The New England Patriots are back in prime time where they’ll face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. Week one is in the books, both teams are 1-0 and this is a test for New England to see where they stand.
PATRIOTS DEFENSE VS SEAHAWKS EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
The best secondary in football, is facing one the most potent passing attacks, led by quarterback Russell Wilson. This will be the marquee matchup to watch for on Sunday night.
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Last week the Patriots secondary did its job as usual, holding Ryan Fitzpatrick to 191 yards and three interceptions. Stephon Gilmore and J.C Jackson continue to look like the best tandem in the league, while the safeties had a big impact as well. The secondary will need a similar performance to slow down Russell Wilson and company.
As good as the Patriots secondary looked last Sunday, the Seahawks offense was just as impressive. Russell Wilson went 31-35 for 322 yards passing, and 4 touchdowns. The question for New England will be who matches up on Seattle’s pass catchers. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett present two different styles and skill sets. The Patriots will probably have Gilmore shadow Metcalf, while J.C Jackson covers the speedier Lockett. Wilson also has Greg Olsen and Jacob Hollister at his disposal, so the Patriots safeties will have to step up again as they did a week ago.
CAM NEWTON AND THE PASSING GAME
Seattle plays zone coverage and will be blitzing more than Miami did last week. A key player to watch is safety Jamal Adams, who can rush from the line or from the secondary. Seattle will try to force Cam to stay in the pocket and throw the ball.
The running backs and Julian Edelman will be New Englands answer to Seattle’s Cover-3 defense. James White in particular should have a big day, but do the Patriots have enough for Cam to throw it around? Call me crazy but I have a feeling Josh McDaniels and Belichick will figure it out.
N’KEAL HARRY
The Patriots wide receivers might end up being the difference in this game, N’Keal Harry’s performance is what I’ll be watching for. He caught a lot of grief after fumbling through the end zone trying score a TD. Newton has a good report with him. The two connected on many occasions last week, but that’s been overshadowed by one mistake. He has the quarterbacks support, and Cam will need him against this aggressive defense. So we’ll see if Harry can be a factor to get the Patriots to 2-0.
–Mike Quilty is a Staff Writer for Full Press Coverage Sports Media and covers the New England Patriots. Follow him on Twitter @boston_sp0rts20
