The New England Patriots earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs after a 14‑3 regular season, finishing atop the AFC East and clinching home‑field advantage for their wild‑card game against the No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots’ 14 wins marked one of the franchise’s strongest seasons in recent years and a significant improvement from a challenging prior campaign.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye led the offense with a breakout year, throwing for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdown passes and eight interceptions while completing 72.0 percent of his passes across 17 games. His 258.5 passing yards per game paced the New England offense and helped the team sustain drives consistently throughout the season.
On the ground, New England’s backfield leaned on TreVeyon Henderson, who finished with 911 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Henderson’s production added balance to the Patriots’ attack and complemented the passing game effectively. Rhamondre Stevenson also contributed to the running game, giving the Patriots a dual‑threat ground presence.
The Patriots’ receiving corps was led by Stefon Diggs, who surpassed the 1,000‑yard receiving milestone with 1,013 yards on 85 receptions, adding four touchdown catches to his stat line. Diggs’ presence as a reliable deep threat and chain‑moving target was a key component of New England’s aerial success.
Tight end Hunter Henry and wideouts like Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins provided additional options in the passing attack, helping Maye distribute the ball and keeping the offense versatile. Post‑catch yardage and first‑down conversions by multiple pass catchers helped sustain scoring drives throughout the season.
Defensively, the Patriots generated 35 sacks and recorded multiple interceptions, helping limit opposing offenses and creating turnovers that swung momentum in key games. New England’s overall scoring balance, including a strong special teams unit led by their placekicker in scoring opportunities, further bolstered their postseason positioning.
New England’s balanced offensive production and robust regular‑season record set the stage for a wild‑card matchup against the Chargers. With home‑field advantage and multiple offensive weapons thriving in 2025, the Patriots enter the playoffs as a formidable contender looking to make a deep postseason run.
