Vrabel on Pats Making Playoffs After 1-Year Turnaround: ‘We’re Not Here Just to Get Here’

‘We have to be able to host games and compete for championships,’ Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said ahead of the Pats’ first home playoff game in 6 seasons.

Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots reacts in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Jan. 4, 2026. Winslow Townson/Getty Images

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel says there are no consolation prizes for his team.

After a 20-year dynasty that included 6 Super Bowl Championships and 9 conference championships, the Pats wandered the desert for five years, only appearing in the Wild Card round one time. In Vrabel’s first season, the Pats went 14-3, won the AFC East, and finished second place in the conference.