The New England Patriots had every opportunity to start the season off at 2-0, but they wilted down the stretch of a tough game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
They ultimately fell short in a 23-20 overtime loss at Gillette Stadium. After squashing the Patriots on the opening drive, the Seahawks were led by quarterback Geno Smith on an eight-play, 71-yard drive that put kicker Jason Myers in position to ice the game with a 31-yard field goal.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the Patriots. The defense put up an impressive fight, but they made a few uncharacteristic mistakes that led to big plays against them. Meanwhile, the Patriots offense stalled on far too many drives and struggled to put the game away with multiple opportunities.
Here are the studs and duds from Sunday’s game:
David Butler II-Imagn Images
After a quiet opener, Patriots tight end Hunter Henry was a target magnet in Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. He hauled in a team-high eight receptions for 109 yards.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt loves to lean on tight ends in his scheme, and the Patriots did so effectively with Henry serving as the primary security blanket throughout the game.
Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Patriots corner Marco Wilson was called for a defensive pass interference penalty for a second straight week. And for a second straight time, that penalty led to a touchdown for the opposing offense. Wilson is an experienced player with an edge to his game, but he’s going to need to be more disciplined in avoiding costly penalties.
Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. That was the logic behind the Patriots once again leaning on the legs of Rhamondre Stevenson to get the offense going. The veteran rusher powered his way to 81 rushing yards and one touchdown on Sunday. It was another strong effort from the ground game in New England, and Stevenson was one of the biggest reasons for it.
Billie Weiss/Getty Images
Ja’Lynn Polk scored one of two touchdowns for the Patriots in this game, but overall, this was a pitiful game for the receiving corps. The fact that Polk led all receivers with two receptions and 12 yards is shocking. That isn’t good enough to consistently win football games. There were obviously issues in pass protection (we’ll get to that shortly), but the receivers have to step up and make…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Patriots Wire…