The New England Patriots are coming off their greatest season since 2018. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye led the Patriots to a 14-win season and a Super Bowl appearance.

While it was a successful season for New England, they were completely outclassed by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Seattle controlled every facet of the game, making the Patriots look like they didn’t belong.

Making the Super Bowl is the hardest feat in the NFL. Every team’s end goal is to win the big game. With the NFL expected to become more competitive next season, many wonder, will the Patriots make it back to the Super Bowl with Maye?

Let’s break down the AFC Champions’ chance of getting to SoFi Stadium in 2027.

Easy schedule allegations

We heard it throughout the regular season, and it’s more pronounced than ever after their devastating loss. The Patriots had an objectively easy schedule. New England’s opponents have a .391 win percentage, the lowest in the NFL since the 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars.

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It isn’t easy to win in the NFL, but the Patriots had it easier than anyone else. From intra-division opponents like the 3-14 New York Jets to battling with the 3-14 Tennessee Titans, there weren’t a lot of road bumps in New England’s way.

This isn’t the Patriots’ fault, however. They finished with a 4-13 record in 2024, earning the fourth-place schedule in 2025. The Patriots played the bottom of the barrel because they were the bottom of the barrel at one point. The difference is that when New England started to improve, the teams that finished last place in 2024 remained there in 2025.

The Patriots also came out victorious in some tough matchups. They split wins with the Buffalo Bills and topped the Baltimore Ravens, who were coming off winners of six of their last eight. But that’s about it.

There’s no argument that New England had it easy in the regular season, but they should be credited for consistency. Upsets aren’t uncommon, and the Patriots remained the better team in their 14 wins.

Now finishing in first place in 2025, the Patriots’ schedule will get significantly harder in 2026.

Playoff Wins

It didn’t get much harder in the playoffs. The Patriots hosted the 11-7 Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round and handled them easily. The Chargers aren’t a total pushover, but an exploitable offensive line issue made it smooth sailing. New England would win 16-3.

The Patriots moved on to hosting the Houston Texans and their ferocious defense. The Texans’ defense probably would’ve put Drake Maye into a similar situation as the Seahawks did, but C.J. Stroud was their biggest friend. Stroud threw four first-half interceptions, setting the Patriots up for a 21-10 lead heading to halftime. New England would win 28-16.

Their final contest ahead of the Super Bowl was a matchup with the 13-4 Denver Broncos. After entering the postseason with a first-round bye, the Broncos took out the Bills in a high-scoring affair. Broncos vs. Patriots was set up to be a great showdown, until it was announced that the quarterback, Bo Nix, would be ruled out for the season with a broken foot.

Nix’s injury and snowy conditions allowed the Patriots to advance to the Super Bowl with a 10-7 win.

Young Stars

Despite all the schedule-bashing for New England, they can only play who’s in front of them. And they did it well.

Led by an MVP candidate at quarterback, there is an overwhelming number of young stars on the Patriots roster. Players like Christian Gonzalez and Milton Williams highlight young talent that has developed into stars, and a strong rookie class has propelled New England forward.

Despite his troubles in the Super Bowl, Will Campbell had a stellar year, and TreVeyon Henderson broke out midseason. There’s no reason to suggest these players will slow down.

There isn’t a lack of talent in New England. Their roster may not have matched well with Seattle’s, but that doesn’t take away from what they do have. Along with the 11th-most available cap space in 2026, the Patriots’ roster will get better before it gets worse.

Mike Vrabel

There’s a reason everyone wanted Mike Vrabel as a head coach. In just one year, Vrabel turned a 4-13 team into a Super Bowl team.

Vrabel was the mastermind behind the Patriots’ rise. He brought in the right staff and developed his players to new heights. While Vrabel didn’t bring the Titans to a Super Bowl, he kept them competitive. Once he departed, Tennessee’s incompetencies began to show.

Will they be back?

The Patriots can certainly get back into Super Bowl contention. Outside of the Bills, the AFC East won’t be getting better anytime soon. The Jets and Miami Dolphins are in the midst of rebuilds and will continue to be easy matchups every season.

Maye showed massive leaps from his rookie season to his sophomore year. From being an MVP candidate to leading his team to the Super Bowl, he has cemented himself as one of the top passers in the league. He may have shown his youth in the Super Bowl, but it will make him better prepared.

New England’s roster is also built well for a young quarterback. They had a top-5 defense in 2025 and paired Maye with a veteran WR1 in Stefon Diggs. Along with an established running game behind Henderson, Maye was put in a great situation.

Despite all the talent, I don’t believe the Patriots’ roster in 2025 was good enough to make a Super Bowl. Great coaching by Vrabel and the breakout of Maye slingshotted them forward in what was a weak year in terms of firepower for NFL teams.

Now, with the knowledge that you have your coach and quarterback of the future, it’s time to go all in. You have a star quarterback on a rookie deal for two more seasons; take advantage of it.

Spend big in free agency and be aggressive in trade talks. Don’t destroy your future, but make some of that draft capital expendable for a shot at a Super Bowl in the next two seasons. Once Maye signs an extension, your Super Bowl window gets smaller.