2026-27 Patriots Season Preview

Welcome back, friends, to Fundamentally Unsound.

As I spend way too many minutes trying and failing to find the right meme/gif to portray "dusting off the cobwebs", as the excitement of the new NFL season only matches the likely rust of my writing capabilities, I want to welcome you to another season of football.

It's a late start to the season, with Labor Day seemingly bumping up against Halloween on the calendar, but we're so, so close. And that means it's time for a season preview. I'll break down each conference later this week and next, but I have to start with the Patriots. Obviously. The team that stole America's heart as quickly as they lost it last year. The team that's the hottest pick in the league to regress, confirming they haven't regained the hearts they lost. The team that made the Super Bowl, and who had one of the more eventful offseasons of any team in the NFL, both on and off the field (which we will not speak of here).

Ok, let's talk ball.

New Additions

Let's start with the obvious.

The 2025-26 Patriots made the Super Bowl with the following WR depth chart:

1. Stefon Diggs

   1. quick appreciation/side bar for Stef - if there was one player I had to credit with the success and turnaround of this team last year it would be Stef. He was the leader of this team, guys absolutely loved him, and he backed his words up on the field. I truly don't believe last season would've gone the way it did if we didn't have Stef. I'm bummed he's not part of the team anymore, but will always hold a place in my heart for his role in the franchise's turnaround.

2. Kayshon Boutte

3. Demario Douglas

4. Mack Hollins

That's at least how I viewed the depth chart. 2-4 could honestly be interchangeable.

Stef was let go in my mind because of the legal accusations he was battling, which concluded in the most "he's innocent" verdict the world of law may have ever seen (watch this video for a good laugh - but also a sad reminder that not everyone accused of something terrible did something terrible).

He was quickly replaced in free agency with Romeo Doubs, who's shown flashes of brilliance in Green Bay but never enough to cement himself as the WR1 on a team that was frothing at the mouth for one of their seven WR2s to take that throne. So while I was excited we had a replacement, it felt like a lateral move.

Then the reports of AJ Brown started. And they kept on coming. To the point it felt like I was being duped.

But I wasn't, and on June 1st, just as everyone in the news breaking world predicted, AJ came to New England. (This isn't the time or place to debate the cost of the deal. The cost is the cost, let's hope he's all we hope he is).

So the new WR corps is as follows:

1. AJ Brown (dawg)

2. Romeo Doubs (can be dawg)

3. Demario Douglas (dawg)

4. Mack Hollins (mad scientist)

5. Kyle Williams (hopeful dawg)

That's unbiasedly very, very solid (I would've said loaded if not for the Boutte trade). AJ Brown is among the top WRs in the league and has been for years AND is happy. Romeo Doubs is a top-tier WR2. Pop Douglas is an above average slot receiver. The mad scientist will lure in opponents with his weirdness and make consequential plays as he's done his whole career. And don't forget about the Kyle Williams deep ball, which came to life a few times in the back half of last season.

Last year, our WR2 and 3 were playing one step up (meaning I saw them more as WR3 and 4). Now, everyone is perfectly in place. The WR1 was upgraded. WR2 was upgraded. WR 3/4 remain the same, with the caveat that they won't ever have to play the WR2 role they often had to last year. The team that was deprived of weapons just a year ago - that made the Super Bowl anyway - now has an extremely formidable group. I'd say formidable is an understatement.

(Quick shout to Kayshon Boutte before we move on. I understand why he was traded, based on the fact AJ and Romeo will likely have taken many of his snaps away and he was on the last year of his rookie deal, but it still stings, as he was arguably the best WR the Patriots have drafted since Julian Edelman).

We added Alijah Vera-Tucker to the O-line, who's been a pro-bowl level player when healthy throughout his career (when healthy being the key phrase there, as that's the reason he's never actually been a pro-bowler), moving Jared Wilson back to Center where he played in college. That should be some level of improvement.

On the defensive side, Kevin Byard, a pro-bowl regular who led the league in interceptions last year with seven, joined the already debatable best secondary in the league, replacing Jaylinn Hawkins. I'm getting more nervous by the day that Gonzo hasn't signed a contract, as reports of the gap between him and the Patriots are widening, but he'll be on the field this year regardless (right??), so we'll table that discussion for now.

Positives

The WRs and secondary we discussed are the easy ones.

The quarterback is another easy one. With these weapons and another offseason learning Josh McDaniels system? Sky is the limit for our boy Drake (although I hate he didn't play a single snap in the preseason).

Coaching/continuity is another. Like I said at nauseam last year, McDaniels being our OC cannot be valued enough. Having one of the better coordinators in football with zero chance (and I mean zero) of ever getting another head coaching offer is hard to find in the NFL, and is one of the best/rarest recipes for success (think Spags with the Chiefs). This is also the best WR room McDaniels and the Pats have since...dare I say...'07?? (I know that sounds hyperbolic...but look at the WR rooms we've had for the last 10 years).

