Marquee matchups aplenty on tap for Patriots
The New England Patriots will be trying to return to the Super Bowl for the third season in a row, fourth in five years and the ninth time overall with Tom Brady at quarterback.
Breaking down the Patriots 2018 schedule:
Marquee game: As is customary, the Patriots schedule lends itself to being one of the NFL’s most high-profile dockets. Dates with the Texans, Jaguars and Steelers all seem highly compelling, and matchups against Matt Patricia’s Lions, Malcolm Butler’s Titans and Danny Amendola’s Dolphins will each provide reunion subplots. But Week 9’s rare showdown with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday Night Football has to take the cake as a potential Super Bowl LIII preview.
Stumbling block: New England started slowly last season, going 2-2 in September before finishing out the regular season on an 11-1 run. Still, the early stumble was almost enough to cost the Patriots’ home-field advantage in the playoffs. Coming out of the gate this year against Houston, Jacksonville and a Detroit squad that’s bound to have some inside intel (given Patricia’s insight) looms as a rough patch.
Noteworthy: The Patriots have won the AFC East nine consecutive seasons and haven’t finished outside first place with Brady at the helm since 2002. If the reigning AFC champs struggle for some portion of 2018, finishing with three division games in the last four weeks almost certainly means New England will hit the tape with momentum.
Patriots schedule
Sept. 9 vs. Texans .......................... 1 p.m. Sept. 16 at Jaguars ................... 4:25 p.m. Sept. 23 at Lions ...................... 8:20 p.m. Sept. 30 Dolphins ........................... 1 p.m. Oct. 4 Colts ............................... 8:20 p.m. Oct. 14 Chiefs ............................ 8:20 p.m. Oct. 21 at Bears ............................... 1 p.m. Oct. 29 at Bills ........................... 8:15 p.m. Nov. 4 Packers .......................... 8:20 p.m. Nov. 11 at Titans .............................. 1 p.m. Nov. 18 BYE
Nov. 25 at N.Y. Jets ......................... 1 p.m. Dec. 2 Vikings .......................... 4:25 p.m. Dec. 9 at Dolphins .......................... 1 p.m. Dec. 16 at Steelers .................... 4:25 p.m. Dec. 23 Bills ..................................... 1 p.m. Dec. 30 N.Y. Jets .............................. 1 p.m All times Eastern