In the last five days, the New England Patriots defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets. moving to a 9-2 record. They currently have the best winning percentage (.818) of the NFL this season. Finishing their Week 11, they have earned themselves a well-deserved three-day break before finally getting back to work. Even head coach Mike Vrabel has announced that he needs time away from the team.

“I’m proud to be your coach and I appreciate how you f***ing play, okay? But I’m also gonna enjoy a couple days away from you,” Vrabel said after the victory over the Jets.

The timing of this mini-break could be good for New England, with a full bye week also approaching in Week 14. Vrabel’s decision to give his players a three-day breather falls perfectly in line, allowing the team to recover after a hectic few days.

Ahead of his time away from the squad, Vrabel’s foresight has been decisive in the last two games. With just 1:44 remaining in the second quarter before halftime, New England was trailing Tampa Bay 10-7. It was 1st & goal when Vrabel surprisingly instructed his quarterback, Drake Maye, to purposely not score the touchdown immediately at the 1-yard line.

By doing this, with the Bucs already out of timeouts, the Patriots were able to run out the clock and maintain possession. This prevented the Buccaneers from getting the ball back before halftime. Later, New England scored a touchdown on the next play, taking the lead as Vrabel envisioned. This wasn’t the first time Vrabel tricked the opponent with his sneaky moves. These plays come from a thought-out coaching philosophy.

For Vrabel, it is important to focus on 4Hs (hometown, heartbreak, hero, and hope) for his team.

“The better you know somebody and understand who they’re playing for, and trying to support, the things going on outside of [football], there’s a lot of similarities, and I think the better it is to work with them,” Vrabel said in a press conference.

His coaching style is energetic and sometimes tough, but it keeps the team motivated to achieve victory in crucial games. As the Patriots continue to respond to that approach, they now find themselves riding a surge of momentum. A run of victories that has quietly grown into their longest winning streak since a special player’s final season in New England.

The Patriots have the longest winning streak since Tom Brady’s last season

New England advanced to 9-2 after winning over New York in Week 11. They have now won 8 straight games, matching Tom Brady‘s 2019 stint. They were well perched atop the AFC East standings, and the win over the Jets further strengthened the position.

The offense led by Drake Maye was exceptional throughout the game. The 23-year-old QB went 25 of 34 for 281 yards and a touchdown. But the highlight of the entire night was running back TreVeyon Henderson, who had a hat-trick of touchdowns. He rushed for two TDs and received the third one.

“No home runs tonight, but I thought he grinded out pretty much what was there,” Vrabel said about Henderson after the game.

The defense also did its job with 58 tackles on the Jets and 2 sacks. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore came up with his first sack of the season, with Elijah Ponder adding one too.

If the Patriots had any skeptics left, this stretch is silencing them. With momentum building on both sides of the ball. After such crucial wins and a long week, both Vrabel and the team deserve a three-day rest.