Since I don't have that type of attention span and I can't stand ESPN, Twitter and the interweb has taken away the middle man and given us all the information we need without all the useless talking heads yapping back and forth and predicting records on April 17.
2012 PATRIOTS PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Date.........................Opponent..............................Time....................TV Coverage
Thurs., Aug. 9.........New Orleans Saints..............7:30 p.m. ET.......Patriots Preseason Network
Mon., Aug. 20..........Philadelphia Eagles..............8:00 p.m. ET.......ESPN (Nationally Televised)
Fri., Aug. 24............at Tampa Bay Buccaneers.....7:30 p.m. ET.......Patriots Preseason Network
Wed., Aug. 29..........at New York Giants...............7:30 p.m. ET.......Patriots Preseason Network
2012 PATRIOTS REGULAR SEASON
Date............................Opponent....................Time.........................Affiliate.........Network
Sunday, Sept. 9..........at Tennessee.................1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ...............CBS
Sunday, Sept. 16........Arizona...........................1:00 p.m. ET........WFXT..............FOX
Sunday, Sept. 23........at Baltimore...................8:20 p.m. ET........WHDH............NBC
Sunday, Sept. 30........at Buffalo........................1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ...............CBS
Sunday, Oct. 7............Denver.............................4:15 p.m. ET.......WBZ...............CBS
Sunday, Oct. 14.........at Seattle........................4:05 p.m. ET........WBZ...............CBS
Sunday, Oct. 21..........New York Jets................4:15 p.m. ET........WBZ...............CBS
Sunday, Oct. 28.........at St. Louis (London)......1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ...............CBS
Sunday, Nov. 4............BYE WEEK
Sunday, Nov. 11..........Buffalo.............................1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ..............CBS
Sunday, Nov. 18..........Indianapolis....................1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ..............CBS*
Thursday, Nov. 22.......at New York Jets.............8:20 p.m. ET.......WHDH...........NBC
Sunday, Dec. 2.............at Miami..........................1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ.............CBS*
Monday, Dec. 10..........Houston..........................8:30 p.m. ET........WCVB...........ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 16...........San Francisco................8:20 p.m. ET........WHDH...........NBC*
Sunday, Dec. 23...........at Jacksonville...............1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ..............CBS*
Sunday, Dec. 30...........Miami..............................1:00 p.m. ET........WBZ..............CBS*
We knew who the Patriots were going to play but this gives us all the particulars: when, where and what time. I'm going to sound jaded here but it's nice that at least to start, New England only has four primetime games (2 Sunday, 1 Monday, Thanksgiving). There is nothing worse than waiting all day and night for their game to come, that's what makes nine 1:00 p.m. starts genuinely orgasmic. However, keep in mind that with flex scheduling, many of those later in the season can be moved if they are attractive matchups to NBC's Sunday Night Football. Teams can only play in five primetime games per season.
The highlights for me are Thanksgiving night (Week 12) as the Patriots face the Jets at Met Life Stadium, 8:20 p.m. Nothing says Thanksgiving like a Pats-Jets game, that should be awesome since the NFL Network usually throws a garbage contest on in that time slot. You'll need to rest up from your food coma and wake up in time for that.
On Sept. 23 (Week 3), the Patriots have an AFC Championship rematch with the Ravens, this time in Baltimore on Sunday Night Football. By then, Joe Flacco should be on top of the NFL, at least in his own mind. New England and Baltimore have developed a very nice rivalry in the last few seasons.
Peyton Manning and his new team-the Denver Broncos-come to Gillette Stadium on Sunday, October 7 (Week 5), 4:15 p.m. Think that one will get much hype: Brady vs. Manning Part 99?
I'm also happy that with the playoffs a given virtually every season with Brady and Belichick, the Pats will face two very good teams in mid-December. The Houston Texans visit Foxborough on Monday, December 10 (Week 14) and the San Francisco 49ers are here the following Sunday night. Both of those squads went to the playoffs last season and they're both loaded for the near future.
The first two weeks are really soft for the Pats, they couldn't have asked for much easier opponents: at Tennessee, Sunday September 9 in the season-opener at 1:00 p.m. The following week, the Arizona Cardinals will help officially open the 2012 regular season at Gillette. There's no way that New England will lose either of those games.
I'm not a fan of the last two games as the Patriots will play two teams that undoubtedly will be some of the worst in the NFL as usual. New England's last road game is Sunday, December 23 (Week 16) at Jacksonville, 1:00 p.m. Then they close the regular season in what is sure to be a meaningless game for the Miami Dolphins at Gillette on Sunday, December 30.
The Pats have two long road trips to not look forward to: Sunday, October 14 (Week 6) at the Seattle Seahawks and the stupid game in London against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, October 28. New England's bye comes in Week 9, the following weekend after their journey to the UK.
We didn't get any snow games this season (thanks Global Warming) but with five games in Foxborough in November and December, not to mention the Thanksgiving game, I like our chances of seeing a Patriots game played in the snow.
My one complaint is that the Patriots won't get to face the Giants other than in their customary pointless preseason game. I guess all we can hope for is another rematch in the Super Bowl; third time's a charm, right?
Without knowing injuries, starting roles, trades, cuts and other factors, it's impossible and silly to project how the Patriots' schedule shakes out. Most importantly, with mini-camps starting this week and the NFL Draft beginning next Thursday, the dawning of a new NFL season isn't that far away and that's the best news I can give you. Screw baseball, football is truly America's pastime and it has been for a while now. There is nothing like the NFL.
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