Remember the New England Patriots' 2019 schedule? Eight cakewalks to begin the season followed by a brutal closing stretch against future playoff teams?
Turn that on its head, and you essentially have the Patriots' 2020 schedule.
After the NFL unveiled its full 2020 slate Thursday night, T.J. Hernandez of 4for4 Fantasy Football put together a daunting but very helpful chart ranking every NFL team's strength of schedule based on the projected 2020 win total of their opponents, via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Here's a look:
If you don't feel like squinting, the Patriots have the NFL's 10th-hardest schedule in 2020, with their opponents' win totals set at an average of 8.1. That's a more encouraging metric than 2019 total wins; by that measure, New England has the league's hardest schedule.
Here's the rub, though: The Patriots face a stiff test out of the gate.
According to Hernandez, New England's first-half schedule (Weeks 1 through 8) is tied for the third-hardest in the NFL based on average projected win totals.
That slate includes games against both Super Bowl LIV teams (the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs) and two likely playoff contenders in the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills.
Oh, and did we mention three of those four games are on the road, with San Francisco as the lone exception?
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Once the Patriots are past Week 8, their fortunes turn: Their second-half schedule (Weeks 9 through 17) is tied for the second-easiest in the league.
Indeed, six of New England's final eight games are against teams with win totals set below eight. (The Los Angeles Rams and Bills are the two exceptions.)
The Week 16 Bills matchup on "Monday Night Football" could determine the Patriots' playoff fate, but outside that game, they have a little cushion to make a late-season run.
So, if Jarrett Stidham and Co. have a rocky start to their first season without Tom Brady in two decades, fret not, and try to convince yourself New England can run the table like it did to begin the 2019 campaign.
