Patriots links: Ethan Hurwitz maps the seven-step path to clearing the “Super Bowl hurdle”

For Tuesday’s Patriots links, Ethan Hurwitz uses a “looking over the edge” framing to outline seven things that, in his view, would have to go right for New England to get past the biggest barrier to a Super Bowl-level season. The column is not a single breaking-news report, but a priorities list aimed at what a contender typically needs at multiple positions and in multiple phases of play.

The most prominent emphasis is quarterback Drake Maye, with the column’s first point captured in the preview as “Let Maye cook.” The phrase indicates a belief that the team’s next leap is tied to giving its quarterback real control of the offense, including taking advantage of opportunities to execute downfield, create on rhythm, and shoulder more of the game’s decision-making load.

Around that central idea, the concept of “seven things” suggests Hurwitz is looking at more than one unit. Title contenders often require complementary improvements, meaning even if one area grows quickly, the rest of the roster has to be reliable enough to sustain drives, protect leads, and keep the defense from being overexposed for long stretches.

This kind of list also reflects how NFL evaluation works in the offseason and early-season build-up. Fans and analysts tend to focus on development trajectories: Is a young quarterback progressing from tools to consistency? Can the offense put stress on defenses without erasing game plans when it encounters early resistance? Do the surrounding pieces allow the leader to operate without constant mitigation?

Because the Yahoo Sports entry presented here is a daily links column, not a full tactical breakdown, details on each of the “seven things” are not fully visible in the information provided. That limits how precisely the claims can be attributed to specific on-field problems or specific roster components beyond the quarterback-development throughline.

Even with that caveat, the core takeaway is clear: the Patriots’ path to the next level, as framed by Hurwitz, runs through Maye’s ability to operate at a higher volume of responsibility. From there, the remaining priorities can be read as a checklist for turning potential into playoff performance, where margin for error tightens and execution in the third and fourth quarters matters more than early impressions.