Key Matchups to Watch as Seattle Seahawks Battle New England Patriots in Week 2

With both teams dealing with injuries along their offensive lines, the Seahawks and Patriots could have significant advantages on defense in the trenches.

Sep 20, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) is tackled by New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) and New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings (58) after making a reception during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

In a somewhat unlikely contest between 1-0 teams, the Seattle Seahawks will hit the road looking to stay undefeated in the Mike Macdonald era with a physical matchup against the New England Patriots on tap in Week 2.

Which matchups will have the greatest influence on who snags an early season victory in Foxboro? Here are six positional battles to watch at Gillette Stadium on Sunday:

--Seahawks tackles Charles Cross and Stone Forsythe versus Patriots edge defenders Keion White and Josh Uche: Amid struggles for the entire offensive line in the season opener, Cross stood out as a lone bright spot, allowing only one pressure and dishing out several quality blocks to spring Ken Walker III in the run game against Denver. The third-year tackle will be tested in Foxboro by two vastly different rushers in White and Uche, however. Built like a defensive tackle at 285 pounds, White has impressive power and length to go with surprising quickness at his size, allowing him to collapse pockets both as a bull rusher and using his long arms for effective counters. He generated 2.5 sacks and three quarterback hits in Week 1 while seeing action at multiple alignments up front and may require help from tight ends to keep him from wreaking havoc on Sunday. As for the 6-1, 245-pound Uche, speed and quickness are his calling card, and he's only two years removed from an 11.5-sack season for the Patriots, which could pose major problems for the 6-8 Forsythe filling in for an injured George Fant on the right side and trying to block him.

--Seahawks edge Boye Mafe, defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy versus Patriots left tackle Vederian Lowe and left guard Michael Jordan: While the Patriots may have an advantage with White and Uche going against an undermanned tackle group, they also have their own offensive line injuries to be concerned about that could dramatically impact their ability to move the ball on Sunday. Lowe didn't start Week 1 coming off an injury, but he quickly came in for Chukwuma Okorafor in the first half and had his share of issues, allowing three pressures and a quarterback hit on just 23 pass blocking reps. Next to him, Jordan fared okay in pass protection with two pressures allowed, but he wasn't able to consistently create push in the run game starting in place of an injured Sidy Sow. The Seahawks have far better interior talent and depth than the Bengals did with Williams, Murphy, and Jarran Reed all eager to feast on a practice squad guard, while Lowe surrendered six sacks and nearly 40 pressures last year, which should have Mafe and Derick Hall licking their lips ready to go into attack mode hunting down Jacoby Brissett.

--Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba versus Patriots cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, and Marcus Jones: For a second straight week, Metcalf will be pitted against a quality young corner in Gonzalez, who allowed three catches on three targets for only 15 yards against Cincinnati last week. The former Oregon standout offers good size at 6-1, 205 pounds and ran a sub-4.40 40-yard dash at the combine two years ago, so he has the physical traits to match up against a freakish athlete such as Metcalf. Still, he isn't near as polished as Pat Surtain II, and the veteran receiver should have his share of opportunities to make plays against the young defender on Sunday. Now in his ninth season, Jonathan Jones has been around the block for a while and squaring off against Lockett will present a fun contest between wily veterans who consistently get the job done. In the slot, Marcus Jones has been rock solid since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2022, allowing only one touchdown in coverage. He's just 5-8, however, and the 6-1 Smith-Njigba could create a significant size mismatch for the former Houston star that the Seahawks can capitalize on in the middle of the field.

--Seahawks linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker versus Patriots running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson: Seattle held its own against Javonte Williams and Denver's stable of backs last week, allowing 64 combined rushing yards to the three backs who received carries in the opener. The defense did that with Dodson and Baker being active, however, and both veteran linebackers received questionable designations with injuries on Friday, creating questions both about their availability and their effectiveness if they do play in Foxboro. Under the assumption each player suits up and starts, Dodson and Baker will need to bring their hard hats bracing for the bruising 227-pound Stevenson, who produced an NFL-high 118 yards after contact last week and forced a whopping 10 missed tackles as he put the Patriots offense on his back. New England also has a dangerous change of pace option to throw at the two linebackers in coverage in the speedy Gibson, who has nearly 1,300 career receiving yards with seven touchdowns. If the Seahawks have to play rookie Tyrice Knight and/or untested second-year defender Drake Thomas, this could be a major advantage for the home team.

--Seahawks tight ends Noah Fant, AJ Barner, and Brady Russell versus Patriots linebackers Ja'Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai: Tight ends weren't a big part of Seattle's passing attack in Week 1 with Fant, Barner, and Russell combining for just two catches and 11 yards. But while Bentley and Tavai are capable downhill tacklers and offer some pass rushing ability as blitzers, neither player brings above average athletic traits to the table as sideline-to-sideline defenders, and both can be liabilities in coverage. Last week, the Bengals targeted Bentley seven times and completed seven passes for 62 yards against him. As for Tavai, he has allowed 78 percent of targets against him in his career to be completed while allowing six touchdowns. If offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb can scheme up one-on-one situations for Fant and the rest of his tight ends against New England's off-ball linebackers, including on play action with an effective run game, the Seahawks should have chances to attack the middle of the field and potentially down the seam with their receivers drawing a ton of attention on the outside.

--Seahawks safeties Julian Love and Rayshawn Jenkins versus Patriots tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper: Without prime Randy Moss, Wes Welker, or Julian Edelman walking through the door, the Patriots lack proven weapons on the outside and their best weapons in the passing game reside at tight end in Henry and Hooper, two experienced vets with soft hands who can create downfield and after the catch. In the past, the Seahawks have had major issues defending tight ends, though the Broncos only got two catches for 12 yards from that group last week. Hooper led the Patriots with 31 yards on two catches and Henry added two catches for 18 yards, and though those are far from impressive stat lines, both players have extensive track records of doing damage as chain movers and in the red zone. The onus will fall on Love and Jenkins, who each will see action matched up against tight ends on Sunday, to prevent the two veterans from consistently providing a security blanket for Brissett and allowing the home team to stay on schedule.