The New England Patriots booked their ticket to Super Bowl LX in 2026 after defeating the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game.
The New England Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on February 8, 2026. We'll take a look at how they got there.
Patriots 2025 Offseason
The New England Patriots finished the 2024 season with a 4-13 record, and fired their first year head coach Jerod Mayo as a result.
New England then hired their former linebacker Mike Vrabel after he previously led the Tennessee Titans to the AFC Championship game in 2020.
Once appointed - Vrabel immediately began revamping the Patriots roster with a focus on the defense and veteran leadership.
The Pats signed DT Milton Williams, CB Carlton Davis III, and LB Harold Landry on the defense, while adding OT Morgan Moses, WR Stefon Diggs, and TE Austin Hooper on the offense in free agency.
Vrabel's team building did not stop in free agency, and he further bolstered the team by selecting 11 players in the the NFL Draft.
Patriots 2025 NFL Draft
Round (Pick) | Position | Name |
1st (4th) | Offensive Tackle | Will Campbell |
2nd (38th) | Running Back | TreVeyon Henderson |
3rd (69th) | Wide Receiver | Kyle Williams |
3rd (95th) | Guard | Jared Wilson |
4th (106th) | Safety | Craig Woodson |
5th (137th | Defensive Tackle | Joshua Farmer |
5th (146th) | Edge | Bradyn Swinson |
6th (182nd) | Kicker | Andres Borregales |
7th (220th) | Offensive Tackle | Marcus Bryant |
7th (251st) | Long Snapper | Julian Ashby |
7th (257th) | Defensive Back | Kobee Minor |
Patriots 2025/26 Regular Season
Heading into the 2025/26 season, the Patriots did not have incredibly high expectations even after the roster overhaul.
The team got off to a slow start with two losses in their first three games, but second year QB Drake Maye led his team to 13 wins in 14 games for the rest of the season.
Maye was incredible in 2025, and is an finalist for the league MVP in his first full season as a starter. Maye threw for 4,394 yards (4th in NFL), 31 touchdowns (3rd in NFL) while having the a 77.1 QBR (1st in NFL).
The Patriots had the NFL's third best offense in terms of yards per game (379.4), and second best offense in points per game (28.8).
Rookie TreVeyon Henderson led the team in rushing with 911 yards on the ground, while Stefon Diggs led the team in receiving with 1,013 yards through the air.
TE Hunter Henry had the most receiving touchdowns (7), but Henderson led the team in total TDs (10).
The new-look defense was also the fourth best team in points allowed per game (18.8). Linebacker Robert Spillane led the Patriots in total tackles (97), and Harold Landry led the team in sacks (8.5).
The Patriots rookie class stood out in 2025 beyond Henderson. From the offensive line with Will Campbell and Jared Wilson upgrading the left side of the offensive line, to Craig Woodson on the defense, to Andreas Borregales on special teams, the rookie came into New England ready to play.
With a combination of a new head coach, strong free agency signings, a great draft, and incredible quarterback play - New England turned their 4-13 record into a 14-3 record in just one season.
Patriots 2025/26 Regular Season Schedule
Week | Opponent | Home / Away | Win/Loss (Score) |
Week 1 | LV Raiders | Home | L (20-13) |
Week 2 | MIA Dolphins | Away | W (33-27) |
Week 3 | PIT Steelers | Home | L (21-14) |
Week 4 | CAR Panthers | Home | W (42-13) |
Week 5 | BUF Bills | Away | W (23-20) |
Week 6 | NO Saints | Away | W (25-19) |
Week 7 | TEN Titans | Away | W (31-13) |
Week 8 | CLE Browns | Home | W (32-13) |
Week 9 | ATL Falcons | Home | W (24-23) |
Week 10 | TB Buccaneers | Away | W (28-23) |
Week 11 | NY Jets | Home | W (27-14) |
Week 12 | CIN Bengals | Away | W (26-20) |
Week 13 | NY Giants | Home | W (33-15) |
Week 14 | BYE | ||
Week 15 | BUF Bills | Home | L (35-31) |
Week 16 | BAL Ravens | Away | W (28-24) |
Week 17 | NY Jets | Away | W (42-10) |
Week 18 | MIA Dolphins | Home | W (38-10) |
2025/26 Wild Card Round
Patriots 16-3 Chargers
The Patriots hosted the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of playoffs, and although they struggled to get the offense moving, the defense held Jim Harbaughs team without a touchdown.
Maye went 17/29 for 268 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception which was just enough to win the game.
Will Campbell was exposed against Odafe Oweh on the left side of the line, and Maye got sacked five times for 33 yards. luckily, the Patriots defense sacked Justin Herbert six times for 39 yards.
Milton Williams and K'Lavon Chaisson both had two sacks.
2025/26 Divisional Round
Patriots 28-16 Texans
Although Drake Maye passed for three touchdowns, the New England defense won this game against the Houston Texans.
Vrabel's defense picked off C.J. Stroud four times in the first half alone, and held Houston to just one touchdown.
Maye himself turned the ball over three times with two fumbles and an interception, but the Texans could not take advantage on those turnovers and the Patriots took the few chances they could against one of the best defenses in the NFL to win the game.
2025/26 AFC Championship
Broncos 7-10 Patriots
New England and Denver were tied for the best record in the NFL, but the Broncos edged out the Patriots for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, meaning the Patriots would have to go on the road for the AFC Championship game.
The Broncos were the third top-5 defense the Patriots had to play in the playoffs, and defense was on full display in this game.
Broncos QB Bo Nix suffered a season ending broken ankle in the divisional round, so Jarrett Stidham was the starter in the AFC Championship game.
Stidham led a drive in the opening quarter drive that resulted in a Courtland Sutton TD.
Drake Maye could not get much going in the first half, but wheeled off a six yard TD rush with two minutes to go in the first half to tie the score at 7.
A blizzard rolled into Denver in the second half, and neither team could do anything on offense, but the Patriots did manage a field goal in the second half to put them up three heading into the fourth quarter.
The Broncos had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter with a field goal, but Leonard Taylor III got a hand on it to send it wide of the uprights.
All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez then picked off Stidham to seal the game for the Patriots with just over two minutes to play.
Now after defeating three top-5 defenses enroute to the Super Bowl, New England will face the best defense in the league, the Seattle Seahawks in the biggest game of the season on February 8, 2026.
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