The 2025 NFL regular season schedule was released Wednesday night.
Here are five quick-hitting takeaways now that we've had a look at the 17-game slate for the New England Patriots...
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The Patriots will play three of their first four games at home, giving them an opportunity to show their fans a better in-person product than the one they've observed the last two seasons. New England won just three total games at Gillette Stadium in 2023 and 2024, one of which was a meaningless season-finale victory over the Bills last season.
Hosting the Raiders in Week 1, the Steelers in Week 3 and the Panthers in Week 4 -- all 1 p.m. ET kickoffs -- the Patriots have what look like three winnable games. That kind of slate should give Mike Vrabel and Co. the opportunity to start their season off on solid footing.
The Patriots also will have to go to swampy Miami Gardens in September to take on the Dolphins in Week 2. That game -- given the speed with which Miami plays under head coach Mike McDaniel, and given the expected weather conditions -- will be sure to test the stamina of the Patriots.
In particular, it'll be critical for linemen on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball to be in excellent shape in order for the Patriots to have a chance to win in Miami for the first time since 2019.
Patriots get some primetime love
In 2024, the Patriots had but one primetime game. It made sense. New coach. Rookie quarterback (who wasn't even the starter to begin the season). A roster lacking in overall talent.
This year? That number has bumped up to three primetime contests.
They have their requisite "Thursday Night Football" game at home against the Jets in Week 11, but they'll also head to Buffalo for a "Sunday Night Football" affair in Week 5, and they'll host the Giants on "Monday Night Football" in Week 13.
With Vrabel in the fold, and following an impressive rookie season from Drake Maye, there's clearly more of a willingness on the league's part to have the Patriots play under the bright lights on a national stage.
Waiting on the bye
For the second consecutive season, the Patriots will have a late bye week on Week 14. Not ideal if you're a player. They had the same week off a season ago and lost their first three games back.
It'll be incumbent upon Vrabel and his staff to manage his players to some degree -- particularly as they get closer to their bye -- so that they aren't completely run ragged by the time December rolls around.
Finishing with "The Gauntlet"
One potentially could point to three straight road games from Week 5 to Week 7 -- against the Bills, Saints and Titans -- as the toughest stretch on the schedule. But two of those games could come against rookie quarterbacks. Not the answer, in my opinion.
The more daunting set of opponents clearly comes at the end of the season. The Patriots are set to host Buffalo in Week 15 immediately after their bye. They'll then travel to Baltimore and the Jets in Weeks 16 and 17. They'll wrap up their season at home with the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is 7-0 against New England in his career.
The Patriots realistically could be sniffing postseason contention coming out of their bye. But how they handle their final four games of the season could make or break their playoff hopes.
Appealing young QB stretch for Mike Vrabel's defense
The Patriots have the easiest schedule in the AFC based on opponent records from 2024. That isn't always the best indicator of how difficult a schedule truly is, but it's worth noting that the team with the easiest AFC schedule has finished with a winning record in seven straight seasons, per CBS Sports. And if the Patriots defense plays to its on-paper talent level, they could be the eighth.
Consider this: New England could end up facing first- or second-year quarterbacks in four consecutive weeks in 2025.
There is a real chance that Tyler Shough, a second-round pick this year, starts for the Saints in Week 6. The Patriots will then travel to Tennessee in Week 7 to take on first-overall pick Cam Ward.
After that, they host Cleveland, which could be starting one of its two rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders. Then in Week 9, second-year signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. -- one win in three starts in 2024 -- is likely to lead the Falcons into Gillette Stadium.
For a defense featuring All-Pro corner Christian Gonzalez, recently-signed free agent cover man Carlton Davis, highly-paid free-agent defensive tackle addition Milton Williams and (potentially, if healthy) defensive tackle Christian Barmore, those matchups could be a welcome sight.
