Tom Brady's last dance with the Patriots was a possibility as the 2019 season rolled on, but the quarterback putting his house on the market that September signified the Brady era was nearing its end.
MORE RYAN MCLAUGHLIN
The Patriots failed to run the ball with any consistency on Sunday, and that showed up in Drake Maye being forced to throw 46 passes. That needs to change.
It's real simple. Stefon Diggs needs to have a quality season if the Patriots' offense is going to succeed.
While winning the AFC East is too high an expectation for the Patriots, a double-digit win season and a playoff appearance isn't.
There is a lot of optimism among the Patriots this season, but it'll only take a few things going wrong and they'll stay in the AFC East cellar.
The release of veteran Patriots' safety Jabrill Peppers came as a surprise, but should head coach Mike Vrabel be vilified for it?
A strong sophomore season from Drake Maye appears inevitable, and there's internal belief among the Patriots that it will happen.
The Patriots' offense is built better than the unit of last year, but given that was a 4-13 team, that's not saying a heck of a lot.
Kendrick Bourne's best season statistically came with Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator in 2021, but the Patriots simply didn't see him as a big part of their offense.
The Patriots may be a year and a piece away from being serious contenders again, but that doesn't mean they can't make the playoffs in 2025.
Drake Maye wasn't set up to succeed with a mediocre roster around him as a rookie, but the final Patriots' roster heading into his sophomore year has him set up to succeed.
The hype surrounding TreVeyon Henderson has grown during the preseason, and it's one the Patriots haven't seen around a running back in 30 years.
Tony Romo is high on the Patriots this year as a surprise team thanks to the presence of head coach Mike Vrabel.
TreVeyon Henderson has put the NFL on notice this preseason, but he isn't letting a thing go to his head and is leaning on short-term focus.
There is no comparing any quarterback to Tom Brady, but the fact that Drake Maye is showcasing Brady-like traits in training camp is a welcome sign for the Patriots.
Harold Landry was brought in by the Patriots to not only give the pass rush a needed boost, but provide the young players with needed leadership.
Julian Edelman is the latest to believe that TreVeyon Henderson was the biggest steal of this year's rookie class.
Eliot Wolf may have found the draft's biggest diamond in the rough in Efton Chism.
In Drake Maye's rookie year, Alex Van Pelt was hardly offering any coaching, but that has changed - and for the better - under Josh McDaniels.
National media pundits continue to rave about the Patriots' crop of rookies, a far cry from the last several rookie classes.