FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Mike Vrabel likes the way the New England Patriots have been trending to start the season , winning five of six and vaulting to the top of the AFC East after dropping their season opener to Las Vegas.

He also recognizes that Sunday’s matchup against Cleveland (2-5) is pivotal for a group that, for whatever reason, hasn’t fared well at home. The Patriots (5-2) are 4-0 on the road but just 1-2 in their own building.

“It’s a big one, coming back home and just making sure that we don’t take anything for granted in our preparation,” Vrabel said.

Of the five teams the Patriots have beaten, only Carolina has a defense ranked in the top 10. Two of New England’s victories have come against teams with defenses ranked in the bottom third of the league (Miami, 26th; Tenne

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