by Tony Romo gained notoriety for his precise play predictions when he first started working as a broadcaster for CBS. Patriots supporters will be pleased if his next forecast goes in the same direction.
Romo cites Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel as the catalysts for his confidence that the Patriots will have a bounce-back season in 2025 after suffering back-to-back four-win seasons.
At the NFL season launch event on CBS earlier this week, Romo stated, “I’m excited for people to see how this develops because Vrabel is a great football coach,” per The Boston Globes Ben Volin. This team has the potential to develop quickly. You get some juice when you combine Vrabel and Josh McDaniels with a young quarterback (Drake Maye). Simply put, if the team has a strong season this year, don’t be shocked. I see quick signals that this is about to change. One of my surprise teams is this one.
Romo is not alone in thinking that the Patriots could make progress in 2025, even though it may seem unrealistic to expect a team that finished 4-13 in two consecutive years to make the playoffs this year.
In fact, it almost seems as though the Patriots are expected to hold views similar to Romo’s. 8.5 is their predicted win total according to most bookies. Additionally, DraftKings Sportsbook lists them as the favorite in 11 of their 17 regular-season games. Their implied likelihood of participating in the playoffs is 46.5 percent, based on their +115 odds of making it.
Other NFL players on the CBS team are purchasing Patriots stock. Among them is J.J. Watt, who worked with Vrabel for four seasons while the current Patriots head coach was the Texans’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Watt thinks the Vrabel-led Patriots should aim for eight or nine victories in 2025.
According to Watt, via Volin, “I know that guys who work on fundamentals like Mike will in that first year can really lock a team in quick.” The first year is always difficult. Considering that you won’t beat yourself. He will always be aware of the minor regulations so that you can benefit.
They are assembling a strong club around their talented young quarterback; all they need is someone to set the groundwork, and I believe Mike is that person.
Even though Watt didn’t play for Vrabel when he was head coach, the new Patriots coach enjoyed four successful seasons when he first took over as Titans head coach. Under Vrabel, Tennessee made it to the postseason three times in a row after finishing 9-7 in 2018 and missing out on the playoffs.
When Vrabel took over as head coach of the Titans, he took over a 9-7 team, so he’s starting in a very different situation with the Patriots. However, many are optimistic about the Patriots because of Maye’s potential and the arrival of a number of free-agent standouts, including LB Robert Spillane, OT Morgan Moses, CB Carlton Davis, WR Stefon Diggs, and DT Milton Williams.
Vrabel noted after Thursday’s preseason loss that he thinks his squad is beginning to establish an identity, while McDaniels recently claimed that he thought Maye turned the corner during joint practices with the Vikings.
For all of their games this season, the Patriots are not currently scheduled to have CBS’ A-team, which includes Jim Nantz and Romo, but they will have CBS’ B-team, which includes Ian Eagle and Watt, when they play the Steelers in Week 3. CBS has only revealed its broadcast assignments for the season’s first three weeks, though.
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