It's no secret that the Patriots are the inarguable underdogs going into their Sunday Night Football matchup with the Bills in Week 5, as everyone is expecting them to lose to the reigning divisional champions in primetime. Although there's always a chance for a sneaky win, the Patriots are far from being in the same position as the Bills, so a win seems more unlikely.
The players are very aware of this, just like the fans are, and it became a topic of conversation in the locker room in the days leading up to the contest.
That's typically not something we'd hear from the Patriots, as Bill Belichick infamously wanted the roster to ignore the noise, but it's difficult to do that when facing the final undefeated team of the 2025 season.
It might not be something fans want to hear, but the players have turned it into a unique motivating factor for a matchup they're hoping will serve as a gauge for where they are compared to the rest of the league.
The Patriots are using their underdog status vs. the Bills as motivation to prove the doubters wrong
While discussing the game in his latest Sunday piece, ESPN's Mike Reiss noted some noteworthy preparations the team was undertaking, all of which aimed to fuel the underdog mentality and foster the "Patriots against the world" mindset.
"By the end of the week, when players said Vrabel had music blaring at practice that included the Bills' "Shout" song which often has fans in Orchard Park dancing in celebration, there seemed to be a collective embracing of an "us against the world" approach in the locker room.
That led one player to ask a reporter their game prediction. It was a Bills win, which further added to the underdog vibe."
Considering everyone has chosen the Bills to win, it's unsurprising that the Patriots have heard all about it and are embracing their role as the underdog. They have been an inconsistent team through the first month of the year, so it was doubtful that any analyst would pick them as a shocking winner.
But that doesn't mean they can't do it, and utilizing their underdog status could be exactly the boost they need to get the job done on Sunday night. It would certainly be one of the more shocking parts of the season so far, and really prove just how impactful Mike Vrabel has been on the players in just a short amount of time.