“It’ll take us years to contend”

[Toofy]

What you have called out is what good organizations do. Their high draft picks contribute. They do a good job in FA. The coaching staff develops the talent and determines how much they can contribute. The NEP did this very well from 2001-2016ish and spotty-to-****ty after that. The Eagles, Rams, and other teams who have good QB play also do this consistently.

Yes- they are fortunate but I wouldn't call it luck.

Hey come on.. I agree that good organizations do it well but striking at close to 100% on free agents and draft signings in same year and not having injury . That requires some luck .

I am not saying it's all luck , but maybe 30% . All Things just fell into right place at the same time.

That's why I feel this could be our Superbowl year . ride the luck / charm and progress .

Diggs and hollins balling out like never before . Tonga being underrated gem. Chaisson becoming sack machine. Williams playing like a stud and exceeding his contract based pay significantly. Boutte becoming difference maker and maye playing like "Maye"V P ..
It's insane.

I think we should Maye VP the new meme around Maye .

 

[RobertWeathers]

Hey come on.. I agree that good organizations do it well but striking at close to 100% on free agents and draft signings in same year and not having injury . That requires some luck .

I am not saying it's all luck , but maybe 30% . All Things just fell into right place at the same time.

That's why I feel this could be our Superbowl year . ride the luck / charm and progress .

Diggs and hollins balling out like never before . Tonga being underrated gem. Chaisson becoming sack machine. Williams playing like a stud and exceeding his contract based pay significantly. Boutte becoming difference maker and maye playing like "Maye"V P ..
It's insane.

I think we should Maye VP the new meme around Maye .

They have had injuries. I don't believe in luck. **** just happens or it doesn't.

They missed on Epps and their lower 7th rounders. Davis might be overpaid but hes been decent. Williams has shown flashes but his rookie year is a very mild disappointment. He might need another year to truly get the offense and on the same page with Maye.

Teams that have great records/win Super Bowls have talent and things going their way. The 04 Patriots got killed in the secondary wih injuries and on the line but were insanely deep.

 

[Real fan 02]

Nothing is guaranteed for the future and yes its possible next year with a much tougher schedule, everything might not look as rosie as it does now BUT:

1. We have a potential top tier franchise QB
2. We have great coach who connects with the players

Neither of these were sure things back in the summer......what an unexpected surprise

Even though we will not have premium draft picks in 26......
I expect more quality UFAs might be interested in coming to a team with 1 and 2 above
With a full year under their belt, I expect the front office will be better able to target gaps in the roster
All of our young players will have a year of experience under their belt and a 2nd year ;cap is possible


The future is so bright I have to wear shades

Sam as you mentioned in the last half of your post. more quality Free agents. is a certainty. This season has done marvels for the future of the Organization.

elite young QB who's still just tapping into his potential.

The draft was a success.

The coaching staff is top notch.

 

[Joey007]

I think HONESTY needs to be the biggest factor here. When other teams' fans give us the "weak schedule " jab, we shouldn't get angry or offended. We need to smile and simply look them right in the eye and explain "we EARNED that schedule by sucking for 3 long hard seasons of bad drafts, bad coaching and bad players.

No one expected Miami, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Buffalo and Baltimore to all be weaker than expected. We all expected Maye to be better, but NOONE expected a jump to MVP level in his first year of a complex system. You can't expect to get contributions from ALL your FAs and ALL your draft picks.

So clearly you have to have a little bit of luck on your side to win any Superbowl. Or in our case, it would be a LOT of luck Don't be ashamed of it. Embrace it. This is a bonus season. Next year we will likely be a far better team who might have a much different trajectory if luck breaks against us. Someone wrote down next year's likely schedule and it was HARD.

Bottom line- Just enjoy the next 2 months to the MAX.

I think it’s less to say anyone was calling a 13-14 win season. Just that there were many that scoffed at the idea of this being a playoff caliber team at all, schedule or not.

 

[Nikolai]

"Easy schedule", yet...

Broncos needed a fourth quarter miracle to beat the Giants
Giants beat the Eagles
Falcons beat the Bills
Dolphins beat the Bills
I could go on here...

Only a couple teams have more wins against winning teams than the Pats, and no team is undefeated. We're 3-0 against winning teams, and Buffalo is 2-2. So...they have hardly faced more of these teams than we have and it's not like they're killing it.

Utter garbage argument at the end of the day

 

[Ring 6]

"Easy schedule", yet...

Broncos needed a fourth quarter miracle to beat the Giants
Giants beat the Eagles
Falcons beat the Bills
Dolphins beat the Bills
I could go on here...

