The Patriots jumped out to an incredibly hot start to the 2019 NFL season thanks in part to a light schedule.
Unfortunately for New England, it won’t have this luxury as it returns to game action following a Week 10 bye.
Of the Patriots’ seven remaining regular-season opponents, five currently own a record of one game above .500 or better. Three of these teams currently are division leaders, while the 6-3 Buffalo Bills and 5-4 Philadelphia Eagles are legitimate playoff contenders. There’s no shortage of intriguing matchups for New England through the end of December, but ESPN believes a clash with Patrick Mahomes and the Kanas City Chiefs in Week 14 takes the cake as the Patriots’ most important game left on the docket.
“A rematch of the AFC Championship Game, but this time at home, should be a playoff-type environment and provide a solid barometer as to how ready the Patriots (8-1) might be to make a return trip to the Super Bowl,” Mike Reiss wrote. “Road games against the Eagles (Sunday) and Texans (Dec. 1) easily could have qualified, but Tom Brady-Patrick Mahomes has produced some of the best the NFL has had to offer within the last year.”
Outside of the aforementioned litmus test and thriller potential, the Patriots-Chiefs tilt on Dec. 8 likely will come with major playoff implications. New England probably won’t be fazed by the venue in January, but as history has proven, the Patriots are an awfully tough out in postseason games at Gillette Stadium. A win over Kansas City next month likely would go a long way in ensuring a top seed for New England.
The Chiefs probably aren’t a point of emphasis for the Patriots at present, however. New England, which was handed its first loss of the season in Week 9, surely is focusing the bulk of its attention on getting back into the win column Sunday when it visits Philadelphia for a Super Bowl LII rematch.
