Jan 26, 2026
3 min read
Led by former linebacker Mike Vrabel and second-year quarterback Derek Meyer, the Patriots went from a four-win team in 2025 to a Super Bowl contender.
Mike Werbel's transformation of the Patriots from a four-win basement to a Super Bowl contender is one of the most dramatic changes any NFL team has undergone this century.
For the second week in a row, Vrabel's team had to fall apart in an ugly fourth quarter covered in ice squares, this time in historic enemy territory Empire Field at Denver's Mile High Stadium, where New England had previously gone 0-4 in the playoffs.
It's not enough - almost the entire game, like many second-year quarterback Drake Maye's first pass in the game - is a complete accident.Maye finished the first half with just 41 passing yards and three sacks.
But the halftime adjustment, which shifted offensive emphasis to the ground game, created some momentum for an offense that managed just one touchdown in the Broncos' red zone on a rough Jarrett Stidham turnover.Ramondre Stevens has once again proven himself as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' most reliable weapon in the postseason.after the Week 3 game against the Steelers on the bench. He finished the game 71 for 25. Maye's scramble for first downs (in addition to the draw of the quarterback on the first touchdown) strengthened their firepower and put kicker Andy Borregales in unforgettable situations.
On defense, they're one of two aspects of Vrabel's Patriots that make them scarier than they were in the regular season, as they now prepare for the Super Bowl.The Patriots' regular season was buoyed by Maye's eight-game streak with a passer rating above 100. They were a favorite that managed to hang on until the fourth quarter and (for the most part) avoid mistakes.
In the playoffs, they were a completely different animal.Maye had to fight against a tough defense, but his defense gave Denver a hard time when the final whistle blew.When slippery field conditions forced the New Englanders into their zone, the defense held up admirably to keep the one-point game from breaking, and Christian Gonzalez's late pick (first of the year) made the night even bigger.You made a hero.
"I just want to make the plays that come to me. As a corner, a DB, you don't have a lot of options," Gonzalez said after the game."But when your number is called and you're the one the team tries to do, it's a great opportunity to do that."
The other factor that makes Vrabel's team a scary draw for NFC foes is their unbreakable belief in themselves.The locker room is unusually tight in this league.They echo their coach's message week after week and celebrate each other's performances with genuine joy.A rare blood infection and the loss of his unborn child, and his teammates have FaceTimed him since the win in Cincinnati that week.Although special teams captain Brendan Schooler told WEEI he felt players on the four-win teams of 2023 and 2024 shared something close to a "traumatic bond," new signings like Stefon Diggs and Kelvin Chaison shared during the season that it was one of the most truly unified and "best parts" they've ever been.
"I'm very grateful to be a part of this team," Diggs said after the win."Thank you."
Although it was a less serious offense than the fourth quarter in the regular season, Vrabel's repeated "one game only" mentality and belief that they could step into each other's roles transformed a team that seemed invincible into the postseason and undefeated in the clutch.
The Patriots now become the second team to go from four wins in a previous season to a Super Bowl appearance this century (technically a millennium).The last team to accomplish this feat was the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals, and in addition to the four wins, this 2020 team recorded one tie.The last team to win the Super Bowl that followed was the "Greatest Show on the Field" St.Louis Rams in 1999
When May Snow walked off the field in Denver to do something even Tom Brady could never do at Mile High, he appeared to be at a loss for words to CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson.But what he said was true.
“Pats is back baby.Let's win one."
