4 Patriots Most to Blame for Blowing Week 2 Win vs. Seahawks

On a day in which the New England Patriots celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their Super Bowl XLIX championship team, a squandered late lead and an overtime loss left little for Patriots fans to celebrate.

Leading 20-17 with under five minutes left and driving the deeper into Seattle Seahawks terrority, there seemed to be a very real possibility that New England - a team that entered the season with such low expectations - could somehow be 2-0.

Antonio Gibson broke off a 45-yard run that put New England on the brink of Seattle's red zone, and the Patriots had an 87.2 percent chance to win. Things started to go south for the Patriots quickly as a poorly timed sack of Jacoby Brissett and a blocked field goal kept New England off the board, and the Seahawks drew even with 55 seconds left in regulation.

The Patriots possessed the ball first in overtime with a chance to win the game with a touchdown, but a questionable play call on a pivotal third-and-one came up short of the sticks, and New England wouldn't see the ball again as Seattle drove 71 yards to set up a field goal attempt.

Seahawks kicker Jason Myers converted his third field goal of the day—from 31 yards—to lift Seattle to a 23-20 win over the Patriots. The victory moved the Seahawks to 2-0, while New England will head into a short week against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football at 1-1.

After a tough loss for the Patriots in what felt like a very winnable game down the stretch, here are four members of the Pats who are most to blame for blowing New England's home opener.

4. Jerod Mayo

After escaping his first game as an NFL head coach relatively unscathed, Jerod Mayo made several decisions that are easy to critique, albeit with the benefit of hindsight.

Late in the first half, the Patriots got the ball with 1:28 remaining, trailing Seattle 14-13. Mayo elected to play aggressively, throwing the ball on both second and third down. Both of those passes fell incomplete, saving the Seahawks from having to burn any of their three remaining timeouts.

The Patriots punted with 47 seconds left in the half, but poor punt coverage allowed Dee Williams to return the ball 23 yards close to midfield. Seattle eventually used all three of its timeouts to set up kicker Jason Myers for a 44-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. Instead of heading into the locker room down 14-13, poor clock management allowed the Seahawks to extend their lead to 17-13 at the break.

When New England got the ball first in overtime, a touchdown drive would secure a Patriots win and move the team to 2-0. New England faced a third-and-one from their own 39-yard line early into the extra period, but back Rhamondre Stevenson was stuffed for no gain. With an opportunity to go for it on fourth-and-one, Mayo opted to punt and give the Seahawks the ball. Seattle would move the ball down the field to set up Myers' game-winning field goal.

Knowing now that the Seahawks won the game, Mayo's decision to punt is an easy second guess.