Week 4 battle against Brady, Bucs headlines ‘21-’22 schedule release for Patriots

FOXBORO, Mass. — The National Football League released its full schedule Wednesday for the 2021-22 season for all 32 teams, including the New England Patriots. Headlining the schedule release for the Pats is the Week 4 matchup against Tom Brady and the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That contest will be featured on Sunday Night Football and will take place at Gillette Stadium at 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, October 3. It will be the first time Brady will square off against his old team since departing for Tampa Bay in the 2020 offseason.

That game will be the Patriots’ lone appearance on Sunday Night Football this upcoming season, pending a to-be-determined matchup against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

Other primetime games for New England include their Week 13 game on Monday Night Football at the Buffalo Bills and their Week 11 game against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, which will be broadcast on FOX and Boston 25. Boston 25 will also carry the team’s Week 3 contest against the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m.

New England will face off against the NFC South this season, with matchups against the Buccaneers, the Falcons, the Saints, and the Carolina Panthers, as well as the AFC South, meaning they’ll take on the Colts, the Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans.

Additionally, the Pats will twice play their divisional opponents, per usual, along with games against the Cleveland Browns, the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Chargers.

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The team will also face a trio of NFC East opponents in the preseason, with exhibition games scheduled against the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Football Team.

The Patriots schedule, in full, is as follows:

Preseason

Aug. 12 vs. Washington Football Team - 7:30PM

Aug. 19 @ Philadelphia Eagles - 7:30PM

Aug. 29 at New York Giants - 7:30PM

Regular season

Sept. 12 vs. Miami Dolphins - 4:25PM on CBS

Sept. 19 @ New York Jets - 1PM on CBS

Sept. 26 vs. New Orleans Saints - 1PM on FOX

Oct. 3 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 8:20PM on NBC

Oct. 10 @ Houston Texans - 1PM on CBS

Oct. 17 vs. Dallas Cowboys - 4:25PM on CBS

Oct. 24 vs. New York Jets - 1PM on CBS

Oct. 31 @ Los Angeles Chargers - 4:05PM on CBS

Nov. 7 @ Carolina Panthers - 1PM on CBS

Nov. 14 vs. Cleveland Browns - 1PM on CBS

Nov. 18 @ Atlanta Falcons 8:20PM on FOX

Nov. 28 vs. Tennessee Titans - 1PM on CBS

Dec. 6 @ Buffalo Bills - 8:15PM on ESPN

Week 14 BYE

Dec. 18 or 19 @ Indianapolis Colts - TBD

Dec. 26 vs. Buffalo Bills - 1PM on CBS

Jan. 2 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars - 1PM on CBS

Jan. 9 @ Miami Dolphins - 1PM on CBS

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