The NFL is releasing their 2021 schedules on Wednesday night. Locally, we will be watching to see when the Patriots will welcome old friends Tom Brady and Mike Vrabel to Foxboro and when they will travel to Atlanta, Carolina and Los Angeles to take on the Chargers.
The schedule will be leaked throughout the day so we will probably know their schedule before the schedule release show.
Before that happens however, I would like to give you my ideal schedule for the Patriots.
Here is the best possible schedule for the Patriots.
Week 1: Buffalo: This would be a tough home opener but it would be a great way to kick off the season and set the tone if the Patriots could find a way to win the game.
Week 2: At Carolina: Matt Rhule’s Panthers will be much improved so this will be a stiff early season test for the Patriots.
Week 3: At Houston: The Texans have been a marquee opponent for the Patriots in recent years but they won’t be as good so it would be great if the Patriots played them early, picked up the win and got them out of the way.
Week 4: Jacksonville: I know. You want the Florida teams to come to Foxboro later in the season, but it won’t matter with Jacksonville. The Jaguars will be improved but this is still a winnable game for the Patriots so playing them early would be a good thing.
Week 5: N.Y Jets: I would love to see the young Jets come to Foxboro early. Rookie quarterback Zach Wilson is talented but he has to learn to play the game at the NFL level. Facing a Bill Belichick defense early could be a life changing experience for Wilson. In a bad way of course.
Week 6: At Colts: The Colts are always tough to beat, especially at home. It would be ideal if the Patriots got them before the bye and on the front end of the season. This should be a Monday Night game.
Week 7 At Chargers: The Patriots trounced the Bolts 45-7 last season but something tells me that this year’s match up will be far more competitive. If the Patriots can get this game out of the way before the bye, that would be huge.
Week 8: Bye: The perfect week to have a bye. Getting it in the middle of the season is ideal because it splits the schedule up and it gives the Patriots to recharge their batteries for the second half of the schedule.
Week 9: Buccaneers: The Patriots should welcome Tom Brady back to Foxboro in the second half of the season and it should be on Sunday Night Football.
Week 10: At Falcons: This won’t be the easiest game following an emotional game against the Buccaneers but I can see the league the NFC South for the Patriots somewhere in the schedule. I think this is the spot.
Week 11: At Miami: The first of two meetings against old friend Brian Flores and the Dolphins. The weather is still warm around Thanksgiving but it won’t be as oppressive as it is earlier in the season.
Week 12: Tennessee: Old friend Mike Vrabel and the Titans should pose a difficult late season match up for the Patriots. This game could have playoff imications.
Week 13: Cleveland: The Browns will be a tough out in another game that will have huge late season playoff implications.
Week 14: At Buffalo: Another big game that could potentially determine the AFC East. This will certainly be a prime time game.
Week 15: New Orleans: The Saints could be a problem in this spot but the NFL will want to load up the back end of team’s schedules with big games so there is a good chance this is a late season game.
Week 16: Miami: Patriots fans probably aren’t crazy to see the Dolphins late in the season. This game could have major division and playoff implications.
Week 17: At N.Y Jets: I know you might think this is a winnable game but the Jets are always tough at home and they are even tougher when they know they can play spoiler.
Week 18: Dallas: Patriots wrap up the season at home in a big time late season match up against a Cowboys team that will assuredly be in playoff contention. Yes, I said that.
The Patriots schedule isn’t as tough as it was in 2020 but it is hard and depending on how the games are stacked, could prove to be challenging.