Brett Favre Gushes Over Patriots, Says Rest of NFL Should Be Nervous

Brett Favre isn't just impressed by the Patriots -- he's basically gassing up New England like it's 2004 again.

The Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports that New England's turnaround with quarterback Drake Maye and coach Mike Vrabel has been dramatic ... to the point where the rest of the NFL might start sweating.

"They're in the shadow, but for how long?" Favre said.

"If they continue at this pace, they may write their own record books. And honestly, I don't see why they can't. Barring injury or something catastrophic on the team, I don't see why they don't progress better and better each year."

Could New England’s new duo be the next Tom Brady and Bill Belichick???

The Patriots sure have turned things around in Year 1 with Vrabel after three-straight losing seasons. Now a trip to the Super Bowl is on the line when they face off with the Denver Broncos in Sunday's AFC Championship.

While Favre didn’t exactly suggest another dynasty, the gunslinger says the team is "playing about as good as we’ve seen since Brady left the Patriots."

Pretty high praise!!!

He was also complimentary of the Patriots' second-year QB ... saying "it's kind of like he went from 1 to 10 overnight."

"Drake Maye is making good decisions," Favre said. "He throws the ball downfield very accurately and doesn’t seem to be rattled very easily -- all the things you would expect from an 8-10-year veteran, not a two-year guy."