The New England Patriots will be entering the 2017 season as defending Super Bowl champions. They will be looking to be the first back-to-back champions since 2004 and 2005, when the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX.
Outside of the AFC East, they will play the NFC South and the AFC West, as well as the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Looking at how they match up with these teams, there’s a good chance the Patriots could finish with a perfect (regular) season.
With the NFC East having four teams that could make the playoffs, the NFC South is now the weakest division in the conference.