The New England Patriots, coming off their 18-1 near-Super Bowl championship season, will have more 1 p.m. starting times at home this season but also will play five prime-time games, including one on the hard-to-find NFL Network.

Owner Bob Kraft had petitioned the NFL to allow the Patriots to play more 1 p.m. home games this season and, given his stature in the league, was granted his wish, starting with the season opener on Sept. 7 at Gillette Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Other 1 p.m. home games are:

Sept. 21, Miami Dolphins; Oct. 26, St. Louis Rams; Nov. 9, Buffalo Bills; Dec. 21, Arizona Cardinals.

The highlight of New England's prime-time adventures is easily its Nov. 2 trek to Indianapolis to play the Colts and Peyton Manning – the old brother of Super Bowl XLII MVP Eli Manning. That game is on NBC and begins at 8:15 p.m. Is it me, or do the Pats and Colts seem to play the first Sunday in November every season?

New England is on NBC two other times: Oct. 12, at San Diego and Dec. 7, at Seattle (both starting at 8:15 p.m.).

The Patriots have an ESPN Monday nighter on Oct. 20 at home against the Denver Broncos at 8:30 p.m.

Then they play the rival New York Jets at Gillette on the NFL Network – good luck watching that one at home unless the NFL and Big Cable come to terms soon – on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 8:15 p.m. In case you missed it, the NFL Network is looking for a new play-by-play announcer after Bryant Gumbel resigned.

Overall, the Patriots have the easiest schedule in the NFL in 2008, based on 2007 results. New England's 2008 opponents were 99-157 last year, a .387 winning percentage. That's what happens when your schedule includes the AFC East, NFC West and AFC West.

Conversely, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who play at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 30 at 4:15 p.m., have the hardest schedule (.598) and the Colts the second-hardest (.594).

click here for the entire NFL 2008 schedule

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