Ranking Patriots’ 2025 schedule from least to most exciting games

Of course, things can change in a hurry once the football season actually begins. And even with several matchups against other rebuilding teams, the Patriots should have plenty of intriguing games to tune into this year.

Here’s our ranking of the Patriots’ 17 games, from least to most exciting:

17. Week 8 vs. Browns, 1 p.m. 

Not a whole lot to get excited about this one, especially given the dearth of elite talent on the offensive side of the ball for Cleveland. It remains to be seen which QB will be starting for the Browns in 2025 — be it Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, or Shedeur Sanders. 

Perhaps a mid-season QB reshuffle involving Sanders could drum up some headlines leading into this late October matchup. But otherwise, this one is poised to be a dud. At least the traffic on Route 1 may not be so bad.

16. Week 6 @ Saints, 4:25 p.m.

Unless you’re a Patriots fan enjoying the cuisine down in New Orleans that weekend, this one has all the makings of a snoozer. Following Derek Carr’s recent retirement, the next man up at QB for New Orleans might be rookie Tyler Shough. It could be a rough season for the Saints given the question marks at the QB position, which could benefit a stronger Patriots defense. 

15. Week 3 vs. Steelers, 1 p.m.

This one has the chance to shoot up the rankings if Aaron Rodgers does decide to join Pittsburgh at some point this offseason. But for now, New England has to like its chances of hosting a Steelers team whose QB room currently consists of Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson, and rookie Will Howard.

14. Week 4 vs. Panthers, 1 p.m.

New England’s lighter start to the 2025 campaign wraps with a game against the Panthers — Drake Maye’s hometown team. Carolina isn’t necessarily a high-profile opponent, but this game could be a sneaky-great QB matchup if Bryce Young builds off of some of the promise he showcased down the stretch in 2024 (12 touchdowns, three interceptions in his last eight games). 

This could be a pretty entertaining matchup in the fall. 

13. Week 18 vs. Dolphins, TBD

It remains to be seen what stakes will be involved at this stage of the NFL calendar. Could the Patriots be on the verge of clinching a playoff spot? Could this be a game where multiple starters sit? Or will this be another miserable end to an underperforming season? 

Whatever plays out, one can only assume that the Dolphins will struggle to keep up in the chilly conditions in Foxborough. 

The Giants still have plenty of question marks all across their roster, but this one could end up being a trap game for the Patriots just ahead of the bye week.

After a meaningless win in Week 18 against Buffalo last year cost New England a chance at the No. 1 pick, Abdul Carter could twist the knife against Patriots fans if he routinely puts Drake Maye into the turf at Gillette Stadium. 

11. Week 17 @ Jets, 1 p.m.

Much like Week 18 against the Dolphins, it’s unclear just where both the Patriots and Jets will be in the standings by late December. But it would be a welcome sight if the Patriots clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2021 by grabbing a win in the Meadowlands.

10. Week 9 vs. Falcons, 1 p.m.

Beyond all of the expected “28-3” jokes, this game against Atlanta could feature an entertaining QB battle between a pair of 2024 first-round picks in Maye and Michael Penix Jr. Even with his limited reps last season behind Kirk Cousins, Penix should have multiple weapons at his disposal in 2025, including Drake London and Bijan Robinson.

9. Week 2 @ Dolphins, 1 p.m.

The Dolphins could be due to take a step back in 2025, but Hard Rock Stadium has been a house of horrors for the Patriots. New England has not won a game in Miami since a 43-0 victory on Sept. 15, 2019 — a game that featured the likes of Tom Brady and Antonio Brown. 

Since that victory, the Patriots are 0-5 at Hard Rock Stadium — and have lost by an average of 13 points over that five-year stretch. Expect another daunting game in the sweltering Miami heat in mid-September.  

8. Week 10 @ Buccaneers, 1 p.m.

Can the Patriots dole out some revenge against Tom Brady’s former team? This won’t be an easy matchup against a seasoned veteran team featuring the likes of Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and others. 

One player to keep tabs on is wide receiver Chris Godwin, who opted to re-sign with the Bucs in free agency instead of hitting the open market, where the Patriots were reportedly interested in opening up their checkbook for him. 

7. Week 7 @ Titans, 1 p.m.

Both the Patriots and Titans were among the worst teams in the NFL last season, but this road game should be chock full of entertaining narratives. Not only will New England get a chance to battle against 2025 No. 1 pick Cam Ward, but Vrabel will also look to beat a Tennessee franchise that fired him after six seasons as head coach. 

6. Week 16 @ Ravens, 1 p.m.

This one has the potential to be a classic if the 2025 Patriots exceed expectations. Or it could get ugly in a hurry if New England once again disappoints this upcoming season.

Even if the Patriots don’t leave M&T Bank Stadium with a win, a competitive game might suffice as a silver lining against the likes of Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and a dangerous Baltimore defense.

A primetime matchup against the Jets is always appointment viewing, even if it remains to be seen if both the Patriots and Jets are on the upswing.

Even with talent across their roster, the Jets don’t exactly have the strongest QB room headlined by Justin Fields, although the former first-round pick arguably submitted the best performance of his career against the Patriots in Gillette Stadium on Oct. 24, 2022 (261 total yards, two touchdowns in a 33-14 win.)

4. Week 1 vs. Raiders, 1 p.m.

Beyond the initial excitement drawn from every season-opening matchup, this game against the Raiders should have no shortage of compelling storylines.

There’s Vrabel’s first official game as Patriots’ head — against a former head coach in New England in Pete Carroll. But it will also serve as a chance for Patriots OC Josh McDaniels to exact some revenge against the team that fired him as head coach midway through the 2023 season. 

There could be even more drama added to their Week 1 slate if Raiders minority owner Tom Brady were to make an appearance at Gillette, although that seems unlikely given his duties as Fox’s lead color analyst during the NFL season.

The Patriots have a legitimate shot at opening the 2025 season with a 3-1 record, even if they come up short on the road against the Dolphins.  But the easiest way to quiet any skepticism about this team’s potential would be if New England goes into Buffalo and challenges one of the best teams in the league in a primetime matchup. 

If Vrabel and the Patriots are going to make some noise in 2025, a strong performance at Orchard Park should stand as a good sign for a rebuilding franchise.

2. Week 15 vs. Bills, 1 p.m.

New England’s second bout against the Bills should hold more appeal this upcoming season — especially if the Patriots are still in the playoff picture come mid-December. 

Even if the Bills enter the 2025 season as the clear favorites to win the AFC East, the Patriots will be coming off the bye week in this Week 15 game — and New England has defeated the Bills at Gillette Stadium in each of the last two seasons.

Granted, last year’s win against Buffalo was against the Bills’ backups in Week 18, but a stronger New England roster could be ready to make life a little more difficult for Josh Allen and Co. back in Foxborough this season. 

1. Week 12 @ Bengals, 1 p.m.

As potential playoff aspirations potentially take shape just ahead of Thanksgiving, this showdown with the Bengals has it all in terms of postseason stakes and outright star talent. 

You’ve got Drake Maye vs. Joe Burrow. Christian Gonzalez vs. Ja’Marr Chase. 

And even with Cincinnati’s stacked offensive personnel, Maye and Co. should have the means to also stuff the stat sheet against a dreadful Bengals defense. 

Beyond the postseason implications, this one should have all of the makings of a high-scoring, back-and-forth contest. 

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.