Patriots

Ranking the Patriots’ 2024 schedule from least to most exciting games

The Patriots have some interesting matchups in 2024, even though they aren't favored to win a single game.

By Conor Roche

May 19, 2024

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The Patriots now have dates set for when they’ll face teams in 2024.

The 2024 NFL regular-season schedule was released Wednesday, with New England learning it’ll have just one primetime game in the upcoming season. It’ll also make a trip to London in Week 7 to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Of course, the Patriots are hoping the 2024 season tells a different story than 2023 did. Jerod Mayo’s hiring has brought some excitement to the upcoming season, along with the drafting of Drake Maye, although it’s unknown when he’ll make his first NFL start.

As we await the Patriots’ decision on when to start the No. 3 overall pick, let’s rank all 17 of their regular-season games from least to most exciting.

17. Week 9 @ Tennessee Titans

Two of the worst teams in the AFC last year, the Titans and Patriots might be the easiest opponents on each other’s schedules in 2024. Will Levis, who grew up a Patriots fan in New England, won’t have a homecoming experience as the game’s in Nashville, but his added weaponry this offseason could serve as an interesting test for New England’s defense. Calvin Ridley signed with the Titans this offseason, reportedly spurning the Patriots’ high-priced offer. So, the game could also serve as a bit of revenge for New England, too.

16. Week 13 vs. Indianapolis Colts

The meeting between the two teams in Germany might have been the worst game of the 2023 NFL season. There will be different quarterbacks involved though than the ones who played in the Colts’ 10-6 win. Indianapolis will have Anthony Richardson back after a shoulder injury ended the 2022 fourth-overall pick’s rookie season, showing promise to be one of the game’s best dual-threat quarterbacks in the four games he played. 

15. Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Patriots have had some exciting opponents in their home opener in recent years, hosting the defending NFC champion Eagles last year and Lamar Jackson in 2022. This year’s home opener definitely isn’t as exciting on paper, hosting Geno Smith and Mike Macdonald in his second game as head coach. Seattle has been decent the last couple seasons, posting a winning record in each of the last two years and making the playoffs in 2022. 

14. Week 17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

If the Patriots-Colts game wasn’t the worst game of the 2023 NFL season, the Patriots-Chargers game was certainly in the mix. But there is some reason to think this game should be a bit different. The Patriots likely won’t be playing Bailey Zappe. The Chargers aren’t playing out the string in the Brandon Staley era, hiring Jim Harbaugh this past offseason. Harbaugh has overseen quick turnarounds at each stop of his coaching career, so it wouldn’t be a shock if he did the same with Justin Herbert and the team is battling for a playoff spot entering this matchup.

The one thing that could remain the same from last year’s battle is the weather. If this year’s December matchup features a downpour of rain and cold weather again, bless all of you who will be in attendance at Gillette Stadium. 

13. Week 11 vs. Los Angeles Rams

A rematch of Super Bowl LIII that features almost none of the main characters. The Patriots only have a few players remaining from their 2018 Super Bowl-winning team while the Rams are also down to just a few players from their 2018 squad. But Sean McVay’s team has largely remained a contender since then, making the playoffs last year. Matthew Stafford showed he still had a bit of juice and Puka Nacua has already emerged as one of the game’s best receivers after being a fifth-round pick in 2023. 

12. Week 4 @ Miami Dolphins

The Patriots have historically struggled in Miami, even having trouble picking up wins during the peak years of the dynasty era. But the last handful of games in South Florida have been slog fests, with the Patriots losing by two scores or more in their last four away games against the Dolphins. There’s not much to suggest that will change this year as Tua Tagovailoa (undefeated against the Patriots in his career) still gets to throw to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. 

11. Week 15 @ Arizona Cardinals

After how 2023 went, it’s possible that the late-season matchup between the Patriots and Cardinals could be a battle between two teams who are looking forward to the end of the season. But there is reasonable optimism out of Arizona that the Cardinals could be decent in 2024. Kyler Murray is fully back in the mix, returning late last season after tearing his ACL the last time the Cardinals faced the Patriots. Marvin Harrison Jr. headlined the Cardinals’ 12-player draft class, which includes seven players being selected in the first three rounds. 

This is the Patriots’ first game following their bye week

But this game gets bumped a few spots because it’s the first game after the Patriots’ bye week, a possible point for when they opt to start Maye. 

