Patriots Draw .721 First-Four Opponent Slate, Toughest NFL Start in 40 Years
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · May 18
Patriots Draw .721 First-Four Opponent Slate, Toughest NFL Start in 40 Years
4 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · May 18
New England opens 2026 against four opponents with a combined .721 strength of schedule — the hardest first four weeks any NFL team has faced since the 1986 Eagles.
Three of those first four games are on the road — at Seattle, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Buffalo — raising the risk of an immediate setback after the Patriots had the league's easiest schedule last year.
Week 1 in Seattle also creates a league rarity: Patriots-Seahawks is one of two Wednesday games on different dates this season, the first such setup since 1948.
The Patriots' rough draw headlines a schedule filled with anomalies, including Seattle playing on six different days, Baltimore opening with seven straight games against sub-.500 teams and the Rams getting seven primetime slots.
Is the NFL's aggressive global schedule a sustainable growth model or a risky gamble with its core product?
With record travel and rest disparities, is the NFL's schedule pushing teams and players past their breaking point?