Here it is, your 2015 Patriots schedule. So what are the takeaways?
The road to San Francisco isn’t exactly treacherous, but it certainly will provide plenty of challenges, so it might be a little early to start looking for tickets for Super Bowl 50.
Bye Week is Week 3 – Always would prefer it be later rather than just a few short weeks after they break training camp. But having two big road games coming out of the week off should give BB a good chance to plan for Romo and Luck back-to-back. Of course this includes 10 days off after their opener as well, so it will be a slow start to the season before things really kick in in October.
Divisional Games – The road to the playoffs always starts through the division and I like how they’re spread out – one in early September, then two at home back-to-back in late October, then one in November, then finish off the season with two away games. Hopefully those last two are meaningless because if the division is still in question at the end, things could get a little dicey.
Primetime – Two Thursday Night national games including the opener, two Sunday Night national games and one Monday nighter.
General posits:
It’s a forgiving September which is a good thing since the Pats usually have at least a couple where they’re flat and one all-out stinker around then. That at Buffalo Week 2 has always been a close one and with Rex there now I don’t expect anything different.
October might very well define the season with big away games at Dallas and Indy, then hitting the Jets and Dolphins back-to-back. Having those games at home is a big plus.
After a MNF game vs. the Bills they’ll have a short turnaround to get out to Denver to play the Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
The potential gimme games are spread out nicely. Jaguars in September, Redskins in early November, Titans in late December. No game is a true gimme in the NFL, but at least on paper their easier games come at good times.
However their long Thursday Night – Sunday mini-bye week comes leading up the Redskins. But that will be a welcome 10-day break in early November.
Overall it’s not quite the bear than 2014′s schedule was, but there are plenty of challenges just like there always is. The meaningfulness of those last two divisional road games is what will be most interesting to see play out.
Once again, the rest of the AFC East must beat the Patriots in Foxboro if they’re to have any chance at all.