Predicting each game on the New England Patriots' 2026 schedule.
The New England Patriots start the new 2026 NFL season tonight with a familiar opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.
After losing in the Super Bowl, New England will be looking to duplicate the success from last season. But there have been some doubters along the way.
However, with a new-look offense and a still-strong defensive unit, the Patriots could again be a top team in the NFL. But how many games will they win?
Here is a game-by-game prediction for how I think the Patriots season will go:
Week 1: at Seahawks, Win
New England opens the year by taking down the Seahawks in the Super Bowl rematch. The Patriots spoil Seattle's ring night on a walk-off field goal.
Week 2: vs Steelers, Win
Coming off the big win to open the year, New England gets Aaron Rodgers at home. But the Patriots defense isn't fazed.
The Patriots take down Pittsburgh to move to 2-0.
Week 3: at Jaguars, Win
This will be one of the tougher games on the schedule, having to go down to Jacksonville for the contest. But the Patriots find a way to take down the Jaguars, moving to 3-0 on the year.
Week 4: at Bills, Loss
The Patriots and Bills gave us some entertaining games last season, and there is no reason to expect anything less here. But the Bills are out to prove themselves again, and New England's winning streak to open the year ends here.
Week 5: vs Raiders, Win
The Patriots bounce back with a win over the Raiders. New England swarms Kirk Cousins, sacking him six times in the game.
Week 6: vs Jets, Win
Much like the Raiders game, the Patriots don't waste too much time with the Jets. Give me New England to earn a big divisional game.
Week 7: at Bears, Loss
The Bears showed a lot of heart last season, making this a fun matchup. Playing at Soldier Field is never easy, and with Chicago expected to be good again, this could be a tough matchup.
The Patriots put up a fight, but in the end, I like the Bears to win.
Week 8: at Dolphins, Win
Playing the new-look Dolphins for the first time could be tough, especially down in Miami. The Patriots have always had weird games with the humidity.
But not this time, New England wins by at least 10 points.
Week 9: vs Packers, Win
Building off the win against the Dolphins, New England rides the momentum to take down the Packers at home. The Patriots earn a gritty win here, cementing their status as title contenders.
Week 10: vs Lions, Loss
The good vibes from the Packers win don't last long with the Lions coming to town. The Patriots defense gets lit up here in a shootout.
New England falls just short in this game, with Detroit squeaking out the win.
Week 11: Bye Week
Week 12: at Chargers, Win
A rematch of the playoff game from last season, the Chargers will be looking for some redemption. But unfortunately for them, New England gets the last laugh once again.
Week 13: vs Bills, Win
After dropping the first game to Buffalo, the Patriots know that they have to win this game. New England wins, but the game is a grind-it-out, low-scoring affair.
The two offenses weirdly struggle, with New England winning by three.
Week 14: vs Vikings, Loss
This was one of the toughest games to pick, with the new-look Vikings coming to town. Kyler Murray will have to show he can be the guy for them, but at least for this week, he shows up.
Minnesota shocks the Patriots, coming away with a win in this contest.
Week 15: at Chiefs, Loss
Assuming that Patrick Mahomes is healthy, the Chiefs could be a force to be reckoned with again. And going to Arrowhead is always tough.
I like Kansas City to take down the Patriots in this game.
Week 16: at Jets, Win
The Patriots break the losing streak, taking care of the Jets fairly easily. Even with New York being more competitive this season, New England is easily the better team.
Week 17: vs Broncos, Loss
After taking down the Jets a week ago, New England gets a tough game here. This is a rematch of the AFC Championship Game from last season.
But unlike last season, New England drops this game. Give me the Broncos to win.
Week 18: vs Dolphins, Win
Heading into the final week, the Patriots won't have a chance at the division. But this team still wants to position itself in the wild card.
Taking care of business against the Dolphins at home should be favorable. Give me New England to win here.
Final Prediction: 11-6, make the playoffs as a wild-card team
