The NFL revealed the 2020 schedule on Thursday night, which included the New England Patriots’ docket for the upcoming season. And it’s going to be a tough slog for New England. Not only will Patriots fans find themselves rooting for a quarterback not named Tom Brady, but they’ll be rooting against Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and a handful of the league’s most gifted signal-callers. Wins won’t be easy to come by. Everything is going to feel different, at first.
But that’s the obvious takeaway, right? We took a deeper look at the schedule to drum up a few thoughts on how the league organized it for Bill Belichick and company. Here are seven takeaways from the Patriots’ 2020 schedule.
1. Week 1 might not feel good
With the Patriots in flux, they might find themselves struggling against the Miami Dolphins, who may end up starting Ryan Fitzpatrick, even after drafting Tua Tagovailoa in the first round. If Fitzpatrick is under center and working against Jarrett Stidham, we could see a surprisingly experienced team in Miami playing against a surprisingly inexperienced in New England. What’s more, the Patriots will be on their home field, but it may not feel like an advantage, if there’s no one in the stadium amid the coronavirus pandemic.
What if the Patriots suffer a defeat against the Dolphins? And worse still, what if Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a statement win against the New Orleans Saints? I’d say it’s possible.
2. Houston -> L.A. -> Miami will be brutal
The Patriots travel to play the Texans in Week 11 before heading home to Gillette Stadium to play the Cardinals in Week 12. Then New England has a two-week road trip in L.A. when they play the Chargers on Sunday and the Rams on Thursday. Finally, the Patriots end this wild stretch against Miami. That’s a lot of travel, a lot of timezone changing and a lot of routine breaking.
3. All eyes will be on Bill Belichick during prime time
The departure of Brady did not mean a departure from prime time. The nation wants to see if Belichick will sink or swim without Brady. The Patriots are tied for a league-high five prime-time games.
4. Bye week isn’t great — or terrible
Week 6 is not an awesome placement for the bye. If the Patriots make the playoffs and do not get a first-round bye — which seems likely considering the bye only goes to the AFC’s top seed in the new playoff format — they will finish the season with 10 straight weeks of games heading into the playoffs. And then they have to try to make a run in the postseason, if they make it. That could be a very physically demanding setup.
5. Another back-to-back finish in New England
The good news is that the Patriots’ final two games are in New England for the fourth consecutive season. That’s always a reassuring thing to see. The Patriots will be in the comforts of their home stadium to finish the year.
6. ESPN is taking the division race more seriously. Should they?
The worldwide leader in sports booked two AFC East games in prime time on Monday night. First, the Patriots play at the New York Jets in Week 9. Then, New England is hosting the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. It seems ESPN anticipates this year’s divisional race will be more competitive than in years past. And frankly, that logic is fair. The Dolphins and Bills, in particular, looked to be trending upward for 2020. And, yes, without Brady, the Patriots look more vulnerable than ever.
7. Expect a slow start and a strong finish
We’ve seen the Patriots start slow in recent years. And then they go on to win Super Bowls. It’s just a matter of calibration. But that tuneup period may take even longer as Belichick figures out how to highlight his new quarterback’s strengths. The tight end and receiver groups should have some young contributors, too (N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene). And the defense has three talented rookies that will likely earn big roles (safety Kyle Dugger and linebackers Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings). The Patriots may look a little lost. But it’s always foolish to count them out.
