The New England Patriots were arguably the best team in the NFL from top to bottom last season when factoring in how they played throughout the entire year. There's also the schedule factor to consider, which led one writer from The Athletic to recently predict that New England will win four fewer games than it did a year ago. The schedule includes the Seahawks, Steelers, Jaguars, Bills (twice), Bears, Packers, Lions, Chargers, Chiefs and Broncos,” Jacob Robinson of The Athletic wrote. However, the bigger factor here is the Patriots getting into the playoffs. Health is the biggest factor here, so if it results in a few fewer wins, then so be it.