New England Patriots - NESN.com
Chances are Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel won’t be taking the week off despite the bye week being a well-earned one.
That’s because Vrabel is not satisfied with being the No. 1 seed in the AFC after 13 games. There’s still a long way to go. Even after New England won 10 straight games, including its 33-15 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night.
“We’re not done. We’re not satisfied. Champions are never satisfied,” Vrabel told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, per the team. “I think you can appreciate where you are, but at the same time never be satisfied or complacent.
“There’s a fine line of what we have to do to be able to come back and understand just because you have a bye that doesn’t mean your guaranteed some victory the next week in this league.”
Teams are 16-12 coming off a bye week this season, Vrabel shared.
“So, obviously, the bye doesn’t guaranteed anything other than we should get some guys back that we didn’t have last night,” he said.
New England currently has the shortest odds to win the AFC (+420 on FanDuel Sportsbook). According to NFL.com, the Patriots have a 36 percent chance to claim the No. 1 seed in the AFC and thus a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Denver Broncos have a 48 percent chance to earn the top spot.
“Give them some time to reconnect with people that they care about and also be able to focus on football and us finishing this thing,” Vrabel said.
