@stoptheflop
The AFC East is incredibly weak, so that helps NE because they get 4 games against the Jets and Dolphins. They also play the NFC East, home of the Giants and Redskins, two of the worst teams in the NFC and AFC North, home of the Bengals, Browns and Steelers (all either bad or banged up or both). Really, your previous year’s placing only affects two of your games - for NE, that’s the games against Houston and Kansas City. For KC, it’s the games against New England and Baltimore. The rest of the games are set by rotation.