After two decades of utter dominance over the rest of the league, the New England Patriots quickly fell into obscurity as soon as Tom Brady left the team in 2020. Over the last five years, they've mostly been positioned at the bottom of the league in most categories, leading to multiple head coaching changes and dramatically changed rosters.
That's what led to Mike Vrabel being hired this offseason to take control of the franchise and bring it back to a competitive, relevant team—one he was once a part of.
Although the new regime was credited with some solid moves in free agency and the draft, it didn't necessarily prompt much optimism that we'd see a season with a much-improved record this year, but they have accomplished just that. So much so, Drake Maye is in the MVP conversation through the first nine weeks, and the Patriots are the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff race.
With a widely considered easy schedule ahead, CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan is making a bold prediction about how the Patriots will fare the rest of the way, and it's not something anyone would have taken seriously had they projected this just a few months ago.
Latest bold prediction has the Patriots reaching new heights that they're all too familiar with
While making five bold predictions across the NFL for the second half of the 2025 season, Sullivan has the Patriots ending the year not only in the playoffs, but ultimately winning the top spot in the AFC playoffs, something they haven't seen since Brady was under center.
Throughout the dynasty years, they were often the top dog in the conference and were fortunate to have a first-round bye, and according to Sullivan's latest prediction, they might accomplish that again in a year that barely any analyst or fan believed they were a legitimate playoff contender.
Although it's just a bold prediction, Sullivan's explanation proves it's not totally out of the question, especially since they are currently the top team in the division. He notes the Patriots' remaining schedule is the easiest in the league, while their biggest competition, the Bills, face a much tougher road to the postseason.
They face stiff competition from the Colts, who are right alongside the Patriots at the top of the AFC, but a concerning performance from QB Daniel Jones against the Steelers last week could be a sign of things to come, as he has been an inconsistent quarterback throughout his career.
But it's probably fair to assume their competitive focus will be primarily on the Bills, who they face one more time this season. Fortunately, it will be a home game, and it would be great if the Patriots could maintain their home-field advantage and sweep Buffalo for the first time in years.
It won't be an easy feat, but it would say a lot about the current state of the team and what the future might hold if they not only make the playoffs but also win the division and/or the AFC completely. It would be the league's worst nightmare come true and an official sign that the Patriots are back.