""We play in the National Football League. Every team's got great players. They get paid a lot of money," Maye said. "So, it's not like we're playing, shoot, Foxborough High School down the road. We play who's on our schedule. We can't control that. Just trying to go out there and try to win. A lot of these teams that we do play are good, and they're in the National Football League for a reason.""
"New England's .383 strength of schedule is last in the NFL this season, due in large part to the Patriots coming off of back-to-back four-win campaigns. The Patriots have played a few teams either in the postseason or hanging around the playoff picture in the Buffalo Bills (twice), Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers in 2025. But, New England has also had matchups against some of the worst teams in the league, including the Titans, Raiders (a loss for New England in Week 1), Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, New York Jets (twice), and Bengals."
The New England Patriots finished the 2025 regular season 13-3 and secured the AFC East division crown. The team registered the NFL's weakest strength of schedule (.383), influenced by consecutive prior four-win seasons. The 2025 slate included playoff-caliber opponents such as the Buffalo Bills (twice), Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers alongside struggling teams like the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders (a Week 1 loss), Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, New York Jets (twice), and Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Drake Maye dismissed the lighter-schedule critique and emphasized that every NFL opponent features paid, talented players. The Patriots' 2026 schedule projects as more challenging, with matchups against teams like the Broncos, Packers, Bears, Lions, Chiefs, and divisional winners still to be determined.
Read at Boston.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]