The discrediting of the Patriots' 2025 season continues into the offseason, despite winning the AFC East for the first time in five years, holding onto the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, and representing the conference in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks.
That has prompted analysts and fans to make way-too-early predictions about how they will fare in 2026, with some, like CBS Sports' Garrett Podell, suggesting they are one of the top teams to regress this fall and maybe even miss the playoffs.
Despite being just a prediction, Bills' fans are already counting on it being true, not only because they don't like the Patriots and don't want to see them be successful, but also because they know it's their best chance of regaining the divisional crown after losing it easily last year.
Considering how well New England fared against Buffalo, which would've been a clean sweep had they not blown a nearly 20-point lead in their second matchup, it's understandable that fans will be hoping for anything to derail the Patriots' rise to the top.
But the Bills have a lot of their own issues to sort out, starting with their roster and their new coaching staff.
Bills fans are crossing their fingers for any edge they can get over the Patriots
Noting all the "breaks" they got during the 2025 season, on top of citing their unimpressive performance in Super Bowl LX, Bills fans are crossing their fingers that the Patriots' first-place schedule in 2026 will be enough to end their run at the top of the division.
But that doesn't account for the fact that the Bills are currently over the projected 2026 cap space, and they have plenty of roster holes to address, especially on offense. Josh Allen has not had the fortune of having a stellar offense throughout his career, and it has definitely declined since Stefon Diggs was traded in 2024.
They'll need all the help they can get to take the division back from the Patriots, who enter the offseason with over $40 million in cap space, a head coach plenty of players have expressed interest in playing for, and a promising quarterback who increases their chances of success.
On top of that, several players have already spoken out about how great it has been to play this past season, and making the Super Bowl only makes them a more desirable place to play, which simultaneously moves the Bills down the list.