The New England Patriots have looked quite different from last year's team just seven games into the 2025 NFL campaign. After some early season struggles, head coach Mike Vrabel has helped lead the Patriots' on a four-game win streak, with the last three wins all on the road. Most recently, the Patriots won 31-13 against Vrabel's old team, the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, improving to 5-2.
With five wins this year, Vrabel has surpassed the total wins of the previous two seasons, which were both four. Although it's still early, the Patriots currently hold first place in the AFC East and are second in the AFC, trailoing the Indianapolis Colts.
It seems likely that the Patriots could return to the postseason for the first time since the 2021 season, and one major reason for the Patriots' turnaround has been the culture that Vrabel has instilled.
Patriots Are Closer Than Ever Under HC Mike Vrabel
An important factor for any team is that the coaches and players are able to bond and enjoy being around each other. After the Titans' win, wideout DeMario Douglas spoke to the media about the teams bond.
"This is the first team that the offense and defense are close (personally)," Douglas said, via the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan. "We're close."
Fans can see the energy the guys have on the field and on the sidelines. Vrabel has had a huge impact in building this culture, with him congratulating the guys after games. By being there for everyone, New England's players and coaches will build trust between each other by seeing how much Vrabel cares about everyone, making it easier to have one another's back on the gridiron.
In the locker room after the Titans win, the players gave a game ball to Vrabel. Some might look at this as routine for some games, but seeing the enjoyment of the team being around each other is much different than these past couple of seasons. Seeing this level of a bond between the Patriots roster and coaching staff is encouraging.
Looking back at the past couple of years, the culture of the teams was off, between Bill Belichick's exit and Jerod Mayo's forgettable run. You couldn't feel the excitement that you see from this team, and it shows on the field. When Vrabel took the head coaching job, the biggest need was improving the team's culture, and he's done an excellent job in just seven short weeks.
The Patriots will host the 2-5 Cleveland Browns on Sunday, which will put the team's bond to the test. Nevertheless, the early returns this season have proven that New England will be just fine as long as Vrabel is leading the charge.