Image courtesy of Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Not only has Mike Vrabel turned the Patriots around, he’s made them a contender in the AFC during a year where anything could be possible.

We’re a long way from the postseason, but with the conference seemingly wide open (although, Kansas City looks like Kansas City again), the Patriots won their fourth straight game on Sunday, 31-13 over the Titans in convincing fashion.

Mike Vrabel’s return to Tennessee got off to a slow start, but the Pats stepped on the gas late in the first half and early in the second before coasting to a 5-2 record.

Back in 1985, New England famously won three in a row on the road in the postseason to reach the Super Bowl. But, this was the first time during the regular season that the Patriots won three straight on the road.

“I think…an emotional game, an emotional stretch for us,” Vrabel said. “Something that this team and organization hasn’t done – and it’s done a lot. Doesn’t do anything, but again, the grind of coming back and getting prepared, staying in the game and we played really well in the second half. That’s what I’m really proud of.

“Sometimes, you don’t know how these games are going to go. We certainly have to start faster, but really proud of the way we played, giving up three points in the last two halves of football. Offensively, really – if we don’t beat ourselves – it’s been a good product and was that same way today. I love the fact that we’re finishing with the football…in the end, I felt like we did enough.

“So, (I’m) excited for these guys.”

As for the return for Vrabel, he and the team did a great job downplaying it throughout the week, but it was obviously big for him and his new players.

“Yeah, that’s pretty cool,” Maye said when asked if he heard the chants from Patriots fans for Vrabel in the final seconds.

“I think that’s always cool. I think he downplayed it all week, which we appreciated. You know, I think he focused on us and worried about us and that’s what matters. But, I know it feels good for him.”

Speaking of Maye, the MVP chatter will only get louder after a near perfect day.

Maye went 21-23 for 222 yards and no turnovers once again. He’s now 4-0 on the road this season with seven touchdowns and no picks. There was a scare in the third quarter where Josh Dobbs had to come in for three plays after Maye looked like he may need to go into concussion protocol, but he ended up finishing the drive and the game.

“There’s a lot of demand there from Josh (McDaniels), myself and I think he’s responded to that as far as the leadership that he’s had to show this offense,” Vrabel said of Maye. “Kept talking about ‘he wants to earn it,’ well, I’ve told him that he’s earned it. I think…he doesn’t like something in practice, then he gets it fixed. And if he wants a better Friday practice, then he talks about it before we go out there on a Friday.

“I think those guys respond to him and the things that he says and the way that he operates.”

In the first quarter and a half, Tennessee had little trouble moving the ball against the Patriots defense. The Titans led 10-3 after one – with Andy Borregales booting a 36-yader to briefly make it 6-6 – before Austin Hooper made a ridiculous leaping grab for a three-yard touchdown to make it 10-10 with 5:34 left in the half.

Tennessee got another field goal with 1:48 to go, but Maye needed just 49 seconds and three plays to put the Pats ahead again. Kayshon Boutte made a fantastic running catch on a 39-yard bomb on a post, tracking it down with blazing speed and catching it in his fingertips.

What made the TD even bigger, was the fact that the Patriots got the ball to start the third quarter.

The old Bill Belichick double score special was back.

With Rhamondre Stevenson (18 carries, 88 yards) and the running game finally getting rolling throughout the day, the Pats went on a 12-play, 88-yard drive that took 7:29 off the clock to start the third quarter and ended with a four-yard TD run by Stevenson to make it 24-13.

On the very next play following the kickoff, Cam Ward fumbled the ball pulling it back to wind up, handing K’Lavon Chaisson the easiest four-yard scoop-and-score touchdown he’ll ever have, suddenly making it an 18-point game.

From that point on, both teams appeared to know the game was over.

New England and Tennessee combined for five punts, a Titans’ turnover on downs and a Marcus Jones interception with 3:46 remaining.

The Patriots offense was able to kneel out the win as ‘Vra-bel! Vra-bel! Vra-bel!” chants rang out from Patriots fans scattered throughout Nissan Stadium.

Don’t book any flights to San Francisco or anything like that yet, but in a year where the Patriots have a historically easy schedule, quite possibly the best quarterback in the league and a favorite for Coach of the Year, why not start thinking big?

At the very least, as things currently stand, the Pats should expect to seriously contend for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

“Probably after the Vegas game,” Vrabel added when asked when he knew this team was fully buying in to him and the staff. “Us going on the road to Miami and having a difficult environment to play in the heat and the back-and-forth…I felt like that told us a lot about who we were. We kind of dipped our toe in the water the first game and I’m really proud of what they did in practice and going down there. I think that really showed them…it’s always been a tough place for us to play. I think that was really important for us and that created a lot of positive momentum. We didn’t get discouraged when we had a bunch of turnovers but had a chance against Pittsburgh.

“Then, we’ve played some pretty decent football and we’ve played good enough to win.”