Patriots Insider Makes Bold Prediction After Schedule Release

The Patriots very well could have a long season ahead of them, but one team insider doesn’t believe Jerod Mayo will have to wait very long to pick up his first win.

New England’s 2024 regular-season schedule was released Wednesday, and the slate isn’t very favorable to a Patriots team that’s amid a rebuild. Nearly half of the games are against teams that reached the playoffs last season, and New England won’t be able to enjoy its bye until Week 14.

Nonetheless, ESPN’s Mike Reiss believes Mayo will be able to enjoy the taste of victory early in his first campaign as Patriots head coach. That said, Reiss thinks Mayo could find himself in a drought if his team doesn’t take care of business in a certain September showdown.

Five Takeaways From 2024 Patriots Schedule Release

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“Mayo will earn his first victory in Week 2 at home against the Seahawks, who are also under the direction of a new head coach in Mike Macdonald,” Reiss predicted in a column published Wednesday night. “Seattle used to struggle with 10 am PT kickoffs but has reversed that trend in recent years. If the Patriots don’t win that game, it could be several weeks before they secure their first victory based on the strength of opponents through the first six weeks.”

The opening six weeks certainly could be a treacherous stretch for the Patriots, but the rest of the campaign doesn’t figure to get much easier for Mayo’s side. At the time of the schedule release, New England was a betting underdog in all (!) 17 games.