I was in Seattle for the 2012 matchup between the Patriots and the Seahawks, the second time I had been to a game there. It’s a fantastic atmosphere and I have to say I admire the energy the fans bring. Might be a little over-hyped now with all the attention they’ve gotten but they’ve earned every bit of it.
Even in 2008, with the Hawks well out of the playoff picture and Matt Cassel under center for the Pats, they brought impressive enthusiasm, cheering through the Patriots huddle as if it were a playoff game.
The Patriots won the game in 2008 on a forced fumble by Brandon Meriweather and, in looking back at the 2012 game, the Pats really should’ve won that one too.
Had it not been for an end zone interception in the fourth quarter, with the Pats already up 20-10, it might’ve even gone into “blowout” territory.
The keys to the late Seahawks comeback? A 51-yard pass to Golden Tate that set up their first touchdown that closed the score to 23-17. Then the game-winning 46-yard strike to Sidney Rice.
It’s worth noting, and not surprising, that the Pats had rookie Tavon Wilson, now an “in-the-box” safety, and special teamer Nate Ebner, playing as their deep free safeties. Devin McCourty was still playing cornerback then.
The Pats held Marshawn Lynch to just 41 yards on 15 carries, with a long of just 7 yards. New England seemed well-prepared to shut down Lynch with a gang-tackling style.
What stands out on the Pats offensive side of the ball is how pass-heavy they went from the get-go. Brady ended the day 36-of-58 with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
26 rushing attempts yielded just 87 yards, a 3.3 average, but most of the time those runs almost felt obligatory. For the most part, the Pats seemed intent on spreading the Seahawks out and throwing it at the middle of the field.
36 of Brady’s 58 attempts we aimed 0-10 yards from the LOS, with 23 of them being right in the middle of the field. Wes Welker ended the day with 138 yards, including a 46 yard touchdown.
Brady had success on every Seahawk defensive back except Richard Sherman, where he was just 2-of-7 with an interception.
Perhaps most telling is that New England was just 1-for-6 in the red zone. The chances were there, but they couldn’t finish.
While many of the players are now different, I think there’s something to be said from how the Pats attacked the Seahawks defensive scheme. Seattle is not a complex defense based on disguise and mix-and-match coverage. They do what they do, but they do it with aggression and speed and that’s why they’re so good.
Beating Brady has always been about deception and taking away his quick throws. This was not how Seattle chose to defend him in 2012 and he moved the ball fairly well.
Seattle may try a similar game plan to last year’s Super Bowl, with heavy press man, or they may allow the short throws and try to punish the receivers after the catch.
Either way, I think New England has good threats across the board to challenge the Seahawks defensive style. The easy guess is that Julian Edelman will be a big factor in the middle of the field like Welker was in 2012.
Still, as we saw last week, the Seahawks run defense can be had with a big physical runner, so perhaps LeGarrette Blount will see more work than Ridley et al. did in 2012.
One thing is for sure, the Patriots have options on offense that they didn’t have in 2012. Especially at X-receiver, where trading up from Brandon Lloyd to Brandon LaFell is about as good as you could hope for in a physical matchup like this.
Defensively, it’s night and day for the Patriots, with a deep and versatile secondary that can match up with anyone and shouldn’t be as likely to give up those over-the-top bombs that won the game for the Hawks last time.
Can the Pats still stop Lynch like they did last time? Brandon Spikes was a big factor and they’ll need a similar performance from Dont’a Hightower.
Russell Wilson also had some success running outside the pocket in 2012, and that’s another area the Patriots will have to be very conscious of.
Still, it’s encouraging to see the Patriots move the ball in an environment like Seattle and it’s a good sign they’ll be comfortable attacking Pete Carroll’s scheme in Glendale.
