The New England Patriots spent the opening stretch of the season looking like a team that had lost its way. Through three weeks, the offense was stuck in the mud, the record sat at 1-2, and the whole thing felt a lot uglier than anyone expected after the team exceeded expectations in 2025.
Then Week 4 hit, and the script flipped fast.
Heading into that road trip to Buffalo, the Patriots owned the league’s worst offense. Their 0.97 points per drive through three games was the lowest mark for any team at that point in a season since the 2021 Jets with Zach Wilson.
But from Weeks 4 through 6, New England ripped off three straight wins and suddenly looked like a different team, averaging 33.3 points per game in that span. Those victories all came against AFC opponents, including divisional wins over the Bills and Jets.
The Patriots did drop a close one to the Bears on Thursday Night Football, but Drake Maye has already done enough to show the early offensive wobble was more blip than blueprint. Since Week 4, he has accounted for 14 touchdowns and three turnovers, and New England is right back in the Super Bowl conversation.
That’s the part that makes the 4-3 record more impressive than it looks on paper. The Patriots haven’t just been dealing with inconsistency; they’ve been piecing this thing together while juggling a long injury list.
A.J. Brown, Mike Onwenu, Mack Hollins, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Romeo Doubs, Reggie Gilliam, Brenden Schooler, and Harold Landry have all spent time on IR, PUP, or NFI.
TreVeyon Henderson, Christian Barmore, Dre’Mont Jones, Carlton Davis, and Craig Woodson have also missed at least one game.
And the schedule hasn’t exactly given them breathing room.
According to Warren Sharp, New England has faced the third-most difficult slate in the NFL so far. Sharp’s strength-of-schedule data through seven weeks had only the Dolphins and Broncos ahead of the Patriots on the hard end of the chart, and among teams in that tougher range, New England is one of six AFC clubs with a winning record.
That matters because the second half looks a lot softer. The Patriots are expected to get Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, and Reggie Gilliam back within the next few weeks, while A.J.
Brown’s status remains unsettled and Alijah Vera-Tucker’s return timeline is still unclear. Even so, the overall picture points toward a healthier roster later on, which should help as the schedule opens up.
Over the final 10 games, New England will see four opponents with losing records: the 1-6 Dolphins in Week 8 and 18, the 0-6 Chargers in Week 12, and the 2-5 Jets in Week 16. The Patriots will also face the Bills and Lions, both of whom have bottom-seven defenses by points per game, and they’ve already beaten Buffalo once.
There are still some tough tests left. The undefeated Vikings bring the league’s best defense, allowing just 12.3 points per game, though they’ve done it against the easiest schedule in football and rank 24th on offense.
In the four games with Kyler Murray as the primary quarterback, that offense has averaged 19.3 points and hasn’t topped 23. The Chiefs and Packers are also waiting, and the 5-2 Broncos have been winning despite Bo Nix’s rough quarterback play.
Still, a 10-to-12 win finish doesn’t sound far-fetched at all.
For a team that opened with three dull offensive outings, the Patriots have already shown they can survive the ugly part of the schedule, absorb a pile of injuries, and keep themselves in the race.
In Other News...
Drake Maye Just Got Another Reason To Silence NFL Doubters
Drake Maye has already given Patriots fans plenty to like, but the latest round of chatter around the league shows how much work still remains before he is viewed in the same tier as the NFLs most hyped young passers. Sports Illustrateds Albert Breer recently polled general managers, assistant GMs and coordinators on which quarterback they would rather build around for the future, and the answer leaned clearly toward Caleb Williams, a reminder of how strongly league insiders still value upside and flash.
Maye did draw support in the discussion, with some evaluators favoring his personality, sustainability and pocket presence, but the broader sentiment went the other way. Williams got the edge because of his ceiling, creativity and clutch play, which is the kind of profile that tends to carry weight in those rooms. For Maye, the challenge now is the same one facing any promising young quarterback in New England: keep stacking proof until the outside skepticism starts to look outdated. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Opened The Door To A Deadline Move
The Patriots quietly created some breathing room ahead of the trade deadline by restructuring Hunter Henrys contract, a move that signals they are at least keeping their options open. Henry has been both productive and a steadying presence since signing his two-year, $16 million extension before the season, so any adjustment to his deal says as much about the teams broader plans as it does about his standing in the locker room.
For a roster still sorting out where it stands, extra flexibility matters, especially when the deadline is close enough for front offices to start weighing short-term fixes against longer-term patience. New England now has a little more room to work with, and while that does not guarantee a move, it does put the Patriots in position to explore one if the right opportunity surfaces. [Read more 🡒]
TreVeyon Henderson's Struggles Could Force A Patriots Rethink
The Patriots run game has been searching for answers, and TreVeyon Hendersons uneven second season has become part of that conversation. After arriving with plenty of expectations, Henderson has had a harder time carving out a consistent offensive role, while New England continues to look for more juice in a ground attack that has not found much rhythm.
Jeremy Springer has at least floated one possible way to get more out of Henderson: expanding his work on special teams. Henderson has shown some promise as a kick returner in practice and preseason, and the Patriots have already trimmed his offensive snaps, a sign that his role may be shifting as the staff looks for the best way to use him. [Read more 🡒]