NASHVILLE - Mike Vrabel showed a hint of a smile when he praised safety Kenny Vaccaro's performance in the Tennessee Titans' wild-card playoff win earlier this month against the New England Patriots.
"I know how Vrabel is," Vaccaro said. "He's tough. He wants you to be physical, gritty, grindy, and he just likes guys that are going to hit. I was hitting people like I've always hit people. I appreciate the compliment because he doesn't really give out too many."
No, the second-year head coach doesn't waste much time with praise.
That's not why the Titans fired Mike Mularkey two years ago after the team lost in the divisional round of the playoffs - that game was also at New England - preferring to gamble on hiring a coach who could push them to compete for championships. They chose Vrabel as a first-time head coach, and the former linebacker who spent 14 seasons in the NFL and won three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots has the Titans a win away from the franchise's second Super Bowl berth and first since the 1999 season.
Vrabel's message since mid-April has been pushing the Titans to find a way to go from good to great after three straight 9-7 seasons. Tennessee went 9-7 again during the regular season that finished in December, but Vrabel isn't ready to grade his team yet - not before Sunday's AFC championship game Sunday at Kansas City (13-4).
Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. EST, and CBS will televise the game. In the NFC title matchup, the San Francisco 49ers (14-3) host the Green Bay Packers (14-3) at 6:40 p.m. EST on Fox.
The Titans (11-7) - who surprised AFC East champion New England 20-13 on Jan. 4 before pulling off a 28-12 upset last Saturday at top-seeded Baltimore, which had lost just twice during the regular season - will be playing for the conference title for the first time since the 2002 season.
"Well, I think that we have certainly improved," Vrabel said. "I think we've made progress. Something that we focused on a while back is just trying to continue to improve each and every week. So, how close we are, I don't know that. I know that we're going to do what we've done for a long time, and what we know is to prepare to try to go in and play with confidence and execute."
That focus on improvement has endeared him to the Titans. He has a hands-on approach whether he's banging away at a football being carried by Derrick Henry during a running back drill or wearing a blocking pad to work on technique with linebackers and defensive linemen. Four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey loves Vrabel and all his assistants' involvement at practice and attention to detail.
Vrabel's mindset, though, is what Casey appreciates most.
"He doesn't care about the wins, he don't care about none of that that happened," Casey said. "He's excited for that moment, but he's on to the next. His mindset is always on to the next: We can cherish the moments for a bit, but let's get back to the grind. I don't care about the excuses you have. You're sore, whatever. You get back in this building and get back to it."
Vrabel dealt with numerous injuries during his first season leading the Titans, including starting quarterback Marcus Mariota missing the regular-season finale that Tennessee lost to AFC South rival Indianapolis with a playoff berth on the line.
His biggest challenge came in mid-October this season. The Titans had scored only one touchdown in a 10-quarter stretch capped by a 16-0 loss at Denver that dropped Tennessee to 2-4. Vrabel benched fifth-year starter Mariota for veteran Ryan Tannehill, who had been acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins to upgrade the backup position.
The Titans are 9-3 since then, including winning their past three games - all on the road. They clinched the AFC's No. 6 seed in the regular-season finale against AFC South champ Houston, and now Vrabel is the team's first coach to win his first two playoff games since Jeff Fisher in the 1999 season.
"They're playing real good football right now," Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. "They're strong. They're well-coached. Mike does a nice job with them."
Vrabel, who greets each player outside the locker room door after games, said he has made clear everyone who is part of the organization should be held accountable. That includes him as he works to improve as a coach.
His approach has helped build a locker room where teammates hold each other responsible for their preparation and play.
"I ain't going to say the guy is perfect, but he damn near understands football better than anybody in this building, outside this building," Casey said. " The guy, he's an intelligent dude. It's not really too much you can question that man."
Titans safety Kevin Byard credits Vrabel for a culture change he calls "nothing short of incredible."
"Not only having the communication open with the players but actually getting on the field," Byard said. "Not necessarily practicing with them but actually getting in the drills. I think that he really has done something special to the players as far as really being able to trust him and trust what he's trying to get us to do week in and week out."
The stakes may be changing for the Titans, but their coach is continuing to push them to be better than they were last week.
Said Vrabel: "That's going to be the message."