LISTEN LIVE

Lets Meet The Patriots’ 2018 Opponents

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are onto 2018. In the upcoming 2018 NFL Season, the Patriots are scheduled to play the AFC South and NFC North, and of…

(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are onto 2018.

In the upcoming 2018 NFL Season, the Patriots are scheduled to play the AFC South and NFC North, and of course the AFC East. In addition to these divisions, the Pats will play one team from the AFC West and AFC North.

Out of their 13 opponents, only six of the teams made the playoffs in 2017, and you can say that more than likely at least one other should’ve made the playoffs in the Green Bay Packers and possibly the Houston Texans. But both teams suffered injuries at the quarterback position, with the Packers losing Aaron Rodgers (broken collarbone) and the Texans lost DeShaun Watson (torn ACL).

The Patriots (13-3) will welcome the Indianapolis Colts (4-12), New York Jets (5-11), Green Bay Packers (7-9), Minnesota Vikings 13-3), Miami Dolphins (6-10), Houston Texans (4-12), Buffalo Bills (9-7) and the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) to Gillette Stadium in 2018.

Plus the Patriots will hit the road to take on the Pittsburg Steelers (13-3), Detroit Lions (9-7), Chicago Bears (5-11), Jets, Dolphins and Bills. There's a pair of playoff rematches on deck for the Patriots as well.

They'll be heading down to Nashville for an AFC Divisional Round rematch against the Tennessee Titans (9-7). And they'll also be shooting down to Florida on "Air Kraft One" for an epic AFC Championship rematch against the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6).

As we near closer to the start of the season, we'll eventually learn where and when the Patriots will be taking on this list of league opponents.

Highlights For 2018:

The Packers should have a healthy Rodgers back and the Texans should be getting Watson back as well.

The Lions have a new head coach in former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Plus the Bears hired the Chiefs' former offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and the Titans hired former Patriots' linebacker and defensive coordinator of the Texans, Mike Vrabrel, to become their newest head coach. And after Josh McDaniels pulled away from the Colts' offer at the last minutes, they decided to hire the Eagles' most recent offensive coordinator Frank Reich.

And we can't forget that the Kansas City Chiefs will have a new starting quarterback under center after trading Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins a few weeks ago.

The Dolphins will more than likely be making a move at quarterback as well. And who knows what the Vikings' plan will be at quarterback with Case Keenum hitting free agency.

There's still a long off-season ahead for the Patriots and the rest of the NFL, so plan on plenty of changes around the league as we near closer to the start of the 2018 season.

--  By John 'The Dude' Hardiman, 985TheSportsHub.com

John Hardiman is a Digital Producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for John? Hit him up on Twitter @HardiDude or e-mail him at john.hardiman@bbgi.com.