The New England Patriots definitely caught some breaks during their run last season (easy schedule, faced the Houston Texans without Nico Collins in the divisional round, Bo Nix' freak injury before the AFC Championship game), but that doesn't change the fact that they made the most of their opportunity and made it back to the Super Bowl when nobody (in or outside of New England) saw it coming.
And the fact of the matter is, they should be even better next season.
The Patriots made some fantastic offseason additions
New England lost some key pieces in the offseason (it released Stefon Diggs and Anfernee Jennings and lost K'Lavon Chaisson and Khyris Tonga in free agency), but the team has had a tremendous offseason overall.
Offensively, the Patriots bolstered their receiving room by trading for A.J. Brown and signing Romeo Doubs and improved their offensive line by drafting Caleb Lomu and signing Alijah Vera-Tucker. Plus, with natural developments from Drake Maye (who finished second in MVP voting in his second season last year), TreVeyon Henderson (who is an excellent complement to Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield, and Will Campbell, the team should be improved in every area.
And on the flip side of things, the Patriots had a solid draft to bolster their defense (Gabe Jacas and Karon Prunty) and signed some solid veterans who should make an immediate impact (Dre'Mont Jones and Kevin Byard). New England's defense was already solid, and there's a fair debate to be had about whether it possesses the best secondary in the league.
This is a Patriots team that was just in the Super Bowl earlier this year. Sure, they were outmatched by an objectively better Seattle Seahawks team, but it's clear that something special is brewing in New England... again.
New England still has some steep competition in the AFC
Just because the Patriots got better this offseason and are the reigning AFC champions, that doesn't mean fans should immediately pencil them into the Super Bowl next year.
Even teams they beat in the playoffs just last season (Denver Broncos - traded for Jaylen Waddle, Texans - bolstered their offensive line, and Los Angeles Chargers - hired Mike McDaniel as their OC) all made notable improvements to their team. And none of this is even factoring in teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, who are also worth keeping an eye on after their successful campaigns last season.
A lot is happening in the AFC, and all eyes are going to be on the Patriots after their run last year. But if their offseason has proved anything, it's that they have the assets to make some noise once again.
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