Patriots: 3 most concerning trap games on the 2021 schedule
By Mike Luciano
The New England Patriots have finally seen their 2021 schedule revealed to the masses, as Bill Belichick will look to get Cam Newton and the rest of this team back to the playoffs after going 7-9 last season.
The Patriots should be better equipped to handle this 17-game season, as they spent a ton of money in free agency to beef up Newton’s weapons. In the draft, they added a potential successor in Mac Jones while picking up high-value players like Christian Barmore and Ronnie Perkins in the later rounds.
Despite the fact that the Patriots are better equipped to compete this year instead of 2020, that doesn’t change the fact that there are some worrying trap games on the roster that could end up throwing New England totally out of whack.
The Patriots need to watch these three games, as taking them lightly could lead to some embarrassing losses.
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Presenting: The 2021 Patriots Schedule pic.twitter.com/J4ftT1Ndhw
3 biggest trap games the for New England Patriots in 2021
1. Week 5 vs. Houston Texans (10/10)
The Patriots will be in for a dogfight if Deshaun Watson is the starting quarterback, but this is looking less likely by the day. The top candidates to start for Houston in Week 1 are an uninspiring veteran option in Tyrod Taylor or an extremely raw rookie third-rounder in Davis Mills. Catch the fever!
David Culley and the Texans haven’t been shy about still trying to emulate the New England model despite Bill O’Brien’s firing, as they traded for Marcus Cannon and hired Nick Caserio to oversee their football operations. Caserio would like nothing more than to take down his mentor in Week 5.
The Patriots can’t slip against the Texans.
Typically, teams that are coming off of emotional primetime games might find it difficult to replicate that energy in the following week. With one of the pivotal regular season matchups on tap in Week 4, as Tom Brady will return to New England with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England might fizzle out in the week after.
The New York Jets are headed in the right direction, the Miami Dolphins improved upon a 10-win team this season, and the Buffalo Bills are poised to dominate the division once again. The Patriots need to handle things in Houston, and failure to do so would be an egregious display from Belichick.