The New England Patriots have not enjoyed a lot of success over the last few years, but they have put their struggles behind them in impressive fashion in 2025. In fact, thanks to their 27-14 victory over the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football, they have now secured their first winning season in four years.
With the Patriots improving to 9-2 on the year, they did not only move into the top spot in the AFC playoff picture, but also make sure that they will finish the year with a winning record.
While a regularity during the franchise’s dynasty days, the team has not enjoyed this level of success since its 2021 campaign. Back then, the Patriots stood at 7-4 after their first eleven games and ultimately ended the year 10-7 and with a wild card playoff berth.
Since then, the club has struggled to stay out of the red. After a relatively competitive 2022 campaign that saw them finish at 8-9 and only miss out on the postseason in Week 18, they went 4-13 in back-to-back seasons. That two-year stretch, while underwhelming, laid the foundation for what the team is currently building: the first put the Patriots in position to draft quarterback Drake Maye third overall in 2024, while the second led to head coach Jerod Mayo being replaced by Mike Vrabel.
With Maye and Vrabel leading the way, the Patriots are looking like serious contenders in the AFC at the moment — and like a team that is not satisfied by simply returning to the win column. Next up is adding more wins to the tally to officially punch a ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
