Are The New England Patriots Turning A Corner in 2025?

There’s good and bad to take away from New England’s recent games, as they weren’t going to become a great team overnight, just one year removed from one of the biggest coaching disasters in recent memory. The Patriots remain undisciplined on both sides of the ball, occasionally lining up incorrectly, jumping over the line early, or even delivering late hits at the end of defensive plays. Penalties have haunted the team in recent years, continuing to plague them in 2025.

These lapses will have to be reduced for New England to take the next step as a team. These mental errors extend beyond penalties, showing when a receiver isn’t on the same page as the quarterback in a scramble drill or when a running back misses their blocking assignment. 2025 was always going to be a transitional year, and growing pains were to be expected. The Patriots’ ability to reduce them as the season progresses will be a key factor in their potential success.

On the positive side of things, there’s been astounding development from individual players on a week-to-week basis. Starting with Drake Maye, the ability to respond to adversity and correct his mistakes this early into the season has been particularly impressive. Despite being plagued with turnovers in the first few games, he’s gone back-to-back wins without giving the ball away once. In the Carolina game, the offense was clicking on all cylinders with Maye’s ability to execute the simple plays and keep the ball out of harm’s way. It was encouraging to see him throw the ball away under pressure, take the underneath throw when necessary, and set his feet in the pocket while trusting his offensive line.

The Buffalo game brought much more to Maye’s plate, playing in a hostile environment against the best team in the NFL on primetime. He actually looked shaky early in this game, bailing on clean pockets and failing to keep his eyes downfield in the first quarter. On the final drive of the half, Maye seemed to settle in. He carried this momentum into the second half, trusting his protection and keeping his eyes downfield. He connected with Stefon Diggs repeatedly in the second half, making plays with his arm and his legs when the Bills began to blitz.

From an individual perspective, this was the most encouraging game of the year for New England’s key offensive players. Aside from Maye and Diggs finding their connection, Will Campbell added yet another solid performance to his resume against Joey Bosa, allowing just two hurries and zero pressures against the veteran pass rusher. The emergence of these offensive players that the Patriots have bought into is vital to their recent success, and implementing their young skill position players will be the next step.

End Of My New England Patriots Rant

New England seems to be turning a corner on their 2025 season, stringing together consecutive wins and showcasing multiple breakout performances on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive emergence, paired with their consistent defense, could propel them into legitimate playoff contention. Cleaning up the penalties and miscommunications will be the next step in their growth as a team.