Hard to overstate how big this Sunday is for the New England Patriots. Chance to take sole possession of the AFC's No. 1 seed right before a TNF game, a chance for the season sweep vs. the NFC South, and a chance to really cement home the fact that this is a tough team to deal with on the road by winning five in a row away from Foxborough in 2025.

The Miracle on Ice, Appalachian State beating No. 2 Michigan, the New England Patriots winning in Miami, Florida (2025), and UMBC beating Arizona as a March Madness 16 seed. These are just some of the many great upset moments in sports that remind us that the indomitable human spirit can overcome anything and that anything is possible.

All week, the Patriots (rightfully) highlighted the importance of "winning" the second half of games, and wouldn't you know it, that's where their worst football as a team would come from. Not that it was a spectacular first half from them either, but the lack of a coherent run game, ability to take advantage of good passing opportunities because Maye was either being pressured off the edge or just sailing balls, and the cavalcade of chunk plays allowed...

Over the last seven or eight years, Week 1 has been a mixed bag for the Patriots, but no matter who has headed the sidelines, been the top dog under center, or played on defense, home openers have been a major struggle for this team during the same timeframe. Going into Mike Vrabel's first-ever regular season game coaching the team he played eight seasons for, New England has dropped their last four home openers, as well as five of their previous eight.