New England Patriots - NESN.com
Even though the Patriots had an unbelievable regular season, there are still many doubters because of New England’s strength of schedule.
Tankathon.com ranked the Patriots with the easiest strength of schedule in the NFL. However, this aspect of the schedule becomes less significant moving forward, as every postseason team is among the league’s best.
Since the Patriots had an easy schedule and are working with a second-year quarterback in Drake Maye, it will be interesting to see how they handle playing better teams in the postseason. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport named the Patriots’ ability to play tougher competition as the biggest X-factor for New England this postseason.
“This is not an attempt to diminish what the New England Patriots accomplished with a 14‑win season and the AFC’s No. 2 seed, even if that success came against one of the league’s softer schedules in recent years,” Davenport wrote on Thursday. The Patriots played the teams on the schedule and beat 14 of them. They also dropped a piano on the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.
“However, the reality is that New England played three playoff teams in 2025 — and lost to two of them. It split the season series with Buffalo, lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and blasted the Carolina Panthers.”
Even if the Patriots lose to the Chargers on Sunday, people shouldn’t dismiss the season as a result of an easy schedule that only allowed them to win a handful of games. The Patriots accomplished something complicated by going undefeated on the road, a solid achievement New England can carry into next season.
