If someone were to predict the Patriots becoming a force in the AFC East in Year 1 under Mike Vrabel, so much so that they would unexpectedly make it to the Super Bowl, there might not be a single person on Earth who would have believed them, even the biggest New England fan.
The same could be said going into 2026, even though they just accomplished all of that success less than a year ago, but that's the reality the Patriots have lived in since the start of their two-decade dynasty.
If it weren't obvious that they are a serious threat in the division again, then hearing what a superstar like Bills' Dion Dawkins inadvertently said recently should do the trick.
Although the vast majority of analysts and fans outside Foxboro are overlooking and downplaying what they can achieve this year, it's clear that their rivals and opponents are not, and that is far more noteworthy than what anyone else has to say.
Dion Dawkins isn't hiding that the Patriots are a serious threat to the Bills this season
During an appearance on NFL Network's Good Morning Football this past week, Dawkins hyped up his team before the upcoming season, as expected.
In the midst of sharing his confidence and speaking candidly about what the Bills have to improve, he seemingly outed the division as not theirs to own anymore with one statement.
“Everybody has to do better. So we’re all going to be that and do that so we can get over that hump and we can be exactly what we want to be and stop talking about it, right? I’m ready for it. It’s time. I’m telling you, man, it’s kill or be killed, and we’re not playing around. We are not playing around with nobody.”
This part: "It's kill or be killed, and we're not playing around."
It would be fair to assume one interpretation of that sentence is that if the Bills aren't out doing the winning, they will be taken out, and based on how the division looks, that would clearly be the Patriots doing the taking.
We know the Dolphins and Jets aren't going to be competitive this year or in the near future, and the Patriots are the team that took the divisional crown from the Bills last year, so they're going to be on their radar again, which is presumably what Dawkins is referring to.
Obviously, Buffalo has things they need to work on, and there is reason to believe the 5-time Pro Bowler is acknowledging that they can be their own worst enemy, as we've seen the Bills fail to reach the highest peak since dominating the AFC East for five years straight.
They now face the competition they have long avoided, with the Patriots returning to relevance, and they are an immediate threat to their ultimate goal: making the Super Bowl.
Drake Maye and the Patriots went on a run of a lifetime in 2025, going on a 10-game winning streak, stealing the division earlier than expected, and taking down the league's top defenses on the road in the playoffs. That is far from what the Bills were hoping the season would wind up.
Now the pressure is on them to regain the division title, with the Patriots on their heels with a newly upgraded team that is arguably the better roster. And based on Dawkins' honesty, it seems clear that they recognize what's at stake and who they need to take down.
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