The Seattle Seahawks exposed the New England Patriots in the playoffs, as the "Hawks thoroughly outcoached and outplayed the upstart Patriots. The Cinderella-like season came to a screeching halt by a score of 29-13.
Yet, a top observer still sees green fields ahead as Bleacher Report ranks the Patriots No. 2 in their new power rankings.
Indeed, with the NFL Coach of the Year on hand and the real NFL MVP, quarterback Drake Maye, returning, those two factors alone make the team an instant competitor in 2026. Yet, Vrabel has a lot of work to do this offseason as Phase 2 of his rebuild commences. It was never destined to be a one-off effort to rebuild such a dismal roster.
How well Vrabel replicates his 2025 offseason masterpiece for the ages in 2026 will largely determine how well the team performs. There are massive holes to fill, and Vrabel is astute enough to know where they are. The question, as always, is, can he make the right choices to make it so? The guess is, yes, he can and will.
Mike Vrabel has to justify Bleacher Report's confidence this offseason
Good and great teams are built in the offseason. Then the team merely plays the games as the offseason has set them up to do. If it's a good effort, as in 2025, they have a chance. If not, they will likely be also-rans and perhaps not make the playoffs at all.
Bleacher Report still likes the Patriots' 2026 chances despite their drubbing at the hands of Seattle.
"The 2025 season ended in dispiriting fashion for the New England Patriots—a lopsided loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX in which the team just couldn't get going offensively and Drake Maye was harassed the entire contest. But that defeat doesn't erase what has to be regarded as a wildly successful season in Beantown.
Yes, there are holes to fill. The offensive line and the pass rush need work. Even if Stefon Diggs returns, New England could use an upgrade at wide receiver. But the Patriots exceeded expectations by a country mile this year—a fact that fans need to keep in mind as the sting from Sunday's defeat fades. -- Davenport"
Bleacher Report hits the nail on the head, identifying the two major areas that need upgrading if Vrabel's team is to excel again in 2026. Absent fixing the poor performances of both the offensive line in pass protection and the defense in sack-creation, the 2026 Patriots will struggle.
Bleacher Report nails the Patriots' top two priorities in the 2026 offseason
There's no escaping the reality that surrendering six sacks in the Super Bowl (that contributed to two turnovers) and only notching one sack themselves cost the Patriots their seventh Lombardi Trophy. The 2025 offensive line was a stopgap from the outset, and while they outperformed their truly dismal 2024 predecessors, they didn't by much.
The O-line surrendered 47 regular-season sacks (in 2024, there were 52) and another monstrous 21 in the playoffs. The surprise was less that Drake Maye lost the Super Bowl under those conditions than that he got his team there in the first place. The other side of the coin was the Patriots missing sacks that could have been game-changers themselves.
Both aspects have to be significantly upgraded if the Patriots are to be successful again in 2026, as Bleacher Report suggests.
With their schedule becoming exponentially more difficult after the Patriots knocked the Bills off their pedestal as AFC East Champions, the urgency for Vrabel to improve sack prevention and production can't be overstated. They're Priorities No. 1 and No. 2. He also may need to add a wide receiver, as B/R pointed out, another running back, and a tight end, among other needs.
Vrabel will likely be up to the task, and it all starts on March 11 when free agency begins.