3 winners and 3 losers from the Patriots Week 2 loss to the Seahawks

The New England Patriots squared off against the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium in the Pats' first home game of 2024. It was a match-up of two teams that had won their first games. Seattle featured top wideouts, three-time former 1000-yard receiver D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, who's broken the 1000-yard mark four times. The Pats countered with a top defense.

The Patriots started fast with a nice drive that culminated in a touchdown pass from veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to rookie Ja'Lynn Polk, his first NFL touchdown. Seattle answered not long after with a big TD pass from Geno Smith to Metcalf, who blitzed the Pats' defensive backfield in a miscommunication for the TD.

Thereafter, a tough slogging match ensued. The Pats utilized their solid run game, but the Seahawks emerged with a 23-20 win in overtime. The Pats' passing offense just didn't do enough to win.

Let's look at three winners and three losers for the Patriots in their loss to Seattle. Three standouts will be presented, while three negatives will also feature. It's an exercise that makes sense after every game to evaluate, analyze, and determine who made the plays and who didn't.

The 3 winners from the Patriots Week 2 loss

The Patriots' best player of the game was tight end Hunter Henry. He had arguably his best game for the Patriots. He roared out of the gate, as he had seven catches in the first half thanks to some excellent short passing early by Jacoby Brissett.

Unfortunately, he finished with only eight catches as Seattle adjusted its coverages. But since Henry was Brissett's go-to receiver then, and for good reason since the wide receiver corps is average on their best day, the tight had recorded the most yards in a single game of his career, recording 109 yards.

The second winner is no surprise. It's second-year defensive lineman Keion White. White had a sack in the first half and another half, giving him 4.0 in the season's first two games. Generally, when played on the defensive line, White was a menace to the Seahawk's offense.

The third winner must be the surprising offensive guard, fourth-round pick Layden Robinson. Robinson continues to play above expectations. He finishes blocks, is stout on bull rushes, and has emerged as a no-question starting guard. If this trend continues, he may be the Pats' best guard since Onwenu and Joe Thuney before him.

The 3 losers from the Patriots Week 2 loss

The Pats defensive coaches are given the loser title for Week 2. They used their best defensive lineman, Keion White, poorly at times, having the prolific pocket-crusher and pass-rusher dropping back into coverage on zone blitzes. It's a waste of talent and dysfunctional. White is the Patriots' best pass-rusher, and there are no others. They also used White at D-end too often. He's best deployed inside in a gap.

The second loser for the Pats is the defensive backfield. They allowed journeyman quarterback Geno Smith to have an excellent game, completing 75 percent of his passes. They had few big plays and forced no turnovers. A big pass interference penalty also cost the Pats a touchdown.

The Patriots' third loser was Jacoby Brissett. He had a strong first half but then tailed off back to his norm and had trouble escaping the Seahawks' rush. Brissett is sack-prone, getting sacked by Seattle three times.

He completed only 55 percent of his passes for a meager 149 yards. He has yet to demonstrate that he can throw the ball downfield. His wide receivers didn't help. They totaled a paltry five catches for 19 yards. Seattle had nothing to worry about there.

That's where rookie Drake Maye will add another dimension to the Pats' offense if/when he's finally unleashed under center. If the Pats are looking to have a successful season, aka, make the playoffs, Maye's the only way.

It's become increasingly evident (if there was ever any doubt, there wasn't here), that Maye, with his strong arm and pocket-escapability, is the remedy for both issues. He'll avoid the rush, which gives his receivers more time to get open; he's a threat to run and can throw the ball a country mile. The long gainer is still nowhere to be seen in the Patriots' passing offense.

The Patriots lost an eminently winnable game against Seattle. The passing game is predicated on short passes alone. It's not good enough. Jacoby Brissett has been a journeyman quarterback for a reason. He's a nice backup, but that's all. Want to win, Patriots? It's Drake Maye time.

Final Note: it was interesting to observe the Patriots' hybrid safety, Jabrill Peppers sporting a Guardian helmet cap again in this game. It's the first time this observer can remember one ever being worn by a Patriots player. Hopefully, it's a harbinger of things to come. Every NFL and any other level football player should wear similar protection every game.

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