The Patriots’ schedule is out, and it is a dream.

Not only will the Pats play nine home games, they will travel the sixth-fewest miles in the league, according to the Herald’s Bill Speros. Their crossover NFC kickoffs include potential layups versus the Panthers, Saints and Giants. The Browns also come to town in October, a visit balanced out by tough, ensuing trips to see the Ravens, Bengals and Buccaneers.

None of those kickoffs will be in primetime, however, as all national games will pit the Patriots against New York teams.

And that’s only scratching the surface of a soft slate that packs plenty of promise.

Let’s dive in.

It was once said around these parts that real football doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving.

But after four losing seasons in five years, we can move the goalposts back a little.

After upsetting the Bengals in Week 1 last season, the Patriots will return to the Queen City just days before Thanksgiving. And lucky for them, coming off a Thursday night battle against the Jets, they will have extra time to prepare.

On top of that, there’s star power at quarterback: Joe Burrow versus Drake Maye.

There’s an elite matchup outside: All-Pro wideout Ja’Marr Chase versus star Pats cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

There’s a potential advantage inside: Patriots defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore versus a soft interior Bengals O-line.

And with any luck, playoff implications will be on the line between two teams expected to be in the Wild Card hunt. If the Patriots win in Cincy, expect the league to take notice.

Halloween won’t come for another five days, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a scarier position group than the Browns’ quarterbacks.

Could Kenny Pickett start this week? Joe Flacco? What about rookies Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders?

No matter whom the Browns drop under center, there’s little reason to get excited about this one. Little firepower, minimal star power and zero history … unless you count Mike Vrabel serving as a consultant for Cleveland last season.

If the Patriots’ playoff hopes come down to one game, it should be this one.

Fresh off their bye week, Maye and Co. will welcome a Bills team they’ve actually beaten at home for two straight seasons but should be underdogs against this winter. Buffalo is widely expected to repeat yet again as AFC East champions, and with the Dolphins and Jets sliding, there’s a chance for the Patriots to flip those expectations on their head.

But only if they upset the Bills first on Dec. 14.

Lamar Jackson. Derrick Henry. A defense designed to blitz and confuse.

Enough said.

Yes, they will be at home.

But the Patriots will also be playing their 13th straight game without a bye week and fourth game in 22 days, a stretch that includes trips to Cincinnati and Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, as bad as they might be, the Giants field one of the fiercest defensive lines in football with Pro Bowl veterans Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence, plus No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter. Even if the Pats’ offensive line is at full health, this matchup will be a handful for Will Campbell and Co.

Josh McDaniels faces his former team, now on its second head coach since he was fired midway through the 2023 season.

Lucky for McDaniels, the Raiders retained his former defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, whose scheme he should know as well as any defensive system in the league. Could that help Maye?

And perhaps most importantly, if Las Vegas gets near the goal line, will Pete Carroll call Ashton Jeanty’s number or pull the trigger on another pass?

It’s a safe bet Vrabel will downplay his return to Tennessee, where he was fired as head coach in January 2024. It’s an even safer bet the Patriots will play hard for their new head coach, hoping to make this return a memorable one.

The Pats finish 9-8.

I reserve the right to change my mind, pending Maye’s development this summer and any injuries to come. But the table is set for this team to surprise. The Patriots should start fast, playing three home games in the first four weeks and accelerating through a soft middle of their schedule. The ultimate test will be late-season health, and how they finish with three divisional battles in their final four games.