Roll out the red carpet, the New England Patriots are back! Okay, that may be a bit of an overreaction but what an impressive win by the NFL’s biggest Week 1 underdogs. The Patriots managed to beat the Cincinnati Bengals on the road to open the season up with their first Week 1 win since 2020 or more known as “The Cam Year”.
The biggest question in New England was what exactly will be the teams strength or identity. New England came out Sunday and showed their defense is still one of the league’s best, and that the Patriots run game is no joke.
New England Patriots – Stock Up
Leaving Week 1, the Patriots showed a lot of growth and promise. Three players who raised their stock after that performance were Rhamondre Stevenson, Deion White, and the offensive line.
Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson went into Week 1 with a mission to show that he was deserving of the of his new four-year $36 million extension – and he did just that. Stevenson made big plays running the ball throughout the entire game. He racked up a total of 120 rushing yards of off 25 carries and scoring New England’s only touchdown on Sunday.
Keion White
With the injury of star defensive tackle Christian Barmore and the trading of pass rusher Matthew Judon, a big question mark in New England was how would the team generate pressure. Second-year defensive end Keion White answered a lot of questions with a breakout game. He came up with 2.5 sacks with one of them being a strip sack (on the second play of the game).
The Entire Offensive Line
The entire offensive line as a unit played phenomenal. The Patriots offensive line gave up a grand total of zero sacks in Week 1. They showed that they are better then a lot of people thought. This unit must keep up this performance entering their Week 2 matchup.
Week 2 – Taking on Seattle
The Patriots will have their home opener this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks are a team that also came off of a Week 1 win, beating the Bo Nix-led Denver Broncos 26-20.
Just like last week, the Patriots will enter this game as the underdogs. This time, the team are underdogs at +3 points. This will be the two teams first meeting since 2020, where the Seahawks came away with the home victory of 35-30.
Key Matchups in Week 2
The Patriots will have their hands full again this week having to go up against one of the NFL’s most talented receiver group.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez had an outstanding game in Week 1 against Ja’Marr Chase. Gonzalez covered Chase on 20 downs, only allowing three catches for 14 yards. Gonzalez will have another tough challenge this week, where he’ll be matched up against DK Metcalf.
Metcalf didn’t have the best game in Week 1, only coming away with three catches for 29 yards. However, the question will be who New England decides to put on receiver Tyler Lockett.
Lockett was the Seahawks’ leading receiver in Week 1 with six catches for 77 yards. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots him up with veteran Johnathan Jones, or third year corner Marcus Jones.
New England Patriots – Keys to Victory
The Patriots will have to win this game in the trenches, making sure Geno Smith has a very uncomfortable day. The Seahawks offensive line allowed two sacks, which led to Smith throwing one interception. This will be another opportunity of young defensive end Keion White to show off his high motor.
This could be another big week for running back Rhamondre Stevenson as well. The Patriots might opt to stay away from Seattle’s cornerback duo of Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen. For the Patriots to win, New England must establish a rushing attack, and keep the errors to a minimum to maximize on their potential.
