For the last two decades, anyone looking ahead at the NFL schedule would’ve penciled in the Patriots to win most of their games. Things have changed.
This year, the early favorites show the Patriots are only favored in half of their games. Via the Boston Herald, the Patriots are favorites in eight games, underdogs in seven and a pick ‘em in one.
Obviously, this year’s Patriots look very different because Tom Brady is now in Tampa Bay. But it goes further than that: New England hasn’t done much to improve a roster that faded down the stretch last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs. It’s easy to see why the Patriots, facing a first-place schedule, are expected to take a step backward.
The Patriots are underdogs at Seattle, at Kansas City, home against the 49ers, at Buffalo, home against the Ravens, at Houston and at the L.A. Rams. They’re favored to win both of their games against the Dolphins and Jets, their home game against the Bills, home against the Raiders, home against the Broncos and home against the Cardinals. They’re a pick-em at the Chargers.
If the odds are right, they’ll go 8-7-1, their worst record since 2000, before Brady was their starting quarterback.