Only a couple teams have more wins against winning teams than the Pats, and no team is undefeated. We're 3-0 against winning teams, and Buffalo is 2-2. So...they have hardly faced more of these teams than we have and it's not like they're killing it.

Utter garbage argument at the end of the day

Our schedule is “easy” because we face the Raiders, Titans and Giants.
How much different would our record be if we faced Houston KC and the Eagles (1st place schedule) or Colts, redskins, chargers (2nd place)
I think we would still be 11-2 but hard to argue we would be worse than 10-3.

 

[Ring 6]

I think HONESTY needs to be the biggest factor here. When other teams' fans give us the "weak schedule " jab, we shouldn't get angry or offended. We need to smile and simply look them right in the eye and explain "we EARNED that schedule by sucking for 3 long hard seasons of bad drafts, bad coaching and bad players.

No one expected Miami, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Buffalo and Baltimore to all be weaker than expected. We all expected Maye to be better, but NOONE expected a jump to MVP level in his first year of a complex system. You can't expect to get contributions from ALL your FAs and ALL your draft picks.

So clearly you have to have a little bit of luck on your side to win any Superbowl. Or in our case, it would be a LOT of luck Don't be ashamed of it. Embrace it. This is a bonus season. Next year we will likely be a far better team who might have a much different trajectory if luck breaks against us. Someone wrote down next year's likely schedule and it was HARD.

Bottom line- Just enjoy the next 2 months to the MAX.

That’s a fine argument AFTER you won a SB. At this point it’s just used to denigrate and detract from what the team has accomplished and accuse it of being a fraud. Can’t embrace that. When you boil it down the schedule makes little difference.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Our schedule is “easy” because we face the Raiders, Titans and Giants.
How much different would our record be if we faced Houston KC and the Eagles (1st place schedule) or Colts, redskins, chargers (2nd place)
I think we would still be 11-2 but hard to argue we would be worse than 10-3.

Well even that first place or second place schedule would still be weak. For as much complaining as BUF fans do about our schedule, they also rank as one of the weakest schedule in the NFL and they're playing that first place slate of games.

Less important than the first or second place schedule is just the rotating nature of who in your division is good and how the other divisions you play on a rotating basis line up. This year the AFC East played the NFC South which is probably 3rd out of 4 toughest NFC conferences. They play the AFC North which is for sure easier than the AFC West and probably easier than the south so far due to QB injuries to Burrow/LJ. And then the Jets and Dolphins are both pretty bad so the Pats and Bills have weaker schedules off of that.

End of the day, if our rotation lined up where we were playing the NFC North and AFC West this year instead of the AFC North and NBC South, we'd have a tough schedule even with a "last place" schedule. People harp on that, but whether it's first or last place schedule is actually a very small part of your overall schedule. It's mostly just the luck of the draw of which divisions are good the year you play them, which is why it's hilarious for division rivals to overly complain about your schedule.

 

[Nikolai]

Our schedule is “easy” because we face the Raiders, Titans and Giants.
How much different would our record be if we faced Houston KC and the Eagles (1st place schedule) or Colts, redskins, chargers (2nd place)
I think we would still be 11-2 but hard to argue we would be worse than 10-3.

Fair points all, and I pretty much agree.

I reject the notion that because we pasted teams like the Giants and Panthers, it must be so easy, when those teams have beaten the so-called Mount Rushmore of SB contenders. All of these talking heads (supposed "analysts) simply saying "easy schedule" and moving on is lazy analysis.

 

[Ring 6]

Well even that first place or second place schedule would still be weak. For as much complaining as BUF fans do about our schedule, they also rank as one of the weakest schedule in the NFL and they're playing that first place slate of games.

Less important than the first or second place schedule is just the rotating nature of who in your division is good and how the other divisions you play on a rotating basis line up. This year the AFC East played the NFC South which is probably 3rd out of 4 toughest NFC conferences. They play the AFC North which is for sure easier than the AFC West and probably easier than the south so far due to QB injuries to Burrow/LJ. And then the Jets and Dolphins are both pretty bad so the Pats and Bills have weaker schedules off of that.

End of the day, if our rotation lined up where we were playing the NFC North and AFC West this year instead of the AFC North and NBC South, we'd have a tough schedule even with a "last place" schedule. People harp on that, but whether it's first or last place schedule is actually a very small part of your overall schedule. It's mostly just the luck of the draw of which divisions are good the year you play them, which is why it's hilarious for division rivals to overly complain about your schedule.

There isn’t as much difference between the divisions as it’s made out to be.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

There isn’t as much difference between the divisions as it’s made out to be.

