Robert Kraft Says 'It Bothers' Him Patriots Haven't Won a Playoff Game Since 2018

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Tuesday he expects the team to re-emerge as Super Bowl contenders "as soon as this year."

"It bothers me that we haven't been able to win a playoff game the last three years," Kraft told reporters.

In 2019, the final season of the Tom Brady era in New England ended with a loss to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round.

The Pats missed the playoffs the following year for the first time since 2008 but bounced back to reach the postseason with a 10-7 record in 2021 under the guidance of rookie quarterback Mac Jones. They were blown out 47-17 by the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills in their opening playoff game, though.

Getting back to a Super Bowl level could prove difficult in an AFC loaded with quarterback talent.

The conference already featured several high-end quarterbacks, led by Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, and even more depth was added during the offseason as Russell Wilson landed with the Denver Broncos and Matt Ryan headed to the Indianapolis Colts.

There are now few teams in the AFC without a capable signal-caller on their roster, which is going to make for quite a gauntlet to make the playoffs.

It puts a lot of pressure on Jones to make further strides during his second NFL season.

The 23-year-old University of Alabama product completed 67.6 percent of his throws for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 17 games last year. While it was an efficient start to his career, the Pats are going to need more big plays in 2022.

Ultimately, Kraft's goal of getting back to a Super Bowl level may be a bit of pie-in-the-sky optimism because, at least on paper, the Pats' roster isn't quite on the same level as a handful of their AFC counterparts.

Simply qualifying for the playoffs would be a strong result for New England, barring a couple of blockbuster moves during the remainder of the offseason to bolster the team's title chances.