Patriots fans have taken a special interest in the unveiling of the 2025 NFL season schedule, mainly because Mike Vrabel has brought a lot of optimism to a team that has been historically bad over the last few years. His addition, coupled with the development of Drake Maye and the return of Josh McDaniels, has many looking forward to what they can accomplish in the first year the trio works together.
Vrabel had a mostly successful tenure running the Titans for six years, and the hope is that he will bring that with him in his new venture with his former team. The same can be said about McDaniels, who returns after another failed stint as a head coach. But that is a big win for Maye and the Patriots.
Because of the excitement, there is a lot of hype around specific games on this year's calendar, [including matchups with coaches' former teams](https://musketfire.com/patriots-schedule-gives-josh-mcdaniels-an-early-shot-to-embarrass-the-raiders-01jtpzg62z9q). But there is always an interest in when the bye week will be, especially since the NFL season has expanded to 17 games.
Unfortunately, that has made the Patriots the victim of poorly placed byes that continue to screw them over in the longrun and that is the case again this year.
The NFL continues to hand the Patriots a scheduling nightmare with a ridiculous late season bye
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The Patriots are said to have one of the easiest strengths of schedule of the entire league this season, but judging what they've been dealt, that doesn't look to be entirely accurate. It looks even more that way given that they won't have a bye until Week 14, just like the 2024 and 2021 seasons.
It has become a pattern for the league to give New England late byes, with six of the last eight seasons being Week 10 or later. To some, it might be better than having an early-season bye, like some teams who get one in Week 5. However, the later the bye is not the better, especially for a team hoping to bounce back this season.
**RELATED**: [NFL's 2025 schedule proves Patriots are officially back on the map](https://musketfire.com/nfl-s-2025-schedule-proves-patriots-are-officially-back-on-the-map-01jv7zwvbrbj)
It will be a true test for the Patriots and hopefully won't contribute to any physical strain on the players, which a late-season bye can do.
The only positive aspect is that they have dealt with this situation for much of the last decade, so some players will be used to it. But at the same time, the NFL really should reevaluate how it schedules byes because no team should have to wait 14 weeks into the season to get a break from the brutality of the football season.
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