I figured this might be kind of fun, so let's go through and see how the season might play out. I haven't picked a record yet, so I'll start us off and go through each game and see how it finishes.
Week 1 at Miami - I sort of feel like with the Patriots making changes offensively, they might have a little more of an edge in this one compared to other meetings. I think they're going to open things up and between New England's ground game and what is a more well-rounded receiving corps, I think Jones opens the season with a big performance and they get this one. - WIN
Week 2 at Pittsburgh - I don't like this one because of the fact Flores is part of the equation. However, the Steelers' QB situation is still in flux and I think Jones and the offense still plays well enough to get this one. I think someone we don't expect on defense might also have a decent performance, which should also hopefully be a fun storyline from this game. - WIN
Week 3 vs Baltimore - This is a good test for New England's young group of linebackers who after weeks one and two I think start figuring things out. With this one being at home, I think they do a good job of containing Jackson and I like Jones coming off of two good weeks and see him putting up another solid performance here as well. I think this starts the hype on him, which tends to happen when you open the season 3-0. - WIN
Week 4 at Green Bay - I think the Packers come into this one fired up coming off of a potential loss down in Tampa. I think this is one of those weird games where after starting the year 3-0, the defense gets their first wake-up call against Rodgers in a tough environment. - LOSS
Week 5 vs Detroit - Coming off a loss and being back at home, I think they'll be able to turn things around. That and the fact it's, well, the Lions. After a week of people probably questioning whether or not they're as good as people thought after losing to the Packers, I think this is one of those games where they win in a rout for what might be the only one all season. - WIN
Week 6 at Cleveland - With no Watson and potentially no Mayfield, this might be a match-up against Jacoby Brissett and a Browns team that could be 1-4 or 2-3 by now and heading in the wrong direction. I feel like New England might be playing pretty well at this point, but this might be one of those strange games where they should win big but end up pulling it off in what might end up being closer than it should be. - WIN
Week 7 vs Chicago - This might be a night where New England's defense again has a big game as they continue getting comfortable. I think being at home and the fact it's Week 7, we might see Jones in a pretty good groove along with the Patriots' ground game seeing a big performance, with Strong Jr. potentially having a big night. Those tend to come midseason and at home, so maybe this is the night? - WIN
Week 8 at NY Jets - So far during OTAs the talk has been about how good Wilson has looked and how well they're playing. I'm not a big fan of playing on the road there because weird things tend to happen. I think they get this one in a nailbiter in a game where Wilson ends up looking like Joe Namath but the Patriots still manage to get the win thanks to their more physical ground game, which ends up being the difference. - WIN
Week 9 vs Colts - I think the offense is clicking at this point and Jones has probably made enough noise where people are starting to really take notice and I think he goes out and has a big night against the Colts. I think New England's defense makes things tough on Matt Ryan and I believe they'll get this one heading into the bye week. - WIN
Week 11 vs Jets - Coming out of the bye, I think the Patriots are in relatively good shape and with this one being at home, I think they pull off the win. I think this is a week where we see a big night from Thornton after he's finally put on some weight and they spent the bye working him into things, but I still feel like it's another game where the gap is closer than it's been in a while. However, I think we're starting to see Jones really settle in and they win this one relatively easily. - WIN
Week 12 at Minnesota - This one is a little odd, and I'm not quite sure how it will go. Guys like Kirk Cousins tend to look better than they should at times and I feel like this might be one of those games where the defense takes a step back. In what is their first of four nationally televised night games, I think New England loses a tough one. - LOSS
Week 13 vs Buffalo - Another tough game, but I think personnel-wise, the Patriots are in better shape offensively to hang with Buffalo. I think the additional speed they have defensively, along with the motivation of coming off a loss the week before, makes the defense keep things close enough where Jones might edge Allen out performance-wise and New England gets this one. I think this one probably gets people talking about where Jones ranks among the rest of his peers in the AFC and the talk begins on "are they Super Bowl capable?" - WIN
Week 14 at Arizona - The Patriots start the first of two West-coast games on the road, and I think they get this one. I feel like at this point in the season, Arizona starts having the usual things go wrong and I think New England rides some momentum into a game where they have another solid outing and get the victory. - WIN
Week 15 at Las Vegas - In the second of two games of this road trip, I think McDaniels probably wins because odd things like this tend to happen against former coaches. I think Carr plays out of his mind and Josh pulls out all the stops and they beat them. My only hope is that McDaniels isn't fist-pumping on the sidelines like he did in Denver...that would be irritating. - LOSS
Week 16 vs Cincinnati - This one should be interesting. Obviously, at this point, we'll know if Cincinnati is poised for another run or if they suffer the issues that tend to give teams trouble coming off a Super Bowl season. I think the Patriots are also trying to make a push at this point and I feel like they're up for the challenge against a pretty good Bengals team. - WIN
Week 17 vs Miami - I think at this point in the year, the Dolphins are .500 at 8-8 after the Jets end up being the one surprising people in the AFC East (I know...wait until @Tunescribe sees this) and the Patriots have the edge playing this one out at Gillette. In what's the first of two back-to-back division games, I think the Patriots take the sweep and get the win. - WIN
Week 18 at Buffalo - I hate this game. It's a tough environment and I think the Bills win this rematch as Allen comes out and has a better performance after head coach Sean McDermott probably spent the last month quietly preparing for this one and the crowd is as ridiculous as can be expected in what's essentially their Super Bowl. This might cost New England the Division, but at 13-4, they make the playoffs and now it’s just a matter of how far they can go in the postseason. - LOSS
