They are the Mike Vrabel-Drake Maye Patriots now, and Sunday at Gillette Stadium they have a chance to clinch their first AFC East championship.
Not so long ago, when we watched the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady Patriots, winning the division was something that happened here annually — like February Fenway Truck Day, the Pops on the Fourth, and Allston Christmas on Labor Day Weekend. From 2001-19, the Patriots won the AFC East 17 times in 19 seasons.
That all ended when Brady left. Belichick lost his way, and the Patriots wandered aimlessly across the NFL landscape. Five long years came and went with no division titles and no playoff victories.
There is great symbolism and symmetry in the presence of Josh Allen and the Bills at Gillette. Buffalo replaced New England atop the AFC East in 2020 and has finished first every year since. With a win Sunday, the Patriots have a chance to say, “Thanks for filling in, guys. We’ve got it from here.”
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