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Patriots should be back in the AFC mix, but a 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 completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns in Year 2, earning a Pro Bowl nod and finishing second to Los Angeles' Matthew Stafford in MVP voting.
- Offensive line depth remains a watch point after Jared Wilson shifted to center and Alijah Vera-Tucker was signed at left guard, while Greg Van Roten joined from the New York Giants.
- Defensively, the Patriots added Kevin Byard and Dre'Mont Jones to fortify a unit that allowed the fourth-fewest points last season, while new wide receiver A.J. Brown bolsters the offense.
- The season opens with difficult matchups against four playoff teams—Seattle, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Buffalo—with five opponents coming off division titles, creating a rigorous path early.
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14 Articles
14 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 Sources14
Leaning Left6Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Left, 43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left, 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 43%
C 43%
14%
Factuality
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