FINAL RECORD: 13-4
Week 1 at Miami - I sort of feel like with the Patriots making changes offensively, they might have a little more of an edge in this one compared to other meetings. I think they're going to open things up and between New England's ground game and what is a more well-rounded receiving corps, I think Jones opens the season with a big performance and they get this one. - WIN
Week 2 at Pittsburgh - I don't like this one because of the fact Flores is part of the equation. However, the Steelers' QB situation is still in flux and I think Jones and the offense still plays well enough to get this one. I think someone we don't expect on defense might also have a decent performance, which should also hopefully be a fun storyline from this game. - WIN
Week 3 vs Baltimore - This is a good test for New England's young group of linebackers who after weeks one and two I think start figuring things out. With this one being at home, I think they do a good job of containing Jackson and I like Jones coming off of two good weeks and see him putting up another solid performance here as well. I think this starts the hype on him, which tends to happen when you open the season 3-0. - WIN
Week 4 at Green Bay - I think the Packers come into this one fired up coming off of a potential loss down in Tampa. I think this is one of those weird games where after starting the year 3-0, the defense gets their first wake-up call against Rodgers in a tough environment. - LOSS
Week 5 vs Detroit - Coming off a loss and being back at home, I think they'll be able to turn things around. That and the fact it's, well, the Lions. After a week of people probably questioning whether or not they're as good as people thought after losing to the Packers, I think this is one of those games where they win in a rout for what might be the only one all season. - WIN
Week 6 at Cleveland - With no Watson and potentially no Mayfield, this might be a match-up against Jacoby Brissett and a Browns team that could be 1-4 or 2-3 by now and heading in the wrong direction. I feel like New England might be playing pretty well at this point, but this might be one of those strange games where they should win big but end up pulling it off in what might end up being closer than it should be. - WIN
Week 7 vs Chicago - This might be a night where New England's defense again has a big game as they continue getting comfortable. I think being at home and the fact it's Week 7, we might see Jones in a pretty good groove along with the Patriots' ground game seeing a big performance, with Strong Jr. potentially having a big night. Those tend to come midseason and at home, so maybe this is the night? - WIN
Week 8 at NY Jets - So far during OTAs the talk has been about how good Wilson has looked and how well they're playing. I'm not a big fan of playing on the road there because weird things tend to happen. I think they get this one in a nailbiter in a game where Wilson ends up looking like Joe Namath but the Patriots still manage to get the win thanks to their more physical ground game, which ends up being the difference. - WIN
Week 9 vs Colts - I think the offense is clicking at this point and Jones has probably made enough noise where people are starting to really take notice and I think he goes out and has a big night against the Colts. I think New England's defense makes things tough on Matt Ryan and I believe they'll get this one heading into the bye week. - WIN
Week 11 vs Jets - Coming out of the bye, I think the Patriots are in relatively good shape and with this one being at home, I think they pull off the win. I think this is a week where we see a big night from Thornton after he's finally put on some weight and they spent the bye working him into things, but I still feel like it's another game where the gap is closer than it's been in a while. However, I think we're starting to see Jones really settle in and they win this one relatively easily. - WIN
Week 12 at Minnesota - This one is a little odd, and I'm not quite sure how it will go. Guys like Kirk Cousins tend to look better than they should at times and I feel like this might be one of those games where the defense takes a step back. In what is their first of four nationally televised night games, I think New England loses a tough one. - LOSS
Week 13 vs Buffalo - Another tough game, but I think personnel-wise, the Patriots are in better shape offensively to hang with Buffalo. I think the additional speed they have defensively, along with the motivation of coming off a loss the week before, makes the defense keep things close enough where Jones might edge Allen out performance-wise and New England gets this one. I think this one probably gets people talking about where Jones ranks among the rest of his peers in the AFC and the talk begins on "are they Super Bowl capable?" - WIN
Week 14 at Arizona - The Patriots start the first of two West-coast games on the road, and I think they get this one. I feel like at this point in the season, Arizona starts having the usual things go wrong and I think New England rides some momentum into a game where they have another solid outing and get the victory. - WIN
Week 15 at Las Vegas - In the second of two games of this road trip, I think McDaniels probably wins because odd things like this tend to happen against former coaches. I think Carr plays out of his mind and Josh pulls out all the stops and they beat them. My only hope is that McDaniels isn't fist-pumping on the sidelines like he did in Denver...that would be irritating. - LOSS
Week 16 vs Cincinnati - This one should be interesting. Obviously, at this point, we'll know if Cincinnati is poised for another run or if they suffer the issues that tend to give teams trouble coming off a Super Bowl season. I think the Patriots are also trying to make a push at this point and I feel like they're up for the challenge against a pretty good Bengals team. - WIN
Week 17 vs Miami - I think at this point in the year, the Dolphins are .500 at 8-8 after the Jets end up being the one surprising people in the AFC East (I know...wait until @Tunescribe sees this) and the Patriots have the edge playing this one out at Gillette. In what's the first of two back-to-back division games, I think the Patriots take the sweep and get the win. - WIN
Week 18 at Buffalo - I hate this game. It's a tough environment and I think the Bills win this rematch as Allen comes out and has a better performance after head coach Sean McDermott probably spent the last month quietly preparing for this one and the crowd is as ridiculous as can be expected in what's essentially their Super Bowl. This might cost New England the Division, but at 13-4, they make the playoffs and now it’s just a matter of how far they can go in the postseason. - LOSS
FINAL RECORD: 13-4
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