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The New England Patriots are one of the most improved teams on paper through roughly two months of the NFL calendar year beginning back in March. They have added several proven veterans and drafted well on both sides of the ball. What will it look like on the field? A potential playoff berth? Here are my picks for every game on the Patriots' schedule.
Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Josh McDaniels gets his revenge on his former team to begin the season and the Patriots start 1-0.
Final Prediction: Patriots 24, Raiders 16
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins will get one last hurrah with a win in South Beach, but it will be the last win over New England of the Tua Tagovailoa era (we're getting bold here).
Final Prediction: Dolphins 27, Patriots 20
Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Patriots have won eight of their last nine against the Steelers and haven't lost to Pittsburgh at home since 2008 0 that streak continues.
Final Prediction: Patriots 23, Steelers 17
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
There will be at least one game the Patriots should win but let slip away - this will be one of those games.
Final Prediction: Panthers 23, Patriots 20
Week 5: at Buffalo Bills
Maye and the Patriots got off to a hot start in Buffalo last season, but let it slip away. This time, they hold on to surprise the Bills and get their statement win.
Final Prediction: Patriots 26, Bills 23
Week 6: at New Orleans Saints
The Saints will be the worst team in football, and the Patriots will get their largest margin of victory win of the season.
Final Prediction: Patriots 34, Saints 13
Week 7: at Tennessee Titans
A matchup between Drake Maye and Cam Ward will be fun, but the overarching story will be Mike Vrabel going back to Tennessee, and ultimately leaving with a win.
Final Prediction: Patriots 27, Titans 16
Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns
This is the second game that New England will likely be favored in, but a motivated Cleveland team gets the upset.
Final Prediction: Browns 19, Patriots 16
Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Patriots bounce back and get a win at home over Michael Penix and the Falcons.
Final Prediction: Patriots 26, Falcons 18
Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Patriots get their second straight win over an NFC South opponent.
Final Prediction: Patriots 28, Buccaneers 23
Week 11: vs. New York Jets
The Patriots handle a Jets team that, while better, still has too many unanswered offensive questions.
Final Prediction: Patriots 17, Jets 13
Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals
The Patriots will do all they can to keep a lid on the Bengals' offense, but ultimately come up short.
Final Prediction: Bengals 31, Patriots 26
Week 13: vs. New York Giants
The Giants are a mess, and the Patriots will make an example out of them no matter who is under center.
Final Prediction: Patriots 24, Giants 10
Week 14: BYE
Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills
The Bills get their win back, but New England won't just lay down and give it to them.
Final Prediction: Bills 24, Patriots 17
Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens
The Patriots drop their second straight game to an AFC powerhouse.
Final Prediction: Ravens 31, Patriots 20
Week 17: at New York Jets
With weather likely poor late in the year, the Patriots win a low-scoring game.
Final Prediction: Patriots 16, Jets 9
Week 18: vs, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins notoriously struggle in cold weather, and the Patriots get a win at home to close out the year.
Final Prediction: Patriots 30, Dolphins 17
Final Record Prediction: 10-7, No. 6 seed in AFC
More must-reads:
- Details emerge on injury to Cowboys star wide receiver
- Are Giants making quarterback change for Chargers game?
- The 'Multiple 30-TD pass NFL seasons' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Chiefs' Andy Reid addresses latest sideline incident involving Travis Kelce
A familiar scene played out at MetLife Stadium on Sunday night when Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a heated sideline exchange with head coach Andy Reid in the second quarter of the club's 22-9 win over the New York Giants that improved the Chiefs to 1-2 on the season. Following the victory, Reid suggested his relationship with Kelce is just fine. Andy Reid downplays latest Travis Kelce incident "Don’t make too much of it," Reid said, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "He’s a passionate guy, and I love that part. I’ve been through a lot of things with him, so that’s all part of it. I love that he loves to play the game. That’s what I love. It’s an emotional game, so I’ll take it." Kelce went viral during the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII win in February 2024 when he angrily confronted and bumped Reid after the future Hall of Famer was not on the field for a red-zone play that resulted in a Kansas City turnover. Kelce later revealed that he and Reid "kind of chuckled about" that particular moment, and the 35-year-old then vowed last September that he would avoid such in-game outbursts. Kelce had a rather unspectacular performance against the Giants, as he recorded four receptions for just 26 yards. Andy Reid OK with Travis Kelce's passion "I love Travis' passion, so I’m OK with that," Reid added. "We didn’t have enough of it in the second quarter. We weren’t where we needed to be. He knows when to back off the pedal, and he knows when to push it too. That’s part of what I love about him. The guy’s all-in. Just sometimes, I have to be the policeman. He was all-in. He was all-in. Listen, he’s an emotional guy." Kelce may be in the early stages of his final season as an active player after he and entertainment superstar Taylor Swift announced their engagement in August. Thus far, he has tallied 10 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown for the ongoing campaign. Perhaps Sunday night's events will prove to be a positive for a Chiefs team that looked more like pretenders than contenders over the bulk of the season's first three weeks. Kansas City next hosts the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 28. 1-1 Baltimore welcomes the 1-1 Detroit Lions to M T Bank Stadium for a prime-time showdown on Monday night.
