The Patriots found a way to reach new heights with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady last season. For the first time in their dynasty, they reached three consecutive AFC championships, ending with a win in Super Bowl 53 over the Rams for their second ring in three seasons.
Now the Patriots will try to play off their schedule for 2019, which in addition to the typical AFC East matchups features games against teams from the AFC North and NFC East, to double up on something they have done only once in their dynastic era: earn back-to-back Super Bowl victories. New England already has faced some significant personnel and coaching drain this offseason, but everyone knows it is the automatic favorite to win it all every year with their GOAT coaching/quarterback combination still intact.
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The Patriots have the highest Vegas over/under win total among any team in the league at 11. Here we breaking down the Patriots' schedule for 2019, their latest quest to repeat.
Patriots schedule 2019
Patriots regular-season schedule:
- Home: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Away: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV |
| Week 1 | Sept. 8 | vs. Steelers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Week 2 | Sept. 15 | at Dolphins | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 3 | Sept. 22 | vs. Jets | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 4 | Sept. 29 | at Bills | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 5 | Oct. 6 | at Redskins | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 6 | Oct. 10 (Thursday) | vs. Giants | 8:20 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Week 7 | Oct. 21 (Monday) | at Jets | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Week 8 | Oct. 27 | vs. Browns | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 9 | Nov. 3 | at Ravens | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Week 10 | BYE | - | - | - |
| Week 11 | Nov. 17 | at Eagles | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 12 | Nov. 24 | vs. Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. ET | FOX |
| Week 13 | Dec. 1 | at Texans | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| Week 14 | Dec. 8 | vs. Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 15 | Dec. 15 | at Bengals | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| Week 16 | Dec. 21/22 | vs. Bills | TBD | TBD |
| Week 17 | Dec. 29 | vs. Dolphins | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
Patriots preseason schedule
| Week 1 | at Lions | Aug. 8-12 (TBD) |
| Week 2 | at Titans | Aug. 15-19 (TBD) |
| Week 3 | vs. Panthers | Aug. 22-25 (TBD) |
| Week 4 | vs. Giants | Aug. 29 or 30 (TBD) |
MORE: Full 2019 NFL preseason schedule
Toughest tests: Gillette Stadium won't lack for marquee visitors beyond the AFC East. The Chiefs, Steelers, Browns and Cowboys will travel to New England with daunting offenses.
Unlike in 2018, the Patriots' biggest obstalces to getting home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs this year — an edge they didn't have last season — lie in Foxborough.
Biggest breaks: Only the Redskins have a weaker strength of schedule than that of the Patriots, whose opponents combined for a. 479 winning percentage last year. They are set up to run away with the AFC East again. The division might see the Jets and Bills improved, but the Dolphins have entered rebuild mode.
The Patriots' non-division AFC road games are favorable, topped by trips to Baltimore and Houston. Save perhaps a game at the Eagles, they are set up to dominate away from New England.
Bottom line: The rich keep getting richer. The Patriots won Super Bowl 53 despite going "only" 11-5, the first time they did that since their first title in 2001. As Belichick and Brady adjust to more big changes, they can color outside the lines and still paint a prettier playoff picture.
The Patriots have some margin for error to regain the top AFC seed to facilate a repeat. Record prediction: 13-3