Following their season-ending loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the New England Patriots are officially on to 2023.
While the team that was beaten 35-23 on Sunday will look significantly different from the one taking the field in eight months, we do know a few things about what lies ahead for New England. For starters, the team’s opponents for the 2023 campaign have been finalized.
As usual, New England will play its three AFC East rivals as well as the AFC teams ending the regular season in the same place within their respective divisions (i.e. in third). Furthermore, the Patriots will take on the entire AFC West and NFC East divisions. The interconference opponent added via the introduction of a 17th game in 2021 comes from the NFC South this time around.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at who the Patriots will face in 2023:
Home opponents
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Indianapolis Colts
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
- New Orleans Saints
The Patriots will host five playoff teams at Gillette Stadium this fall, including three division winners: the Bills, Chiefs and Eagles will be joined by the Dolphins and Chargers. Obviously, there is a long way to go until those games are actually played but they look like challenging ones from the current perspective.
Additionally, New England will go up against some teams in transition. New York, Indianapolis, Washington and New Orleans all face uncertainty in various organizational areas — from coaching to quarterback.
As part of the NFL’s scheduling rotation, the Patriots have eight home games scheduled versus seven road contests. However, there is a realistic chance that one of those will be played on international turf this season; New England is a frontrunner to play a game in Germany in 2023.
Road opponents
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Denver Broncos
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
Including the Bills and Dolphins, the Patriots will also play four postseason teams on the road. Besides their division rivals, they are scheduled to take on the Cowboys and Giants — the teams who finished second and third in the NFC East this season behind Philadelphia.
Additionally, New England will return to Las Vegas and Pittsburgh while also facing the Broncos. All three teams missed the playoffs, as did the aforementioned Jets.
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