Pete Carroll opens up about an idea that everyone has regarding the biggest issue with the team's offense
The worst part about the Las Vegas Raiders offense has to be the offensive line, a position group that the Raiders didn't address really at all outside of the 2025 NFL Draft, and even those two draft picks aren't seeing the field. The offensive line hasn't been great at pass blocking for former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, but that isn't the worst part of the unit's game. They can't run block at all, which is why Ashton Jeanty isn't having much success. And that could be due to the changes the Raiders staff made to the offensive line. The right guys aren't playing. "We want to see JPJ [Jackson Powers-Johnson] come back to action and get back involved. In all phases of it, we have to get off the football better and make more of the running game. There's not enough happening there to act on the play pass game, and we're just not getting enough. So, we just got to keep working it. We got the guys we got, and we need to keep developing and keep building on it. We're working at the right guard spot. Our young guys, they'll get their turn sometime, but they're not ready yet. So, we have what we have, and we've got to make our guys do better, and we've got to fit it together better than we have." The Raiders' offensive line has much deeper issues at hand JPJ didn't start the game against the Washington Commanders this last week, despite being healthy and recovered from his concussion. Carroll noted that the decision between him and Cappa came down to the continuity and that the Raiders were on a short week. But Cappa is not very good. The former Cincinnati Bengals guard led the league in blown blocks with 40 and led the league in pressures allowed last season. Last year, Jackson Powers-Johnson was one of the best young centers in the league. He had his rookie moments, but by the end of the season, he had some moments where he was pancaking defenders in the second level on run plays. His move to center last season is when he really started to take over, rather than when he was playing guard. This offseason, the Raiders decided to not only move him away from the center position but to put him in a position battle at the guard spot. JPJ may be the second-best offensive lineman on the team, and yet, the Raiders have something weird going on with him. Yes, he was hurt, but he recovered, and there is no reason why he shouldn't have started. By the end of last season, the Raiders' offensive line really started to put things together. So, why would Pete Carroll's son, Brennan Carroll, mess all of that up as the offensive line coach? Something's going on with the offensive line, and it's truly affecting the entire offense. Yes, the unit isn't very good, but they are making it even harder on themselves by playing the wrong players. When your defense is bad, offense is bad, and special teams are bad, it's hard to beat anyone. Add that into the fact that the offensive line is atrocious and winning football games looks impossible, despite the fact they've already won one against the New England Patriots. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-365').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-365').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
Rangers forward in a fight for his future amid new competition
The New York Rangers are preparing to start a transitional season, following the arrival of new head coach Mike Sullivan and some important adjustments to the squad. Among the players facing a decisive season is Brennan Othmann, a left winger who was selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft. Othmann, 22, is entering his third and final year of his contract with the Rangers, but his expiring deal is not the only reason why he will have to prove himself this season. The Canadian has had difficulties meeting the high expectations around him and although he may no longer have time to establish himself as a top-six forward, this is the best time to establish himself in a lower role. Othmann's clock is ticking as competition for roster spot grows Last season, he only recorded two assists in 22 games with the Rangers, but tallied 12 goals and eight assists in 27 games with the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack. In any case, now Othmann is facing heavier competition within the squad. Both Gabe Perreault and Carey Terrance have left good impressions during preseason camps, and with both having multiple years left on their contracts, the possibility that Othmann's days on the team are numbered increases. That said, the New York team needs depth, especially in the bottom-six, and Othmann must react and respond. He has the necessary grit and physicality, and if he manages to establish himself there, he could become a solid player within the bottom lineups.
Rival Teams 'Upset' With Dodgers Due to Shohei Ohtani Rule
However the Dodgers decide to use star pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani in the postseason, the generational talent gives LA a massive advantage. Because of a unique rule that applies only to players as unique as Ohtani, the Dodgers could turn their superstar into an even bigger advantage. Every team in MLB is limited to a maximum playoff roster of 26 players, with no more than 13 spots reserved for pitchers. Ohtani will be able to enter the postseason as a designated hitter and will not take up one of the 13 spots as a pitcher despite the Dodgers planning on utilizing Ohtani as a starting pitcher. "Teams are upset that the Dodgers will have one more pitcher than everyone else on their roster since there’s a special exemption for Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player," USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote. "If Ohtani is a starting pitcher, he can remain in the game as a DH once he’s replaced on the mound. But if he starts the game as a DH and pitches out of the bullpen, the Dodgers would lose the DH once his relief appearance is over. The only way Ohtani could stay in the game would be moving to the outfield, where he hasn’t played since 2021." Ohtani has expressed his willingness to play in the outfield if it means giving the Dodgers a roster advantage in the postseason. However, it is likely, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, that Ohtani will not be making a surprise appearance in the outfield. One factor that will be at play with Ohtani's ability to contrtibute as a starting pitcher will be his longevity. After recovering from a torn UCL in the 2023 season and serving as a designated hitter exclusively in 2024, Ohtani returned to the mound in 2025. While Ohtani has performed well with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, he hasn't pitched more than five innings in a single start. Ohtani's limited use is a strategy by the Dodgers to save their superstar's arm for the big moments that are offered in October. Ohtani has one more scheduled start for the regular season when the Dodgers travel to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. Latest Dodgers News
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