Before the 2025 season began, there was considerable chatter about the Patriots having one of the easiest schedules in the league. Because of that, some analysts and fans predicted they could be a sneaky playoff contender by the end of the year, even if that seemed like quite a stretch for a team coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons.
While most of that optimism has already wavered after two games, their schedule still appears to be more favorable for adding more wins than they have in recent years. That might not happen in Week 3, as they face an Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers team, but they face a very beatable Panthers team in two weeks.
Looking ahead at the rest of their schedule, they have a few tough opponents that can almost certainly be considered losses already, with the Bills being the most prominent of all. But the latest unfortunate injury news could work in the Patriots' favor, as a Super Bowl-contending quarterback will reportedly miss their Week 12 matchup.
The Patriots have a new game they could be favored in now due to an unfortunate QB injury
It might be a bit early to be looking so far ahead on the Patriots' schedule, but when it's reported that one of their more difficult opponents is losing their starting quarterback due to a severe injury, it's difficult not to start thinking about their future opponents.
That's the case with Joe Burrow, who suffered a turf toe injury in Sunday's clash with the Jaguars, and according to NFL insiders, the quarterback will require surgery and likely be out for at least the next three months.
#Bengals star QB Joe Burrow is feared to have suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury, one that would require surgery and put him out at least 3 months, per me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 15, 2025
Burrow is still evaluating options, but the ones that would keep him on the field are dwindling. pic.twitter.com/UqYZejRoLa
That means Burrow will miss the Patriots' matchup on November 23, a key momentum shift for Mike Vrabel and Co.
This has long been considered a loss for New England, since the Bengals are an AFC powerhouse and continue to be one of the contenders to head all the way to the Super Bowl for the last five years. It doesn't appear that will be in their future this year, even if they do appear to have a solid backup in Jake Browning, who led their team to a 31-27 win over Jacksonville.
If he continues to thrive in Burrow's absence, that might pose a problem that the Patriots weren't prepared for. But the good thing is that they know plenty of weeks in advance what they're up against and can build a new game plan around the kind of quarterback that Browning is.
It will be interesting to see how they'll fare against a depleted Bengals team, who will seemingly have given up any chance of making the playoffs without their Pro Bowl quarterback under center.