The New England Patriots have been the paragon of consistent winning in the NFL, and their sheer dominance in the AFC East has led to 12 division titles in the past 13 years.
Anyone who's stood in New England's way for more than a decade has more often than not come out on the losing end. In surveying the Patriots' 2016 schedule that dropped Thursday, there's little reason to believe anything will be different this coming season.
With legendary leaders in quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, New England has unmatched stability and sustained greatness. That essentially guarantees a playoff berth and probably another division crown.
Below is the Patriots' full schedule, along with analysis on the team's 2016 outlook and some of the most pivotal matchups on the slate.
| 2016 New England Patriots' Regular-Season Schedule | ||||
| 1 | Sept. 11 | at Arizona Cardinals | 8:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 2 | Sept. 18 | vs. Miami Dolphins | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 22 | vs. Houston Texans | 8:25 p.m. | CBS/NFL Network |
| 4 | Oct. 2 | vs. Buffalo Bills | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 9 | at Cleveland Browns | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 6 | Oct. 16 | vs. Cincinnati Bengals | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 23 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 8 | Oct. 30 | at Buffalo Bills | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 9 | BYE | |||
| 10 | Nov. 13 | vs. Seattle Seahawks | 8:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 11 | Nov. 20 | at San Francisco 49ers | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 27 | at New York Jets | 8:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 13 | Dec. 4 | vs. Los Angeles Rams | 1 p.m. | FOX |
| 14 | Dec. 12 | vs. Baltimore Ravens | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 15 | Dec. 18 | at Denver Broncos | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | vs. New York Jets | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 1 | at Miami Dolphins | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Source: NFL.com | ||||
Analysis
New England has been active on the transaction wire with a number of considerable splash moves, landing defensive end Chris Long and trading stud pass-rusher Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals in March.
The latter move allowed the Pats to gain former first-round pick Jonathan Cooper, who will hopefully live up to his high draft billing and bolster what was a patchwork offensive line in 2015.
But what's bound to make New England's passing game even more dangerous this season is the addition of tight end Martellus Bennett. He is a tough, durable player who's a capable pass-catcher and may well form the league's best TE duo with superstar Rob Gronkowski.
The defense ought to be in fine shape with brilliant minds such as Belichick and coordinator Matt Patricia coming up with the game plans. Star safety Devin McCourty is invaluable on the back end, and Malcolm Butler is emerging as a true lockdown cornerback.
What's helped the Patriots a lot is the home-field advantage they exploit at Gillette Stadium. They are 22-2 at the venue over the past three seasons, which means the margin for error on the road has been greater and thus applies even more pressure on their opponents.
Pivotal Matchups
In light of how well New England has fared at home, it's worth focusing primarily on the road games in searching for the most critical matchups of the 2016 campaign.
For a quick rundown on the best home contests, look no further than the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks. It will be a measuring-stick game for Cincinnati as it tries to gather momentum in a bid to halt a five-year skid of one-and-done postseason showings.
The Seahawks have emulated the Patriots' style of consistent winning since signal-caller Russell Wilson and the rest of his 2012 draft class arrived. They have as good a chance as anyone of putting a dent in New England's staunch home record.
One schedule standout away from Foxborough is Arizona. Both Jones and Cooper will want to prove themselves against their former teams, and the former could wreak havoc on the Pats offensive line if New England hasn't shored it up enough this year.
Of course, the AFC Championship Game rematch with the reigning Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos will be a dandy.
This is a prime opportunity for the Pats to set the tone for the race for the No. 1 playoff seed, as Denver has an uncertain QB situation currently headlined by Mark Sanchez.
Sanchez does have some experience facing New England as a former member of the New York Jets. That may be enough to help keep the marquee clash competitive, along with Denver's elite defense, though the Broncos did lose Malik Jackson and others in free agency.
