The 6 biggest games on the Patriots 2022 schedule
The New England Patriots have a difficult and interesting schedule for the 2022 season.
The Patriots will open the year with a road contest against the Miami Dolphins, which is typically the final game of the season. New England starts off with a fairly easy slate in the beginning of the year, and it transitions to a slew of primetime games against elite opponents.
Mac Jones won’t have much time to acclimate to Year 2 before hitting a string of high-pressure games. Although the first eight games won’t be as daunting as the later half — the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers are still on the schedule in Week 3 and 4, respectively.
Here’s a look at the biggest games on the docket (in no particular order).
WEEK 4: @ the Green Bay Packers
The Patriots will be coming off their matchup against the Ravens and then they’ll face Aaron Rodgers on the road. Mac Jones has played in some difficult games, but this will be one of the toughest road environments he will face — against one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
This will be the first major game to mark on the calendar, despite the fact it isn’t primetime.
WEEK 7: vs. the Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears will be the firstprime time matchup of the season.
This game will also be perfect for Jones to come in and prove why he was the best quarterback selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Jones was drafted behind Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields — he finished last year as a Pro Bowler who made the playoffs.
Jones will have plenty of time to build comfort and be ready for the spotlight in this Week 7 matchup.
WEEK 13: vs. the Buffalo Bills
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This is the opponent Bill Belichick will mark on his calendar every year he’s coaching in the near future.
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are no joke. They stomped the Patriots in the playoffs, and this game will be the gauge of where they stand in Week 13. New England defeated the Bills last year at home in a primetime matchup, but there was some help from insane weather conditions.
This year’s home game against Buffalo could look much different.
Also, this is a Thursday night matchup after playing the previous Thursday night game against the Minnesota Vikings.
WEEK 14: at the Arizona Cardinals
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The Patriots will have 11 days to rest before hitting the road to take on Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals under the spotlight.
Belichick’s defenses have historically struggled against speedy quarterbacks, and Murray is among the league’s best. He’s fast, accurate and extremely smart with every decision he makes on the field. The Patriots will have their hands full in the third consecutive prime time game.
WEEK 15: at the Las Vegas Raiders
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This game is huge, for a multitude of reasons.
To start — this is the fourth primetime game in a row. The Patriots will have national exposure toward the latter half of the schedule and it will all lead up to a matchup against the Patriots of the AFC West.
Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders have previous Patriots coaches, front office members and players scattered throughout the organization. Belichick doesn’t have a great track record against his former assistants and he’ll be playing a team with extreme talent.
This one will be fun, regardless of the outcome.
WEEK 16: vs. the Cincinnati Bengals
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Joe Burrow is what Patriots fans want Jones to be.
He’s calm, cool, collected and he led the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl in his second year. This will be a battle of two of the league’s young and talented quarterbacks.
This game, landing in Week 16, could also be a determining contest on whether or not the Patriots make the playoffs. At minimum, this will be an exciting offensive showdown between Jones and Burrow.
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