There’s no doubt the 2025 Patriots have high expectations under new head coach Mike Vrabel, and for good reason. After going a combined 8-26 in the past two seasons, the Patriots have turned the page to a fully post-Belichick coaching staff.

But will bringing in an experienced head coach be enough to boost the Patriots back into playoff heights, or are expectations too high?

On Felger and Mazz, Greg Bedard offered his opinion: no. He further offered some insight into why he thinks this way, saying, “…because I think just where the Patriots have been the previous couple of years. I just think Vrabel brings the floor up so much for this team.”

So, as a whole, how should the new squad perform under Vrabel and company?

Offensive forecast seems promising for the Patriots ahead of the 2025 season

As in the past few years, you can blame the coaches, the players, but it all comes down to not being good enough on both sides of the ball. The offenses in 2023 and ’24 ranked 31st and 30th, respectively, and featured four different starting quarterbacks.

With the addition of Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye having a full offseason to learn the system, quarterback play shouldn’t be an issue unless Maye turns out to be a bust. Stefon Diggs was added as a WR1: not the player he once was, but more than capable. The offensive line got major boosts with the additions of Garrett Bradbury and Morgan Moses in free agency, a pair of solid veteran contributors.

In the draft, every selection until Craig Woodson in the fourth round was on the offensive side of the ball, and all look promising as rookie contributors. Will Campbell and Jared Wilson seem poised to be the LT-LG combination, and TreVeyon Henderson seems an excellent change-of-pace back and return man. Third-round pick Kyle Williams seems a promising deep threat, and even seventh-round tackle selection Marcus Bryant was very solid in the opening preseason game.

While a top-ten offense seems too high a hill to climb, being in the top half of the league is more than reasonable, especially considering the strength of schedule is among the easiest in the league.

Defensive stability seems to be a given with returning superstars and big-name additions

The Patriots’ offense has had some rough years since the 2018 Super Bowl win. While the team was able to score, it was often a function of the defense’s ability to create turnovers. Despite finishing in the top seven in points twice, they have yet to crack the top 14 in yards.

As much of a train wreck as last year was, the defense still managed a 22nd-ranked finish in both of the aforementioned categories: not nearly as poor as the offense.

Still, a 22nd-ranked unit needed additions. They came in the form of both coaches and players, with Terrell Williams, formerly of Vrabel’s staff in Tennessee, taking over as the DC. They made Milton Williams the highest-paid player in team history and brought in Harold Landry to be a top edge rusher. Carlton Davis will start opposite Christian Gonzalez, and Christian Barmore will be healthy after playing just two games last year.

While the offense should improve to the middle of the pack, the defense being a top-five to eight unit doesn’t seem unreasonable at all. Stability seems a given at this point, and even under-the-radar players have begun to make a name for themselves within this unit. Cornerbacks Alex Austin, D.J. James, and Miles Battle have all looked like stars this preseason, and if they can keep up their play, they’d each be strong additions to the defensive backfield.

What should be the expectations be for Mike Vrabel’s first season in New England?

This goes without saying, but improvement. While under normal circumstances, I’d say not to expect a four-win team to win double-digit games, all things considered, it’s not unreasonable.

The Patriots were the biggest spenders in free agency this year, and it wasn’t close. They shelled out $65 million more than the next closest team, the Vikings, who spent $46 million more than the third-place Seahawks. Compared to the Super Bowl Champion Eagles, the Patriots spent $293 million more. They also gave out three of the top-16 most expensive contracts in terms of total value, too.

Coach also has more connections than his predecessor, Jerod Mayo, did, meaning he has the pull to bring almost anyone in to be his coordinators.

The cherry on top of all this? As mentioned, the Patriots have one of the easiest schedules in football. In 2024, their opponent’s average winning percentage was .429, which pegs them as having the third-easiest schedule in football.

10/17 of the teams on their schedule had a losing record in 2024. Will those teams be better in ’25? Likely. Most notably, the Panthers’ offense caught fire at the end of last season and made additions. Meanwhile, the team and the Titans selected Cam Ward No. 1 overall.

Expectations are high, no doubt. The key asterisks to note with these expectations are that they are more than justifiable — this isn’t pure hype, Vrabel and co. have every reason to succeed. Top five selections from back-to-back are rostered and look promising, record money spent in free agency, and there’s been no shortage of draft picks to play with through the summer.

An encouraging 2025 rookie class and weak schedule mean the opportunity to skyrocket into the playoffs is a real possibility that, at this point, borders on justifiable expectation.