. They finished with a losing record for the first time in two decades, failed to qualify for the playoffs, and struggled to play consistent football throughout the year.
However, 2020 also gave them a chance to start a rebuild. Accordingly, the Patriots headed into the 2021 offseason with considerable resources in hand: they were among the league-leaders in salary cap space, and had their highest first-round draft pick in years.
New England was expected to be aggressive during the offseason, and those expectations turned into a reality.
Eight months after the official start of the 2021 league year, the Patriots are now looking like one of the best and most balanced teams in football again.