The Patriots have been in a pressure cooker over the last five years, trying to prove they could still be a viable team without Tom Brady under center, especially after Robert Kraft decided to move on from Bill Belichick in 2024. Unfortunately, they have proven the doubters correct by falling from their pedestal atop the league to becoming one of the worst franchises during that time, a dramatic difference from their 20 years of dominance.
That's why the decision was made to hire Mike Vrabel as the next head coach after another failed season last year, with the hope that his experience in the role and his love for his former team will make them a competitive team again.
His offseason moves, coupled with those of Eliot Wolf and Co., have already put the Patriots back on the map, well ahead of the upcoming season, with many analysts projecting they will reach the playoffs via the wild card. Based on their schedule, that looks entirely possible, especially since the latest prediction for five of their opponents suggests they may not meet their projected win totals in 2025.
The Patriots might have an easier 2025 season than intially thought
Although they're set to face several 2024 playoff teams this fall, the Patriots might be gifted a big win before the season begins, as Jared Dubin of CBS Sports believes at least five teams New England will face won't succeed much this season.
He predicts that the Browns, Colts, Dolphins, Saints, and Steelers are not likely to win as many games as they are currently projected to, with some teams projected to win just 5.5, which is great news for a team like the Patriots hoping to assert themselves in the AFC sooner rather than later.
For the most part, it's not surprising to see this list of teams garner low expectations from analysts, as three of the five have no certain quarterback and the other two signal callers would be deemed questionable, at best. Additionally, the rest of their roster isn't exactly flashy, which could also make it easier for them to lose more games than they win.
It's something the Patriots should try to take advantage of, even if it results in just squeaking out a win from one of those teams. As their roster stands, they look capable of doing so, and that's just what they look like at the start of June. The hope is that they will look and perform even better as the summer progresses, and continue that upward trajectory once the regular season begins.
That could make it much easier for them to even break their current projection of 7.5 wins, which is something they will have to do if they want to make the playoffs. The AFC has become a tough conference with no end in sight, including the Bills' reign at the top of the division.
But New England might have a legitimate shot at taking their crown or, at the very least, making it far more difficult to maintain moving forward.