Schedule release day is almost here.
It’s one of the most fun days of the season for football fans. Every team is 0-0 and not only can you start planning those road trips and tailgates, but you can start to take a shot at guessing where your favorite team might end up record wise this season.
Ahead of the full release on Wednesday, let’s take a look at what the best options (both entertainment wise and fan base wise) for the Pats’ opponent in the home opener this season.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
A classic, old school rivalry. It’d be great to see these two lock up the first game at Gillette. It’s also Mike Vrabel’s first team and if we’re being honest, the lack of a clear No. 1 quarterback could give the Pats a somewhat easy, soft landing for that first home game. Nothing better than a Pats-Steelers game and it’d be a great way to open the Vrabel Era.
2. Las Vegas Raiders
Brady’s now an owner. There will always be that hatred there that lasts several lifetimes following the history between these two teams in the late 70’s and then all the way up to the Snow Bowl. Seeing those silver and black uniforms strolling in would just get the juices flowing for the fan base and the Brady talk would ramp up all week too. Again, on the field, the Pats may be able to steal one early if Pete Carroll isn’t fully locked in with his staff yet.
3. New York Giants
For obvious reasons. You’d get a bunch of Giants fans coming up for the weekend, making it a nice back-and-forth type of atmosphere. The Super Bowl history will always linger. Not only that, but if you remember right, the regular season games between the Pats and Giants over the years have ALWAYS been competitive. Jaxson Dart vs. Drake Maye. Abdul Carter vs. Will Campbell. Who wouldn’t want this?
4. Buffalo Bills
New England is going to have to go through Buffalo to get back on top of the division at some point, why not try to catch them napping week one? The Bills seemingly are due for a drop off at some point, it’d be nice if New England could get them at home and possibly get that sneaky early upset under their belt. I think the last time the Bills opened here was 2009 and that wild Ben Watson comeback with Brady returning from the ACL.
5. New York Jets
Never gets old. Another team with serious QB questions and if we’re being honest, ramping up the Jets hate right out of the gate in Gillette Stadium would be a good thing. That home field advantage in Foxborough hasn’t been much of one for a while now, nothing gets the fans going quicker than seeing the green and white stroll into town. Jets-Pats to open the year can never be a bad thing.
6. Miami Dolphins
I hope this doesn’t happen. Not because of Miami – they’re on the verge of dropping back down in the division, I can feel it – but because we need to get back to the old days. Pats go to Miami in the heat early in the year, then Miami has to come up here in December and deal with crappy weather. Remember the OT win with the bomb to Troy Brown? Remember the Tedy Bruschi pick for a TD and snow flying in the air? Remember Bledsoe vs. Marino on the dirt in 1994? Those moments have been taken away the last few years with the Pats going to Miami late in the season. Gotta bring back the old school scheduling for these two.
7. Atlanta Falcons
The Super Bowl thing will always loom whenever these two play. It’s not nearly what it was and that Falcons team could be pretty good, but this just doesn’t carry the same weight it would have for an opener in like 2021. Cute story for the hype train that week and it’d be nice to see former BC Eagle Chris Lindstrom along with the return of Matt Judon, but this shouldn’t be an opener.
8. Cleveland Browns
Aside from the Sanders sh*t show, who cares? It’s Cleveland. If you want to have very little juice in the building for the home opener, Cleveland is the pick.
9. Carolina Panthers
Yawn. Aside from a few young players fans may want to see and the return of Holy Cross wide receiver Jalen Coker, this would be the worst case scenario for a home opener. There’s just nothing to this matchup.
Do you agree with our picks? Who do you want to see visit Gillette for the home opener? Let us know!