For the last few years, the New England Patriots have somehow managed to draw the short straw from the NFL scheduling gods. They’ve been one of the worst teams in the league faced with one of the hardest schedules.
But their fortunes have seemingly changed for the better.
Not only did coach Mike Vrabel throw on the red cape to help save the flailing franchise, but the scheduling gods blessed them with one of the easiest schedules in the league. Of course, that doesn’t mean much if the team fails to live up to expectations.
I shared my game-by-game predictions for the Patriots in 2025 after the schedule release back in May. This time, we are turning to the AI assistant Grok to predict the Patriots’ final record at the end of the season.
Week 1: Sept. 7 vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
The Patriots open the season at home against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders. Much has changed for the Raiders in the offseason with Pete Carroll stepping in as the new head coach and the team signing veteran quarterback Geno Smith. Will that be enough to change their fortunes in 2025?
Week 2: Sept. 14 at Miami Dolphins (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
The Dolphins seem to be falling apart before the season even begins. They traded tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Veteran corner Artie Burns also recently went down with a scary knee injury. With that said, this game is in Miami, and even when Tom Brady was under center, South Beach has long been a house of horrors for New England.
Week 3: Sept. 21 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
The Pittsburgh Steelers went all in on a potential Super Bowl run in the offseason, including signing legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a deal. This isn’t the same Rodgers from the glory days, and even though the team is loaded defensively, there are still serious offensive concerns.
Week 4: Sept. 28 vs. Carolina Panthers (1:00 p.m. ET FOX)
The Carolina Panthers were one of the worst teams in the league last season. There is no such thing as a sure thing in the NFL, but these are the kinds of games the Patriots need to start winning more consistently to demonstrate a real culture shift. This feels like a must-win game at home if New England hopes to make some real noise this season.
Week 5: Oct. 5 at Buffalo Bills (8:20 p.m. ET NBC)
The Patriots have been big-brothered by quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills ever since Tom Brady took his talents to Tampa Bay. There’s hope that the tide could turn at some point with the arrival of Drake Maye. However, a road Sunday Night Football game in Week 5 at Buffalo might be too tough to overcome for a rebuilding Patriots team.
Week 6: Oct. 12 at New Orleans Saints (4:25 p.m. ET CBS)
The Saints have a rookie coach and rookie quarterback heading into the 2025 season. It’s a Hail Mary attempt at breathing new life into a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2020. Things are far from perfect in New England, but they are in much better shape than the Saints.
Week 7: Oct. 19 at Tennessee Titans (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel would probably never say it publicly, but he likely has this game circled in red. He will be returning to Tennessee for the first time as an NFL head coach to face the team that fired him in 2024, after six seasons. It would be a measure of revenge to go into Tennessee and hand them a loss in the first matchup between Drake Maye and Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
Week 8: Oct. 26 vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m. ET FOX)
The Cleveland Browns are one of the best defensive teams in football, but there are more questions than answers on the offensive side of the ball. This is a team with five quarterbacks currently on its roster. If the Patriots’ offense can avoid imploding at the hands of Myles Garrett and company, they’ll have a real shot at coming out on top in this AFC matchup.
Week 9: Nov. 2 vs. Atlanta Falcons (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
The Atlanta Falcons appear to be moving on from the short-lived Kirk Cousins era and going all in on Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback. Penix appeared in five games last season, but this will be his first year as the guy in Atlanta. That bodes well for a Patriots defensive unit that should be significantly improved in 2025.
Week 10: Nov. 9 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
Grok has the Patriots’ four-game win streak coming to an end on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the ball in Tampa Bay, and a less-than-stellar defensive performance from New England could end badly for the Patriots on the road against a potential playoff contender.
Week 11: Nov. 13 vs. New York Jets (8:15 p.m. ET Prime Video)
The Patriots will play host to the New York Jets for a Thursday Night Football showdown in November. This will be the NFL Nike Rivalries game, where the Patriots are slated to debut their new rivalries uniform. The Jets have been a walking disaster in recent years, and it’s hard to envision that suddenly changing for this matchup.
Week 12: Nov. 23 at Cincinnati Bengals (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals still probably have a bad taste in their mouth after being upset by the Jerod Mayo-led Patriots last season. Granted, the Patriots should be significantly better in 2025, but they might be punching above their weight against the Bengals. Barring another stunning drop-off for Cincinnati, it’s hard to envision lightning striking twice for the Patriots.
Week 13: Dec. 1 vs. New York Giants (8:15 p.m. ET ESPN)
There is still no love lost from the New York Giants ending the Patriots’ perfect season nearly 20 years ago at Super Bowl XLII. You can rest assured that Mike Vrabel, who played for the 2007 Patriots team, hasn’t forgotten. The Giants lost more football games than the Patriots last season, and they’ll be counting on rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to change their fortunes.
Week 14: BYE WEEK
Week 15: Dec. 14 vs. Buffalo Bills (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
Grok is predicting a clean sweep for the Buffalo Bills in their head-to-head meetings with the Patriots this season. It’s hard to bet against Josh Allen, but it also wouldn’t be surprising to see the Patriots steal a win at home in this one. They will also likely be the more desperate team in terms of playoff seeding.
Week 16: Dec. 21 at Baltimore Ravens (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
Going on the road and knocking off a perennial playoff contender like the Baltimore Ravens might be too much to ask for this Patriots team. The Ravens don’t lose often, and it’s even tougher beating them at M&T Bank Stadium. Beating a Lamar Jackson-led team on the road would mean the Patriots haven’t just improved.
They have arrived.
Week 17: Dec. 28 at New York Jets (1:00 p.m. ET CBS)
This AI simulation has the Patriots sweeping the New York Jets in the regular season series. There are far too many questions on offense for a Jets team still picking up the pieces from their failed Aaron Rodgers experiment. It isn’t a great outlook when the team is looking for quarterback Justin Fields to save them.
Week 18: Jan. 3/4 vs. Miami Dolphins (TBD)
The Patriots getting a warm-weather opponent like the Dolphins at Foxborough in January bodes well for the team to finish the season with another victory. There are serious concerns with Miami’s defense with the loss of Jalen Ramsey and Artie Burns. Drake Maye and the Patriots’ offense should feast in this one.
Patriots 2025 record prediction: 11-6
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