Even though Mike Vrabel spent eight seasons in New England as a player and appeared in 142 games for the Patriots, his arrival as head coach this offseason marked the beginning of a new era. There are multiple concrete signs of that ranging from scheme to postgame huddle (gone are the days of the “Aww yeah!”).

The latest item to add to that list is the notion of the “Hat and T-shirt Game.” Vrabel told reporters earlier this week, leading up to his team’s potentially division-clinching game against the Buffalo Bills.

“I don’t use the hat and T-shirt,” he said on Monday. “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.”

Over the last two-plus decades,

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