The New England Patriots took advantage of their weak 2025 schedule, earning the No. 2 seed in the AFC and making it all the way to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Mike Vrabel's squad, they came up short in the final game of the season.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye struggled in the Super Bowl, completing 27-of-43 passes for 295 yards for two touchdowns with two interceptions. The Seattle Seahawks also forced a fumble from the MVP finalist in the third quarter. Mike Macdonald's defense was the driving force behind their 29-13 victory at Levi's Stadium.
After the Seahawks defeated the Patriots, countless fans questioned the AFC champions. Some of them believe they made it to the Super Bowl strictly because they had the No. 32 ranked schedule.
If the Patriots make it back to the Super Bowl next season, fans won't be able to mock their schedule. The AFC East champions are set to face a plethora of loaded rosters in the fall.
The Patriots will face these opponents in 2026:
Buffalo Bills (twice)
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins (twice)
Minnesota Vikings
New York Jets (twice)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Odds aren't on New England's side.
Despite making it to the Super Bowl this season, the Patriots aren't getting a ton of love from Vegas right now.
FanDuel has the Patriots at +1700 to win it all in 2027. There are currently nine teams with better odds, including the Bills, Chargers, Chiefs and Ravens.
The Patriots will have plenty of motivation heading into next season, that's for sure.
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