There is no neutral way for a Bills fan to write about the Patriots, so I will not fake one. For twenty years they owned our division and our Januarys, and I made my peace with the fact that I was watching the best run the sport may ever see, even as it was being built partly on top of my team. Six rings. Brady and Belichick. You do not have to like it to respect it.

Twelve trips, the most anyone has made

The Patriots have reached twelve Super Bowls and won six, both ends of dynasty. The wins included the 28-3 comeback over Atlanta in LI and a 13-3 grind over the Rams in LIII. The losses included two to the Giants, XLII and XLVI, the first of which ended a perfect season one win from immortality on a helmet catch. Then, in February 2026, a young New England team reached Super Bowl LX and ran into Seattle.

The new chapter, and where my sympathy lands

Super Bowl LX did not go like the old ones. Drake Maye, the new quarterback, lost two fumbles late, the second a strip-sack returned for a score, and the Seahawks won 29-13. The dynasty kids are gone. This was a different, younger team learning the hard part on the biggest night. And here, oddly, I felt for them. A first heartbreak on that stage is a specific pain. I know it well. Patriots fans, your golden age was real, and this new group just took its first scar. That part I understand.