Sportsnaut
After a disappointing 2024 season, which saw the New England Patriots post a 4-13 record, the franchise moved on from head coach Jerod Mayo and replaced him with Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel had success as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023, leading the Titans to four winning seasons, two division titles, and an AFC Championship game appearance in 2019. Now back with the Patriots after spending the 2024 season as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns, the team he played eight years for and won three Super Bowls with, Vrabel will be looking to bring winning back to New England.
The Patriots brought in a plethora of fresh talent through free agency and the draft this offseason, and with Vrabel also taking over as head coach, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton predicts New England will finish second in the AFC East with a record of 8-9 in 2025.
“Because of early-season stumbles, New England finish slightly below .500, but it doubles its win total from 2024,” Moton said of his prediction.
Though an 8-9 record likely won’t be enough for a playoff spot in a loaded AFC conference, it would be a step in the right direction for a Patriots squad that has tallied four wins in each of the last two seasons. New England hasn’t posted a winning season since 2021 and hasn’t won a playoff game since their win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
The new-look Patriots will take the field for the first time on Friday versus the Washington Commanders to open the preseason. New England will then have a joint practice and preseason contest versus the Minnesota Vikings next week, and finish up the preseason versus the New York Giants on the road.
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