Patriots vs. Seahawks: 5 Questions from the Win in Week 6

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The Seattle Seahawks were able to overcome the mighty New England Patriots in dramatic fashion as Russell Wilson grew up in a hurry and led two late drives for touchdowns.

It is a game to celebrate, but as with anything else in life, there are always questions.  

The Seahawks did some things really well against the Pats, but there were also some areas of weakness. When you play a certain type of team, it is hard to know whether these strengths and weaknesses were a sign of things to come or whether they were one-time adjustments.

With that in mind, here are five questions from the game between Seattle and New England.

Is This the New Russell Wilson?

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Is Russell Wilson the new hot quarterback in the NFL? Can we expect many more games where he throws for almost 300 yards and three touchdowns?

Perhaps, but I do not expect this to be the new normal.

The New England secondary is not particularly good, and Wilson had a full complement of receivers at his disposal.

He did play impressively, and Wilson continues to show great poise in the pocket. His runs showed great awareness, and I am happy to see that the guy is smart enough to slide or get out of bounds.

Tougher pass defenses will not necessarily allow some of the deep balls that found their mark against the Patriots. Still, Wilson is looking good.

Sorry, Mr. Flynn. I think you will be sitting for the time being. 

Will Marshawn Lynch Rebound?

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Marshawn Lynch did not have a particularly good game, as he carried the ball 15 times for only 41 yards. There are a couple of ways to look at this.  

New England has a solid run defense, and you have to assume that shutting down the Seattle running game was a big part of the plan. If I were the Patriots, I also would have dared Wilson to win the game through the air.

The New England strategy almost worked.

Another aspect of the running game is the fact that Seattle was finding success with the passing game. The New England pass defense is poor, and Wilson was able to get the ball down the field. Therefore, Seattle did not have to rely on the ground attack.

I would assume that the running game will still be the first option on offense, particularly against lesser run defenses.  

Should We Be Worried About the Seattle Secondary?

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Tom Brady racked up almost 400 yards through the air. Should we be worried?

There are also a couple of ways to look at this. There is the fact that New England has not really had a major run attack for years. Brady spends a lot of time with an empty backfield. He has talented receivers, and he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

The key is that the Seattle secondary made plays when they had to, and they held fast in the final minute of the game.

New England only managed to score six points on two field goals in the second half. Brady was still getting his yardage, but he was not getting into the end zone.  

I do not like to give up 400 yards through the air, but I do not see this as a failure on the part of the defense.

What Happened to the Pass Rush?

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One sack does not seem like very much for a Seattle defense that has quickly developed a reputation for harassing quarterbacks.

Again, we are talking about Tom Brady.

Keep in mind that Brady spends most of his time in the shotgun and he is excellent at getting rid of the ball quickly.

Translation? By the time the pass rush got to Brady, the ball was already gone.

Again, I do not see this as a failure on the part of the defensive line. Brady has a good offensive line, and the New England passing attack is built around a lot of short passes. Therefore, Brady does not need to wait very long before he can throw the ball.

I expect that we will see more sacks again when Seattle plays against lesser quarterbacks that take more time to throw.

Can the Seahawks Beat the 49ers?

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The Thursday night matchup between the Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers has suddenly become much more intriguing. I expect fans have had this game circled on their calendars since the schedule came out, but I do not know if people expected it to unfold this way.

All of a sudden the Hawks are the team with momentum and the Niners are the team that just got slaughtered by the New York Giants.

Will Seattle face a staggering San Francisco squad, or a team that is embarrassed and ready to remind everyone who they are?

Will Beast Mode lead the way against the 49ers? Or will the offense continue to shift toward the air attack?

The Seahawks can beat the 49ers, particularly if they keep the San Francisco running game under control and put some pressure on Alex Smith. This could be an extremely competitive game, but Seattle is really starting to believe that they have the tools to win.

The game in San Francisco should be a good one. How good would it feel to be 5-2 on Friday morning?

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