"As noted by Jacob Robinson of The Athletic on the publication's NFL newsletter, the Patriots are projected to have a favorable - if not pedestrian - schedule next season when factoring in projected win totals and the quality of competition they're set to face,"
"Sharp Analysis calculated the actual strength of each team's schedule, not based on their 2025 record, but on projected win totals from Las Vegas. That way, it also considers offseason moves rather than just previous success -- or lack thereof."
"These projections make much more sense. At the end of the day, this team can't look at the Kansas City Chiefs as a six-win team, the same way they can't consider the Pittsburgh Steelers a 10-win squad if Aaron Rodgers isn't on the field."
"At the end of the day, teams can only beat whoever is in front of them, and holding the schedule against the Patriots is just lazy. They got the job done against some of the best defenses in the league in the playoffs, and this is the toughest league on Earth; no one just happens to win 17 of 21 games in a season."
The Patriots are expected to have a challenging postseason path in 2026 after winning the AFC East. Critics claim an easier 2025 schedule led to success and that results will drop next season. Advanced metrics and schedule-strength calculations based on projected win totals from Las Vegas suggest the Patriots’ 2026 schedule may be favorable rather than difficult. The approach accounts for offseason moves and competition quality instead of relying on prior records. The team is also framed as needing to prove last year’s breakout was not a fluke, especially after a Super Bowl loss, with motivation and a chip on their shoulders.
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