After a disastrous 2024 season, there was a lot of hope surrounding the New England Patriots under the new leadership of Mike Vrabel, with most analysts and fans hoping they would, at the very least, improve their performance and win more games this year than they had in back-to-back seasons.
The playoffs were a distant conversation, though some suggested it was a possibility based on their schedule; for the most part, it was dismissed as premature. However, now that the Patriots have exceeded any and all expectations by stringing together a six-game win streak, they are now at the top of playoff talk.
In fact, after beating the Falcons on Sunday to move to 7-2, coupled with the Colts losing to the Steelers, they now have the best record in the AFC and hold the No. 1 seed in the conference.
If that was a prediction before the season began, surely nobody would have believed it. But after nine weeks of the 2025 season, it's become a reality.
The Patriots have become a legitimate threat in the AFC despite being counted out before the season began
While the postseason felt like a dream scenario for the Patriots coming into the season, it is now a legitimate possibility, and their chances are only increasing as the weeks go on.
They're now atop the division and the conference with their impressive record and will be (at least) one game ahead of the next best team, providing a nice cushion for the weeks ahead, especially going into a tough matchup with the Bucs next week.
It's a familiar position for the historically successful franchise, yet it has felt like a distant memory since Tom Brady left in 2020. Although they made the playoffs during Mac Jones's rookie season in 2021, they were blown out by the Bills in the now-infamous "perfect game, an event Patriots fans would rather forget.
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Drake Maye and Co. have the chance to rewrite their playoff story this season if they continue on the upward trajectory they have been on over the last six weeks. It would be quite a feat for the second-year quarterback, who was expected to have a jump in performance this year, but not quite as big as he's shown so far.
It would also prove just how crucial it was for Robert Kraft to hire Mike Vrabel after a forgettable year under Jerod Mayo. It's clear the former linebacker and longtime Titans coach is making far more of an impact on the Patriots than just their win/loss record, and that will continue to carry them far this season, maybe even deep into the playoffs.