Hopes are high for the New England Patriots now just a few weeks out from the 2025 season opener.
The key driver, of course, has been Mike Vrabel’s leadership and ability to assemble a respectable coaching staff. The team also splurged in free agency for some key pieces, like wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive tackle Milton Williams.
Oh, and the Patriots literally have nowhere to go but up following consecutive 4-13, last-place finishes in the AFC East.
Most prognosticators are expecting the Patriots to finish anywhere from around .500 to potentially double-digit wins. And while Drake Maye entering Year 2 and Vrabel’s presence are both potential game-changers, the team also has a clear hidden advantage that could keep it in contention for a wild-card playoff berth this season.
New England’s beatable 2025 schedule should help it leapfrog Dolphins, Jets in AFC East standings
The combined 2024 winning percentage of the Patriots’ opponents this year is .429 — the third-easiest in the entire NFL, per an ESPN report. New England won’t face anything resembling a multi-week “gantlet” until after its Week 14 bye week, which is followed by games against Buffalo (home), Baltimore (away), and two division games (at Jets, vs. Dolphins) to close out the regular season.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton sees an improved Patriots team taking advantage of some “bad football,” to borrow one of Vrabel’s favorite lines, and climbing all the way to second place behind the Bills in the division this year. Here was his take on why the Patriots will finish 8-9:
“The Patriots will hover around .500 for most of the season, and they could go on a three-game win streak in a stretch against the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns between Weeks 6-8. … New England finishes slightly below .500, but it doubles its win total from 2024.”
This is more of a commentary on the AFC East as a whole. The Bills are the clear favorite to win the division for the sixth consecutive season. Moton has the descending Dolphins finishing 7-10 and the Jets jettisoning back to last place at 6-11.
Eight wins feels like the floor for the Patriots this year. Moton predicts a slow start, but with games against Las Vegas, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Carolina to start the regular season — and three of those four games at home — a 3-1 start feels extremely attainable for this team. If it happens, Week 5 at Buffalo would become one of the NFL’s bigger events (like the good ol’ days).
Patriots fans are probably a little too optimistic about their team’s prospects right now. But can you blame them? All signs point to a competitive (and fun) football season loading in Foxboro.