The 2020 NFL schedule has been released, and we now know the date and time of all 16 of the New England Patriots' regular season games.
The Patriots have the toughest schedule in the league based on their opponents' 2019 win percentage, and making matters worse for New England is its inexperience at quarterback. They are expected to go from a 20-year veteran and six-time Super Bowl champion in Tom Brady to a second-year quarterback in Jarrett Stidham. Luckily for the Pats, they still have a strong defense and the best head coach in league history.
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Here are game-by-game score predictions for all 16 of the Patriots' regular season matchups in 2020 (all times Eastern).
Week 1
Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins
Date: Sunday, Sept. 13
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 31-21
The Patriots will get a chance to avenge their most disappointing loss of the 2019 season to begin the 2020 campaign. The Dolphins prevented the Patriots from earning a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs with an upset win in Week 17 last season, and Miami has been quite busy overhauling its roster through free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft over the last two months. It's possible we see the first career starts of young quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Tua Tagovailoa in this game, which would be pretty exciting. The Patriots have won six of their last seven Week 1 games at home, and the smart bet is that trend continuing in 2020.
New England Patriots
Week 2
Patriots at Seattle Seahawks
Date: Sunday, Sept. 20
Time: 8:20 p.m.
Score prediction: Seahawks 35-31
This game should be among the most difficult on the Patriots schedule. Seattle is a very tough place to play. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is a top-five player at his position and a nightmare for opposing defenses with his dual-threat ability. And let's not forget that Seattle is well-coached. The Patriots lost at CenturyLink Field with Tom Brady in 2012, and we like their chances of victory even less in 2020 without him.
Week 3
Patriots vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Date: Sunday, Sept. 27
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 28-17
The Raiders were one of 10 teams that didn't score 20-plus points per game last season, and there are very few reasons to believe quarterback Derek Carr will shine against one of the league's best secondaries. Las Vegas' defense ranked 24th in points allowed and tallied the second-fewest turnovers.
Week 4
Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs
Date: Sunday, Oct. 4
Time: 4:25 p.m.
Score prediction: Chiefs 38-24
The Chiefs have the league's best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, and he's the reason why Kansas City's offense has averaged an impressive 31.2 points per game over the last two seasons. The Chiefs are the defending champs and should have little trouble winning their second consecutive game versus the Patriots. New England has a 1-3 record in its last four regular season matchups with Kansas City.
Week 5
Patriots vs. Denver Broncos
Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 28-24
The Broncos will be better this season with Drew Lock at quarterback. He finished his rookie season with a 4-1 record as a starter, and Denver bolstered his passing attack with the selection of Alabama star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. This will be a tougher game for the Patriots than many people realize, but we still like New England to squeeze out a slim victory at home. Let's not forget Bill Belichick has a very successful history against young quarterbacks.
Week 6
Bye week
Week 7
Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers
Date: Sunday, Oct. 25
Time: 4:25 p.m.
Score prediction: 49ers 28-21
Could you imagine the talk around New England if Jarrett Stidham beat former Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the defending NFC champion 49ers? Unfortunately for the Patriots fans, the 49ers' elite defense shouldn't have too much trouble making Stidham's life miserable. San Francisco's defense allowed the fewest passing yards in the league last season, while also ranking seventh in opposing QB rating, sixth in sacks and seventh in completion percentage. The 49ers also were one of 10 teams to allow less than 20 points per game.
Week 8
Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Date: Sunday, Nov. 1
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Bills 24-21
Tom Brady owned the Bills in his career with a 32-3 record, but now that he's gone, Buffalo's chances of winning the AFC East have improved. The Bills nearly beat the Patriots at New Era Field in 2019 before losing 16-10, and we like Buffalo to finish the job at home in 2020. Buffalo has a tremendous defense and will have the backing of a raucous crowd hungry to finally beat the Patriots.
