After the Patriots' downfall in the wake of Tom Brady's decision to leave the team in 2020, many believed they would be a franchise in peril for a long time, even more so after Bill Belichick was fired and the questionable season under Jerod Mayo.
Unfortunately for those praying for their downfall, the decision to draft QB Drake Maye and Robert Kraft's hiring of Mike Vrabel have already made the Patriots a legitimate competitor just five years after the legendary quarterback departed for Tampa Bay.
And now, it looks like they will be the immediate competition for the division title with the Bills, as the Dolphins and Jets continue to flounder.