The New England Patriots are no strangers to the prime time spotlight, and that isn’t expected to change anytime soon with the team having four prime time games on their 2023 regular season schedule.
It all starts with their Week 2 showdown at home against the Miami Dolphins, and then they’ll have to wait until a busy month of December, when they’ll have three prime time games.
That stretch includes a run-in with the Pittsburgh Steelers and back-to-back spotlighted games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.
Every game on the schedule matters, and the Patriots will need to win as many as possible to stay afloat in the AFC East and potentially punch their ticket for a playoff berth. However, some games are clearly bigger than others from the spectacle side of things.
Today, we’re ranking the Patriots’ best prime time matchups in the 2023 season.
4
Sunday Night Football: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (December 24)
No team was as disappointing as the Denver Broncos last season. After pulling off the blockbuster trade for nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, the Broncos finished with an even worse record than they did in 2021.
They were 5-12 on the year and dead last in the AFC West.
Like the Patriots, they hired a brand new offensive coordinator in the offseason in hopes of sparking some life in the team. Joe Lombardi will take over the reins of the offense and try to steer the Broncos back on track.
But they’ll be on the road facing a Patriots defense that should be a monster in 2023. Of course, that won’t matter if Mac Jones and company can’t put points on the board. This could just as easily turn into the battle of sputtering offenses.
3
Thursday Night Football: New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers (December 7)
Eww, a Thursday night game.
This won’t be a fun one for the Patriots since they will have played the previous Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. So after facing a team most view as a legitimate playoff contender, the Patriots will have to hop on a plane ride to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers a few days later.
That’s as tough as it gets.
With that said, it’s always fun to see Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin match wits from the sidelines. Throw in the two stellar defenses and this one should feel like a heavyweight slugfest.
2
Sunday Night Football: New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins (September 17)
The Dolphins will have Tua Tagovailoa back under center at quarterback, and they added All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to their defensive backfield. That’s bad news for the Patriots and the rest of the NFL.
As long as health isn’t an issue, the Dolphins could emerge as one of the best teams in the AFC. They might even be good enough to surpass the Buffalo Bills to win the entire AFC East division.
This could be a key game for a Patriots team that’ll have to face the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in their regular season opener. The likelihood of them winning both games is slim.
If they can’t upset the Eagles, could they steal a win at home against the same Dolphins team they beat at Gillette Stadium last season?
1
Monday Night Football: New England Patriots vs Kansas City Chiefs (December 18)
The run-in with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs tops the list of prime time games for the Patriots. It shouldn’t come as a surprise considering New England will have a chance to test themselves against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
The game coming later in the season could be crucial, especially if the Patriots are jockeying for playoff positioning. It would be an awfully tough spot to be in if they found themselves in a must-win situation against Kansas City.
Mahomes is 2-2 against the Patriots in the all-time head-to-head meetings, and Tom Brady was still the quarterback for New England in both losses. Can Mac Jones put the Patriots ahead by knocking off the best quarterback in football?
