Mike Vrabel won a lot of games as a player for the New England Patriots from 2001 to 2008 — 97, to be exact.
And now that he’s the head coach of the team he won three Super Bowls for, the team is experiencing the same kind of renaissance it did in the early years of former head coach Bill Belichick.
New England went 4-13 in 2024 under former head coach Jerod Mayo, another former Patriots player who had internal support stepping into a coaching role.
But after a tumultuous season that raised questions about his leadership, Mayo was fired and replaced with Vrabel, who had taken a year off after being fired by the Tennessee Titans.
One year into Vrabel’s tenure, the Patriots are sitting at 13-3 and can lock up an AFC East championship with either a Buffalo Bills loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday or a win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.
Vrabel Joins an Exclusive Head-Coaching Club
GettyNew England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
New England entered Sunday’s matchup against the New York Jets having won 12 of its last 13 games.
The red-hot Patriots cruised at MetLife Stadium, taking a 42-10 win over their division rival, and helping Vrabel make a little NFL history in the process.
“.@Patriots HC Mike Vrabel has led the team to 13 wins in his first year as head coach. In @NFL history, only two other coaches have led their teams to at least 13 wins in their first season: Jim Caldwell (Colts, 2009, 14-2) and George Seifert (49ers, 1989, 14-2),” the team announced on X.
Playoff appearances, double-digit wins, and division titles are nothing new for Vrabel.
During his six-year stint with the Titans, Vrabel had four winning seasons, three playoff appearances, two AFC South division titles, and he made one AFC Championship Game appearance.
Drake Maye States His MVP Case
GettyNew England Patriots QB Drake Maye
Maye has been dynamite for the Patriots all season, and Sunday against the Jets was no different.
The second-year signal-caller completed 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards, 5 touchdowns and zero interceptions. It marked a career-high for him in single-game touchdowns, and it marked just the second time in his career he threw 3 or more touchdowns without an interception.
Maye’s performance also pushed him over 4,000 yards for the first time in his career. The former No. 3 overall pick entered Week 17 fourth in the NFL in passing yards, and he left MetLife Stadium with 4,203 yards passing and 30 touchdowns.
The North Carolina alum also began the week leading the NFL in completion percentage (70.9%), which actually jumped to 71.7% after Sunday’s victory.
If anyone wasn’t convinced Maye was a true MVP candidate before Week 16, they were likely convinced after his performance in New York.
Maye entered the game second din MVP odds (+180), behind only Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (-225), according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Stafford leads the NFL in touchdowns (40) and passer rating (112.1), and he ranks third in passing yards (4,179). It might be tough for Maye to close the gap, but he’s certainly putting forth a strong effort.
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