The New England Patriots went from four wins to the Super Bowl during Mike Vrabel’s first season in charge.
Bleacher Report is predicting a much different ending in Year 2.
Brad Gagnon made the Patriots the key part of his AFC East entry in an list of one bold prediction for every NFL division.
His forecast was that only the Buffalo Bills will represent the division in the 2026 playoffs.
“This is really an indictment of the Patriots’ outlook,” Gagnon wrote, arguing New England is “primed for a post-Super Bowl hangover.”
New England’s 10-win improvement from 2024 tied the largest single-season turnaround in NFL history.
Bleacher Report Points to 2 Major Patriots Concerns
GettySANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 08: Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots reacts against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Gagnon’s take focuses largely on New England’s 2025 schedule and injury fortune.
The Patriots benefited from the NFL’s easiest schedule last season while finishing with the league’s fewest Adjusted Games Lost, per FTN Fantasy’s Aaron Schatz. Seven of the 10 healthiest teams by that metric made the postseason.
Repeating those circumstances could be tricky.
New England’s 2026 schedule opens with four consecutive opponents that reached the postseason last year. The Patriots visit Seattle for a Super Bowl rematch before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Bills.
The road remains imposing later in the season. After their Week 11 bye, the Patriots have games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos during a challenging closing stretch.
Gagnon also expects Buffalo to reclaim the division and believes potential rebounds from Baltimore, Kansas City and Cincinnati could squeeze New England in the AFC wild-card race.
That leaves less space for error than the Patriots enjoyed on their way to 14 victories last season.
Patriots Have More Firepower Around Drake Maye
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 13: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots looks on during warmups prior to a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
There are grounds to push back on B/R’s prediction.
Drake Maye propelled himself to the top of the NFL during New England’s turnaround. Maye completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2025, leading the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt.
The Patriots then gave their third-year quarterback a lethal weapon by acquiring A.J. Brown from Philadelphia on June 1, adding a No. 1 receiver to an offense that already reached the Super Bowl without him.
The Patriots sent a 2028 first-round pick and 2027 fifth-rounder to Philadelphia in the deal.
Vrabel also has proof his approach can culminate in success after overseeing one of the biggest turnarounds in league history.
Regardless, B/R sees enough potential regression elsewhere to predict one of the NFL’s reigning conference champions will miss the postseason entirely.
After New England’s speedy rise in 2025, falling short of even a wild-card berth would qualify as one of the league’s biggest disappointments in 2026.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Patriots Hit With Brutal Playoff Prediction Ahead of 2026 Season appeared first on HEAVY.