Hey, what's up everybody.

Welcome into Tom Carman's Patriots Talk podcast coming off the bye week, feeling spry.

Phil will join in just a second.

I'm going to monologue.

You know, on January 13th, when Mike Vrable met with the media,

he wondered if his team would be able to take advantage of bad football.

They have come a long, long way.

Now, dripping from the lips of the Patriots head coach are words like playing like champions and playing

for championships. The bar has been raised.

Is Mike Vrable on Monday speaking about what the Patriots have at stake this weekend?

Hats and T-shirts.

No, I don't use a hat and t-shirt.

We're just trying to play for the championship that we have available this week. And I think it's a great testament to our players that have put us in this position

to be able to do that. The Patriots can clinch the division with a win over the bills on Sunday.

So for those of us who thought the Patriots getting to the periphery of the playoff

conversation in December would be a sign of great growth, this is a little bit mind-blowing.

And I guarantee you that these players who have been pushed together at a big jambalaya of new

guys are probably turning around and looking at each other once in a while and saying,

this is a little

mind-blowing.

Did we expect to be here?

So maybe Mike Vrable, who's pulled every lever and pushed every button so well all season

...