Patriots-Titans practice like a trash-talking family reunion

Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, left, talks with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the teams' combined practice Wednesday in Nashville. Vrabel, who won three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, and Brady were teammates for nine seasons.
Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, left, talks with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the teams' combined practice Wednesday in Nashville. Vrabel, who won three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, and Brady were teammates for nine seasons.

NASHVILLE - New England Patriots rookies surprised Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel at the start of the teams' joint practice Wednesday by serenading him in celebration of his 44th birthday.

Vrabel knows who likely instigated the singing.

"That was something that was unexpected but very appreciated," Vrabel said. "It was a good idea by whoever came up with it. Probably Tom or Bill."

That would be either quarterback Tom Brady, his former teammate, or Bill Belichick, the coach Vrabel won three Super Bowl rings with as a Patriots linebacker during his 14-year playing career in the NFL. Now Vrabel is in his second season as head coach of the Titans, who are hosting Belichick's bunch for two days of practices before Saturday night's preseason game between the teams at Nissan Stadium.

The first session featured lots of trash talking but felt much more like a family reunion than an NFL training camp with all the ties between these franchises.

photo New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady catches the ball during a combined practice with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday in Nashville.

Vrabel started the talk as soon as Brady came onto the field, yelling at the three-time league MVP - who turned 42 on Aug. 3 - for walking and not jogging onto the field. Brady told Vrabel to pay attention to his own work in just the start of the barking between teams with lots of former players now on the other roster.

The Titans coach stayed close to his defense as it worked against Brady, all the better for the two to chirp at each other.

"It brought back a lot of memories just to be able to sit out there and they make a play, and he turns around and says, 'Mikey, you better cover that, you guys need to do this.' I'm sure I had plenty to say, too," Vrabel said. "It was a lot of fun. We have a lot of respect for those guys. We can learn a lot from the way they practice and how they operate."

Cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan and running back Dion Lewis all won Super Bowl rings with the Patriots before signing with Tennessee as free agents. Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty never played in the postseason through eight years with the Titans before finally joining his twin brother, Devin, in the New England secondary last season.

During the practice, Ryan jumped while trying to knock down a Brady pass from his old teammate only to get knocked down by Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon.

"It's all good," Ryan said. "We're competing. Tom said that he'll know every time I'm blitzing because he knows my mannerisms. I think I tricked him on one."

Brady got the better of a defense that was sixth against the pass and third in fewest points allowed last season. Ryan said Brady dominates in a practice setting where defenders can't use all their tricks because quarterbacks are off limits for contact.

"When you're on top, he's going to throw it low," Ryan said. "You're in front, he's going to throw it behind. I mean, if you can't get pressure on him and sack him like we can't do in practice, he's going to be pretty accurate. But we just want to be on body and we want to be close and challenge those receivers."

photo Tennessee Titans defensive back Dane Cruikshank leaps to break up a pass intended for New England Patriots tight end Ben Watson during the teams' combined practice Wednesday in Nashville.

The Titans made clear they were after their version of the so-called "Patriot Way" when general manager Jon Robinson, who got his NFL start with New England, hired Vrabel as Tennessee's coach in January 2018.

Vrabel and the Titans routed Belichick and the Patriots 34-10 last November, but the Patriots finished the season with their sixth Super Bowl title and Tennessee just missed the playoffs by losing its regular-season finale. Belichick said Vrabel has been a friend for a long time and did a great job in that game last season.

"We really got handled down here," said Belichick, who was born in Nashville and still has ties to the area. "He's got an excellent staff, and I'm sure that he's teaching these guys a lot of football. He was a really smart player, a very fundamental player, so I'm sure that you can see those strengths in the way he coaches his team."

Beyond the competitive camaraderie, Titans receiver Adam Humphries went to the locker room during practice and Patriots offensive lineman Dan Skipper was taken to a tent on a cart for treatment in the heat.

Titans running back Derrick Henry (left calf) caught some passes from Robinson before working in a sand pit. He has not practiced since the opening day of camp.

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