Was the Patriots' path to the Super Bowl really that easy?

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Feb 9, 2026 - 01:30
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Was the Patriots' path to the Super Bowl really that easy?

The New England Patriots will play for their seventh Lombardi Trophy (and first since 2018) on Sunday night in Super Bowl 60 against the Seattle Seahawks.

New England's presence in the game is certainly a bit surprising, given the fact that it was one of the NFL's worst teams last year. However, after finishing 4-13 in 2024, the Patriots were subject to one of the league's most impressive turnarounds this season under first-year coach Mike Vrabel, finishing 14-3 and earning the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Now, the AFC champions look to capture yet another Super Bowl.

While New England's emergence has been admirable this season, it did benefit from the weakest schedule in the NFL. Stunningly, all but five of the teams it faced this year moved on from their coaches as it drew matchups against the AFC South and NFC South.

The only exceptions were the Bengals, Jets, Panthers, Buccaneers and Saints. Of those teams, only one — Carolina — made the playoffs, and it did so with a sub-.500 record.

The Patriots even had a (relatively) easy path to the Super Bowl, as they faced Chargers and Texans teams with significant limitations before drawing a Broncos team without starting quarterback Bo Nix in the AFC Championship Game.

New England has proven a lot on the field this season with its second-year quarterback and MVP finalist Drake Maye, but a Super Bowl win would silence contentions that it's only in this position thanks to the No. 32-ranked schedule in football.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Patriots reached Super Bowl with surprisingly easy path

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