Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (7-1) get back to work this upcoming Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks (5-2-1) visit Foxborough in a week ten prime-time match up. The Patriots have been rolling lately and will look to continue that trend against the NFC West leaders.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, will take the field Sunday night looking to get back on track after an up-and-down stretch of games that included a tie against the Arizona Cardinals. Fresh off of a Monday Night Football win over the Buffalo Bills, the Seahawks have proven to be an upper echelon team in the NFL.
Week ten will provide another challenge for the Patriots. Much like the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, this weekend’s showdown with Seahawks will be a measuring stick for how the Patriots stack up against some of the league’s better teams. Seattle ranks in the top ten in most defensive categories. This will most likely turn the game into a battle of “what gives” – the Patriots offense or the Seahawks defense. If the Patriots want to start the second half of their season off on the right foot, they’ll have to earn it.
Here are the Patriots week ten keys to victory
New England Patriots Week Ten Keys to Victory
Pass, Pass, and Pass again
Don’t be fooled by Seattle’s number ten ranking in pass yards against per game. In their last three games, the Seahawks have allowed 896 pass yards. That averages to 299 yards per game over that span.
Over that same span of three games, Tom Brady has passed for 913 yards (304 per game). With the offensive weapons the Patriots have, the Seahawks pass defense may be in for a rough night. The Patriots have been on a serious offensive tear lately, scoring nine passing touchdowns over the past three games. Rob Gronkowski has also looked incredibly good now that he is in good health, which is bad news for any defense.
Extend Drives
Third down plays are often decisive factors in football games. They serve as the difference between a simple punt or a multitude of new opportunities for the offensive team. It will be imperative for the Patriots to take advantage of the Seahawks poor third down defensive play.
So far this season, Seattle has allowed their opponents to convert on 42% of third downs. That is seventh worst in the league and has been worse over the past few games, where they are allowing opponents to convert at a rate of 58%.
If New England can extend drives, that gives them control of the clock and also pace of play. If this happens, expect both LeGarrette Blount and James White to get a decent amount of action early, often, and around the goal line.
Get the Running Game Going
Over the past three games, the Patriots have amassed 291 rushing yards. While that averages to nearly 100 yards per game, it was also below 80 yards two out of three times. Having the ability to put White, Blount, or both in the backfield at the same time will keep the Seahawks defensive alignments honest throughout the game and allow the Patriots to run effectively and rack up yards when it matters most during the game.
If the Patriots can gain an early points advantage, however, running the ball will become more of a factor as the game progresses, which could help keep Tom Brady upright and healthy and also use tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett in more of a blocking role.
Contain Russell Wilson
In a very lackluster Seahawks offense, Russell Wilson is one of a few bright spots. He is dangerous both through the air and on the ground. A top ten quarterback in completion percentage, Wilson has the rare ability to expand or escape the pocket and still find his receivers down field. Usually he finds Doug Baldwin, but on Monday night against the Bills he hooked up with Jimmy Graham for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Finding an answer for both Baldwin and Graham will prove to be a challenge for the Patriots without stand-out linebacker Jamie Collins for the first time.
Russell Wilson hasn’t been an effective runner lately due to some minor leg and ankle injuries, but he possesses the talent to break out at any time. This could be a game where Russell Wilson’s legs become important in crucial situations, and the Patriots defense has allowed two rushing touchdowns to quarterbacks over the past three games. If Wilson can find any advantage on the ground, the game’s landscape could be changed at any time.
Last Word
As mentioned earlier, the Seahawks third down defense has been allowing opponents to convert at higher rates than their season average over their past three games. Over the same span of three games, the Patriots offense has been converting on more third downs than their season average. This could become a key factor in time of possession and a battle of field position.
Something the Patriots are also very good at are taking advantage of their opponents mistakes. New England often finds ways to make other teams pay for committing penalties, so if the Seahawks don’t want to give the Patriots any help then they must be disciplined. They have been flagged over ten times in each of their last three games. If that were to happen in the game on Sunday night, it would be a huge advantage for the Patriots.
The Seahawks will provide a good challenge for the Patriots. The defense has the ability to score points and force turnovers, but the Patriots hardly give teams the advantage in those areas of the game. The real question will be if the Seahawks offense can convert yards into points against the Patriots defense. The Patriots are second in the league in points against and the Seahawks rank 23rd in points for.
Prediction: New England 26 – Seattle 13
