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New England Patriots: 2018 regular season weekly predictions

By Justin Keene

FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 16: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a pass in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles during the preseason game at Gillette Stadium on August 16, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 16: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a pass in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles during the preseason game at Gillette Stadium on August 16, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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New England Patriots
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 13: (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Week 11: Bye Week

Having one of the late byes in November always is a plus. This week will get Brady and company rested for the last 6 games of the regular season, where they go on the road for tough divisional games at the Jets and Miami, including yet another late-season trip to Pittsburgh that could have top seed implications.

Week 12: Sunday, November 25th 1 PM @ New York Jets

Coming off the bye week, the New England Patriots will be well rested and ready to go for the homestretch portion of the schedule. Belichick and company will invite the New York Jets into Foxborough for the first time this season.

By this point in the season, most likely the Jets will be out of it, so they could be starting rookie quarterback Sam Darnold for this game. If that is the case, I don’t give the Jets a chance here.

Tom Brady will be able to take a seat on the bench by halftime. The New England backfield will have a field day in this one, as there will be plenty of opportunities for them to run the ball and milk the clock.

Backup Brian Hoyer will get a healthy share of the snaps in the second half of this game. Look for Chris Hogan to eclipse the century mark in this divisional showdown. Pats cruise to start on the right foot after the bye.

Game Prediction: Patriots 38, Jets 14

Record: (10-1)

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Week 13: Sunday, December 2nd 4:25 PM vs Minnesota Vikings

The New England Patriots start off the month of December with a tough home matchup. They welcome the new look Minnesota Vikings into town for a mid-day showdown.

The Vikings made it to the NFC Championship game last year behind the charge of their elite defense. The addition of Kirk Cousins elevates their offense to a whole new level.

At this point in the season, Cousins could be making the case for a potential MVP. The Vikings also have a plethora of weapons on offense in Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray, Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph. This offense will be a lot for the New England defense to handle.

Brady will have a tough time against the Vikings defense. The Vikings defense accounted for 14 interceptions and 37 sacks last season, and I expect them to put up similar numbers this year. Brady will have his hands full, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him throw one or two interceptions in this game.

The defensive line will give him a lot of issues too, as they like to get pressure on the quarterback. I would also expect the secondary to take away Rob Gronkowski, forcing Brady to go to some of his smaller weapons in his wideouts or running backs out of the backfield.

If the Vikings defense can hold the New England offense, Kirk Cousins can take advantage of the weak Patriots defense and put some points up on the board. I think the Patriots take a tough loss here at Gillette.

Game Prediction: Vikings 24, Patriots 17

Record: (10-2)

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