We rank the top five most anticipated games scheduled for the New England Patriots.
The 2018 season is quickly approaching with the New England Patriots gearing up for another attempt at adding a Lombardi trophy to the trophy case. As we all know the NFL season can feel short at times with 16 regular season games to enjoy, watch and attend.
There are always five matchups that everyone looks forward to during the season, rivalry games and Super Bowl rematches tend to bring out a heightened intensity in players, coaches as well as fans.
With that said, let us delve into the best matchups and teams the Patriots will be facing this upcoming season.
5) PATRIOTS AT TITANS
A rematch of the AFC divisional game should be an intriguing test for both teams. The Patriots dealt the Tennessee Titans a (35-14) defeat despite solid play from the young Titans during the early stages of the game.
The Titans have been improving on a yearly basis and have a bright future ahead of them. Marcus Mariota has established himself as a dual-threat quarterback that can throw the ball accurately and can also escape the pocket when needed.
These Titans will be motivated to defeat the Patriots on their home-field. Nevertheless, New England will look to maintain the status quo of dominance with a superior head coach and quarterback leading them.
Tom Brady and his offense compiled 438 total yards on 11 drives during the playoff blowout. Tennesse will need to stiffen up their defense if they want different results against the Patriots.
4) PATRIOTS vs CHIEFS
Since 2014, New England and Kansas City have played three times, resulting in the Patriots losing twice in embarrassing fashion during the regular season.
The Patriots were able to exact some revenge on the Chiefs during the AFC divisional round playoffs in 2016. They beat the Chiefs 27-20 in Foxborough, further proving their dominance in the postseason.
Both teams provide a high level of intensity when facing each other no matter how different the rosters may be.
The Patriots have had difficulty stopping the Chiefs run game that is headed by Kareem Hunt, who ran for 148 yards last time the two teams met.
This match-up promises smash-mouth football between the lines. Both defenses will have something to prove and the Brady led offense will be tested by a well-rounded Chiefs defense. This will be an exciting game that fans will not want to miss.
3) PATRIOTS @ STEELERS
The Patriots have been the proverbial thorn in the side of the Pittsburgh Steelers for most of Brady’s career.
The 10-2 record that Brady holds against the Steelers indicates a long-standing rivalry that has been summarily one-sided so far.
The Steelers have yielded more talented players on offense over the last few years, with names such as Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, plus a top-tier quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger.
But most of Pittsburgh’s shortcomings occur on the defensive side. Brady has sliced and diced the Steelers defense on more than one occasion, throwing for record numbers in yards and touchdowns.
Rob Gronkowski is another huge component to the Patriots success against Pittsburgh. They seem to have no answer for the versatile tight end in the open field.
Gronkowski tallied 168 yards on nine receptions which helped the Patriots squeak by with a 27-24 win the last time these two teams met.
Brady took over the AFC championship game in 2016, overwhelming the defense with 384 yards as well as three touchdowns completing 32 of his 42 passes during the game.
In view of the fact that the Steelers defense has gone unchanged, the Patriots with Brady under center will continue their dominance into the next season considering they still have the better coaching staff and special teams.
2) PATRIOTS @ JAGUARS
The Patriots will pay a visit to the Jaguars home-field in their first meeting since New England defeated Jacksonville in the AFC championship game.
The game lived up to the hype with the Jaguars giving the Patriots a run for their money. The vaunted Jacksonville defense kept the game in doubt until deep into the fourth quarter.
Trash talk and intensity were in abundance. Jalen Ramsey was mouthing off to any and every Patriot player he came in contact with, including Brady during pre-game warm-ups, further fueling his teammates to not fear New England.
Despite their bravado, Brady once again worked his magic in the final three minutes of the game with a clutch touchdown throw to Danny Amendola.
After surrendering the lead, the Jaguars had one last chance to win the game but Blake Bortles could not make enough plays to drive his offense down the field.
Nevertheless, Jacksonville proved that they are a worthy foe in the AFC with a defense to be reckoned with now and in the future.
This game will be a litmus test for what to expect later in the playoffs if these two contenders meet once again.
1) PATRIOTS @ PACKERS
The game we all have been waiting for is finally scheduled. These two franchises do not play each other as frequently as fans would prefer, which makes this matchup even more exciting.
It is not every day that we get to see the top two quarterbacks in the league go head-to-head, Aaron Rodgers against Tom Brady will not disappoint.
The Patriots visited Greenbay back in 2014 for a regular season game that ended in a shootout between the two future Hall of Famers.
Rodgers was able to lead his team to a 26-21 win over the Patriots as time winded down in the fourth with Brady unable to get back on the field to counter-attack.
The victory gave Rodgers a win in his first meeting against Brady which will be revisited in week nine of the upcoming NFL season.
Due to his ultra-competitive nature, Brady will seek this opportunity to defeat the Packers in Foxborough and send a clear message that he still is the best player at his position.
This clash has the potential to be one of the best games of the season given the fact that it pits Brady versus Rodgers, as well as Bill Belichick against Mike McCarthy, two head coaches that are cerebral and well prepared in all three phases of the game.
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