Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Mike Vrabel
Offensive Coordinator: Josh McDaniels
Defensive Coordinator: Zak Kuhr
Special Teams Coordinator: Jeremy Springer
2025 Summary (W-L Record: 14-3)
Last year, Mike Vrabel led the Patriots to one of the best single-season turnarounds in NFL history, going from a 4-13 team picking in the top-5 of the draft to a 14-3 team and AFC Champions.
As you can see from the numbers above, the Patriots had very few weaknesses on either side of the ball.
Their offense thrived due to the emergence of 2nd-year quarterback Drake Maye. He completed 72% of his passes, but we’re not talking about a quarterback who dinked and dunked his way to that 72%. He attacked downfield regularly, leading the NFL in intended air yards per attempt.
That was a huge part of their passing game as the Patriots finish the year with the 2nd-most completions of 20 yards or more.
New England also had an effective, downhill running game that relied predominantly on gap-scheme runs and moving the line of scrimmage. It also helped to have a quarterback who could make plays with his legs. Every time Maye scrambled, it seemed like he picked up a big chunk of yards.
The end result was a run game that finished 6th in the NFL.
On the other side of the ball, Vrabel blended physicality, toughness, and a variety of schemes to help turn the Patriots into the #4 scoring defense in the NFL.
The end result was a surprise run to Super Bowl LX that fell just short.
Key Additions
FB Reggie Gilliam
WR A.J. Brown
WR Romeo Doubs
TE Eli Raridon (3rd Rd, 95th Overall)
TE Julian Hill
LG Alijah Vera-Tucker
OT Caleb Lomu (1st Rd, 28)
EDGE Dre’Mont Jones
EDGE Gabe Jacas (2nd Rd, 55th Overall)
LB K.J. Britt
CB Kindle Vildor
CB Karon Prunty (5th Rd, 171st Overall)
S Kevin Byard
S Jaylen Reed
Key Losses
WR Stefon Diggs
WR Kayshon Boutte
TE Austin Hooper
C Garrett Bradbury
OT Vederian Lowe
DL Khyiris Tonga
EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson
EDGE Anfernee Jennings
LB Jack Gibbens
LB Jahlani Tavai
CB Alex Austin
S Jaylinn Hawkins
Biggest Questions Entering 2026
Which Patriots offense is the real Patriots offense?
As mentioned above, the Patriots offense was dynamic during the regular season. Once they got to the playoffs, however, things changed dramatically.
Some might attribute that to a variety of factors, including injuries and weather. It’s hard not to point out, however, that the level of competition played the most critical role in the offense’s substantial drop off.
Right now, you’re probably saying “thanks Captain Obvious, competition is always better in the playoffs.” And you’re not wrong there.
The point, though, is that maybe the level of competition that they faced, good or bad, played the biggest role in their performance.
For instance, they did not face one Top-10 scoring defense until they got to the playoffs. Then, they faced 4 top-10 defenses in a row. And their dip in play was extreme.
They went from scoring 29 points per game during the regular season to just 15 in the playoffs. They went from averaging 250 passing yards per game to just 174. They were seemingly only able to run the ball when Maye scrambled, as their running backs averaging just 3.3 yards per carry during the postseason. Their protection was middle of the back in the regular season but a huge liability in the playoffs, allowing a whopping 21 sacks in 4 games.
The change in Maye’s performance was significant as well. He went from completing 72% of his passes for 8.9 yards per attempt and a 113.5 passer rating during the regular season…
To completing just 58% of his passes for 6.9 yards per attempt and an 82.2 rating during the playoffs...
Maye turned the ball over just 11 times in 17 regular season games. He gave it away 8 times in 4 playoff games:
Every good offense beats up on bad competition. So that shouldn’t be held against the Patriots. But the elite offenses also perform well against the best defenses.
So it’s fair to ask as we head into 2026, which offense is the real Patriots offense? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, as it often does.
Is A.J. Brown primed for a huge season?
A.J. Brown is a great fit with the Patriots for a variety of reasons. Aside from the fact that he developed under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee and apparently loves playing for him, he is exactly the type of receiver the Patriots need.
Brown had a bit of a down year last season, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s because he lost a step or anything. I think it had more to do with the circumstances of the Eagles passing game.
Despite some of the uncharacteristic drops and moments we saw last season, he is still every bit of a bona fide #1 receiver, and that’s the type of player that the Patriots really didn’t have last season.
They didn’t have a guy like Brown who you could line up outside the numbers, and anytime Maye saw him in a 1-on-1, he could get him the ball.
