Illustration of a football schedule calendar with a map route from Foxborough to Munich and Buffalo, Patriots schedule 2026

Patriots Schedule 2026: Munich, Bye Week and Bills Rematch Map

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Key takeaways

  • The Patriots are 2-2 and host the Raiders today at 1 p.m. ET; remaining games include a Thursday night trip to Chicago on Oct. 22, a Nov. 15 game in Munich against Detroit (9:30 a.m. ET) and a Nov. 22 bye week.
  • New England closes with a Dec. 6 home game against Buffalo, a Dec. 10 Thursday night game against Minnesota, a Dec. 21 Monday night game at Kansas City, a Dec. 27 game at the Jets and home games against Denver and Miami with dates to be set.
  • All games from Week 5 on are subject to flex scheduling, the Patriots say.
  • Sections labeled analysis are our own projection, not reporting.

The Patriots’ schedule has an unusual shape this year: a Wednesday opener, a game in Germany and a late bye week. This report maps the rest of the season using the team’s official schedule, flags the stretches that look most demanding, and labels our own analysis clearly. The team’s record is 2-2 after wins over Pittsburgh and Buffalo and losses at Seattle and Jacksonville, per Pro Football Reference.

Remaining schedule

According to the Patriots, the rest of the regular season is: Sunday, Oct. 11 vs. Las Vegas (1 p.m., CBS); Sunday, Oct. 18 vs. the Jets (1 p.m., CBS); Thursday, Oct. 22 at Chicago (8:15 p.m., Prime Video); Sunday, Nov. 1 at Miami (4:25 p.m., CBS); Sunday, Nov. 8 vs. Green Bay (4:25 p.m., FOX); Sunday, Nov. 15 vs. Detroit in Munich (9:30 a.m., FOX); a bye on Nov. 22; Sunday, Nov. 29 at the Chargers (8:20 p.m., NBC); Sunday, Dec. 6 vs. Buffalo (4:25 p.m., CBS); Thursday, Dec. 10 vs. Minnesota (8:15 p.m., Prime Video); Monday, Dec. 21 at Kansas City (8:15 p.m., ESPN); Sunday, Dec. 27 at the Jets (1 p.m., CBS); then home games against Denver and Miami, with the dates and times to be determined. The Patriots note that, starting in Week 5, all games are subject to flex scheduling, so times can change.

What is distinctive

The Patriots said the Munich game is their second in Germany after the 2023 Frankfurt game, and that the bye week follows it. Eight teams on the schedule played in last year’s postseason, the club said: Buffalo, Chicago, Denver, Green Bay, Jacksonville, the Chargers, Pittsburgh and Seattle, and the home game against Denver is a rematch of the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots also play two Thursday games, in Chicago and against Minnesota, for the first time since 2022, and they will have a Thursday trip on short rest after the Jets game on Oct. 18, which is a four-day turnaround.

Where the injuries stand

Per our earlier reporting, offensive linemen Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten are on injured reserve, as covered in our Onwenu and Van Roten reports, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez is out against the Raiders with a shoulder injury, according to the team’s Week 5 injury report. Quarterback Drake Maye is listed with a right-shoulder designation but no game status. Our injury report preview covers the earlier wave of absences. The Thursday game in Chicago comes after a four-day turnaround, so recovery time will matter.

Analysis: how the schedule could play out

This section is our analysis and projection, not reporting. In our view the early part of the schedule is front-loaded with home games, two against the Raiders and Jets before the Chicago trip, and the Oct. 22 game is the first significant test of depth on a short week. The Munich game and bye week create a natural reset point, and the games after the bye include trips to the Chargers and Chiefs and home games against Buffalo and Minnesota. The Buffalo rematch on Dec. 6 will come at a point when each team’s tiebreaker position may be clear; our Raiders preview and the separate AFC East race report in this series cover that matchup in more detail. We are not projecting a final record, because injuries at quarterback and on the line could change any estimate.

What to watch

  • Turnovers: Maye has thrown seven interceptions through four games, per NFL.com excerpts.
  • Offensive line health, given the two injured-reserve moves.
  • Flex scheduling: games from Week 5 onward can move, so check the official schedule before making travel plans.

Sources

More: Boston sports news.