-Pro honors for the 2007 season.

February 2009

Vrabel’s playing career with the Patriots came to an end when he and quarterback Matt Cassel were traded to the Chiefs for a 2009 second-round pick.

“Mike Vrabel epitomizes everything a coach could seek in a professional football player: toughness, intelligence, playmaking, leadership, versatility and consistency at the highest level,” Belichick said at the time of the trade. “Behind the scenes, Mike's wit and personality is one of the things we have all enjoyed about coming to work every day. The toughest aspect of my job is the day I stop coaching people like Mike, who did everything in his power to contribute to team success. Of all the players I have coached in my career, there is nobody I enjoyed working with more than Mike.”

Nov. 11, 2018

In his first game against Belichick as a head coach, Vrabel’s Titans dominated, beating the Patriots 34-10 at Nissan Stadium. Former Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota had two touchdown passes, running back Derrick Henry added two rushing TDs and Tennessee never trailed to New England, which won the Super Bowl later that season.

Jan. 4, 2020

Vrabel’s Titans took down Belichick’s Patriots 20-13 at Gillette Stadium in the 2019 AFC Wild Card, ending the Tom Brady era in New England (2000-2019). The game marked Vrabel’s first postseason victory and made him 2-0 against Belichick. Henry has 182 rushing yards and 204 scrimmage yards in the game.

Ben Arthur covers the Tennessee Titans for The USA TODAY Network. Contact him at barthur@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @benyarthur.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans' Mike Vrabel and the Patriots: A story of winning