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Breaking down rest of regular-season schedule for Patriots 11.07.12 at 12:22 am ET
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Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are preparing to get back to work following the bye week. (AP)

With the Patriots at the halfway point, here’s a quick thumbnail sketch of what their schedule looks like down the stretch, with a few pertinent thumbnails about where their opponents are at this stage of the season.

Home against the Bills, Nov. 11 – Despite the fact that the Bills looked impressive in the first half of their September meeting in Orchard Park, looking at both sides, there’s little reason to take the Bills seriously heading into this game. That’s especially the case in Foxboro, where they haven’t won in 12 years. (Doug Flutie was the quarterback when he led the Bills to an overtime win over the Patriots on Nov. 5, 2000.)

Home against the Colts, Nov. 18 – Maybe the most underrated matchup left on the Patriots’ schedule. Are the Colts for real? Or are they just a young team riding a wave of emotion and a talented quarterback? This will mark the first game new corner Aqib Talib will be eligible to play, and he’ll likely be needed as the New England secondary tries to slow down Andrew Luck, who certainly is playing beyond his years. One thing: The Colts will be a young dome team going outside in November. Bad weather could play a role in this one.

At the Jets, Nov. 22 – The coveted Thanksgiving night game, this contest held a lot more appeal at the start of the season when New York appeared to be positioned as one of the AFC’s elite. Now, the game stands as an opportunity for the Jets to play the role of spoiler. And will Tim Tebow be under center by the time the Patriots get to East Rutherford?

At the Dolphins, Dec. 2 – If there’s a trap game left on the schedule, this could be it, as a late-season trip to Miami occasionally has been a stumbling block for the Patriots. Miami is a frisky young team that cannot be discounted, with a stout defense against the run. Not saying the Dolphins are good enough to nudge their way into the playoff picture, but expect the game to be more competitive than they many people believed it would be when the schedule was first released last spring.

Home against the Texans, Dec. 10. If Houston stumbles over the next few weeks and New England keeps winning, this is a game that could go a long way toward determining who holds home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. The Texans will provide the Patriots with a stern test, but while Houston is an undeniable talent, this also is a young team that will be playing outside of its element late in the season.

Home against the 49ers, Dec. 16. While the Texans will provide a challenge, the most complete opponent to travel to Foxboro this season will be San Francisco. The 49ers have a young and aggressive defense and an offense that is capable of moving the ball on the ground and in the air. While the 49ers aren’t the pillowy-soft California opponent some might have you believe, the Patriots might want to root for inclement weather in this one — a December game in New England against a warm-weather team traditionally turns in favor of the Patriots. One more thing: While New England will be home for the Houston/San Francisco back-to-back, the Patriots will be prepping for the Niners on a short week.

At the Jaguars, Dec. 23. The least-intriguing game remaining on the schedule. The woeful Jags have struggled on both sides of the ball over the first half of the season and don’t appear to be capable of turning things around anytime soon. If there’s a slam-dunk win left on the schedule, this is it.

Home against the Dolphins, Dec. 30. Despite the fact that the Dolphins appear to be a feisty young bunch that could give the Patriots a game when the two teams meet in Miami, historically the Dolphins have struggled when they have been forced to make a late-season trek to Foxboro.

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  • http://twitter.com/Zj_6 Zack Jones

    I would love to see him in a sox uniform. I don’t think ben c. has the balls though

  • Gpearsoll

    Likely he ends up with the Jays.. Red Sox don’t have the assets the Cubs want without destroying the farm system and threatening the team’s future. Remember, the Red Sox also have to have room for John Lackey when he returns in the 2013 season.

  • Gpearsoll

    And the Sox have no pitching prospects close to the majors either.. remember, the Sox have little near ready depth in AAA and AA. However, they have many position players.. but many need to be kept, with future holes at C, SS, CF and RF in the coming years, as Aviles, Salty, Ellsbury and Ross hit free agency.

  • miked

    HATE GARZA HIM AND HIS SPITTING EVERY TIME BUTTTT WOULD TAKE HIM ANY DAY ON THE SOX OVER ANY OF OUR PITCHERS.. GIVE BECKETT TO THEO LOL

  • Matt Moerth

    If he would really end up in the AL the biggest chance would be Baltimore, and those chances are not big. Yankees have zero prospects for a trade. Boston doesn’t have a spot for him, they cant move becket or lester in to the bullpen, the backend doesn’t worry me. Blue Jays allready have a very young promising rotation. Rays…. no explanation necessary. So the Orioles are the only team that would make sense to me, but i have no idea if they have prospects or the could afford him, but their rotation is definetly after sending matusz down and a horrible arrieta shaky.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_J6CSXCU4KVZJYCXEG3AIW3GNRA Paul Sousa

    Theo would take less from NY than Boston in order to ship him to the Yankees. Especially if Boston makes some sort of wild card run.   Without a doubt.  Any guy who takes the time to text Ken Rosethal, during the middle of the Sox Yanks game on Saturday to make sure Cherington does not get credit for Mauro Gomez and Pedro Ciriaco (as if it really matters) has issues.   

  • Timmy T

     Boston doesn’t have a spot for him? Really?  Beckett is always a start away from the DL, and Buchholz hasn’t made it thourgh a season healthy yet either.  Doubront has also had injury problems in his career.  Out of the current rotation, only Lester has proven durable.  If you have the ability to get a guy like Garza (and re-sign him), you make the room for him or the room makes itself.  The other option if (big if) all five of them are healthy is to move Doubront back to the bullpen.  He’s likely to show effects of the innings count he’s at pretty soon anyways, and it would be a way to maximize talent and keep him fresh down the stretch.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1397387078 Ed Duffy

    Future holes due to Free agency? Aviles? Doubt they are worrying about that thinking long term. If Iglesias stayed healthy this here he might be there now. Ross? Nice player but outfielders are a dime a dozen as the team has proved this year. Ellsbury? Sadly, doubtful they can sign him with albatross contracts of Lackey and Crawford and in my mind Gonzalez, but Bradley is coming fast. Salty? If he continues the upward trend they will sign him unlesss they feel Lavarnway is ready at the time. One thing to remember about prospects is that things can change in a hurry. Nobody talked much about Middlebrooks until last season when he turned the corner, and nobody thought Reddick was a potential star, the majority liked Kalish much better and he still could prove it to be so despite what he showed this time up.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1397387078 Ed Duffy

    Price is a stud and from what I see and hear a good guy, but i hardly want to hear my guy hoping a top of the rotation starter comes over to compete against us in the division so he can “hang out.” That defines the mentality of todays athlete. Its not rec league dude!

  • Anonymous

    They might be able to get him without Henry knowing. After a,week he will email the press from London with his comments.

  • Anonymous

    They need to get someone like Reed Johnson to platoon with Nava or Sweeney. Neither can hit left handers. and, if Crawford comesback, neither can he.

  • Michiganman171

    Where did you read that on Epstein? Just curious.

  • trollhunter

    other than bill”s and jags buckel up your chin straps some tough games ahead!

  • nick122528

    Boy those late season night games against two of the elite teams in the NFL should really show who and what the Patriots are made of this year.

  • GB

    Chris-

    I am surprised that you did not give any kind of prediction on the wins and losses for teh remaining games.

  • Burnthrowbacks

    They need 6 – 2 to clinch the east. With the loss by Miami last Sunday, one of those loses can come in a divisional game. If Miami loses to anyone else or loses both games to the Pats then 5-3 will be enough..

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