That's totally random year to year. Some seasons you have a division where there are 3 playoff teams and another where 3 teams are in the top third of the draft. Smooth out decades of performance to an average/mean and there's probably little difference. But your schedule is a one year at a time thing and in any given year there are bound to be extremes. Sometimes you get lucky and play the weak end of those extremes and sometimes you get unlucky and play the year where a division is a juggernaut. And sometimes it's just a ho-hum "normal" win total distribution in the division you play where the best team is good the worst teams is bad and 2nd/3rd fall in order.

 

[203Pat]

I don't get why people get mad about the "easy schedule" talk. It is an easy schedule but for the most part we are putting away the bad teams and controlling 90% of the game. We're also 2-0 against teams currently projected to make the playoffs and the only other projected playoff team with a more impressive record is the Rams at 6-2.

 

[Lansdowne]

9-10 wins was my reasonable expectation/hope considering the schedule and on-paper improvements. They've already exceeded my expectations and there's still plenty more football left to be played.

The dynasty years conditioned me to expect nothing less than Super Bowl contention year in and year out. The bar was set higher than it's ever been, here or for any franchise for that matter. But the past 6 years of us eating **** (and I'm including 2019 because that wasn't a fun time, arguably the most miserable 12-4 season I can think of) has made me really appreciate what we're seeing in 2025. I couldn't imagine, especially the past two seasons, seeing the Pats as the 1 seed this late the season, this fast. What I'm feeling is not the excitement of seeing the dynasty do dynasty things, it's the excitement I felt when the 1996 team won the AFC title and gave me reason to believe. The same feeling of the improbable 2001 team, a truly magical season.

It feels like a cop-out to say this team is playing with Monopoly money at this point, because I think expectations should be adjusted now that we're in the driver's seat for the division and potentially a first round bye as well. But I understand the path that led to where the team is now, and I'm grateful more than anything to see this team play meaningful football into December once again. I'm glad to feel like the division is ours for the taking rather than merely hoping to miraculously overtake Buffalo. I love seeing the vibes being immaculate between the players and coaches. I'm having fun and I'm feeling proud of what they're doing. If they fall short of a Super Bowl title this year, it'll suck but it's not the same as that feeling of wasting an opportunity. With how young this team is and how excellent the coaching has been, I feel good about the opportunities ahead of us. It's a nice feeling.

 

[tasmlab]

Really got lucky! Everyone mentioned the QB, coach, coaches, easy schedule, great draft, FA signings etc. Everything hit.

and/but, if they got the head coach, the QB and owner in synch, they could be a high quality team for another two decades.

Or they could be the 2017 Jaguars who decided to be good for one season and then go back to stinking every year. Hopefully not.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

To be fair, we all just saw the graphic that no 13 loss team in one season has EVER started off 11-2 or better the next season. Failing to see something unprecedented isn't exactly a blunder.

 

[Lansdowne]

To be fair, we all just saw the graphic that no 13 loss team in one season has EVER started off 11-2 or better the next season. Failing to see something unprecedented isn't exactly a blunder.

I double checked this and it's unfortunately false unless there is a mixup in what the graphic said. The 1999 Colts accomplished this as well, as they were 3-13 the year prior.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I double checked this and it's unfortunately false unless there is a mixup in what the graphic said. The 1999 Colts accomplished this as well, as they were 3-13 the year prior.

The Colts had no business losing to the Titans in the divisional round that season. In fact, the Titans had absolutely no business beating the Bills in the Wild Card round.

 

[TommyD4207]

The Colts had no business losing to the Titans in the divisional round that season. In fact, the Titans had absolutely no business beating the Bills in the Wild Card round.

They did make the Super Bowl and almost won the thing, so maybe they did have business.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

I think if you asked Vrabel, even he'd be surprised how fast the turnaround happened. I'm sure he believed there would be an improvement. I'm not sure he would have believed it would have translated to this many wins.

 

[Wozzy]

Many fans don’t realize what rock bottom looks like… it has nothing to do with the previous season’s record.

2020 was rock bottom for the Pats, they entered that year with the third most dead cap in the league and needed to replace or re-sign roughly 12 starters including QB… the most expensive position in the NFL. That team was at a logical end point, a rebuild was needed.

In 2021 the Patriots were back in the playoffs with a mediocre QB. If Mac were Drake Maye instead and Jonathan Kraft hadn’t meddled the winning
might never have stopped. We’ve been in limbo ever since, but we needed last year’s incompetence for Jonathan to realize he needed to hire his own Belichick in Vrabel and let him run his own program. A great owner hires well and gets out of the way. Here we are, credit to the Kraft’s for making good decisions.