PATRIOTS NEWS 2026 Pats schedule leaks

[PatsFan2]

Here's a big reason why...

Give AJB the Football.

 

[TommyD4207]

FTR: you talk about Mahomes like he's 41 he'll be 31 to be exact...far from Done!

He started declining at 29. He's now coming off a completely blown-out knee.

 

[TommyD4207]

Here's a big reason why...

Can we trade for Jeffrey Simmons instead?

 

[Real fan 02]

Can we trade for Jeffrey Simmons instead?

Can we have both?

 

[Real fan 02]

He started declining at 29. He's now coming off a completely blown-out knee.

And a previous knee injury from a few seasons ago he suffered at Denver.. also various ankle issues.. same goes for Nix.. we'll be seeing him on one leg as well.. I doubt he'll be able to escape From Jacas all game..

 

[DaBruinz]

Not me, FWIW. In any case, I freely admit that I don't know what the current rules are; the last time I saw an official publication was a PDF of the NFL's by-laws from 20 years ago, when it was essentially just Sun/Mon night. At that point it was 5 per team, with up to three teams a season allowed to have 6, and the game being "standalone" (i.e. ones with no competition) was the critical factor.

Yeah.. Could have sworn that as well as I thought it was brought up in regards to which games could be flexed. But, the NFL has mad changes without announcements for much more important things in the past.

 

[sb1]

Mahomes is 6-8 since the NFL fired his refs. I'm just sayin'....

 

[TommyD4207]

And a previous knee injury from a few seasons ago he suffered at Denver.. also various ankle issues.. same goes for Nix.. we'll be seeing him on one leg as well.. I doubt he'll be able to escape From Jacas all game..

When escapability is your whole game, that doesn't improve with age - certainly not after injuries. Of that crop of QBs, the only one who's even tried to transition to a pocket QB is Lamar Jackson...with rough results, but at least he's smart enough to realize he can't play the same way he did when he was 24.

 

[Real fan 02]

When escapability is your whole game, that doesn't improve with age - certainly not after injuries. Of that crop of QBs, the only one who's even tried to transition to a pocket QB is Lamar Jackson...with rough results, but at least he's smart enough to realize he can't play the same way he did when he was 24.

Agreed. I've been on this about Mahomes for a little while now.. hence the 2023 patiots nearly beat him..when we last saw him.. fans see the schedule and get shook.. last I checked we represented the AFC in the superbowl..

 

[DaBruinz]

Did Kermit tell You he won't be playing or will Chris Jones announce his retirement before gametime?? Inquiring minds want to know.

Mahomes is coming off an ACL/MCL LCL tear that occurred on December 14th. Even with reports that Mahomes is "way ahead of schedule" it takes time to properly heal from that surgery. Mahomes is likely going to be wearing a knee brace of some sort to help protect the knee. That brace will limit him as well.

Mahomes will barely be at 8.5-9 month recovery when the games start in September and will be at 1 year when he faces the Pats. Pretending like the Pats will be facing the normal Mahomes is deluding yourself.

Even prior to his injury, Mahomes was not playing all that well and the team was at 6-7..

Mahomes was 299 completions on 474 attempts (63.1%) 22 TDs and 10 ints, 29 sacks taken before the game he was injured in.

Mahomes was already at 4 games below 60% completion with 2 games in the 40s.. He'd never had a single game below 50% completion in his career prior to last season.

The 29 sacks in 13 games was the 2nd most of his career as well.

The Chiefs made some wholesale changes on offense. They'll likely have 2-3 new WR behind Rashee Rice. So it will take time for them to all get on the same page as Mahomes.

The Chiefs have questions on their defense. Who is starting at DT next to Jones and who is lining up opposite Karlaftis. Do you really think that Tonga and be a full-time starter for them? Who are their starting corners? Who is starting at safety?

So, let's stop pretending like this Chiefs team is all perfect...

