"The discrediting of the Patriots' 2025 season continues into the offseason, despite winning the AFC East for the first time in five years, holding onto the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, and representing the conference in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks. That has prompted analysts and fans to make way-too-early predictions about how they will fare in 2026, with some, like CBS Sports' Garrett Podell, suggesting they are one of the top teams to regress this fall and maybe even miss the playoffs."
"Noting all the "breaks" they got during the 2025 season, on top of citing their unimpressive performance in Super Bowl LX, Bills fans are crossing their fingers that the Patriots' first-place schedule in 2026 will be enough to end their run at the top of the division. But that doesn't account for the fact that the Bills are currently over the projected 2026 cap space, and they have plenty of roster holes to address, especially on offense."
The Patriots won the 2025 AFC East, secured the No. 2 playoff seed, and reached the Super Bowl against the Seahawks, yet widespread doubts persist about the legitimacy of their season. Analysts and fans predicted early regression for 2026, with some calling New England among teams likely to decline or miss the playoffs. Rival Bills supporters hope predictions come true to aid their chance at reclaiming the division, but Buffalo faces significant issues, including being over projected 2026 cap space and needing to address offensive roster holes after Stefon Diggs' 2024 trade. The Patriots enter the offseason with over $40 million in cap space and strong coaching appeal.
Read at Musket Fire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]