After winning the AFC East 17 times in 19 seasons from 2001 to 2019, the New England Patriots have failed to capture the division five consecutive years since the beginning of the decade.

By virtue of their Week 5 upset of the Buffalo Bills (4-2), the Patriots (4-2) enter Week 7 atop the AFC East.

New England head coach Mike Vrabel was asked on Wednesday about the team being in first place and had a telling response.

“‘They’re not going to cancel the rest of the season…’ Mike Vrabel says, when asked about being in first place of the AFC East,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss posted on Bluesky.

“They’re not going to cancel the rest of the season …” Mike Vrabel says, when asked about being in first place of the AFC East — Mike Reiss (@mikereiss.bsky.social) 2025-10-15T17:35:15.033Z

The Patriots

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