Vince vow: Dogged determination
TEXANS NOTEBOOK
Vince Wilfork’s Houstons Texans are underdogs, but that doesn’t mean they have to wear that tag like a badge of honor. The defensive tackle, a veteran of Patriots teams that lost playoff games they weren’t supposed to lose, will remind his teammates not to make much of the 151⁄ point line installed for Saturday night’s AFC divisional round game at Gillette Stadium.
“I think (Monday) night we saw the game between Alabama and Clemson where these so-called experts had Clemson as underdogs,” Wilfork said on a conference call yesterday, referencing Monday’s national title game. “In 2007, those experts had the New York Giants as underdogs, and both of those teams went on to win the Super Bowl and the national championship. So it goes to show you what these experts know. One of the things is we don’t pay attention to outside, what people have to say about us or how good or how bad we are.”
The Texans never have beaten the Pats on the road. And since Wilfork left the Patriots and joined Houston, he’s 0-2 against his old team and has lost by an aggregate score of 54-6.
Still, he’s not giving in to those who say the Texans can’t win this week.
“We have a shot,” he said. “We gave ourselves a shot, we gave ourselves a chance to play for the big dance. We’re going to go in and play our tails off.”
Retirement talk can wait
Wilfork could be preparing for his final NFL game on the field where his 13-year NFL journey began. He reiterated yesterday that he’ll address talk of retiring when his team’s season ends.
“At this point in my career (retirement is) something I’ll think about once the season ends,” Wilfork said. “I’ll see what I really want to do, and it is hard to walk away from something that you love and have been playing for so long, but we can’t play the game forever. That’s a decision I’ll make at the end of the season after I’ve given it time and thought.”
The Texans signed Wilfork as a free agent before the 2015 season.
“When I hang my cleats up, I’m going to hang them up for good,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of football in my career, and I don’t regret anything I’ve done, and if I do call it quits, I’m happy with my career.”
Vrabel a wanted man
Houston linebackers coach Mike Vrabel has seen his name circulated below the radar screen for the head coach’s opening with the Los Angeles Rams. The former Pats player also has been mentioned for the position of defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
“Obviously, he had a 14-year career where he was an excellent team player and captain for a great organization in New England,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “I think people around the league recognize his knowledge and leadership capabilities and the type of guy he is. He has all the qualities to be a future head coach.”