The quality of the Patriots’ opponents is about to ramp up. Here’s a closer look.
With the Ravens coming this Sunday, the Patriots schedule begins to look tougher heading into the second half of the season.
For just the third time in franchise history, the Patriots are off to an 8-0 start. In averaging 31.3 points per game while allowing just 7.6, they have not faced much resistance in the first half of the season. But that will likely change in the next five games, when the Patriots take on the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs.
Four of the five opponents are above .500, with the Eagles the exception at 4-4. All five are in contention for the playoffs. The Ravens (5-2), Cowboys (4-3), and Chiefs (5-3) are in first place in their respective divisions, while Texans (5-3) and Eagles are in second place.
The Patriots have already faced the Jets twice, and will face the Dolphins and Bills for the second time this season in December.
Here’s a look at a few areas contrasting the first half of the Patriots schedule with the second.
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Here’s a look at the remaining schedule:
Sunday at Baltimore (8:20 p.m., NBC): The Ravens have won three in a row and are coming off a bye. The AFC North leaders lead the league in rushing offense, gaining 204.1 yards per game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is averaging 6.9 yards per carry, followed by running back Mark Ingram, who is averaging 4.7. They are second in total offense at 434.9 yards per game and points scored at 30.6, just behind the Patriots.
Nov. 17 at Philadelphia (4:25 p.m., CBS): The Eagles enter the second half coming off an impressive win at Buffalo, wrapping up a tough three-game stretch on the road with a win after a couple of bad losses to the Minnesota Vikings and the Cowboys. They were able to pull within a half game of the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. They face the Bears on Nov. 3 and are off in Week 10 before facing the Patriots.
Nov. 24 vs. Dallas (4:25 p.m., Fox): It’s been an up-and-down season for the Cowboys, who won their first three games, then dropped the next three before a Week 7 win against the Eagles. They have the No. 1 offense, avering 437.9 total yards per game. Ezekiel Elliott has rushed for 602 yards and six touchdowns on 135 carries. Dak Prescott is completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 2,123 yards. They have the New York Giants, Vikings and Detroit Lions before they head to Gillette.
Dec. 1 at Houston (8:20 p.m., NBC): The Texans have the No. 4 offense in the league, averaging 395 yards of total offense per game. Deshaun Watson is leading the way, throwing for 2,231 yards. The defense took a hit when defensive end J.J. Watt was lost for the season after he suffered a torn pectoral in the win over the Raiders. Next four weeks: Playing Jacksonville in London, off, at Baltimore, vs. Indianapolis.
Deshaun Watson has the Texans in contention for a spot in the playoffs.
Dec. 8 vs. Kansas City (4:25 p.m., CBS): The Chiefs expect to have quarterback Patrick Mahomes back and healthy in plenty of time for this AFC Championship rematch. They continue to put up impressive numbers on offense and are just behind the Texans at 392.5 yards. Despite their struggles on defense, they still hold a comfortable lead in the AFC West and are 4-0 on the road this season.
Dec. 15 at Cincinnati (1 p.m., CBS): With the five-game stretch over, the Patriots will be on to Cincinnati, where the only question is whether or not the Bengals will have a win entering this game, or will they have to wait until the following week when they head to Miami.
Dec. 22 vs. Buffalo (TBA): The Bills’ defense posed all kinds of problems for the Patriots in the 16-10 win in Week 4. Running back Frank Gore seemed to expose a bit of weakness in the defense, but quarterback Josh Allen is still struggling to protect the ball and does not appear capable of posing a threat.
Dec. 29 vs. Miami (1 p.m., TBA): The Dolphins didn’t present any sort of competition in Week 2, and it’s hard to imagine that changing in the season finale at Gillette Stadium. Entering Monday night’s game with the Steelers, they are last in the league in turnover differential (-11), points per game (10.5), second to last in total offense (258.7, and third to last in passing and rushing.
