The New England Patriots have won four games in a row, have a reasonable schedule ahead, and are just now rounding into shape. CBS Sports has pegged them as a Wild Card team at a minimum. It's a reasonable assumption based on their 4-13 record from last season. But these are the new and improved New England Patriots, and their potential is far loftier.
The Patriots' owner, Bob Kraft, hired Mike Vrabel on January 12, 2025, and everything changed. Amateur hour was replaced by professionalism. Vrabel was brought in by Kraft to rebuild a moribund franchise that had fallen from the pinnacle of NFL success to a laughingstock in five years.
The change was immediately evident as Vrabel began the arduous task of rebuilding the NFL's worst roster into a playoff contender. His stated goal was to dethrone the Buffalo Bills as the top team in the AFC East. After a meager seven games, his Patriots now sit atop the AFC East, tied with the Bills, and they're just getting untracked.
The Mike Vrabel/Drake Maye Patriots can rock the 2025 NFL
What seemed far-fetched to many is now emerging as a distinct possibility. The team was pegged for a multi-year, aka loser's rebuild. Yet, with astute personnel man Vrabel at the helm, and a great young quarterback, Drake Maye on hand, it's clear that anything and everything is possible.
CBS Sports now thinks that after seven games, the Patriots are at a minimum a 2025 Wild Card team.
"Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, vs. Falcons, at Buccaneers, vs. Jets, at Bengals, vs. Giants, Bye, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins
The Patriots have the lead over the Bills in the AFC East via the head-to-head tiebreaker and have taken advantage of a light schedule. They have a favorable schedule all year and should challenge the Bills for the division. At worst, the Patriots are a wild card based on how they're playing."
While achieving a Wild Card berth would be a solid achievement in light of their last-place finishes the past two seasons, with Vrabel and Maye on hand, the possibilities are far loftier. This team can literally take the top off the NFL this season and win the Lombardi Trophy. There's a precedent, and it shouldn't be ruled out.
The 2000 Patriots finished last in the AFC East with a 5-11 record. The 2001 Patriots lost three of their first four games. They then went with second-year quarterback Tom Brady, who led them to an 11-5 record and a Super Bowl win. The 2025 Patriots began their season 1-2 after going 4-13 in 2024 and finishing in last place in the AFC East. They also have a second-year quarterback, Drake Maye.
The Patriots can repeat the magic of the 2001 season
No two teams are alike, and the 2025 Patriots are not the 2001 team. Regardless, both had a superb quarterback and a coach who had Super Bowl-winning ability. It took each a few games to gel. In 2001, it was because of an unfortunate injury to their starting quarterback. In 2025, it's because a team with about half a new roster and a new Head Coach needs time to coalesce.
This season, the Patriots have one of the NFL's best Head Coaches and astute personnel evaluators, Mike Vrabel. He knew he had a franchise-level quarterback in Drake Maye and that the only deterrent to Maye taking the NFL by storm was his lackluster accompanying cast. He set about to rectify that immediately.
In the 2025 offseason, Vrabel disregarded any foolishness about a long-term rebuild and set about to build a winner. He had his quarterback, and then, through free agency and the draft, he replaced 80 percent of the next-most-critical component of an NFL team —the offensive line. He then enhanced his woeful receiving corps and added better players to each level of his defense.
The Patriots are just now beginning to get untracked. The O-line is improving weekly, as the two rookie starters, left tackle Will Campbell and left guard Jared Wilson, get acclimated to NFL opposition. The wide receiving corps, as a result of better personnel and added time for the emerging superstar Maye to pass, is making big plays. And the restocked defense is getting stops.
The two aces in the Patriots' hand are Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye. The young quarterback is improving every week and excelling beyond expectations. His completion percentage after seven games (75.2) is stratospheric, and he's cut down on his mistakes dramatically since earlier this season. All these factors lead to the conclusion that nothing is impossible for the 2025 Patriots, as it wasn't for their 2001 forebears. And that includes winning it all.