Before the 2025 season began, predictions for how the Patriots would fare were all over the place, with some analysts believing they could be a playoff contender, especially since their schedule was viewed to be one of the easiest, while others didn't think they'd win many more games than they did last year.
Now that they have gone on a six-game win streak and go into November with a 7-2 record, the conversation about just how easy their schedule has been and will be has started up again, becoming a big talking point about how Mike Vrabel has been able to lead the team to such success so quickly.
Despite beating teams like the Bills in Buffalo and barely scraping by the Falcons at home, the ongoing narrative that the Patriots haven't beaten anyone of note has now become the go-to argument doubters use to question their current success, particularly with the Bucs next on the docket.
But that's not something Mike Vrabel wants to hear.
Mike Vrabel wants to hear nothing about the Patriots' easy 2025 schedule
Because analysts and fans have dismissed their latest win over the Falcons, it didn't take long in Vrabel's weekly Monday morning interview for the hosts of WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" to ask the head coach about their "easy schedule."
Vrabel was visibly frustrated about that notion and immediately dismissed it as a ridiculous stat for the NFL to keep.
What does Vrabel make of the "strength of schedule talk"
— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) November 3, 2025
Vrabel: "I love your little smirk over there".
"That's mind boggling to me in the #NFL that there would be strength of schedule (Talk)". "I'm never going to apoligize for our guys winning" #patriots #balance #win pic.twitter.com/2321ZZSmX7
Considering the schedules are made based on how the teams fared the year before, there is no way they could have known how good or bad teams would be in 2025. Not to mention, anything can happen on any given Sunday.
The Patriots have no control over how their schedule turns out; like any other team, they play whoever is on the schedule. And just because those opponents have losing records or aren't playing well shouldn't negate what the Patriots are doing.
They are far exceeding all expectations for how their season was supposed to go, and a big reason is Vrabel's influence and Drake Maye's second-year jump working alongside Josh McDaniels.
But discrediting what the Patriots do is nothing new, and maybe this is just the latest sign that they are officially back and the league is not happy about it.