The AFC East throne has officially been returned to Foxborough, Massachusetts. Winning the division was one of Mike Vrabel’s goals that he laid out when he first addressed the team on April 7. At the time, it seemed like a lofty task. The Buffalo Bills had dominated the AFC East since Tom Brady’s departure in 2019, and their star quarterback, Josh Allen, was coming off an MVP-winning season. Before the season began, Vegas Insider had the Bills listed at -285 to extend their AFC title streak to six years, but Vrabel and the Patriots had no interest in waiting in line.
Road to the AFC East Title
Patriots Beat the Jets
A few things had to happen this weekend in order for the Patriots to secure the division. First and foremost, the Patriots had to handle their business against the New York Jets on Sunday. The Patriots went into Sunday’s game dealing with multiple injuries amongst their starters. On offense alone, they were missing Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Kayshon Boutte, and Mack Hollins, who were all inactive. On defense, they were without Robert Spillane, Harold Landry, Milton Williams, and Khyris Tonga.
Despite the injuries, the Patriots put on a dominating performance, and the game was essentially over by halftime. In just two and a half quarters, Drake Maye finished the game, completing 19/21 of his passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns. The win propelled them to a 13-3 record. That, however, was not enough to seal up the AFC East title quite yet. The Buffalo Bills had not yet been eliminated, and they were hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. All eyes were on Buffalo, New York, once the Patriots’ game had ended.
Eagles Beat the Bills
The Eagles controlled the entire first half, jumping out to a 13-point lead going into halftime. As the Patriots learned firsthand, the Bills were not going down without a fight. The Bills scored twice in the second half, one of which came in the final seconds of the game. Head coach Sean McDermott decided to forego his chance at tying the game with an extra point and chose to put the ball in Josh Allen’s hands to potentially win the game. The Bills were unable to convert the two-point try and made it official. The Patriots were AFC East Champions.
The Patriots’ social team posted a video of the Patriots’ reaction to winning the division on their way home from their game. While the division title is something worth being celebrated, Vrabel said it best – it’s the first of many goals this team has.