The New England Patriots couldn’t run the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, so that became the biggest focus of the offseason. The Pats didn’t have a difference-maker on the outside, so they traded for A.J. Brown.Now, with an opener against the Seahawks on the horizon, a first test of just how far Mike Vrabel’s team has come awaits. But perhaps the roster moves weren’t quite so reactive.“I do not think that the Super Bowl was the only factor in the decisions that we made,” Vrabel said.The 2026 Patriots season begins with more optimism than any since the departure of Tom Brady. Perhaps it’s not Super Bowl or bust, but this team should be a legit contender, and failing to win a playoff game would be a disappointment.So as the season begins, let’s look at where things stand. (All stats are courtesy of TruMedia unless otherwise noted.)Do the New England Patriots have a fragile foundation?Robert Mays and Derrik KlassenReason for hope on offenseThis part should be obvious.Drake Maye was the MVP runner-up with a so-so supporting cast in Year 1 of a new offense. Now, the Pats have given him a true No. 1 receiver in Brown, a solid No. 2 option in Romeo Doubs and what should be a better offensive line. He’s also back with Josh McDaniels. This could be the best passing offense in the NFL.The less-talked-about area for improvement is in the red zone. The Patriots ranked 24th last season in the percentage of their red zone trips that resulted in points and 17th in red zone trips that resulted in touchdowns.The early results from training camp indicate the passing success should be much better in that area. Brown is 6 feet 1, 226 pounds, and Doubs is 6-2, 210 pounds. That size matters in the red zone.Biggest concern on offenseThe Patriots’ top offensive priority in the offseason was becoming a more consistent running team after ranking only 22nd in the league in rushing success rate last season. The changes there are notable: signing tight end Julian Hill (who’s now hurt), fullback Reggie Gilliam and left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.But I’m not convinced they’ve done enough to make a meaningful difference.In joint practices, the running game was just OK. Rhamondre Stevenson and (the currently injured) TreVeyon Henderson split carries, and the guess here is they’ll get a similar number of touches this season. But it didn’t seem like there were a ton of holes for them to exploit.The hope is that the Patriots’ passing game is so good that teams drop back into two-high-safety looks. Last season, New England faced the second-highest rate of eight-man boxes, a sign that opposing defenses didn’t respect the team’s wide receivers. Perhaps that would free up space for the backs.But better running has to start with better blocking. Last season, the Patriots ranked 18th in yards before contact per rush. I’m not convinced that’s going to dramatically change.Reason for hope on defenseIf the top players on the back end stay healthy, this secondary will be one of the best in the NFL. The depth falls off quickly, but Christian Gonzalez is one of the game’s best corners, Marcus Jones is one of the game’s best slot corners, and Carlton Davis is a strong No. 2.Oh, and safety Craig Woodson was phenomenal as a rookie in the playoffs, and now he’s playing next to Kevin Byard, the NFL’s interception leader last season.Biggest concern on defenseThe run defense is a bit worrisome, but the big concern on defense has to be the edge rushers.The hope was that Harold Landry would return to the dominant player he was the first six weeks of last season. Instead, he remains out after not practicing all summer because of a lingering injury.The hope was for second-round pick Gabe Jacas to play a big role. Instead, he missed all of the spring practices and the start of training camp, and his play in the preseason games reflected that.Now the Patriots enter the season with Dre’Mont Jones as a starter on one side, even though pass rushing isn’t his speciality (it’ll be a drop-off from K’Lavon Chaisson), and an undrafted second-year player, Elijah Ponder, on the other.It could work out great. Maybe Ponder turns into a legit starter, Jacas develops quickly and Landry recovers well. But that seems unlikely.Breakout offensive player: DoubsAll eyes have been on Brown — and for good reason. He’s going to get much of the focus from opposing defenses.But Doubs quietly put together an impressive second half of training camp and was especially good in the red zone.He’s only 26, so he’s entering what should be the prime of his career, and the guess here is that he easily eclipses his career high of 724 receiving yards last season.Breakout defensive player: WoodsonIt’s wildly impressive that Woodson’s three best games last season, per Pro Football Focus’ charting, were all in the playoffs. For a rookie to play that well down the stretch that late into his first NFL season speaks volumes.This season, look for Woodson to thrive in his second year in this defense and with Byard by his side.Woodson was everywhere in training camp, and his blazing speed (4.45-second 40) is obvious.Season predictionI waffled all offseason between 10 and 11 wins. The schedule is harder, yes, but the roster is also better. The offense should be great. If the Patriots can be even a slightly above-average running team, the passing offense should be able to handle the rest.The pause with the Pats is twofold. The first is that they lack depth and can’t afford injuries at multiple spots. The second is that edge rusher might be the most important position in the NFL outside of quarterback, and it’s this team’s weakest position.We’ll learn a lot about Vrabel’s bunch in the season’s first month with four straight games (including three on the road) against playoff teams from a year ago. A 2-2 start would be totally fine.Though I think Maye will be incredible, I have enough concerns about the defense and how it’ll stop the run that I’m predicting the Pats to go 10-7.