The Patriots have been mired in last place in the AFC East for the past two seasons, as the roof caved in on the once-mighty franchise. Bad decision-making at the ownership and executive levels, combined with poor coaching decisions, has consigned the once-mighty top-of-the-division Patriots to the bottom of the barrel. The demise began with brooming Tom Brady, and the rest has followed as expected.
After firing Bill Belichick and the less-than-astute hiring of a head coach who had never been either a head coach or even an official coordinator at any level of football, the Patriots' ownership finally got it right. They hired an experienced NFL Head Coach and personnel evaluator, Mike Vrabel, to run the show.
Now, following a major revamp and an outstanding offseason performance by Vrabel, the outlook has shifted from glum to downright optimistic in some quarters. Some are even predicting a playoff run for the Patriots, who, less than six months ago, were at the bottom of the AFC East.
The AFC East lends itself to a Patriots resurgence in 2025
After the team's best offseason in decades, Mike Vrabel has his squad positioned to turn the AFC East on its proverbial head. And observers are pointing to the unsteady situation of the division as perhaps ripe for the picking.
Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports has ranked the eight NFL divisions, with the AFC East ranking sixth.
"The Patriots are still rebuilding under new coach Mike Vrabel, but appear to be on the right track. The same can be said with the Jets under rookie coach Aaron Glenn. The division is still improving, but appears to be on the upswing. Buffalo still is one of the best teams in the league, reaching the AFC Championship in what was supposed to be a 'down' year in 2024."
That could be construed as "damning with faint praise" but optimists will look deeper and find gold in the "still rebuilding" Patriots roster which has undergone an almost complete overhaul and will have little resemblance to the 2024 version in many aspects.
The 2025 Patriots are poised to make a run at the Divisional champs, the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has had its way in the AFC East since the Patriots made the ill-advised decision to let Tom Brady go after the 2019 season. Five years of fumbling and bumbling finally brought the team's ownership to its senses, and they hired an NFL professional to run things in Mike Vrabel. Now, everything's changed.
Buffalo could laugh at losing the final game of 2024 as the floundering Patriots won that game, one they couldn't afford not to lose. The laughter was palpable. But all those guffaws are in the rearview mirror. The Patriots have a new coach and de facto GM. He is as good as it gets in the NFL, and nothing is the same.
Mike Vrabel can coach with anyone, and his roster overhaul this offseason is one for the ages. He has aced every aspect of the offseason thus far, and the results will not only be evident in the locker room but also on the field. This ain't your big brother's New England Patriots anymore.
Vrabel rebuilt the offensive line for Drake Maye. He gave him an explosive running back, added a Pro-Bowl level veteran receiver, and a game-breaking rookie receiver to boot. Nothing on offense will be the same. He has also added playmakers to each of the three levels of his defense and changed his approach.
Josh Allen won't be able to leisurely stand back and pick his passing or running lanes anymore. They'll be blocked by playmakers at every turn. The Patriots lost six games by one score last season, which, if won, would have brought that poorly constituted group to a 10-7 record.
The Patriots will win most of those close games now. The outcome of all this is that the Jets and Dolphins will be looking up at the Patriots by the end of 2025, and the Patriots will be breathing down the necks of the Bills. Welcome to the reality of 2025, Buffalo Bills.