FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — When the New England Patriots get their next win – and with a schedule this easy, that seems almost a sure thing – they will have matched their win total from the last two seasons combined.

That’s how far the six-time Super Bowl champions had fallen under Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo, and how quickly Mike Vrabel has turned things around. The Patriots (7-2) have won six straight games to move into first place in the AFC East following back-to-back last-place finishes.

“We are at a good spot. Could we be better? Hell, yeah,” receiver Stefon Diggs said after the Patriots beat Atlanta 24-23 on Sunday. “When it is early in the season and people come out with all these rankings, or where you could have been, don’t drink the Kool-Aid. That gets you distracted fast.”

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