The New England Patriots have surprised even some of the most optimistic fans and observers with their amazing 2025 season, winning the AFC East in the process. After a shaky start at 1-2, the team ripped off a 10-game win streak before losing, and most recently thumped the Jets, 42-10.
One familiar observer who's had the Patriots among his top 10 teams is Tom Brady, who currently has them ranked fourth in his power rankings and calls them a "confident" football team.
Brady would know. In 2001, as a second-year quarterback, Brady coolly and calmly led his confident team with a confident coach in Bill Belichick to an upset win over the St. Louis Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" in the Super Bowl.
This season, the Patriots have a new, NFL-tested Head Coach and NFL personnel evaluator in Mike Vrabel. To complement him, they also have an uber-talented second-year quarterback in Drake Maye. Together, after Vrabel conducted a major roster revamping in the offseason, the Patriots have soared to the top of the AFC East and are on to the playoffs, where anything can happen.
The Patriots with Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye are confident, indeed
One of Mike Vrabel's stated objectives when he was hired was to de-throne the mighty Buffalo Bills, who had held the AFC East in their hands since Brady was last at the helm of the team in 2019. Vrabel knew then that he had the essential ingredient of any NFL-winning team: a top quarterback in his second-year prodigy, Drake Maye.
Though Maye had had little early opportunity under the former regime for first-team reps until the fourth regular-season game, he still shone. He logged an impressive 66 percent completion rate with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
All this happened with a bottom-of-the-NFL offensive line and wide receiver room. Vrabel was confident that if he could surround Maye with even capable NFL players, he'd win, and he has.
Tom Brady's now calling the Patriots a confident team and ranking them at No. 4 in his power rankings says a lot.
No change at No. 1 in @TomBrady's Power Rankings, but who’s climbing the rest of the list? 👀⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MZ3gtiatJE
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 30, 2025
The Patriots are an absolutely fearless team. Not only have they roared to at worst, a 13-4 season's record (a far cry from the dismal 4-13 records of their two previous seasons), but they've also shown they can win anywhere.
The Patriots, with Drake Maye at quarterback, won all their road 2025 games
One of the Patriots' best players, veteran tight end Hunter Henry, who's having a terrific season, has called his team "Road Warriors". It's an apt description. Winning on the road with all that entails in travel, etc., is never easy. Winning all your road games, including against Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati, takes that concept to a new level.
Leading the charge after Vrabel is the team's unflappable quarterback, the just-turned-23-year-old Drake Maye. He exudes the confidence Brady was talking about. While taking 47 sacks with an improved but still deficient offensive line, Maye has also won, Maye has racked up an amazing statistical season.
After 16 games, he's thrown for 4203 yards, 30 touchdowns with only eight interceptions, and a stratospheric 71.7 percent completion percentage. He's met almost all of even the loftiest predictions for his season, and taken the AFC East crown from the Bills in the process.
Vrabel and Maye are a combination that can unlock the highest of NFL goals, winning Super Bowls. In year one, after only one offseason in the process of a total makeover, the team has already exceeded any realistic goals they may have had.
Expect Vrabel to continue rebuilding this offseason, and Maye to achieve even greater heights in 2026. And, of course, the 2025 season isn't over. Like the 2001 New England Patriots, this confident team believes anything is possible, including winning the Lombardi Trophy.