Predicting every national TV game for Patriots this season

Throughout the two decades that the Patriots dominated and basically tortured the rest of the league with their consistent winning, seeing their games be chosen the most to be seen on the national broadcasts was expected.

Despite the hatred for Bill Belichick and Tom Brady from the 31 other fanbases, fans loved to watch the Patriots play football, even if it was more of a hate-fueled passion than anything else.

Since Brady left to go to the Bucs, the number of nationally televised New England games has drastically plummeted, and for the most part, rightfully so. They're not the same team they were and have struggled to win many games over the last four years, so they're mostly shown in their local market.

That might change in 2024 based on the curiosity factor surrounding the significant changes that have been made this offseason, starting with the departure of Belichick. On top of that, they just drafted their presumed next franchise quarterback, which will inevitably make them a fascinating team to watch.

Looking at their opponents for the 2024 season, since we are still waiting for the official schedule to be released later this week, there are a few games that feel like it would be fair to predict they'll be shown on Sunday, Monday or Thursday Night Football.

Predicting every national TV game for Patriots this season

Bills vs. Patriots

This has to be one of the most obvious games, right?

The Patriots and Bills have a storied rivalry that has amped up over the last four years due to Buffalo's resurgence to the top of the division. Although they haven't won anything worth mentioning besides the division, they have become a favorite among broadcasters and analysts who hope to see them on national broadcasts as much as possible in a season.

Over the last few years, the matchups between these two teams have been one of the very few Patriots games shown nationally, so it seems easy to predict it'll happen again in 2024.

It would probably be a bit more fun for New England fans to see the game at Gillette Stadium be the one shown nationwide, as they have fared better when playing the Bills at home. Their track record in Buffalo hasn't been the best in recent years, to say the least.

Patriots @ Jets

With the triumphant return of Aaron Rodgers to the Jets' lineup this season, it is surely to be expected they will want to plaster that man all over the primetime games this fall. That likely means one of their matchups with the Patriots will be one of them, probably when they visit the Meadowlands.

How Rodgers will fare with his new team, especially after suffering a season-ending injury in the first game last season, will be one of the biggest stories of the year.

He instantly made them a Super Bowl favorite upon arriving in New York, despite not taking the Packers to a championship game since the 2010 season, which will inevitably pick right back up heading into this season.

Patriots @ Bears

Looking outside of the AFC East, an easy game to assume will be nationally televised is when the Patriots visit Chicago to face the Bears. Typically, this wouldn't be a game anyone outside of both teams' fanbases would want to see, but because they each had excellent drafts, it seems like the perfect recipe to make a good game.

The Bears will be led by their new quarterback, Caleb Williams, who will have an electric receiving corps to work with: Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, and rookie newcomer Rome Odunze. Depending on how the summer goes, the Patriots could also start their rookie quarterback, along with their new receivers and backfield.

It could be one of the more entertaining games of the Patriots season for NFL fans to watch.

Dolphins vs. Patriots

Sticking with the AFC East theme, it seems likely the Dolphins visiting the Patriots could be another national game. Perhaps it will be when New England flies to South Beach, as they have an unfavorable history there. But, we'll have to wait and see.

This is another rivalry that has heated up since Brady left since the quarterback mostly dominated in their matchups throughout his career. Now that things have flipped, the league enjoys showing the games even more.

Hopefully, it won't be another year of the Dolphins sweeping the Patriots like they did in 2023. At the very least, splitting the season would be ideal, and it would be nice to see the home team win in this situation, especially if it's shown nationwide.

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