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The New England Patriots are coming off of yet another incredibly successful season while winning the heralded AFC East franchise's sixth Super Bowl title. Not only that, but the Patriots have now won two of the last three and three of the last five Super Bowls while reaching the NFL's title game nine times over the course of the last 20 years.
With both head coach Bill Belichick and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady back for another round in 2019, there is absolutely no reason for the Patriots to take a step back next season.
Let's dive in and take a look at three way-too-early bold predictions for the Patriots' 2019 NFL season.
3. The Patriots will win at least 15 regular season games in 2019
If you take a look at the New England Patriots' regular season schedule, there really aren't too many tough games on the slate. With the AFC East primed for yet another disappointing season outside of New England, the Patriots should have no problem defeating the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins twice each, which will mark six wins before the team even has to worry about anyone outside of division play.
The only games that seem at least somewhat difficult for the Patriots are the team's Week 11 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team's Week 12 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, and the team's Week 14 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. With only the matchup against the Eagles coming on the road, the Patriots should take at least two of three during this stretch.
It is also worth noting that the Patriots will take on the up-and-coming Cleveland Browns in Week 8, though this home matchup will only force New England to show its opponent who's boss. With the Patriots in line to take on the typically dangerous Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens as well, both AFC North franchises will not be nearly as talented as they normally are after taking major blows during the most recent free agent cycle.
If the Patriots manage to win three of these four games, New England will almost certainly go 15-1 in 2019.
2. Patriots rookie WR N'Keal Harry will lead New England in receiving yards in 2019
Closing out the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft in style, the New England Patriots notably selected former Arizona State wide receiver N'Keal Harry with the No. 32 overall pick. With Harry becoming the second wide receiver off the board behind only Baltimore Ravens wide out Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, the soon-to-be rookie pass catcher should be in store for a huge season right off the bat.
In the absence of recently retired tight end Rob Gronkowski and suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon, the Patriots will surely call upon Harry early and often in 2019. Not only that, but the Patriots will also be without another wide out in Chris Hogan, who signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason.
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Because the Patriots still have the likes of fellow wide receiver Julian Edelman and a litany of talented running backs, the workload won't fall solely on the shoulders of Harry, who will be able to perform well without encountering a tremendous amount of pressure over the course of his first NFL season.
Even with all of the aforementioned production off the table, the Patriots will simply adapt as they always do with Harry primed to lead the team in receiving yards in 2019-20.
1. The Patriots will win the franchise's seventh Super Bowl title
Although the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Cleveland Browns — among others — appear to be on the upswing in the AFC, there is still no equal match for the New England Patriots. Despite the fact that a slew of teams are indeed getting better, they are all still on an upward trajectory, meaning that the Patriots will hold the upper hand once again in 2019.
On the other end of the spectrum, there doesn't appear to be a clear challenger to the New Orleans Saints or the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC. With these two teams slated to meet in the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season, the Rams have already been downed by the Patriots while the Saints could be up next. As it stands today, it appears as though the high-powered Saints would be the biggest threat to New England going forward as the Patriots already have a solidified game plan to upend the Rams.
As the Patriots remain the clear favorite to come out of the AFC, it remains to be seen as to whether the Rams or Saints can do enough to dethrone New England when all is said and done. As a result, the Patriots will win the franchise's seventh Super Bowl title next season.