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Week 9
Patriots at New York Jets
Date: Monday, Nov. 9
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Score prediction: Patriots 31-13
The Patriots dominated the Jets in New York on "Monday Night Football" last season in a game best remembered for Sam Darnold "seeing ghosts". The Jets quarterback couldn't possibly play any worse than he did that night, but it's still hard to envision him enjoying much success against one of the league's premier pass defenses.
Week 10
Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens
Date: Sunday, Nov. 15
Time: 8:20 p.m.
Score prediction: Ravens 34-28
This should be a fantastic "Sunday Night Football" matchup on NBC. The Ravens handed the Patriots their first loss last season with a 37-20 win in Baltimore. The game was closer than the final score would suggest, and if the Patriots didn't commit costly turnover in the third quarter, they might have won that night. The Ravens will be favored in this matchup and rightly so. They led the league in scoring last season thanks to an MVP-performance from quarterback Lamar Jackson, and the team's defense also is one of the league's best. The Patriots probably don't have enough offensive firepower to hang with the Ravens without forcing a few turnovers.
Week 11
Patriots at Houston Texans
Date: Sunday, Nov. 22
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 28-27
The Texans lost their best wide receiver in DeAndre Hopkins over the offseason and haven't done a whole lot to replace him. That said, Houston remains a very good team and still has a top-tier quarterback in Deshaun Watson. The Patriots fell behind 21-3 in last season's meeting at NRG Stadium and nearly pulled off a late comeback in a 28-22 defeat. A better start should be enough for the Patriots to beat the Texans on the road. New England has won six of its last seven games versus Houston.
Week 12
Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals
Date: Sunday, Nov. 29
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 35-24
The Cardinals made a great trade in March to acquire elite wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans without giving up significant value. His arrival should make an already talented offense even stronger. Kyler Murray, who Arizona selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to be its franchise quarterback, had a strong rookie campaign. The Cardinals' defense is terrible, however, and the Patriots should be able to dominate a unit that ranked 28th in points allowed and 32nd in yards allowed last season.
Week 13
Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers
Date: Sunday, Dec. 6
Time: 4:25 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 27-17
The Patriots aren't going to lose to a rookie quarterback late in the season. Justin Herbert projects to be a fine NFL player, but it would be pretty bold to bet on him scoring a ton of points against the Patriots' very experienced and talented secondary.
Week 14
Patriots at Los Angeles Rams
Date: Thursday, Dec. 10
Time: 8:20 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 24-20
The Rams went all-in to win a Super Bowl over the last few years and didn't get the job done, and they'll lose to the Patriots again in the first meeting between these teams since New England's 13-3 win in Super Bowl LIII. Rams quarterback Jared Goff couldn't solve Bill Belichick's defense in that Super Bowl, and it's hard to bet on him getting it right this time when the Patriots' secondary from 2018 remains very much intact.
Week 15
Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Date: Sunday, Dec. 20
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Dolphins 31-28
The Patriots won't have to go to Miami in September or October when it's likely to be pretty hot in South Florida. That said, Miami has been a pretty tough place for New England to win, even when Brady was the quarterback. The Patriots have emerged victorious in just two of their last seven games at Hard Rock Stadium, and if Tagovailoa is the Dolphins' starter at this stage, Miami will be an even tougher opponent.
Week 16
Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
Date: Monday, Dec. 28
Time: 8:15 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 21-17
A "Monday Night Football" primetime matchup at home in December and likely with playoff implications is the type of game the Patriots usually win, especially against divisional opponents. That challenge should be tougher in 2020 without an experienced quarterback, but Stidham will have taken plenty of reps by this point.
Week 17
Patriots vs. New York Jets
Date: Sunday, Jan. 3
Time: 1 p.m.
Score prediction: Patriots 28-14
The Patriots have won eight consecutive home games versus the Jets, as well as 11 of their last 12 at Gillette Stadium against New York. Until the Jets show they can win in Foxboro, it's awfully tough to predict they'll leave New England with a win.
W/L projection: 10-6
Points scored: 27.1 per game
Points allowed: 22.5 per game