Schedule is a mixed bag. It's home and away in division, a rotating match up with another division, and finally an "X" factor partially determined by teams success the prior year. Pats as division winners will play other division winners for the remaining chunk of games. If a team made last year's playoffs then implodes this, is that NE's fault? (ok, sure, the one game they meet up it is)
Was noted about not having Denver on the schedule... for years after the Colts moved out of the division it was all but automatic to have a Pats v Colts / Brady vs Manning showdown during the season. Pats vs Steelers occurs more often than not as well.
It's also funny to knock their schedule as their winning percentage is almost identical for non-conference as it is in-conference in the Darth Hoody era.
FFS Brady won 11 of 17 from Manning's teams. By the accounting used, guess Peyton lead some garbage sides.