We're officially onto Seattle, as the Patriots prepare for their Week 1 Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks on September 9. It will be the first time the previous Super Bowl teams play in the first game of the season in a number of years, and it's going to prove to be a huge hurdle for the reigning AFC Champions.
The first month of the season is typically referred to as an extension of the preseason, and based on what we saw from the Patriots this summer, that doesn't bode well for their chances against the Seahawks next week.
That's already being felt by those around the league, as the Champions are the clear favorite to take home the win again.
That means the Patriots have an even taller task ahead of them, and they'll hope they made the right adjustments and upgrades to their roster to be far more competitive than they were seven months ago.
It seems clear that Mike Vrabel is very aware of what they need to address the most, stating that the Patriots will need to "block better, run the ball better, and stop the run better" in the matchup, but he left out a key part that could be the biggest momentum swinger in their favor: the secondary needs to slow down receivers far better than they did in the Super Bowl, at least, other than Christian Gonzalez.
Mike Vrabel forgot one key part the Patriots need to improve if they want a real chance vs. the Seahawks
Everything Vrabel mentioned about what the Patriots need to do better against the Seahawks this time around is fair and accurate; there's no argument with that.
However, overlooking how important the secondary's performance will be is leaving out perhaps the most crucial difference-maker for their potential success.
Other than Gonzalez, the rest of the roster offered little help, and if it weren't for him, Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba would have recorded more than 100 yards that night, which would have been an absolute disaster.
We need Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, and newly signed Kevin Byard to step up to ensure this won't be a problem this time around, especially if Gonzalez doesn't suit up for the game, which is a growing possibility the longer he doesn't sign a contract extension.
If not, this will be an even easier game for the Seahawks, who will already benefit from the high of unveiling their latest Super Bowl banner, having the hometown crowd on their side, and the potential help of an officiating crew that loves to throw flags.
It's a recipe for disaster if the Patriots fail, and it will (hopefully) be a big focus of practice over the next week because they will certainly need it, with or without Gonzalez.
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