Mike Vrabel can become first person to complete incredible NFL double

For the first time since the 2018 season, the New England Patriots are heading back to the Super Bowl.

The Patriots secured their spot at Super Bowl LX with a hard-fought 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Quarterback Drake Maye leads the team to the NFL Championship Game in his second year in the league, just as Tom Brady did before him.

This AFC Championship triumph is a feeling that Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel knows well, having clinched four conference titles during his time as a player in New England.

If the Patriots are successful on February 8, Vrabel will become the first person to win a Super Bowl as player and coach with the same team.

Super Bowl appearances as player and coach

With Sunday’s win, Vrabel joins Gary Kubiak on the short list of people to have reached a Super Bowl as player and coach with the same team. Kubiak was the quarterback for the Denver Broncos in their appearances at Super Bowl XXI (1986 season), Super Bowl XXII (1987 season) and Super Bowl XXIV (1989 season). Unfortunately for him, all three ended in defeat.

However Kubiak was able to redeem himself at Super Bowl 50 (2015 season) when he coached the Broncos team to a national championship.

In comparison, Vrabel’s Super Bowl appearances have been much more successful. As a player he was victorious at Super Bowl XXXVI (2001 season), Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003 season) and Super Bowl XXXIX (2004 season). He did suffer a loss in Super Bowl XLII (2007 season).

Speaking after the AFC Championship victory on Sunday, he insisted that it will be the Patriots players who will deserve credit if they end the season as NFL champions: “It’ll be the players that’ll win the game. I promise you. It won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise I’ll do everything that I can to, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”

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