The New England Patriots, at 11-2, currently share the best record in the NFL and would be the No. 2 seed in the AFC if the playoffs started today, an eye-popping difference from last season, when they finished 4-13.
This type of quick turnaround is almost unheard of in the NFL, so what got the Patriots to where they are now?
Most people point to two factors: head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye. Vrabel, a former star linebacker for the team who won NFL coach of the year honors while leading the Tennessee Titans in 2021, was hired in the offseason to replace the fired Jerod Mayo.
He has brought an intense hands-on coaching style to New England and many see him as the main reason the Patriots are winning again, bringing back an ethos that defined the franchise during its dynasty years.
The Boston Globe reported that, going into this week’s bye, Vrabel said that despite the success that “we’re not done; we’re not satisfied,” and that “champions are never satisfied.”
His positive attitude and demand for excellence has rubbed off on the team and it is clear the players have a tremendous amount of respect for him.
“It starts with the head man and what he’s teaching us, our identity,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins said. “That’s the biggest thing. Wherever we are on the field, we’ve got to protect our identity.”
Josh McDaniels also made his second return to New England as offensive coordinator, following a failed head coaching attempt with the Las Vegas Raiders.
McDaniels was credited for a large part of the Patriots’ success during the dynasty era, being the coach primarily responsible for shaping quarterback Tom Brady, winner of seven Super Bowls and widely regarded as the greatest NFL player of all time.
Maye has said that McDaniels was “making it easy for me” and “was put on this earth to be an offensive coordinator.”
Maye has enjoyed a breakout season and is being touted as a league most valuable player candidate. The No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft has thrown for almost 3,500 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions in 13 games. In 18 games last year he threw for under 2,500 yards, with 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
New England’s picks from this year’s draft have mostly exceeded people’s expectations. The second round pick, running back TreVeyon Henderson, cannot seem to stop finding the end zone, having five touchdowns this season.
Veteran tight end Hunter Henry has scored five touchdowns and has racked up more than 600 yards, and the offseason signing of Stefon Diggs has been the cherry on top, with the wide receiver collecting three touchdowns and more than 700 yards.
Despite the success, the Patriots still have four games to play and they have injury problems.
Offensive tackle Will Campbell, the team’s No. 4 draft pick, went down during a Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He is currently on injured reserve and is dealing with a Grade 3 MCL sprain, and there is no clear timetable for his return, but the organization hopes it will be before the playoffs.
Guard Jared Wilson has been out since November with a high-ankle sprain, but the team hopes to get him back soon, perhaps even for the team’s next game, a pivotal matchup Sunday against division rival Buffalo.
The future looks bright, although what will happen once the current regular season ends is generating plenty of speculation. The Patriots’ schedule has been kind to them, and only the Bills have a winning record among the team’s remaining four opponents.
The key question is what will happen once the playoffs start.
Regardless, it has been, unquestionably, a successful season. Fans of other teams, who grew sick of the Patriots’ dynasty, may not be ready to admit it or face it, but the team appears to be back.
