Eliot Wolf Reveals Exact Moment When Patriots Transformed Into Super Bowl Contenders

Coming into this NFL season, the New England Patriots were not considered serious Super Bowl contenders. After back-to-back four-win seasons, they’d lost much of the luster from their dynastic run during the 2000s and 2010s. Even with their historically easy schedule, many figured they’d be lucky to make the playoffs.

Sure enough, the Patriots started slowly under new head coach Mike Vrabel, struggling to shake their recent malaise. They lost two of their first three games, including a turnover fest against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and appeared headed towards another frustrating, listless season.

After that Steelers loss, however, something changed. New England responded with a 42-13 blowout of the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, kicking off a 10-game winning streak.

The Patriots followed that up with their biggest victory in years, beating the Buffalo Bills 23-20 on the road in Week 5. They held off a fourth-quarter rally by the Bills after blowing a 10-point lead, winning on Andres Borregales’ clutch 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds left.

Not only was it a signature win for New England, but team executive Eliot Wolf also believes it was when the team found its identity and officially took off.

“It was seeing some of the guys that have been through the rough times switch from ‘Something bad’s gonna happen,’ to ‘I’m gonna make a play,'” Wolf told Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald after Sunday’s AFC title game.

The Patriots started playing with confidence and believing in themselves. They also coalesced under Vrabel, who kept them prepared and motivated through the entire season while restoring the franchise’s winning culture.

New England never looked back after beating Buffalo, losing just one game since then. The Patriots kept finding ways to win every week, regardless of who or where they were playing.

Now they’re in the Super Bowl, one win away from becoming one of the sport’s most unlikely champions.