After the New England Patriots‘ last Wild Card appearance and exit back in 2009, the team made significant personnel changes to avoid another finish like the one they had just incurred: being steamrolled by the Baltimore Ravens.
In the 2010 NFL Draft, the Patriots selected Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, Brandon Spikes, and Aaron Hernandez — all significant contributors to the team. New England also signed Alge Crumpler, as well as Deion Branch for the last 12 games of the season. They re-signed Gary Guyton, Stephen Gostkowski, and Kevin Faulk.
The 2010 Patriots went 14-2, winning four more games than the year prior, attributable primarily to the reloaded team.