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Patriots Should Be Back in AFC Mix, but Brutal Schedule Awaits After Super Bowl Run
New England opens against four playoff teams and faces eight postseason opponents as Mike Vrabel’s Super Bowl run raises expectations.
- Following a Super Bowl appearance in Mike Vrabel's debut season, the New England Patriots face a challenging 2026 schedule that includes eight playoff teams from last year.
- Quarterback Drake Maye returned for Year 3 after a standout second season where he completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns while earning a Pro Bowl nod.
- The team faces potential offensive line depth concerns after moving Jared Wilson to center and signing Alijah Vera-Tucker at left guard, though Greg Van Roten started all 17 games for the New York Giants the past two seasons.
- Defensively, the Patriots remain solid with key additions like safety Kevin Byard and defensive end Dre'Mont Jones joining a unit that allowed 18.8 points per game last season.
- The season opens with difficult matchups against four playoff teams—Seattle, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Buffalo—with five opponents overall coming off division titles, marking a rigorous path ahead.
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15 Articles
15 Articles
The Toronto Star+12 Reposted by 12 other sources
Patriots should be back in the AFC mix, but a brutal schedule awaits after Super Bowl run
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (17-4)
·Toronto, Canada
Read Full ArticleCoverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Center
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
47% Center
L 40%
C 47%
13%
Factuality
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