UPDATE (8:05 p.m): The Patriots officially have released their 2018 schedule.
UPDATE (3:30 p.m.): The Athletic’s Jeff Howe released the entire schedule:
Week 1 vs. Texans, Sunday Sept. 9, 1 p.m.
Week 2 at Jaguars, Sunday Sept. 16, 4:25 p.m.
Week 3 at Lions, Sunday Sept. 23, 8:20 p.m.
Week 4 vs. Dolphins, Sunday Sept. 30, 1 p.m.
Week 5 vs. Colts, Thursday Oct. 4, 8:20 p.m.
Week 6 vs. Chiefs, Sunday Oct. 14, 8:20 p.m.
Week 7 at Bears, Sunday Oct. 21, 1 p.m.
Week 8 at Bills, Monday Oct. 29, 8:15 p.m.
Week 9 vs. Packers, Sunday Nov. 4, 8:20 p.m.
Week 10 at Titans, Sunday, Nov. 11, 1 p.m.
Week 11 bye
Week 12 at Jets, Sunday Nov. 25, 1 p.m.
Week 13 vs. Vikings, Sunday Dec. 2, 4:25 p.m.
Week 14 at Dolphins, Sunday Dec. 9, 1 p.m.
Week 15 at Steelers, Sunday Dec. 16, 4:25 p.m.
Week 16 vs. Bills, Sunday Dec. 23, 1 p.m.
Week 17 vs. Jets, Sunday Dec. 30, 1 p.m.
Howe also reported the preseason schedule.
ORIGINAL STORY: New England Patriots schedule news is starting to leak out courtesy of 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Marc Bertrand.
The NFL schedule will officially be released Thursday at 8 p.m.
Here are Bertrand’s notes so far:
— No Thanksgiving game for the Patriots, who have a road game against the Detroit Lions on their schedule this season. Patriots reporters everywhere rejoice.
— The Patriots will open their season with an afternoon game against the Houston Texans. It’s the Patriots’ first Week 1 afternoon game since 2014.
— Five of the Patriots’ first nine games will be in primetime. Each team is only allowed five night games, so the Patriots will be getting theirs out of the way early.
We do know the Patriots’ opponents for the 2018 season. They’ll play at home against the Texans, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings and on the road against the Dolphins, Bills, Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
(UPDATE: 1:55 p.m. ET): The Patriots will play Week 2 at the Jacksonville Jaguars, Week 3 at the Detroit Lions, Week 4 at home against the Miami Dolphins, Oct. 29 at the Buffalo Bills at 8:15 p.m. and Nov. 11 at the Tennessee Titans at 1 p.m., according to Bertrand.
The Patriots will have a Week 11 bye, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
(UPDATE: 2:45 p.m. ET): The Patriots will play the New York Jets at home in Week 12 at 1 p.m. and on the road Week 17 at 1 p.m., according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello.
The Patriots will play the Packers Week 9 on Snnday night.
