They didn't bring their best stuff on Super Bowl Sunday, but the New England Patriots' 2026 NFL season was still a rousing success. After all, they were still just four quarters away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and being on top of the NFL world.
And while some have discredited the Patriots at every turn, citing a weak schedule or an easy path in the playoffs, this fanbase knows that the mental gymnastics others are going through don't mean much. This New England team has gotten better this offseason and is still very much on the ascent.
Fortunately for Mike Vrabel's team, they also have an early chance to prove themselves. The Patriots will kick off the year with a Wednesday evening Week 1 matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
If revenge wasn't enough motivation, one NFL reporter just gave New England even more.
Reporter just gave New England Patriots more bulletin board material for Week 1 vs Seahawks
On a recent episode of the Just Win Podcast, The Athletic's Ted Nguyen was discussing the blockbuster Myles Garrett trade to the Los Angeles Rams. But he managed to sneak in a dig at the Patriots that should get under the skin of those in the building and in the fanbase.
“I was in that Seattle locker room after they won the Super Bowl, and a lot of their players were like, 'The last week was our real -- that was the real Super Bowl. The NFC Championship was the real Super Bowl.' That's how they felt about the Rams.”
Of course.
The narrative that the Patriots somehow didn't earn their Super Bowl bid or weren't a worthy opponent of the Seahawks is still alive and well. But as frustrating as that is, hopefully the players in the locker room are hearing this and using it as bulletin board material.
Yes, the Rams were a tremendous team during the 2026 NFL season. Nobody would argue that they weren't a tough opponent and that they, by the numbers, played the Seahawks closer than the Patriots did. But this conversation is a lot more nuanced than most make it seem.
New England pounced on a tough Los Angeles Chargers team, hung 28 points on an elite Houston Texans defense and outlasted a ferocious Denver Broncos team in a snow bowl game. No, they didn't have Bo Nix, but one can't comfortably say he would have fared better in the elements.
At the end of the day, this is all just noise and nonsense, but the Patriots have the power to control the narrative come Week 1. It's not as if the Seahawks were boasting this point, but Nguyen bringing it to the table may give New England even more to play for to kick off the year.
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