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New England Patriots 2016 schedule analysis: Week 1 at Arizona Cardinals is the toughest game

A Patriots-Broncos clash to kick off the 2016 season would have been great, but the Cardinals make for a compelling matchup, too.

Truthfully, a Sunday night road game against a lethal Arizona offense is about as difficult a Week 1 task as Bill Belichick has seen. Remember: The Cardinals averaged 32.5 points per game at home a year ago, and that's including a 6-point stinker in the regular season finale against Seattle.

Beyond Week 1, a few takeaways from the schedule:

**This is a much tougher slate than the one the Pats were handed a year ago.