4. New England Patriots
How do we weigh the Patriots' regular season success last season against their struggles (offensively, at least) in the playoffs? This was a team that had the worst sack differential in the NFL (sacks allowed offensively vs. sacks defensively) last season.
They went out this offseason and got some upgrades for Drake Maye in the weapons department, trading for AJ Brown and signing Romeo Doubs in NFL Free Agency. The Patriots also added Kevin Byard to a secondary that was already tough to throw on most of last season.
They've got the chance to be even better this year than they were in 2025, but it might not result in as many wins, or maybe even a division title. The Patriots' offensive line is still a question mark, even with the selection of Caleb Lomu in the 1st round of this year's Draft. And the way Drake Maye played in the postseason -- especially in the Super Bowl -- was eye-opening, to say the least.
3. Houston Texans
Other than some areas being question marks with young players in the starting lineup, this is a pretty flawless looking lineup for the Houston Texans.
We know the Texans have an elite defense. Maybe the best defense in the entire NFL right now. They have an elite pass rush, an elite secondary, and it's so strange to be talking about the biggest question mark on this team actually being quarterback CJ Stroud.
Stroud has simply not been able to recapture the same level of play we saw from him back in his rookie season (2023), but he's still dangerous and capable of leading this team deep into the postseason. He's proven he's got ice in his veins during big games, winning three playoff games in three seasons, but he crumbled badly in the playoffs this past year.
Even with the weather and conditions considered, throwing 5 total interceptions and fumbling 5 times against the Steelers required herculean efforts from the defense just to stay involved in the game. He needs to find a way to step it up, or we've likely seen Houston's ceiling.
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