NFL Writer Names One Major Factor That Will Activate ‘Cold’ Start For Patriots originally appeared on NESN.
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The New England Patriots learned their 2026 schedule on Thursday night, and their first four games certainly don’t do them any favors.
New England will kick off the season on the road against the Seahawks, then return home to face the Steelers before heading out to take on the Jaguars and Bills. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes the Patriots will have a “cold” start to their season.
“The Patriots won 14 games last year in part due to a last-place schedule, but the Pats will receive no such benefit in 2026,” Davenport wrote on Saturday. “Starting with a trip to Seattle for a Super Bowl LX rematch to kick off the season, the Patriots face four straight 2025 playoff teams to open the season. As if that wasn’t tough enough, three of those games are on the road, including trips to Seattle, Jacksonville and Buffalo.”
New England certainly won’t have an easy path through its first four games, but it could provide a great opportunity to set the stage for success for the rest of the season. If the Patriots can manage to go .500 through these initial matchups, it could really boost their confidence moving forward.
It’s not the end of the world if New England only wins one of its first four games. The Patriots would still have four games left, including two against the Dolphins and the Jets, who could be among the NFL’s weakest teams. Plus, there’s the game against the Raiders, which gives them a good shot at racking up five wins; then they would need about four more wins elsewhere to possibly make the playoffs.
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