New England Patriots 2009 Schedule

As if watching their potential perfect season go down in flames to the New York Giants during last February’s Super Bowl weren’t enough, Patriots fans hoping for another season of greatness in 2008 were treated to watching All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady go down with a knee injury in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Brady was gone for the season. That was the bad news.

The good news was backup Matt Cassel emerged as one of the game’s top young guns during a season in which the Patriots just missed the playoffs. Now, Cassel is, somewhat ironically, in Kansas City with a hefty contract to boot, while Brady is back and ready to take the helm as the Patriots look to get back to the Super Bowl. A fourth win since 2001 would cement their status as Team of The Decade, something the Steelers are looking to claim with a repeat win early next year.

Here’s a look at the schedule they will have to face in order to get there. The Patriots will kick off the season on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills (and new wide receiver Terrell Owens). On Oct. 25, New England heads to London to face off against Tampa Bay in the NFL’s annual overseas game.

• Sept. 14 - vs. Buffalo Bills (7 p.m., Ch. 5, ESPN)
• Sept. 20 – at N.Y. Jets (1 p.m., Ch. 4)
• Sept. 27 – vs. Atlanta Falcons (1 p.m., Ch. 25)
• Oct. 4 – vs. Baltimore Ravens (1 p.m., Ch. 4)
• Oct. 11 – at Denver Broncos (4:15 p.m., Ch. 4)
• Oct. 18 – vs. Tennessee Titans (4:15 p.m., Ch. 4)
• Oct. 25 -- at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (game to be played in London, 1 p.m. ET, Ch. 4)
• Nov. 1 -- BYE
• Nov. 8 – vs. Miami Dolphins (1 p.m., Ch. 4)
• Nov. 15 – at Indianapolis Colts (8:20 p.m., Ch. 7)
• Nov. 22 – vs. N.Y. Jets (4:15 p.m., Ch. 4)*
• Nov. 30 – at New Orleans Saints (8:30 p.m., Ch. 5 and ESPN)
• Dec. 6 – at Miami Dolphins (8:20 p.m., Ch. 7)*
• Dec. 13 – vs. Carolina Panthers (1 p.m., Ch. 25)*
• Dec. 20 – at Buffalo Bills (1 p.m., Ch. 4)*
• Dec. 27 – vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m., Ch. 4)*
• Jan. 3 – at Houston Texans (1 p.m., Ch. 4)*

* Subject to the NFL’s flexible scheduling