The New England Patriots are back-and they didn’t just sneak in through the back door. After two straight 4-13 seasons and a complete overhaul that looked more like a long-term rebuild than a quick fix, the Patriots have flipped the script in stunning fashion. From basement dwellers in the AFC East to one win away from the Super Bowl, this turnaround has been one of the most dramatic in recent NFL memory.
Even some of the players at the heart of this resurgence didn’t see it coming this fast. Defensive tackle Milton Williams, a key free-agent signing from the Philadelphia Eagles, admitted as much on the Quick Snap Podcast with former Patriots David Andrews and Brian Hoyer.
“No,” Williams said bluntly when asked if he expected this kind of leap in Year 1. “I thought eventually.
I was thinking this year we're gonna make the playoffs, probably lose earlier on because we're kind of still in the rebuilding phase. But for it to happen this quick...”
That pause says it all. What’s happening in Foxborough right now is exceeding even the most optimistic internal expectations.
Williams has been a tone-setter on this defense-disruptive in the trenches, stout against the run, and a vocal leader in the locker room. But he’s quick to spread the credit around.
“It just shows-first of all, our head coach, the coaching staff he brought in, and then the players that he brought in,” he said. “They went out and just got a lot of dogs and added them to the team with the experienced coaching staff. They're just putting us in position to make plays.”
That mix of player accountability, coaching trust, and locker room chemistry has become the Patriots’ identity in 2025. And it’s paying off in a big way.
Let’s not forget where this team came from. New England was dead last in the division just a year ago.
The bar heading into this season? Maybe sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card.
Instead, they stormed to their first AFC East title since 2019 and came within striking distance of the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Now they’re riding a wave of postseason momentum. After dispatching the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round and outmuscling the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, the Patriots are headed to Denver for the AFC Championship Game. One more win, and they’re in Super Bowl LX.
And if you think this defense is just along for the ride, think again. They’ve been the engine behind this playoff push-and they know they’re still not getting their due.
“We really haven't been getting credit all year for what we've been doing,” Williams told Hoyer and Andrews. “We just felt like all season it's, ‘Who'd they play?’ and this and that... instead of just giving us credit for what we've been putting on tape all year.”
That chip on their shoulder? It’s real.
And it’s fueling a defense that’s been locked in since Week 1. Williams said it best: “We all just have a chip on our shoulder ready to just show who we really are, show that we are a top defense in this league.”
It’s hard to argue. They’ve been consistent all season, but the spotlight of the playoffs is finally putting their performance under a brighter light. Still, Williams knows the real respect won’t come until the job is finished.
“I don't think they give us no real credit until we accomplish [our goal],” he said.
If the Patriots beat the Broncos, they’ll become just the sixth team this century to go from last place in their division to the Super Bowl the following season. That’s not just a turnaround-that’s a historic pivot.
The long-term challenge will be sustaining this success, but right now, that’s a conversation for another day. The only thing that matters in Foxborough is the next 60 minutes of football. One more win, and the Patriots are back on the sport’s biggest stage.
Also from the podcast episode:
- The offensive line’s struggles against Houston were a topic of discussion, with speculation that standout rookie Will Campbell might be gutting through an injury. His toughness has never been in question, but his health could be critical heading into Denver.
- Hoyer and Andrews broke down how the Patriots’ offense used screens and misdirection to keep the Texans’ aggressive front off balance. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective-and it helped keep the chains moving.
- Looking ahead to the AFC title game, both former Patriots expect Jarrett Stidham to be ready for the challenge in Denver. Stidham has shown poise down the stretch, and the coaching staff has done a solid job tailoring the game plan to his strengths.
- And for a little nostalgia, the crew looked back at the Patriots’ dominant win over the Broncos in the 2011 Divisional Round-a reminder that postseason success in Denver is possible, even in the toughest environments.
The Patriots are knocking on the door of something special. From afterthoughts to contenders, they’ve already flipped the narrative. Now they’ve got a chance to write the next chapter in what’s quickly becoming one of the most compelling stories of the NFL season.