He doesn’t necessarily create a ton of separation, but you know when he’s in a 1-on-1 matchup, he’s going to get a good release off the line, run a good route, and track the ball, and make contested catches:
He really has been one of the best receivers in 1-on-1 situations. And you know Maye is going to attack downfield with him for some big plays all season. He’ll lead the league in intended air yards per attempt again, or come close to it.
On top of all that, Josh McDaniels knows how to deploy his receivers and get the most out of them. Even though Brown is more of your prototypical outside the numbers receiver, he can align anywhere and effectively run in-breaking routes in the middle of the field.
Not to mention, you pair him with the Patriots’ other new pass-catching addition, Romeo Doubs, and the Patriots are going to have even more ways to attack defenses than they did a year ago.
I am very interested to see how McDaniels utilizes his new weapons.
What will the offensive line look like?
Pressure played a huge role in the drop off of the Patriots offense in the playoffs. Rookie left tackle Will Campbell was a huge topic of discussion, from his arm length to the knee injury that he played through, to the thought of moving him from tackle to guard.
The only thing that appears certain to me is that Campbell’s play dropped off in the playoffs because his knee was compromised. Maybe he’ll move inside long term, but Vrabel has sounded pretty adamant this offseason that he isn’t moving.
That said, the Patriots used their first-round draft pick on a tackle, Caleb Lomu. While the idea is that he might be a swing tackle who can be a long-term solution at right tackle, could we see him become the left tackle at some point this season, though?
The Patriots are moving left guard Jared Wilson inside to center and relying on Alijah Vera-Tucker to replace him. The problem is, AVT simply can’t be counted on.
He missed 10 games in 2022, 12 games in 2023, and all of the 2025 season. He’s unfortunately had too many serious injuries, which made the Patriots decision to give him a 3-year deal this offseason a risky one.
If he can’t go at left guard at any point or for long stretches during the season, will the Patriots consider moving Campbell inside and putting Lomu at left tackle? Will Lomu go to left guard instead?
Your guess is as good as mine. One thing is clear after their offensive performance in the playoffs, though: the Patriots have to get the O-line right to get back to where they want to this season.
How will the Patriots generate a pass rush?
The Pats didn’t have many weaknesses on defense last season. But their pass rush could probably be considered a bit of a hole. They finished the year 24th in pressure percentage and 22nd in sacks.
On top of that, they lost edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson this offseason. Chaisson finished 2nd on the team in sacks during the regular season and tied for the lead with 3.0 during the playoffs.
The Patriots’ main pass-rushing additions this offseason were Dre’Mont Jones and rookie Gabe Jacas, who they drafted with the 55th overall pick.
While those two might be able to fill some or all of the pass-rushing holes, I still don’t know if they are an improved unit from a year ago. I wonder if Vrabel is going to just choose to lean more on aggressive pressure schemes to generate a pass rush, similar to what he did in the playoffs.
During the regular season, the Patriots did mix in some blitz pressure (~26%). In the playoffs, however, they went insane with it. They nearly doubled their blitz frequency to 48% of all dropbacks. And they had great success doing so, getting pressure on 53% of those blitzes:
Opposing quarterbacks completed just 39% of passes for 4.18 yards per attempt, and a 49.1 passer rating. Ridiculous.
Will Vrabel decide to take a similar approach this year by saving his ammunition for the playoffs? Or will he go all in from day 1?
How will the Patriots fare against an actual NFL schedule (just kidding)?
This question is bound to piss off Patriots fans, but it’s worth asking. A lot went right for New England last year, which is what any team needs to get the Super Bowl in general. Their schedule was certainly one big part of that.
The Patriots played just 3 games against teams that finished with a winning record, going 1-2 in those games. And look, you can’t blame the Patriots for their schedule. They took care of business against bad teams in ways that other teams, like the Bills, just didn’t. So the schedule doesn’t mean that the Patriots were aCtuALly a bad team. It just means their win total might have been a bit inflated, which is helpful to know when projecting 2026.
They are not going to see that same schedule this year. New England will play the Seahawks, Lions, Packers, Bears, Bills (twice), Steelers, Jaguars, Broncos, Chargers, and Chiefs. There aren’t many easy games on the schedule, at least as things stand right now.
2026 Outlook
Based on the moves they made this offseason, the Patriots are a better team on paper than they were a year ago when they reached the Super Bowl. Theoretically, the players that are returning will be improved and more comfortable based on this being their second year in Vrabel and McDaniels’ systems.
But there’s no question that the Patriots will have a tougher road this season. The AFC looks to be a juggernaut. Their schedule is more difficult. And their days of sneaking up on anyone are over.
Check out our other team previews here:
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys
Washington Commanders
New York Giants
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Lions
NFC South
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals
AFC East
New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Los Angeles Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
If they win 10 games I’d be shocked