The Packers' Jordan Love and the Bears' Caleb Williams are two of the high-profile quarterbacks the Patriots will face this season.
The Packers' Jordan Love and the Bears' Caleb Williams are two of the high-profile quarterbacks the Patriots will face this season.Morry Gash/Associated Press
After going 14-3, then advancing to the Super Bowl last season, the Patriots will have their work cut out for themselves this year.
Let’s break down their 2026 schedule . . .
1. Seven of their first 11 games are on the road.
At first glance, New England’s schedule seems frontloaded.
The Patriots kick off the season against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, then face three more teams that made the playoffs last season (Steelers, Jaguars, Bills). They’ll theoretically have a two-game reprieve at home (Raiders, Jets), before traveling to face the NFC North champion Bears on a short week.
The long weekend after “Thursday Night Football” will provide some additional rest ahead of their trip to Miami, where on paper the Patriots shouldn’t have a problem with the rebuilding Dolphins. But Hard Rock Stadium has remained a notoriously difficult place for them to play. Since 2013, the Patriots are 3-10 in Miami.
The Packers, another playoff team in 2025, will come to town in Week 9, before the Patriots fly to Munich for a matchup against the Lions, a team that missed the playoffs last year but still has championship aspirations.
The Patriots will then enjoy a probably much-needed bye. The following week, they will have to fly cross country to face the Chargers. The Patriots will travel the fifth-most miles of any team in the NFL this season, with a significant chunk coming during this three-week stretch.
So, within their first 11 games, the Patriots will not only be on the road seven times, including two cross-country flights and a trip overseas, they also will play seven teams that advanced to the postseason last year. Whew.
The Patriots close the season with four of their final six games at home. The minimal travel should provide somewhat of a breather, but there are still tough opponents, including multiple AFC powerhouses (Bills, Chiefs, Broncos). Those games could loom large in the playoff hunt.
2. They will play at least five prime-time games.
The Patriots will play on Wednesday night once (Seahawks), Monday night once (Chiefs), Sunday night once (Chargers), and Thursday night twice (Bears, Vikings). Of those five games, all but the Vikings game will be on the road.
Their Week 17 home game against the Broncos has yet to be formally scheduled but boasts the potential to be a prime-time game on Saturday or Sunday.
The fact that the Patriots are back on the prime-time stage is a reflection of their return to relevance. Just two years ago, they played in prime time just once — a “Thursday Night Football” game against the Jets in Week 3.
There are five teams (Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, Titans, and Raiders) without a single prime-time game scheduled this year. Two teams (Saints and Browns) have one.
3. There are several juicy quarterback matchups.
It’s unsurprising that a harder strength of schedule means better opposing quarterback play.
The Patriots will continue to see Josh Allen twice, but they will face a number of other talented passers this year. Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Jordan Love, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and Bo Nix are all on the docket. It will be fun to watch Drake Maye go head-to-head against some of his young peers, as well as more established veterans.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will have to scheme against some of the more established defensive coordinators in Steve Spagnuolo (Chiefs), Brian Flores (Vikings), Vance Joseph (Broncos), Patrick Graham (Steelers), and Dennis Allen (Bears). There’s also, of course, the Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald, one of the top defensive-minded coaches.
4. They have three playoff rematches.
The Seahawks raising their championship banner in Week 1 will immediately remind the Patriots of their Super Bowl loss. It will be interesting to hear the team’s messaging that week, and whether the Patriots lean into the idea of avenging their underwhelming performance.
The Patriots will then face the teams they played in the wild-card round (Chargers) and AFC Championship game (Broncos). If one of those teams is extra motivated, it’s probably the Broncos, who were not shy in expressing that they feel they should have won that game.
5. A soft schedule won’t be a talking point this season.
Throughout their improbable Super Bowl run, Patriots players often called out critics that discounted their wins because of their easy strength of schedule.
Even on Thursday, in their video announcing their 2026 season, the Chargers poked fun at the Patriots’ “cupcake” schedule last season.
The same won’t be said this year. The Patriots have the sixth-hardest schedule in 2026, using their opponents’ winning percentages from 2025. They also play eight 2025 playoff teams, including five division winners.
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.