3 and Out with John Middlekauff The emergence of Sam Darnold, Patriots HR with Mike Vrabel, Mailbag
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Jan 27, 2026 Discussion of Sam Darnold's unlikely resurgence and how teams misjudged his value. A look at Mike Vrabel's firing and New England's unexpected hiring win. Examination of coaching grind, high-risk coordinator jobs, and rare bridge head coach strategy. Listener mailbag covers fandom changes, trade ideas, special teams neglect, and playoff venue debates.
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Stick With High-Level Coaches
- Value coaches who can endure the grind and tell uncomfortable truths rather than chase niceness.
- Allow experienced coaches time to solve structural problems like quarterback instability.
High-Stakes Coordinator Job
- The Eagles offensive coordinator role is uniquely high-risk because success immediately launches careers while failure quickly derails them.
- Middlekauff notes candidates may hesitate given intense scrutiny replacing a poor predecessor.
Parenting Lesson With Baby Books
- John shares a parenting moment where he learned black-and-white baby books must be shown close to infants' eyes to engage them.
- He admits embarrassment for previously just reading aloud without displaying images.