Maybe the NFL truly doesn’t like the Patriots. O.K, maybe that’s not true however they didn’t do them any favors with their schedule. Its a bitch, especially on the road. The Pats are going to play their usual divisional opponents and the other division winners in the AFC but in addition to that, they are also playing the AFC North and the NFC West. Here are my five thoughts on the Pats schedule.

1. Cardinal Sin: Opening the season in Arizona on a Sunday night will be a challenging way to start the season. I’m sure old friend Chandler Jones has circled the game on his calendar in his quest to prove to Bill Belichick that he is an elite defender.

2. Going Prime Time: The Patriots play five prime time games this season. They play the Cardinals, Texans, Seahawks, Ravens and Jets all in prime time. Three of the five games are at home.

3.No Gimmes: The schedule is tough throughout. While the Patriots have a couple winnable games, they don’t have a stretch of games where they could dominate and put together a winning streak going into a big game.

4. Go West Young Man! The Patriots have to travel to Arizona, San Francisco and Denver. That’s a haul. Two years ago, the Patriots played the Packers and Chargers back to back and the team flew out to San Diego after the Green Bay game instead of coming home. Unfortunately, they can’t do that this time around because their three west coast games are spread out throughout the schedule.

5. Tough Finish: The Patriots last four games are against the Ravens, Jets, Broncos and Dolphins. They host the Ravens and Jets and travel to Denver and Miami. That’s a tough finish especially when you consider that they don’t play well in Denver or Miami.

There is no question that the schedule is tough but if there one team that can handle a tough schedule and still win 12 to 13 games, its the Patriots.