Schedule makers this year have blessed the Pats.
No more playing Indy as the Colts come off their bye week.
It may be only a marginal factor, but we get almost all the scheduling advantages.
Here is what each of our opponents will be doing doing the week before they play us:
@NYJ ..... season opener
SD ..... fly x-country after playing Bears
BUF ..... at Steelers
@CIN (Mon) ..... back from playing Seahawks x-country
CLE ..... back from Ravens
@DAL ..... long flight from BUF after MNF game
@ MIA ..... was at CLE
WSH ..... home vs ARZ
@IND ..... played at Panthers
bye
@BUF ..... was at MIA
PHI ..... played MIA
@BAL (Mon) ..... return x-country after playing at Chargers
PIT ..... played Bengals Sunday night
NYJ ..... played CLE
MIA ..... played Ravens
@NYG (Sat) ..... was at BUF
All of the long-distance trips ... tough (sometimes tough divisional) foes ... and unbalanced short weeks are in red.
Those are all occasions which can favor the other team.
Patriots have 5 away games against tough teams.
We do not travel farther than Dallas.
We are home both before and after each of our MNF tilts.
But examination reveals that, say, Baltimore gets the Pats at home for MNF
... after a cross-country return from a predictably rugged outing against the Chargers.
Earlier, Cincinnati hosts us Monday night
... after flying cross-country from a game with the Seahawks.
Big logistical and scheduling edge to us.
No more playing Indy as the Colts come off their bye week.
It may be only a marginal factor, but we get almost all the scheduling advantages.
Here is what each of our opponents will be doing doing the week before they play us:
@NYJ ..... season opener
SD ..... fly x-country after playing Bears
BUF ..... at Steelers
@CIN (Mon) ..... back from playing Seahawks x-country
CLE ..... back from Ravens
@DAL ..... long flight from BUF after MNF game
@ MIA ..... was at CLE
WSH ..... home vs ARZ
@IND ..... played at Panthers
bye
@BUF ..... was at MIA
PHI ..... played MIA
@BAL (Mon) ..... return x-country after playing at Chargers
PIT ..... played Bengals Sunday night
NYJ ..... played CLE
MIA ..... played Ravens
@NYG (Sat) ..... was at BUF
All of the long-distance trips ... tough (sometimes tough divisional) foes ... and unbalanced short weeks are in red.
Those are all occasions which can favor the other team.
Patriots have 5 away games against tough teams.
We do not travel farther than Dallas.
We are home both before and after each of our MNF tilts.
But examination reveals that, say, Baltimore gets the Pats at home for MNF
... after a cross-country return from a predictably rugged outing against the Chargers.
Earlier, Cincinnati hosts us Monday night
... after flying cross-country from a game with the Seahawks.
Big logistical and scheduling edge to us.