Kicking off
The Patriots are back from the bye week with one simple mission: Beat Buffalo.
Doing so will allow the Patriots to clinch the AFC East division title for the first time since 2019 and punch their ticket into the playoffs.
Along with the Patriots taking down the Bills in Buffalo Week 5, Mike Vrabel's team needs to double their pleasure in Foxborough on Sunday.
"We're playing for a championship this week," Vrabel said during his weekly appearance on WEEI. "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 - something that this team hasn't done in five years, or that Buffalo has done five years in a row.
"To do that, you have to go out and play a certain way, and you have to do things to continue to improve ... understand that this is a great opportunity for us this week here at home."
Even though the Patriots have beaten teams with winning records (Bills, Buccaneers, Panthers), and have ripped off 10 straight wins, there is still some hesitation to embrace them as a legitimate contender.
The actually opened as underdogs in Sunday's matchup.
"Good," Stefon Diggs said with a smile, adding that it gives the team an "edge" and "something to prove."
It fuels the motto the Patriots have adopted in: "Nobody believes in us, but us."
Beyond that, the best way to stifle critics is to take the Bills down a second time, and make another statement - one that's critique-proof.
Here's some clips from the week:
