Patriots 2013 schedule: Few marshmallows next season

The Patriots are set to take on the hard-nosed AFC North as well as the Atlanta Falcons and the rest of the NFC South. Additional games against Denver and Houston finish off a series of potential pitfalls in a schedule that features five 2012 playoff teams.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will face a few more obstacles in 2013 (AP)

Back in July, when predictions were being made for the upcoming season, many people looked at the New England Patriots’ schedule and privately wondered how they were going to lose a game. CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco looked at that list of opponents, saw a line of cupcakes, and jotted down a zero in the loss column.

He predictably caught some backlash for being so bold, but his proclamation wasn't exactly outlandish. Assuming all the breaks went its way, on paper, San Francisco, Baltimore and Houston looked like the only real hurdles standing between New England and another perfect regular season.

Things didn’t work out as Prisco predicted as the Patriots dropped four games, and it’s certain that no one will look at New England’s 2013 opponents and see a bag of marshmallows waiting to be whipped into perfection. The Patriots are set to take on the hardnosed AFC North as well as the Atlanta Falcons and the rest of the NFC South next season. Additional games against Denver and Houston finish off a series of potential pitfalls in a schedule that features five 2012 playoff teams.

The AFC East should provide little resistance for New England, but Miami is trending in the right direction and Buffalo and New York could be in better position to compete next season if their changes in leadership harvest the desired results.

Patriots 2013 schedule

Home: New York Jets, Buffalo, Miami, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Denver

Away: Jets, Buffalo, Miami, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston

Nick Underhill covers the Patriots for MassLive.com. Follow him on Twitter @CBSPats or@Nick_Underhill.