Over the years, the Patriots have seemed to have treated the first month or so of the season like an extension of the preseason.
They have tried different things to see what works best, including trying players in different positions, because they could since they knew they would be in the mix for one of the top spots in the AFC once Thanksgiving rolled around. It was all about building to that point.
That is not the case in the post-Tom Brady era and the first few games of the 2020 season will be very important.
Not only will they be important for the team as a whole, but also Jarrett Stidham, who will likely be making the first starts of his NFL career.
To this point, it will be very intriguing to see how the first four games of the schedule look.
If the rumored non-conference games are in the first four weeks, that would not be great news.
The Patriots are facing the NFC West this year, which would means games against the Cardinals, 49ers, Rams and Seahawks the first four weeks. This is one of the toughest divisions in football and not an ideal way to start the year with a new quarterback.
Those games also would mean the team would play at Seattle and at L.A. the first month of the year, which likely means a West Coast stay to avoid back-to-back cross-country flights. Could this be good in terms of team chemistry, bonding, etc.? Sure, but those are some tough opponents and not exactly easing Stidham into life as a NFL starter.
Ideally, there would be a few of the easier opponents the first month or so -- vs. Broncos, vs. Chargers, at/vs. Jets, at/vs. Dolphins come to mind. But, it's worth noting as a whole the Patriots do not have a favorable schedule in 2020.
It is important for the team to get off to a good start and allow Stidham to get comfortable. The last thing the team needs is a poor start and Stidham to struggle because then fans could start to get restless.
So, while in recent years not much attention has been paid to the start of the season, that is not the case anymore.
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