Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Bills (4-1) have both Patriots fans and media changing their tune on what the 2025 season can be for a franchise stuck in rebuild mode since the departure of Tom Brady.
New England (3-2) has one of the easiest schedules in NFL history on tap. And with an AFC that has the likes of the Ravens (1-4) and Chiefs (2-3) struggling, the playoff expectations for the Patriots almost feel universal at the time of publishing.
In case you need a refresher, here’s who New England has ahead:
- Week 6 @ Saints (1-4)
- Week 7 @ Titans (1-4)
- Week 8 vs. Browns (1-4)
- Week 9 vs. Falcons (2-2)
- Week 10 @ Buccaneers (4-1)
- Week 11 vs. Jets (0-5)
- Week 12 @ Bengals (2-3)
- Week 13 vs. Giants (1-4)
- Bye Week 14
- Week 15 vs. Bills (4-1)
- Week 16 @ Ravens (1-4)
- Week 17 @ Jets (0-5)
- Week 18 vs. Dolphins (1-4)
With the November 4 NFL trade deadline less than a month away, Patriots fans are wondering how this team can get one last jolt of talent added to the roster to take advantage of both a weak schedule and weak AFC.
One name that has continually popped up in trade rumors across the internet since the offseason is Eagles All-Pro AJ Brown, who has struggled to find his footing in the Philadelphia (4-1) offense through the first month of the season:
19 catches, 194 receiving yards, 1 touchdown.
Brown’s ability far exceeds his current output, and fanbases around the NFL have all flirted with the idea of a change of scenery for Brown unlocking the full potential we’ve seen throughout the balance of his career. And with reports on Monday saying Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts finally had a much needed long talk (reportedly over two hours long) after their first loss of the season, it feels like things might be coming to a head in Philadelphia for one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers.
Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law was no stranger to public frustration with his employer during his time in New England, which made him the perfect person to ask about the Brown situation through the lens of the 2025 Patriots whe
“AJ Brown being unhappy in Philadelphia, and you're a guy who, from time to time, may have attempted a public re-negotiation or two,” said WEEI’s Greg Hill. “Does bringing a guy to a team like this worry you at all? Or do you feel like Wiggy was saying earlier - change of scenery, and guys are completely different? And Stef Diggs is an example of that.”
“Absolutely bring him,” said Law. “If you can get AJ Brown and pair him with Stefon Diggs, bring him.
“AJ Brown knows what he's doing. He knows he just got that new contract guaranteed, a lot of money. And if you look at, it's like, ‘Hey, every receiver wants the ball.’ So he's not doing anything that no other receiver would do in the same position, you know? I mean, Keyshawn [Johnson] wrote a damn book about it. Come on, Just Give Me the Damn Ball. Now that's going public. You know, he trying to write a best seller about it
“But that's just the receiver position, and he wants to feel a part of the game. So if he's not, he's going to say something about it. Like I said - he got enough guaranteed contract that he can say what he wanna say, and they just had to deal with it.”
Brown or not, Patriots are back on the road in Week 6, as they’ll head down to New Orleans to take on the Saints.
As of publishing, the Patriots are 3.5-point road favorites at FanDuel. You can get them on the moneyline at -200, and the total sits at 45.5.
Tune in each and every Monday throughout the football season to Patriots Monday on WEEI. Head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show at 6:30 a.m. ET, and quarterback Drake Maye joins WEEI Afternoons.