Patriots complete historic turnaround from 4 wins to Super Bowl appearance
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The New England Patriots are heading to the Super Bowl for a record twelfth time. However, this time it is not like previous trips.
Last season, the Patriots won just four games. They won 17 matches this season and became AFC Champions. One of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.
I’ve written and talked about comebacks and comebacks. I wrote a book called “Turn Your Comebacks Into Comebacks” that shares the components of a comeback and the steps to a turnaround.
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But before you can let go of the setback mindset, get out of survival mode, focus forward, or regain your momentum, something has to happen.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates the AFC championship trophy after the AFC championship game between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots on Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver, Colo. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A comeback or reversal will only happen if you change. You have to be willing to do things differently than what you’ve done up until that point. A return depends on decisive change.
That’s exactly what the Patriots did. They made major changes to their team and the result was an extremely successful season with the opportunity to become an NFL champion. And become the first NFL team to win seven Super Bowls.
Anyone who wants a change in their life must also be willing to change.
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The first thing that needs to change is your mind. And through knowledge you change your mind. A change of heart happens when you receive new information and acquire new information. Some of this knowledge comes from defeat and failure.
The Patriots knew they had to make wholesale changes after losing 13 games last season. Their change started at the top with the hiring of a new head coach, Mike Vrabel. He played for the Patriots and won three Super Bowls. He was previously the coach of the Tennessee Titans. Hired Josh McDaniels as Offensive Coordinator. McDaniels had coached the Patriots twice before, winning Super Bowls with them.
McDaniels transformed point guard Drake Maye from rookie to MVP candidate in his second season. Maye’s advancement meant the Patriots had an All-Pro at the most important position in football.
The Patriots also made changes to their roster. They signed wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards. They signed defenseman Robert Spillane, who led the team in tackles. They signed forward running back Harold Landry, who led the team in sacks. And they signed the Milton Williams defense that impressed the entire defense.
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They also added important players to their squad. The Pats selected Will Campbell as their new left tackle and Jared Wilson as their new left tackle. They drafted running back Treveon Henderson, who has 10 touchdown passes this season. The Patriots’ opening day roster included 30 new players, most of them in the NFL. All of these changes helped turn the Patriots’ season around.
A comeback or reversal will only happen if you change. You have to be willing to do things differently than what you’ve done up until that point. A return depends on decisive change.
If you change your mind, you can get an incredible return. This is because you know more, you are smarter, and you have insights that will lead to a return.
After a change of mind, there must be a change of mind. A change of heart is the result of a new attitude; You decide that your attitude will change. You determine that you will look at life from a positive perspective.
Some people never get the bounce back they should because they refuse to change their attitudes. A negative attitude never leads to a positive feedback.
Resistance to change is often fear of the unknown. The way to overcome fear is through faith. You believe that change can happen and be made. This is what Coach Vrabel emphasized to his team: “Sometimes you have to believe in things before you can see them.”
Drake Maye of the New England Patriots is tackled by Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos during the first quarter of the AFC Championship Playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on January 25, 2026 in Denver, Colo. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
You must open yourself to new possibilities, new opportunities, new experiences. But if your attitude does not change and your mind does not change, this will not happen.
Vrabel helped his team believe more by introducing the Four Hs, in which players share personal insights about their past, heroes, heartbreak, and hope. He went first and the entire team bonded with a newfound attitude of faith.
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There is one last change that needs to happen. You must change your future. And with determination you change your future. You choose to stick with your return. Everyone wants a comeback; Every NFL team wants to be conference champions. The Patriots won because they relied on Coach Vrabel’s two essentials: effort and finishing.
When you commit to change, you get a return.
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Not when you want to change, not when you think you should change, not when you talk about changing, but when you are determined to change.
Commitments drive success more than goals. Successful people are ordinary people who make commitments that others are unwilling to make. I have seen this over and over again in my life and leadership. And the NFL witnessed it with the Patriots’ remarkable comeback.
Believe that you will come back if you gain new information and stick to the process; You too may experience a strong comeback.
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