The New England Patriots schedule for 2020 has dropped so how will the team navigate its first season in two decades without Tom Brady at the helm?
With the New England Patriots schedule for 2020 being released this week, there is perhaps no team with a bigger question mark hanging over them than Bill Belichick’s club. Yes, he’s arguably the greatest head coach ever. Yes, he’s earned our trust. But at the same time, we haven’t seen the Patriots play without Tom Brady in 20 years — yet that’s the task for the upcoming season.
The Patriots’ belief in second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham appears to be more than just lip-service as he seems in-line to get the starting job. However, the weapons around him remain suspect and the offensive line struggled last season. The defense remains talented, headlined by Stephon Gilmore, and Belichick is Belichick. So how does that all balance out?
Let’s try to figure that out as we go through the Patriots 2020 schedule game-by-game and predict the outcome for each to see what New England’s final record will end up being.
Week 1: vs. Dolphins
Hope is anew in Miami with Tua Tagovailoa and Brian Flores certainly will always have motivation against the Patriots. In Week 1 at Gillette though, I’m not sure the Dolphins are ready to start their upswing. Prediction: Win
Week 2: at Seahawks
Truth be told, there are a lot of justified concerns about the Seahawks. But at the end of the day, if you have a matchup between Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, Wilson gets the nod 10-of-10 times. Prediction: Loss
Week 3: vs. Raiders
Because of their unique brand of drafting, people tend to joke about Jon Gruden’s Raiders. However, “Chucky” proved he’s got plenty left in the coaching tank last season and now has more firepower on both sides of the ball. Las Vegas could sneak up on a ton of people in 2020. Prediction: Loss
Week 4: at Chiefs
Even if the Patriots still had Tom Brady, they’re no match for Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champs — especially with the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Prediction: Loss