Mike Vrabel won three Super Bowl rings over eight seasons

NASHVILLE Ugo Amadi Jersey , Tenn. (AP) — with the New England Patriots. He even caught eight passes — all for touchdowns and all thrown by Tom Brady.Then Bill Belichick traded the linebacker away to Kansas City in 2009.“We didn’t talk for a couple months, maybe a year,” Vrabel said. “Then we became friends, and I used him as a resource when I started my coaching career, and still talk to him a lot now. This week we’re competitors.”In his first season as an NFL head coach with Tennessee, Vrabel gets his first crack at both his old coach and former team Sunday when the Titans (4-4) host the Patriots (7-2).The men share some of the same philosophies about football, though not personalities.Titans cornerback Logan Ryan, who spent his first four seasons in New England, says Vrabel’s also younger and taller than Belichick. Vrabel may dress a bit better too during games, and Ryan sees some other similarities.“They’re hard-nosed. They care about the fundamentals,” Ryan said.For his part, Belichick says Vrabel will be a great coach with his passion and football knowledge as a player easily carrying over. Belichick also believes Vrabel deserves to be recognized in the Patriots Hall of Fame and yes, the Nashville native cheers for Vrabel and the Titans every game except this one.“It will be the Patriots against the Titans,” Belichick said. “That’s what it will be.”The Patriots have won six straight after beating Green Bay 31-17 last week. They also have won the past seven against the Titans, including playoffs, with the most recent a 35-14 romp in the divisional round last January. The Titans snapped a three-game skid Monday night with a 28-14 win in Dallas.Some things to know about the Patriots and Titans:LAST THREEOnly a trio remains of those who played alongside Vrabel during his tenure in New England: Brady, kicker Stephen Gostkowski and special teams captain Matt Slater. Brady spent eight seasons with Vrabel from 2001 to 2008. Gostkowski arrived in 2006, and Slater was a rookie during Vrabel’s final season in 2008 before being traded.“His body can do it longer than mine could at the position that he plays,” Vrabel said of Brady.NEW ENGLAND TIESPatriots cornerback Jason McCourty spent his first eight seasons with the Titans and now plays alongside twin brother, Devin, in New England. Trying to rebuild, Tennessee has stocked up on former Patriots including general manager Jon Robinson, Vrabel, Ryan, right guard Josh Kline. Robinson signed cornerback Malcolm Butler and running back Dion Lewis this offseason. Also Dwayne Haskins Jersey , Titans defensive coordinator Dean Pees was an assistant and coordinator with the Patriots. He was the linebackers coach in 2004-05 and defensive coordinator in New England from 2006-2009.Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman called Lewis a fiery jitterbug.“He meant a lot to me when he was here. Now I hate him,” Edelman said with a smile.DEFENDING BRADY: Brady enters this game having won five straight against the Titans. His lone loss came in 2002 in a 24-7 setback during Brady’s third year in the league. That also was his only meeting with the Titans in which he didn’t have a touchdown pass and the only time he threw an interception.In six regular-season meetings with Tennessee, Brady has thrown for 1,561 yards, 12 touchdowns and the one interception, while completing 66 percent of his passes.“He’s seen every look in the book, and even ones that haven’t been in the book,” Vrabel said of Brady. “Anytime that somebody’s open, they get the football. Anytime you make a mistake, he’s always going to find the guy that you make a mistake on and get them ball really quickly.”MORE BRADYThe three-time MVP will play his 300th game, including the postseason, Sunday. Brady will join Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks to reach that mark, and the Patriots quarterback needs four TD passes to pass Peyton Manning (579) for most TD passes in NFL history for regular season and postseason combined. The Titans, the NFL’s top scoring defense and also best in the red zone, are allowing only 17.6 points per game and have allowed three TDs in a game only twice this season.MERRY-GO-ROUNDTennessee has to be ready for an unconventional look in the Patriots’ backfield. With rookie Sony Michel nursing a knee injury the past two weeks, receiver Cordarrelle Patterson has emerged as New England’s go-to threat at running back. Patterson led the Patriots in rushing each of the past two games, including 61 yards and a 5-yard touchdown last week.Both Michel (knee) and Patterson (neck) started this week limited in practice. Belichick currently has just two healthy running backs: James White and Kenjon Barner. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kirk Cousins was bothered enough by the throws he missed in Minnesota’s third preseason game that he brought a piece of paper with a list of them to the podium for his interview afterward.There’s a long way to go, particularly with an offensive line that’s not yet set, but Cousins and the Vikings made some improvements against Seattle.Cousins passed for 182 yards without a turnover in the first half, before third-stringer Kyle Sloter threw for two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 21-20 comeback victory over the Seahawks on Friday night.Out of sync in their previous game, the Vikings assembled three drives of 12 or more plays despite some disruptions by the Seahawks. Cousins went 17 for 28.