The Patriots are entering a part of the schedule they have to cash in on.
After a first seven weeks that produced a 4-3 record and confirmed that the schedule was as tough as expected, New England now gets a softer run. The next stop is Miami to face the Dolphins, and after that comes a home game against the Packers. From there, the Patriots have only four road games left, not counting the international game, and just one more back-to-back stretch away from home.
That is a much different setup than the opening month, when they were on the road in three games and away from home four times in their first seven weeks. This time, the Patriots need to handle the easier portions of the slate better than they did last year, when they went undefeated on the road and took their only losses at home.
That puts a premium on making Gillette Stadium matter again.
The early part of the 2026 season included games against the Seahawks, Steelers, Jaguars, Bills, Raiders, Jets, and Bears, and now New England has 10 games left. The path ahead looks favorable enough to create more wins and keep the playoff push alive.
That was a long way from the preseason expectations. Most analysts thought the Patriots would struggle in the opening month, fall behind the Bills in the division, and miss the playoffs altogether.
Instead, they have stayed in the hunt, and Drake Maye has been a big reason why. Since the win over the Bills, his play has helped keep the Patriots in games and even push them to wins. His performance in the near-win in Chicago last Thursday stood out, especially his touchdown reach that went viral.
Drake Maye reaches for the score 🙌
📺 Prime Video pic.twitter.com/GvRdrWHNp5
- New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 23, 2026
The pressure on Maye is only going to grow, especially with injuries stacking up across the roster and hitting the offense hard. The Patriots will need that version of their quarterback the rest of the way.
Still, they would make life a lot easier on themselves if they could beat some of the opponents that should be more manageable. Miami is the first chance to do that, though the game has never been easy for New England, even with Tom Brady at quarterback. It also comes with some momentum, since the Patriots are coming off their first win of the season over the Jets and just put up 24 points against the Bengals in Week 6.
If they can follow the mini-bye with one of their better performances in recent weeks, it would give them a strong start to the three-game stretch before their bye week. It would also help them move up the AFC East standings as the first team to reach three division wins, and it would send them into the final stretch with more confidence about what comes next.
In Other News...
Patriots Trade Deadline Focus Is Shifting To A Growing Pass Rush Need
The Patriots trade deadline planning is starting to tilt toward the one area that has quietly lingered as a problem: generating consistent pressure off the edge. With the defense still searching for more reliable disruption and Harold Landry IIIs return clouded by injury uncertainty, it makes sense that pass rush help has moved closer to the front of the conversation as the deadline approaches.
A few names are already getting discussed as possibilities, with Tuli Tuipulotu, YaYa Diaby and Will McDonald IV all surfacing as edge rushers worth monitoring based on how their current situations line up. None of that means a deal is imminent, but it does show where New Englands attention may be turning if the right opportunity presents itself and the front office decides the pass rush needs more than internal answers. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A Receiver Situation Fans Need To Watch
The Patriots receiver picture could look a lot different by the time the next offseason arrives, and not just because of their own roster churn. New England is already dealing with uncertainty at the position, and the wider league rumor mill has added another name worth watching in Puka Nacua, the Rams wideout whose future in Los Angeles may not be as straightforward as it once seemed.
If Nacua were to become available down the line, he would immediately jump to the top of the kind of receiver conversation the Patriots have to be having behind the scenes. The appeal is obvious for a team trying to stabilize its passing game, but there is still plenty of distance between speculation and reality, and the bigger question for New England is how the rest of its receiving depth settles in before that market even opens. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Trade Deadline Watch Centers On A Chargers Defender Who Fits A Need
The Patriots have stayed competitive through an inconsistent start, even as injuries have thinned out parts of the roster and left the team needing more reliable answers in a few spots. Linebacker depth is one of those areas, and it has become easy to see why New England might be keeping an eye on the trade market as the deadline nears.
One name that fits the profile is a Chargers defender who has been productive on an otherwise struggling team and could appeal to a Patriots defense looking for experienced help behind its starters. Los Angeles is widely expected to listen on deals as its season has gone sideways, which puts a workable fit on the table for New England if it wants to reinforce a position group that could use another proven option. [Read more 🡒]