The New England Patriots had a dreadful end to the 2025 season. New England was dominated by Seattle in Super Bowl 60, losing 29-13 in a game that never felt within reach for the AFC champions. Now one NFL analyst is predicting that the Patriots could be in for a rough 2026 campaign.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk does not view New England like other teams that have lost the Super Bowl. In fact, he thinks the 2026 season could get ugly for the Patriots.
“Usually the team that makes it to the Super Bowl and loses still ends up with a fairly large bullseye on its back the next season,” Florio said on Thursday. “So here’s a question. Will the Patriots really have that kind of a target? Will they be viewed as the team to beat in AFC, will they be viewed as the team to beat in the AFC East or will it be the Buffalo Bills once again?”
New England won the AFC East in 2025 in part because of their soft schedule. But they won’t have that same advantage in 2026.
“This is one of the potential consequences of losing so badly in the Super Bowl,” Florio continued. “…I don’t know that they’re gonna be the team that we all expect to win the division, to win the conference. Remember all the talk about their easy schedule in 2025? Take a look at their opponents for 2026.”
The Patriots will go on the road to face the Lions, Bears, Jaguars, Chiefs, Chargers, and Seahawks. They will also have home games against the Raiders, Broncos, Steelers, Packers, and Vikings.
All of that is in addition to two games each against their division rivals.
It is important to note that a lot could change during the 2026 offseason. There’s also the annual tradition of teams looking good during the offseason, then failing to live up to expectations in the fall.
That doesn’t mean concerns about the Patriots are unwarranted. But it is too early for anyone to doom the Patriots to a failed 2026 campaign.
But it is hard to argue with Florio after the Patriots were thoroughly outclassed during Super Bowl 60.
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