Patriots 2009 schedule

Awesome, while the first half is tough the second half is much easier.

I can see 16-0 again

Look out NFL in 09, schedule looks average or easier in difficulty

19-0

???Not ONE West Coast trip?

I like the bye week being post-London--plus its clock-change day, which is a tough day to do anything, let alone play a NFL football game

Cant wait!!!

Seems like even more late season games are subject to flex scheduling. I thought it was only the last five games, not the last seven. That really blows. Nothing like buying tixs planning for a late season afternoon game only to have it turn into a night game followed by an early morning drive home topped off with four hours of sleep. All about the fans, huh?

What a surprise.. Another game in Indy.. When was the last time they played in Foxboro in the regular season?

Havn't the the last few games against Indy been in Indy? What's up with that?

see you in miami

Hello,
According to the NFL it is the 3rd toughest strength of schedule; so, it will be a challenge.

I think a couple of the highlights in difficulty are:
1) Tampa Bay game in London
2) 2 games on the road following the Monday night games are ON THE ROAD against AFC East opponents Jets, then Miami. Very difficult considering the shorter week.
3) Very tough 4 game stretch with Atlanta, Balt and Tenn all on the road.

last Colts-Pats game in Foxboro was 2006 i think.

2 losses in October, 1 in November, and 0 in playoffs. SUPERBOWL CHAMPS !!!!!!!!!!! BRADY MVP and crowned greatest player ever and Mr. Bill annointed greatest coach ever and team voted landslide team of decade (PS: Steelers go 8-8 this year)......What an incredible decade for PATS especially in relation to last 40 years!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable. Next week PATS trade first 4 picks for some teams' 3rd and 4th rounders for the next fifteen years

The NFL is saying in the 3rd toughest strength of schedule

They have 2 Monday night games. Each game following the Monday night game is on the road against an AFC east foe (NYJ and MIA). This will be very tough with the shorter week.

Also, a tough 4 game stretch with 3 games against Atl, Balt and Tenn. Very physical games and they will be banged up.

Realistically Brady is healthy, and returns to 80% 2007 form, and anything worse than 13-3 would be a disappointment. On the spot prediction: 14-2 w/a Super Bowl win all but eliminating any debate as to the team of the decade.

What a surprise.. Another ignorant commenter (#7) who has no clue how NFL scheduling works. Sounds like an Indy fan from a few years ago crying about all the games being in Foxboro.

In 2001, the locations were all figured out for the next 8 years. Some were obviously based on the previous year's finish, I could have told you back then that if Pats/Colts were to play in 2009 it would be at Indy. Just like 2008 and 2007.

Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colts-Patriots_rivalry and see how 2004-2006 were all in Foxboro, and 2007-2009 are all in Indy.

The bye at week 8 comes at a good time this year; give us some time to heal some wounds and recover after the London trip. Way better than that week 4 B.S.!

This schedule is very tough, no matter how you slice it. To those of you think the latter half is much easier, remember that the Pats barely pulled out their last regular season matchups with both J'ville and Houston.

No minor league games this year w/bottom of the barrel teams.....alot could change but I think we all agree that Buffalo, NY, & Miami aren't the cakewalks they were a few years ago.

I like the lack of West Coast games, but a few short weeks (already mentioned) and a crappy "tea & crumpets" game in London (great for NFL, sucks for NE).

If anyone can do it Pats you can.. Good luck and love you all

does anyone know why we always manage to play Denver? I hate Denver. Everything about that organization is weaselly.

What's up with playing Indy in Indy every year!!!!!

Is Indy afraid of Foxboro? Who in the NFL scheduling office is on the Colts payroll?

why the hell are we going into indianapolis for the third year in a row?

Damn that's an easy schedule!

Whoever says the Pats go 16-0 or 19-0 is in complete denial. The AFC East is a lot more competitive than years past and we still gotta play Indy, Denver (always given us trouble), and the beastly NFC South. I expect the Pats to end up 13-3 or 14-2 with the AFC East crown.

GO PATS!!!

Maybe they will make the playoffs this year. Bill better hope Brady does not get hurt and expose him as a .500 coach 16-16 without #12 under center.

Two years ago, the Patriots had the easiest schedule in NFL history. Now, they have the 3rd most difficult of the season. I wonder how much difference it will make.

The Patriots should be the better team on a number of occasions, but its football, and after all, anything can happen on any given Sunday. So I'm not going to look at whats favorable and whats not, all i know is that im pumped and its only April.

On a lighter note - I will most definitely be making a trip to the sunday night fins/pats game dec. 6. Last two times the Pats traveled to Dolphins Stadium - Brady threw for 6 tds in 2007 and in 2008 - Moss caught 3. Definitely lookin forward to that one.

One overlooked item is that the Pats sort of have one less road game because the TB game in London is neutral. Also, things shook out well with AFC North and West teams, home vs. Baltimore and at Denver. Whom would you rather play at home and on the road? Same for NFC South - home vs. Carolina and Atlanta, at TB and NO. Same question.

Toughest game is at Indy but Pats should have won last year, are (hopefully) retooling on D this year, and Indy is no longer invincible. NO' s offense could be tough to stop if it is clicking but I expect a better Pats D this year.

I just wish the Giants were on the shedule!!!!

Alan (Comment #17)-
In 2006 the Patriots beat the Texans 40-7 at home and clinched the AFC East on the road 24-21 in Jacksonville. I don't think anyone is saying the Jags game will be easy, but I fail to see how we struggled with Houston in the last regular season meeting.

