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We're still several months away from the start of the 2025 NFL regular season, but after Wednesday night's schedule release, fans can start making their travel plans for the fall.
The New England Patriots open up their 2025 campaign at home on Sunday, Sept. 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. Unlike last season when three of the Patriots' first four games were on the road, this year will see New England play three of their first four matchups at home.
One noticeable change for the Patriots from last season is the amount of primetime games on their schedule.
The Patriots didn't have a single Sunday night or Monday night game last season -- just one Thursday night matchup. They have three primetime games in 2025, including a "Sunday Night Football" matchup at the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, a "Thursday Night Football" game versus the New York Jets in Week 11 and a "Monday Night Football" contest against the New York Giants in Week 13.
For the second straight season, the Patriots will have a Week 14 bye. A late-season bye has its advantages and disadvantages. It will provide the Patriots a nice break before they end the season with a difficult four-game stretch that includes matchups versus the Bills, at the Ravens, at the Jets and versus the Dolphins.
Overall, the Patriots do not have a tough schedule. In fact, based on their opponents' 2024 win percentage, the Patriots have the easiest schedule of any AFC team.
That said, there are always a few surprise teams each season, so it wouldn't be shocking if one of the "easy" opponents on New England's schedule actually becomes a challenging contest.
Here's the full 17-game slate for the Patriots: