The resulting product has been nothing short of remarkable, if not historic. Chaisson, a player largely considered to be a disappointment in Jacksonville, has enjoyed a career year that will undoubtedly draw a lucrative contract after Super Bowl LX. Williams has delivered on the lavish contract he signed in March and is back in the Super Bowl after winning Super Bowl LIX with the Philadelphia Eagles a year ago. Spillane has returned from a late-season injury and assumed his role as a hard-nosed, fearless linebacker — traits once displayed by Vrabel back when he was on the field for the Patriots — in New England’s defense. Landry has repaired his reputation as a productive defender after the Titans released him in a cost-cutting move in early 2025.

Altogether, they’ve each contributed to a postseason run to the Super Bowl that most would have deemed absurd to even consider in August. And it all traces directly back to the coach who showed up and instilled belief that it was possible on Day 1.

“S—, honestly not long,” Landry said when asked how quickly Vrabel set the standard for success in New England. “I’d say OTAs, to be honest. It’s crazy how quickly everyone bought in and when you have a group like we have in our locker room that’s not only talented, but everyone is bought into the same thing with one goal in mind, anything can happen, as you can see.”

No matter who you talk to, it seems every Patriot has come to the same conclusion. They’re the underdog team nobody saw coming, one that received a set of expectations from Vrabel, followed their coach’s example and grew closer as the season progressed. They’ll point to specific flashpoints in their 2025 journey — the Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh that they “took a little hard,” as linebacker Christian Elliss explained oh Tuesday, or the Week 15 collapse and loss to Buffalo, as cornerback Marcus Jones noted Monday — and recall how it only strengthened their bonds, preparing them for the struggles that come with playoff football.

Each time, whether in rain, sleet or snow, the Patriots have prevailed.

There isn’t a secret sauce behind the Patriots’ story, either, at least not when Vrabel’s players explain it. They’ve simply followed their coach’s lead, focused on details and executed while staying true to the most basic tenets of football: Give your all for the man next to you.

“Even though we brought a lot of guys, a lot of coaching staff, different players, since Day 1 we’ve been building that bond week in and week out,” Williams said during Super Bowl LX Opening Night. “Outside the building, going to get food, playing video games, watching tape together, all those things. We’ve just been building that brotherhood all year and it led us to this point.”

Although the Super Bowl presents a stage this team hasn’t seen in their current existence — six years might not seem like a long time, but none of these Patriots were on the roster when New England last reached the Super Bowl in the 2018 season — this team doesn’t appear to be fazed by the enormity of the matter. After all, they shouldn’t; they have a coach who can tell them all they need to know about playing in the greatest spectacle in sports.

Plus, as Vrabel communicated on his very first day, the process is more important than the stakes or the result.

“We aren’t going to win the Super Bowl that day,” Elliss said of Vrabel’s initial message to his players. “It’s going to take one day at a time.”

The one day that matters most arrives Sunday.