Patriots 2021 schedule is dope

[crawhammer]

HOME

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15) W
New York Jets (2-14) W
Miami Dolphins (10-6) W
Tennessee Titans (11-5) L
Cleveland Browns (11-5) W
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) L
New Orleans Saints (12-4) W
Buffalo Bills (13-3) L

AWAY

New York Jets (2-14) W
Atlanta Falcons (4-12) W
Houston Texans (4-12) W
Carolina Panthers (5-11) L
Los Angeles Chargers (7-9) W
Miami Dolphins (10-6) L
Indianapolis Colts (11-5) L
Buffalo Bills (13-3) L

If they don't get porked at home then they could have a shot at returning to the postseason with that relatively soft away schedule. If they beat all of the scrubs/rebuilding teams then they're already 6-0. I mean 4 of those organizations are in shambles... Jacksonville (dreadful off/def roster), NYJ (ditto), Atlanta (probably facing a complete teardown and rebuild), and Houston (defense is brutal and their franchise QB is shooting his way out of town). I don't know, does Carolina have a clue? They were a mess without McCaffrey. The Saints are facing a lot of FA casualties and likely are entering a reset. I see LAC on there who they just smoked 45-0.

Obviously a lot is TBD, but with all of the cap space and improved draft position, the Patriots with an upgrade at quarterback should be able to flip their record to 9-7 at least. They're not winning the East, but if they can squeak out one more win somewhere, 10-6 could get them into the postseason.

 

[long distance]

On to 2022!

 

[TheRainMaker]

TB vs NE will be a SNF game.

 

[resdubwhite]

Went 7 and 9 last year in a bad bad season. Tons of cap space. Decent draft capital. I'm bullish. Team should be infinitely better with a softer schedule

 

[sb1]

Right now I see 8-8 at best and that’s with a QB upgrade IMO. Too many roster holes and one off-season won’t fix them all.

2022 ought to be a different story. That’s when I expect a rebuilt team ready to compete in this decade.

 

[Ivan]

Right now I see 8-8 at best and that’s with a QB upgrade IMO. Too many roster holes and one off-season won’t fix them all.

2022 ought to be a different story. That’s when I expect a rebuilt team ready to compete in this decade.

I’m not sure how anyone can predict next season before this off-season even begins

 

[catent]

I'd be surprised if they dropped 3 straight to end the season and were swept by Buffalo. They were a Cam fumble away from splitting with BUF last season despite how weak the roster was at spots.

I think 9-7 with some luck, is the low-end of realistic. Obviously it all depends on the offseason, FA, draft - I think 13-3 is the absolute ceiling if they land someone like Jimmy G. and hit on some FAs. 9-7 seems like the floor, if Cam returns but the team has a cohesive off-season program and gets defensive starters returning.

I think 11-5 or 12-4 is about where they'll end up with a half-decent QB and a hit or two in FA. Yes - last season they won some games they could've lost, but they also lost several (against postseason teams) that they could've won. I think it's hard to understate the impact of COVID, a shortened offseason, opt-outs, and in-season COVID-related turbulence.

Last season was an anomaly - yes, Belichick has made mistakes or miscalculations at times, but he's too good of a coach and the team has the financial ability to bring on multiple assets.

 

[denverpatsfan]

5-10 with some luck. BRUTAL schedule as usual.

 

[jah]

Just a reminder that we have to play another game in addition to those (vs DAL). Thanks Roger!

 

[Uptown]

Aren’t there 17 games this season?

 

[Kontradiction]

I'd be surprised if they dropped 3 straight to end the season and were swept by Buffalo. They were a Cam fumble away from splitting with BUF last season despite how weak the roster was at spots.

I think 9-7 with some luck, is the low-end of realistic. Obviously it all depends on the offseason, FA, draft - I think 13-3 is the absolute ceiling if they land someone like Jimmy G. and hit on some FAs. 9-7 seems like the floor, if Cam returns but the team has a cohesive off-season program and gets defensive starters returning.

I think 11-5 or 12-4 is about where they'll end up with a half-decent QB and a hit or two in FA. Yes - last season they won some games they could've lost, but they also lost several (against postseason teams) that they could've won. I think it's hard to understate the impact of COVID, a shortened offseason, opt-outs, and in-season COVID-related turbulence.

Last season was an anomaly - yes, Belichick has made mistakes or miscalculations at times, but he's too good of a coach and the team has the financial ability to bring on multiple assets.

The schedule hasn’t been made yet. He’s just listing the home and away games.

 

[Guts]

That Tampa game is going to be crazy expensive

 

[venecol]

I think 9-7 with some luck, is the low-end of realistic. Obviously it all depends on the offseason, FA, draft - I think 13-3 is the absolute ceiling if they land someone like Jimmy G. and hit on some FAs.

I think 11-5 or 12-4 is about where they'll end up with a half-decent QB and a hit or two in FA.

Drei this is very optimistic. I won't even touch the 13-3. The 12-4 means they need to sweep all <.500 teams & go 5-4 against BUF, TEN, IND, CLE, NO, TB (all playoff teams), and MIA.

With all the new players coming into a new complex system, including a TBD QB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LBs, there's bound to be communication problems and a faux pas here or there will cost a game or two, even against a <.500 team.

As you said let's see what FAcy & draft bring us and who the TBD QB will be.

 

[Patsgofor4]

Right now I see 8-8 at best and that’s with a QB upgrade IMO. Too many roster holes and one off-season won’t fix them all.

2022 ought to be a different story. That’s when I expect a rebuilt team ready to compete in this decade.

For arguments sake....if they sign or trade for Jimmy G or Mariota, sign Samuel or Fuller or Samuel to bolster the WR
corps, sign Smith as TE1, sign Dupree to give them an elite pass rushing OLB and Tomlinson as an elite interior run defender, draft Peye/Parsons/Waddle you really see that that as an 8-8 team at best, especially witn Hightower reterning?

 

[venecol]

For arguments sake....if they sign or trade for Jimmy G or Mariota, sign Samuel or Fuller or Samuel to bolster the WR
corps, sign Smith as TE1, sign Dupree to give them an elite pass rushing OLB and Tomlinson as an elite interior run defender, draft Peye/Parsons/Waddle you really see that that as an 8-8 team at best, especially witn Hightower reterning?

You really think all of that is going to happen? Especially the draft part? All those guys will be gone by #15, if we even keep it.

 

[Ring 6]

Right now I see 8-8 at best and that’s with a QB upgrade IMO. Too many roster holes and one off-season won’t fix them all.

2022 ought to be a different story. That’s when I expect a rebuilt team ready to compete in this decade.

They have the cap space now not in 2022. This is 2-3 years of off season acquisitions in one.

 

[Triumph]

 

[Tony2046]

 

[amfootball]

I’m not sure how anyone can predict next season before this off-season even begins

I agree. I mean what if Carolina gets Watson and the Saints get Wilson? Or Watson ends up in Miami? Way too many variables.

 

[farn]

IMO, range is 10-6 to 6-10. I think it’s unlikely they reach either. So I predict 9-7 or 8-8.

As stated by other posters : we have no idea what FA and the draft will bring....