The New England Patriots are ranked in the top 5 in ESPN's watchability rankings for the upcoming season.
The New England Patriots rank in the top 5 on ESPN's watchability rankings for the upcoming season.
New England (5) is one spot ahead of the Dallas Cowboys and one spot behind the Los Angeles Chargers.
"Everyone knows the Patriots' strength of schedule in 2025 hugely impacted their record, but it also impacted their watchability," Ben Solak wrote. "It wasn't particularly fun to tune in to Patriots games. They emerged as true AFC contenders across a stretch in which they beat the Saints, Titans, Browns, Falcons, Buccaneers, Jets, Bengals and Giants. Save for the doubleheader against the Bills and a fun fourth-quarter win against the Ravens, quarterback Drake Maye's breakout year wasn't particularly interesting to watch.
"The schedule is tougher in 2026, which makes New England more watchable. The Patriots' first-place schedule sets them against the Jaguars, Steelers and Seahawks in a season-opening Super Bowl rematch (fire me up!). They'll play the AFC West (Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos) and NFC North (Lions, Packers, Vikings and Bears) -- all great opponents. With the marquee addition of A.J. Brown, they've added a top-tier receiver to meet the tougher schedule. And given all the narratives around their inflated 2025 record and potential fraudulence, the 2026 games against top opponents should come with some extra stakes."
In Year 2 of the Mike Vrabel era, the Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. It's a tough schedule.
However, the Patriots have a really talented roster, headlined by Drake Maye, A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs and Christian Gonzalez.
Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. He was second in MVP voting to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
Since entering the NFL, Brown is fourth in the league in both receiving yards (8,029) and touchdown catches (56). Brown and Ja'Marr Chase are the NFL's only two players with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven-plus touchdown catches in each of the past four seasons.
Maye enters this season with 6,670 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns. It will be fascinating to see whether the Patriots can return to the Super Bowl and win it all. Maye and Co. have plenty of motivation after losing to Seattle 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.
"I think that's the biggest thing about it: It's humbling. You've got to get back to work. When you're so close and within reach, you want that feeling," Maye said. "Everybody says, 'You'll be back.' It's not that easy. So, we've got to get back to work, and I'm looking forward to trying to prove to myself that we can get back and just have another year to get a chance at it."
