Perry: Which Pats games are most intriguing in 2021? We rank 'em
Now that we know the Patriots schedule, let's rank the games from most intriguing to least intriguing using a not-so-scientifically-developed 10-point scale.You know which game will be atop the list with a perfect score. But what matchups in the AFC East, a division that looks like it'll be as interesting as it has been in about a decade? What about the extra 17th game with the Cowboys? Which game will be surprisingly difficult? And where is the toughest stretch -- "THE GAUNTLET!" -- on New England's slate?Let's give you our take on all of it right here...
Intrigue score: 10.0
Tom Brady. Bill Belichick. Sunday Night Football. The people of New England will have a chance to see their guy back at his longtime home, while their team may still be waiting to transition to Brady's long-term successor.
The subplot question for this week, as far as the Patriots are concerned, is whether or not this game becomes known as Cam's Last Stand. A rocky beginning to the season could lead to a changing of the guard, and Cam Newton's Week 4 outing against what should be one of the better defenses in football could be... rocky. This isn't 2001. There's no $100 million quarterback on the roster with a sixth-rounder behind him nipping at his heels. There's a $5 million quarterback on the roster with a first-rounder behind him waiting in the wings.
The change is happening eventually. And the result against Brady's Bucs -- depending on how the first three weeks go -- could urge Bill Belichick to make it.
Predictions for all 17 Pats games in 2021
Intrigue score: 8.0
One of just three primetime games on the slate for the Patriots this year, this one has the potential to be massive.
In Western New York, in early December, the weather is going to be an issue. Josh Allen is going to be an issue. The fact that this will be New England's 13th consecutive game with no break is going to be an issue. But if the Patriots are still in the mix for a postseason berth, if they're healthy enough to challenge one of the best teams in the AFC on the road, this could end up being the game that either sparks them to a strong finish.
Or it'll be one they just hope to survive unscathed before their Week 14 bye.
When Mac Jones may start based off Pats' 2021 schedule
Intrigue score: 7.5
Revenge Game week? We know there are all kinds of connections between these two clubs. They continued to exchange players -- Kyle Van Noy, Ted Karras, Adam Butler, Jason McCourty -- this offseason.
There remains a small percentage chance that this is a matchup of young Alabama quarterbacks, but in all likelihood it'll be Tua Tagovailoa versus Cam Newton to kick off the season. Are the Patriots as improved as we think? Is Miami's young talent enough to make it competitive off the bat?
One break for the Patriots in this one: Will Fuller, the blazing-fast receiver the Dolphins signed this offseason, will be serving the remainder of his performance-enhancing drug suspension in Week 1 and won't be eligible to play.
Intrigue score: 7.3
You aren't accustomed to early-season games against the Jets being all that intriguing. That changes this year.
High-end rookie draft pick playing quarterback? New head coach who promises to be a culture-changer? Weapons added on both sides? The AFC East is fun again, friends.
"Fun," of course, will not be the word used to describe this one if the Patriots head to Jersey and experience an early-season faceplant against Zach Wilson, Robert Salah and Co. But the fact that could even be in play ranks this one near the top of the list.
Intrigue score: 7.0
This will be a big one. Whether you're ready to admit it or not, the Browns look like they're for real.
They're led by a smart front office and a smart coaching staff, and they're actually built similarly to the Patriots. Massive offensive line. Dependable running game. Not much speed offensively. Investments made in the secondary and along the edges of their defense. The one major separating factor is it looks like the Browns have a truly reliable quarterback.
Baker Mayfield submitted just eight picks last year and was able to manage things to the point where Cleveland was sniffing the AFC title game. If Mac Jones can eventually rise to that level -- not a superstar passer but a professional caretaker -- the Browns wouldn't be a bad team for the Patriots to model themselves after.
If the Patriots are going to be as competitive as we believe they will be, this could end up being a November matchup between two of the conference's top playoff contenders. Always fun to see that kind of talent on the field at that point in the year.
Intrigue score: 6.8
The only reason it's hard to rank this one more highly is because it's a lifetime away. On its face, it looks like it could be the closest thing anyone gets to a divisional championship game. But are the Patriots going to be in that mix? Are the Dolphins?
Both teams have significant enough questions at quarterback that it's hard not to identify Buffalo as the division favorite -- thus relegating this game to potentially-very-intriguing-but-who-knows territory. If there's a Wild Card spot up for grabs, this one will be juicy. At the very least it represents a nice opportunity for Patriots fans in the Northeast to get down to South Beach in the dead of winter. If we were ranking most intriguing travel opportunities this would top the list.
Intrigue score: 6.7
Another late division game that will carry a lot of weight in terms of playoff seeding, one would think. For the Patriots, they'll be two weeks removed from their long-awaited bye week at this point. Will they have enough in the tank to defend their turf in Foxboro? If they do, they could end up finishing the season strong. This one is the obvious post-bye speed bump.
Intrigue score: 6.5
If Cam Newton is still starting for the Patriots at this point in the year -- particularly if he's taking advantage of a rebuilt offense to put together a vintage Newton season -- this one carries with it all kinds of intrigue.
