The New England Patriots are well on their way to rewriting the script of what many thought was going to be a multi-year rebuild. Under Mike Vrabel's leadership, the team has exceeded expectations and is now sitting pretty as one of the top teams in the league.
In fact, their 11-2 record makes them tied with the Broncos for the best record in the NFL – not bad for a team that was expected to be in rebuilding mode. The Patriots' ascent to contender status can largely be attributed to the emergence of quarterback Drake Maye, who has played like a legitimate MVP candidate this season.
Maye's impressive stat line so far – 23 touchdowns, 3,412 passing yards, and two rushing scores – is a far cry from our initial prediction of 26 passing touchdowns, four rushing scores, and 13 interceptions. He has been able to extend plays with his legs and complete 71.5 percent of his throws, making him an elite quarterback in the eyes of many fans.
However, some of our other predictions haven't aged as well. For example, TreVeyon Henderson's ability to surpass 1,000 rushing yards was always a long shot, given the team's struggles with their running game this season. While he has shown promise, it remains to be seen whether he will ultimately reach that milestone.
Other predictions didn't fare much better either. Mack Hollins' emergence as a red-zone threat hasn't materialized like we expected, while Christian Gonzalez's injury issues have been more of a concern than a distant memory. However, in some instances, our predictions were spot on – Andy Borregales settling into his role as kicker being one of them.
One prediction that did hold up well was the Patriots' ability to shore up their offensive line issues. The team has made significant strides in this area, and while they're still not perfect, it's clear that Vrabel's coaching has made a major impact on the unit.
Lastly, our prediction that K'Lavon Chaisson would be an impactful offseason pickup on defense holds true as well. The former first-round pick has emerged as a potent pass-rusher and forced fumble recovery specialist.
Of course, there are always some curveballs in sports, and it remains to be seen whether the Patriots will ultimately come up short of the playoffs with an 8-9 record.
In fact, their 11-2 record makes them tied with the Broncos for the best record in the NFL – not bad for a team that was expected to be in rebuilding mode. The Patriots' ascent to contender status can largely be attributed to the emergence of quarterback Drake Maye, who has played like a legitimate MVP candidate this season.
Maye's impressive stat line so far – 23 touchdowns, 3,412 passing yards, and two rushing scores – is a far cry from our initial prediction of 26 passing touchdowns, four rushing scores, and 13 interceptions. He has been able to extend plays with his legs and complete 71.5 percent of his throws, making him an elite quarterback in the eyes of many fans.
However, some of our other predictions haven't aged as well. For example, TreVeyon Henderson's ability to surpass 1,000 rushing yards was always a long shot, given the team's struggles with their running game this season. While he has shown promise, it remains to be seen whether he will ultimately reach that milestone.
Other predictions didn't fare much better either. Mack Hollins' emergence as a red-zone threat hasn't materialized like we expected, while Christian Gonzalez's injury issues have been more of a concern than a distant memory. However, in some instances, our predictions were spot on – Andy Borregales settling into his role as kicker being one of them.
One prediction that did hold up well was the Patriots' ability to shore up their offensive line issues. The team has made significant strides in this area, and while they're still not perfect, it's clear that Vrabel's coaching has made a major impact on the unit.
Lastly, our prediction that K'Lavon Chaisson would be an impactful offseason pickup on defense holds true as well. The former first-round pick has emerged as a potent pass-rusher and forced fumble recovery specialist.
Of course, there are always some curveballs in sports, and it remains to be seen whether the Patriots will ultimately come up short of the playoffs with an 8-9 record.
just saw that the Pats are killin' it this season - their 11-2 record is insane 
. And Drake Maye's MVP vibes aren't far off 
, he's been absolutely electric on the field. Stats are wacky tho - like TreVeyon Henderson not hitting 1000 yards, that was a stretch 
. But Mack Hollins' red-zone struggles and Christian Gonzalez's injuries were kinda expected 
. On the other hand, Borregales stepping up as kicker was always gonna happen 
! And K'Lavon Chaisson's defensive impact is on point 
... now let's see if they can keep this momentum going 
. My prediction for 2nd place in AFC East still stands btw - Patriots all the way 
The Pats are basically guaranteed to make the playoffs now. And yeah, Drake Maye is a superstar QB for sure, but let's not get carried away, he's still got a lot of work to do before he's considered an MVP candidate in my books 
. And don't even get me started on TreVeyon Henderson, that 1,000 yard mark is gonna be a stretch 
. Give the team some credit for fixing their O-line issues tho 
... but hey, that's sports, right? Can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds!
. how's everyone feeling about them making a deep playoff run tho? 
. Problem is, this team still has some major issues that might not get fixed before the playoffs, like their defense being a complete mess 
. And don't even get me started on TreVeyon Henderson's rushing yards... yeah right 
. But, Vrabel did do a good job fixing the O-line and Chaisson's coming in as a savior on D 
. Still not convinced they'll make it to the playoffs with that weird record 
! It's crazy how much more promising he is compared to some of our other predictions, like TreVeyon Henderson's rushing yards. But hey, you can't win 'em all, right? 
. It's gonna be tough for them to come up short of the playoffs with 11-2 record though, they're sitting pretty on top of the league 
. Let's see how this plays out, Patriots fans are in for a wild ride! 
- that guy's a coach genius! And Drake Maye is living his best life out there, I mean who knew he'd be throwing touchdowns left and right? 
Mack Hollins' red-zone struggles are a bit of a bummer though... guess you never know when these things will come together 
. The only thing that really had me scratching my head was TreVeyon Henderson's rushing stats... I didn't think they were gonna make it 
. The kid's got skills for days - he's like a young Tom Brady, minus the whole 'being old' thing 
. But hey, at least we were right about the O-line and Chaisson being a game-changer 
. As a parent, I can relate to those moments when your kid suddenly finds their groove in a game – you're like "YES, YOU GOT THIS!" 
– I'm all about those sacks and forced fumbles! 
️ 
. I mean, I said they'd struggle on defense and that TreVeyon Henderson wouldn't hit a thousand yards, but Vrabel's coaching is pure magic 
. And yeah, I was way off on Mack Hollins' red-zone performance too... guess I should've known better than to trust my gut 
, like TreVeyon Henderson not hitting 1,000 rushing yards. That's just the nature of sports, right? And it's cool to see that Andy Borregales has settled into his role as kicker – I was expecting him to struggle a bit more.