FOXBORO — Mike Vrabel’s latest inspirational tool for the Patriots is pretty straightforward.

A win this week means the Patriots have captured the AFC East for the first time in six years. They would be greeted by AFC East championship hats and T-shirts with a win.

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“I don’t use the hat and T-shirt. We’re just trying to play for the championship that we have available this week,” Vrabel said Monday. “And I think it’s a great testament to our players that have put us in this position to be able to do that.

“That’s not going to be easy. This is a very good football team. There’s a reason that they’ve won this division five years in a row. A lot of respect for them. They’re never out of it, never down, and they may be down, and just like last week, it’s a football team tha

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