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With training camp and preseason play officially over, the New England Patriots are putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the 2023 season. Roster cuts will be coming in fast and furious before the 4 PM EST deadline on Tuesday afternoon, but for the most part, we have a good idea of what New England's roster is going to look like. So with a full slate of training camp and preseason action in the books, and a clearer idea of what the Patriots will look like, let's run through a game-by-game prediction for the upcoming season and see what New England's final record could end up being.
Patriots game by game predictions for 2023 season
Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 PM EST
The Patriots will kick off their season by going up against the Super Bowl 57 runner-ups in the Philadelphia Eagles, and they will be welcoming back old friend Tom Brady at this game as well. On the field, the Eagles may be even better than they were last season, when they came up just short of beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the Big Game. New England will show some fight, but in the end, Jalen Hurts and company are too much for the Pats to handle. Final Score: 35-21
Record: 0-1
Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:20 PM EST
Week 2 will see the high-flying Miami Dolphins offense come into town, providing New England another big challenge on defense right out of the gate. However, after playing the Eagles in Week 1, the Patriots will be in a good position to put up a better fight against Tua Tagovailoa and his assortment of talented weapons. The Dolphins secondary is also beat up on the other side of the ball, and after a strong finish in Week 1, Mac Jones will carry the momentum over to this game. A game-winning field goal from Nick Folk will give the Patriots a hard-fought victory over a division rival after a rough start against Philly. Final Score: 27-24
Record: 1-1
Week 3: @ New York Jets, 1:00 PM EST
The New York Jets had an impressive offseason, with their biggest move seeing them bring legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers into town, so it's clear the Jets are no longer going to be a division opponent that New England can rely on steamrolling twice a year. Both teams have some notable flaws on their offense, particularly when it comes to their offensive lines. Rodgers and Jones will be under pressure all day, and while it won't be pretty, Rodgers' veteran savvy will help New York grind out a win over New England on their home turf. Final Score: 17-13
Record: 1-2
Week 4: @ Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 PM EST
New England will stay on the road for the second straight week, heading to Texas to take on Ezekiel Elliott's old team in the Dallas Cowboys. The last time these two teams played in 2021, it was an offensive shootout, but this game should be a bit more competitive on defense. Dak Prescott's offensive attack isn't the most dangerous unit New England will have faced to this point, but he racks up four passing touchdowns to four different receivers, which is enough to overcome a pair of touchdowns on the ground from Elliott. Final Score: 28-20
Record 1-3
Week 5: vs. New Orleans Saints, 1:00 PM EST
The Patriots have an extremely tough schedule early on in the season, and while the New Orleans Saints may not jump off the page, this lurks as a surprisingly difficult matchup. Derek Carr is an upgrade at quarterback for the Saints, and he should have his full complement of weapons available with Alvin Kamara's suspension ending after Week 3. Jones and the Patriots offense have been putting together strong outings to this point on the season, and he carves up a suspect Saints defense to the tune of a 300 yard, three touchdown performance to lead New England to a much needed victory. Final Score: 31-27
Record: 2-3
Week 6: @ Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 PM EST
New England will return to Nevada looking for revenge after their crushing last second defeat on one of the most boneheaded plays of all-time from Jakobi Meyers, who also happens to be on the Las Vegas Raiders now. The Raiders are in a somewhat similar spot, having former Patriot Jimmy Garoppolo under center, but this should present a favorable advantage for Bill Belichick and the defense. Jones will put together another strong outing, and the defense will play their part to lead New England to their easiest win of the season. Final Score: 30-13
Record: 3-3
Week 7: vs. Buffalo Bills, 1:00 PM EST
The Patriots will have done well to even up their record after a slow start, but they end up rolling into the Buffalo Bills at home for a very tough matchup. Josh Allen has had New England's number over the past few seasons, and it will take a big outing from the defense to keep this game competitive. With some interesting coverage schemes, though, they are able to slow down Allen enough, and a massive outing from Rhamondre Stevenson puts the Patriots in control late in the game. Allen wakes up at the perfect time, though, and leads Buffalo on a game-winning touchdown drive to hand New England the tough-luck loss. Final Score: 21-20
Record: 3-4
Week 8: @ Miami Dolphins, 1:00 PM EST
New England will head down to Miami for their second meeting of the year with the Dolphins, and once again, their struggles in South Beach will flare up again. Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill will link up for three touchdowns, and Jones will labor through much of the outing, firing a pair of interceptions and barely eclipsing 150 passing yards on the day. With eight games in the books, the Patriots will be left at a crossroads, making their next two games before their Week 11 bye extremely important. Final Score: 34-15
