The New England Patriots know who, when and where they’ll be playing during the 2024 NFL season. There’s several areas of intrigue surrounding the team from the arrival of rookie quarterback Drake Maye and the beginning of the Jerod Mayo era as the Patriots head coach. As for the schedule itself, the Patriots work through […]
The New England Patriots know who, when and where they’ll be playing during the 2024 NFL season.
There’s several areas of intrigue surrounding the team from the arrival of rookie quarterback Drake Maye and the beginning of the Jerod Mayo era as the Patriots head coach.
As for the schedule itself, the Patriots work through several notable trends that will certainly steal headlines and impact the 2024 season.
Here are five early takeaways from the Patriots’ release of the 2024 schedule:
Request Denied
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots reportedly submitted a request to the NFL to have their road games against the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals scheduled back-to-back. This request came to reduce travel and have the team stay out west between games.
That did not happen.
The Patriots head to San Francisco in Week 4 before waiting until December to make the trip out to the desert in Week 15. New England does at least have the benefit of having their late bye week (Week 14) prior to the second West Coast trip to battle the Cardinals.
Road travel stands out as a whole for the Patriots, who play three of their first four games on the road. The miles only add up when the Patriots make an international trip to London, playing there for the first time since 2012.
Home For The Holidays
The Patriots end the season with two home games, ending the year in Foxboro with matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills.
Smaller Spotlight
The Patriots will make most of their mark when the sun still shines.
Outside of the London game, which takes place in the morning hours on the East Coast, the Patriots are only scheduled for one primetime game. New England kicks off Week 3 against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football” on Sept. 19.
Brady Bowl?
In the year that marks Tom Brady’s broadcast debut, the Patriots play the 49ers in Week 4. The team that Brady led to six Super Bowl titles matches up against the team that the legendary quarterback idolized growing up. It’s the first time the Patriots have played in San Francisco since 2016.
Should that game be the first New England contest Brady broadcasts?
Super Bowl XLIX Anniversary Sparks Home Opener
This season marks the 10-year anniversary of the Patriots winning the franchise’s fourth championship during the 2014 campaign. New England defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 28-24, in Super Bowl XLIX with one of the more prominent games in NFL history.
The Patriots and Seahawks reconvene in Week 2 for New England’s home opener in Week 2.
The matchup will look just a bit different, especially after Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll, the two head coaches from the classic game, respectively moved on during this past offseason.
