New England Patriots - NESN.com
ESPN senior national NFL writer Jeremy Fowler said in early August that he wouldn’t be surprised if the New England Patriots won the AFC East during the 2025 campaign.
Fowler doubled down on his optimism for the Patriots on Thursday, predicting that the team will make the playoffs this season.
“Mike Vrabel’s presence has already paid off. Quarterback Drake Maye is poised for a Year 2 jump. The defensive tackle duo of Christian Barmore and Milton Williams has a chance to be special. Two of their AFC East rivals (Dolphins and Jets) appear to be in transition. Running back TreVeyon Henderson has the explosiveness to break off big runs. And Josh McDaniels is a proven playcaller,” the insider wrote, saying that New England was his under-the-radar pick to make the postseason. “Offensive line and wide receiver remain concerns, but New England has made efforts to address both spots. The Patriots haven’t produced a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. For this to work, someone — paging Stefon Diggs — needs to break that streak. A wild-card spot feels attainable.”
Since missing the playoffs only twice from 2001 to 2019 and winning six Super Bowls during the span, the Patriots have made the postseason just once in the past five years. They’ve missed the playoffs each of the past three campaigns as well and are coming off back-to-back 4-13 finishes.
The organization not only brought in former star linebacker-turned head coach Mike Vrabel to man the sidelines, however, but also reunited with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the offseason. Vrabel has already won a Coach of the Year award before, capturing the hardware following the 2021 NFL season.
In his fourth year with the Tennessee Titans that season, Vrabel led the team to a 12-5 record and an AFC South division title.
Among the biggest player additions are four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs, second-round rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and linebacker Robert Spillane.
New England plays the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 on Sunday.
