"It's Mike Vrabel's job to downplay the significance of one regular season game out of 17. Yes, his New England Patriots can clinch the AFC East title with a win at home Sunday against rival Buffalo. They could also clinch it later down the line, say Week 17, when the Patriots play the Jets, and the Bills play the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Pick your favorite NFL cliche. Vrabel could've bored us all to death with them this week."
"Vrabel's been preaching two words to both his team and Patriots fans entering Sunday's massive showdown: "Championship Week." He hasn't been afraid to say those words publicly. In fact, he doubled down during his weekly appearance on WEEI's Greg Hill morning show. "We're playing for a championship this week," Vrabel said. "Each week, you have a new opportunity, a new message. And this is a championship week for us, an opportunity to win the AFC East.""
"Just to be clear, Sunday's 1 p.m. (EST) Patriots-Bills kickoff in Foxboro is not technically an AFC East championship game. It is for New England (11-2), as a win clinches its first division title since 2019. It's not for Buffalo (9-4), though; two games back in the standings, all a Bills win would do is extend the division race another week."
Mike Vrabel urged his team and fans to treat the Week 13 Patriots-Bills matchup as "Championship Week," framing it as an opportunity to win the AFC East. A New England victory in Foxboro would clinch the franchise's first division title since 2019. Buffalo sits two games back, so a Bills win would only prolong the race. The game carries added significance after New England's Week 5 road upset of Buffalo and represents a level of intensity Patriots fans have not felt since Tom Brady's departure six years ago. A Patriots loss could affect their pursuit of the No. 1 overall seed.
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