Pats Pulpit
Taking a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the New England Patriots’ 2025 schedule.
The 2025 NFL Schedule is officially out, and now we know what the Patriots have in store for them this Fall. We’ve known who they were playing, and where, for some time, and now we know when as well. After a disappointing two seasons, will this be the year that they’re able to turn things around?
Based on this schedule, I’d say that there are plenty of reasons for optimism. Compared to last year, when the Pats were staring down the barrel of some brutal games and travel, the 2025 slate of games has shaken out fairly favorably for New England.
But it isn’t all roses. There are some rough patches in there, as well as some downright ugly ones.
Let’s take a look at them all. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from the New England Patriots’ 2025 schedule.
Two of three prime-time games at home. That the Patriots even have three prime-time games this year means that there’s at least some degree of confidence from the powers that be that they’ll be worth watching. New England has a Thursday (Jets), a Sunday (at Bills), and a Monday (Giants) night game this season. And two of those three games will be at Gillette, which is a nice bonus. Prime-time games always mess with a team’s schedule, which is regimented right down to the minute, and not having to hop on a bus or plane at midnight to head back to Massachusetts two times out of three makes it a lot easier to adjust.
Three of four winnable games at home to open the season. Not only do the Patriots open at home against the Raiders, but three of their first four games are at Gillette Stadium, and all of them are against beatable teams. At Miami in Week 2 is likely a loss, but the Raiders, Steelers, and Panthers are all beatable teams (at least at this point in the offseason). A 3-1 start isn’t completely out of the equation, which would be an amazing change of pace from seasons past.
Closing at home against Miami. It’s always a good thing when the Patriots can host the Dolphins at home late in the year, as the cold weather plays to New England’s advantage. Obviously, these are professional athletes here, so the elements aren’t any kind of make-or-break scenario for anyone...but I’d much rather go to South Beach when everyone is still used to the warm weather and then have the Fins come to Foxboro when it’s frigid. If all goes well for New England this year, there’s a legit chance that both the Patriots and Dolphins will be fighting for a Wild Card spot, giving this game the potential for huge implications. I’m glad that it’s at home.
Three straight road games in October. After a nice little homestand in September, New England...
