New England Patriots 2020 schedule
Sept. 13 vs. Miami Dolphins, 1:00 p.m. ET
Sept. 20 at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sept. 27 vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 1:00 p.m. ET
Oct. 4 at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET
Oct. 11 vs. Denver Broncos, 1:00 p.m. ET
BYE
Oct. 25 vs. San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Nov. 1 at Buffalo Bills, 1:00 p.m. ET
Nov. 9 at New York Jets, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Nov. 15 vs. Baltimore Ravens, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Nov. 22 at Houston Texans, 1:00 p.m. ET
Nov. 29 vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1:00 p.m. ET
Dec. 6 at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Dec. 10 at Los Angeles Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET (FOX/NFLN)
Dec. 20 at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
Dec. 28 vs. Buffalo Bills, 8:15 PM (ESPN)
Jan. 3 vs. New York Jets, 1:00 p.m. ET
2019 record: 12-4
Last playoff appearance: 2019
PointsBet over-under for Patriots wins: 9
FLM projects: 8 wins
The Patriots’ last non-winning season was in 2000, the year Tom Brady was drafted, but Brady’s departure brings complete unpredictability. Bill Belichick went 11-5 with Matt Cassell in 2008, but that roster was loaded on both sides of the ball. Is Jarrett Stidham ready to start? Can the rest of the team compensate? Either way, expectations have certainly been lowered.
Upset watch: New England lost at home to Kansas City last year, but the margin was just 23-16 despite Tom Brady posting a 63.3 passer rating. Belichick has given Patrick Mahomes more trouble than perhaps any other defensive play-caller, and the Patriots have plenty of cover men. An upset at Arrowhead Stadium would hardly be out of the question.
Longshot wager: Nobody expects the Patriots to crater completely, but what if Belichick believes he could land Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State’s Justin Fields with a one-year tank? New England is +6000 to finish with the NFL’s most regular-season losses, tied for the 12th-longest odds. The Patriots seem like the likeliest 2020 playoff team to roll the dice on.