The New England Patriots were one of the league's best teams this season, but only now does it seem they're getting any of the credit for it.
In a recent article from Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon, the Patriots were one of two teams to receive an A+ grade for the 2025 season, the only other being their Super Bowl opponent, the Seattle Seahawks. The Jaguars, Broncos, Bears, and Rams were the other teams to fall within the A range.
It's clear New England has bested expectations, but the manner in which they've done so has been what's truly impressive. They won 14 games in 2025, going 16-1 across their last 17 matchups. Drake Maye has ascended not just into a franchise quarterback but an MVP candidate.
Rookies Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson, and Craig Woodson have been major contributors, while under-the-radar additions like Cory Durden and K'Lavon Chaisson have also had major impacts.
There's little doubt the Patriots will need to continue improving this offseason to make another run at the Super Bowl in 2026, but they've set an incredible baseline for the Mike Vrabel era and have had a far better season than any other AFC East team.
Patriots got the A-plus while the rest of the AFC East faltered
The rest of the AFC East didn't finish the season nearly as well as the Patriots, per Bleacher Report. The Bills were given a C, the Dolphins a C-, and the Jets a D-.
One wouldn't think a 12-5 squad would be capable of being awarded just a C grade, but the Bills' season ended in tears rather than cheers. With the playoffs not featuring Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, or Lamar Jackson, 2025 was the clear opportunity for Josh Allen's squad to win (or at least get to) the Super Bowl.
Instead, a four-turnover performance from Allen led to the Bills' being knocked out by the Broncos in the divisional round. While the roster wasn't Buffalo's best, the disappointment led to Sean McDermott's firing.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, finished the year 7-10. While the disappointing year led to Mike McDaniels' firing, the roster seemed good enough at the beginning of the year to net a winning record. Instead, they finished 1-5 against teams with winning records, and franchise QB Tua Tagovailoa was benched for the final three weeks. New head caoch Jeff Hafley has a big-time rebuild in front of him.
The New York Jets have a long way to go
Going into the year, I actually would have been surprised to see the Jets finish 3-14. After a promising first week from Justin Fields, however, fates plummeted. The Jets sold off their defensive core of Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner after starting the year 1-7. A three-win season in itself isn't necessarily worthy of a D-, but the manner in which it happened is F-caliber.
Head coach Aaron Glenn was rumored to have been a one-and-done, and it seems he's completely lost the locker room. A stockpile of draft picks and the fifth-most effective cap space in the league give the Jets hope this offseason, but Glenn's 29th-ranked offense and zero-interception defense don't inspire.
While the Patriots have arguably the league's brightest future, the rest of the AFC East may be on the downturn. The Bills, despite a 12-win season, have hired a member of McDermott's coaching staff, Joe Brady, as their head coach, something that doesn't align with their thoughts on McDermott's coaching and their loyalty towards GM Brandon Beane.
The Dolphins will likely need a season or two before they can be competitive again. Despite their new coaching staff and management, the roster is sure to see a significant overhaul. The Jets won't be able to draft Dante Moore after his return to Oregon, leaving their quarterback options limited to lower-caliber prospects or veterans.
Needless to say, the Patriots are the best-positioned team in the AFC East and are among the best-positioned organizations in the entire NFL. Patriots fans should be ecstatic with the 2025 season, but there will no doubt be more to come.