Record: 3-5
Week 9: vs. Washington Commanders, 1:00 PM EST
It's safe to say that the first eight games of New England's season have been brutal, and they will finally get a bit of a softer matchup against the Washington Commanders. The Commanders defense is lethal, but their offense is going to be inconsistent with the unproven Sam Howell under center. These are the sort of matchups that Belichick feasts on, and Stevenson will carry New England on the ground to help them overcome another uneven performance from Jones under center. Final Score: 23-9
Record: 4-5
Week 10: vs. Indianapolis Colts, 9:30 AM EST
The Patriots are technically “home” this week, but they will be flying out to Germany to take on the Indianapolis Colts in this one. The Colts are in a full-scale rebuild, and Belichick will go up against another young quarterback in the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Anthony Richardson. Mobile quarterbacks have given New England some trouble in the past, and while Richardson has his moments, Jones torches the Colts defense in the air to lead the Pats into their bye week on a high note. Final Score: 38-16
Record: 5-5
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Week 11: BYE WEEK
Week 12: @ New York Giants, 1:00 PM EST
New England will be fresh and ready for their battle with the New York Giants, and that should help them out in a big way as they go against one of Belichick's proteges in Brian Daboll. Daboll's familiarity with Belichick's coaching should help the Giants, and while they have a formidable offense led by Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, a lack of a true top-tier wide receiver should help the defense make their lives difficult. Jones slings a pair of touchdowns, and Stevenson two scores of his own on the ground, and the Patriots kick off their post bye-week play with a comfortable victory. Final Score: 30-18
Record: 6-5
Week 13: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1:00 PM EST
The Patriots have always seemed to have the Los Angeles Chargers' number, and this could end up being the game that defines their 2023 campaign. Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense are going to score against you, but can their defense hold up and help them come out on top? With the home crowd supporting them, Jones will outduel Herbert in one of the best games of his career, and a late field goal from Folk will give New England their biggest win of the season to push their win streak to four. Final Score: 38-35
Record: 7-5
Week 14: @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 PM EST
Another sneaky difficult matchup, the Patriots will kick off a stretch of three straight prime-time matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense will still be largely inconsistent, but their defense will give Jones trouble, despite his monster outing against Los Angeles just a few days earlier. Going into Pittsburgh and picking up a victory is always tough, but a strong outing from the defense allows New England to grind out their fifth-straight victory. Final Score: 22-16
Record: 8-5
Week 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 PM EST
After their gutsy win over the Steelers on a short week, the Patriots will get time to rest up for their Monday Night Football contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. As always, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are the class of the NFL, and they will present New England with a massive challenge in the middle of their win streak. Jones and the offense put up a good fight, but after keeping Mahomes in check in the first half, he breaks out in the second half to lead Kansas City to a big win, snapping the Pats win streak in the process. Final Score: 37-30
Record: 8-6
Week 16: @ Denver Broncos, 8:15 PM EST
The Patriots will get gifted a shortened week with a Christmas Eve matchup against the Denver Broncos, and this is another game that could have huge repercussions for New England with the playoffs being a real possibility for them right now. The Broncos were awful last season, but they should be better with Sean Payton manning the sidelines now. Unfortunately, that won't be enough to lead them to a win over New England here, as Stevenson tears up their defense for three touchdowns, and Russell Wilson fires a game-sealing interception to stud rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez to give the Pats their ninth win of the season. Final score: 29-26
Record: 9-6
Week 17: @ Buffalo Bills, 1:00 PM EST
Another big measuring stick matchup with the Bills is on hand in Week 17, but after playing Buffalo close in their early-season matchup, this one doesn't end up being nearly as competitive. Allen throws four touchdowns and rushes for another one, and while Jones has a solid day under center, it's not nearly enough to prevent Buffalo from blowing out the Patriots in their most crushing defeat of the season. Final Score: 41-24
Record: 9-7
Week 18: vs. New York Jets, TBD
You always hope that games in Week 18 come between two teams with a lot on the line, and this game will have huge playoff implications for both teams. The Patriots and Jets will both be jockeying for a wild card spot, and that could see the NFL opt to make this the final game of the season on Sunday night considering the stakes. New England's offense has taken steps forward since their defeat to New York earlier in the season, but the same is true about their opponent here. This is a back-and-forth thriller between two squads leaving it all on the line, with Jones leading New England to a game-winning field goal drive late in the fourth quarter that sends the Patriots into the playoffs and the Jets on their vacation. Final Score: 34-33
Record: 10-7
