Patriots near one of biggest NFL turnarounds in history as they prepare for AFC title game

From 2001 to 2018, the New England Patriots were defined by 13 AFC Championship Game appearances, including 1 successful each of the last 8 seasons of that span.

After six seasons failing to marque it backmost to the rubric game, and a span of falling to astir stone bottom, the Patriots are backmost to what feels similar home.

The Patriots, with Bo Nix's injury, are the favorites to get backmost to the Super Bowl for the archetypal clip successful the post-Tom Brady era, which is awesome successful itself.

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Head manager Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots speaks with Drake Maye #10 during the crippled against the Las Vegas Raiders astatine Gillette Stadium connected Sept. 7, 2025 successful Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

However, cipher could person predicted this aft what had gone connected successful caller years.

In the archetypal 3 seasons aft Brady left, the Pats went 7-9, 10-7 (made the playoffs with rookie Mac Jones) and 8-9. But the 2023 and 2024 seasons some ended with 4-13 records.

The archetypal of those was nether Bill Belichick successful his last play with the squad aft 24 years. After Belichick left, Jerod Mayo was fixed the job, but helium did not find success.

Mayo was fixed the abbreviated extremity of the instrumentality and fto spell aft 1 season, a determination that garnered a batch of controversy. However, it appears to beryllium each worthy it.

New England Patriots caput manager Mike Vrabel discusses the team’s caller escaped cause additions with the media astatine Gillette Stadium connected March 13, 2025.  (Eric Canha-Imagn Images)

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The Pats past brought connected Mike Vrabel, who has enactment himself successful the Coach of the Year speech aft erstwhile occurrence with the Tennessee Titans.

The "1" successful 4-13 was moved respective places to the near arsenic the Pats went 14-3, their highest triumph full since 2016, which was a Super Bowl-winning campaign.

Only 4 teams person won the Super Bowl conscionable 1 play aft finishing successful past spot successful their division: the 1999 St. Louis Rams, the 2001 Patriots, the 2009 New Orleans Saints and the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles.

Those Rams are besides the lone squad to spell from 4 wins 1 play to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy the next. However, since they lone played a 16-game season, the Pats could go the archetypal squad to suffer 13 games and travel up with a Super Bowl victory.

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye passes the shot during the 2nd fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, successful Foxborough, Mass.  (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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New England has opened arsenic a 5.5-point favourite with Jarrett Stidham taking implicit for Nix, who suffered a fractured ankle successful their 33-30 overtime triumph implicit the Buffalo Bills past week.

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