EDIT: Correction, it was his LCL, not his MCL that he tore along with the ACL.

 

[Real fan 02]

Give AJB the Football.

Gaaaaw Lee.. I will make sure he gets plenty of targets..

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Looking at AFC rival schedules:

We have 10 "tough" games and 5 gimme's. Buffalo and Denver also have 10 and 5. Chargers have 12 and 4. KC has 9 and 4. Houston has 7 and 4. Baltimore 5 and 4. Cinci has 4 and 5.

Cinci and Baltimore could be problems this year for the same reason we were last year. Good that they're in the same division anyway.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

I'm just glad our international game and MNF game will be broadcast on regular networks. Unless something truly stupid happens in the final two games, this could be the first year I'll be able to watch all the games without abusing a free trial of YouTubeTV or Fubu or...

 

[sb1]

ven with reports that Mahomes is "way ahead of schedule" it takes time to properly heal from that surgery.

Or his injury wasn't that serious and he's just Roethlisbergering it for the cameras. Warrior!

 

[DaBruinz]

Or his injury wasn't that serious and he's just Roethlisbergering it for the cameras. Warrior!

How could his injury not have been that serious? He tore both the ACL and LCL in his knee. He's got serious scars on the left leg to prove it. You don't need a 5in scar on the front below the knee and a 8-12 in scar on the side if it wasn't serious.

(pics taken from People magazine article but cropped)

I'm not a Mahomes sycophant by any sort, but I do have some experience with ACL injuries.

 

[Real fan 02]

Looking at AFC rival schedules:

We have 10 "tough" games and 5 gimme's. Buffalo and Denver also have 10 and 5. Chargers have 12 and 4. KC has 9 and 4. Houston has 7 and 4. Baltimore 5 and 4. Cinci has 4 and 5.

Cinci and Baltimore could be problems this year for the same reason we were last year. Good that they're in the same division anyway.

Cincy is a tease every season.. unless thier defense gets back to the level of when they went tot the superbowl they will continue to be the Burrow and Chase regular season show.. on Ravens I love Lamar but I'm convinced he and that team is a regular season team that stymies in the playoffs...

I'm going to continue to maintain that the patiots each week will have added Advantages at QB and HC.. the last time we've had this type of Advantage we were perennial contenders..

 

[Pape]

no.

 

[DaBruinz]

We are better than most of the teams you marked as L. We were 14-3 last year and improved the roster. You have us as a team with 8-9 talent to get an 8-9 result including “guaranteed” losses to teams we beat and teams that were around or below .500.

Reading is fundamental, Andy.

How many times did he have to say it wasn't a PREDICTION for you to figure it out?

"Not predicting this, but just as a frame of reference, "
"Again, this isn't a prediction. This is just meant to establish a pretty pessimistic baseline. "

 

[Real fan 02]

Can't remember but I thought the Bills played 2 TNF games last season

The schedule! Oh! No! Will they even be able to have enough courage to get off the bus to face all those scary unbeatable teams!!

 

[BobDigital]

This people need to consider about their schedule.

1 - The Bills have just as hard a schedule, if not more difficult. They have no advantage over us in that regard.
2 - The Pats should be better than last year
3 - Very few top teams in the AFC have an easy path. The Texans stick out the most.

To me the key games are weeks 1-4 and 12-15. To me these are the 2 toughest stretches.

Also while week 1 is the hardest game of the year, I am not going to pencil it in as a loss. First it is week 1... so anything can happen. Secondly the Pats should be completely healthy with AJ Brown. They should have everything they need to win. Their D held that offense down without much good DE play.. it will be much better in this game very possibly. The Pats OL has long term health issues. But we know Vera-Tucker should be 100% week 1. Frankly the Pats should look much different for the Seahawks... while the Seahawks gained very little going into this game. They don't seem better at least. The Pats should be much better.

Imagine the headlines if the Pats beat the SB winner week 1 in their own house with one of the best HFAs in sports.