Patriots Face Brutal 4-Week Stretch That Will Determine Their Season

The 2026 NFL schedule was released last week, and we now know the order of the New England Patriots' 17 games for next fall. While the defending AFC champions have some tough games on the docket, including road primetime games out to Kansas City and Los Angeles, no stretch might be as tough as the one to open up the year.

Last season, the Patriots struggled out of the gate. They dropped home games to the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers, and almost lost their Week 2 road game in Miami. It wasn't until the Patriots fell to 1-2 until they turned on the jets and boatraced the rest of the league.

For New England, that same outcome may be in the cards for 2026. It's doable, but the team's four-game slate to open up the season is going to be one that defines this season for the Patriots.

Week 1 at Seattle Seahawks (Wed, Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m.)

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; NBC Sports host Maria Taylor interviews Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) as he celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It's only the third time in NFL history that a Super Bowl rematch has been set as the season-opening game, and for good reason. Both Seattle and New England were among the best teams, offensively and defensively, all of last season. What better way to kick off the regular season with the second installment?

Despite that, it's not an idea start for New England. You'd want a cupcake, or at least an easier matchup, to ease you into the grueling regular season. Instead, a cross-country flight to play a game that kicks off on a Wednesday is what the Patriots got.

The one positive that comes out of this is that win or lose, the Patriots will be granted a mini-bye before they have to return home for their first game at Gillette Stadium.

Week 2 vs Pittsburgh Steelers (Sun, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m.)

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks to throw during the second half of an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

That aforementioned home opener is against the Steelers, one of the teams that came into Foxboro and snatche the Patriots' chain. As the easiest of the four games listed here, the Steelers are still a tough out. They retain DK Metcalf and aded Michael Pittman Jr. to a promising passing attack.

Originally, this game felt a lot easier for the Patriots because of question marks surrounding the quarterback position. That changed when the Steelers agreed to terms with Aaron Rodgers to remain the quarterback for another season. With a spot in Canton in his future, Rodgers can still sling it, albeit not as good as his younger self.

The Patriots will need to be on their Ps and Qs if they don't want to drop to 0-2.

Week 3 at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sun, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It wasn't that long ago that both of these teams stunk it up in the AFC. Now, the defending division champions will go head-to-head in one of the top afternoon games of the year. The argument for both teams this offseason was that a regression was bound. The Patriots won 14 games, and the Jaguars won 13.

Trevor Lawrence continues to get better each season, and his top wide receiver (Brian Thomas Jr.) is destined for a better 2026 than 2025. Liam Coen has done a great job in turning around the Jacksonville brand of football after just one year on the sideline, and could be quite the tricky matchup for an equally-young Patriots team.

Week 4 at Buffalo Bills (Sun, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m.)

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) calls an audible during the second quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Much to my surprise, neither one of the Patriots games against the Bills are slated for primetime. Instead, we'll get our first look at the newly-built Highmark Stadium in Week 4 during the afternoon. For years, Josh Allen and the Bills ran the division post-Tom Brady. Last year was when they finally looked human, and the Patriots jumped on it.

That might not be the same in 2026. Allen remains an MVP candidate everytime he touches the ball, and their defense remains one of the fastest in the league.

In total, the four teams the Patriots have to face in their first four games have a combined strength of schedule of .721. To put that into perspective, that's the highest any team has faced in their first four games of the season since the 1986 Philadelphia Eagles. It's been a long time, and the Patriots are reminded why it's so hard to play first place schedules.

The Patriots could waltz out of this four-game stretch with a 2-2 record and feel happy about that. After these games, New England will get home games against the Raiders and Jets and could find some good mojo against those lesser opponents.

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