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The 4-2 New England Patriots are off to their best six-game start since 2019, when Tom Brady was still under center. First-year coach Mike Vrabel deserves credit for his team's current three-game winning streak, but an emotional challenge awaits him in Week 7.

This upcoming Sunday, Vrabel will return to Nashville to coach against his former team, the Tennessee Titans. During his weekly appearance on "The Greg Hill Show" on WEEI Monday, Vrabel was asked if this week feels any different for him. The legendary former linebacker admitted that all things considered, it could feel different, but that can't affect how the Patriots go about their business. 

"Well, I think it's going to feel different, [but] it can't be different," Vrabel said. "It has to be the way we prepare, the way that we try to put together a game plan. But ... we have to recognize the obvious, having spent time there. So [there's] a lot of people on the other side that I know that I coached or worked with."

Vrabel coached the Titans from 2018-2023, and it was in Nashville where he learned how to be a lead man. The three-time Super Bowl champion as a player registered four winning seasons to begin his head coaching career, including a 12-5 campaign in 2021, which earned Vrabel NFL Coach of the Year honors. However, it was following that season when things began to go south. The Titans went 13-21 over the next two years, leading to Vrabel's firing. 

Firing Vrabel didn't help the Titans. In fact, they just got worse. Tennessee finished with a 3-14 record in 2024 -- bad enough to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This season, the Titans again appear to be of the worst teams in the NFL thanks to a 1-5 start. 

Sunday, Vrabel has a chance to embarrass Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk on her home field and get his replacement, Brian Callahan, fired. The Patriots are currently favored by 6.5 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.