2020 Patriots Schedule: Examining Teams Cam Newton Will Face with New Squad

Tom Brady went from the AFC East to the NFC South. Cam Newton is going in the opposite direction. 

The former Carolina Panthers star quarterback reportedly signed a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million with the New England Patriots on Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

He'll compete with Jarrett Stidham for the starting job. But if he wins it, what type of schedule will he be facing? 

Let's take a look:

The Patriots have a pretty brutal slate, with seven games against playoff teams from last season (Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills twice, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans). 

Those matchups feature arguably the four best quarterbacks in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson. The Chiefs are the defending champions, the 49ers reached the Super Bowl, and the Ravens had the NFL's best record (14-2) during the regular season. 

But they also play two tough divisions in the AFC and NFC West. Both the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos should improve in 2020, while the Arizona Cardinals look dangerous behind Kyler Murray and a suddenly loaded offense, and the Los Angeles Rams are just one season removed from reaching the Super Bowl. 

Four games against the rebuilding New York Jets and Miami Dolphins should be wins, though AFC East rivalries can be unpredictable.

Granted, the Patriots are still a team to watch for. They have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and having a veteran and one-time MVP in place like Newton will allay some concerns regarding the quarterback position. Oh, and there's that Bill Belichick guy still coaching, too. He's pretty good at his job. 

So Patriots fans have plenty of hope heading into 2020. But they sure do face a nasty schedule.