2018 opponents

[sb1]

Home: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets.

Away: Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets.

That.... is not exactly an easy schedule

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Well we don't know that. Teams change pretty drastically in the off-season, and many of these teams have big question marks surrounding them, especially at QB.

8 of the 12 teams in the playoffs this year weren't in the playoffs last year, so there's a lot of volatility in the league. Some of these strong teams won't be so strong next year, and some of the layup games on the schedule will end up being pretty tough.

Just to pick a few examples:

KC will more than likely have Pat Mahomes as their starter. Luck still isn't throwing, and Indy still has a lot of work to do on the rest of their roster. All 3 Vikings QBs are free agents this year.

Ben might retire, Bell had a massive workload this year, and I worry about his health long-term. The Jaguars might look quite different at QB.

So it may look tough right now, but we won't know until we get there. Who could anticipate the Raiders sucking so bad this year? Well, a lot of people actually, but many circled that as a big game for us.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Just think about the guys we have lost due to injury. We will have all those guys back. Also we will probably add more in the draft.

 

[maineman209]

Well we don't know that. Teams change pretty drastically in the off-season, and many of these teams have big question marks surrounding them, especially at QB.

8 of the 12 teams in the playoffs this year weren't in the playoffs last year, so there's a lot of volatility in the league. Some of these strong teams won't be so strong next year, and some of the layup games on the schedule will end up being pretty tough.

Just to pick a few examples:

KC will more than likely have Pat Mahomes as their starter. Luck still isn't throwing, and Indy still has a lot of work to do on the rest of their roster. All 3 Vikings QBs are free agents this year.

Ben might retire, Bell had a massive workload this year, and I worry about his health long-term. The Jaguars might look quite different at QB.

So it may look tough right now, but we won't know until we get there. Who could anticipate the Raiders sucking so bad this year? Well, a lot of people actually, but many circled that as a big game for us.

Indy, Detroit and Chicago will all have new coaches next season, which won't necessarily making them better, and almost certainly not immediately.

However, this is a great time of the year to begin following/tracking changes for all those 2018 opponents - coaches and coordinators as well as players. You can bet that Ernie Adams and BB are. They already know the tendencies of all the potential new hires from the veteran ranks. That will help guide them in building their defensive and offensive schemes for next season.

 

[brdmaverick]

The road schedule doesn't look particularly daunting.

In fact, I'm not sure how it could get any easier considering that you are guaranteed to play at least one division winner on the road. For us (Pittsburgh) it happens to be a place where we've been quite successful. And Jacksonville could easily fall back to pack. Even if they don't, it's not like anyone has ever talked about having to play in the vaunted Jacksonville environment.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Home: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets.

Away: Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets.

That.... is not exactly an easy schedule

Could see patriots vs lions on thanksgiving. That would be good.

 

[FourierSeries]

Indianapolis Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers

We know those are two guaranteed victories right there.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Headed to Chicago unless the game is in December...

 

[brdmaverick]

I may actually make the trip to Jacksonville next year.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Could see patriots vs lions on thanksgiving. That would be good.

please explain why the Pats arent on TG every year? new england = thanksgiving

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Home: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets.

Away: Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets.

That.... is not exactly an easy schedule

def 16-0 next year

 

[neuronet]

def 16-0 next year

It starts with smiley faces and soon becomes it's own thread. FDLFMUP

 

[Jackson 2]

No offense intended, but if history has proven anything to me over time it's that judging the relative strength of schedule a season in advance is an exercise in futility and a fool's errand. Due to injuries, free agency, drafting, retirements, coaching changes, etc. teams change dramatically.

 

[Gronk]

Could see patriots vs lions on thanksgiving. That would be good.

If they hired Matty P I’d say that’s a mortal lock. They played Turkey Day there last time road game vs Lions, 2010

 

[VegasGuy]

Headed to Chicago unless the game is in December...

I'd really like to see one more game before Brady retires. That's the closest one to me.

Another option would be taking my week vacation and going back to NE to visit friends and family. Then catch an early season game at home.

 

[italian pat patriot]

i hope for a Thanksgiving @ DET

 

[neuronet]

No offense intended, but if history has proven anything to me over time it's that judging the relative strength of schedule a season in advance is an exercise in futility and a fool's errand. Due to injuries, free agency, drafting, retirements, coaching changes, etc. teams change dramatically.

I once tried to prove this sentiment wrong by collecting data from six seasons and looking at correlation between performance in season N and N+1 for all 160 data points (32 teamsx5 comparisons for the six seasons). It was actually a very weak correlation and not statistically significant. I didn't publish it here because negative results are less interesting, so I thought the editors would not even send it out for review. I was expecting points to fall near the identity line but it wasn't even close.

Yet another way the Patriots are spoiled. We do tend to fall on the top right of the graph, near the identity line. We are unique in that respect.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

16-0

 

[1960Pats]

please explain why the Pats arent on TG every year? new england = thanksgiving

Apparently, the NYFL thinks that Dallas and/or Detroit = thanksgiving.

 

[patchick]

Just think about the guys we have lost due to injury. We will have all those guys back. Also we will probably add more in the draft.

Then again, just think about the guys Houston has lost due to injury. Every season is its own world.