We’ve known for some time the Patriots were in store for a daunting slate of games in the 2020 NFL season.
That hasn’t changed, but New England fans might have met Thursday’s official schedule release with less uneasiness than they initially thought they’d have.
While the Patriots’ schedule is objectively tough, it shook out just about as well as it could for Bill Belichick and Co. As such, NFL insider Dan Graziano believes New England was the biggest winner coming out of the schedule release.
“Five prime-time games even without Brady,” Graziano wrote for ESPN.com. “Two games at home to finish the season. Their LA games in back-to-back weeks so they can stay out there in between. Second-half road games are in Houston, LA and Miami, so no road games in cold weather. Lots of folks are going to pick Buffalo in the AFC East, but New England’s schedule seems to set up in a helpful way for the 11-time defending division champs.”
The Patriots, as of now, are set to kick off the season Sunday, Sept. 13, when they will host the Miami Dolphins in an AFC East showdown.
