The New England Patriots offense is set to face a much bigger challenge against the Seattle Seahawks’ talented defense and their defensive-minded head coach.
As encouraging as the New England Patriots’ first win of the season was, it’s not going to be so easy in Week 2.
That’s especially true for the offense, which, despite an encouraging performance from some key players, still has plenty they can clean up and improve upon heading into a winnable matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2024 home opener. This time, the Pats get a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Macdonald, who was formerly the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator. Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has familiarity with Macdonald’s scheme going back to his days in Cleveland, but that won’t make the matchup any less difficult, especially with New England’s offensive line against the Seattle defensive front-seven.
“It’s a stout bunch up front, they’re big guys,” Van Pelt said Thursday. “It’s an experienced group as well. There’s a lot of experience in the defensive line. I think it’s probably one of the strengths of that defense.”
Van Pelt said that the running game, which had success against the Bengals (4.3 yards per carry with a touchdown), remains “one of our identities as an offense,” but also acknowledged that the offensive gameplan can and likely will change from week to week. The Seahawks have the personnel to make either approach difficult on the Patriots.
Seattle allowed just 3.2 yards per carry to running backs in a Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos. Entering Week 2, they rank highly in run defense toward the areas that the Patriots exploited in Cincy, including first overall on runs to the right tackle (minus-4 yards on one carry) and 10th on runs to the right edge (2.9 yards/carry). On the other hand, the Seahawks are 31st defending runs to the left edge (nine yards/carry) and 25th against runs to the left tackle (nine yards on one carry).
The left side of the O-line is the Patriots’ relative weak spot, so it’ll be interesting to see how they approach the Seahawks on the ground. Vederian Lowe is projected to stay in and start at left tackle, with Michael Jordan expected to again fill in for the injured Sidy Sow.
One area where the Patriots already had problems up front, however, was pass-blocking. The Patriots offensive line enters Week 2 with the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL (30%) and the sixth-worst pass-blocking efficiency (77.6%), which measures pressures allowed per dropback (via Pro Football Focus). Against the Bengals, the Patriots sometimes had trouble setting the proper protections up front, allowing unblocked rushers through the line.
MORE: Projecting the Patriots offensive line for Week 2
It won’t be as straightforward against the Seahawks, either. They boast a veteran defensive front that will mix up and disguise pass-rushing packages to create favorable matchups. The Pats are really going to need to be on their P’s and Q’s in order to keep Jacoby Brissett upright.
“There’s protection issues [to prepare for],” Van Pelt said. “[The Seahawks] do a great job, obviously the scheme is strong. There will be some calls we’ll have to make from a protection standpoint. But, it’s about the 1-on-1 matchups. They try to create 1-on-1 matchups with your line, and they have some good players. It’ll be a good challenge for us this week in pass protection.”
Pass-rushers to know on the Seahawks are veteran Leonard Williams, third-year edge rusher Boye Mafe, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, and linebacker Dre’Mont Jones. Nobody will have to be more familiar with them than Brissett, who did a good job against the Bengals to avoid sacks by escaping pressure and running for first downs. He’s shown improvement in that area after struggling with it earlier in his career.
“I think understanding that more now in my older days than I was when I was younger in the league, I think that definitely has paid off,” Brissett said Wednesday. “Watching really good quarterbacks, honestly, do it for a while – watching Tom [Brady], Phillip [Rivers] and Andrew [Luck] – finding ways to not get negative plays. So, I think that definitely played a part in it.”
Both Van Pelt and head coach Jerod Mayo alluded to the possibility of being forced to throw the ball more, despite wanting to run the ball as the hallmark of their offense. Seattle should come closer to doing that than the Bengals did, and it will play a major role in Sunday’s matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Getting His Feet Wet
Jun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Caedan Wallace (70) walks to the practice fields for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Patriots rookie tackle Caedan Wallace apparently isn’t ready to play his natural position in the NFL just yet, which is understandable, with highly-paid teammate Mike Onwenu taking up the right tackle spot. But Wallace was able to get on the field in his first game as a pro against the Bengals, logging 18 snaps as a “jumbo” tight end in the running game. Wallace lined up on both the left and right side.
There wasn’t nearly as much heavy lifting for Wallace as if he had to play tackle, as extra tackles typically help the starter with double-teams and don’t have much to worry about in terms of matchups. But Patriots offensive line coach Scott Peters remarked that it was good to get the rookie some real game experience, as he develops further behind the scenes.
“Gameplan-specific opportunities will come up where we use guys like that in that role,” Peters said Thursday. “Caedan got a good opportunity to get his feet wet as a rookie and he did a nice job.”
The Butler Did It (Again)
Malcolm Butler’s iconic interception in Super Bowl XLIX (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
A sign of changing times in New England: Malcolm Butler appears to have put his past problems with the team (read: Bill Belichick) behind him, and the organization itself is shedding Belichick’s dour exterior and engaging in some good-old-fashioned trolling.
The Patriots announced Thursday that this weekend’s “Keeper of the Light” – a special guest who rings the bell at the top of the Gillette Stadium lighthouse before the team’s introduction – will be none other than Butler, who is (well, SHOULD be) best known for his Super Bowl-saving interception in the final minute of Super Bowl XLIX against the Seahawks.
Seattle hasn’t been back to the Super Bowl since, so it’s quite possible that Butler’s unforgettable moment still stings as painfully as any in the history of the city. So, the Patriots will take it upon themselves to remind the organization and its fans of Butler’s heroics almost a decade ago.
