After an impressive 16-10 upset over the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots will head back home for what should be a very competitive matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The organization will also be celebrating the tenth anniversary of Super Bowl 49, when New England bested Seattle 28-24, ending with the best defensive play in NFL history as Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson to earn their fourth Lombardi trophy. However, both teams have changed dramatically since that day, and now they are just hoping to get off to a fresh start. Both have head coaches in their first year, defenses that played spectacular last week, and offenses that are still trying to find their identity. Let’s take a look at the five biggest reasons why the Patriots need this victory on Sunday afternoon because based on the history between these two teams, this game is likely to come down to one final play.
NFL Week 2: Patriots Preview vs Seahawks
1. Better QB Performance
Even though Jacoby Brissett got the win, he knows he needs to have a better game this week. He did not need to have that huge of a game since Rhamondre Stevenson carried the Patriots’ offense from start to finish, but it is unlikely that Brissett will throw for only 121 yards and come out with another victory. For the team to get off to a surprising 2-0 start, this passing game needs to be more aggressive and Alex Van Pelt needs to open up the playbook more. Stevenson should have another big performance, but without a reliable passing attack, this Seahawks’ defense can easily shut him down and make this Patriots offense completely one-dimensional. The defense that Brissett will be going up against did not allow a single touchdown until the fourth quarter, so New England needs to get off to a great start early and build from there, or else this team is going to walk into yet another avoidable defeat.
2. More Involvement For the Patriots’ WRs
If Van Pelt and Brissett decide to take a more aggressive approach on offense, this means that these young wide receivers are going to get more involvement and action. The leading receiver from Sunday afternoon against the Cincinnati Bengals was Austin Hooper with thirty-one receiving yards on two catches, Tyquan Thornton was second with twenty-seven yards on two receptions, and K.J. Osborn led the team in catches with three and had twenty-one yards. If it was not for two fumble recoveries and the defense holding Joe Burrow to ten points, who knows if the Patriots would have been able to start the season off with the win? Ja’Lynn Polk only had one target and Javon Baker was a healthy scratch, so even though styles meet fights in the NFL, this has to be a week for all of these pass-catching options to start showing up. The Seahawks might not be the most exciting team in the league, but they have plenty of talent that can be utilized to beat the Patriots at their own game. It might not be saying much, but New England has a better-receiving corps than the Denver Broncos, so this should be the week where this offense is in better sync. If they can do that, then it should definitely be enough for New England to get their second win of the year.
2. Seattle WRs vs. Patriots DBs
The biggest challenge for the Patriots is figuring out how to slow down the wide receivers on the Seahawks. Their opponent has an extremely talented receiving trio of Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba that can create problems against any team they go up against. Last week, the Broncos defense had some success against them. While Lockett totaled close to eighty yards on six receptions, Metcalf was held to three catches and Smith-Njigba only caught two passes, so this Denver secondary at least never let them disrupt the game. It will be very interesting to see who Jerod Mayo has Christian Gonzalez matched up against for most of the afternoon. Metcalf is the most likely choice, but that means Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones will have to really step up their games. This will also be a big challenge for New England’s safeties Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger, not just because they are going to provide plenty of deep help, but Geno Smith is going to involve his tight ends and running backs a lot this year. Kenneth Walker’s status is unlikely since he has not practiced so far this week, but Zach Charbonnet and Noah Fant can be difficult to stop when they are given more freedom and movement. New England is going to give up a lot more yards than they did last week, and if this offense struggles mightily, they are going to allow more points. It is up to this unit to set the tone just as much as it is the responsibility of the offense to pick up the slack.
4. Patriots D Line vs. Seattle O Line
The Seahawks have always had one of the most vulnerable offensive lines for the better part of a decade, and it showed against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Geno got sacked twice and hit seven times, and when the Patriots beat the Bengals, they took down Burrow three times. It is highly unlikely that New England will have a five or six-sack performance, but if Keion White picks up where he left off and more guys step up with him, then they could be a huge factor in this ball game. However, Smith is not the type of quarterback to sleep on too bad. He might not have the improvisational skills of Russell Wilson, but he can create plays out of the pocket, such as the 34-yard scramble for a touchdown that he had in the second quarter. Pressure is going to be extremely critical on Sunday afternoon, so while the Patriots might be just a tad undermanned, they have plenty of guys who are capable of having big performances. Otherwise, the Seahawks are going to have all of the time in the world on offense, and New England just does not have enough firepower to play from behind and take a late lead.
5. Don’t Lose the Turnover Battle
What saved the Patriots from potentially losing in Cincinnati on Sunday were two huge fumble recoveries, one on a potential tying touchdown from Tanner Hudson that was stopped by Kyle Dugger, and another on a punt return that got shut down by Joe Cardona. The biggest reason why the Seahawks trailed against the Denver Broncos was because of turnovers. Geno Smith threw an interception on his first pass attempt of the game, the special teams muffed a punt, and the offense committed not one but two safeties. How can the Patriots keep Seattle off the board? Do not lose the turnover battle. This Seattle offense might have plenty of talent, but they have been turnover-prone since the middle of last season, and this is the type of flaw that New England can easily take advantage of at home. The Seahawks have plenty of playmakers on their defense on all three levels. Leonard Williams and Boye Mafe are huge anchors on their defensive line, Jerome Baker and Devin Bush lead the way in the linebacking corps, and their secondary is where it gets even more complicated. Devon Witherspoon was a big candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, Riq Woolen is trying to bounce back from a forgettable sophomore slump, and Julian Love has been their best player for a while now. The Patriots cannot give any of those players opportunities to get their hands on the ball, or else they are going to fall into a huge hole and they might not get out of it until it is too late.
Neither the Patriots nor the Seahawks should win in a blowout. To reiterate, based on the history of these matchups, the final play is going to decide who will be 2-0 and who will drop to a 500 record at 1-1. It will not be about who wins the game at the end, but who screws up the least. It could be on the first drive or in the middle of the third quarter, but one tiny slip-up or mistake, and that opportunity could be the biggest difference between a team winning by three or losing by ten.
Main Image: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
