The 2020 regular season will definitely be different for the New England Patriots. For the first time in almost two decades, the team won’t have Tom Brady leading the offense. Instead, the team looks set to start second-year signal-caller Jarrett Stidham. Stidham beat both Alabama and Georgia while playing for the Auburn Tigers, but he has had limited exposure at the NFL level (which included a pick-six in mop-up time last year). Also, how good are the weapons around him? How will the offensive line improve? The defense is still stout, but will it wear down? As you consider your NFL betting strategy for the upcoming season, we’ve put together a game-by-game look at the New England campaign.
NFL News: New England Patriots Schedule Analysis
Week 1: vs Miami
The Dolphins will have Tua Tagovailoa running their offense…unless they decide to let him learn for a few weeks under Ryan Fitzpatrick. That’s the same Ryan Fitzpatrick who led Miami to a Week 17 win at Gillette Stadium last year. Can the Patriots pick up a win, or will Stidham get stymied by the Miami defense: Prediction: Loss
Week 2: at Seattle
The Seahawks are an odd team. They tend to lose attention at just the wrong time. But a duel between Stidham and Russell Wilson should go Seattle’s way. Prediction: Loss
Week 3: vs Las Vegas
The Raiders added some talent on both sides of the ball, but they still have Derek Carr running the offense. I think Bill Belichick has Stidham more confident and outcoaches Gruden. Prediction: Win
Week 4: at Kansas City
Will the Chiefs be motivated? Yes. Will they be overconfident? It’s likely, especially if they breeze in 3-0. Can Patrick Mahomes engineer another comeback if needed? Yes. Prediction: Loss
Week 5: vs Denver
We have a matchup between second-year quarterbacks as the Broncos’ Drew Lock comes to town. The Broncos did add a lot of weapons, but this doesn’t seem like a road win for Denver. Prediction: Win
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: vs San Francisco
A home game against Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers had a lot of close calls last year, and Bill Belichick has all kinds of advantages on the coaching end here. The 49ers have the better talent, but the Pats should pull off the upset. Prediction: Win
Week 8: at Buffalo
The Bills have better talent, and they have a grinding defense. The Patriots won’t have Brady to dig them out of holes. The upgrades to the Buffalo offense should help them find their way around that Patriot D. Prediction: Loss
Week 9: at N.Y. Jets
The Jets will be an improved team in 2020, but they haven’t made the upgrades that the Bills have, and I’m not sure Sam Darnold can figure his way through a Belichick defense yet. Prediction: Win
Week 10: vs Baltimore
Baltimore delivered a walloping of the Patriots down at their house a year ago, and the Patriots haven’t added the speed they need on defense to keep up with Lamar Jackson. Prediction: Loss
Week 11: at Houston
The Texans have made a number of bad personnel decisions this off-season, and when your coach is also your GM, that can turn into a mad locker room. I see the Patriots taking advantage of an unsettled team. Prediction: Win
Week 12: vs Arizona
By now, Stidham should have settled in to lead the Patriots’ offense, and while Arizona has all kinds of talent on offense, their defense remains largely Swiss cheese, which New England should be able to exploit. Prediction: Win
Week 13: at L.A. Chargers
The Chargers will either have Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert at quarterback, which makes it kind of a wash with Stidham at this point. There is elite talent at other positions on the Chargers’ roster, though. This looks like one of those odd road losses for Belichick’s Pats. Prediction: Loss
Week 14: at L.A. Rams
That’s right — back to back West Coast road games for the Patriots. It’s a rematch of Super Bowl LIII, and both teams have declined as far as roster quality. Can Belichick outcoach Sean McVay again? Of course he can. Prediction: Win
Week 15: at Miami
Miami has always proven tough for New England down in South Florida, and I think the Dolphins pull off the season sweep here. Prediction: Loss
Week 16: vs Buffalo
This will turn into a defensive struggle, with the Patriots getting the upper hand in this one. Prediction: Win
Week 17: vs N.Y. Jets
The Jets couldn’t beat the Patriots down in Gotham, so why would they beat them on what should be a snowy night in Boston? Prediction: Win
