Anyone else tired of all the talk about how easy the Patriots schedule was last year and this year is brutal?

[Hyped]

Was tired of that talk last year....

I mean we lost to the Raiders! That is why we did not even have a BYE.

Either way, in the playoffs we faced the TOP 4 defenses in the league, IMO. Name a better 2025 defensive team other than the Seahawks, Broncos, Texans, and Chargers?

 

[MrTibbs]

If it was so easy, every team that sucked before should be able to do it. The Bills had the same easy schedule in their second year with Super Ultra, Superior, Legendary Buffalo GOAT QB Josh Allen. I must of missed when they made the Super Bowl.

 

[Wozzy]

The 2026 schedule is tougher.

Assuming health, the 2026 Patriots are a better team.

Stay healthy, play well.

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

Ahhhhhhh the hate is realllllll. Yummyyummyyyyy!

 

[Football2007]

They will have a worse record. But might be a better overall team.

Peaking late in the season and into the postseason is what matters most.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

I’m always loathe to pay much attention either way to preseason SOS talk. It rarely goes the way anyone thinks.

 

[Nikolai]

I’m always loathe to pay much attention either way to preseason SOS talk. It rarely goes the way anyone thinks.

Yeah, the season can't start soon enough and we'll have a nice litmus test out of the gate.

If Drake was a chip on the shoulder guy, the media is giving all of the bulletin board material...but it doesn't seem like he cares, which is cool.

God, we need the season to get here...quickly

 

[OldEngland]

The first and most important aim for 26/27 is win the AFCE. Is that harder than last year?

The Dolphins are tanking, the Jets are the Jets. If you think the Pats schedule is hard, the Bills is not easier. The AFCE play the AFCW and the NFCN, with the 17th game against the NFCW. So the Bills play the Rams instead of the Hawks in the 17th game. Then 2nd place games for the Bills is the Ravens instead of Steelers, and Texans instead the Jags. I don't see Texans, Ravens and Rams being any easier.

Denver and the AFCW have also got a tough schedule, playing each other, the NFCW, and the Pats/Bills in the AFCE. The Texans, Jags, Colts schedule is supposed to be slightly easier with the NFCE and AFCN. The Texans and Colts in particular have theoretically easier schedules.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Hey i think I remember you posting during games on patriots.com

Nah, just here. Maybe similar names or another failed novelist trying to weigh in over there too

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

We need the adopt the mantra Eagles fan sing at their games and modify it for Foxboro,
" We're from Philly, f'n Philly,
They don't like us,
We don't care."

rinse and repeat....
Oh and the Bills get the Rams while the Pats get Seattle. Mr. Allen let me introduce you to Mr. Garrett and Mr. Donald. I'd rather face Seattle week 1

 

[mike_usagisan]

The whole thing about the schedule talk never bothered me. I think it’s pretty natural to doubt a team that had one good season before assuming that they’ll stay good. The Patriots’ job is to prove they are for real. If they do that this year, all that talk goes away. If they lose a lot, then it’ll give people confirmation that it was just the schedule.

 

[Ross12]

A lot of it is because they want the Bills (really, just Josh Allen) to do well, and part of that includes the Bills winning the division this time. In order for them to do that, it means the Pats can’t, so they have to come up with a reason why the Pats backslide down behind the Bills and the easiest answer is “schedule’s harder”, even though Buffalo’s is also harder.

 

[Borg140]

A lot of it is because they want the Bills (really, just Josh Allen) to do well, and part of that includes the Bills winning the division this time. In order for them to do that, it means the Pats can’t, so they have to come up with a reason why the Pats backslide down behind the Bills and the easiest answer is “schedule’s harder”, even though Buffalo’s is also harder.

Yep. Regardless of the “reasons,” I’m always encouraged when peeps generally under estimate the Pats. Not only does it usually mean good things, I love the reactions when they start stacking wins.

 

[rkarp1]

meh. you play who is on your schedule.
every team in the league can win on any given Sunday
injuries. weather conditions.
the Jets and Phins appear to be playing for next years draft position. nothing is a given, but are those 4 games W's?
can the Pats go 7-6 in the balance of games? 11 wins is in the playoffs I assume.

 

[neuronet]

Enjoy the attention. It’s a reasonable narrative. Last year’s schedule was a cupcake of historic proportions. We knew this going in. This year’s is way harder. Of course it will be brought up. Season starts next week. Chill.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Growing thread.
A couple of TLDNR posts.
Bottom Line: "That's why they play the games."

 

[Crazy Patriot Guy]

I’m always loathe to pay much attention either way to preseason SOS talk. It rarely goes the way anyone thinks.

Yeah there's always a team that looks brutal on your schedule that doesn't pan out and vice versa. The main factor is the health of both teams when the game is played. Playing the Bengals with Burrow and Chase out certainly means more than their record in 2024.

 

[borg]

The 2025 Pats weren't taken seriously when the Chargers were missing both of their starting T's, Houston was missing their best WR and Trent Brown and were given a massive advantage after Nix pulled a Gramatica on the last play of the game. They were so wounded at OL that they absolutely would've lost had Nix played or if Buffalo came to NE. The way they played in the Super Bowl enabled the media to trash NE as pretenders.

Truths are truths.

NE faced the most impotent schedule in NFL history.
9 of their W's were vs teams that ended up drafting in the top 11 of the draft.

Their path through the playoffs was littered with teams in injury crisis at key positions.
When NE finally played a complete team, they got smoked.

This is what people remember.

Recency bias is the cognitive tendency to give disproportionate weight to the most recent information or events when forming judgments, making decisions, or predicting outcomes.

Fast forward to this season....

On Sept 9, NE will have an opportunity to drastically alter the narrative with a W.
Lose this game, prepare yourself for an onslaught by naysayers doubling down.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I don't think how people feel about the Pats is all that different to how people feel about Denver. They had a great season last year, but it looks a little fluky. And I expect that Mahomes and Reid could get back on track the way many expect the Bills to be good again.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

This year’s schedule is harder than 2025 but it isn’t that brutal.

The Jete and Phins absolutely suck and we get them 4x this year. Also get a weak division winner (Pitt) at home, Seahawks in week 1 which honestly is a perfect time to play them and two of the toughest games Denver and GB are at home. Chargers will be tough. KC in Arrowhead but if we beat Buffalo in Buffalo last year no reason to think that game is unwinnable either.

I see a lot of parallels to 2002. That schedule was a lot harder than this one imo. Though I expect a lot more from AJB than Donald Hayes lol

The schedule is much more challenging but it doesn't really matter. We're winners now, a great job by all concerned to remake a 4-13 team to a 17-4 team. We're pretty loaded and will be favorites in most games. Can see a 12-5 season coming up.

Really lazy takes by the pundits pointing to last year's schedule, when as noted above the Bills and Broncos had very similar schedules. The decisive playoff win over the Texans should have put that sh*t to bed.