The New England Patriots have an extremely tough road ahead as they prepare for life without Tom Brady in 2020.

New England released its full 2020 schedule on Thursday night, with the misfortune of playing against the NFC West and AFC West.

The Patriots open the year on Sept. 13 against the Miami Dolphins, but things get much stickier from there.

New England has road games against the Seattle Seahawks and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in two of its first four games. Even when they return home after facing the Chiefs, things do not get much easier, as the Pats host a much-improved Denver Broncos squad and the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.

The second half of the schedule is not much easier. New England hosts the Baltimore Ravens before going on the road to face the Houston Texans.

The Pats also have a stretch of three consecutive road games in which they face (in this order) the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, and Dolphins before wrapping up the year at home against the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.

This is a demanding test for head coach Bill Belichick and rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Seven of New England's opponents were better than .500 last season, and even teams like the Broncos, Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals all look vastly improved.

The Patriots still have hopes of reaching the postseason of 2020. But after a first look at the schedule, it is clear they will need Stidham to develop in a hurry while maintaining dominance on the defensive side of the ball if they want to accomplish that goal.