If the Pats can stay healthy at key positions and pick up where special teams left off last year ( dismal the 1st 1/2 fairly impressive the 2nd) they should win the division. Miami is as good as they're playoff loss, the Jets don't have a Matt Cassell to lead them, and Buffalo is Buffalo. This schedule looks like a gift.

I feel this year more than any in the past we as Pat's fans have to take it one game at a time. We cannot fall into the trap of looking forward. If Bill can keep the team focused on it's next opponent like in previous years we should be OK. The caveat being no serious injuries during the season, if that is the case, then I think we can play with anyone. Good Luck this year and GO PATS.

Looks tough based on last year’s results, but that’s no guarantee for this season. Preseason projections last year didn’t even have the Fins mentioned in the playoff discussion and more than a few credible sources were talking a deep playoff run for the Browns. Baltimore and Atlanta were hardly viewed as juggernauts before the season started and they ended up winning 11 games each. Many “experts” had Detroit finishing last in their division, but… well, I guess sometimes the prognosticators do get things right…

Not bad! They don't play the NFC East, Pittsburgh, San Diego and they play the Bucs in a nuetral site. No Miami until the weather gets cooler and a season final in Houston where the elements will not decide the outcome of the game. Getting the BYE on 1 November a week after the London game is a perfect place for the team to recoup from the overseas travel.

Some tough games but not brutal by any means. I'm looking forward to the Denver game where the master meets young understudy.

So Atlanta (11-6), Baltimore (11-6) , and Tennessee (13-3) are easy?
Tampa Bay was (9-7). That looks like its not as much as a cake walk as we may think. Although we have stacked the team...Brady is still coming back from that knee injury. Its the great unknown of the year. While I am optomistic...this in no way looks like an easy first half. The Jets have also given the Pats some of the closest games in past few years.

WHAT I LIKE IS THERES ONLY THREE GAMES STARTING LATE EIGHT OR LATER AND ONE SEVEN PM THEY USUALLY CHANGE SOME MORE LETS HOPE NOT

BR,
Miami will beat NE easily in December. Glad you will be there to see it. Try not to get beat up by any Dolphin fans. Word of advice: Leave the wig at home.

Part of this schedule is wrong. The Falcons come up to Foxboro that weekend. It is not an away game

The last time Indy played here was the year that Adam Vinatieri went to them - they need to play here!!!

Don't like 2 Division away games(Jets, Miami) following Monday night games.

I'm optimistic about the season. I think many of the pieces are in place, and they should get a few more (OLB, S, ILB) in the draft and/or through free agency before the season starts. The major concern is Brady's health, and the entire team's for that matter. The Pat's have solid depth, and a fantastic coach and staff who coaches up the entire roster, and expect them to be ready when their numbers' are called. But, still, it's a ultimately a crap shoot, that comes down to health. If the Pat's stay healthy, then for whatever predictions are worth (nothing), I see the Pat's going 13-3 and getting back to the Super Bowl.

The reason the Pats are playing in Indy this year is that the AFC East is playing against the AFC South this year and the home/away teams rotate every three years. The past 2 years that the Pats played Indy in Indy was due to the 1st place finish between the two teams from each division in the AFC (regardless of the 3 year AFC division rotation). This is just a theory, but I think the league decides on where the teams play if they beat them the previous year, and since the Pats went unbeaten in 2007 they were still scheduled to play in Indy since and the Steelers went to Gellete (probably based on how much they beat up on the Steelers in '07 and just getting by Indy that same year). Just a guess.

Keep obsessing about Indy. It makes you look even more foolish. Who cares about the Colts. They are not so scary anymore home or away. Keep obsessing about Parcells too while you are at it. He is our sheriff now. I will say one thing and that is that Miami has the most difficult schedule in the league. We are not crying about it like y'all though.

mark flynn,

FYI- Miami won the division last year. It was the greatest turnaround in NFL history.
Maybe you just need a serving of Tuna Helper. Mmmmmm.. good!

Hey Andrew (comment #6) Here's a novel thought. If you are complaining about the games being too late then DON'T GO !!! I'm sure there will be alot of other fans that would buy your ticket. Just a thought.

For the Patriot fans who think the schedule is easy did you miss the Baltimore and Tennessee games on the schedule?
Think back to the Pittsburgh game of last year when the Steelers beat up the Patriots and treated Cassel like he was a hand puppet.
Brady may be back, but the Ravens and Titans have the same type of tough defense the Patriots can no longer match up to.

yeah, I like a full day of football leading up to the Pats game.....the more late games the better!!!

It may be a stretch to predict another 16-0 reg season, but as a gambler there isn't a game on this schedule that I'd bet on the Pats to lose straight up.

What? The Pats aren't playing the Cardinals after the beating they handed them before AZ went to the Superbowl? The season is already a big disappointment.

This is going to be the greatest comeback year for Brady and the Patriots. We are going to chew up Mr TO in Buffalo and hook and sink the Dolphins. Shula for sure will eat his words!!!!! once again

The Tenn and Atlanta, Carolina games are at HOME, not on the road. It's good thing the BYE comes mid season AFTER the London (dumb) game too. Overall, a better balanced schedule than last year.

Miami and the Jets will be worse this year anyway. NY has no QB, a new coach and a feeble offense overall and Miami will be far worse without the surprise of the Wildcat. Buffalo will finish better than both.

let's kick everybody's butt. Poncho, Waco, TX. 4-19-09