The New England Patriots were the AFC's most exciting offense in 2025. They led the conference in total yards per game, passing yards per game and points on their way to a Super Bowl berth.
Behind quarterback Drake Maye, the Patriots walked opposing defenses up and down the field. However, it became clear early in the season that the team's red zone offense was going to be a real problem.
Many (including me) hypothesized that their lack of production in the red zone would be the team's Achilles' heel come playoff time. Thankfully, we were wrong.
Regardless of the overall success, the red zone is going to be a real emphasis for New England's offseason training. It has already begun at the Patriots three day mini-camp in June.
"If there was a theme to mandatory minicamp, it was the red zone, where the Patriots finished the 2025 season 20th in touchdown efficiency on offense (57%), and 16th on defense (57.6%)," ESPN's Mike Reiss wrote. "Every play of the team's final practice was run inside the 20, and one assistant said the reasons were straightforward -- that's where many games are won and lost, and there's room for improvement."
The offseason was turbulent. Gossip about head coach Mike Vrabel and reporter Dianna Russini dominated many headlines for weeks.
It was very refreshing to see it finally be all business when the Patriots took the field again. I left mandatory mini-camp with reassurance that Vrabel would be the same coach after the controversy that he was before.
More NFL: Patriots OL Caleb Lomu Taking Snaps At Guard