Everything You Need to Know About Patriots vs. Seahawks Week 2

The New England Patriots will welcome the Seattle Seahawks into Gillette Stadium on Sunday for the Patriots' 2024 home opener. In a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, the two teams will meet for the third time since Malcolm Butler snatched the Seahawks' Super Bowl hopes.

The stakes aren't quite as high this time around, but both teams are coming off of Week 1 wins. The Patriots upset the heavily favored Cincinnati Bengals on the road by a score of 16-10, while Seattle took care of business at home by defeating the Denver Broncos 26-20. Both teams were also playing their first game under new head coaches after parting ways with their long-tenured head coaches.

Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll made way for Jerod Mayo and Mike Macdonald, respectively. Mayo and Macdonald each came out of their first NFL games as head coaches with a perfect winning percentage.

The Patriots employed a game plan in Week 1 that Belichick would have been proud of, as they leaned heavily on their defense while employing a ball-control, time-of-possession offense. New England ran the ball 39 times for 170 yards while only throwing for 120 yards. The Patriots also forced two key fumbles - one that kept Cincinnati off of the scoreboard in the second quarter and one early in the third quarter that led to a field goal.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks put a damper on Bo Nix's NFL debut, limiting him to only 138 yards passing and two interceptions. Seattle outscored Denver 17-7 in the second half on their way to a season-opening win.

The Patriots have lost their last three home openers. With a new coach and a new era in New England, hopefully, 2024 has something different in store. Here is everything you need to know about the Week 2 showdown between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

The Nuts and Bolts: Start Time, How to Watch, Etc.

• Home: New England Patriots
• Road: Seattle Seahawks
• Venue: Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, Mass.
• Date: Sept. 15, 2024
• Time: 1:00 PM Eastern (noon Central, 10 a.m. Pacific)
• TV Coverage: FOX
• Radio: 98.5 FM The Sports Hub

Patriots vs. Seahawks Prediction

A lot of the question marks surrounding Week 1 were answered once we saw a full regular season game from the Patriots, but it remains to be seen if the Patriots' Week 1 game plan will be their season-long identity or if Alex Van Pelt will tailor the offensive game plan to their opponent on a week-to-week basis.

It feels like the former is more likely, as Van Pelt labeled New England as a run-first team this past offseason, and Jacoby Brissett - as well as he played in Week 1 - isn't exactly an air raid system quarterback.

Receivers DeMario Douglas and Ja'Lynn Polk only had three catches for 18 yards combined in Cincinnati, so you would think the Patriots offense will be looking to get their playmakers the ball more in Week 2. Don't be surprised if New England uses the run game to set up some play-action shots and plays a little more loose.

From Seattle's perspective, they will undoubtedly be looking to stop the run first and force the Pats to take to the air. After one game, the cat is pretty much out of the bag on what the Patriots are looking to do on offense. If Mike Macdonald, who comes from a defensive background and was most recently the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, chooses to load the box to stifle New England's running game, how do Van Pelt and the Patriots offense counter?

New England's upset win was also heavily aided by Cincinnati's poorly timed turnovers (and in hindsight, a poor decision to punt the ball away at the end of the game). If Seattle can simply stay out of their own way with ball security and not give the Patriots a short field, they'll be taking away one of the key pieces of New England's identity.

In the end, there is just too much that has to go right for New England. Based on how they attacked the first game, it feels like this team has to play from ahead, has to dominate the running game, and has to force key turnovers. It could prove too difficult to replicate that recipe for success week in and week out.

Prediction: Seahawks 20 - Patriots 17

Patriots vs. Seahawks Injury Report

Just as they were in Week 1, the Patriots will definitely be without receiver Kendrick Bourne, guard Cole Strange, and defensive tackle Christian Barmore. Bourne and Strange are both on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List, so they are ineligible to play until Week 5.

Barmore, who had a sensational 2023 campaign, was diagnosed with blood clots in July and the team is reportedly preparing for the possibility that he could miss the entire 2024 season.

Guard Sidy Sow was the only other Patriot to miss Sunday's game, as he is nursing an ankle injury. Sow, a 2023 draft pick, has not practiced since New England's final preseason game. Michael Jordan and rookie Layden Robinson held down the guard spots against Cincinnati in Sow's absence.

On the other sideline, Seattle could be in a bit of a bind at right tackle. Starting right tackle Abe Lucas remains on the PUP list as he recovers from knee surgery. George Fant started at right tackle against Denver with Lucas injured, but Fant was forced to leave after only 13 snaps with a knee injury of his own. Look for the Patriots to attack that mismatch with Week 1 game-wrecker Keion White if Fant is unable to go.

Seahawks primary running back Kenneth Walker III suffered an abdomen injury in the second half that knocked him out of Sunday's game. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald designated both Walker and Fant as "day-to-day" when speaking on Monday.

As per NFL policy, both squads will be required to submit an injury report on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before a Sunday game. Each team must also submit a game status report by 4 p.m. Eastern on Friday (when players are designated as questionable, doubtful, or out), so the next few days should paint a much clearer picture of who might be unavailable on Sunday.

Weather Report: Fans Should Show Out at Gillette Stadium

After great football weather for the Patriots in Week 1 in Cincinnati, it should be more of the same in Week 2. It'll trend towards a warmer New England day, as the temperature could climb as high as 83 degrees.

Current weather predictions indicate that it will be mostly sunny at Gillette Stadium with only an eight percent chance of rain on Sunday. Much like the injury report, more accurate reporting should become available as Sunday creeps closer.

If the current forecasts hold, the weather shouldn't have a measurable impact on either team's game plan. Hopefully, a good weather day also helps contribute to fans filling up Gillette Stadium for the home opener - an atmosphere that was largely lacking during last season's dismal year.

Patriots vs. Seahawks Betting Odds

Spread: SEA -3.5 (-105) | NE +3.5 (-115)
Moneyline: SEA (-180) | NE (+152)
Total: 37.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)

After the Patriots pulled off the biggest Week 1 upset in the NFL since 2018, they will enter Week 2 embracing the underdog role as well.

The Patriots were 5-11-1 against the spread last season, while the Seahawks were 8-7-2. The over was 7-10 in for both New England and Seattle's games in 2023. The Seahawks were 7-2 outright when favored last season.

Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook are definitely not anticipating a shootout on Sunday, as the 37.5 over/under is the second-lowest across the league for Week 2. Only the 36.5 total for the Denver-Pittsburgh game is lower.

Patriots vs. Seahawks Matchup History

Sunday will be the 20th matchup all-time between Seattle and New England, dating back to 1977. Obviously headlined by the Patriots' Super Bowl XLIX win, Seattle still leads the series 10-9.

The Seahawks have won both games over the Patriots since that Super Bowl showdown highlighted by Malcolm Butler's goal-line interception. The most recent clash between the two teams was also in Week 2, in the Covid-altered 2020 season. Seattle pulled out a 35-30 home win over New England in the Pacific Northwest. Russell Wilson threw for five touchdowns, while Cam Newton racked up 397 yards passing for the Patriots.

Seattle most recently visited Gillette Stadium in Week 10 of the 2016 season, when another matchup between the two came down to the final seconds. Trailing by seven, the Patriots had a first-and-goal from the Seahawks two-yard line with 43 seconds left. On fourth-and-goal, a Tom Brady fade pass to Rob Gronkowski fell incomplete on a controversial no-call. New England was unable to punch it into the endzone, and this time Seattle prevailed in a goal-line stand to win 31-24.

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