A lot has been said about the 2025 New England Patriots, and most of it should be taken with a fistful of salt. Mike Vrabel's team has heard every excuse in the book: The schedule, referees, injuries, and what have you.
So it's not surprising to hear that some still overlook the Patriots ahead of a new season. Fresh off a Super Bowl trip, not many rival pundits seem to love their chances of going the distance again this season.
However, the disrespect may have reached a new low with The Ringer's latest AFC East preview. Not only are the Patriots 9-8, which is bad enough as is, but the New York Jets are also winning six games.
How on Earth do the PATRIOTS win only three more games than the JETS?
The Patriots are keeping receipts of all the doubters ahead of the 2026 season
Coming from a site founded by Boston superfan Bill Simmons, this is rather shocking. Winning just nine games after winning 17 last season is one thing, but being nearly in the same category as the Jets is just laughable.
We're talking about a team with no established quarterback, an unproven head coach, and one that traded its two best defensive players last season. How does that team stumble its way to six wins? In what universe?
This should all serve as motivation and bulletin board material for Coach Vrabel and his staff. They should print this and drape the locker room with every hot take and negative prediction thrown their way in the past three months or so.
It's easy to hate the team on top. The Patriots know a thing or two about that, being the undisputed ruler of the AFC East for two decades. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won't come through that door, but their ghosts still linger around the league.
The Patriots know that they can't just ride their reputation and last year's success into another Super Bowl run. Everyone's back to square one, and good teams know how to keep a short memory and focus on the task at hand.
That said, it's impossible to shut down all the outside noise when everyone else around the league seems to be praying for your downfall. If they needed any additional motivation to lick their wounds, get back on their feet, and prove the world wrong, this preview may have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
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