There was an expected decline for the Patriots after Tom Brady left the team in 2020, especially with whoever wound up as the next quarterback, and the Patriots' quick demise turned out to be worse than anticipated.
That led to fans checking out of their fandom, for good reason or exhibiting fair-weather behavior, and that was incredibly apparent during home games over the last five years. For a team that has been sold out of season tickets since Robert Kraft bought the team in the mid-90s, it was a shocking sight to see little to no support for the Patriots during home games.
That has changed dramatically over the past year, and the biggest reason is Drake Maye and, of course, Mike Vrabel.
The excitement is back in Foxboro, and it's not just because of the impressive run the team is on this season; optimism about the future has Patriots fans buying back into the team, and that was surely evident in their last game vs. the Giants. It felt like the Brady era again, and the players are feeling it, too.
It is bringing back the home-field advantage that most teams are fortunate to have, but the Patriots had lost it in recent years. But that's not the case this year.
Patriots fans are finally giving the team a major boost during home games
While discussing the success of the 2025 season, cornerback Marcus Jones couldn't help but gush about the fans' support, especially how it is giving the defense even more energy when opposing offenses are on the field.
That could become a massive part of their efforts against the Bills on Sunday, with the division on the line and the chance to sweep them for the first time in six years.
#Patriots CB Marcus Jones on the fan support:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) December 8, 2025
“They’re very in tune. They’re making it harder for the opposing teams, and we love that, especially on the defensive side. The energy at home — we’re able to make more plays whenever we feel as though the fans are more involved.” pic.twitter.com/P7f7FpBj7A
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Besides the players' complete buy-in into the culture that Vrabel has brought to the locker room, motivating the team to play hard every week, the support from the fans, especially at home, is surely helping, too.
It's a major component of home games that helps teams push even harder, and that has been seriously lacking over the last few years in a very noticeable way.
Hopefully, with all that's on the line this Sunday, the fans will be extra present and throw the Bills off their game a bit, something their fans have been doing a lot of since they began dominating the division. But now it's the Patriots' turn again, and they will need that extra help this weekend to help prove the doubters more wrong and solidify their path to the playoffs.