Pats Preview: Pats Vs. Seahawks

As the New England Patriots prepare for their Week 10 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks, here are some pregame story lines to keep in mind. 

Coming Off The Bye- The Patriots enter the Sunday Night clash of titans coming off their bye week. Under head coach Bill Belichick, New England has thrived on weeks following the bye, owing a 12-4 record. The Seahawks will go down as one of the better teams a Belichick-led Pats team has faced after a week off, but knowing how the coach works he's probably put together quite the game plan, on both sides of the ball, to effectively attack Seattle.

Super Bowl XLIX Rematch- This game is, of course, a rematch of the Super Bowl from two years ago in which the Patriots pulled off a 28-24 win. It was also the game that spurred the career of cornerback Malcolm Butler, who picked off the ill-advised goal line pass from Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to clinch New England's fourth Super Bowl title. Expect the Seahawks, who were in prime position to win the game late, to come out with chips on their shoulders. Hopefully for the fans, we get a game a quarter as entertaining as that early February battle a couple seasons ago.

Potential Return- Thanks to a report from Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, it appears that Patriots running back Dion Lewis, who started the season on the PUP list after tearing his ACL last year, could be back Sunday. The team did cut running back Tyler Gaffney, Thursday, which opened up a spot on the 53-man roster that Lewis could now fill. Lewis was dynamic for the Pats offense last season, touching the ball 85 times and totaling 622 yards and scoring four touchdowns in just seven games. Adding Lewis back to the offense, though he will probably not be at the top of his game right away, should help the already strong Patriots unit. His presence will also likely take some of the load off of power back LeGarrette Blount, who is on pace for a career high in carries.

Too Hot To Stop- While the Seattle defense is among the top such units in the league, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady might just be too hot for even them to stop. Since returning from his unjust 4-game suspension, Brady has carved up opposing defenses. Through four games, the future Hall-of-Famer has completed over 73% of his passes (98-134) for 1,319 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also has yet to turn the ball over to his opponent. The chances the Seahawks stop the 17 year vet, who torched them for 328 yards and four scores with less weapons at his disposal two years ago, are slim.

Post-Collins Era- Sunday also marks the start of the post Jamie Collins era for the New England defense. Collins, who is set to enter free agency after the season, was shockingly dealt to the Cleveland Browns for a compensatory pick days into the team's bye week last week. With Dont'a Hightower, Elandon Roberts and Rob Ninkovich set as starters, the Pats should be able to deal without Collins, who has had a down season so far statistically. It will be interesting to see how backup options Barkevious Mingo, Shea McClellin and Kyle Van Noy handle increased roles and how the team chooses to divvy up the in game reps between the three.

Containing Wilson- Back in their Super Bowl meeting two years ago, Seattle's quarterback proved to be elusive enough to keep the New England defense on its heels. While he has nursed multiple sprained ankles and a sprained knee ligament injury so far this season, Wilson has continued to be mobile and put pressure on opposing defenses. The New England defense has struggled this season, when it comes to getting to the quarterback. In fact, the Patriots rank 28th in the league with just 13 recorded sacks through eight games. They will need to find a way to contain Wilson's ability to move inside and outside of the pocket and must wrap up when they get to him, if they want to put themselves in position to win the game.

Bennett Brothers Battle- When the schedule was set, it appeared that this game would be a battle of the Bennett Brothers as Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett is the older brother of Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett. While Martellus has been dealing with an sprained ankle that has slowed him a bit and labeled him as questionable for the game, the dynamic tight end is expected to play. Unlike his younger brother, Michael will not be healthy enough to give it a go, as he is rehabbing from knee surgery. Not only will Michael's absence crush the hopes of a family reunion on the field, but it might also hurt Seattle's pass rush.

A Low Scoring Affair- The game has the chance to become a low scoring affair, mainly because the two teams rank second and third in the league, in terms of points allowed per game. The New England defense, which hasn't lived up to preseason hype, actually ranks ahead of the Seahawks, as the Pats allow an average of 16.5 points per game while Seattle gives up 16.75. While both teams have found a way to continually limit their opponents' offenses, the Seattle offense has not been able to consistently score themselves. New England hasn't had the same problem, so if the game is close look for the Pats offense to put together the plays to beat the Seattle defense rather than the other way around.

Prediction- Here's a game that should and will test the Patriots, who have been challenged rarely this season. While the Seahawks will be able to push the Pats around a little, New England is still the best team in the league and will be coming off of a bye at home. The game should be close and it might take a late score to put it on ice, but expect the Patriots to move to 5-0 with Brady under center and 8-1 on the season when all is said and done.

Patriots 27, Seahawks 17