New England Patriots
“Every year somebody is going to lose this game. We have to remember what it feels like and make sure that it’s not repeated.”
COMMENTARY
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Hours before Drake Maye and the 2025 Patriots took to the field for the most important football game of their lives, a plane buzzed overhead at Levi’s Stadium.
The biplane served as an omen of what was set to befall Santa Clara, given the large “12” banner it tailed behind it as it soared overhead of the 49ers’ stadium.
The sign — an ode to the Seahawks’ rabid fanbase — gave way to a sea of green and navy enveloping the seats at Levi’s Stadium, outnumbering the contingent of Patriots fans who traveled west to try and see another New England coronation.
It was a hostile environment for Mike Vrabel’s crew — with a shot at the Lombardi Trophy on the line.
In other words, just the way the 2025 Patriots wanted it.
After all, these were the “Road Warriors,” the crew with a chip on its shoulder, which was seemingly only outweighed by a collective bond forged by Mike Vrabel.
“We all we got, we all we need” was the rallying cry from a team who orchestrated an an improbable run to a title game.
Turns out, they might have needed a little bit more.
Granted a prime chance to shut up the critics and doubters, the Patriots instead rekindled arguments about their tomato-can schedule and the string of good fortune that carried them all the way to Super Bowl LX.
Because on Sunday night, Vrabel’s team didn’t look like it belonged on such a stage — one that was promptly blanked in green-and-blue confetti as the Seahawks clinched a 29-13 triumph.
“That I’m proud of everything they did,” Vrabel said, when asked what he told his team after the loss. “I’m disappointed, just like they are. I reminded them that we’re 307 days into what hopefully is a long, successful relationship and program. It’s OK to be disappointed. We have to be disappointed and upset together.”
The echoes of a Seahawks celebration were ringing loud and clear as Maye and his teammates fielded fielding questions just outside of the stadium.
Tears were shed. Second-guesses were weighed and discussed. But the tone shared by Maye and the Patriots was one of resolve — and a belief that Sunday’s result, as sour as it might be, is only the beginning.
“That’s what motivates you,” Maye said. “That’s what we talked about in the locker room, that’s what fuels you. I think that’s the biggest thing about life — you’re going to have times like this and it’s how you bounce back.
“I think all those guys in that locker room are going to use this as fuel, and I’d go to war with those guys any time, any day, anywhere. It’s motivation to get back here and not have this feeling and have what [the Seahawks] are feeling out there.”
All things considered, they’re right.
Coming off of a four-win season in 2024, the Patriots are now well ahead of schedule. They’ve got a franchise QB in Maye, a reigning Coach of the Year in Vrabel, a stout defense, and an infectious culture that should attract more talent this spring.
With more cap space available ($42.7 million), they can re-up Christian Gonzalez (three pass breakups on Sunday) and still find avenues to add to an upstart roster.
This, ideally, is just the beginning for Vrabel and his staff.
“It’s our first year together. Nobody thought we would be here. We put the league on notice,” Carlton Davis said. “Obviously we didn’t get the job done and [expletive] stings. [Expletive] is never going to not sting. But we’ve got a bright future, man.
“We’ve got a lot of great young players. Coming in this [expletive] and taking the league by storm. Having a new coaching staff, a lot of new free agents. Something that’s really unheard of. So [expletive] hurts, but I’ve got a feeling we’ll be back.”
Sunday’s setback wasn’t as painful as Super Bowl XLII or as frustrating as Super Bowl LII.
The sight of Will Campbell getting turned into Swiss cheese won’t scar Patriots fans to the same degree as David Tyree seemingly glueing a pigskin to the side of his helmet — or the sight of Nick Foles reeling in a catch from Trey Burton via the “Philly Special.”
But two things can be right.
Patriots fans can salute this 2025 team for exceeding all expectations, and still be steamed for the manner in which they let a potential title slip through their grasp.
Seattle’s defense validated itself as one of the most imposing units in football on Sunday.
But their masterclass performance was also aided by a complete and utter implosion on the offensive side of the football by the Patriots.
By the time Seattle took a 19-0 lead in the fourth quarter, Maye had as many completions (eight) as the team had punts. New England had just five first downs at that point for 78 total yards.
The Patriots’ offensive line was shredded all night, with Maye sacked six times and hit on another 11 instances. The concerns over Will Campbell’s long-term viability at left tackle will remain after the rookie was knocked for a whopping 14 pressures on Sunday — the highest mark in a single game for Next Gen Stats all season long.
An explosive and efficient Patriots offense was downgraded from a bazooka to a spud gun against Seattle. Sure, Maye had little time to operate, but the Patriots QB was jittery, sped-up, and failed to make plays at critical times.
His three turnovers directly led to 17 Seattle points.
To further twist the knife, New England’s defense largely bottled up Jaxon Smith-Njigba (four catches, 27 yards), who missed time while in concussion protocol. Sam Darnold also was far from sharp — completing just 19 of his 38 throws and throwing several potential pick-worthy passes.
But it still meant little on a night where the Patriots were thoroughly outclassed by Seattle’s defense.
And as promising as New England’s future is, nothing is guaranteed in this league.
Just ask the 2021 Bengals, a team who rode a young franchise QB in Joe Burrow to a Super Bowl appearance — only to have their contention window seemingly shuttered.
The road won’t get any easier for the 2026 Patriots — not with a daunting schedule that will include eight teams from the 2025 playoff bracket. It’s unlikely the road out of the AFC will be easy as it was this past year, when Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Burrow all missed the postseason.
That string of good fortune almost made it destined that the 2025 Patriots’ improbable run would end with a Lombardi Trophy.
They ducked major injuries. They benefited from other teams not being so lucky in that department. They bought in. They cared. It wasn’t always pretty, but they always seemed to get the job done.
By the time Super Bowl LX finally arrived, the 2025 Patriots were seemingly destined to be the reincarnation of their forefathers from 2001 — a pugnacious, relentless group that defied all odds to seize football immortality.
Instead, the ‘25 Patriots might be this generation’s 1967 “Impossible Dream” Red Sox — a crew that defied expectations and stole the hearts of a region, only to let a championship slip through their grasp.
“Part of our identity is not being a frontrunner,” Vrabel said. “Every year somebody is going to lose this game. We have to remember what it feels like and make sure that it’s not repeated.”
What do the Patriots need to do in the offseason?
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