They went 7-9 (not good for the Pats, but not an epic disaster either) in a year with:
- a global pandemic, which seriously impacted the team before and during the season
- godawful QB play, due in part to poor planning, but also due in part to Covid - both keeping Newton from practicing, and impacting him just as the team was doing well early in the year
- a number of key players opting out - more players than any other team (and the opt-outs happened basically after the team had been constructed, so there was very little BB could do about it at that point)
- their best defensive player (and reigning DPOY) having a subpar year and ultimately missing games due to injury
It's hardly a disastrous situation. Every other great team during the Pats' dynastic run (2001-present) has had down years:
- Pittsburgh: 6-10, 8-8, 8-8, 8-8, 8-8
- Baltimore: 6-10, 5-11, 8-8, 5-11, 8-8
- Indianapolis: 2-14, 8-8, 8-8, 4-12, 7-9
- Kansas City: 6-10, 7-9, 4-12, 2-14, 4-12, 7-9, 2-14
- Denver: 7-9, 8-8, 8-8, 4-12, 8-8, 5-11, 6-10, 7-9, 5-11
- Green Bay: 4-12, 8-8, 6-10, 7-9, 6-9-1
- New Orleans: 7-9, 3-13, 7-9, 8-8, 7-9, 7-9, 7-9, 7-9
- Seattle: 7-9, 4-12, 5-11, 7-9, 7-9
I mean, the Pats have had just this ONE bad year, with all the issues they had to face. Plus, no other franchise has had four draft picks (two 1st rounders, a 3rd rounder, and a 4th rounder) literally stolen from them.*
I mean, having ONE 7-9 season is really perfectly okay. If this continues, we have a problem.
*For the sake of discussion, I'm willing to allow that the 1st rounder for Spygate was possibly a legitimate penalty. I think it was way too harsh, but the Pats DID break the rules on that, so the forfeiture of SOME pick was ok.