The road to the postseason could be a long and winding one for the New England Patriots heading into the 2023 season.
One look at the long list of expected playoff contenders on their regular season schedule is enough to drive even the most optimistic fans mad. With 17 games total, the Patriots are slated to face at least nine teams that clinched a playoff berth in 2022.
It’s a huge challenge that’s going to take a herculean effort from both players and coaches to overcome.
Can coach Bill Belichick turn the defense into an impenetrable beast to deal with all of the explosive offenses the Patriots will be facing? Can quarterback Mac Jones grow into his role well enough to get his team over the hump? Will the addition of Bill O’Brien at offensive coordinator make a big enough difference?
There are a lot of questions ahead for the Patriots when tackling this monstrous schedule. Let’s take a look at how their opponents finished last season: