Patriots 2026 Preview: Can New England Get Back To Super Bowl? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The following is an excerpt of the Patriots' season outlook, written by David Schoenholt, in Sporting News' Pro Football 2026 Preview. The magazine, which has previews of every team in addition to a look at all the major 2026 storylines, can be ordered here.
It’s hard to imagine a team kicking off a new era any better than the Patriots did last year. In their first season under new head coach Mike Vrabel and their second with young, franchise quarterback Drake Maye, they turned what was a 4-13 team the year before into a 14-3 powerhouse. They made the playoffs for the first time in four years. They won their first division title in six years. And they reached the Super Bowl for the first time since Bill Belichick and Tom Brady led them there at the end of the 2018 season.
The people of New England would like to believe this is the start of Dynasty II. But before Vrabel and Maye get sized up for statues, there are a few issues they have to address. The biggest is that last year they succeeded against a pillowy soft schedule, with just four games against teams that went to the playoffs—and one in the last 13 weeks. Even their playoff run was soft, including an AFC championship game in Denver against a Broncos team that was without its starting quarterback. Roads rarely get cleared like that. So this season is about proving they’re far more than a product of an easy schedule. They need to show that with Vrabel and Maye they’re primed to be a contender for years to come.
Running gameThis was unsurprising, given Vrabel’s coaching history, but the Patriots became a punishing rushing team in his first season. They averaged 128.9 yards per game on the ground, which was the sixth best total in the NFL. Yes, it helped that Maye, their 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback, can still make good use of his young legs. He ran for 450 yards and four touchdowns last year. But it’s their 1-2 punch in the backfield that really made the difference. They started the season relying on Rhamondre Stevenson, but when he hurt his toe, rookie Treyveon Henderson took over. And eventually they split the job, combining for more than 1,500 yards.
Entering 2026, expect more of the same. Henderson, who ran for 911 yards and nine touchdowns, is probably the lead back. Stevenson was the starter when healthy, but saw his role reduced. But he still finished with 603 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ desire—or perhaps need—to rely on them was made obvious by two of the Patriots’ offseason pickups. They signed guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to give their line a boost. And they added fullback Reggie Gilliam to add a little punch in front of the backs.
What they’ll need most, though, is improved play from their offensive line, which struggled at times last season, especially against better competition. Granted, they had more issues in pass protection than run blocking, but the run blocking wasn’t always great either. Hence the addition of Vera-Tucker, who can be a true road grader when he’s healthy enough to play. If they get that, the rushing attack can continue to be their engine, even as they are likely to lean more and more on Maye as he gets more comfortable in the NFL. But these aren’t the old Patriots yet, and they may never will be. McDaniels isn’t likely to trust Maye the way he once did his old Hall of Fame quarterback. He needs to establish the run to help Maye out, more than he ever had to do during the Brady years. With the Stevenson-Henderson punch, there’s no reason they can’t continue to do that. They’ll face tougher schedules and better defenses this season. But for the most part, the production should still be there.
Passing gameThere might be more exciting and dynamic young quarterbacks in the NFL, like maybe Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. But there isn’t a better one than the 23-year-old Maye, the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. There were some pretty high expectations for him coming out of North Carolina. But he exceeded those in his first two years in the NFL. And last year, in his first season with Vrabel and McDaniels, Maye was simply outstanding. He completed an NFL-best 72 percent of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He led the NFL with 8.9 yards per pass attempt and had a league-high passer rating of 113.5.
He nearly won the NFL’s MVP award, too, finishing one first-place vote (and five points) behind the winner, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, in the closest balloting in 22 years. All that was even better considering his receiving corps was really underwhelming. Stefon Diggs was a nice addition and had 82 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, but not enough of an impact for the Patriots to bring him back at age 32. His most reliable target was probably tight end Hunter Henry, but his 60 catches, 768 yards and seven touchdowns were hardly elite numbers as far as tight ends go.
The Patriots clearly knew they needed an upgrade, which is why they traded for A.J. Brown in a blockbuster summer deal. Brown is a three-time Pro Bowler, and he had over 1,000 yards receiving last season, even though he also had a career-low 12.9 yards per catch. The Patriots also added Romeo Doubs, who caught 55 passes for 724 yards and six touchdowns in a crowded Green Bay receiving corps in 2025.
The key to all this working as well as it did last season is the offensive line, which … well, when it comes to pass blocking, it wasn’t good. Maye was sacked 47 times during the regular season, the fourth highest total in the league. And he was just brutalized in the postseason, getting sacked 21 times in four games, including six times in the Super Bowl loss. Maye held up remarkably well while taking a beating, but history suggests that can’t last. He is the Patriots’ most precious asset and their ticket to future contention. They know they have to keep him upright and healthy, which is why New England used its first-round draft pick on Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. If the Patriots can give Maye time to operate too, the passing offense has a chance to be great.
But it certainly will help if Brown steps into that No. 1 role to at least replicate the kind of production Diggs delivered last year. Doubs is a reliable receiver who certainly could approach those numbers if he’s thrown to more often. Second-year receiver Kyle Williams is a deep threat who is enjoying a strong preseason camp. The other candidates, like slot receiver Demario Douglas (31-447-3) and 6-4 journeyman Mack Hollins (46-550-2) are probably more suited to a reserve role.
Bottom lineVrabel is an elite coach and Maye is an elite quarterback and that’s more than half the battle in the NFL. The Patriots have some holes in their surrounding cast, but they still have more than enough talent to be considered a contender. The big thing for them is that the schedule almost certainly won’t be as easy this season. They won’t be able to glide into the playoffs again and the season will feel like more of a grind. They can survive that and could even still compete for a division title. Everything will just be harder this time around.
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