3 Stats to Know for Patriots' Week 2 Game vs. Seahawks
The new-look New England Patriots are off to a good start after a 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. However, they are set to face the Seattle Seahawks Sunday night, who will present much more of a challenge than the Dolphins.
The Patriots haven't seen the Seahawks during the regular season since November of 2016, and let's not forget Super Bowl XLIX when Malcolm Butler had the play of his career to secure the win for the Pats and give the team it's fourth Super Bowl win in the Brady/Belichick era.
A lot has changed for the Patriots since then. Will Cam Newton be able to lead the team to its third straight victory against the Seahawks? Here are three key stats you need to know for Sunday, via Next Gen Stats.
322 Yards
That's how many yards Russell Wilson threw for in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. What might be more impressive is that complete 31-of-35 passes, which translates to a 88.6 percent completion percentage, and racked up four touchdown passes as well. It seems that the quarantine hasn't affected Wilson's arm in the slightest, and as a result of his 2020 debut he was given NFC offensive player of the week honors for Week 1.
While the New England defense was able to make some key plays against Miami, there was a fair share of sloppiness as well. If the Patriots want a chance at a 2-0 record to start the season, they will have to tighten things up against Wilson and the Seahawks offense.
2-6
Although this will be the first time Newton will face the Seahawks in a Patriots uniform, he has seen them many times over the course of his career, and the results are not in his favor. Newton is only 2-6 against them, with a 60 percent completion rate. Not only that, but his total touchdowns and total turnovers against the Seahawks match at nine, and those are not two statistics you want to be equal.
Seattle also prevented Newton from running the ball, holding him to just 31 rush yards per game. Although he was the Patriots' leading rusher in Week 1 with 15 carries for 75 yards, Newton will need to find other ways around the Seahawks defense this week to boost the offense.
506 Yards
Similar to New England, it seems that the Seattle defense wasn't playing at peak performance last week, as they allowed Atlanta to rack up 506 yards. Although they don't have the same outstanding defense they did a few seasons ago, they should still present a challenge.
This number is a good sign for the Patriots. If Newton can figure out a way to run the ball like he did in Week 1, and get into a rhythm with his receivers, they can keep up with Seattle offensively.
Newton targeted just three players last game: Julian Edelman, N'Keal Harry, and Ryan Izzo, and he only threw for 155 yards. It will be crucial for the offense to find the holes in Seattle's defense in order to keep up with one of the biggest offensive power houses in the NFC.
Get the latest Patriots news by joining the community. Click "Follow" at the top right of the page. Mobile users click the notification bell.
