The New England Patriots have high hopes that the Mike Vrabel era will see the team begin its climb back to glory in the AFC East. A division title over the Buffalo Bills does not appear to be in the cards for the current season, but an 8- or 9-win season would represent significant improvement and indicate that the team is regaining its footing.
The championships of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era are in the long-ago past, soon to become the distant past. Now it's about building a dominating defense and a respectable offense.