Why ‘championship’ is the word of the week for Mike Vrabel’s Patriots

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Why ‘championship’ is the word of the week for Mike Vrabel’s Patriots

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Mon, Dec 8, 2025 ·

3 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – Mike Vrabel didn’t hold back when the Patriots beat the New York Giants one week ago. Following the victory, the coach told his team they had played like champions and added that the games were only going to get bigger.

Following the team’s bye week, Vrabel’s team has a chance to secure the AFC East title with a win over the Buffalo Bills .

That’s why one of the main words this week is “championship.”

‘We’re just trying to play for the championship that we have available this week, and I think it’s a great testament to our players that have put us in this position to be able to do that,” Vrabel said on Monday. “Again, that’s not going to be easy. This is a very good football team. There’s a reason that they’ve won this division five years in a row. A lot of respect for them. They’re never out of it, never down, and they may be down, and just like last week, it’s a football team that understands that somebody’s going to make a play. And then the quarterback is going to give them a chance to the very end.”

As Vrabel said, the Bills have won the last five-straight division titles. The last time they didn’t, Tom Brady and the Patriots won the AFC East during the 2019 season. After Brady left, the Bills’ reign over the division began.

With reigning MVP Josh Allen , Buffalo entered this season as massive favorites in the division and one of the top favorites in the conference. However, Vrabel’s team, led by current MVP favorite Drake Maye , has been the biggest surprise in the NFL.

At 11-2, with one win over Buffalo already, the Patriots will clinch the AFC East for the first time since Brady left if they beat the Bills on Sunday inside Gillette Stadium.

“It’s what you play for,” Patriots tight end Austin Hooper said. “Obviously, I got the opportunity to come back here, again (in free agency). It feels a little different this time of year, really being able to compete for this division. If you’re a competitive individual, this is exactly the situation you want to be in.”

Following two 4-win seasons, the Patriots are back on top under Vrabel’s lead. The words ‘champion’ and ‘championship’ are spoken out loud inside Gillette Stadium, players said they know that talk only means so much.

It’s up to them to make it a reality.

“Our expectation is that. That’s the first thing,” Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones said. “Of course, saying the word doesn’t mean anything unless you’re able to do it. We’re trying to take advantage of this week and then go from there.”

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