The homecoming party got spoiled for the New England Patriots by the visiting Seattle Seahawks, who eked out a 23-20 victory in overtime at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
New England had a chance to close the deal at the top of the extra quarter, but their offense got swallowed early, leading to a game-winning drive from Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
The offense drove down the field on the Patriots defense and set up the game-clinching 31-yard field goal kick.
It was a valiant effort for the Patriots, but their lack of explosive plays and inability to finish drives with touchdowns hurt them. One of the more glaring issues for the team was the offensive line. They got overwhelmed by Seattle’s defensive front throughout the game, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett didn’t have much time to work in the pocket.
The unit looked slow and sluggish unless Rhamondre Stevenson was single-handedly carrying them with his legs. Stevenson had another strong showing with 81 yards and a touchdown, and even tight end Hunter Henry stepped up for a big day with eight receptions and 109 receiving yards.
Those were mostly short passes that Henry turned into long gains. Meanwhile, the leading receiver for the Patriots was rookie Ja’Lynn Polk with two receptions and 12 yards.
That isn’t good enough to win consistently.
The defense can’t play perfect football every week, But more importantly, how long will Brissett survive behind a patchwork offensive line that seems incapable of protecting a quarterback? Even Mike Onwenu, who is widely believed to be the Patriots’ best offensive lineman, was getting starched in pass protection on a couple of key plays.
Help doesn’t appear to be coming for the Patriots, and the season could get out of hand really fast if they can’t stop the bleeding along the offensive front.
To make matters worse, they’re on a short week before heading back on the road to face the New York Jets on Thursday night.
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