12 years without loosing the division. For so many years Tom Brady and the Patriots have dominated the east and when the 2013 schedule was released it seems like the Patriots have a chance to extend that streak to 13. 16 games, 13 different teams all spanning a 4 month regular season that always seems to pack a punch. Here i will go week by week profiling and predicting the outcome of each of the Patriots 16 games this year.
Week One: Patriots at Bills
2 weeks after the conclusion of the preseason, the Pats will travel to upstate New York as they look to use a historically week team to springboard themselvs out of the gates to start the season.
Protected final: Patriots over Bills
Week Two: Patriots vs Jets
Its been a rivalry seemingly dormant ever since Rex Ryan basically flew his team into the ground meaning that a revamped patriots pass defense combined with a leaner meaner Vince Wilfork will place Marc Sanches in a torture chamber and most likely lead to a Patriots victory.
Projected final: Patriots over Jets
Week Three: Patriots vs Buccaneers
The last time they played, the year was 2009 as the Patriots played to a dramatic 35 to 7 rout of the 'Bucs'. Yet while historically, the Pats have dominated Buccaneers, the possibility of a Josh Freemen comeback combined with a high 1st round draft pick for Florida might make this a much tighter game than expected
Projected final: Patriots over Buccaneers
Week Four: Patriots at Falcons
Alright this one wont be easy. Even at his ripe age of 37, Tony Gonzolez remains one of the premier tight ends in the NFL. That combined with the mega arm of Matt Ryan might spell trouble for a Patriots defense strong as it may be, that lacks the chemistry of an elite defense.
Projected final: Falcons over Patriots
Week five: Patriots at Bengals
Playing their second straight road game, the Patriots will head to Cincinnati to play a team that despite making the playoffs last year scored 166 less points than the Patriots did last year and ended up falling to the Texans in the first round. Andy Dalton remains with the potntal to be an elite quarterback and really if he were on a team with the receives that the Patriots posses, he might pose a bigger thret. Nonetheless when it comes down to quarter back battles Tom Brady will almost always come out on top.
Projected final: Patriots over Bengals
Week six: Patriots vs Saints
Now 2 years removed from their humiliating Bounty scandal the saints still don't seem strong enough to rejoin the club of top teams in the NFL. Drew Brees remains a great quarterback but after a 7 and 9 2012 season where even he wasn't playing to his fullest i cant see his long time team taking down one whose offence has been one of the best in the league for so long.
Projected final: Patriots over Saints
Week seven: Patriots at Jets
At the beginning of the season, he won't probably be a big factor, but by week seven the pending addition of Darell Revis and a chance of some other trades made by Rex Ryan might spell trouble for the Pats.
Projected final: Jets over Patriots
Week eight: Patriots vs Dolphins
The last time these two teams played, the Miami Dolphins scored nothing. The Patriots defense dominated the Dolphins and with severally new pieces added to their defensive roster I cant see that trend ending this time around.
Projected final: Patriots over Dolphins
Week nine: Patriots vs Steelers
Going into their week 10 bye, the Patriots will be driving and most likely willing to lay everything on the line with the knowledge that they will have almost 2 weeks to recover. In addition to that Ben Rothlessberger is not a fast QB meaning that with a much stronger more athletic Patriots defensive line might make it so that a few key sacs could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Projected final: Patriots over Steelers
Week ten: BYE
Week eleven: Patriots at Panthers
For 2 years now Cam Newton has been on the edge of becoming a great player yet his main asset, the running game will most likely fall victim to a viscous Pats rush defense. The Patriots will not have played in 15 days and with most of the team most likely healthy the Panthers will likely stand little chance when faced with guys like Rob Gronkowski, and Vince Wilfork.
Projected final: Patriots over Panthers
Week twelve: Patriots vs Broncos
It will be the first time since the Welker transaction that the Pats will see their former wind out in action, that combined with a Peyton Manning now more acclimated to his new team than ever will likely rip apart the Pats defense, and prove too much for Brady to make up.
Projected final: Broncos over Patriots
Week thirteen: Patriots at Texans
Last time around, the Patriots were able to isolate the all star defensive line of the Texans allowing Brady seemingly endless amounts of time to get passes off and over the course of 1 regular season game and one playoff game outscore the Texans 83 to 42, a near 2 to 1 ratio. Not much has changed on the side of the Texans, and really the Pats defense hasn't gotten worse begging the question, how can this team to dominated the Texans so obviously possibly loose to this same teams this time around.
Projected final: Patriots over Texans
Week fourteen: Patriots vs Browns
We really don't need to go into much depth on this one. The Browns have't made the playoffs in 11 years, their last appearance being back when Tom Brady was still in the midst of his rookie year. It's just a face, the Cleveland Browns are not a good football team
Projected final: Patriots over Browns
Week fifteen: Patriots at Dolphins
Week fifteen, this their second and last game of the year against the Dolphins, yet while they Pats are likely poised to take game one, this late in the season a Dolphins team desperate for playoffs and the possibility of a coach fighting for his job might give the Patriots a run for their money.
Projected final: Patriots over Dolphins
Week Sixteen: Patriots at Ravens
They are the 2012 super bowl champions. Yet while they did down the Pats in last year conference final, the Ravens have since lost the defensive presence of Ray Lewis and the long range receiving threat of Anquan Boldin meaning that with the patriots driving towards the postseason this contest might end up going to New England.
Projected final: Patriots over Ravens
Week Seventeen: Patriots vs Bills
For the Pats it will be both a first and last for their 2013 season. Their first home game against the Bills this time around yet their last regular season game of the year. Nonetheless after some controversial comments by Bills player Stevie Jonson regarding the Boston Marathon Bombings will most likely earn him some passionate booing from New England fans a form of support that will not just deflate the Bills but also empower a Patriots offence to play to what might be a pretty dominant victory.
Projected final: Patriots over Bills
You know a 13 and 4 season really isn't much of a stretch. In addition to that, fact is, among those 4 games I think the patriots might loose at least 2 of them are bound to be close games meaning that if the Pats can come out playing good football they could easily end the season challenging for the top spot in the conference an in turn a Superbowl appearance or hopeful victory.
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