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FOXBORO \u2014 The Patriots\u2019 goal has not changed as they enter Week 17 with a 12-3 record. They want to win the AFC East.<\/p>\n
Mike Vrabel\u2019s squad controls its own destiny to win the division. With wins over the Jets and Dolphins, they\u2019ll win the division for the first time since Tom Brady was at quarterback in 2019.<\/p>\n
Quarterback Drake Maye was asked about the team\u2019s vision over the last two weeks after clinching a playoff spot with Sunday night\u2019s win over the Ravens.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s as simple as go win the division. That\u2019s what the goal was. It wasn\u2019t to make the playoffs. It was to win the division, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to try to do,\u201d Maye said.<\/p>\n
That was the Patriots\u2019 goal even before they shocked the world by going on a 10-game winning streak midway through the season.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s still the goal as they currently stand tied with the Broncos and Seahawks for the NFL\u2019s best record.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust unfinished business. I can\u2019t focus on the next two weeks. We\u2019ve got to focus on this week and going on the road to a great environment, going to New York City, play the Jets and unfinished business,\u201d Vrabel said. \u201cWe want to be undefeated on the road. I think that that\u2019s something that\u2019s unique. I\u2019m sure you guys will tell me how many times it\u2019s happened before, but there you go. So, that\u2019s something that I think is special. Still want to play for the division. We want to win the division. Haven\u2019t done it in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jets and Dolphins will try to stand in their way and play spoiler with rookies at quarterback. The Jets are currently starting undrafted rookie Brady Cook at QB, while the Dolphins have turned to seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers.<\/p>\n
Vrabel isn\u2019t taking the Jets lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever we put out there and whoever we play with is going to have to have that in mind and be prepared to do that against a team that\u2019s playing some young guys,\u201d Vrabel said. \u201cThey\u2019ve got some good veterans. They\u2019re playing well on third down defensively. I think they have a really, really good offensive line. I think they move people. I like the way they play. I like their play demeanor. They\u2019ve got two really good, young, talented tackles. Guards try to finish you.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo again, they\u2019ve got speed, Breece Hall can make you miss. [Adonai] Mitchell\u2019s getting more comfortable in the offense and all that. So, there\u2019s some unfinished business. The season isn\u2019t over. This wasn\u2019t our goal and I\u2019m excited that we won, but we\u2019ve moved on.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Patriots already beat the Jets and Dolphins once each. They split their season series with the Bills.<\/p>\n
The Jets are 3-12 and led by first-year head coach Aaron Glenn. As Vrabel alluded to, they have spent high picks in back-to-back drafts on left tackle Olu Fashanu and right tackle Armand Membou.<\/p>\n
While, on paper, the Patriots shouldn\u2019t have a difficult time against the Jets, they are dealing with an unusual amount of injuries.<\/p>\n
Running back TreVeyon Henderson (concussion), wide receivers Kayshon Boutte (concussion) and DeMario Douglas (hamstring), offensive linemen Morgan Moses (knee), Thayer Munford (knee) and Jared Wilson (concussion), cornerbacks Charles Woods (ankle) and Carlton Davis (not announced) and defensive tackles Joshua Farmer (hamstring) and Khyiris Tonga (foot) all suffered injuries in Sunday\u2019s win over the Ravens. Linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) also didn\u2019t play in Week 15.<\/p>\n
The Patriots will still try to finish strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s really important. Coach (Josh) McDaniels has talked to me about improving and getting better in practice as you reach the end of the season and reach the playoff time,\u201d Maye said. \u201cYou want to feel like you\u2019re improving in practice and guys are practicing hard. That translates to the game. You want to practice well during the week, and you always feel like you play the best when you have a good week of practice. So, it\u2019s really big on continuing a little winning streak these last couple games, heading into the playoffs feeling good about ourselves and feeling like we\u2019ve still got some work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Patriots\u2019 goal has not changed with two weeks left and the playoff berth clinched.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[295,77,1046,531,1166,74,370,227,2052,225,1045,2051,226,2053,2055,2054,532],"class_list":["post-40443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-england-patriots","tag-2025-nfl-draft","tag-drake-maye","tag-eliot-wolf","tag-mike-vrabel","tag-new-england","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nfl-draft","tag-nfl-news","tag-nfl-patriots","tag-patriots","tag-patriots-2025","tag-patriots-game","tag-patriots-news","tag-patriots-schedule","tag-patriots-stats","tag-pats","tag-robert-kraft"],"yoast_head":"\n