Last season, in the team’s first season under head coach Mike Vrabel, the New England Patriots made a surprising run to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they came up short in the big game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite the loss to the Seahawks, the Patriots were ecstatic about their 2025 season. They went from being one of the worst teams in the NFL the year previous to being one of the top two teams in football. Now, they’re looking to build on that success in 2026.
On paper, New England looks to be a better football team. The front office put together an aggressive offseason.
Among the notable moves this offseason were the trade for star wide receiver A.J. Brown and the free agency signings of safety Kevin Byard and wide receiver Romeo Doubs. There were more moves made than those three, but that gives a good glimpse at just how big of an offseason it was.
With that being said, the Patriots have been slapped with some blatant disrespect ahead of their preseason opener on Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts.
Patriots Hit With Clear Disrespect From NFL.com
Back on August 11, NFL.com’s Nick Shook released his latest power rankings. Many expected to see New England close to the top, especially after making it to the Super Bowl last year.
That wasn’t the case, according to Shook.
Not only did the Patriots not land in the top five, they also didn’t make it into the top 10. Instead, New England was ranked as the No. 12 best team in the NFL.
“I know: It seems absurd to place the reigning AFC champions outside of the top 10. But this isn’t your typical conference title winner. New England rode a dreamlike turnaround to a Super Bowl LX appearance on a vehicle that was all but guaranteed to swap out a few key parts once the journey ended. Stefon Diggs, Garrett Bradbury, K’Lavon Chaisson, Khyiris Tonga, Jahlani Tavai, Anfernee Jennings and Jaylinn Hawkins are all gone. Each of those individuals played a key role in the Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl, and the fallout from that defeat — in which New England was clearly overmatched by Seattle — came with justifiable questions about whether their run was a fluke (and a product of a soft schedule),” Shook wrote.
“That said, the team still has MVP runner-up Drake Maye, added star receiver A.J. Brown to a WR group that also welcomed Romeo Doubs, and bolstered the offensive line with free agent pickup Alijah Vera-Tucker and first-round selection Caleb Lomu. There’s still plenty of reason to feel good about the Pats’ outlook; I just need them to prove doubters wrong before moving them up in these rankings.”
The Rankings Provide New England With Extra Motivation
Vrabel is the kind of coach that uses every bit of motivation that he can find. These power rankings are just going to add more fuel to his fire.
Just like last season when he took the Patriots from the bottom to the top, he’ll be more motivated to win it all in 2026. The same could be said for his roster, which has fully bought into what the second-year head coach is preaching.
Drake Maye is entering his third NFL season. He was an MVP candidate last year, but came up short against Matthew Stafford. With new weapons in Brown and Doubs, an improve season could be on the way.
Only time will tell, but New England is going to have something to say about being underrated.
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