The Eagles' 55-23 throttling of the Commanders in the NFC title game, and the Chiefs' 32-29 thriller over the Bills in the AFC matchup, set up a rematch of Super Bowl LVII that no one outside of those teams' markets really wanted.
Around here, those two games did something else: They offered a stark reminder of how far away the Patriots are from being a true threat in the postseason any time soon.
That's not to say an accelerated return to prominence isn't doable for the Patriots, which already has taken an enormous step forward since the season ended with the hiring of Mike Vrabel as coach and a well-rounded, deep, and experienced staff of assistants to support him.
But it is daunting, and if it wasn't apparent before, it sure was after watching the Chiefs, Eagles, Bills, and Commanders in action: The Patriots need to do so much more right this offseason, and cannot afford to make a single relevant mistake when it comes to building their roster.
There are lessons and even inspirations to be found in the construction of all four conference finalists. Bills quarterback Josh Allen is on a very short list of the most physically talented players of all time at the most important position in sports. To say that there are shades of Allen's game in Patriots quarterback Drake Maye's skill set is both true and a high compliment.
The Patriots have their quarterback, and so they are obligated to give him every tool he needs to maximize his talent. It's imperative that Vrabel, Eliot Wolf, and Ryan Cowden find Maye his James Cook, his Khalil Shakir, his Dion Dawkins if they are going to reclaim the AFC East from the Bills any time soon.
As for the other team that saw its season end Sunday, the Commanders are practically the blueprint for the Patriots on how to turn a lost cause into a winning one. Like the Patriots, they hit the jackpot in the 2024 at quarterback, landing Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick. Unlike the Patriots, they immediately gave him a competent support system, from hiring coach Dan Quinn (who is excellent except when he leads, 28-3) and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, to bringing in veteran players such as linebacker Bobby Wagner and running back Austin Ekeler. They may not be what they once were, but they are true professionals who help the cause on and off the field.
The Patriots must add a true star or two this offseason, but they would be aided immensely by a few of those savvy veteran types, as well as some unheralded players undervalued by their previous teams. (Coincidentally, Vrabel, signed away from the Steelers as a free agent after the 2000 season, is the greatest example of that archetype in Patriots history.)
The Commanders, of course, were conquered by a loaded Eagles team, and the abundance of talent on the NFC champs should be the primary cause of the aforementioned roster envy.
Late in Sunday's broadcast, Fox showed a graphic that detailed the Eagles' transactions before this season. Those moves included signing Offensive Player of the Year and MVP finalist Saquon Barkley, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Zack Baun, and drafting defensive Rookie of the Year candidates Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
It was the definition of the rich getting richer, and a not-entirely-necessary reminder that the Patriots are way overdue for an offseason that brings a talent influx.
As for the Chiefs, well, they're more of a reminder of what was than what could be. Patrick Mahomes's poise and precision in a game's tensest situations is so reminiscent of what Tom Brady did over and over again during the Patriots' two-decade, six-championship dynasty. Andy Reid always has his team prepared, and the rest of the Chiefs, taking their cues from their quarterback and coach (again, so familiar), never let a moment get too big for them.
The perception is that the Chiefs get all the important calls, which is absolutely true, of course. But watching them is so much like watching the 2001-18 Patriots. I never thought we'd see anything like it, but the Chiefs are like it. They deserve the utmost respect. I hope the Eagles crush them.
Perhaps the takeaway from the Chiefs' excellence is the hope that Maye can someday elevate the talent around him like Mahomes does now (are you kidding us, JuJu Smith-Schuster?) and Brady did for so long. It's a lot to ask, but not implausible.
While that Roster Envy will persist through the NFL season's final game on Feb. 9, it's fair to say that the Patriots have much more hope right now than they did when their season ended with a detrimental win over the Bills those three weeks ago.
Missing out on the No. 1 overall pick remains unforgivable, though I wonder now whether the Patriots would have simply taken Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter in that spot rather than trade down. We'll see how the draft board shakes out before they pick at No. 4 (or trade down), but at least they are in position to add necessary elite talent (or talents).
Vrabel and his well-rounded coaching staff bring all sorts of realistic hopes -- that they coach up the underachieves on this roster, that they'll weed out those that don't take to the coaching, that they'll maximize the abilities of inconsistent young players such as Keion White, and that they'll structure creative game plans to their best players' strengths.
In order to make a huge leap next season, the Patriots need an A-plus draft, and they need to load up in free agency. It's imperative that they get the right players to take their money, and that the Krafts are willing to spend that money. I imagine Vrabel has assurances on the latter.
It's true, watching the NFL's final four was a sobering reminder of how far the Patriots are from being on that level. But as the Commanders demonstrated in their mostly magical season, that great distance can be covered quickly. All they have to do is get every single thing right this offseason.
It's a lot to ask, maybe too much to ask. But the Patriots are off to a good start. The quarterback is here. So is the coach. Now go get them some help.