Let the countdown to training camp begin.
The CBS Scene at Gillette Stadium was part of the spectacle that was the release of the 2009 NFL Regular season schedule on the NFL Network Tuesday night, and Patriots fans finally got their first look at New England's match-ups for the upcoming season.
The road back will not be easy for the Patriots. New England is hoping to see quarterback Tom Brady fully recovered from the devastating knee injury he suffered back in week one last season, and he'll definitely have a tough task in front of him. The Patriots' 2009 opponents hold a combined record of 151-105 (.590) for last season, and this is one of the most difficult schedules the Patriots have faced during Bill Belichick's coaching tenure. Thirteen of New England's 16 games come against opponents who all finished 2008 with a winning percentage of .500 or better. They also finish the season with 4 of their final six games on the road, which includes trips to New Orleans and Miami for two primetime nationally televised match-ups. They'll finish the season on the road against the Texans in Houston on January 3rd.
The good news for New England is that after having to travel to London for an October 25th match-up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they'll have an extra week to recover from whatever jet lag they may have as their bye week will follow that game. They'll then have a home game against the Miami Dolphins, and then head off to Indianapolis for what has been an annual showdown against Peyton Manning and the Colts.
Here's a look at the full 2009 schedule:
| 2009 Regular Season Schedule | |||
| Monday, Sept. 14 | Buffalo Bills | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Sunday, Sept. 20 | @ New York Jets | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Sept. 27 | Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Sunday, Oct. 4 | Baltimore Ravens | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | @ Denver Broncos | 4:15 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Oct. 18 | Tennessee Titans | 4:15 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Oct. 25 | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers** | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Nov. 1 | BYE WEEK | ||
| Sunday, Nov. 8 | Miami Dolphins | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Nov. 15 | @ Indianapolis Colts | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 | New York Jets | 4:15 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Monday, Nov. 30 | @ New Orleans | 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 | @ Miami Dolphins | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Sunday, Dec. 13 | Carolina Panthers | 1:00 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Sunday, Dec. 20 | @ Buffalo Bills | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Dec. 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Sunday, Jan. 3 | @ Houston Texans | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
**To Be Played at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
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