Is The Evil Empire Back? How The Patriots Rebuilt A Broken Dynasty

Look who's back!

Seven years aft they lifted a sixth Lombardi Trophy, nan New England Patriots person travel roaring backmost to relevance to make Super Bowl 60, and nan remainder of nan NFL is nervous.

For 2 decades Tom Brady and Bill Belichick mercilessly terrorised nan convention twelvemonth aft year, winning those six Super Bowl titles from 9 appearances successful an era of unrivalled dominance.

Finally alleviation came, arsenic Brady departed, Belichick followed and nan dynasty crumbled into obscurity arsenic four-win also-rans pinch seemingly nary measurement back.

But then, a meteoric return to nan apical this season, powered by caput coach Mike Vrabel and backmost Drake Maye, has plentifulness of NFL fans backing nan Seattle Seahawks astatine Super Bowl 60 successful Santa Clara connected Sunday, doing truthful retired of axenic fearfulness astatine nan thought of nan league's 'evil empire' rising again.

In a convention built to beforehand parity, nan Patriots continually recovered ways to triumph - missing nan play-offs conscionable doubly during Brady and Belichick's 19 seasons together, and 1 of those nan legendary backmost missed done injury.

There were 18 divisional titles, 13 Conference Championship appearances starring to 9 Super Bowls and Lombardis - a meaning of power that still has NFL fans suffering pinch PTSD (Patriots Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Belichick masterminded a top-10 defence 16 times and Brady led a top-eight offence for 14 consecutive years, including 1 of nan champion successful history successful 2007 that came up a Super Bowl short of a 19-0 cleanable season.

A snarling, hooded Belichick was each business each nan clip and slipped into nan villain domiciled pinch ease, truthful immoderate NFL fans rejoiced erstwhile Patrick Mahomes and nan Kansas City Chiefs came to nan rescue, playing nan domiciled of Luke Skywalker and nan rebel confederation to thief conclusion nan evil Patriot empire.

And that looked for illustration it would beryllium that arsenic Belichick struggled without Brady. A uncommon first-round prime spent connected Mac Jones successful 2021 proved a mendacious dawn arsenic nan Pats made nan play-offs but were thrashed by Josh Allen's Buffalo.

A 4-13 play saw nan extremity of Belichick's tenure, and erstwhile Pats linebacker Jerod Mayo could only nutrient nan aforesaid 4-13 decorativeness that ended his stint aft conscionable 1 season.

Three consecutive years without nan play-offs was nan team's longest tally since nan early 1990s, and successful nan last 2 they were not moreover adjacent - ranking adjacent nan bottommost of nan convention successful almost each metric.

Owner Robert Kraft turned to different erstwhile Patriots linebacker, but 1 pinch captious caput coaching acquisition successful Mike Vrabel, and he has led a grounds 10-win turnaround that has nan Patriots backmost connected their perch.

And nan remainder of nan NFL fearing that nan empire could beryllium astir to onslaught back.

Kraft deserves in installments for acting quickly and switching caput coaches arsenic Vrabel looked nan cleanable fit.

Steeped successful nan 'Patriot way' of doing things, nan three-time Super Bowl victor knows really to get he occupation done but, dissimilar Mayo, he had nan important acquisition of starring nan Tennessee Titans to nan AFC Championship crippled during his spell successful Nashville.

Vrabel was nan astir wanted caput coach of nan rhythm past twelvemonth and Maye has shown flashes during his rookie twelvemonth that he had franchise backmost potential. The 2 person proven to beryllium a lucifer made successful heaven.

A caput coach who built connected fierce defence, and a second-year backmost pinch a knack for producing nan correct plays astatine nan correct clip - that's conscionable 1 of nan similarities pinch nan 2001 Patriots, nan first Super Bowl triumph of nan Brady-Belichick era.

The operation was promising capable for Kraft to punishment nan biggest outlay successful nan convention successful free agency, pinch $364m splashed retired connected caller talent - and crucially astir of them person been hits.

Coupled pinch immoderate earnestly bully drafting, nan caller caput coach and improving sophomore backmost person landed successful a cleanable large wind successful a full Patriots reboot - pinch conscionable 16 players near successful nan squad from a mates of years ago.

They had nan second-most snaps played by rookies this play and a full of 416 regular play games by players successful their first twelvemonth successful Foxborough - a grounds for a squad reaching a Super Bowl.

Perhaps Vrabel being caller arsenic good has helped truthful galore caller faces each knit together, but nevertheless it worked it's surely been a look for occurrence arsenic they've each delivered.

The team's starring receiver Stefon Diggs, apical tackler and protect play-caller Robert Spillane, apical sack leader Harold Landry and protect elephantine Milton Williams each arrived successful free agency past summer.

Their regular play rushing leader TreVeyon Henderson came retired of nan 2025 NFL Draft and nan Patriots will beryllium nan first squad ever to commencement 2 rookies connected nan violative statement successful Will Campbell and Marcus Bryant.

It's been arsenic objective successful nan Patriots beforehand agency arsenic it has connected nan field, and it has New England 1 crippled distant from a grounds seventh Super Bowl title.

For those who had their Super Bowl dreams dashed by nan Patriots successful nan past, location are immoderate uneasy similarities pinch really Vrabel and Maye person emulated nan Brady and Belichick axis.

At conscionable 23, Maye could go nan youngest backmost to triumph nan Super Bowl truthful he's younger than Brady was, but some person made nan large crippled successful their 2nd season.

Maye is conscionable nan 3rd backmost to make nan Super Bowl aft generating nether 17 points connected offence successful aggregate play-off games - Brady's 2001 Pats offence grounded to put 17 connected nan committee successful each 3 games.

Weather played a portion successful each 3 play-off games but Vrabel's defence was still fantabulous and coming done specified tight encounters for illustration that successful nan post-season is precisely really Brady and Belichick made their names.

In fact, New England's triumph complete Denver was conscionable nan 4th clip since 2001 that a backmost generated 14 points aliases less connected offence and still won a Championship crippled aliases Super Bowl - Brady was portion of nan different three.

Maye spreads nan shot retired for illustration Brady utilized to, pinch 9 players this play having astatine slightest 200 receiving yards, and often pops up pinch nan important play astatine nan important time, albeit much pinch his legs than his arm.

Of Maye's 16 runs successful nan play-offs, 12 person gone for a touchdown aliases first down - Brady had nan aforesaid benignant of magic successful his limb to lead his team's to glory.

So a tough, protect coach, a talented, focused backmost happy to triumph immoderate measurement possible, immoderate cardinal drafting and master free supplier pick-ups person resulted successful a squad capable to rustle teams distant aliases grind retired reliable play-off wins location and away.

That judge sounds familiar, and it will beryllium a acquainted show successful Santa Clara arsenic nan Patriots will person appeared successful 20% of each Super Bowls travel Sunday - and nan interest for nan remainder of nan NFL is that this could beryllium conscionable nan start.