New England opens the season against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gilette Stadium and has the third-easiest schedule. Those factors, combined with the new energy Mike Vrabel brought to One Patriot Place, can lead to wild speculation over how this season will fare for the Patriots.

Let’s indulge in those fantasies with four overreactions following the NFL making a big deal out of something very mundane.

Patriots will go 12-5
This is the season New England reasserts its dominance in the NFL. Don’t think so? Let’s predict each game and give one- to three-word reasons.

Week 1: vs. Raiders, W — trash
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins, W — no crazy humidity
Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, W — Aaron who?
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers, W — Drake Maye game
Week 5: at Buffalo Bills, L — Josh Allen
Week 6: at New Orleans Saints, W — lol
Week 7: at Tennessee Titans, W — Mike Vrabel revenge
Week 8 vs. Cleveland Browns, W — tanking season
Week 9 vs. Atlanta Falcons, W — 28-3
Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, L — actual good team
Week 11: vs. New York Jets, W — never ever
Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals, L — Joe Burrow
Week 13: vs. New York Giants, W — why primetime?
Week 15: vs. Bills, L — Josh Allen, again
Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens, L — Lamar Jackson
Week 17: at Jets, W — nope
Week 18: vs. Dolphins, W — too cold

The NFL still hates the Patriots
Another late bye and a brutal stretch in the middle of the season, this is clearly Roger Goodell trying to keep New England from being relevant again.

Patriots defense will lead the league in turnovers
Vrabel’s side should get a nice mix of young and washed quarterbacks. They could face Aaron Rodgers on his last legs with Pittsburgh. Bryce Young, Michael Penix Jr. and Justin Fields aren’t strangers to mistakes. The Saints could roll out rookie Tyler Shough, and Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart will face growing pains in Tennessee and New York, respectively. And Cleveland could run with Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, who don’t strike fear in any defense. The Patriots spent the offseason beefing up the defense, and fans will see the fruits of those labors.

Drake Maye wins MVP
Maye’s continued ascension, combined with Josh McDaniels, against a solid mix of weak defenses should produce wonderful results for the Patriots offense. If Mac Jones could have his best season with McDaniels, then Maye should be in the MVP conversation. He’s 66-1 to win the award at BetMGM, and you’ll feel sorry at not betting him at that number when the Patriots start making waves.