The NFL revealed the 2020 schedule on Thursday night, which included the New England Patriots’ docket for the upcoming season. And it’s going to be a tough slog for New England. Not only will Patriots fans find themselves rooting for a quarterback not named Tom Brady, but they’ll be rooting against Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson and a handful of the league’s most gifted signal-callers. Wins won’t be easy to come by. Everything is going to feel different, at first.
But that’s the obvious takeaway, right? We took a deeper look at the schedule to drum up a few thoughts on how the league organized it for Bill Belichick and company. Here are seven takeaways from the Patriots’ 2020 schedule.
1. Week 1 might not feel good
With the Patriots in flux, they might find themselves struggling against the Miami Dolphins, who may end up starting Ryan Fitzpatrick, even after drafting Tua Tagovailoa in the first round. If Fitzpatrick is under center and working against Jarrett Stidham, we could see a surprisingly experienced team in Miami playing against a surprisingly inexperienced in New England. What’s more, the Patriots will be on their home field, but it may not feel like an advantage, if there’s no one in the stadium amid the coronavirus pandemic.
What if the Patriots suffer a defeat against the Dolphins? And worse still, what if Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a statement win against the New Orleans Saints? I’d say it’s possible.