The NFL is releasing their 2017 regular season schedule tonight at 8:00 PM EST, but we already have a general idea of who the Patriots will be facing in two separate weeks.
New England has been expected to host the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener for a while, and the Herald’s Jeff Howe has confirmed the report.
The Patriots will open the regular season at home against the Chiefs, per source.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) April 20, 2017
The Patriots are also expected to go on the road to face the Oakland Raiders in Mexico City for Sunday Night Football in week 11, per ESPN’s Rob Abramowitz. This counts as a road game for the Patriots and a home game for the Raiders.
@Patriots vs @RAIDERS en el Azteca ya tiene fecha.#NFLMexico#NFL pic.twitter.com/5SGhLXNXGn
— Roberto Abramowitz (@RobAbramowitz) April 18, 2017
The Patriots and Raiders in Mexico City was known late in the 2016 season, but it was originally expected to be a Monday Night Football game. Teams complained about the short week after traveling to Mexico and so the league decided to move the Mexico game to Sunday Night, per NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during media week of Super Bowl LI.
EDIT: Patriots are expected to face the Atlanta Falcons in week 7, likely for Sunday Night Football.
Fresh from my source Code name: Bird Brain pic.twitter.com/NSv9gUjI9a
— MikeBell929 (@MikeBellATL) April 20, 2017