It's a bit of a stretch to call a team that has gone 8-26 over the course of two seasons a playoff team. But thanks to the work Eliot Wolf put in over the offseason to reconstruct the Patriots, and the new attitude the team has under head coach Mike Vrabel, ending a three-year postseason drought is not a pipe dream.
Yes, the Patriots are a piece or two away from being a true Super Bowl contender, but is there enough there for Drake Maye and company to scratch the playoffs in 2025?
That's a strong possibility.
The Patriots not only have an improved roster, but the combination of a favorable schedule and improved coaching will not only make a run at the postseason, but also be one of those teams that the top-tier teams like the Bills and the Ravens won't want to face late in the season.
Patriots will post 10-7 record and finish 2nd in AFC East
Vrabel is the right coach for this bunch, and Maye could have the biggest second-year jump among the quarterbacks in his class. Those are the two biggest factors that could lead to New England surging up the AFC East.
The other factors? The Dolphins appear to be a mess, with Mike McDaniel on the hot seat, and the Jets have a rookie head coach in Aaron Glenn and a roster with its fair share of flaws.
Buffalo will win the division again and post 13 or 14 wins. That's not that hard to predict. The Bills are in Super Bowl-or-bust mode. It will take a Herculean effort similar to that of the 2001 season for the Patriots to unseat the Bills as AFC East kings.
However, the Patriots have a reloaded defense that will give them a chance to win many close games. It's a matter of them finding the mental toughness to close them out, a trait that has been lacking over the last few years.
Rhamondre Stevenson's fumbling problems will be put to bed. TreVeyon Henderson will be in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The receiving core will be better than anticipated, with Stefon Diggs leading the charge.
The Patriots are a year away from potentially being back among the NFL's elite. But they can make a lot of noise this season and turn themselves into formidable opponents once again.