I posted this initially on our discussion forum back in June and after seeing how the preseason has gone, I still feel like this team could potentially be poised for a solid year.
Here’s a week-by-week look at how I could see this season playing out.
Week 1 at Miami: – Given New England’s offseason additions, the Patriots might have a little more of an edge in this one compared to previous road meetings. With former Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker adding to what’s already a better group of receivers and the fact Nelson Agholor looks more comfortable than he did last season, I think the passing game should be much better. Granted, I know it was ugly this preseason, but I feel like they also held a lot back, which probably didn’t help things. The big question is going to be the ground game, but I feel like unlike past years in Miami, I like their chances better with Jones against Tua Tagovailoa and the players the Patriots signal-caller has this time around. We didn’t see Damien Harris out there in the ground game this preseason and I think when it matters, we’ll see a better effort on the offensive line. I think turnovers will be the difference, and that edge should go to Jones in a close and surprising win to open the season. – WIN
Week 2 at Pittsburgh: – I don’t like this one because of the fact Brian Flores is part of the equation. However, the Steelers’ QB situation is the big difference, with Mitchell Trubisky potentially as the player who could be starting this one. While the Steelers have a fair amount of talent and will be playing at home, 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. As long as the Patriots stay on the right side of the turnover battle, I like their chances. – 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 are starting to figure things out. With this one being at home, I think they do a good job of containing Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and if Jones has started settling in, I could see him channeling the excitement of playing in front of the home crowd for the first time this year by potentially having a big day. I think beating Jackson, along with getting off to a good start, 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 what could be a potential loss down in Tampa the previous week. 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 Aaron Rodgers in a tough environment and the offense ends up on the wrong end of a shootout. – 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 Deshaun Watson, 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, and it’s possible this could be the week we see Tyquan Thornton return, which could strengthen an offense that is already coming off a big win last week against the Lions. I think they take care of business and come away with this one. – 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 seeing time at this point and having a big night. This is usually around the time we see rookies like him settle in, so maybe this is the night? – WIN
Week 8 at NY Jets: – This one should be interesting. After seeing Zach Wilson get injured this preseason and starting the season with Joe Flacco at quarterback, it’s tough to imagine what type of team the Jets will be at this point. That being said, I wouldn’t automatically pencil this one is a victory since I’m not a big fan of playing on the road in New Jersey where weird things tend to happen. Still, I think they get this one in a nail-biter in a game where Wilson is back and is playing better than we saw last year, 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 finally really 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 solid all-around effort on both sides of the football, with New England’s defense really putting forth a good performance with a couple of turnovers. However, I think we’re starting to see Jones really settle in as an NFL quarterback 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 against past Bill Belichick teams, which has been sort of a strange theme the last few years and I feel like this might be one of those games where the defense gets a wake-up call and takes a step back. In what is their first of four nationally televised night games, I think New England loses a frustrating one in a match-up that they’ll look back on knowing things should have gone differently. – LOSS
Week 13 vs Buffalo – Another tough game, but I think personnel-wise, the Patriots are in better shape offensively to hang with Buffalo this year. 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 Josh Allen out performance-wise and New England gets this one at home on national television. 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 Josh McDaniels probably wins because odd things like this tend to happen against former coaches. If McDaniels has had a successful campaign, I think Derek Carr is probably in a decent groove at this point, provided Devante Adams is still healthy. I could see Carr go out and have a ridiculous night against a secondary that could be dealing with an injury at this point, which against this team just isn’t enough. I think McDaniels pulls out all the stops and New England ends up on the wrong side of this one. My only hope is that the former Patriots offensive coordinator isn’t fist-pumping on the sidelines like he did in Denver after this one…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 with this one being at home, I feel like we could see a pretty solid battle between Jones and Joe Burrow but I like their chances coming off last week’s loss. – WIN
Week 17 vs Miami: – I think at this point in the year, the Dolphins could be in contention, but the Patriots have the edge playing this one out in cold weather at Gillette. In what’s the first of two back-to-back division games, I think the Patriots are really a better spot at this point in the season and playing pretty good football compared to previous years. I think this is the year where their December woes come to an end, especially if Jones really does end up playing at a high level by now. I believe the Patriots take the sweep and get the victory. – WIN
Week 18 at Buffalo: – I hate this game. It’s a tough environment and I think the Bills win this rematch. I believe New England’s surprising season has put pressure on the Bills within the AFC East, and Allen ends up coming out and having a better performance. I also feel like head coach Sean McDermott probably spent the last month quietly preparing for this one after losing the first meeting and the crowd is as ridiculous as can be expected in what’s essentially Buffalo’s Super Bowl. If the Bills are having another big year, this might cost New England the Division. But at 13-4, the Patriots will at least make the playoffs, and now it’s just a matter of how far they can go in the postseason. If they’re healthy and at least playing good football at this point, it should be fun to watch. – LOSS
FINAL RECORD: 13-4
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
Is today April Fool’s Day? I think 4 and 13 is much more probable than 13 and 4. Just around 500 is likely with them losing almost all their road games.
I agree. This was a huge homer article and completely unrealistic. As a realistic pats fan here, I believe Offense will be just above average and probably defense too. Yes they will have games where they play well and beat solid teams but also completely flop other games and lose to the likes of the bears or the lions. I can also see them splitting with dolphins and nothing last year showed they can hang with the bills. They will most likely lose both games against them. 9-8 or 10-7 is more realistic and going 8-9 or even 7-10 is… Read more »