FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots’ 2023 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday.

Coach Bill Belichick’s squad will get an early gauge of how it stacks up against the NFL’s elite, with the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles visiting Gillette Stadium for the season opener. Longtime Patriots assistant coach Matt Patricia is now serving as an Eagles senior defensive assistant, and his knowledge of quarterback Mac Jones & Co. adds an intriguing wrinkle to the Week 1 matchup.

Once prime-time darlings, the Patriots are initially scheduled for four prime-time games, and they come in Weeks 2, 14, 15 and 16 -- home against the Dolphins, at the Steelers, home against the Chiefs and on the road at the Broncos. The games against the Chiefs and Broncos could still potentially be flexed out of those spots -- a reflection, in part, of how the NFL views the team after an 8-9 season.

Here's what's in store for the Patriots:

Schedule

Sept. 10: vs. Philadelphia

Sept. 17: vs. Miami (SNF)

Sept. 24: at New York Jets

Oct. 1: at Dallas

Oct. 8: vs. New Orleans

Oct. 15: at Las Vegas

Oct. 22: vs. Buffalo

Oct. 29: at Miami

Nov. 5: vs. Washington

Nov. 12: vs. Indianapolis (Frankfurt, Germany)

Nov. 19: BYE

Nov. 26: at New York Giants

Dec. 3: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Dec. 7: at Pittsburgh (TNF)

Dec. 18: vs. Kansas City (MNF)

Dec. 24: at Denver (SNF)

Dec. 31: at Buffalo

Jan.6/Jan. 7: vs. New York Jets

Strength of schedule: .551 (third toughest)

Over/Under: 7.5

Biggest takeaway

This is a great home schedule for the team’s season-ticket members. To have five home games before Nov. 5, one of which is in prime time, offers a chance for the peak New England football viewing experience weatherwise. And that’s before even getting into the elite teams coming to town.

Another takeaway: One of the first things veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said he looks for is the placement of the bye; it looks to be in a prime spot this season, coming in Week 11 after the Patriots’ game against the Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.

Revenge game

Everyone remembers the way the Patriots lost to the Raiders last season in Las Vegas, with Jakobi Meyers lateraling the ball away and Jones getting steamrollered by Chandler Jones in a shocking last-second loss. Now the Patriots get a chance to reverse that history against the Raiders (and Meyers, who signed with Las Vegas in free agency) in Week 6. It could be a critical game based on how challenging the opening month of the season looks.

Bold prediction

The Patriots will be 5-5 at their bye week, showing gradual improvement that will spark hope for the second half of the season. Getting to .500 at the bye looks like it could be a challenge due to the combination of a challenging opening stretch of opponents and Belichick sometimes referring to September as an extension of the preseason in terms of how his team comes together. Stealing at least one division win before the bye will be critical, and the Patriots will do that -- with their best chance coming against the Dolphins in Week 2.