New England Patriots 2019 schedule release: Games, dates and times

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) under center during Super Bowl LIII between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots on February 3, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) under center during Super Bowl LIII between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots on February 3, 2019 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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After winning the Lombardi trophy back in February, the New England Patriots will look to win their seventh Super Bowl in the Brady-Belichick era against a highly compelling schedule of games.

In what has become a ho-hum affair for the rest of the National Football League, the New England Patriots enter the season as the defending Super Bowl champions. After topping the Los Angeles Rams in a very low scoring title game in Atlanta, Tom Brady and company are hoping to further cement their legacies with an obscene seventh championship since 2001.

The Patriots do face a unique challenge this year due to the massive exodus of talent from 1 Patriot Place. A lot of notable free agents left for greener pastures, including starting left tackle Trent Brown and defensive end Trey Flowers, while tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement back in March.

New England will continue to reload, adding Michael Bennett in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to replace Flowers and potentially looking to the draft for Gronk’s replacement, but they still remain heavy favorites to win the AFC East.

Here is who New England will be playing this year on its home and away schedules.

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – 8:20 p.m. – NBC
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins – 1 p.m. – CBS
Week 3: vs. New York Jets – 1 p.m. – CBS
Week 4: at Buffalo Bills – 1 p.m. – CBS
Week 5: at Washington Redskins – 1 p.m. – CBS
Week 6: vs. New York Giants (Thurs.) – 8:20 p.m. – FOX
Week 7: at New York Jets (Mon.) – 8:20 p.m. – ESPN
Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns – 4:25 p.m. – CBS
Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens – 8:20 p.m. – ESPN
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles – 4:25 p.m. – CBS
Week 12: vs. Dallas Cowboys – 4:25 p.m. – FOX
Week 13: at Houston Texans – 8:20 p.m. – NBC
Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs – 4:25 p.m. – CBS
Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals – 1 p.m. – CBS
Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills – 1 p.m. – CBS
Week 17:  vs. Miami Dolphins – 1 p.m. – CBS

The Patriots should be ticketed for plenty of nationally televised games this season, including their home opener, which will be the first Sunday Night Football game of the season. The NFL could go a lot of different ways for that matchup, but one team to watch here could be the Cleveland Browns, who came on strong at the end of last season and made the move of the offseason by landing Odell Beckham Jr. in a trade with the Giants.