Patriots 2021 schedule is dope

[PATSYLICIOUS]

11 wins if improved qb. 9 if no qb improvement. 7 wins last year. +2 with team improvements. +2 with better qb play + easier schedule

 

[signbabybrady]

19-0

 

[Foxypats]

This year the D alone might count for a couple of more wins than last year. They will be so much better in nearly every position this year. Should be fun to watch !

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

19-0

It is a 17 game season. Did you mean 20-0?

 

[Deus Irae]

The Patriots are likely to be one of about 8 teams competing for 3 playoff spots.

 

[PScottman]

It is a 17 game season. Did you mean 20-0?

Kind've the literal definition of moving the goalposts isn't it?

 

[signbabybrady]

It is a 17 game season. Did you mean 20-0?

21-0 if 2 teams finished 17-0 only one gets the bye

 

[1960Pats]

21-0 if 2 teams finished 17-0 only one gets the bye

Because of the dramatically different schedule that each team plays there shouldn't be any byes for the playoffs.

 

[venecol]

Is that their schedule? I thought the weekly schedule wasn’t coming out until Wednesday.

Simulation.

 

[Wax Frog]

 

[Boston Boxer]

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.

all depends on Cam

 

[50-yard-line]

The Patriots are likely to be one of about 8 teams competing for 3 playoff spots.

Give divisions to, say:

Buffalo
KC
Tennessee
Cleveland

So the Pats fight with Miami, Baltimore, Indy, Cleveland...who do you have for your other 3? Pittsburgh? LAC? Maybe Denver?

Could be another wild Wild Card scramble this year.

 

[Brotherblues]

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.

You really see this team as just one win better than last year's squad? I mean I'm all about keeping my expectations in check and not indulge in unrealistic optimism, but this seems like unrealistic pessimism.

 

[sb1]

You really see this team as just one win better than last year's squad? I mean I'm all about keeping my expectations in check and not indulge in unrealistic optimism, but this seems like unrealistic pessimism.

We're not the only team that got better, and Cam Newton is still here.

I think there's a decent chance we'll be a bubble playoff contender in 2021. Last year we were out of contention in week 14.

 

[Deus Irae]

Give divisions to, say:

Buffalo
KC
Tennessee
Cleveland

So the Pats fight with Miami, Baltimore, Indy, Cleveland...who do you have for your other 3? Pittsburgh? LAC? Maybe Denver?

Could be another wild Wild Card scramble this year.

Yeah, you can basically pencil in the division winners, even if you go with an "or" (and even if you think the Patriots will win the division and force the Bills into wild card status). Right now, I would be putting the Colts over the Titans, and the Ravens over the Browns, for example.

And you've got 4 teams that we can figure, at least at the moment, have no playoff shot:

Jets
Bengals
Jaguars
Texans


So, I've got 8 to make 3 right now, with 1-2 wild cards coming out of the AFCN.

 

[50-yard-line]

You really see this team as just one win better than last year's squad? I mean I'm all about keeping my expectations in check and not indulge in unrealistic optimism, but this seems like unrealistic pessimism.

I'm as befuddled as you on this thinking. I see one of the most talented teams BB's had in a decade.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Not intimidated by anyone in the East or the entire AFC for that matter. An excellent regular season is not only possible but I expect it.

As always, the important time is the postseason. Will the 2021 Patriots experience - and endure - the kind of adversity during the season which must be overcome in the playoffs, and especially if they make it to February and a most likely deservedly favored NFC champion.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

The usual anti-Patriots jihad reveled in last season like they always do when the Pats have a rare losing year. The Bradyites, Belichick trashers and Boston/New England haters will revert right back to denigration mode if the Patriots win this year as I expect. And local media will react with the usual shock and surprise as though the team just went through a quarter century of futility which in fact we never even had a third of in team history.

 

[Deus Irae]

The usual anti-Patriots jihad reveled in last season like they always do when the Pats have a rare losing year. The Bradyites, Belichick trashers and Boston/New England haters will revert right back to denigration mode if the Patriots win this year as I expect. And local media will react with the usual shock and surprise as though the team just went through a quarter century of futility which in fact we never even had a third of in team history.

You might want to pull back just a bit. You're going full honk.

 

[50-yard-line]

Not intimidated by anyone in the East or the entire AFC for that matter. An excellent regular season is not only possible but I expect it.

As always, the important time is the postseason. Will the 2021 Patriots experience - and endure - the kind of adversity during the season which must be overcome in the playoffs, and especially if they make it to February and a most likely deservedly favored NFC champion.

I think they have a good chance at a wildcard, at least (and I'm not sold that Buffalo is unbeatable in the AFCE - but it's a TOUGH division now, with three playoff-caliber teams). In the playoffs, who knows?

I'll be very surprised if they get to the AFCCG and especially the Superbowl with a rookie or Cam Newton at QB, but I don't ever bet against the BB Pats.

Seriously, though, go through this team position by position and tell me a stronger (on paper) Patriot team in the last decade. Obviously at QB, but other than that position, there's a ton here to like.