The Patriots defense had no problem shutting down Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1, and that dominance very well could continue over the next several weeks.
In its next five games, New England is set to face off against quarterbacks who combined for an abysmal 85.2 passer rating in 2018. Jets QB Sam Darnold will miss Week 3 due to mono, which means his backup Trevor Siemian gets the starting nod after not playing a snap throughout the '18 campaign.
Week 2: Ryan Fitzpatrick, 100.4 rating (Dolphins)
Week 3: Trevor Siemian, DNP (Jets)
Week 4: Josh Allen, 67.9 (Bills)
Week 5: Case Keenum, 81.2 (Redskins)
Week 6: Eli Manning, 92.4 (Giants)
Might as well just mark the Patriots down as 6-0, right?
Let's not get carried away. We've witnessed far too many "what just happened?" losses in Miami to suggest a victory on Sunday is a sure thing. The Jets and Bills both boast above-average defenses as well.
Still, this Patriots defense has the potential to be one of the best units New England has seen over the last several years. Bill Belichick's teams always take their schedules a week at a time, but it's difficult not to look ahead and think about the appeal of these next five matchups.
UPDATE (Sept. 17, 10:50 a.m. ET): We're resurfacing this list, which includes a couple notable updates: Luke Falk now is starting in place of injured Jets QB Trevor Siemian, while Daniel Jones is taking over for Manning in New York.
New England Patriots
Here's a look at the Patriots' opposing QBs from Week 3 to Week 7:
Week 3: Luke Falk (Jets)
Week 4: Josh Allen (Bills)
Week 5: Case Keenum (Redskins)
Week 6: Daniel Jones (Giants)
Week 7: Luke Falk or Sam Darnold
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.