The New England Patriots will kick-start the 2024 season with a road showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
It’s the first game on a hellacious schedule that pits the new-look Patriots team against a bevy of future playoff contenders. The lack of enthusiasm regarding regular-season wins has more to do with the opponents than anything else.
Sure, the offense isn’t completely up to speed, but Jacoby Brissett is more than serviceable as a starting quarterback. The Patriots are live underdogs in most games if they lean on their defense and avoid costly penalties and turnovers.
There’s hope for a brighter future when rookie quarterback Drake Maye gets going, but we’re going to look at this schedule with the expectation that Brissett will be in the driver’s seat for the entire season.
Here’s a prediction for every game on the schedule:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | Prediction (W/L) | |
| 1 | Sept. 8 | at | Bengals | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 2 | Sept. 15 | vs. | Seahawks | 1:00 p.m. | W |
| 3 | *Sept. 19 | at | Jets | 8:15 p.m. | L |
| 4 | Sept. 29 | at | 49ers | 4:05 p.m. | L |
| 5 | Oct. 6 | vs. | Dolphins | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 6 | Oct. 13 | vs. | Texans | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 7 | Oct. 20 | at | Jaguars | 9:30 a.m. | W |
| 8 | Oct. 27 | vs. | Jets | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 9 | Nov. 3 | at | Titans | 1:00 p.m. | W |
| 10 | Nov. 10 | at | Bears | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 11 | Nov. 17 | vs. | Rams | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | at | Dolphins | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 13 | Dec. 1 | vs. | Colts | 1:00 p.m. | W |
| 14 | BYE | ||||
| 15 | Dec. 15 | at | Cardinals | 4:25 p.m. | W |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | at | Bills | 1:00 p.m. | L |
| 17 | TBD | vs. | Chargers | TBD | L |
| 18 | TBD | vs. | Bills | TBD | W (6-11 record) |
*prime-time game
I have the Patriots winning six games, which is an obvious improvement over their 4-13 finish last season.
The team will struggle right out of the gates, but there’s a chance they could steal a few wins along the way. They could be better than some think given the talent on defense and improvements at receiver.
Granted, they still need a true No. 1 receiver, but the additions of Ja’Lynn Polk and K.J. Osborn, along with another year of growth from DeMario Douglas, should be enough to keep things interesting.
This season will represent a step in the right direction for New England and hopefully bring about the future change fans are patiently waiting for.
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