It’s time.
Time for a new season.
Time to face down old demons.
Time for another run at the Super Bowl.
The Patriots and Seahawks will kick off today in Seattle at 8:20 p.m. ET, with Drake Maye facing the same defense that sacked him six times and scored a pick-six at his expense mere months ago in Super Bowl LX.
Defensively, the Pats held strong that night, but they have new problems to solve in Seattle after losing some depth this offseason and staring down new Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury. The good news is Christian Gonzalez will play after a summer of uncertainty around his new contract extension, which was agreed to early Tuesday morning.
But aside from Gonzalez shutting down All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, how else can the Pats pull off an upset?
#### When Patriots run
Giddy up, Rhamondre.
Rhamondre Stevenson will be the heartbeat of the Patriots’ rushing attack tonight after the best training camp of his career. The depth behind Stevenson is questionable, after TreVeyon Henderson did not practice the past two weeks and No. 3 back Corey Kiner arrived via trade just 10 days ago. The Pats could opt to elevate Hassan Haskins or Lan Larison, but Stevenson will be the key as the offense’s best rusher and back in blitz pickup.
Look for the Patriots to test Seattle on the edges with the outside zone scheme they featured throughout the summer and would stress the Seahawks’ depth after losing outside linebacker Boye Mafe to free agency. New fullback Reggie Gilliam is another factor here, a major upgrade over former fullback/tight end Jack Westover who could help the Patriots in short-yardage, a major weakness last year. The Pats ripped off some of their longest gains in joint practices against the Eagles and Colts by going left behind Gilliam, second-year tackle Will Campbell and new guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Might those have been a preview of runs to come?
#### When Patriots pass
In the Super Bowl, the Patriots allowed blitzers to rush Drake Maye freely, Maye responded poorly to that pressure, and the offense collapsed. If Maye can stand up to the heat Wednesday, big plays should await downfield.
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown runs onto the field prior to facing the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFL preseason game on Aug. 22 in Foxboro. Paul Connors/Boston Herald)
The Seahawks lost starting cornerback Riq Woolen in free agency, and while Josh Jobe is a capable replacement, how they handle the nickelback position bears watching. Top corner Devon Witherspoon often slides inside on passing downs, where safety Nick Emmanwori also plays but is questionable heading into kickoff. If Emmanwori sits — a likelihood according to local reporting — Witherspoon should be expected to play the nickel spot, which leaves A.J. Brown or Romeo Doubs outside against Seattle’s No. 3 corner.
That’s a matchup you can bet the Patriots will try to exploit, especially if Brown is left 1-on-1. The Seahawks have also ruled out starting safety Ty Okada. Against Seattle’s suspect secondary depth, the Patriots should major in 11 personnel (three receivers, one tight end, one running back) with Brown, Doubs and DeMario Douglas.
Plus, they’re planning to go faster this season to stress defensive communication, especially in the secondary. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels already told the unit in OTAs they will hurry to the line after chunk plays to chase another. Look for a spread attack, a speedy operation and chances for Maye to drop bombs downfield tonight — if he’s protected
#### When Seahawks run
Out goes Kenneth Walker, in comes Jadarian Price.
Price, the Seahawks’ first-round pick, will get the first crack at replacing the reigning Super Bowl MVP for a run-focused Seattle offense. He did not take any carries in the preseason, but averaged six yards per rush and scored 11 rushing touchdowns over his last season at Notre Dame. Price is strong, runs with good contact balance and clocked a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash.
Based on their preseason performance and reports from joint practices, the Patriots should prepare to see Price attacking the perimeter of their defense. Outside linebackers Dre’Mont Jones and Elijah Ponder will start, with two rookies, Gabe Jacas and Quintayvious Hutchins, behind them. The Pats could also replace one outside linebacker with an extra defensive tackle and push Milton Williams or Christian Barmore to the edge, something defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr discussed this week in a press conference.
“Sometimes you know you get a little bit bigger on the edge and it helps in the run game,” Kuhr said. “But versatility always helps. Showing different pictures with different people, so you’re just not always static in the same (defense).”
As always, the battle at the line of scrimmage will be telling.
#### When Patriots pass
Gonzalez did his job against Smith-Njigba in the Super Bowl, holding him to one catch on two targets for 16 yards. He broke up the other pass to stop a touchdown. Now, Gonzalez needs to do it again.
The Patriots will be in deep trouble if Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is allowed to repeatedly find Smith Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, who posted 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last year. The Pats are likely to blitz Darnold heavily again, given the state of their pass rush, which will put more importance on winning 1-on-1 matchups in coverage for Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, who should see plenty of Seahawks receivers Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed.
The other battleground of note here, aside from potentially pressuring Darnold into a turnover, is the safeties and linebackers versus Seattle’s tight ends. Starting tight end A.J. Barner caught the lone touchdown in Super Bowl LX off a play-action fake that successfully baited ex-Patriots linebacker Jack Gibbens. Barner and athletic backup Elijah Arroyo, a top-50 pick in the 2025 draft, are expected to be featured in the new offense. That means safeties Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson must be ready to see targets and stay disciplined against play-action, hallmarks of past 49ers offenses Fleury recently helped shape as an assistant before being hired away to Seattle.
#### Prediction
Seahawks 27, Patriots 24