Comparisons are the language of sports. There's always "the next Patrick Mahomes." There's always "a copycat version of the Rams." There's always "the next dynasty, like the Chiefs — like the Patriots."

But what if the "next dynasty" is simply the New England Patriots themselves?

At first glance, the parallel seems obvious. Head coach Mike Vrabel carries the same defensive-minded pedigree as Bill Belichick. Drake Maye is a brilliant young quarterback facilitating offensive efficiency much like Tom Brady once did. The similarities write themselves.

The problem is everything else.

A Dynasty Built on Different DNA

Recent conversations with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Brady's former backups Brian Hoyer and Matt Cassel made clear: Maye is nothing like Brady. Not as a passer. Not as a player. The two are fundamentally different.

The same applies doubly to Vrabel and Belichick. While both are critical and sarcastic, Belichick never waited at the locker room door to embrace every player after a game. He didn't hold team meetings where players stood up to share their life stories. Belichick had an open-door policy, sure, but his connection to players operated on a different wavelength entirely.

Vrabel's approach is more human. More accessible. More modern.

Yet here we are, getting ahead of ourselves about a team that hasn't even clinched a Super Bowl berth. That testament to their play is also a testament to the skepticism surrounding Denver's backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, stepping in for injured starter Bo Nix.

The Pieces Are in Place

Even if New England can't reach the Super Bowl, the structure mirrors that 2001 team.

Anyone born in New England in the last 25-30 years has never really known defeat. One of the big four — the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox — is always winning. Patriots fans have no real concept of struggle. Their rebuild was surgically clean, nothing like the prolonged purgatory endured by Buffalo, Detroit, Jacksonville, or Cleveland.

It feels almost inevitable that New England will start dominating again.

But look at the cautionary tales. The Bills and Los Angeles Chargers both climbed from basement-level irrelevance through new coaches and elite quarterbacks — Josh Allen and Justin Herbert. Yet Herbert never recaptured his breakout 2021 form. Brandon Staley floundered and was fired in 2023. Allen's Bills? They've stumbled at the Super Bowl threshold so badly that Buffalo just fired Sean McDermott, a defensive-minded coach with a 98-50 regular-season record.

There are pitfalls that Brady and Belichick inexplicably avoided: regression, stagnancy, complacency, competitive parity.

How the Patriots Got Lucky

The 2025 Patriots have avoided them — so far. A lot of pieces fell into place perfectly.

An easy strength-of-schedule helped. So did Tennessee firing Vrabel in 2024, making him available. So did Josh McDaniels returning to New England. The Patriots had the No. 3 pick in a historically strong quarterback draft class. And critically, the third-best prospect in that class has turned into the No. 1 pro quarterback — and perhaps the league's best signal-caller right now.

The Patriots are genuinely excellent. Their defense is as smart and aggressive as Seattle's unit, which is headed to the NFC Championship. And if Maye plays in the postseason like he did in the regular season, New England would be the Super Bowl favorite.

The Threat Is Real

The Patriots will likely reach the Super Bowl, where few give them a chance against the NFC's elite. But there's something about this team — that quiet competency — that makes them a genuine threat to win it all.

If they preserve that identity centered around Vrabel and Maye, they won't just win.

They'll be back for more.