Mike Vrabel responds to 11-2 Patriots being underdogs against 9-4 Bills

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 11-2 New England Patriots as 1.5-point underdogs for their home game versus the 9-4 Buffalo Bills this coming Sunday. 

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about the Bills being a road favorite for that contest. 

Mike Vrabel using Patriots-Bills line as bulletin-board material?

"It gets brought to attention," Vrabel said, per the Patriots' website. "I don't think that – every week you see in this league that records really don't mean anything, the point spreads and survivor pools get blown up every week, and all that other stuff. So, we're just trying to focus on our preparation here and getting back into it. Had a good day Monday, excited about the meetings thus far today, and then progress through the week."

On Oct. 5, the Patriots earned a 23-20 win at the Bills after Andres Borregales kicked a go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds remaining in the game. Since that time, New England has stretched its winning streak to 10 straight contests. The Patriots and 11-2 Denver Broncos are battling for the AFC's No. 1 seed, while the Bills haven't yet punched their ticket to the playoffs. 

The Patriots will claim the AFC East division title if they beat the Bills. 

Patriots "have something to prove" vs. Bills 

The perception exists that the Bills are more battle-tested than the Patriots as it pertains to playing massive games from early December through January. On Wednesday, New England wide receiver Stefon Diggs indicated he and others inside the locker room are embracing the fact that some still view the Patriots as pretenders rather than as contenders. 

"Edge. A real edge," Diggs said on Wednesday, according to Chris Mason of MassLive. "That’s why I said it was good. This team is full of (players) that were castoffs and people who were cut or people who didn’t necessarily get the opportunity that they wanted. However you dice it up. I feel like that’s good for us. Being an underdog, people like us have been an underdog our whole life. We’re going to have something to prove regardless of it. I think the main thing is it gets exciting when you’re an underdog, when you’ve got a lot to prove, when you’re playing with that edge, and you’re playing aggressive because nobody believes in us but us." 

Sunday's matchup between the division rivals could prove to be a preview of the AFC Championship Game. It could also be the last time that New England is an underdog for the foreseeable future.