Newton has been very open about how he felt slighted with the way he was treated by the Panthers on the way out. Now he has an opportunity to go back to Carolina and beat the team that is actively trying to resurrect another quarterback's career? You know Newton will be wearing his heart on his sleeve, maybe even more so than he usually does, which could make this a memorable one.
Intrigue score: 6.4
Another primetime game. So why isn't it higher?
We have no earthly idea how good the Falcons will be. New coach. Changing scheme. Yes, they added arguably the most talented player in this year's draft in Kyle Pitts, which could make their offense a headache. But they also may have to trade away Julio Jones. (Now if this becomes a homecoming for new Patriots wideout Julio Jones... then this shoots to a top-five game on the schedule.)
The reason this game is more interesting than the others below it, though, is because this is game No. 2 in what looks like the toughest four-game stretch on the schedule. After seeing the Browns, and after playing 10 straight games with no bye, to see the Falcons in Atlanta on a Thursday will be a challenge.
Lose this one, it could send the Patriots into a mini-tailspin headed into their week off. Win it? Enjoy a few extra days of rest before hosting the Titans.
Intrigue score: 6.2
Tough one to peg. If Deshaun Watson doesn't play, the Texans are the owners of arguably the least-talented roster in the league. Still, this has the potential to be the beginning of the Mac Jones Era in New England. So we're hedging with this ranking.
If Jones is in for the first time, it's one of the most intriguing games of the year. If not, it's probably the least intriguing of 'em all. But the former scenario isn't totally out of the realm of possibility. If things don't go well for Cam Newton against the Bucs -- and if that game is preceded by a couple of toughies against good defenses -- then at Houston, one month into his rookie season, could be a nice cushy landing spot for Bill Belichick's rookie quarterback.
Intrigue score: 6.0
Two of the most storied franchises in league history and all that... Yeah, yeah, yeah. This one will be compelling because of the matchup between the Dallas offense and the Patriots defense.
Last time Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and the rest made their way to Foxboro they all but turtled in the conditions. Do the Patriots still have enough pop defensively to produce a similar outcome? It looks like it on paper. By six weeks into the season we should know for sure.
Intrigue score: 5.9
Hard to get worked up about Jameis Winston. Harder to get worked up about Taysom Hill. But Sean Payton's standing in the NFL's hierarchy of coaches is such that this matchup will still have plenty of buzz.
Saints playmakers Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara will also give this game a little extra locally. This game might not be the challenge it was during the Drew Brees era, but it's no gimme. The Saints were a top-10 scoring defense in 2020 and added three elite athletes to that side of the ball in the first three rounds of this year's draft. Could be a tough day for a Patriots offense that may very well still be getting its bearings at this stage of the season.
Intrigue score: 5.8
By now Zach Wilson will have played five games. The newness of this AFC East matchup that landed it in our top-five here will have worn off. The Patriots will be 3-3 by this point. The Jets will be 1-4 and fresh off a bye. Unless the Patriots have their attention on their upcoming trip to Los Angeles in Week 8, this should be but a blip on the radar when it comes to intrigue.
Intrigue score: 5.5
The Chargers are a talented team. In conference. And this could be a sneaky-difficult game for the Patriots, who'll be traveling across the country to take on Justin Herbert who at that point will be well into his second season.
He should be better. The team should be far better than what it was when the Patriots lit them up in LA last season, 45-0. But for some reason, this doesn't feel like anything resembling a marquee matchup. If Herbert takes a step in his development -- and doesn't regress the way some believe he will since he was so uncommonly good when pressured last year -- then this is one that could generate a lot more interest as it gets closer.
Intrigue score: 5.3
Coming off a bye, the Patriots should be well-rested and ready for the Carson Wentz-led Colts. Indy should have new left tackle Eric Fisher back and healthy by this point in the year. And while they look like a solid team with good depth, they're lacking in star power. Particularly if Wentz isn't the player he was four years ago. And by this point in the season, we'll have a very good idea of whether or not he's bounced back or if he is what he's been in Philly lately.
If I had to lean one way, I'd lean the latter, making this one hard to geek out over.
Intrigue score: 5.2
Are we still getting excited about this matchup because of Mike Vrabel? He's a good coach, a great quote, and for those reasons there's a little bit of juice here. But this is a team that looks due to regress.
They lost both their starting corners this offseason and will try to replace one with a rookie coming off of back surgery. They lost their second-best receiver Corey Davis and their best tight end Jonnu Smith, now with the Patriots. They also lost their offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, who's now coaching the Falcons.
They do always seem to play the Patriots tough. And Week 12 is smack in the middle of what might be the toughest four-game stretch of the season for the Patriots. But the Titans look due to take a step back in 2021, bumping this game way down our list.
Intrigue score: 4.5
Trevor Lawrence! Urban Meyer! Whatever excitement those names generated early in the season will be long gone by the time 2022 rolls around. People still recovering from New Year's celebrations will groggily flip this one on, take a nap in the middle of the third quarter and wake up to a 13-point Patriots win. They will not have missed much.