10. Week 3 @ San Francisco 49ers

New England gets to take on the defending NFC champion for the second straight season. As each team finished on opposite ends of the standings in 2023, this matchup actually opened up with the largest point spread for any game of the 2024 season on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the 49ers being favored by 11.5 points. Still, a rare trip to the Bay Area against one of the game’s best makes it interesting enough to not be toward the bottom of this list. An upset win for the Patriots would also be huge in one of the first games of the Mayo era. 

9. Week 16 @ Buffalo Bills

The Patriots don’t face the team that’s replaced them as the top dog in the AFC East until the third-to-last week of the regular season. Highmark Stadium has also mostly been a House of Horrors for them since Tom Brady left, losing four of their last five games there. The Bills also seem to be lacking the juice they’ve had as a contender in recent years, so maybe that could make this game a bit more compelling. 

8. Week 10 @ Chicago Bears

When the Patriots make the trip to Chicago, Caleb Williams will likely be starting for the Bears. We still don’t know if this will be a battle between two of the quarterbacks selected with the first three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. If it is, this would be one of the Patriots’ most interesting games of the season. But the uncertainty on when Maye will start knocks this game down a few spots. A trip to the Windy City against a surging Bears squad makes this a top-10 game for the Patriots though in 2024.

7. Week 8 vs. New York Jets

Aaron Rodgers’s first trip to New England as a member of the Jets comes toward the middle of the season. The Jets ended their 15-game losing streak against the Patriots in last year’s regular-season finale at Gillette, ending the Bill Belichick’s time with the team in the process. With this being the Patriots’ first game back after the London trip, this could make sense as a possible spot for Maye to make his NFL debut. 

6. Week 5 vs. Miami Dolphins

While the Patriots haven’t beaten Tagovailoa in his career, they’ve come close in their last two meetings against him in Foxborough. Last year’s home game against the Dolphins was one of their more exciting games of the season, falling 24-17. Christian Gonzalez showed he could hang with Hill in that game though, allowing the Dolphins star to record just five receptions for 40 yards. With Gonzalez returning from injury and the Patriots playing at home, this game should be better than their Week 4 matchup against the Dolphins. 

5. Week 7 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (in London)

The Patriots’ trip to Europe this year should be better than last year’s. The Jaguars are hoping to make it back into the postseason after missing it in 2023. While Trevor Lawrence is one of the game’s better quarterbacks, this game would get more interesting from a Patriots perspective if Mac Jones wound up starting. New England traded its former starting quarterback to Jacksonville over the offseason. Still, the Patriots making their first trip to London since 2012 and taking on a formidable opponent is enough to put this game in the top five. 

4. Week 1 @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Jerod Mayo era begins in Cincinnati as Joe Burrow makes his return from a wrist injury that sidelined him for the second half of last season. While the Bengals have been one of the AFC’s best teams when Burrow’s healthy, they’ve had problems at the start of the season during his time as quarterback. They’ve lost their last two season openers and Burrow’s 6-7-1 all-time in September. Cincinnati’s high-powered offense is also a good opening test for a New England defense that was among the best last year, even with Gonzalez and Matthew Judon out for the majority of the year. 

3. Week 18 vs. Buffalo Bills

The Patriots could get a chance to play spoiler in their final game of the regular season, hosting a Bills team who’ll likely be contending for its fifth-straight AFC East title in 2024. New England beat Josh Allen at home last year, showing it is possible even as it had its worst team in decades. Heck, maybe the Patriots get some things to break their way this season and they’re battling for a playoff spot in this game.

Regardless, getting a win here would be one of the biggest of the season and could serve as a nice jumping point moving forward, especially if Maye is involved in any way.

2. Week 3 @ New York Jets

New England’s lone primetime game comes early in the season, making a trek to East Rutherford on a short week for “Thursday Night Football.” It’ll also serve as the Patriots’ first meeting with Rodgers since he joined the Jets last season. With it being an early season matchup, both sides should be healthy, presenting a fun battle between the Jets and their revamped offense against the Patriots’ defense.

1. Week 6 vs. Houston Texans

C.J. Stroud will make his first-ever trip to Foxborough in Week 6. One of last season’s surprises, the Texans are looking to make the next jump in their ascension. They made a pair of moves to help them do that, trading for Stefon Diggs and signing Danielle Hunter. It’s possible that the Texans are the best team the Patriots play at home this season and if Maye is starting by Week 6, it could serve as an interesting head-to-head battle with Stroud.