3) The Patriots OL must deal with the tenacity of the Seattle rush
There are a few unique matchups we could highlight, but Demarcus Lawrence, Byron Murphy II and Co. against the left side of the Patriots line feels like a potential trouble spot for New England. Patriots rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson returned from late-season injuries to return to the starting lineup, and each has struggled at times — especially Campbell and especially in pass protection. Drake Maye has been sacked five times in each of three playoff games, and the Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league. Lawrence leads a four-man edge rotation that helped generate the fourth-highest pressure rate in 2025 despite blowing at the eighth-lowest rate, according to Next Generation Stats. Don’t forget Murphy in that equation; he was second against the Seahawks in pressures this season with 46, one of five defensive backs with at least 40. New England will counter with heavy sets, use extra backs, tight ends and offensive linemen, but it also limits the number of receivers who run routes. The Patriots are likely to stick with the playmaking duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, even though they have been relatively contained in the postseason. Campbell has been good in the run-blocking department, and he had two huge fumble recoveries against the Texans, but it would be shocking if the Seahawks didn’t try to exploit him in passing on Sunday. The rookie will be in the crosshairs, and there’s only so much Maye and Josh McDaniels can do to protect him from the fire.
4) Elite vs Elite could be even when the Seahawks have the ball
The 2023 NFL Draft produced two big hits in Round 1 for Super Bowl teams, with the Patriots drafting cornerback Christian Gonzalez 17th overall and the Seahawks selecting Jaxon Smith-Njigba three picks later. Now they are two of the very best at their craft and the football world can’t wait for them to lock horns. But how much will Gonzalez and Smith-Njigba face each other? In his one NFL meeting, during the 2024 season, Gonzalez only eclipsed JSN on two routes (zero targets), mostly behind DK Metcalf in that game. Metcalf is gone, it’s a completely different coaching staff, and the Seahawks don’t really have another body like him, so it’s possible that Gonzalez will be asked to follow Smith-Njigba more than he did a year ago. On the final possession, JSN torched the Patriots for 112 yards, with nickel back Marcus Jones mostly assigned to him. Jones allowed him to catch four passes for 42 yards on seven targets in 19 games. It will likely be a team effort for New England, with Gonzalez, Jones and Carlton Davis all getting beat up on NFL teams. The safeties also count on playing a lot over the top to prevent the big plays. The Patriots will also have to contend with Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp, who have each made big catches in the playoffs. But no one strikes fear into opponents like Smith-Njigba does.