The Buffalo Bills won five consecutive AFC East titles and heading into this past season, they were expected to win it again and possibly finally get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl. Instead, they went through another heartbreaking playoff loss in the divisional round. It was the final straw of Sean McDermott’s tenure as the head coach of the Bills.
To make matters worse, the Bills lost the division to the New England Patriots, or should I say the team that ruled the AFC East for nearly two decades before 2020. The Patriots won just four games in 2024. Then they hired Mike Vrabel and next thing you know, they have instantly become one of the best teams after winning the AFC (before getting embarrassed in the Super Bowl).
New England won 14 games this season and they will still have Drake Maye on his rookie deal. However, the Patriots got a ton of breaks this past season with a very easy schedule and a ton of breaks in the playoffs. Now, since they are a division winner, they will be facing a first place schedule in 2026 and they are in for a rude awakening.
Patriots are destined for a huge letdown in 2026 (and Bills fans should be excited for it)
Garrett Podell from CBS Sports listed the Patriots as one of the teams that are “poised for a major fall in 2026” and that couldn’t be anymore true.
"The 2025 AFC champion New England Patriots coasted to a 14-3 record while playing the easiest regular-season strength of schedule, with a .391 opponent winning percentage, the lowest by any team since the 1999 Rams." said Podell. When it came to the playoffs, Podell also talked about the amount of breaks the Patriots got in their games.
"Come playoff time, their path continued to provide soft landings. The Los Angeles Chargers were without both starting offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, the Houston Texans were without their top two passing targets in wide receiver Nico Collins and tight end Dalton Schultz (departed in game at New England) and the Denver Broncos had to start Jarrett Stidham, who hadn't throw a pass in a game all season, at quarterback over the injured Bo Nix." said Podell.
Once the Patriots had to face some real competition in the Super Bowl, everyone saw how they truly are as a team. Now granted, the Seahawks were clearly the best team in football, but still, the Pats should have put up atleast a bit of a fight.
Going into next season, expectations are set for the Patriots and who knows if they will be able to live up to them. Their defense is phenomenal, but their offense needs some serious help if they want to be competitive again.
As for the Bills, they must focus on themselves as their schedule is set to be a tough one as well. However, with Joe Brady now leading the charge, the Bills are set up to look a lot different next season (hopefully for the better).