FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The NFL announced the 2017 preseason pairings today and the Patriots learned that they will host the Jacksonville Jaguars (Preseason Week 1) and the New York Giants (Preseason Week 4) at Gillette Stadium and travel to play the Houston Texans (Preseason Week 2) and the Detroit Lions (Preseason Week 3). The dates and times of those games will be mutually decided upon between the two teams and announced at a later date. The NFL schedule for the 2017 regular season will be announced by the league later this spring.
The defending Super Bowl Champions will open the preseason at home for the third straight season when they host Jacksonville. The last time these two teams met in the preseason was in 2011 at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots will return to Houston's NRG Stadium, the site of their 34-28 overtime win in Super Bowl LI, in Week 2 of the preseason to face the Texans. The Patriots and the Texans met twice in 2016, with the Patriots scoring a 27-0 win on Thursday Night Football at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 22 and then again in the AFC Divisional playoff game, a 34-16 New England win on Jan. 14, 2017. It will be the first time that the Patriots will face the Texans in the preseason. The Texans are the only NFL franchise the Patriots have yet to play in the preseason.
The Patriots and Lions will meet in Detroit in Week 3 of the preseason. The Patriots traveled to Detroit for a Week 3 preseason matchup in 2011 and 2013, both of which were won by the Lions.
The Patriots and Giants will play each other in the preseason finale for the 13th straight season and for the 27th time overall. The Giants are the Patriots' most frequent preseason opponent. The Patriots and Giants began meeting annually in 2005 and have alternated hosting the preseason finale since then. The Giants lead the all-time preseason series with a 17-9 record and have won the last three games, including a 17-9 win last year at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 1.
2017 Patriots Preseason Opponents
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | TV COVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1* | Jacksonville Jaguars | TBA* | WBZ and Patriots Preseason Network |
| Week 2* | at Houston Texans | TBA* | WBZ and Patriots Preseason Network |
| Week 3* | at Detroit Lions | TBA* | WBZ and Patriots Preseason Network |
| Week 4* | New York Giants | TBA* | WBZ and Patriots Preseason Network |
*-Specific date and time TBA
