Mike Vrabel Needed Just One Season to Make Good on Lofty Goals He Set for Patriots

New England’s new coach had an eye for what he wanted his team to accomplish this season.

Mike Vrabel and the Patriots are AFC East champions. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Patriots are AFC East champions.

With their 42–10 victory over the Jets on Sunday—coupled by the Bills’ loss to the Eagles in Buffalo—New England clinched the division for the first time since 2019, a remarkable turnaround for a team that won just four games a season ago.

While their accomplishments so far this year have come as a surprise to many—especially given the state of the franchise this past offseason—head coach Mike Vrabel seemingly had this outcome in mind all along. During his introductory press conference back in January, the 50-year-old clearly outlined his expectations for the Patriots moving forward.

“Our goals will be to win the AFC East, to host home playoff games, and to compete for championships,” he explained when asked about what his program will look like. “That's what it's going to take. And what the timeline is—just like we say with injuries, like we're not going to put a timeline on an injury—and we're certainly not going to put a timeline on what those will be. But that's going to be the expectations.”

From Vrabel’s introductory press conference:

(🎥: @ThrowbackPATS)pic.twitter.com/EOA7r9RHmx https://t.co/vnBlElBDNQ

— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) December 29, 2025

FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark

“And we're going to work like crazy,” Vrabel continued. “We're going to compete like crazy, we're going to give the players a plan, and they're going to form an identity on the field in the way that we're going to play and play for each other that they're going to be proud of.”

Fast forward to less than 12 months later, and the Patriots are already sporting hats and T-shirts that read “AFC East Champions” across the front—and, perhaps more importantly, they’ve established an on-field identity conducive to winning football.

Patriots identity is among the many reasons why they’re 13–3, AFC East champions

Drake Maye found Efton Chism III in the end zone for his first NFL touchdown on Sunday. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

While having an MVP-caliber quarterback in Drake Maye under center certainly helps, the Patriots’ style of play this season has been a major factor in their success so far this season.

For starters, the signing of Stefon Diggs this offseason was questioned by some, given his history of being labeled a "diva" wide receiver and that he was coming off a torn ACL on the wrong side of 30. In response? The veteran pass catcher has not only led New England in targets (99), catches (82), yards (970), and first downs (48) so far this season, but has also embraced his role in a Patriots system that's always been receiver-by-committee.

“I would never sit up here and act like a robot and act like I don’t want the ball,” Diggs explained a few weeks ago. “But I can tell you the guy next to me right here, and the guy next to him, everybody wants the ball ... it’s like seven dogs and one bone ... you just don’t know when you’re gonna get it again it’s a lot of guy that can get open and play at a high-level ... you’re pulling for your brother and that’s why you see guys blocking down field for a receiver and you see guys throwing a extra little block here and there, it’s just cuz you really willing to do it for your brother, and you care for him.”

Moreover, New England’s defense—though inconsistent over the latter half of the season—can never be questioned for effort. Play, after play, after play, after play, all 11 men can be seen rallying to the football, playing through the whistle, and leaving no stone unturned against the opposing offense. Case in point: K’Lavon Chaisson’s game-sealing forced fumble last Sunday against the Ravens.

Oh yeah—and they've also done their best to take advantage of bad football, as evidenced by their complete throttling of the Jets in Week 17.

Said victory now officially sets the Patriots up for their first home playoff game since 2019, oddly enough, a loss to the Titans—who at the time were led by Vrabel.

Next up for New England? Competing for championships. At least according to the coach himself.

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