FOXBOROUGH — Big Boy Football has finally returned to New England, and let’s be honest, it’s been awhile. The Patriots had one of the softest schedules in recent memory this season – Exhibit A – but “tomato cans” aside, this team has played as well as anyone in the NFL through fall and into winter.
Week after week, we saw consistency, sharp execution, and a level of discipline that we haven’t glimpsed since the last Lombardi Trophy was hoisted in February 2019.
Did anyone really expect this? Maybe in 2026.
The rebuild was supposed to be a bit of a slog. Instead, it’s been quick and tidy, a far cry from the stretch of four-win misery that made the franchise look like it did pre-Belichick and pre-Brady.
Give credit to the new coach and architect, Mike Vrabel, and that $300 million free agent spending spree. But this is more than talent, which includes the changeover in the coaching staff.
I predicted eight wins for the year. They got there by Nov. 9. That was the day, after another all-phases win on the road in Tampa, when it became clear.
Time to raise expectations, big time.
They’ve done it despite major injuries – bonus baby left tackle Will Campbell, prized defensive signing Milton Williams and anchor linebacker Robert Spillane all missed time. Other than a rough second half against the Bills on Dec. 14, the wins just kept coming, including another tough one at home late yesterday afternoon.
This Patriots defense isn’t as dominant as some of the old units, especially against the run. But as we saw against the Dolphins – a team that came in hot, winners of five of seven – the Pats have something they haven’t had in years … a quarterback who changes the game.
That’s Drake Maye.
Sure, the stats were solid – 14-of-18, 190 yards, a touchdown – but it was the way Maye seized the moment. With the Patriots up 17-10, first play of the second half, he drops a 29-yarder to Hunter Henry. Six plays later, a perfect touch pass to Rhamondre Stevenson for a score. Game, set, match.
And now, regular season in the books, the real season begins.
The Patriots aren’t the only team with a rapid rise – Denver, Jacksonville and Chicago all fit that mold, with Denver maybe a year ahead.
All have big-time coaches and legit quarterbacks, but I’m not sure any pairing tops Vrabel and Maye.
This team is different. Unlike the old-school, militaristic Belichick regime, Vrabel’s squad feels looser, closer, and, in some ways, more likable. I’ve watched a lot of teams from the Foxborough press box, and this one stands apart.
Is it hokey to call the Patriots a family?
“No way,” said cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was arguably the best player on the past four-win teams. “When you care about the guy next to you … . It means so much more.”
Does it work in January? Why not.
Every team is good, as in good, not great.
“We got the right guys in the building at the right time, and we got good quarterback play. We figured out how to not beat ourselves. I think we play to an identity, and guys make plays. That’s what happens.”
Next weekend, the Chargers come to town. Same coach, Jim Harbaugh, same quarterback, Justin Herbert – the duo that smoked the Pats 40-7 at Gillette just last December.
But for the first time since the Brady era, the Patriots have the pieces: a running game, a defense that forces turnovers, and, yes, an MVP quarterback who gives you a shot every week.
I’m not calling it Super Bowl or bust. But to borrow a line from Kevin Garnett, with this team and this quarterback, anything is possible.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.