The New England Patriots are aiming to rebound from two straight four-win campaigns, and thanks to a free-agent spending spree, an impressive NFL Draft haul and an easy-looking schedule, the Patriots should definitely be better next season.
New England has been labeled as a possible playoff contender by some, and while that may be too ambitious, the Pats' run of opponents in 2025 should make a postseason appearance much more realistic than previous years.
However, the Patriots do have some tough teams on their slate. The Pittsburgh Steelers, for example, will come to town in Week 3, which should prove to be a difficult matchup, especially if Aaron Rodgers is under center for the Steelers.
However, New England legend Rob Gronkowski is basically guaranteeing a win for the Pats over Pittsburgh based on the storied history between the two franchises.
"We've got the Steelers' number. The Patriots always take down the Steelers, no matter what," Gronkowski said on the Bussin' With the Boys podcast.
Gronkowski has a point.
Since December 1998, New England and Pittsburgh have met 19 times, including the playoffs. The Pats have emerged victorious in 15 of those meetings, and that even includes the last two matchups following Tom Brady's departure.
The Patriots have broken the Steelers' hearts in the postseason three times during that span, most recently in January 2017.
Of course, these two teams are entirely different now, so the history between the pair of NFL titans probably doesn't mean all that much at this point. But there is no question that New England has had Pittsburgh's number over the years.
The Pats last battled the Steelers on Dec. 7, 2023, coming away with a 21-18 victory in Pittsburgh. Keep in mind: the Patriots went just 4-13 overall that season.
