Patriots want to compete with equal means against the Seahawks defense

The New England Patriots will honor their Super Bowl XLIX team on Sunday against a fitting opponent: the same Seattle Seahawks they defeated in dramatic fashion in that title game. Clearly, though, a lot has changed for both franchises in the last decade.

However, the 2024 Seahawks look somewhat familiar thanks to what may be one of the better defenses in the NFL right now. No, the unit, led by new head coach and former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, has not yet reached the level of the Legion of Boom. It is still loaded with talent at all three levels.

This will be a huge challenge for the Patriots' offense, which only scored 16 points in their season-opening win at Cincinnati last week. And they know it.

“Everyone is a threat,” said head coach Jerod Mayo. “When we talk about known rushers, it's actually the unknown rushers that make Baltimore's defense special. You don't know who's coming. They shut down defensive ends. They do things that are very similar to some of the things we do, like zone blitzing and protecting the deep part of the field.”

“Historically, they've always had a good defense and they have a lot of good players.”

Last week, the Seahawks defense managed to put the Denver Broncos and their rookie quarterback Bo Nix under pressure, recording three turnovers, holding Nix to just 138 passing yards on 49 dropbacks (including two sacks and five scrambles) and allowing just one late touchdown in a 26-20 victory.

Whether it was the front seven or the secondary, Seattle was there to play. The Patriots hope to do the same on Sunday, as running back coach Taylor Embree emphasized.

“They have a tough defense. Guys are flying around, especially the secondary guys,” Embree said. “My message to the running backs is, 'Hey, go out there and fight fire with fire. Match their intensity and then add a little extra.'”

The Patriots relied heavily on their running game in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and that was actually a driving force behind their win. However, at least on paper, the Seahawks present a different challenge.

Led by stalwart defensive tackle Leonard Williams and disruptive edge rusher Boye Mafe, they have one of the better defensive lines in the NFL.

“It's a strong group up front,” said offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. “They're big guys. And it's an experienced group, too. There's a lot of experience on that defensive line. I think that's probably one of the strengths of this defense, up front. Obviously, it's going to be a challenge for us to go out there and run the ball against a strong front.”

Van Pelt added that running the ball will be only part of the challenge. Seattle will also look to test New England's pass defense after it showed some inconsistency in the season opener.

“There are issues with protection,” New England's first-year OC said. “They're doing a great job. Obviously the scheme is strong. There's going to be some decisions we're going to have to make from a protection standpoint. But it's about the 1-on-1 matchups. You try to create 1-on-1 matchups with your line, and they've got some good players. That's going to be a good challenge for us in pass protection this week.”

The challenge is compounded by the Patriots' uncertain offensive line. According to Thursday's injury report, left guard Sidy Sow is unlikely to play for a second consecutive game due to ankle problems, while right guard Layden Robinson has been limited due to a shoulder injury.

But even if the Patriots had all their hands on board, the Seahawks' defense would still be a tough test – and the team is still looking forward to it, as Embree explained.

“It's going to be a good game. It's going to be a fun game,” he said. “Tough defense. They're flying around. On film, it looks like they're having fun with the new scheme. So, shoot, fight fire against fire.”