"High stakes: The Patriots clinch the AFC East title if they beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), which makes this the franchise's highest-stakes game at Gillette Stadium since ... Jan. 1, 2023, when a 23-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins evened their record at 8-8 and kept slim playoff hopes alive (they lost the next week on the road and didn't qualify); Jan. 2, 2022, when a 50-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars improved them to 10-6 in quarterback Mac Jones' rookie season and they clinched a playoff berth (they lost in the wild-card round on the road); Jan. 4, 2020, when a 20-13 loss to the Mike Vrabel-coached Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round of the playoffs ended their season at 12-5, and was ultimately Tom Brady's final game with the franchise. The answer might vary depending on one's viewpoint, but for those who picked Brady's finale, there is no argument that it's the most compelling choice. It's been a long five years for the Patriots since, with their 2025 resurgence sparked by Vrabel, whose presence on the home sideline Sunday completes the high-stakes circle."
""This is a great stage that we've put ourselves on," Vrabel said."
"Vrabel, in his introductory news conference as Patriots coach Jan. 13, pinpointed the division title as the team's first goal. He also shared that with players."
New England can clinch the AFC East by defeating the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, turning the Gillette Stadium matchup into the franchise's most high-stakes home game in years. Comparable pivotal home games referenced include Jan. 1, 2023 (23-21 win over Miami), Jan. 2, 2022 (50-10 win over Jacksonville that clinched a playoff berth) and Jan. 4, 2020 (20-13 wild-card loss to the Titans that was Tom Brady's final game). The 2025 resurgence centers on Mike Vrabel’s return to Gillette, and Vrabel made the division title the team’s initial objective and communicated that goal to players.
Read at ESPN.com
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