Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up through BetMGM. 21+ only. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
It wasn’t too surprising when the New England Patriots quickly moved on from Jerod Mayo to hire Mike Vrabel as their next head coach this offseason. The surprising part has been how quickly Vrabel has returned this franchise to one of the best in the league, as he has his Pats at 9-2 and sitting pretty atop the AFC.
There have been some easy games along the way, but the record speaks for itself. New England is 9-2 heading into two more easy matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants over the next two weeks, but Vrabel has already joined some elite company due to the team’s record up to this point.
The Patriots’ official X account shared some insight into Vrabel’s accomplishments up to this point. With his ninth win last week, Vrabel became the team’s first head coach since Pete Carroll in 1997 to post a winning record in his first season at the helm, and sixth coach to accomplish the feat overall.
Establishing the program. pic.twitter.com/OJPQRm2smC
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 19, 2025
It’s no surprise that it has been nearly 30 years since a Patriots coach accomplished this, given how long Bill Belichick ran the show, and if Vrabel keeps winning at this rate, he’s going to start drawing more and more comparisons to the six-time Super Bowl champion. Surely, some of Belichick’s knowledge rubbed off on Vrabel, as he won three Super Bowls with Belichick as a player and even defeated him in the playoffs in 2020 when he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Nine wins surely isn’t enough to satisfy Vrabel and this fan base, and they’ll go for No. 10 on Sunday against the Bengals. It’s remarkable how quickly this team has turned around after just three wins last year, but if you ask Vrabel, he’d surely tell you he isn’t surprised at all.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Potential Return Timeline For Rhamondre Stevenson