The NFL is the most cyclical league on the sports landscape, which means you don’t have to wait long to see a flashback. One current version of that is the rise of the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, which will undoubtedly resonate with Broncos fans who remember Denver’s 2015 championship team.
The Broncos rise is surprising but not totally unexpected. They were a playoff team last year, after all, and Denver spent big to toughen up on defense, adding linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency. Quarterback Bo Nix has made the second-year jump, especially when it comes to comeback drives and big plays, which all adds up to a a 9-2 record so far.
The Patriots, however, are another matter entirely. They were coming off back to back 4-13 seasons going into this season, and while they found their future quarterback in Drake Maye, it was supposed to take another year of roster building to get back in contention.
But new coach Mike Vrabel had other plans. He signed a couple of free agents who were “Vrabel guys,” linebackers Harold Landry and Robert Spillane, and the new coach also spent money on tackle Milton Williams of the Eagles, who has played a vital role in toughening up the Patriots defense.
The real difference, though, has been the second-year jump of quarterback Drake Maye, to the point where Maye is now in the MVP conversation. New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been vital in this, and Vrabel has also eliminated a lot of deadwood from the roster, with many of the veterans who played under former coach Bill Belichick now cut or traded.
It was like this back in 2015, too—a lot like it, as Nick Kosmider of The Athletic pointed out. The Broncos were also 9-2 in that season, and New England was 10-1, with the Pats lone loss coming in an overtime defeat in Denver. The Broncos used that win to squeeze out home field advantage, which allowed them to beat New England in the AFC Championship Game that year.
The circumstances are very different this year, however. The Patriots have benefitted from one of the softest schedules in the league, while the Broncos have already beaten both teams from last year’s Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs and the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. It's too soon to tell if this one is meant to be, but a playoff game between Denver and New England in January would definitely be a fun blast from the past.