The Patriots had a historically easy schedule this season. And though much can change between now and next September, at first glance, New England could be in for a far tougher road in 2026.

With Week 18 in the books, the Patriots’ slate of opponents for next season has been finalized. As a division winner, New England will play against multiple teams that also won their respective divisions.

Here’s the full list of home and road opponents:

HOME
Buffalo Bills
Dallas Cowboys
Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
New York Giants
Tennessee Titans
Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina Panthers

ROAD
Buffalo...

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t one to take credit…

Vrabel likes to deflect, which is what he has done throughout a remarkable first season at the helm at One Patriot Place — often sharing his admiration and appreciation for the likes of quarterback Drake Maye, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive lineman Milton Williams, linebacker Robert Spillane, etc.

It’s not like that stops people from heaping praise on the odds-on favorite to win NFL Coach of the Year, though.

“It’s very rare to have a coach like him that can connect with so many different personalities on the...

Wrapping up the regular season with a dominant 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots have learned the date and time for their playoff opener.

As was announced by the NFL on Sunday night, the AFC East champions will be hosting the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. ET.

The wild card game will mark New England’s first home playoff contest since the 2019 season, when the team went one-and-done against a Tennessee Titans squad coached by Mike Vrabel. Since then, it only returned to the postseason once, a 47-17...

The Patriots are back in the playoffs, and will take the field in primetime.

Thirteen of the 14 playoff teams were decided before the pivotal AFC North matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, prompting the league’s schedule-makers to make their big reveal at halftime of “Sunday Night Football.”

New England locked up the No. 2 seed in the AFC and thus will host the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Chargers.

Here’s a rundown of the six-game schedule for Wild Card Weekend:

Saturday, Jan. 10
4:30 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers (FOX)
8 p.m. ET: Green Bay Packers...

Will Campbell was exactly what Mike Vrabel was looking for, and their connection portrays one of the biggest reasons why the Patriots have excelled this season.

Speaking to reporters after the Patriots beat the Dolphins in their regular-season finale on Sunday, the first-round rookie summed up his relationship with Vrabel in a way the Foxboro Faithful surely will appreciate.

“The first time I met him, we definitely hit it off,” Campbell told reporters after the 38-10 win, per MassLive’s Chris Mason. “We’re very similar. But I just feel like it is very rare to have a coach like him that...

For the seventh time in eight years, Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving threshold.

This one, however, was the “most meaningful,” according to the four-time Pro Bowler.

“People see all the hard work you put in and the daily struggles that people have. People go through (expletive) — the ups and downs,” Diggs told reporters after New England’s 38-10 victory over the Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels.

“I kept grinding, stayed focused,” Diggs continued. “To hit another 1,000 yards, I’ve done it before, but this is probably the most meaningful one I’ve...

The New England Patriots’ primary goal is to play in Super Bowl LX.

It’ll be nice if they can pick up some hardware on the way, though…

Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and TreVeyon Henderson are all candidates to take home end-of-year awards, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

NFL MVP Matthew Stafford (−135)
Drake Maye (+105) Trevor Lawrence (+15000)
Caleb Williams (+25000)
Josh Allen (+30000)

NFL Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel (−400) Mike Macdonald (+400)
Liam Coen (+1200)
Sean Payton (+5000)
Ben Johnson (+10000)

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan (−1000)
TreVeyon Henderson (+900)
Jaxson Dart (+900)
Tyler Shough...

When Drake Maye first invited his teammates to North Carolina for an offseason workout, he wasn’t sure if four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs would show up.

But Diggs, who was also working back from an ACL tear, arrived for a weekend of work, beginning the process of building chemistry with his new quarterback — and leaving Maye even more excited for the season ahead.

“Credit to Stef for his ability to bounce back and heal up from an injury like that in such a short period of time,” Maye said. “He showed up and was running routes back home in...

The New England Patriots are the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The Los Angeles Chargers are the No. 7 seed in the AFC.

If you can’t figure out what we’re getting at, it might be time to get out from underneath that rock.

New England will host Los Angeles in the wild-card round of the playoffs next weekend, with the former entering that time-to-be-determined matchup as slight favorites at both DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook.

Betting Lines
DraftKings Sportsbook: Patriots -3.5 | O/U 45.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: Patriots -3.5 | O/U 45.5

The Patriots will have the benefit of playing...

It remains to be seen whether or not his 2025 regular season will earn him NFL MVP honors. Even if he does not end up winning the award, though, Drake Maye has made an undeniable impact on the New England Patriots and their history books this year.

On Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, the sophomore quarterback set two new franchise marks — improving upon records previously set by the greatest of all time, longtime Patriots QB Tom Brady.

The first was accomplished by Maye earning a passer rating of 129.4 before being pulled in the fourth quarter of [New England’s...

While the AFC East had been secured in December, the No. 2 seed had to wait until January.

That wait ended Sunday. The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins by a score of 38-10 to close out the regular season with a 14-3 record.

Here’s a glance back on the finale as head coach Mike Vrabel’s side sets playoff sights on the Los Angeles Chargers.

Against Miami, Maye rests MVP case

The first win of the campaign arrived against the Dolphins. The last win would, too. Drake Maye remained at the center of why.

The Patriots quarterback completed...

The New England Patriots entered the final week of the regular season with a small chance of securing home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. While they did their part, celebrating a decisive 38-10 win over the Miami Dolphins, they did not get the support they needed: with the Denver Broncos beating the Los Angeles Chargers 19-3, they will finish the season as the second seed in the conference.

This, in turn, allows them an opportunity to exact revenge on the Chargers: the Patriots will host L.A. in the wild card round of the playoffs next weekend. Date and time for...