Lastly, I like still being the underdog. Not many people are taking the Patriots over Buffalo in the division despite dethroning them 9 months ago. And that's fine. In fact, it's great.

Vrabel is saying he's not using the media's thoughts/comments about the Patriots predicted regression as any fuel, which may be true...for now. Right now he's filling out his roster. He's trying to clean things up before games start to matter. But if for one second you think he won't use the overrated/underdog card once they have their 53 you're lying to yourself. That's not a Vrabel comment. That's not even a football comment. Any coach in any sport will use the outside disrespect his team is getting as fire.

So I like that people don't believe. I like the fact that we're being picked against. That's when Vrabel and this team are at their best.

Concerns

Not everything can be sunshine and rainbows. With any season comes some concerns, some anxious worries, that not everything is where it needs to be.

The first for me is the offensive line. This was our achilles heel in the playoffs, as the line got pushed around like Ralphie & co. in The Christmas Story before he fought back by the Texans, Broncos, and Seahawks in back to back to back weeks.

I like the Vera-Tucker pick up, but is that enough? I know Jared played center in college, but he hasn't yet in the NFL. Morgan Moses is another year older. And whether or not the constant praise of Will Campbell around Foxborough is legitimate or smoke being blown up his ass to boost his confidence is something I'm nervous to find out.

I won't admit to studying the backup offensive lineman, but I don't feel like we're particularly deep, which is also scary. I wouldn't hate bringing in another veteran free agent (Taylor Decker, Mehki Becton), but I'll let Eliot Wolf make that call.

The other big concern is the other side of the line. We lost Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings in free agency, and the only notable addition was Dre'mont Jones, who’s played for three teams in two years, and our 2nd round pick Gabe Jacas.

I have no concerns on the interior with Christian Barmore and Milton Williams, but will we be able to get pressure on the edge? Harold Landry is on the PUP list too, with a TBD return timeline.

The silver lining for this is that we should be good against the run, and have a great secondary that should help mitigate a potentially below-average pass rush. But questions on both sides of the trenches leaves me plenty to be nervous about.

The Schedule

No I'm not talking about Drake Maye - who was disrespectfully given this nickname from a group of jealous losers online who didn't know what the fuck they were talking about last year.

I'm talking about my record prediction. It's without question we have a much harder schedule than last year, as does the entire division (we play the AFC West and NFC North instead of the AFC North and NFC South, whose division winners combined for an 18-16 record), and have a 1st place schedule vs. last.

But after going through everything I outlined, how much will that matter? We're an objectively improved roster, so hard schedule or not, I like our chances.

Prediction

I think it's a cardinal sin to pick against the defending champs on their banner night. Regardless of how badly I want to win this game, Seattle is fairly unscathed in terms of turnover for a Super Bowl champ. That spot is just tough - let's call that a loss.

Pittsburgh on the home opener (which I'll be in attendance for) against an aged Aaron Rodgers and a Steelers team we only lose to if we have six fumbles? That's a win.

I'm gonna be real here and say we lose the next two as well, on the road in Jacksonville and Buffalo. I know that's not popular, but credit to me for being honest. 1-3 start and the gremlins crawl out of their caves evil laughing.

But then we find our groove. I'm talking five game win streak (Raiders, Jets, Bears, Dolphins, Packers). And just like that we're 6-3 and back on track, and the gremlins quietly crawl back into their holes.

A game that's too good to be played in Europe against the Lions we'll call a loss - Detroit will bounce back this year. I'm also calling the Chargers a loss, assuming their entire offensive line isn't blown to smithereens by this time.

We'll split with the Bills so if you want to call this a loss and week 4 a win go for it, same difference. And Minnesota is a home game, which makes this game flip for me.

And we're 8-5.

I feel like every time we play KC in KC it's at night, so out of respect to the team of the decade we'll call that a loss.

That leaves us at 8-6 with three to go. The Dolphins and Jets (assuming we have something to play for in week 18) are penciled in wins, which leaves us with Denver in week 17. If this was in Denver I'd call it a loss, but being at home, I think the Pats will have the motivation to prove they didn't only win the AFC championship game because Bo was injured. Put one in the win column.

That's 11-6, and that's my prediction.

I don't think it's unreasonable to think they can pull that off. I really like the group they have, and I think they have the leadership in the locker room with both players and coaches to avoid the common Super Bowl loser falloff.

While I'm hopeful for 12 wins, I'd accept anything resulting in a playoff berth. Actually that's a lie. I need at least 10 wins - a 9-8 seventh seed wouldn't feel great.

I can't wait to tune in next Wednesday (don't get me started on that) to have the boys kick off the season.

Think about where we were this time last year; who would've thought we would be kicking off the fucking season?!

I love this team. I love football. Welcome back.