There's a bit of optimism in New England this winter after the Patriots hired a proven offensive coordinator in Bill O'Brien.
But allow us a word of caution: The Patriots' path back to relevance in 2023 won't be easy.
The Kansas City Chiefs edged the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday in a thrilling matchup between two strong opponents. And guess what? Both of those opponents will come to Foxboro next season.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Next Pats Podcast: Louis Riddick explains why Mac Jones can be a top-10 quarterback | Listen & Follow | Watch on YouTube
The Patriots are scheduled to host both Kansas City and Philadelphia in 2023, marking the first time in the Bill Belichick era that New England will face both of the previous season's Super Bowl participants in the same season. Ironically, the Patriots also will visit the site of Super Bowl LVIII when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road.
The Chiefs and Eagles both should be among the league's best teams again next season, with reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and breakout star Jalen Hurts locked in as their teams' starting quarterbacks. Those will be two very difficult games for New England to win -- and they're part of an overall gauntlet for the 2023 Patriots.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Based the combined 2022 winning percentage of their opponents, the Patriots are tied for the NFL's third-hardest schedule in 2023. By that metric, only the Eagles and Miami Dolphins have a more difficult schedule than New England, whose 2023 opponents won 54.9 percent of their games last season.
The Patriots will face just six teams that had losing records in 2022, and only two teams -- the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos -- that won fewer than seven games. Add in the fact that New England is set to lose a traditional home game this season by "hosting" a game in Germany, and the team will have to make a considerable leap in 2023 if it wants to improve on last year's 9-8 record and return to the postseason.
Here's a refresher on the Patriots' home and away opponents for 2023:
Home
- Buffalo Bills
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- New Orleans Saints
Away
- Buffalo Bills
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets
- New York Giants
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Indianapolis Colts