Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has a lot to smile about with the Patriots now 11-2. (AP photo)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – A few New England Patriots noticed something was different this past spring as they arrived for OTAs.

It was the head coach. And thus there isn’t a lot of dismay in the locker room over their 11-2 record as they spend the next few days on what many feel is a well-deserved bye week vacation.

“I’m not surprised,” running back Rhamondre Stevenson said. “Since we came in in OTAs, we set a standard for ourselves, not only (Vrabel) but all the players bought into it and I feel it’s paying off now.

“Just coming into OTAs, how we all came in to work; it’s not really a surprise.

A lot of people were here. Everybody showed up ready to work. I thought we set a standard for ourselves. I won’t get into exactly what that was, but we all bought into it and we’re still staying on that. Every year’s a little different.”

Vrabel is convincing for a big reason: Mike Vrabel the football player is a big part of Mike Vrabel the head coach.

Players notice these things. It brings him almost instant credibility, because what Vrabel did was let the players know they were the show, they were the ones who needed his and his staff’s full support, not the other way around.

“He’s been in our shoes before,” Stevenson said. “He’s done it before at a high level.Won some Super Bowls, caught some touchdown passes, he’s done it all. It’s easy to kind of listen to him and follow behind his lead.”

Which is what the Patriots have done. It is one of the closest knit teams these eyes have seen at this level.

“Again, these guys have built a bond that I want to try to just help nurture and help grow throughout the team,” Vrabel said.

“I definitely noticed the identity shift and the culture change the moment Vrabes stepped in,” Patriots lineman Verderian Lowe, who seamlessly fit in at left tackle Monday night with rookie starter Will Campbell on IR. “He came in and immediately demanded that we follow the team identity, and he promised that would give us a chance. We all bought in, and here we are.”

Here they are, flying high. It’s easy to relax and have one cleat on the beach the last game before the bye, especially against a 2-11 team. Instead, they hit with a ferocious tenacity not seen as much this season. The Giants, who had given most teams a hard time, were feeble and wanted no part of that kind of game.

And now they won’t play a game until Dec. 14, and it will be interesting to see if momentum is broken by that break.We doubt it will be.

“I think you focus,” Vrabel said. “Staying consistent has been somethingthat we’ve tried to do with the message, try to enhance the things that we do well, improve the things that we’re maybe just OK at, and then still finding ways to eliminate the things that get you beat … I think confidence is something that potentially can carry.”

Stevenson says it’s not being satisfied for a single day.

“Just being relentless,” Stevenson said. “Attacking each practice, each week with the same mindset, and not being comfortable and just being relentless.”

The theme has been the same. The difference from a year ago obviously is staggering. Just about everyone the Vrabel led overhaul has brought in has contributed, and quarterback Drake Maye has taken that next step from wide-eyed rookie to team leader.

“His leadership,” Stevenson said. “Just stepping up in his leadership role, he’s being more vocal, and just being the conductor of the offense.”

Basically, this shows what is possible in this league, but to this level?

“It depends, whatever team, who they bring in, what type of players they bring in,” Lowe said. “It doesn’t always guarantee success. But as I like to say, we all lean back on the team identity. Our pillars are who we are and that’s gotten us here now.”

They’ll enjoy the bye before starting to prepare for the Buffalo Bills, a game that could clinch the AFC East title, a Hat and T-shirt day.

And they’d love to have one other bye – that being for the first round of the playofs as the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Stay tuned.

This week’s rankings:

AFC

1. New England (11-2). 2.Denver (10-2). 3. Buffalo (8-4). 4. Indianapolis (8-4). 5. Jacksonville (8-4).

NFC

1.L.A. Rams (9-3). 2.Chicago (9-3). 3. Green Bay (8-3-1) 4. Seattle (9-3). 5. Philadelphia (8-4)