After back-to-back 4-13 seasons, the pressure was high on Patriots' owner Robert Kraft to bring in the right head coach this offseason.
The hype surrounding new head coach Mike Vrabel five months after his hiring is a reflection that Kraft made the right decision. Not just for the organization as a whole, but also for its potential franchise quarterback. Drake Maye was not set up to succeed as a rookie, but his potential often provided glimpses of hope.
Heading into the 2025 season, the optimism around the Patriots is as high as it's been in recent memory. The organization did its job in surrounding Vrabel and Maye with the right coaches and players to assure the Patriots are competitive again, and now all that's left is for the team to prove it on the field.
The pairing of Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye has the potential to be the next great head coach and quarterback duo
One constant presence during the Patriots' dynasty days was offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. When he left to coach the Raiders after the 2021 season, the offense plummeted under the leadership of Matt Patricia and Bill O'Brien.
Bringing in McDaniels was the X-factor in terms of the coaching staff around Vrabel that could be the icing on the cake for the Patriots. Let's not forget that defensive coordinator Terrell Williams shares a similar mindset to Vrabel's in terms of his old-school coaching approach. Williams' defense will keep the Patriots in just about every game.
All of the new additions have made analysts and fans project the Patriots to make the playoffs this season by winning the most games that they have since 2021. Even bettors are starting to be swayed by the optimism, as Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel spoke about to FOX Sports recently.
"There’s a lot of positivity in the offseason, with the addition of Mike Vrabel. And the schedule does the Patriots a couple favors, too."
Maye will truly have a chance to cook this season, especially if Stefon Diggs can be the top wide receiver he has been throughout his career and if rookies TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams can be the playmakers they're billed up to be.
The schedule also did the Patriots a lot of favors, as Feazel said, including three of their first four games at home against opponents in the Raiders, Steelers and Panthers they should be favored against. The schedule also includes matchups with the woeful Browns and Saints and two contests against the division rival Jets.
The decisions the organization made in the offseason and a favorable schedule should be two factors that allow Vrabel and Maye to truly cook in 2025.