“You could’ve really had a great night. I feel like we just missed that,” Cousins said.Sebastian Janikowski didn’t miss. The 40-year-old kicked field goals from 35 and 55 yards in the first half for the Seahawks, who kept their starters in past halftime. Russell Wilson led one scoring drive against the vaunted Vikings defense, finishing 11 for 21 for 118 yards and declaring his work-in-progress offensive line a success.“I had all day,” Wilson said.Vikings rookie Daniel Carlson David Long Jersey , who just won the kicker job this week when seventh-year veteran Kai Forbath was released, pulled two 42-yard field goal attempts wide left in the first half. Following the first miss, Latavius Murray’s touchdown run capped the second drive. Then coach Mike Zimmer ordered a 2-point conversion.“Just to let him know that if he’s going to miss ’em, I’m going to go for 2,” Zimmer said.The mention of wide left against the Seahawks still makes Vikings fans wince, three seasons after Blair Walsh’s 27-yard miss at the end of the playoff game on that below-zero afternoon in Minnesota. Walsh spent last year with Seattle, struggled anew and was not brought back. The 40-year-old Janikowski, having edged out Jason Myers for the job, has taken over.“I’d rather kick the short ones and hit a lot of extra points, but if it comes down to it I’m excited and looking forward to it,” Janikowski said.CONFIDENCE IN CARLSONZimmer noted that Carlson, a fifth-round draft pick from Auburn, only missed a couple of kicks in practices since training camp started. The coach actually expressed more concern about the kick coverage teams, which have allowed long returns in each exhibition game.“Put this behind me,” Carlson said, “but learn from it and move on.”PUNTING PROWESSRookie punter Michael Dickson, who beat out stalwart Jon Ryan this week, was just as sharp as Janikowski. His five punts averaged 53.6 yards per attempt, with a long of 61 yards and two times downed at the 3.“I’m really fired up about that,” coach Pete Carroll said.PADS POPPINGChris Carson carried seven times for 26 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 20 yards for the Seahawks, who are trying to regenerate the power running attack that helped them reach two straight Super Bowls. Rookie Rashaad Penny, who’s also expected to factor heavily in the ground game this season, broke his finger in practice last week and did not play.The defense, which is undergoing a more significant renovation with Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/bobby-evans-jersey , Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman all moved on. The Seahawks are at least set at linebacker with Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright.Wagner sacked Cousins for what would’ve been a 13-yard loss on third-and-goal at the 5, but Shaquill Griffin was called for holding Stefon Diggs during the play. Wright delivered a jarring shoulder tackle on Diggs, who was targeted eight times. Newcomer Barkevious Mingo delivered his share of blows in the first half, too.“I thought we played with good juice tonight,” Carroll said. “I like the way that we’re learning to hit.”COOK’S BACKMurray took over for Dalvin Cook, who had two carries on the first drive to complete his recovery from reconstructive knee surgery last season.“I got in, I got banged up a little bit, got that out of the way,” Cook said. “Now it’s just time for everybody to know I can play football.”BACKUPS COME UP BIGDavid Moore caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Alex McGough for the Seahawks and had a 75-yard punt return for a score called back by a holding penalty.For the Vikings, Sloter’s touchdowns went to Jake Weineke and Chad Beebe , before the go-ahead 2-point conversion completion to Weineke again. Weineke is a Minnesota native, undrafted from South Dakota State. Beebe, from Northern Illinois, is the son of former Buffalo folk hero Don Beebe.NATIONAL ANTHEMThree Seahawks players continued their practice of leaving the field during the singing of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and returning shortly after: offensive tackle Duane Brown, defensive end Branden Jackson and defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson.INJURY REPORTSeahawks: Fourteen injured players were listed on the inactive list, including WR Doug Baldwin (knee), CB Byron Maxwell (ankle) and SS Bradley McDougald (pectoral). Baldwin and Maxwell have been out the whole preseason. FS Tedric Thompson hurt his ribs during a first-quarter tackle, Carroll said, but he returned.Vikings: Nine injured players were listed on the did-not-dress list, including DE Everson Griffen (lower leg), CB Mackensie Alexander (ankle) and C Pat Elflein (ankle/shoulder). Diggs immediately went to the sideline with some apparent discomfort after the collision with Wright, but he came back.UP NEXTThe Seahawks host Oakland in their final exhibition game on Thursday.The Vikings play at Tennessee to wrap up the preseason slate on Thursday.