"The optics of a fired-up Mike Vrabel clanging skulls with his players along the sideline stands in stark contrast to the stoic scowl put on by Bill Belichick during New England's two-decade dynasty. But as The Outfield's "Your Love' blared across Foxborough on Sunday evening amid a playoff win over the Texans, the results felt all too familiar for the Patriots and their fans."
"With New England now just one win away from a 12th trip to the Super Bowl, the good ol' days are back. And far sooner than anyone could have expected. It's a reality that still feels rooted in surrealism - with Mike Vrabel and the Patriots going from a four-win team destined for a long rebuild into a legitimate AFC juggernaut in record time."
"For most fans, the 2025 Patriots have been operating with " house money " for weeks, if not months, to this point. Amid all of the hope rooted in Vrabel's arrival as a proven helmsman offering a steadying hand to a rudderless franchise, few expected New England to be a playoff team this winter - and especially not a legitimate Super Bowl contender."
New England sits one win from Super Bowl LX with a victory over an injury-depleted Broncos. A playoff win over the Texans reinforced a sense of postseason familiarity and revival for the Patriots and their fans. Mike Vrabel's energized sideline demeanor contrasts sharply with the stoic posture of the Bill Belichick era. The team transformed rapidly from a four-win squad into a legitimate AFC powerhouse in record time. The accelerated turnaround arrived six years after Tom Brady's departure and has left many fans treating the season as unexpected upside, having earlier projected a modest win total.
Read at Boston.com
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