Patriots defensive players express confidence in new play caller

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Patriots defensive players express confidence in new play caller

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Fri, Sep 12, 2025 ·

3 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots will have a new defensive play-caller when they take on the Miami Dolphins this weekend.

On Friday, Mike Vrabel announced that Zak Kuhr will take over responsibilities from defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who stepped away from the Patriots this week due to "unforeseen" circumstances.

For Patriots defensive players, however, the coordinator change doesn't feel all that different.

This spring, when Williams was out due to a medical situation, Kuhr stepped into his role on the practice field and in the meeting room. On Friday, defensive players told MassLive that the situation prepared them for this week.

"We're really familiar with him and how he does things," defensive tackle Milton Williams said. "In OTAs, he was calling our defense. When we were in meetings, he was heading our meetings and all that stuff. Yeah, we're real familiar with what he's trying to get accomplished. We just have to go out there and execute what he calls, and shoot, try to get the win."

"We all trust each other. We trust coach (Kuhr) as much as we trust T (Williams)," safety Jaylinn Hawkins added. "We feel confident, confident in each other. He's been around the system. He knows. Yeah, highly confident. Don't look at it any different. We've just got to execute the game plan. That's the biggest thing."

Before working in the NFL, Kuhr coached on offense at several college programs, including serving as offensive coordinator at Texas State. He met Vrabel as an intern for Ohio State in 2011. He moved to defense under Vrabel.

Kuhr spent four seasons in Tennessee working in Vrabel's defensive scheme as a quality control coach and then as an inside linebackers coach. Last year, he worked with New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who was Vrabel's coordinator in Tennessee, as a defensive assistant.

As the Patriots' inside linebackers coach, Kuhr works with a group that includes Robert Spillane , Christian Elliss , and Jack Gibbens .

Gibbens was also coached by Kuhr for two seasons with the Titans.

"Zak's been great to work with ever since back in Tennessee," Gibbens said. "He's just always shows up prepared. He really cares about the guys. That's the No. 1 thing about him, he wants to succeed and help us any way he can. That's something I really appreciate about him. He's a super hard-working and invests in us as players and as people. Love working with a guy like that."

Although he holds the title of inside linebackers coach, Patriots players said Kuhr has done a good job of staying involved in all areas of the team's defense. Rookie safety Craig Woodson noted that Kuhr has frequently stopped to check in on their position meetings to talk about the team's scheme.

This weekend, Kuhr will be tasked with slowing down a Miami Dolphins offense that can wreak havoc on opposing defenses. Patriots players maintain their confidence in their coach and say that the work they did with him in the spring prepared them for this exact situation.

"I think everybody has confidence in him because he stepped up in that situation great," said Gibbens. "He's been in front of a room before at the college level as a coordinator. He seems super comfortable up there. I think he's done a great job."

"It helps definitely. We have familiarity with him," Woodson added. "He's a great coach, so we know that even though Big-T is not going to be here, we'll still be in good hands."

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